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stxrvel · 11 months

Text

birthday love present

pairing: steve rogers x f!reader

words: +4k

warnings: some bad words, age gap (steve's his canon age), reader has a lip piercing.

note: hi guys! this is my first time writing on the steve side. ive been trying to write this one for a long time and the inspiration finally came in today and i think im proud of this one so i hope you guys like it too! this oneshot is from a request i had some time ago that said:

Imagine being Tony Starks daughter and having a massive 21st birthday party at the tower. Despite her younger age either bucky or Steve is in love with her and they end up kissing at the party. Tony sees this and absolutely FREAKS!! Calling Steve/bucky (...) some shit cause he’s technically like 100 and it’s her 21st birthday. Mama pepper wouldn’t be super upset and calms him down and it ends in fluff of course lol

you can read some other works at my masterlist! also, if anyone has a request feel free to send it to me as a message or an ask!

The Tower had been filled with color that night. The pastel pink reigned in the decoration that your parents had put together and you couldn't have been more delighted, it was everything you had dreamed of. The music was perfect, you sang and moved to the rhythm of your favorite songs; all the people around you enjoyed as much as you did that huge birthday party. The food was sensational, there was a whole table full of all your favorite dishes that seemed endless.

Of course the best of all was the bar. Natasha tended it with finesse and mischief, she was the best of the bunch making cocktails. And she only winked at you every time you came back to the bar for another shot as if you hadn't just walked by two minutes earlier.

You had lost sight of your parents a while ago, but you were having an amazing time with your friends singing at the top of your lungs and dancing until your heels burned. You didn't want to take any breaks, you wanted to enjoy every moment of that party to the limit.

Every once in a while you would run into some of your father's friends and say hello. The whole Avengers group had attended that party, although you had asked your mother not to invite them because it would be weird, even though you saw them as a family. She obviously didn't care and so at that moment you were stuck in a bay surrounded by testosterone, with a Norse god telling a weird story to the whole assembled group. There was a pile of bottles and cans on the floor that you couldn't help but grimace at.

“Everything okay?” You heard next to you.

Steve Rogers was to your left, leaning a little closer to you so you could hear him over the loud music. His short blond hair was messy enough that you could tell he was having a good time too, and his light eyes were exalted, as if he had just come running up to where you were. But you didn't know if you could answer him with him so close.

Your history with Steve was… kind of complicated.

Tony Stark was your father, so consequently you used to spend quite a bit of time at the Tower and you knew all the team members as if they were your own family, even though you'd only met them a little over a year ago.

Steve was captivating from the first moment. Maybe it was that lopsided smile that took over his face every time you greeted him or said goodbye, or the way he would throw his head back when he laughed at something you said, even if you didn't think you were very funny, or the way he was always so considerate and cautious when he addressed you.

You didn't know exactly how it happened, or maybe you did, but there came a time when you simply wanted to go to the Tower just to see him. Tony would gladly take you along, completely unaware of your reasons, hoping to spend quality time with you and show you the latest inventions he had designed. But you were always waiting for the moment when he would show up.

And that was perhaps a serious problem. Because he was your father's best friend, or something like that, or because he was exaggeratedly older than you even though he spent 80% of his life inside that plane on the ice and basically time stood still for him. But for whatever the reason, you never told anyone, not any of your friends or your mother who was your confidant, there was even a time when you fought those feelings because you knew no one around you would understand, not even your parents. And you didn't think you could bear their disappointed looks.

Carrying that secret inside your chest used to not be difficult, you considered that you were very good at hiding those feelings and those longing looks. However, you had never put that statement to the test while drunk.

“I'm fine,” you slurred the words and frowned at how terrible that had sounded. You cleared your throat to speak again, but Steve was quicker.

“It seemed to me like you weren't enjoying Thor's amazing stories.”

“Ah,” you laughed slyly, moving your hair off your shoulders and turned to look again at the group of people gathered at the front listening to the other blond's words. “No, it's very entertaining. Not at all like the stories he has told before.”

Steve sketched a smile and through all the noise you could barely hear his laughter. It was only at that moment that it bothered you terribly that the music was so loud.

But his blue eyes rested on yours again and the words and thoughts evaporated in your head. A rational thought ran through your head telling you that maybe you couldn't disguise the lamb's eyes much with alcohol in your veins, but you very responsibly decided not to pay attention.

“You look good,” the blond shook his head looking at you down to your toes and you felt your ears heat up. “Finally 21.”

You didn't lose sight of the way Steve's eyes moved to read the band across your body, the one that Pepper, your mother, had put on you before you arrived at the huge party on this floor of the Tower. You felt a shiver run down your back and you straightened up unconsciously.

“My mother gave it to me,” you commented, trying to shake off the tension you felt in your shoulders from the intense look he was giving you. Or maybe you were just feeling it like that.

“I figured as much. Tony just took care of the money then.”

“Actually,” you moved a little closer to Steve to talk about the music, as he leaned next to you too and you felt shivers run through your body, “my mother told me he chose the color of the decor and the food.”

Too close to be true, you saw him nod at your words and his hair almost brush your cheek as he pulled away so he could see you. You felt your stomach do a flip and for a moment you thought you were going to throw up. Anxious, you fiddled with the piercing you had in your lower lip.

“Do you want to go somewhere else?”

You shook your head embarrassingly fast in a nod.

Steve moved to walk towards one of the two exits the bay had, which led directly to the bar Natasha was still tending. You followed closely behind him, with a bubbling feeling in the pit of your stomach.

He had dressed in a basic white shirt and a royal blue jacket that brought out his eyes beautifully. You remembered well that you had once told him that that blue looked great on him, and that in general dark colors really brought out his eyes. You didn't want to think that's why he had chosen that jacket, but…

Steve leaned over the bar where Natasha had already approached to greet you two and smiled before speaking.

“A shot of strong coffee for the lady here,” the man gestured to you.

You stood there for a few seconds staring at his perfect smile before realizing what he had said. Natasha barely nodded before heading over to the coffee machine Tony had set up in the corner of the bar.

You frowned at Steve, your hand moving to bump against his arm in a playful action.

“I'm not drunk!”

“You're very red,” he replied, after letting out a laugh that you could hear more clearly as you were further away from the speakers. His head moved to where Natasha was standing and you took a moment to see his arm resting on the bar, where the sleeve of the jacket was tucked up and clinging like a second skin. “I don't think it's a good idea for you to arrive dizzy like this for the pie game.”

“I'm just fine, Steve,” you slurred the words again and mentally cursed your lousy alcohol tolerance. You hadn't even had that much to drink, the party had only started about two hours ago. What did he want? For you to sit around drinking orange juice until you split the cake? No, how boring. “I'm lucid enough to break pieces of cake for everyone at this party.”

Natasha arrived with a ceramic mug and set it down in front of you on the bar. You would have preferred to leave it there, but maybe it wouldn't do you too much harm to take it?

“It's better not to take any chances anyway,” the redhead leaned her arms on the bar and gave you a smile.

“Argh,” you frowned at both of them and grabbed the mug to take a long sip. “Neither of you trust me.”

“Well, I can only say that one of us would blindly trust you with our lives, and I already have a person for that,” Natasha commented very nonchalantly as you continued sipping your coffee, and you barely noticed the look she shared with Steve before she walked off to the other end of the bar.

“What was she talking about?” you asked Steve once you let go of the cup.

The blond shrugged in man. “She sometimes just says cryptic things and goes off like that. I'm used to it.”

You nodded agreeing with his words. You were already feeling the effect of the coffee and were starting to see a little clearer. Well, maybe you were a little drunk. And maybe you needed a little more coffee.

Steve very kindly made you another coffee and you sat down right in front of him to watch the whole process as if you had never seen anyone make coffee in your life.

When you finished it, you let out a sound of approval drawing a smile from him.

“This was much better than Natasha's.”

“No one makes coffee better than she does.”

“You do! You should make coffee more often. In fact, you could start a coffee shop.”

Steve smiled broadly and you rejoiced at the butterflies in your stomach.

“I think I'm going to stick to being an Avenger for now. But maybe I can make you coffee every time you come over.”

Your eyes sparkled at the prospect. “I'd come by every day, Steve.”

“I'm counting on that.”

“Maybe you'd get tired of seeing me so often,” you twisted your lips into an expression of mock regret, lowering your gaze and wiggling your index finger over the rim of the empty cup. The black remains of the coffee made an odd figure that painted the white ceramic background.

“I don't think that's possible,” Steve muttered, and if it hadn't been for him coming over the bar and the music not being so loud you wouldn't have heard him. “I like having you around.”

“Really?” you raised your head, your facade fading.

“Sure. You're like the life of the party. Everything's better when you're around.”

Hearts flew around you as you saw the smile he was giving you. Just for you. You felt like fireworks were about to explode all around you and the anticipation of having him closer gnawed at your insides. Your fingers tingled and your heart was pounding.

You just had to get a little closer and…

“… and where's the birthday girl?”

You broke off suddenly.

Now you felt like your heart would pound out of your chest, but from fear.

You turned around as Steve rounded the bar to leave, and found your father walking toward you with his arms outstretched. Beside him, your mother was smiling tenderly at you.

“Come, honey, it's time to sing happy birthday.”

You stood in front of the cake, a bunch of smiling faces in front of you. The lights began to change color and dimmed. The atmosphere was a little more closed in, but it was perfect. You watched as the people in front of you sang happily, celebrating another year of your life, a whole year of experiences and changes that you had accepted with patience and love. There was nothing more at that moment that you could ask for to make it perfect. You had all the people you loved around you and delicious food, what more did you need?

The song ended and you blew out the candles. Your wish was a secret even to you.

The cake was passed around and you even had repeat servings. It was delicious.

But the party didn't stop there. After the cake the music continued and the drinks kept coming. You decided not to drink any more for the moment, at least while the food went down a bit because you had also stolen a few bites from the table full of your favorite dishes when you thought everyone was distracted.

Your parents hugged you at least five times since then and had reminded you how proud they were of you, all you had accomplished and the woman you had become. You couldn't have been happier.

Sometime during the night you slipped off to the bathroom. You arranged your hair that was quite messy from all the dancing before you left.

At the end of the hallway, reaching the stairs to go down to the party, you found Steve and Clint watching from above. They both greeted you as soon as you arrived. You noticed how, poorly disguised, Clint pushed Steve closer to you.

The blond cleared his throat as he walked over to where you were.

“How've you been doing so far?”

“It's been amazing! It's the best birthday party I've ever had,” you commented to him with a huge smile.

You heard Clint cackle sonorously and Steve in front of you rolled his eyes. But he smiled at you when their eyes met.

“Can I talk to you for a moment?”

You stood static for a moment, before replying, “Yeah, sure.”

Steve calmly led you back down the hallway you had traveled from the bathroom and they stopped at a safe distance.

You stood there for a few seconds, in somewhat awkward silence. Steve seemed to be thinking deeply about whatever it was he wanted to tell you, and his hesitation did nothing to help calm the anxiety that was beginning to course through you from the tips of your hands to the way your stomach sank.

Already your palms had begun to sweat when Steve finally spoke.

“I wanted to talk to you about something that… I don't know how you're going to take.”

You passed saliva despite the lump you felt in your throat. you didn't know what to expect from his attitude, because he looked too nervous and almost worried, you could say scared. you didn't want to expect the worst, so you waited for him to continue.

“What happens is that I… I wanted to tell you that… I don't expect you to take it the wrong way or reciprocate, I mean, you can say no…”

Steve was silent once again, avoiding your gaze. Your head was racing a mile a minute and it filled you with nerves to think that maybe he was going to say what you wanted him to say, what you wanted to hear and what you wanted to tell him too. But how… perfect would that be? You had imagined it so many times, but what was the likelihood that it would actually happen?

“I love it when you laugh,” Steve spoke, pulling you out of your head. His determined eyes looked anywhere. You felt a warmth blossom in your chest and you were sure your eyes must have looked like two crystal balls because of how bright they must have been. “And when you have that giant smile on your face that could light up an entire city. And I love when you tell me what you do in the day so animatedly that you don't even realize you're moving your hands too much. I also love when you dance like you're the only person on the dance floor because you sparkle. And I love how your eyes look in sunlight or moonlight, how they shine so bright I feel like I could orbit around them…. I just- I…”

“I like you too, Steve,” you interrupted him, noticing his frown.

His head moved quickly to stop looking anywhere but at you, and you could finally meet his beautiful blue eyes. His chest was heaving, almost as much as yours as you realized what had just happened. For a moment you thought that, if that was all you could do, just look at each other, you might stay right where you were for a long time. His warm, welcoming eyes roamed over your face and more than nerves and anxiety you felt very excited, so much so that you could run through a field of flowers. A smile was making its way on your face and he promptly followed you.

When it seemed that his nervousness had left him, you felt his hand brush yours. You took it without a second's hesitation.

“You do?” he asked, his voice cautious but full of excitement.

“Yes!” you replied, your smile widening. You squeezed his hand and pulled it closer to your body.

Before you gave him time to process what was happening, you crashed your lips against his.

The fireworks exploded.

You felt him tense as you rested your hands on his shoulders, but it was a matter of seconds before he let go.

His lips assaulted your mouth, delicate but passionate. It was everything you wanted and so much more. A love so fierce it could sweep away everything in its path. Your lips welcomed his, hoping this would not be the last time, and his hands clung to your hips with a promise to never let go. It was soft, desperate, tender, wild, all at the same time. Steve seemed to want to take his time savoring that moment, but at the same time he wanted to take it all at once and leave you breathless.

His body moved until you bumped against the wall and his hands squeezed your skin. The sensation was new, welcome and maddening. Now that you had tasted him you didn't think you could ever stop. His sweet scent flooded all over you with your hands tangled in the strands of his hair. His hand on the back of your neck pressed you against his lips and you felt infinitely close, but you still wanted more.

You felt like you were going to explode into a thousand pieces when you…

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TWO DOING?”

Steve turned away from you before Tony finished speaking.

You turned to see your parents in the hallway and Clint off to the side of them, an apologetic grimace on his face.

“Dad-”

“Get away from her. NOW.”

“Tony,” your mother put her hand on Tony's shoulder, who was looking at Steve as if he wanted to fly him out of the Tower.

Your heart was pounding wildly, a sour feeling making its way into your chest.

“I'm sorry, Steve. I turned the volume down and got distracted for a moment and they just appeared out of nowhere,” Clint tried to approach, but Tony's deadly stare drew him back a few steps.

“DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS? AND YOU LET THEM?”

In the midst of all that flurry, you turned to look at Steve. His face was nothing compared to the happiness he had radiated a few minutes ago and it contracted your heart. You moved closer to him, alerting him a little as he continued to watch Tony's argument with Clint and Pepper trying to calm them both down.

You took his hand without taking your gaze from his and when he turned to look at you you didn't like the fear you saw in his eyes.

“LET HER GO!”

“Tony, that's enough,” Pepper grabbed his arm preventing him from getting too close to the two of you.

“Are you out of your mind? You're like a hundred years older than her!”

“Dad, stop, you don't know-”

“She's my daughter, Steve!”

“I know, Tony, and I'm sorry, but-” he paused, his hand squeezing yours in support. “I can't apologize for that. I love her. I swear there's nothing stronger than that, and there's nothing I wouldn't do for her either. I know it's hard for you, but I've been holding this in for so long and it's because of you, because I knew you'd react like this and I can't go on like this.”

Your father held his gaze on Steve, his eyes a blaze of burning anger and for a moment you feared he wouldn't relent. But Tony moved letting out a snort and walked over to where Pepper stood. She put her arms around him and murmured some things to him that you couldn't hear.

You turned to see Steve, who already had his gaze on yours. It was electrifying. You didn't think that he would ever really look at you in that loving and caring way as he was doing at that moment. You felt at peace for the first time, without having to pretend around him or around anyone else. You could finally show all that you had inside instead of holding it in.

He gave you a small smile, but enough to give you the strength to argue with your father if necessary.

Tony sighed audibly and you both turned to look at him. Your father passed his gaze over both of you, as if hoping to find some response. You squeezed Steve's hand in preparation for anything.

“Just…” Tony clicked his tongue. “Do you think you'll be okay with him?”

The question surprised you, and even more so his warm look, but you nodded quickly.

“Yes.”

Your father shook his head, thinking to himself, before looking back at Steve.

“This… is going to take a good while, Rogers,” he pointed at him with his index finger, accusingly. “You better not screw this up.”

Your mother smiled at you, still wrapping her arms around Tony, her fingers massaging his tense muscles. You heard Steve's positive response and your father looked at you again.

“Fine,” he nodded. “Fine, whatever. Don't ever do that around me again,” he dismissed them by waving his hand and started to walk away down the hallway. “I can't believe it, Pepper, since when?”

“Actually, love, I'm surprised you barely noticed.”

“What do you mean?”

Steve walked over to Clint and put an arm around his shoulders. The latter grimaced shaking his head.

“That's the last time I'm counting on you, Barton,” Steve patted his shoulder amicably before walking away again.

His gaze met yours and he extended his hand toward you.

“I already apologized, Rogers, what else do you want?”

You took Steve's hand and pulled him in the direction of the stairs with a huge smile, not waiting for him to respond to Clint, and squeezed his hand when you could see the party still going on downstairs.

“So we're really doing this,” you heard him murmur, and you turned to give him a resounding kiss on the cheek. His lips curved.

“We're really doing this.”

You didn't know what the future held, but you were more than willing to face it head on. You walked down the stairs moving your clasped hands back and forth, feeling the happiest you could have been in a long time, more complete and loved than ever, and you knew the smile on Steve's face said the same as yours.

You hoped that wasn't the last time you would hold his hand that tight.

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers #captain america #steve rogers x you #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers imagine #steve rogers x y/n #stxrvel talks #steve rogers fics #chris evans characters #steve rogers fluff #steve rogers angst #steve x reader

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medusapelagia · 7 months

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C - Crush

C is for CKeys (@cxwzkeys) who is always super kind to me and is helping me overcome my fear of the discord vibrating peach!💜

I hope you will enjoy your present 🎁!

Rating: Mature Relationship: Steve /Eddie WT: injection, needles, FtM Eddie Munson Words: 1176

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” Eddie sighs, looking at the box where he hides his meds.

Of course, he forgot that today was the day he was supposed to have his shot, and of course, Gareth chose exactly that weekend to go home, and of course there is a party downstairs where they invited all the guys on the campus, and of course…

Someone knocks on Eddie’s door and he quickly hides his box

“Come in.”

“Hi, I’m Steve, sorry to bother you but I was looking for Gareth.”

Oh, yeah, and of course his long-time crush would get in his room while he was panicking!

“Are you alright?” The boy asks, looking at him with worry.

“Peachy. Sorry but Gareth has gone back home this weekend, it’s his grandma's birthday or something like that.” Eddie replies, trying to calm himself even if he feels his heart beat so loud in his ears that he can’t even understand what the boy says to him before leaving.

The door closes and Eddie stares at his box of medicines: it’s just a fucking injection of hormones. He has done so many before! Well… not exactly him… Wayne and Gareth were always the ones who actually did the injection, but he has been on testosterone for a couple of years now and he should be used by now, still, the idea of stabbing himself with a needle never got easier for him.

“Fuck!” Eddie swears again, while he hides the little syringe and closes himself in the bathroom.

It’s easy: clean the skin with alcohol, pinch the skin, stab himself, and then clean the skin again.

He just needs to take a deep breath and… no. No fucking way. He can’t.

Eddie looks at the offensive object in his hand, he has been on testosterone for so long that waiting for a couple of days will not fuck everything up, right?

A knock on the door distracts him from his thoughts.

Shit. He has closed himself in the only bathroom and there is a party going on downstairs, it was easy to understand that someone would have needed the bathroom sooner rather than later.

“One… One moment.” Eddie says with a squeaky voice.

“Are you ok? You have been in there for quite some time.”

Steve fucking Harrington is outside of the bathroom. Great! Absolutely great!

“Yeah, I just need a moment…”

“Can I come in?”

“NO!” Eddie yells, almost dropping the syringe.

“Ok, ok, I just wanted to be sure you were ok. I don’t want you to have an allergic reaction or…”

Eddie glares toward the closed door “What the fuck are you talking about?” He growls.

“It’s fine. Sorry. I thought you needed some help, but I was wrong.”

“Help with what?” Eddie asks.

“Eddie.”

He opens the door and glares at the other boy “Help with what, Harrington?”

The boy sighs and then replies “With the injection.”

How the fuck does he know?!

“Look, we don't have to talk about that, I just wanted to make sure you were ok."

"I'm perfectly fine, thanks."

"I'm really good at doing injections."

"Oh, are you now? How lucky I am." Eddie snarls, but Steve's smile doesn't falter.

"Would you let me give it a try?"

What the hell! He needs his injection and if Harrington is so willing to be the one giving him his shot so be it.

Eddie opens the door just enough to let Steve in and then he closes it behind them.

"Where do you usually do them?"

"In my tight."

"Ok, so pants down and I'll be done in no time."

Eddie sighs and lowers his pants, sitting on the wc, his eyes pinned on the needle.

"You don't have to look, you know that, right?"

"What if I want to look at you?" Eddie replies with a sensual voice: flirting is the one thing in the world he was always good at.

"In that case..." Steve takes his phone, goes through the video, and gives the phone to Eddie. In the video, he is wearing a crown and a toga and he is definitely drunk.

Eddie feels just a little pinch "All done. You were such a good patient." Steve praises him while disinfecting the area.

"Do I get a popsicle for being a good boy?"

Steve smiles while he throws away the syringe "Not today, honey, maybe next time."

"You have a very gentle touch. Gareth usually stabs me."

"I have a lot of practice." Steve replies with a sweet smile.

"Are you into med fet?"

The boy stares at him and then bursts out in a loud laugh "No, I'm volunteering at the local hospital as part of my degree."

"Oh, so you are going to be a doctor?"

Steve gives him a wry smile "My parents will be happier, but no, I'm going to be a simple nurse."

"There is nothing simple about being a nurse!"

"You don't have to lie to me, I know that being a doctor sounds fancier." Steve replies, then he writes his number with a kajal pencil on a tissue "If you need help in the future just give me a call."

Eddie gets back to his room, searching desperately for his phone: Gareth replies at the second ring.

"You ok?"

"Do you remember Harrington?"

"Your long-time crush? Steve 'oh my god look how hot he is' Harrington? No, it doesn't ring a bell." Gareth replies sarcastically.

"Fuck you. He just gave me my shot."

"Oh. And?"

"I think I like him."

"I know you like him, but what about him?”

“I don’t know! He just appeared and asked me if I needed help with my shot and I wonder how the fuck did he know that I'm on T."

The line goes silent for far too long.

“Gareth?”

"Ehm... I might have gone to the college nurse when you got the flu because I didn't know if you still needed the injection even if you were feeling like shit... and he might have been there too. But he promised not to tell anyone! And it's a good thing, right? He didn't, like, freak out or else so..."

"So?"

"Maybe you have a chance?"

Eddie sighs, looking longingly at the door of his room: maybe Steve is still downstairs, he could go down, grab a drink, and make some conversation, pretending to be the social butterfly he is not.

He stares at the tissue with Steve's number.

“He loves chocolate.” Gareth suggests “Why don’t you grab one with him tomorrow?”

Hot chocolate! That’s a great idea!

Eddie closes the call without even saying goodbye and sends a message to Steve’s number.

Are you free tomorrow to grab a hot chocolate with me?

It’s Eddie btw.

A few moments and Eddie’s phone lightens up.

Sounds good. 3 pm at the cafeteria?

Eddie stares at the phone for the longest time before replying, then he changes into a well-loved band t-shirt and goes to bed, tomorrow he has a date and he wants to be well-rested.

#ficlet #stranger things fanfic #Christmas presents 2023 #steve x eddie #steddie #FtM Eddie Munson #medusapelagia

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imaginedreamwrite · 2 years

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Lion’s Den: Part 10

Delicate crystalline teardrop diamonds hung elegantly from the titanium-coated frame of the chandelier. A russet accent had been placated above the titanium that had added a tinge of gold to the otherwise steely-looking fixtures of their private bar room, a place you had only been a handful of times.

They were waiting there in their pressed suits with airs of intimidation surrounding them. Steve had appeared on the chaise, a stiff drink in a short glass resting against his thighs, his suit jacket opened to allow the rich red silk lining to become visible. His beard had been well maintained and groomed, the cut of his beard accentuating his sharp draw. His eyes were drawn toward you in a fleeting moment of appreciation and desire before the lust was overshadowed by intensity.

Bucky was not far from Steve, however, unlike Steve, Bucky had been standing near the seamless one-way glass to gaze over the club and patrons. He like Steve had his suit jacket opened to show the silk lining of his Italian hand-sewn and tailor-made pieces. He was aware of you, mindful of your presence as you had escorted Ari into the private VIP area, and hesitated to leave.

You didn’t know whether they would want you to be here or if they wanted you to return to the bar and begin serving alongside Tom. Your hesitancy had added to the rising tension in the room, and as the only omega, you were aware that the odds were stacked against you.

Yet, you knew you were safe.

Both Steve and Bucky had the innate rage that could and would result in a heinous aggressive snap. If they were crossed, or you perhaps, Steve and Bucky would not have hesitated to extend their hands in a blind rage and set the city to burn. They had made it well known that they would destroy anyone who hurt you.

“You know Marcus?” Bucky had finally broken the clasp of silence and slowly turned halfway toward Ari, the ice in his glass clinking against the sides of the glass.

You knew he had weapons hidden on his person, you knew he at least had his high point calibre hidden somewhere. You couldn’t see the holsters or see the sheathed blades, however, you knew they were there. You know for certain that Bucky had a set of reinforced knuckle dusters that he had used a time or two before.

“I’ve come across the slimy bastard,” Ari stood opposite of your two alphas with a conscious awareness of their intense protectiveness, “heard he pissed off the wrong people.”

“Pissed off the wrong people?” Steve had raised his glass to his parted lips, downing the alcohol trapped within the shot glass.

“Do you know the bastard or not?” Bucky grits his teeth and started walking toward Ari before he took a sharp right and stalked toward you, wrapping his hand around your forearm, gently pulling you past Ari.

“I have what you need,” Ari had stirred their curiosity and attempted to test the waters by bringing his hand to his beard. He had rubbed his palm over his chin and cheeks, standing in the thicket of radiating scents and thrashing testosterone.

“And…?” Steve had sat up against the chaise, slowly leaning over to the right to drop his glass off and then turned his attention to you, sweeping his eyes over your frame.

“I should go. Bucky I’m sorry…” you felt the need to apologize, mistranslating the tension for anger that was focused on you.

“Stay,” Bucky had deliberately pushed you with force to Steve’s lap, “you’re needed here.”

“What do you want, Levinson?” Steve questioned the third alpha in the room and rest his hands against the waist of your dress, feeling the softness of the material before he shifted his hands to your hips and pulled your back to his chest.

He had poignantly kept you secured against him, almost as if he was making a show of you being there, on his lap. Steve’s hands were steady and his fingers had spread against you, your dress bunching against his palms and the gentle shift of his fingers. He had reminded you of a cat kneading a bed, using its claws and the toes of its paws to form and create a soft place to rest. Only instead of Steve making a bed for himself, he was giving himself something to touch and caress.

“You have beautiful omegas working for you,” Ari had stepped closer, a single step at a time to not push more than he could’ve.

“Be careful, Levinson.” Bucky stepped with Ari, closing in on Steve and yourself in a chess move that drove the lingering tension further.

There was a steady climb back and forth, to the formidable clash between your alphas and Ari Levinson. Though all parties have retained their ability to keep themselves calm as level-headed and experienced alphas had, you were aware of their tentativeness when Steve slated his lips against your scent gland. He had begun suckling on your flesh, nipping your scent gland that he would eventually bite down on to mark you as his permanently. For now, he was sending a message to Ari Levinson.

However, you still weren’t aware of why you were here. Or why you had to stay.

It was an alpha command that rooted you to Steve, a directive that came from Bucky laced and disguised in niceties but regardless of how it had come across its message was the same. Bucky had directed you to stay here while they spoke with Ari, he had wanted you to be present for some kind of reason and he hadn’t directed or even indirectly told you why.

“Your omega is beautiful, but I’m rather fond of my balls and I’d like to keep them.” Ari hadn’t bothered denying the savagery they could inflict on himself if he had crossed the line, he knew that Steve and Bucky were too smart and respectable for that.

“Then what do you want?” Steve quipped with a bite to his words then slid a hand between your thighs and gently pulled your legs open.

“You have beautiful omegas, I think I’d rather do business while seeing your business with my own eyes.” Ari directed his attention over to you, his eyes flickering down to the point of contact between Steve’s hand and your thigh before he looked up once more.

“You want a dance, Levinson?” Bucky reached into his pocket for the platinum lighter he had stashed away and produced it with the flair and flick of the flint.

Bucky had turned his attention toward the two of you and motioned with a tilt of his head to leave the private room for a less secluded private area with its wet bar. The single motion of his head had come before Bucky had signalled downstairs for one of the girls to come up and entertain, all flawlessly completed within a fleeting moment.

“Might be worth considering that I have names that you don’t.”

“Don’t push your luck, Levinson.” Bucky jeered, stopping at the edge of the door to gaze headily at him. “We aren’t always so willing to give.”

“I don’t like him, and I don’t like him here.” Your hushed whispers had fallen on deaf ears when your sister makes a wide berth around you with two full glasses of wine.

“I’m trying to tell you-“ you reached for her arm to stop her from walking away from you, desperate to talk to her about her boyfriend whom you loathe.

“This is my apartment too and you don’t get to be a cunt,” your sister seethes and jerks away from you with enough vigour to spill droplets of red wine over the rim of the glass, “and Marcus is a good guy.”

“It’s my name on the lease!” You don’t follow her, you watch her go to the living room with wine.

You listen to her pitifully chirping at Marcus to get him warmed up to her. The sound falls on deaf ears and is further drowned out by the roar of the game on the television, and you resign yourself to cleaning up her mess.

Yet again, you are the sister who has to bear the weight of the shortcomings of the other.

Marcus makes you feel uncomfortable, like you know he’s nefarious and has an air of darkness surrounding him. You know that something is hiding beneath the surface of a piss-poor alpha who doesn’t even want your sister, that makes the hair on your neck stand on end.

“Marcus is a good alpha, he’s going to be my alpha.” Your sister had stated later that night, proudly jesting about this alpha she had found.

“He creeps me out-” you tried reasoning with her again, attempting to have a breakthrough.

“I live here too, and get over yourself.” Your sister’s derived annoyance bites at your flesh and the way she rolls her eyes at your claims makes you irritated beyond measure.

“Not everyone wants to sleep with you. Hell, you’d be lucky to get one.”

The dimmed lights and steady beat that pours from the speaker system in the VIP room have been tailor-made for this dance and this particular omega. She moves beautifully around the pole as she swings her legs around the polished silver, doing her best to captivate and hold Ari’s attention while he sits before her.

He’s watching her carefully, his eyes have never left her while she moves but you can sense a disconnect between where he wants to be and where he is. For a moment you can see something unkempt flash in his eyes, something that makes you wonder if he had suffered a great loss in the past. But as quickly as it’s here, it’s gone and Ari is reaching forward to slip bills into the elastic of the dancer’s panties.

There’s a bartender and a runner behind the counter that has been making and giving Ari his drinks, always the same and always with an extra pour. The drinks come in a small glass with extra ice, and Ari downs them quickly and with purpose.

“You know Marcus, you said you know something he’s done.” Steve and Bucky had been relatively quiet since you’d been moved from their private room to this one, though questions linger at the back of your mind.

“Marcus is a snake. He’s not dangerous, he’s stupid.” Ari rest his arms against the back of the couch and relaxed, his eyes studying the dancer when she started dropping from the stage to give him a lap dance.

“Don’t fuck with me, Levinson.” Bucky’s fuse has been burned down to the bare minimum, and still, he was being generous.

“Nothing is stopping us from putting a bullet in your head,” Steve had kept his hold on you, he had kept you in his lap with his hands flush on your body.

“In front of your sweet omega?” Ari had pushed the boundary, and a single yet shudder-inducing growl from deep within Steve and Bucky’s chests reverberated throughout the room.

“What information do you have?”

“You have ties to old families, the kind of empires that have been around since the turn of the century. Irish, Scottish, Italian-“

“If you don’t get to the point before our patience runs thin-” Steve’s hands stilled on your thighs, his chin resting on your shoulder while he continued to keep you pressed against his chest.

“When’s the last time you questioned your loyalty? Your alliances? You’ve been straddling a delicate line between mutual existence.”

“The city is better for it, we’ve done what weaker men couldn’t,” Bucky stated with cautious pride, keeping his hand by his side where a weapon may have laid.

“You have a lot of connections with old families.” Ari reiterated, speaking to Steve and Bucky while looking at you, the feeling of a message being delivered in a gaze. “And you have the means to be a prodigy.”

“The point, Levinson.” Bucky raised his voice, demanding the message as it stood instead of queuing the inevitable for some twisted dramatic flair. “Or a bullet is going to be lodged in your brain.”

“Marcus is an idiot, and he wasn’t working this ploy alone. Someone you call an acquaintance is questioning whether it’s time to have a power shift. Get rid of the omega and you have two alphas who are otherwise distracted.”

“And then what? They’ll kill us?” Regardless of how Steve had replied, his body had become taut under yours and his hands gripped your hips to the point of it being painful. “Better men have tried.”

“They’re close, Rogers. Right under your noses and you’re blind to it.” Ari had pushed himself to sit up further, and then he had reached into his right front pocket, producing a folded photograph.

“Got this before I came to find you.” Ari had held it out toward Bucky and then had dropped his hand back to his thigh when Bucky took it from him.

“What the hell is this?” Bucky unfolded the picture and immediately upon seeing the contents, a shift had overtaken his scent. His jaw clenched, and his teeth ground against each other as he reacted physically to the picture that he was holding, and the message that was sent through Ari.

“Bucky, what’s going on?” Your voice had begun to shake, reacting to Bucky’s shift and the darkening hold that crashed into him.

“Queens and Bronx are dead.” Bucky had turned sharply on his heel and stalked toward Steve, handing him the picture that had been folded and creased.

You should have known better than to look, you shouldn’t have dared try and see the grisly details of the image that captured the death of your two guards but you couldn’t help it. It was your natural curiosity that had aided you to look, and you could not prevent yourself from seeing it with your own eyes.

And as the image had been registered in your mind you had felt the first violent churn of your stomach. The image of the two guards that had been meant to keep you safe and in check according to Steve and Bucky was revolting at best. Their deaths had been a promise of destruction and aggression like none seen before, it was a matter of pure rage and hatred that had been inflicted upon the two men.

“Breathe, you need to breathe. Take deep breaths.” Steve sensed your distress and reacted with the natural and innate ability to comfort you as your alpha should have. Despite the grisly details, Steve was doing everything he knew to make you settle back against him.

“Who the fuck gave you this?” Bucky had grabbed the picture again, slipping it into the inner pocket of his suit jacket. “Where the fuck did you get this?”

“As I said, it got delivered to me.” Ari slowly stood from where he was sitting and took a few cautious steps toward Bucky. “They’re coming for you and what you’ve built. This was a warning, their deaths were a message. They’re going to try and tear you apart, piece by piece.”

“How do you play into this macabre game, Levinson? What the fuck do you want?”

“I’m here to help,” Ari’s eye had been cast upon you again, holding your gaze while speaking to them, “looks like you need it.”

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fanfiction-inc · 2 years

Note

Ohhhh! Can you do some F/F HC's for Robin Buckley when she meets the girl of her dreams at a party and drunkenly ask her out?

Ahhh! Gotta love some of that Robin x reader content! I took this out of the HC realm but didn’t want to do a full drabble so please do forgive me for the length and I hope you enjoy!

Robin hated parties, there was always so much testosterone flooding them.

Too much alcohol fueled guys trying to find any girl drunk enough or willing to spread her legs for them and get pissy when they don’t.

She hated men, knowing they don’t take the hint when she tells them to fuck off.

So why she agreed to go with Steve to Tina’s latest “Hawkins Totally Tubular Bash” was beyond her.

Well, not completely.

It had all started with a little conversation in the car on the way to school, Steve being the usual go-to driver.

“So, Tina is having a party at her house again this Saturday.”

Robin groans softly, looking to Steve with a frown. “And?”

“I need someone to go with.” Steve shrugs.

“You just want me to help you find someone there and then you’ll leave me alone to deal with the guys all by myself.” She crosses her hands over her chest, hearing Steve scoff at her accusation.

“Maybe this time I’m trying to help you find someone!” He pouts.

“Me? Pfft,” she laughs at him, “I doubt you’ll find anyone there who is interested in me without a dick.”

“What about (First name)?” Robin’s head shoots in the direction of Steve and the lad simply give her a “what” look.

“(First name) will be there?” She says the words a little too quickly, too eager for her taste, and she watches as a grin starts sneaking up on Steve’s lips. “Hey! Hey, no! None of that! I don’t need you playing matchmaker, Mr. I can’t get a girlfriend.”

“Okay Ms. I can’t get a girlfriend, either.” He shoots the words back and for a moment, Robin’s cheeks heat. “You like her, I know you do.”

“Yeah? And?”

“Well, she’ll be at the party, so you should shoot your shot!” Steve gives her shoulder a nudge, making her sigh.

And so here she is, one of those cheap plastic cups in hand with swirling liquor, watching you across the room as you socialize with one of your friends.

You were gorgeous.

Sweet.

Adorable.

She fell in love with you the moment she first saw you, and that love has only grown into a burning passion each time she’s interacted with you.

Shared assignments.

Seeing you at work to rent movies.

Never did she see you with any sort of partner, but that didn’t stop those from hitting on you.

Though no matter who they were, jock, nerd, whoever, you denied them and kept solo.

Her suspicions were there, but her nerves denied her the opportunity to ask you who you were interested in, if maybe it’d be her.

She chugs down the rest of the nameless mixed drink, the liquor blurring her senses as she scoops another cupful from the bowel resting on the counter.

“Shoot your shot, Robin.” Steve’s words keep echoing in her mind, but she was terrified.

What if you thought she was weird and disgusting for liking girls?

What if you were offended and never wanted to talk to her again?

What if you just simply said no?

Every “what if” scenario made her head swim with unbridled worry and she stopped herself from moving from her spot, scared if she was even in the same area you’d turn her away.

You were smiling, such a sight that it made her weak, but soon enough when your head turned in her direction for a reason that was unknown, your smile widened, and she thought she would melt.

You waved hello, a small gesture, but it still made her heart hammer and a shaky hand rise to wave back at you.

“Buckley is so fucking wasted.” Your one friend commented with a harsh whisper and giggle, making you shake her head at her. “She’s staring you down. What is her problem?”

“Nothing’s wrong with her. She’s probably just had too much and is spacing out.” You try to reason.

“Nah, something is weird about her.” A frown takes to your lips at your friend’s words.

You liked Robin. She was a sweet girl with a killer personality, and you saw nothing wrong with her.

She was amazing, but why couldn’t everyone see that?

“I’m gonna go check on her.” You stand away from your friend who groans at your reaction to her words and make your way to the girl.

She damn near chokes on her drink when you move and sit beside her on the kitchen counter near the alcohol selection, smiling that sweet smile yet again.

Fuck, she was smitten. Steve had it right all along, she did like you.

“Hey Robin, do you need a ride home? Seems you may have had a bit.” Your gaze screamed worry, and it was endearing how you cared about her.

“No, m’good. Steve should be,” she gestures vaguely around the room, body wavering a touch as she does, “somewhere.”

“You sure? I’m more than happy to! I just want you to get home safe.” Concern laced your tone, hands quickly shooting out to catch the girl when she stumbles forward. “Yeah, no, I’m getting you home. Come on, sweetie.”

Sweetie.

She wanted to hear you call her that every day.

She wanted all the pet names.

You carefully lead her through the crowd of drunken people dancing and doing their thing, getting her outside and into the confines of your car.

She hums at the cool leather of the seats against her alcohol induced heated skin, seeming to melt in the feeling.

When you climb in, her head flops to face you, gaze staring at every feature of your face as if she can commit it to memory.

“You’re…pretty.” Her slurred words don’t fail to make you smile, even if you know she is not thinking straight.

“You’re very pretty yourself, Robin.” You quip back, pulling out and away from Tina’s before beginning your way back to the main road.

Silence fills the air, still and quiet, but not maddening. It’s comfortable, save for the hammering in Robin’s ears from her own heartbeat.

She was in your car.

She was alone with you.

Alone. Fuck, she didn’t know if she could handle this.

“Shoot your shot, Robin.”

“Do y’maybe…I don’know…wanna go out sometime?” She mumbles the words, hoping maybe you hadn’t heard…but that maybe you also had.

The silence of the car allowed for you to pick up on the words, and for a moment you don’t know what to say.

Maybe she was just super drunk and thought she was talking to Steve. You knew they were close, maybe they had something going on between them that the rest of the school didn’t know.

“Sweetie, Steve isn’t here.” You try to reason softly.

“Fuck Steve…M’asking you.” She waves a shaky finger at you, gesturing to the woman of her dreams.

Fuck, it was out there now.

Heat spreads across your cheeks and through your body, amazed for a moment. You didn’t know how to process this, nor what to really say.

Your mouth moved, but no words left, shock just rippling through you.

It was the 80s, nobody talked about this. Nobody talked about guys liking guys, or girls liking girls. No one accepted it.

And here Robin Buckley was, asking you out, and you were speechless.

A sigh left your lips, and you shake your head at yourself.

She was just drunk, didn’t mean it, and as you glance over to see if she’s still looking at you, she was out cold.

Well, there was no use in asking her if she meant it or not, but the words stuck with you, even as you pulled up to the place you had worked on school projects with her at.

With as much care as you could, you get her out of the car, balancing her against your body and having her wake up halfway, just enough to walk along with you to her front door.

She drops her keys, but you scoop them up after leaning her against the front door and work it open, getting her inside.

It was too hard to try and maneuver her to her room, you knew this as you walked along in the dark home and got her to the living room couch.

She hums as she hits the cushions, and for a moment you simply stand and look over her.

She looked peaceful, sleeping off the alcohol that would no doubt give her a hangover the coming morning. No anxiety, no nervousness.

You get her shoes off of her, setting them aside before reaching for a blanket and covering her so she doesn’t catch a cold while she sleeps.

For a moment, the world is lost to you as you brush a strand of hair from her forehead, placing a gentle kiss on her temple. She wouldn’t remember tonight, you were sure of it, but somewhere deep inside you there was hope that she would, that she’d ask again properly.

But that doesn’t stop your next actions as you reach over and snap a slip of paper and pen, leaving a note for the girl to wake up to.

And then you leave, closing the front door and debating whether you should return to the party or return home.

The next morning Robin wakes with a splitting headache, sitting up slowly and groaning out at the sound of banging on her front door.

“Hang on!” She shouts, wincing at the way her voice makes her head throb and moves with squinted eyes to the front door, opening it to find the concerned face of Steve.

“What the fuck, Robin? I was worried sick! I couldn’t find you at the party.” He rambles on as he pushes in past Robin, the girl sighing as she closes the door. “I mean did you even think about letting me know that you were gonna catch a ride with (First name)-“

“Whoa wait, slow down Harrington. (First name) took me home?” He gives Robin a questioning look, brows knit together.

“You didn’t know? Man, you must have been out of it. Yeah, she brought you back home.” Robin sits down on the couch, hands immediately flying to her face in embarrassment.

Fuck.

Fuckity fuck fuck FUCK.

Robin fucked up.

She actually asked you out last night. That was the last thing she remembered.

“Did you ask her?” He questioned, curious as he looked at the coffee table with a small piece of paper laying there, reaching to investigate it.

“Dammit!” She sighs as she hides her face in her hands, feeling like a fool. “I…I did ask, but I have no idea what she thought. She probably hates me!”

“Orrrrrr, maybe she feels the same?” Steve holds up the note, Robin about to retort but removing her head from her hands and seeing the paper he held out to her.

She snatches it, looking at the handwriting she knew for an instant was yours.

“If you meant it, my answer is yes.”

She rereads the paper over and over again, eyes growing wider each time she follows the delicate flicks of your writing, and Steve watches as a smile spread across her lips.

You said yes.

YOU SAID YES.

She clutches the paper to her heart and melts, falling back on the couch with a soft noise of happiness.

You said yes, and that was all that mattered.

#robin buckley #robin stranger things #Robin Buckley x reader #lovely anon #thank you anon #anon ask

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boogiewrites · 1 year

Text

Seeing Stars Pt. 25

End-of-the-school-year shenanigans! Prom, the talent show, and Corroded Coffin's first real gig. Star and Eddie are deep in their honeymoon phase but Eddie's stubbornness might be the end of that. Eddie high jacks the talent show. Star and Eddie find the only thing they want after a metal show is each other.

CW: We start with fluff, move into angst, and back to fluff before a big finish with smut. Some Steve and Eddie bonding is thrown in for flavor. Sexual Content: jealousy-fueled dirty talk, anal/anal play (F receiving), p in v, possessive language/dirty talk, (Use of "Master", "My" and "your") semi-public sex.

It was a sunny Saturday, spring revving up, and everything showing the first signs of returning to life. Max and Star sat back from the group, sitting in lawn chairs in the field by Star's house. Currently, they were giving scores for the attempts at submission made by the male members of Hellfire.

“That counted right?” Jeff asked with a squinted eye, on his knees in clod dirt with his disagreeing cohort wiggling and trying to get to his feet,

“Shoulders were on the ground. That’s a win.” Star and Max held up their hands to show 10's across the board.

“Come on! They both weren’t on the ground!”

“The stains on the back of your shirt say otherwise.” Max shrugged.

“Part peasants! Your master has come to show you the ways of war!” Eddie boomed and hit his chest, legs wide and stomping toward the now mashed area of dirt they’d been wrestling on.

“Step down old man! The new blood is here to prove you and your archaic ways are dead!” Dustin took off his hat and slapped his thighs.

They circled and shouted, both show boating.

“Come on ladies, we’re losing daylight here!” Max shouted. She jumped when Star grabbed her wrist hard and plucked the cigarette out of her hand. “What the hell?” she shot her a very accusatory look.

“Steve’s here.” she motioned with a small nod behind them.

“Oh shit.” She dusted off her clothes in an attempt to avoid a hypocritical lecture from Steve. “Thanks.”

“Anytime.” Star winked and took a drag.

“Bow before your god!” Eddie shouted and charged Dustin.

“What the hell is going on?” Steve asked, hip popped, level with Star's head. Robin trotted behind him with the same amused look the other girls wore.

“They’re settling a disagreement.”

“By fighting? They’re gonna get hurt they don’t know how to fight.”

“Why don’t you get out there and show 'em how it’s done, champ.” Star winked up at him.

“I should!” He motioned his hand broadly to support his opinion.

“D and D disagreement?” Robin chimed in.

“Yep.” Max popped her lips.

“They couldn’t find the lore in their guides and they both think the monster has different abilities.” Star sighed but was fully enjoying the chaos.

“Didn’t think they’d be ones to settle things with violence.”

“It’s a submission. No hitting.” Star further explained.

“I’m a little impressed. Usually, they screech at each other until someone caves or leaves.” Steve rubbed his chin, watching Eddie frog jump over Dustin.

“You saw the table under the carport, I think the fresh air’s got ‘em all riled up.” Star wiggled her shoulders.

“Henderson! Did you not hear anything I said about groundwork?” Steve was sucked in, the show of testosterone and his knowledge of wrestling being too much to deny.

“And he’s off.” Robin shook her head.

“Pull up a chair Rob, we’re gonna be here awhile.”

They sat and watched Steve and Eddie go through moves, Steve holding him in a headlock and him throwing a wink at Star.

“Nerd.” She muttered and shook her head, blowing a kiss at him. He caught it in his hand and acted as if he was going to put it on his lips then promptly slapped Steve’s ass instead. The girls shook with laughter in their flimsy sun-bleached chairs as Steve jumped and they proceeded to grapple.

“You’re the one dating that nerd.” Robin teased.

“I know.” Star smiled softly, she and Max had their heads tilted to see the glimpses of torso and occasionally a little lower from the two guys.

“Your braun is no match for my brain Sir Steve “ Eddie shouted, surprisingly squirrelly and quick, ducking away from Steve’s hold.

“C’mere you shithead! I’m trying to show you something!”

“And miss out on this cute face you make when you’re mad? Nah.” Eddie stuck his tongue out and cackled. Steve tilted his head like a puppy, always being thrown off for a moment when Eddie flirted with him. Eddie was clever, he’d give him that. So the second Steve stopped trying so hard and stood still, focused on his thoughts more than his body- Eddie used that to tackle Steve’s middle.

“Oh!” Came from the group, an impressed and egging-on sound.

“I’m trying to show you the art of wrestling! There are rules and this is breaking at least 3 of them!” Steve shouted.

“You came into MY realm Sir Steve. Your rules mean nothing here! Your so-called human wrestling rituals have no place in my realm of chaos!” Eddie laughed maniacally, sitting on top of Steve. His head was thrown back, hands clawed and voice booming. Steve had him on his back in 3 seconds.

“What was that about your rules again?” He smirked.

The group was invested. Oh’s and aw’s in different varieties.

“His realm?” Robin snorted.

“D and D talk.” Star explained.

“He’s really into that stuff, isn’t he? I mean REALLY into it.” Robin stressed with brows raised. “The whole fantasy thing. He talks like an evil king from some kid's book.”

“Pretty good comparison.” Max nodded, still watching the flopping guys. “The level of dork that has to be embraced to give this his all is almost Impressive. Almost.”

“He has created a new level of dork.” Robin nodded and chuckled.

“That's the guy you wanna spend the rest of your life with?” Max laughed and pointed towards the man with wild hair that was screeching and shaking Steve upside down like some grade school bully looking for lunch money in a feat of strength.

“Yeah.” Star let the smile take over her face before hiding it behind her hand. “That’s the guy.” She shook her head and her cheeks blushed.

“She’s blushing!” Robin teased and shoved Star's shoulder. “You are down so bad for that idiot, Star.”

“Shut up! I know!” Star hid her face and laughed.

“It’s cute. A terrible decision, but cute.” Max said.

“She’s made worse decisions.”

“True.”

“Thanks for the vote of support. “ Star rolled her eyes playfully. “It was a decision I had no say in. I was forced by the universe. So we’ll see how it turns out.”

“What do you mean?” Robin asked and the look on Max's face asked the same.

“Ya know,” Star shrugged. “Choosing to be with someone you see a future with? Being in love? That whole thing.”

“You’ve never had a serious boyfriend before?” Max asked with clear surprise on her face.

“Nope.” Star shrugged and her hands flopped.

“And… Eddie Munson is who you decided to fall in love with?”

“I’m more surprised than anyone, believe me.” Star cackled. “But I do. A lot. A concerning amount.” She divulged.

“Any amount would be concerning.”

“May I remind you YOUR nerd is also out there?”

“Shut up.” Max crossed her arms and sank into the seat as she hid a grin.

Star lay in Eddie’s bed, fingers mindlessly picking and drumming on his bare chest, curled against him. One arm was around her, heavy and moving, the other held up one of his beat-up editions of Lord of the Rings. He’d been reading them all to her whenever he could get her to settle and listen. A naked torso was always a good bribe. She trailed through his almost fuzzy chest, the beginnings of a grown man sprouting out and tickling her fingers. The weak hairs were pale in comparison to his dark waves, a few stood wiry and proud amongst the bunch.

“If you pull another hair out I’m throwing you in Mount Doom.” He remarked and looked down at her. She met him with her innocent appearing gaze as she hadn’t meant to hurt him.

“Sorry. I didn’t know it was hurting you.” She kissed his chest and mushed her cheek back into it. She wrapped her arm around his waist and let it settle there.

“You’re usually less fidgety at this point. I’ve been reading for almost an hour, you’re usually invested by now.”

A half-hearted shrug in response.

“We use our words in this house.” Eddie bonked her head with the book and when she laughed he was relieved nothing catastrophic seemed to be wrong.

“I’m feeling antsy. I blame the full moon coming up. My mind is all over the place. I can’t concentrate I'm sorry. I love the story! I'm just not in it right now.”

“Okay.” He shrugged and marked his place. “You could’ve just said that.”

“I know you like reading to me. And I like it too! Usually. I'm just- I got ants in my pants.” She wiggled against him and snorted a laugh. “I don’t wanna say I’m bored but I feel bored.”

“The dulcet tones of me reading the best story ever told is boring?” He raised a brow, barely a half-truth as he knew it wasn’t personal. “I know they say love hurts but this is a bit much.” She pinched his nipple in response to his egotistical response and he yipped.

“I love your voice babe but sometimes I just-“ she shook her head. “Have this energy I don’t know what to do with and wanna do something stupid.”

“I’m stupid.” He grinned with full dimples. “Do me.” He held the arm not around her out to offer himself. She snorted again and mashed her face into his chest.

“Not stupid.” She bit him affectionately and he squeezed her close. “We’ve been so… stable lately ya know? Domestic and we’ve got our little routine and we’re happy and my inner demon is not happy about it. It wants old Star who did impulsive shit and hurt herself. Intentionally and unintentionally.”

“Tell him I said to shut the fuck up.” He nodded in a challenge and it made her laugh. The precious sound he hoarded like a dragon did gold. “I like happy, domestic Star.”

“I do too!” She nodded enthusiastically. “I don’t want to act on things like I used to but I get that itch sometimes. And I don’t know how to scratch it in a healthy way. Or a not… bad way.”

“Let’s brainstorm.” He said laying back and looking up in thought, cuddling in close to her. The blemishes in his ceiling didn’t provide an instant answer. “Bad habits? Drink. Drugs. Fight. Fuck. That about cover it?”

“Am I really that simple?” She chuckled, fingers back to tracing his chest, now on the demon head perched on his pec.

“We all are. It’s not personal.” He gave her back a pat. “So take bad and make it good. Okay, we’re fighting the itch from being happy. And we’re happy because of us. Being together I mean. Not to be presumptuous.” He looked down and grinned.

“Never. I am happy because of you. Or us I should say. I did have something to do with it.” she smirked.

“Just a little, yeah.” He comedically undersold the effort it took to get to this point.

“Something bad but good.” She mumbled, fingers without guidance gliding along the line work on his chest. “How do I turn love and happiness into something that will feed my inner demon.”

“I have inner AND outer demons.” He laughed at his joke as he took her hand, calming hers from tickling him. He wrapped his fingers into hers and laid them together on his chest. Star's head suddenly perked up, looking at their hands.

“That’s it!” She lit up and matched her voice's plucky energy with her expression.

“We summon demons.” Eddie suggested with a serious face but it made Star roll her eyes.

“No! The demon!” She tapped the scraggly man on his chest. “The tattoo. I should get a tattoo!” She looked so excited, even if he hadn’t been aroused by the prospect it would’ve been hard not to catch her contagious excitement.

“You wanna get a tattoo? I know a guy. He did mine.”

“Is he close?”

“It’s Darren.” He motioned with his thumb out.

“Across the trailer park?” She said surprised.

“Yeah, he did these two.” He knocked his chest with their hands still intertwined

“I don’t know what to get.” She said chewing the inside of her cheek.

“Eddie right here would be good. Your demon would love it.” He grinned, his fingertips tracing along the side of her neck.

“I did say I’d do that.” She giggled and hid her face.

“Or right here.” He tapped the same place he had his demon head.

“What about you? You gonna get my name on you?” She challenged.

“Just tell me where baby.” He gave her a smile that made her melt physically and emotionally.

“Well, you got me there.” She laughed.

“Not letting you back out so easily when I’m the one who already wants more tattoos.”

“So maybe not your name on my neck.” She gave a grimaced apologetic smile.

“Right above you pussy? Baby, you’re so romantic.” He cooed comedically and held her cheek before she sputtered out a laugh.

“So romantic.” She rolled her eyes. “I can come up with something. I’ll just need a day or two. Do you really wanna do this?”

“Get tattoos together? Hell yes, I do.” He beamed.

“What do you wanna get?”

“I’m gonna get one for you. I wasn’t joking about that.” He admittedly with a shyer smile. “I do think they’re romantic. I mean they’re more permanent than marriage if you think about it. Plus it’s pain and blood and art and what’s more romantic than that!” He wasn’t being sarcastic and Star loved him for it. He understood her weird view of what intimacy and romance were.

“You’re right.” She nodded and put her head back on his chest with a kiss. “Let’s do it.”

Three days later Star stood facing Eddie, both with the hems of their shirts in their hands. They’d kept what they got as a surprise and were now post-tattoo in Eddie’s bedroom, doing their version of an old west shootout. Except they were waiting to draw their shirts up to expose their impulse decisions.

“Fuck I’m so excited. I’m a little hard. Is that weird? I don’t even know why exactly.” Eddie laughed in a post-tattoo haze.

“I am about to flash you so?” Star shrugged.

“On three?” He asked with high brows.

“Three!” Star shouted as she stripped off her shirt in tandem with Eddie and lifted her arm to show her left side under her breast, Eddie stood chest out and proud, his clear and seen first. A bold black outline of a star encased his left nipple. “Aw, babe!” Star pouted on sight. It was like the tattoo she had on her butt only it was much larger.

“Right over my heart.” He gave a single nod of pride and held his hand right under it for emphasis.

“Stop.” She whined and pouted her lips to kiss him.

“That means you approve?”

“I LOVE it!” She swooned and kissed his cheeks.

“Let me see you! What'd you get?” He lifted her arm and there appeared a gold goblet. It had little stones and filigree. Something truly suited for a king in a fantasy novel. On the cup of the chalice, we’re the initials EM. “Oh fuck me, Star you got my damn initials?” The sting of hot tears grew in his eyes immediately. “You got my name.” His wet puppy eyes met hers and she felt the familiar but now welcome burn of happy tears grow in her eyes in sympathy.

“Of course I did baby. I told you I would. I keep my promises.” She vowed with soft eyes and an enthusiastic nod. Eddie’s mouth stuttered and struggled with what to say next in his emotional state. His face twitched, not being able to decide which emotion to stick with as he felt them rush over him. His hand reached out, trembling, to delicately touch the permanent reminder of him now on her skin. He took in a sharp raspy inhale and put his palm to her ribs.

“I love you so much.” His bottom lip trembled and the tears came as she whined and embraced him back.

“Oh, honey.” She sighed and pet his hair as she felt tears land in hot plinks against her shoulder where he buried his face. “When I said I would be as crazy as you are I meant it. I’m yours, Eddie. I didn’t want you to doubt it.”

“Shit.” He whimpered, feeling a bit woozy from the strong sudden emotion that hit him. “I don’t doubt it. But fuck, thank you, sweetheart. Seriously you don’t know what this means to me.”

“I’ve got an idea.” She smiled putting her hand to where her star lay on his chest.

“Is it like-?” He asked wiping his cheeks and pulling back to look at it again. “King Eddie or is it a reference?”

“Remember how we both kept pulling the 10 of cups when we’d ask about each other? It’s a cup.”

“You’re so fucking smart baby, Jesus Christ.” He said with sad eyes, hand stroking it on her body.

“We’re everything we always wanted. I didn’t want to forget that. I pulled that card almost every time I asked about you.”

“Fuck, I knew I'd get emotional but-“ he rubbed his face. “I didn’t think I’d cry. Shit.” She gently pulled away his hands and cupped his face.

“We’re bonded for life now. You’re not getting rid of me. What am I gonna do? Date people who only have the initials EM if you leave me?” She laughed and it made him smile.

“Not leaving you. You own my heart. Officially! You bought up the real estate.” He put her hand on his chest. “It’s yours.” He whispered sincerely.

“And you're everything I ever wanted.” She marched his sentiment and put his hand to her side.

“Crazy together forever?”

“Crazy together forever.”

Gareth watched with squinted eyes, his face exaggerated in its following of Star's brightly colored car in the subdivision.

“What is she doing?” He laughed, leaning over his drum set and looking down the driveway, bringing the other's attention to her. This time around she stopped and sauntered up the incline into his garage where all but one of the Corroded Coffin members stood.

“Eddie’s not here yet.” Jeff answered an unasked question, still looking at his fingers trying to tune his strings.

“I know that’s why I did the lap first.” she stopped and took a breath. “Corroded Coffin is playing at the Talent Show right?”

“Yeah, we always do.” Gareth said proudly.

“Good.” she nodded with one strong motion. “I need a big favor.”

Star with no shame screamed, clapped, whooped, and made as much noise as her body could for the 4 boys on the stage. The auditorium was packed, one of the big end-of-the-year staples going down with the Talent Show. Strange behavior had become the norm from Star, so the student body didn’t pay too much mind to her antics. Especially when the rest of Hellfire and their friend group were chiming in with her. Once the boys descended the stage and sat back in a little cluster with their other friends Star mashed Eddie’s sweaty, proud face between her hands and kissed it all over noisily. He snorted out a laugh, his lips sputtering out as she made sure he did not doubt that she supported his art.

“You liked it I take it?” he muttered with pooched lips as she went to plant a long kiss on them. Nothing too lude, a simple press to get her point across.

“I always do. You’re so good baby.” she cooed and the other students surrounding them, not familiar with this soft and affectionate version of the two resident sexually active freaks were gawking at them with confusion. “Your solo would melt a mere mortal's face off.” she finally let him go and he threw his arm around her shoulders beaming with pride. The other members of Corroded Coffin filed out bit by bit, mumbled excuses in intervals, the other members of Hellfire and their adjacent friends filling the spaces around Eddie and Star.

“I’m gonna run to the bathroom real quick.” Star whispered, kissing Eddie’s cheek.

“Why? I got hands?” he held out his hands cupped and offered them to her. She laughed a little too loudly and covered her mouth.

“My dirty boy.” she cooed and kissed him while pushing down his hands. “I'll be right back. Don’t miss me too much.” she bit his cheek and he hummed contently at his partner who complimented his weirdness so well.

Dustin distracted Eddie, a few jabs at how in love he was at Eddie’s expense he gladly took. He didn’t mind the teasing, he knew one day he’d get to give it back to them.

“Next we have Star Reynolds, accompanied by some young men you’ve seen already today.” the Principal who was enjoying MC’ing the event far too much.

Eddie’s neck nearly snapped with how fast it turned to the auditorium stage. He blinked, then looked around, seeing his friends had certainly gone and were now on the stage without him. Star had the mic and was beaming, looking directly at him.

“My lovely friends and most of the members of Corroded oOffin have done me a favor by backing me up today because I can’t play an instrument to save my life. Believe me, I have the best teacher and I’m hopeless.” she chuckled and looked down almost shyly. “Anyway, I wanted to dedicate this to who you all expect me to. It’s a special song for us, and since I can actually sing this one, I chose it. This is a surprise for Eddie, and I hope he likes it.” perked up and cleared her throat away from the mic like a professional. The close-knit friend group around Eddie started screaming just as Star had and it made Eddie jump. Eddie was nearly standing, hands on his knees, torn at what to do. His shock kept him from cheering her on a familiar guitar tune starting plucking up. Some people, mostly teachers in the crowd recognized the song and smiled, a scattered clap or two. “Wake up Eddie I think I got somethin’ to say to you.” Star began with closed eyes, fighting a smile.

“You’re fucking kidding me.” Eddie whispered.

“It’s almost like she loves you, dude.” Dustin elbowed his side.

“I didn’t. She never-” Eddie stuttered, his hand to his chest. Eddie felt a lot in that moment; gratitude, love, and bewilderment. “How’d they-” he started and stopped again. His face was so obviously shocked Star could see it from the stage. He saw the faces in the crowd turning to look at him and for once, he didn’t feel the prickle of defensiveness for it. He did have his usual urge to peacock and be everything they hated. Even if some of the faces were friendlier than usual, mostly the girls, seeing a bit of softness and appeal in him for how bad Star, the artsy bitch as they knew her, was down for him. He felt the heat from the guy's glares, either wishing they were him or mad their girlfriends would expect some display of affection now too. He and Star had publicly raised the bar for declarations of love it seemed, and he knew exactly how to make it worse for them. With a broad cat grin he stood, his long legs jumping and making his way down the bleachers, by the rows of chairs set up for the assembly. He leaped onto the stage, one leg swinging high and pulling himself up. He was being a spectacle under his terms, and that’s where Eddie loved to be. Star was giggling while singing, him grabbing her hand to kiss it earning a scattered giggle among the crowd, before moving to Jeff who was playing guitar. The guys were laughing, not bothered by the much slower tempo than their usual songs, making it not as cumbersome to play. Eddie air-guitared to Jeff with his back to the crowd that now held laughter, some claps, and intermittent hooting for support of someone doing something they shouldn’t. Eddie slipped behind Jeff, his hands hovering over his own and picking right back up as they switched places much to Star’s, and the assembly at large’s, delight. He even got some cheers from the crowd, as even he had to admit that was pretty impressive. He sidled up to Star, a real Sonny and Cher moment of performing together as he laid on his signature style onto the riffs he knew by heart for her. He finished the song out with a huge squeal of guitar, amp ringing, and playing a favorite Eddie Van Halen solo, Eruption, that put more of the crowd on his side from the theatrics of it.

Star was laughing, cheering him on gloriously under stage lights and her hair bouncing. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him, after flipping his guitar to his back, making her squeal. He pulled out his move that never failed and dipped her back as he kissed her. The girls in the audience loved it. The guys let loud boos roar over the girls wanting sighs and titters of enjoyment. Eddie held Star with one hand, the other raised high and flipping off the entire student body as the mixture of cheers and boos, and all purely entertained, filled the room.

“Alright, Mr. Munson. Ms. Reynolds. I think we’ve seen enough.” The Principal slid in to take the mic. Star and Eddie parted at the lips, her opening her eyes to see his hand flipping off the crowd for a second before it was lowered, not wanting to push his luck with the principal. She cackled with laughter and hugged him around his neck. He swept her up into his arms, another wanting wave of noise from the girls watching, and carried her off the stage. High-jacking a talent show performance hadn't been on Eddie's list of things to do before he graduated, but he was thrilled to have the opportunity to check it off.

While the friend group did tend to move as a pack, you’d be hard to find the cosmic pairing without the other. They were connected at the hip it seemed, everyone assuming their outings with Steve and Robin were double dates. One was never far from the other, doing most things as a pair, or at least being in the same room while working on their own things. At the arcade, a common stomping ground, she was pressed to his chest, her hands handling the pinball machine and his to her hips, tapping them to cue her knocking the machine to work as a single unit. They got a few looks but it was as wholesome as could be. Together they beat each other's solo high score with very little effort. It was a point of pride for them both. Star even let Eddie hang around for her ritual work now. He ran dungeon ideas by her, even if he swore to the guys that she didn’t have an advantage. So when she’d try to bribe him, sitting on his lap while he was on his throne before Hellfire meetings, lips walking their way around his neck, he wouldn’t budge on keeping his folders shut and from her prying eyes. He wasn’t much, he said, but he had his word and that meant something. He wouldn’t bend to her feminine giles. But she was welcome to try. Despite Star trying to help the party with the insider info, they didn’t seem very supportive when they’d walk in on them making out on the throne. So ungrateful, Star thought.

The high that they were both running on, swimming in the honeymoon phase so deep their feet no longer touched the bottom, was bound to come to an end at some point. Relationships aren’t perfect, and neither are people and inevitably, the butting of heads was bound to happen with the duo of a hard-headed man and a soft-hearted woman.

On a normal spring day at lunch, the group babbled right along with the rest of the student body in the cafeteria as the year was beginning to wind down to a close. Prom was so close, the banners hung in the halls, and the squeals of people being asked filled the air. The days were warmer, finals looming and an outlook shared that was as bright as the spring sun.

“So did you finally ask her, loverboy?” Star smiled at Gareth who by his grin was already telling his answer.

“Maybe.” he shook his head cockily.

“Spill.” Star hit the table in front of him. Gareth went through a DM-Esque explanation of how he asked a girl to prom. “So proud of you Gare bear!” Star laughed and clapped. “You know what you’re wearing? Or what color she’s wearing? Are we all gonna go together or is that too much?” Star said quickly with enthusiasm.

“Go together?” Gareths’ head tilted, and she saw Jeff’s shoulders stiffen, his eyes darting to Eddie. “Are you going?” he asked with clear confusion on his face. Star looked at the faces around her, feeling like the last one in on a joke about her. Her mouth opened to say of course she was. But she closed it after she saw Eddie shaking his head.

“Of course not. You’re not roping me into that fucking scam.” he snorted, chewing with his mouth open, an incredulous look on his face. The whole table watched the light fade from Star’s face. Eddie was looking down, ramping up for a rant as he tended to do, finishing a fry dramatically with a pluck of his fingers. “I can’t believe you guys are buying into this. Or selling out really, because that’s what it is.”

“It’s prom, Eddie. People go to it.” Jeff said with apologetic eyes locked on Star. She quickly realizes this isn’t something they’d discussed. She’d assumed they’d go together. In her mind, there was no question of it. Your final senior year with a new love, of course, you’d end it with the prom. Wouldn’t you?

“Yeah, fucking suckers. Feeding the capitalist greedy pigs, wringing you and your folks for all you’re worth just ONE more time before they shove you into the real world to start really sucking your soul out dollar by dollar.” he was impassioned, cheeks flushed and voice loud. Star could practically see the Tauren horns sprouting off his head, wearing a crown of stubbornness.

“Or it’s just fun?” Dustin said, feeling Star go cold next to him, now looking at her food, pushing it around with her fork.

“For who? Overhyped and oversold! Shitty paper decorations? Top 40 bullshit on a subpar sound system? It’s not worth the time or effort. It’s pointless, lame, and worst of all it’s the biggest example of forced conformity in the school system. Standardized tests and prom are right there at the top. It’s basic and boring and brainwashed lemmings with more money than sense go.”

“Jesus, tell us how you really feel dude.” Gareth muttered as Eddie soured everyone’s good mood.

“I don’t mean you’re stupid. I mean going is stupid. I don’t get what you see in it. I mean, maybe you’ll get laid, that’s nice. But some of us don’t have to shovel out a ton of money to impress someone to get laid, right babe?” he threw a wink at Star and she gave a weak smile. “The best outcome for most of these conformists is losing their virginity to a guy who peaked at age 17 and will give them 2 strokes and a lifetime of disappointment. That night being the first of many.” he spoke loud and animatedly, being sure others heard and gave it attention. “They wear ugly, uncomfortable clothes and paint themselves like their shitty fake idols on tv. They do their elaborate mating dances and rituals and pretend to have fun for the sake of not losing their minds because it’s so disappointing. Girls starve themselves to fit into their ugly dresses. For what? A guy who doesn’t give a shit what you wear because he just wants to get his dick wet? Fucking conformist bullshit.” he nodded his head with headbang vigor.

“Some people like to get dressed up and dance.” Star said quietly. The entire table looked at her, knowing she was referring to herself.

“Yeah but… you can do that at any time.” Eddie shrugged, now sensing the way the others were looking at Star, not him.

“Some girls might already have a… ugly, uncomfortable dress hanging in their closet that they’d been excited to wear.” her eyes were far away, staring at the tabletop, her mouth in a painfully neutral straight line.

“Uhm.. well you could…” Eddie stuttered, feeling his cheeks burn hot as Star gathered her things, not meeting his gaze.

“Or some girls just want to celebrate finally getting the fuck out of high school with a party with their friends. And their boyfriends.”

“We can have a party, babe.” Eddie spoke quietly his entire energy completely shifted from moments earlier. He went from a confident anti-hero to a groveling sub in seconds.

“Or some girls assumed their boyfriends would know how important a chance to dress up, go out and dance was to them.” she turned and looked right into Eddie’s eyes as she spoke.

“Babe I-” Eddie reached for her as she stood. “I can’t go. It’s against everything I stand for. You should know that. I’ve never gone to a single dance, I can’t start now and look like some hypocrite. You get it right? It’s all a made-up cash grab.”

“Or you could not break your girlfriend's heart and just have some fucking fun for once in your life instead of fighting against the man.” she wasn’t loud but the words cut everyone as they left her mouth. The guy’s expressions varied from looking at Eddie like he’d just got called to the principles office to pure pity. “You’re so busy raging against something that doesn’t give a shit about you that you suck the fun out of things sometimes. Not everything is some political statement, Eddie. Sometimes you do things just to experience a little bit of happiness in this shitty world. Maybe you should try that.” she bit, shaking her head, tears in her eyes.

“Star, baby, don’t-” she shook her head and walked away, leaving him standing, watching her disappear into the distance. He sat slowly, then a hard thump of his ass onto the seat with slumped shoulders as he was left with the consequences of his actions.

“Dude.” Dustin said and Eddie rubbed his face violently with his hands.

“FUCK!” he screamed into his covered face, muffled but not silent.

“Yeah.” Jeff said with full judgment on his face, a smirk that wasn’t kind.

“You fucked up, man.” Mike said with a pitiful swing of his overgrown hair.

“You think?” Eddie was on his feet in a second, hands on the table and his torso leaned over everyone to hiss at Mike.

“Maybe you should stop calling everyone else stupid when you keep doing things like this.” Dustin said with high brows and no fear.

“Oh, that’s real fucking helpful, Henderson.”

“He’s right. We’re not even dating her and we know she liked to get dressed up and dance, dude. You were a grade-A dick to her just now.”

“You called everything she liked stupid conformist bullshit.” Jeff added, leaning in with enthusiasm.

“Did she say she already had a damn dress? Fuck me, man.” Eddie put his head down on the table hiding it in crossed arms.

“You didn’t know?”

“No!” Eddie squeaked, throat tight and dry. “We hadn’t talked about prom! I thought she knew I didn’t believe in it!”

“Whether you believe in it or not it’s still real.” Dustin corrected.

“You take your girlfriend to the prom your senior year, man. It’s just what you do.” Gareth said joining Jeff with his harsh tone and leaning in to crowd him like some medieval public shaming. “We don’t WANT to get dressed up in monkey suits and go through all the motions. But we are. Because that’s what you do when someone you care about wants to do something. You grin and bare it. Because it makes them happy. It’s not even a relationship thing, it’s a basic human courtesy thing!”

“Fuck off, I know!” Eddie groaned loudly.

“You clearly don’t.”

“Look! I live by the Munson Doctrine. Prom is bullshit. It’s expensive and I hate everything about it. I hate what it stands for, I hate that I have to pay money to even get in the building, that that money goes to help this shit hole of a school I’ve been fucking stuck in for six god damned years! It goes against everything I stand for! I can’t just go!”

“Why not?” Jeff rolled his eyes, shoulders shrugging, growing tired of Eddie’s penchant for dramatics and hard opinions.

“Why not? Psh. Why not? Because I, someone who is above all this bullshit, who is loudly and proudly told the tale of the oppression of today’s youth through conformity, can’t suddenly partake in the very thing that I’ve vowed to destroy.” Eddie was almost panting, figuratively foaming at the mouth and red-faced.

“Eddie.” Dustin sighed, unaffected by the theatricality. “I say this with love. Please know that.” Dustin held his hand to his chest. "But you’re full of shit.” The others snorted, then hid it, Eddie’s eyes flashing wild and angry.

“What the fuck man?” Eddie angrily whispered.

“You’re just some guy, Eddie. You’re not Frodo, Gandolf, or Bilbo. You’re just a guy. You’re not on a quest to end the evil of the world. This whole, high and mighty thing is bullshit. You know that. No one’s better than anyone else.”

“THAT is bullshit.” Eddie pointed an accusing finger. “We don’t hurt people like they do.” Eddie splayed his hands out wildly. “We don’t try to oppress others or uphold outdated regimes.”

“I wish you’d listen to what you say.” Dustin sucked his teeth, disappointed. “You’re hurting Star. You’re oppressing her by telling her what she likes is wrong. Just like “they” do to us. You’re upholding your OWN outdated beliefs here. Don’t you see that? Anger is good for a lot of things. But don’t you get tired of being angry?”

“It’s fucking exhausting. But why should they get to be ignorant and blissful when people like me who know the truth have to suffer and be angry?”

“Because life’s not fair?” Dustin shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you man. All I know is, Star’s just some girl, just like everyone else, trying to have a good time with her friends. Doesn’t she deserve that? To have a nice night out with her friends and her dumbass boyfriend?”

“I’m not a dumbass.” Eddie said sitting back and crossing his arms.

“No, but you sure are acting like one.” Gareth snarked.

“You have a cool, pretty girlfriend who is head over heels for your dumbass for some reason.” Jeff began. “Any of us, well any of us without that, would kill to have that.”

“We’d do things like go to prom.”

“Or apologize.”

“Or not call the things she likes stupid.”

Eddie pouted, brow low and arms crossed in the crossfires of an intervention.

“You’re lucky as hell man. You’re gonna push her away if you keep being a stubborn jackass. Not everything is about you and your feelings.” Gareth finished up the circle of wisdom being thrust upon Eddie.

“Look Eddie, we love you. We love that you’re so passionate about things. But it’s not just about you anymore.”

“You’re an adult who has a girlfriend. And you need to remember that. You can’t just go shouting your very harsh opinions without thinking about how it affects other people. It’s funny to spook the jocks, yeah, but we’re about to never have to interact with them ever again.”

“The end of an era.” Jeff added with a nod.

“If you want to shock people so much, do you know what would really blow everyone’s minds?” Dustin said quietly, pulling in Eddie’s defensive attention.

“What?” He muttered.

“If you went to prom.”

“Come on.” Eddie groaned and rolled his eyes.

“He’s got a point.”

“I”m serious! The LAST thing anyone expects you to do is to go to prom and have a good time. No one would know what the hell to do with that!”

“He’s right. Everyone knows about you being angry and going against the grain. Maybe it’s time to mix it up?” Mike shrugged.

“I still think it’s bullshit.”

“And that’s fine! That’s valid! You can think that!” Dustin nodded enthusiastically. “But what are your actions going to be?”

Eddie sighed and sat back, no longer angry but confused.

“I don’t know.”

“Well, you better figure it out.”

“And soon.” -

Eddie was red with confliction. Star was waiting by his van for him after school much to his relief.

“Hey.” he said looking down, his feet shuffling and hand rubbing the back of his neck.

“I’m not going to yell at you.” she said to clear the air.

“Thanks. I’ve been told you should.”

“Probably.” she sounded so tired. She turned and got into the van.

It was silence for a bit, just bobbing with the potholes and not pristine suspension of the van. Until Star broke the silence.

“I’ve thought about what you said. And I get your point of view. I don’t agree. Obviously. But I get that you have your beliefs and we aren’t going to agree on everything.”

“That’s…way too nice.” he muttered, his shoulders slumping.

“I’m mad. Don’t get me wrong. I’m hurt and upset and angry. But I realized I didn’t talk to you about prom. I just assumed. And that’s on me.”

“I did too. I thought you knew how I felt about it.”

“Assume and make an ass out of you and me.” she rolled her eyes. Another beat of no talking, with Eddie not sure what to say.

“I’m sorry.” he decided to begin with. “I don’t think you’re stupid. Or that what you like is stupid. I don’t understand it. But it’s not stupid. Because you’re not stupid. And I know I have big opinions and I come on strong-”

“Understatement.” she snorted out half amused and half angry.

“But I never want to hurt you. You know I’d never on purpose. I still don’t want to by accident. And I did and I’m sorry. I’ll try to think before I speak in such absolutes.”

“Thanks.” he had the feeling she didn’t mean it.

“So you’re… still mad, huh?” he could’ve made the van hug a tree after the nervous words came out, closing his eyes in annoyance at himself right after.

“Yes.” she said with a heavy sarcastic lilt and exaggerated head movements. “You apologized. I accept it. But that doesn’t mean I’m not still upset.”

“Okay. Yeah.” Eddie nodded and sighed.

"You know, I couldn't go to my senior prom because I was in the hospital." she let the information out too casually, Eddie feeling like the brick that put her there was just thrown at his gut. His mouth opened and stuttered, brow creased, and face pale from shame and guilt. As usual, he hadn't thought it through. She'd been recovering from surgeries and injury and couldn't go even though she'd wanted. “I’m going to go without you.” she said to break the silence again.

“You’re going to prom alone?” his voice told her how upset he was, whether in general or at the news but she wasn't in the mood to feel sorry for him.

“Yes. I want to. My friends will be there and I already have a dress.” her arms were crossed on her chest and she sat too straight up in the worn chair.

“I didn’t know you had a dress, babe. I’m so sorry.” he let his hand leave the wheel to comfort her but her response made him retract it immediately.

“You can stop saying it.” she cut him off and his face and chest bloomed hot from guilt. “We won’t talk about it anymore. I don’t want to. I’m tired. You aren’t changing your mind so I’m going to go on with what I wanted to do and try to enjoy myself the best I can without you. I don’t want you to stay tonight. I’m too mad and we’ll fight and there’s no point. I need to cool off and try to accept this and move forward. We may talk more about it later but for now, I’m done.” She was beyond mad. He knew that. But he’d fucked up. He deserved it. He had his peers telling him so, he knew once Harrington heard about it he might very literally kick his ass for it.

“Can I say something?”

“You just did.” her monotone voice was an invisible middle finger to his request.

“I feel like I’ll be a hypocrite if I went. I’ve built this reputation for what I’m about. And I’ve worked hard for it. And I know I come on strong, but it’s because I have a lot of feelings and a set of morals I feel like I have to stick to.”

“Your so-called "reputation" with these people you supposedly don't give a shit about is more important than me. Got it.” she nodded and looked out the window.

“Shit- no! You know that’s not what I mean.”

“I’ve heard that before.” her face was tight. “I’m trying to be understanding here. I really am. But I’m really fucking upset about this, okay?” she said with her voice wavering, trying to wipe away a falling tear without being obvious.

“I swear I had no idea it meant so much to you.” he pleaded.

“Really?” She turned to him, her cherub face red and angry. “Getting dressed up? Dancing? Hanging out with friends? Hanging out with YOU? Getting to slow dance in front of everyone with the man I love?" Her hands were fast and furious in the small space. "Getting shown off because you’re proud of me? Having a professional photo of me in a beautiful dress, of us together as we’re supposed to be starting on this huge new chapter of our lives together? A token to keep and look back on someday?" he heard a catch in her throat, a sniffle as she caught her breath. "To show our kids? This was the first year mommy and daddy were together! Look how young we were!” she broke and her lip trembled, losing her momentum from anger turning to sadness. ”Getting to have one last night with the high school experience that wouldn’t be miserable? Sneaking drinks in and slipping bribes to the DJ to play good music? If you had stopped to think you’d have realized that it is EVERYTHING that means something to me!” she raised her voice, she couldn’t help it. She saw Eddie shrink down to nothing under her cracking voice.

“I… I didn’t….” he stuttered, his eyes now hot and watery, growing with sadness.

“You didn’t think,” she stated for him. “I know.” she turned back around with her arms crossed, face out the window.

Star cried a lot that night. She looked at the yellow gunny sack dress as she’d brought it out and hung it up to admire. It was linen and velvet, with beautiful embroidery with its empire waist and bell sleeves. She’d thought she might even get married in it. She thought it’d have been darling to have worn it to prom and her wedding. But somehow this soured it all. She didn’t have the money to buy a new dress, and she really didn’t want to. She sighed, upset the memory of a prom alone might come to mind on the day of her wedding. She knew relationships had moments like this. That people have opinions and you had to learn to live with your partner's decisions. It didn’t make it hurt any less.

But she was hospitable. She pretended like prom wasn’t happening. That was her means of dealing. She didn’t talk about it or engage in conversation about it. She was ignoring it until the night of. Eddie thought things were getting better, and they were in a way. Time was making her less angry, but the closer it got to the night the more upset she got by him not changing his mind. The night would pass and she’d have a good time and then she could move on she told herself. She didn’t need him to be a part of every single experience she had. But she wanted him to be. Telling him that she didn’t want him around the night of prom as she got ready hurt both of them to hear said aloud. But it had to be done.

As Eddie did, he sulked. He’d not gotten his way and now he was making it everyone else's problem. He was being the exact fun suck that they’d told him not to be. It was all his fault in everyone’s eyes and no one gave him the sympathy or attention he wanted. That was until Steve Harrington showed up at his door on the day of prom.

“You fucking idiot!” Steve shoved Eddie’s shoulder as soon as there was enough space to get it through Eddie’s front door.

“What the fuck man?” Eddie whined and rubbed his arm.

“You’re REALLY not going?” Eddie had assumed from Steve’s unkempt hair and red face that he knew exactly what he was referring to.

“I’m not going.” he said with a stomp of his foot like a child.

“Let me in before your neighbors get to see me kick your ass.” he shouldered his way into Eddie’s trailer. “I thought telling you you were a stubborn jackass once would’ve been enough but you love to be consistent don’t you Munson?”

“It’s one of my best traits.” Eddie snarked back, crossing his arms in his sweats and old t-shirt.

“It’s one of your only traits at this point!” Steve rubbed his face in exaggeration. “Why do I have to be the one to have the balls to beat sense into you when you do dumb shit?” Steve’s arms were up in the air and clawed. “You’re worse than the kids!”

“You came to kick my ass because I won’t go to prom? I thought you didn’t do that anymore King Steve.”

“Listen here, bud.” Steve used his well-trained posture to intimidate Eddie, a finger to his chest as he pushed him against the wall. “First of all, don’t call me that. Second, sometimes people deserve to have their asses kicked.”

“And I do because I won’t go to a stupid dance?”

“It if means so little, then GO!” Steve clapped in his face. “I shouldn’t have to be asked by Dustin, to take Star to prom. He also offered to go with her by the way! Your friends are trying to pick up the slack your ass should be. Be a man, Munson! You take your woman out and you show her off! You let them get all dolled up and dance, you let them have a good time because you love them and want them to be happy! You’re supposed to BE there for her, man. You’ve left her in the damn dust tonight! You don’t deserve to have someone love you so much when you can’t even show up to a place 15 minutes from your house for her. It’s pathetic!” Steve shoved his shoulder again before retreating, breathing heavily and rubbing his hands through his hair as he paced.

“Christ.” Eddie muttered, rubbing his shoulder, surprised at the passion coming off Steve.

“Do you know what I would give to have something like you and Star have?” Steve’s hands were on his hips, his eyes far sadder than Eddie was comfortable with. “Someone who loves you so much they’re willing to stay with you and try to forgive you when you do dumb shit like this? All I’ve done is go above and beyond for girls. And they still leave! And you… and your holier than thou horse SHIT won’t even put on a shirt with buttons and stand for a few hours to make her happy. You’re a selfish asshole!” Steve had never looked bigger, with a furious finger pointed in Eddie's face.

Eddie was shocked. He had never thought of it that way. He knew he was lucky, sure. But his own belief’s meant so much to him he never even considered bending them for someone else. He thought that made him a liar. Apparently not, he was learning.

“I thought I might beat some sense into you. But it won’t work, probably couldn’t hurt your thick skull anyway!” his arms flew up again and he groaned. “I just wish people would think about other's feelings for a fucking SECOND sometimes!” he put his hands on his face, he was projecting, and Eddie could tell that, but he also knew he made a lot of good points. Steve Harrington who he had always thought had more hair than brains, was the one coming in to shake some sense into him like the noisy baby he was. “It’s not fair.” Steve sighed, rubbing his face.

Eddie swallowed audibly. His instincts to care for someone that was hurting kicked in. Seeing someone who HE thought had it all almost crumbling and telling him HE was lucky? It was a side of Steve he’d never seen before.

“Lots of people love you, Steve.” Eddie said with a calm voice. It snapped Steve out of his self-pity.

“What?”

“Lots of people love you. A lot. I know I was jealous of you. All the kids adore you, man. Hell, even my own girlfriend probably likes you better than me right now.”

“I wouldn’t like you right now if I was her.” he plainly stated, his anger not so sharp and pointy.

“Me either.” Eddie shrugged. “There’s a lot of importance put on relationships. Romantic, I mean. And I never thought I’d have it. I had my friends and that was enough. I had more people I liked and trusted than most did. That made me lucky enough. And you have that too, you know. People love you, Steve.”

“Easy to say romance isn’t important when you have it.”

“Might not for long.” Eddie pooched his lips and looked around the room, sitting in his self-realization. “My point is. I’m one lucky sonofabitch. You’re right. But so are you. Romance isn’t everything. But love is. And lots of people love you.” Steve blinked, unsure of how the conversation got to this point, but feeling it in his gut that he needed to hear it.

“Thanks. I guess?” Steve shrunk back down to his normal human size.

“I mean. I do. I respect the shit out of you, for sure.”

“Stop being sarcastic, it’s not the time.”

“I’m not. Swear!” he crossed his heart. “You’re a good guy. And the only person man enough to come here and give a shit about me and try to stop me from making a huge, irreversible mistake.”

“It is. She might not leave you but she’ll never forget it. She’ll never forgive you even if she says she does.”

“You’re right.” Eddie nodded. “You’re… the only guy I know that’s smart in the way you are. Well, Dustin comes close.”

“I’m… smart?”

“As shit, dude!” Eddie said with disbelief.

“Like… smart like Dustin?” Steve’s voice sounded small.

“You’ve got a big brain and even bigger balls, Steve,” Eddie said with a grin, Steve’s face followed suit. “The other guys talked to me, but none knocked sense into me. Literally.” he offered with shrugging hands. “You’re fearless dude. I’m jealous. You care. A lot. And that’s not easy to do. Or show. And you just…” Eddie laughed. “Keep showing up for my dumb ass. And everyone else’s.” he rubbed his face now, groaning and feeling the oil on his face from not washing it yet. “You can be jealous of what Star and I have but I’m jealous of what you guys have too.”

“What we have?”

“You get to hear what she really thinks. You’re one of her closest friends. I don’t get to hear what she really thinks of me. The things she says when she’s mad that she’d never say to my face. You get those secrets, not me. That’s a piece of her you have that I never will.”

“I never thought of that.”

“She’s lucky to have you. Right now, luckier to have you than me. Her shitty boyfriend who can’t travel 15 miles in a button-up shirt for her.” he sighed and looked down, defeated.

“Why do you care so much about not going? You act like you don’t care what anyone thinks? I was always jealous of that.”

“It’s a lie.” Edie laughed. “I care so much about everything all the time. I’m big and loud out there but in here, I’m nothing, man. I got so comfortable with those people hating me that I started to care what they thought in some twisted way. Like they’d be disappointed if I went to prom. Like I’d not be the freak anymore if I did. Then who the fuck am I? Just some guy?”

“I’ve been the king before, Eddie. I’ll take being just some guy over the bullshit that comes with caring what people think any day. Trust me.”

“How’d you deal with it? Losing the title? It’s like I don’t know who I am if I’m not the hated freak of Hawkins.”

“I still don’t know. I’m still figuring out who Steve is. I’m not the King that’s for damn sure. Never was. Just like you’ve never really been the freak. It’s just what people think. It’s not what’s real. Figuring out what’s real is hard.”

“You’re telling me.” Eddie rubbed his neck and let out a sigh. “I guess… I don’t have to be the freak. If it means I get to be the boyfriend. The good boyfriend.”

“There’s that big brain Star insists that you have under that mop.” Steve smirked.

“I don’t know what she see’s in me.” Eddie laughed and let out a whine.

“Me either.” Steve grinned and walked to put his hands on the other guy’s shoulders. “But she’ll see that you’re a good guy. A good boyfriend still if you want to try to fix this mess.”

“I do. She’s worth it. I can be the boyfriend and not the freak for her.”

“Let’s turn you from freak to chic then!” Steve said perkily, happy with the rhyme he’d made.

“Steve?” Eddie said with a smirk. “You’re such a freak.” he laughed warmly.

Star held that happy face on as long as she could. She’d done everything right. She looked beautiful and she knew it. She laughed, she drank she danced, and best of all fucked around with her friends. It was warm, full, and happy. Until it wasn’t. That first slow song. Damn the slow songs. She slipped back and away, her stomach suddenly empty and cold. She went to the bathroom, her hideaway, and saw other girls with the same sad look on their faces. They doctored their makeup, standing and looking in the mirror without saying a word. They waited the song out and walked out one by one. Leaving the dance crossed her mind. She’d gotten what she came for. She saw the group sitting around a table laughing, new girls' faces bright and welcoming with their nerdy little dates that Star considered her friends. They touched shoulders and held hands. There were cheek kisses and closer whispers, proud arms thrown over shoulders and compliments said so low and sweetly that no one but the giver and receiver could hear. It was everything Star imagined for herself that night. The burn of tears grew again and she didn’t know if she was strong enough. The crowd on the floor moved almost in sync, a fast dance fading and Star holding her breath before the other started, not knowing if she could hold out through another love song.

A familiar and loved guitar riff began. It caught her attention and held it, looking at the DJ with a tilted head as if he might give her the answer. The song wasn’t popular, it wasn’t recent. It was a classic and a must-have on any love mix tape in Star’s opinion as it’d been the mix tape she’d made Eddie. She felt the lyrics into her bones. Just as she had the night she’d cried and added it without question to the apology mix tape. The Hollies. The Air That I Breathe. To her, the most simple quintessential love song. The beat picked up with the swell of passion in the singer's voice, matching the beat of her heart. She didn’t know if she could do this. She looked down, taking her out-of-fashion dress into her hands, and lifting the hem before deciding to walk away.

“I can’t believe I almost missed this.” a voice she’d know anywhere floated to her ears like a prayer. Her head snapped, neck even popping as she turned toward it. There he was. The joy and bane of her existence. Her hair bounced around her face like an old Rita Hayworth movie. She was a starlet in the pale yellow dress, a vision Eddie knew his eyes were not worthy of laying witness to.

“Ed-?” Her voice rasped, the burn of tears already growing.

“C’mon baby. It’s our song.” he said with a confident nod, taking her by the hand, rings cold from the night air he’d just come in from. Without a fight, only a silent tear falling he lead her to the middle of the dance floor and wrapped her in his arms.

“Eddie-” she began again, quiet and almost scared, unsure of what words would follow.

“Did you think I’d really miss this? You?” her lashes batted with no shame for it. His thumb wiped away the stray tear. “You’re even more beautiful than I imagined.” he whispered his nose to hers. Her lip trembled and he kissed her cheek and shushed her, pulling her to his chest.

“I didn’t think-” she whimpered and closed her eyes, the warmth of his body filling every lonely coldness that had grown there over the night.

“That’s my job.” He chuckled and it broke her, making her sniffle and laugh.

“You came.” she lifted her head and laughed through her tears.

“I was wrong. I’m sorry I made you doubt how much I care about you,” he said with a solemn nod. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” she beamed like an angel under the lights, the disco ball dancing across her features as they showed him just how much she loved him. Despite his shortcomings. There was so much forgiveness there, so much love he didn’t know if he could handle it. Seeing it validated his decision to make himself uncomfortable for her. He looked over her impossibly loving face, relaying it to memory so if he ever had the stupid notion to ever upset her again, he’d think about this moment and be reminded that he didn’t deserve her and he’d spend his whole life trying to earn the love in her eyes.

"I thought that if I changed my mind about something that'd make me a liar. A hypocrite. Then I'd be no better than them. But...turns out I was wrong." he began, his face as apologetic as hers was forgiving. "I'm not used to bending my opinions for someone else. But I want to learn how to. For you. I want you to be happy. I thought I knew how to be a good boyfriend but there's a whole hell of a lot more to it than I thought." she laughed at his epiphany, but it was soft and full of appreciation, not mocking. "I'm gonna fuck up." he gave a crooked smile, looking away for a moment to blush. "But I'll always try to fix it. That I can promise."

"All we can do is try." she shrugged and gave him a sweet smile. "But I would prefer if you had your epiphanies a little faster next time." her cheeks rose to squint her eyes as they shared a laugh.

"I'm a little slow on the uptake, yeah." his shoulders shook as he held her face to kiss her for a moment. "I'm sorry I made you doubt me. I'm gonna spend the night giving you what you wanted. Anything you want, it's yours." he swore, still swaying to the beat, chest to chest.

“With this song?” she asked, a smirk failing and a heavy sigh escaping, seeing his eyes reflect the bright lights like a crystal ball.

“I might’ve slipped a few bribes to the DJ for some songs.” he shrugged and smirked as she let out a delightful sound of thanks and amusement.

“I love this song.” she said with a pout.

“I know you do, baby.” he smiled and held her cheek, they floated together, front to front, no one else in the world existing to them. He sang softly, the words to her, his declarations of love. All I need is the air that I breathe, and to love you.

“Oh, Eddie.” She swooned like a damsel, letting him put his lips to hers in the crescendo of an orchestral instrumental, making a soundtrack to their swell of emotion. All was forgiven and forgotten. She was too full of love for anything else. They caught the photographer before they left, getting that photo that she wanted. He sat back with her on his lap, hands warm and protective over her all night, and holding her close through every slow song that played. She got everything she ever wanted for the first time.

Eddie was on the phone, talking fast and moving around quickly. Star was sitting on his bed, watching and piecing together the conversation. It was clear it was good news, something about the band. So when he hung up the phone, he stood and looked at her, bouncing on his feet before he let out a scream and she jumped and shuffled back in surprise.

“We got a show! A real show! A metal show!” he hopped and played air guitar with his tongue out and had a bit of a fit.

“Elaborate please?” Star chuckled, scooting to the edge of the bed, fully amused by his energy.

“The guy at the bar wasn’t full of shit apparently, and there’s a metal night at a bar near Indianapolis and he wants us to play it!”

“Holy shit!” Star jumped up, her smile now nearly matching his. “You got booked babe!” she shouted and clapped, he wrapped his arms around her and they both jumped and screamed until they couldn’t anymore.

Which led them to pile into the van that weekend, all the members of Corroded Coffin and Star, the honorary member she liked to think of herself as. They took the long drive, excitement thick in the air and a sigh of relief upon arrival that they indeed weren’t lied to. The venue had a lit-up sign advertising metal night. It was all a blur, Star being able to help with sound check now from Dustin and the VA club. Bodies bumping into one another around the stage and green room, new and old friends meeting, chatter about the show, and others past. The boys were fitting right in. They were all changed into their stage clothes. Not much different than their normal garb but Star insisted they change for one, her sense of smell not being assaulted being stuck in the van with a bunch of sweaty boys. And two, because if they wanted to be a real band, they needed an image. They agreed, and now she slunk away to change into her outfit. Upon arrival back in the green room all the heads turned to her for various reasons. It was finally warming up, and a show was as good of a place to wear something fun as any. She wore the jeans she’d had on the night she and Eddie met. He groaned at their reappearance. They nipped in at her waist, the giant star was sewn onto the ass of them, a perfect target for his eyes. He could look all he wanted now. He could even touch. Her top was something out of Easy Rider, a soft velvet orangey brown halter top, the front laced up but still open to show her chest off, the sides with the side laces, hitting right at her waist, just above her jeans showing off the tattoo that held Eddie’s initials. As she walked toward him she was met with some general interest, some looks of disgust, and others of anger. She didn’t look like she belonged there. It was heavy metal and goth, and she was a little daisy in a field of black dahlia’s.

“Look at you baby, christ.” Eddie whistled and took her hand, forcing a twirl from her. “God damn you look good.” he pulled her to his chest and gave her a kiss that was chaste for how he felt.

“Thanks, babe.” she smiled and squeezed his bicep. “I’m gonna go sit at the bar. I’ll be there all night if you need me, kay? Just look and I’ll be there.” she nodded.

“You’re not gonna hang?” he sounded let down.

“This night is about you, Eddie.” she said with conviction. “I want you focused, don’t worry about me. Stay here and talk to the other bands, and make some friends. Get amped up before your set. Whatever you need to do to kill ‘em out there.”

“You sure? I wouldn’t mind having you around.” he admitted quietly.

“This is about you. You’re the frontman. Singer. Lead guitar. You’ve got the skills babe. Get confidence on and off stage. If you’re gonna be a big rockstar you’re gonna have to do some of this without me, right?” He gave her a soft, sentimental smile that made her not want to leave.

“I love you.” he said quietly, leaning in to kiss her, catching her off guard as she stuttered out a happy giggle. “You’re the best. You know that?”

“I do.” she nodded and mushes his cheeks. “If you need me, you know where to find me. But I want you to focus on you, alright?”

“I got it, babe. But one last thing,” he said with his hands moving to grab her ass pulling a laugh from her. “You wore these the night we met.” he whispered into her ear.

“I did?”

“Mmm Hmm.” he nodded, his face pulling away from her hair. “You look even better in them now somehow. I just had to…” he sighed and grunted, squeezing her. “I didn’t get to touch you in them before. I had to.” he whined as if he might fall ill if he hadn’t followed through.

“Of course.” she grinned and kissed him softly. “I’ll wear them again when you can… touch me more than you can here.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.” she kissed his dopey smile and pulled back, hand in hers still hesitant. “You got this Eddie. Knock ‘em dead.” she gave him a wink and blew him a kiss before she turned to leave. She didn’t want to but knew it was important. She wanted to be supportive, not smother him or crowd him. She was aware that she wasn’t exactly blending in, which didn’t bother her on a personal level so much, but she didn’t want to it affect Eddie’s chances of success.

She had done something right because the band fucking killed it. The crowd was in full support, as they were for most of the other bands that night. They were among their people, their audience. They got to get live feedback and the smiles on the boy's faces almost brought tears to hers. Eddie didn’t just kill it on stage he raised it from the dead and killed it again. She was so proud she was beaming with it. She was also so fucking hot for him she was aching from it. Him in his element was the sexiest thing she’d ever seen. But of course, as she had tried to prepare herself for it, she knew she wasn’t the only one that would think that.

Star knew she was going to have to go get used to this if she was going to have a rockstar boyfriend. Sure that was a bit ambitious to say, jumping the gun a tad but if that’s what happened, she’d have to see women, and men all over him all the time. Not only that but throwing themselves at him. Luckily they weren’t fandemonium level just yet, but Star knew Eddie was hot, and even hotter when he played on stage. She couldn’t blame the girls, but it didn’t mean she had to like it.

Unlike Star who was used to male attention, Eddie wasn’t comfortable with girls touching him and flirting so blatantly. He kept his composure, pretending to be some other version of himself to seem cool and aloof, like a rockstar that didn’t need their validation and was used to women begging to let them suck his cock. Again, he was getting ahead of himself, but the small taste of being liked by an audience tonight had made his dreams feel a little less far away than they were before. He knew Star had to be watching him, and he had no intentions of misbehaving. But taking girls by the hand and politely removing them from his body as they flirted was starting to become something he wish she’d swoop in and save him from. He found her where she’d been the whole night, but now a guy had sidled up next to her, and she didn’t look annoyed like she had previously. He could tell the metal guys that approached her were confused about how to handle a woman who looked so opposite of everyone there, especially one with as much blatant sex appeal as Star in her tight little outfit. He knew they’d drill her on metal questions, or tell her she shouldn’t be there, that old song and dance. He knew she’d school their ass on anything they threw at her, and look good as hell while doing it. She looked stunning, laughing and talking, simply existing really. The guy wasn’t being forward, not like the girls that were around the band right now. But somehow that made Eddie more annoyed by it. He knew Star was being nice, and she wasn't nice to many guys. Eddie, selfishly, immaturely would like it if she was only nice to him. He realized if they were going to be together, this would be the norm. Men would talk her up, not knowing she was spoken for. Eddie licked his lips, watching, biting his lower lip with a lower brow in consideration as to how to make it obvious she was taken. And by him. A territorial prickle rose Eddie’s neck, seeing the tattoo of his initials on her side through the lace-up leather strings of her top. The girls around him didn’t exist anymore, their hands roamed and he let them, numb from the brain stem down as his mind focused on his girlfriend across the bar.

Star had a sneaking suspicion that the guy she was talking to wasn’t interested in her. He looked as out of place as she did in his nice jacket and shoes. Perhaps he too was letting his partner have some fun off the leash and thought she looked like she could use some nonjudgemental company. When he seemed excited at the mention of her being there with her boyfriend, who was fronting one of the bands, she let her guard down. They talked about the bands, the city, nothing consequential and it took her mind off of the pretty dark-haired and dark-clothed girls that were chatting up her boyfriend with less than pure intentions.

She felt Eddie watching her, taking her attention from the guy next to her. She looked with wide, innocent eyes to prepare herself to be met with something that she didn’t want to see more of. And there it was. The girls, one with their hand on his chest, tits pressed against Edie’s arm as he stood eerily still and stared into Star. He didn’t stare at her, he was daggering right into her with steady, dark eyes. He held a beer in one hand, the other lost to the darkness of the corner he stood in. Star tilted her head, narrowing her eyes in question. She wasn’t doing anything wrong to earn the glare. But she had a feeling he had been just as jealous as she had.

It didn’t take someone touching or even flirting with Star to make Eddie jealous. All it took was for another guy to give her attention at all. Star was more reserved, practiced, and practical about it. She waited until there was a reason to act. But Eddie’s insecurity ran far too deep and unaddressed to be so cavalier with the one thing he coveted most in the world. He finally blinked, a nice reassurance he was indeed still alive. His head lowered, bangs brushing his lashes as he told her to come to him with his eyes. When a more mischievous smile spread across her face he gave a single nod to be clear of his command.

“Looks like I’m getting the signal to intervene,” Star said politely, leaning in so the friendly stranger could hear her.

“Oh, go ahead. Go save him from a case of crabs if these girls get too close.” the guy chuckled.

“It was nice to talk to you. Have a good night.”

“You too.” he said with a nod of his drink in his hand.

Eddie didn’t like that she said goodbye. Why was she so invested? Did she know him? Chances were slim. She shouldered her way through the edge of the crowd around to his side of the venue.

“She’s with me,” he said to the guy who’d been in charge of keeping the bands away from the crowds in the safety of the back hallways and green rooms. A nod and then total avoidance from the tall bouncer was her single interaction with him. Star saw the girl closest to Eddie, hand on his chest and her tits pressed against his bare bicep looking in the direction of Eddie’s nod. “Took you long enough,” he said with a darkness to his voice she didn’t know if she liked or not. It wasn’t hard to sway her opinion on it when he pushed past the girl and reached out with a targeted grip on the back of her neck to pull her into a deep kiss. Star’s hands were now the ones laying claim to his chest, her hand over the tattoo of hers over his heart. His fingers dug into the tightly corded leather strings that held her top together, slipping between them into soft flesh to touch the tattoo that she had for him. He felt better with her against him, he wanted to claim her in front of everyone, some voyeuristic animalistic lizard-brain urge to plant his flag, so to speak, among the other viable males looking for a mate. This one was his.

“Oh course the slut with barely any clothes on gets the attention.” the girl was heard saying rolling her eyes. She was pretty, decked in a more goth style with heavy makeup, black hair, and black clothes. Star with her earth tones, fun patches, and wavy blonde hair stood out like a sore thumb.

Eddie pulled away, forehead to forehead, his hand possessively on Star’s neck.

“You miss me or somethin’?” she smirked.

“From now on, after I’m off stage, you’re right by my side. Got it?” He whispered, a sensual brush of his fingertips to her pulse in her throat.

“I thought watching girls hit on you was getting to me. Seems I wasn’t the only one.” He kissed her harder than she expected, there was anger in it as he bit her bottom lip and tugged.

“As soon as I’m off stage. You’re with me. Right under my arm. Do you understand?”

“Eddie,” she whispered a mixture of fluster and concern. “You’re being a little… intense.”

“I know,” he said kissing the corner of her mouth. “I can’t stand seeing another guy touch you baby.” he pulled back to look over her face seeing a slight tinge of fear. He lowered his shoulders to be less intimidating. “I love you,” he said softly, seeing the tension in her traps relax. “You’re mine.” he pecked her lips. “I want everyone to know who we belong to.” a smile appeared then, a soft one for him as she cupped his cheek.

“And you’re mine,” she answered, a quick bite to his lower lip then sucking away the hurt. He closed his eyes and groaned. “I love you too baby. I’m yours, you don’t have to worry about it, pretty boy. They can look all they want, I’m only looking at you.” she comforted him with a soft kiss.

“So the girl that looks like she listens to Joni Mitchell is who's with the metalhead?” The girl that’d been forcing herself on Eddie’s arm finally speaks.

“I do listen to Joni Mitchell.” Star smirked, peeking from behind Eddie. “What’s wrong with Joni Mitchell?” Eddie kept his hands to her, his face lowering to her neck.

“My mom listens to Joni Mitchell.” a deadpan response.

“Is she a bitch too?” Star asked so sincerely with a tilt of her head. The other members of Corroded Coffin laughed and the girl quickly saw she was outnumbered. Eddie grinned into her neck and began kissing it.

“Get her, baby.” He whispered in her ear.

“I think it’s weird that someone like you is with a guy that's so talented and loves thrash.”

“I love thrash too. You just didn’t ask.” Star has her hand on the back of Eddie’s head, stroking back his hair as he kissed her throat. She knew how girls minds worked and she knew the girl would be dying to run her hands through his hair. “The thing about this hot, talented, thrash-loving boyfriend of mine is that he didn’t judge me without knowing me first. Right baby?” Eddie nodded into her hair. “I was wearing these jeans the night we met. No black or band shirt. Just me and my hippy-dippy shit.”

“Yes, you were.” Eddie groaned and let his hands roam down her hips and back to her ass to grab handfuls. “Looked so good in them. Still do.” He smiled into her cheek. “She told me she liked my Dio shirt. And I was hers.”

“A lot of metal is about being judged by other people incorrectly. Maybe you should listen to it. Then you could find someone instead of rubbing your tits all over mine.” Eddie chuckled and bit her cheek.

“I didn’t know he had a girlfriend.” She said in her defense.

“And now you do.” Star said cradling Eddie’s larger frame against hers. “So what are you gonna do now?”

The girl looked to the band, seeing Edie doting on the blonde with a nauseating amount of love in his eyes.

“Go rub my tits on someone else.” The girl muttered and shrugged and it made Star laugh. In another life, she thinks they could’ve been friends.

“You’re so hot when you’re mean.” Eddie with his deep dimples and closed eyes, kissing on Star’s temple.

“If I’m gonna have a big rockstar for a boyfriend I’m gonna have to learn how to deal with these little girls aren’t I?”

“They don’t stand a chance, baby.” he held her face in both of his now, grinning down at her from the praise.

“Of course, they don’t.” she cooed back, shaking her head in his hands, pushing their bodies flush together. “This is my dick isn’t it baby?” she slid her hand between them to rub over the arch in his jeans. Eddie’s lashes fluttered, covering the almost black rolling to white. He took a moment, swallowing hard after he held back a throaty groan.

“As long as this ass is all mine.” he challenged back, strong fingers sinking into the meat of her near her pussy, spreading her apart through her jeans.

“I wanna show you how this ass is all yours, Eddie.” she caught him in an easy kiss as he had to lean down to grab her shorter frame's cheeks.

“You wanna find somewhere for us to have show and tell?” he smirked, kisses traveling from her ear where he’d whispered to her neck.

“Already on it.” she grinned, pulling away and taking him by his wallet chain through the crowd and into the swinging kitchen doors. She walked with confidence, ringed fingers pulling her puppy behind her on his leash. No one gave you much grief about what you were doing as long as you looked confident doing it. She started looking through doors, into a manager's office, weighing their options. The public bathroom was far too crowded and busy, but she found a very small one, practically a coat closet with a sink counter and a toilet in it down the back hallway near the exit.

“I was thinking the van but alright.” Eddie chuckled with deep gravel to it from his testosterone surging.

“No I want this quick, nasty and dirty, pretty boy.” she practically growled, locking the door behind her and shoving him against the wall. He took her directions to heart and yanked the laces on her top open to free her chest first while a noisy, tongue-filled kiss played out above.

“You look so fuckin’ hot tonight.” he panted into her mouth, her already with her hand around his cock.

“Watching you on stage playing like a god got me so wet.” she confessed in a feminine, higher pitch as he yanked down her jeans past her hips.

“Prove it.” he grinned, loving the tension and rush of being confined in a small space.

Star pulled her jeans to her ankles, not bothering to take them off and turned to bend over the countertop with the built-in sink. Her boots knocked against the worn and wonky wooden cabinet door on the bottom, her hands splayed on a stained stone top to push herself against him. He followed with a yank of his jeans and boxers, hand going instinctually to his cock to stroke it as she reached her hands back, cheek pressed to the mirror to hold herself up and spread herself apart for him.

“Shit.” he whimpered, high-pitched and unintentional.

“Look at your pussy, pretty boy. Watching you does this to me. Makes this poor pussy ache to see you look so god damn good, your fingers fucking that guitar, hips grinding against the back of her. I get jealous.” she pouted, wiggling the meat of her ass at him.

“This-this-shit.” he stuttered, caught off guard by her filthy words and aggressive body. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. Remembering how he felt watching her, it lit another fire in his belly to get his head right. “This is my pussy baby.” he replaced her hands with his, letting her hold herself up again. “Perfect pussy on my perfect girl.” his tongue hung out, lowering himself to lap between her plush lips and taste her. It was quick and indulgent of him, he had proof enough she was ready for him, he had just needed to bury his face in it for a moment. A long lick, a quick suckle at her clit for her back to arch deeper, running a wide flat tongue up her center and circling her asshole before moving up to her back, kissing it, and landing a hand slap to her cheek.

“MMmm.” She hummed with a bottom bitten lip, face full of delight. “That’s my boy, you know I like it dirty.” she giggled out, body turned back to put her hand to her hip and watch him the best she could. She jiggled her fleshy curves and slapped herself. “Give me that big dick, Eddie. Give me what’s mine. Take what’s yours.” It took the incredibly horny man all of 2 seconds to be buried in the scalding hot center of her. She let out a loud moan, not holding back, mouth agape and eyes shut under high brows at the suddenness of it.

“You want it? Fucking take it baby.” he leaned in and growled, hands on her hips and pounding at her. “Made for this big dick aren’t you?” he looked up, finding her eyes on his in the reflection of the mirror. Her hair swung around her face in bouncy waves, a wicked smile around a tongue that just couldn’t seem to stay in her mouth very long.

“Fuck I love it when you talk about your cock like that.” she bellowed and bucked back on him, making the hit of their hips together fill the tiled room.

“Ive wanted to ram this fat cock into my tight pink pussy all night.”

“Yes. Yours.” she moaned, letting her eyes roll back. “Your fucking pussy.” Another hard slap and he felt her gush around him.

“So wet for me. Always. Already ready to take your big dick aren’t you baby?”

“Always, Eddie, always. Want it so bad.” she was almost concerned for her head, her neck almost whiplashed as it bobbed from the force of him against her. “Had to take it. Had to remind you who owns that thick cock.”

“All yours, baby.” he moaned and lost composure for a moment, looking down at her body taking him in. “Greedy fucking pussy.” another sharp slap.

“Yes. More. Harder.” she begged, reaching up to twist one of her nipples between her pained fingers. “Fuck me so hard it hurts, baby. I wanna feel that big cock in my throat, make me fucking choke on it, Eddie.” she moaned.

“Fuckin Christ.” he shuddered, throwing her leg up on the counter to grab her at a better angle. He wiped the sweat off his already glistening forehead and went back to his duty.

“It’s your pussy, Eddie take it.” she mindlessly babbled, hands trembling on the countertop. He pulled back, shorter strokes to buy him some time, watching her suck him back in, the shine from her wetness covering him to his taint and her up to the peak of her perfectly peachy crack. He spread her apart, moaning and admiring. His thumbs massaged her strong muscles, moving closer and closer to her center. A deep moan, watching both holes tighten and squeeze the closer he got. “Eddie.” she said with more clarity, reaching her hand back to rub her clit. “Use your thumb.” she said, eyes shut and cheek to the mirror again, her breath fogging the glass.

“I thought you loved this big cock splitting you in two? You want my thumb now?” She shocked her head. Before fluttering her long lashes open and meeting his gaze.

“In my ass, Eddie.” she said with half-lidded eyes and a smile that made him hunch and buck with a moan.

“Oh you…” he groaned, his chest heaving. “Perfect fuckin’ dirty girl.” he grinned with a grit of his teeth, nose scrunched with aggression and excitement. “Want me to fill up both holes?”

“I want you in all my holes. Fill me up and fuck me so good,” she whined, lip bit as he brought more of her slickness up to push and circle, dipping the tip in and finding her moaning louder than she ever had before. “Suck your thumb. Nice and wet for me baby. Lemme see.” she panted and turned to watch him. “Suck it like a dick baby boy, that’s it. Nice and messy how I like it.” her nose wrinkled with glee, mouth open and shaking her head at how good his lips looked wrapped around his thumb. "So fucking hot.” she gritted out as she shifted to spread her ass for him.

“Fucking perfect,” he growled back, biting his thumb before pressing in again. She squoze the life out of him from the inside. A hot tight squeeze then a gush of fresh arousal dripping from her clit and into the floor as he teased and prodded. “You really love this don’t you baby.”

“Mmm Hmm. Wanted you in my ass for so long.” she confessed without intention then giggling after the fact. “Eddie..” she cooed with swollen lips. “Use your cock.” she blurted out. “Put that big fat head on my tight little hole, baby. Get it nice and wet. Tease me.” she was making demands but it sounded a hell of a lot like begging. He pulled out, throbbing dick in hand, strings of her attached to him as he did so, rubbing, circling pressing, smearing the shine all over her.

“You’re wet enough for my thumb baby believe me.” She resituated her hands to spread herself apart wider.

“Spit on it.” she ordered. He met her eyes in the mirror, sucking in his cheeks, knowing what she liked to see. He let a blob of spit form between his full lips and drop and hang slowly before she felt the warmth slide down her ass. “Fuck you know what I want don’t you?” she hummed and giggled. “It’s your ass Eddie. I told you that didn’t I? Make it yours baby. Take it.” she bucked her hips back at him, tightening the needy ring of muscle.

“You want-oh fuck.” he shuddered, his hips and head nodding. “You sure baby? Here? Now?”

“Right here. Right now. This ass is yours everywhere, you own it. Take. It.” she bit out the last two words.

“Whatever my baby wants.” he said holding his dick with concentration, brows knitted together, circling and pressing. “My baby gets.” he hissed as the head of dick slipped inside her.

“OH FUCK.” Star let out from her gut, her shoulders losing any strength they had for a moment. “So big.” she whispered, trying to recover. “So fucking big.” she whined with an open panting mouth. “So fucking…. Good.” her voice swung into a lower register as she moaned. “Jesus Christ Eddie it’s so good. So big. Fuck.” she whimpered and whined in a way he’d never heard before. But her cries reassured her it was a good sign. “Take it baby. Fuck me.” she whined, pushing him deeper inside her as she pressed her hips back. “Holy shit.” she cried, hands shaking on her cheeks to keep them apart, taking him slowly to the hilt before letting out a giggle. “You’re so deep.” she braced her hands back to the counter, leveling herself out and returning a hand to her clit. “So good baby. You feel so good.”

“You’re so god damn tight Star I’m not gonna last.”

“Fuck me, pretty boy. C’mon. Fuck your tight little asshole with my big dick.” she giggled sinfully, her voice so girlish and speaking such filth. Her head knocked back as she laughed and sighed, deep guttural moans pushed out of her every time he buried himself in her again.

“Not gonna last with that mouth. Fuck. Fuck you’re so good baby. So hot. So tight. So… ugghnn.” he groaned at the new sensation, feeling like some inexperienced kid again for a moment. “Mine.” he growled, hands to her hips with fervor.

“Yours.” she trilled and hummed. “You can fuck me harder baby, I can take it. I looove your dick in my ass Eddie, fucking shit.” she babbled, eyes rolled to white and head bobbing with his thrusts as her finger furiously worked against her clit.

“Fuck say it again. Fuckin filthy baby I love it.”

“Stretch my little asshole Eddie. You own it. Make it yours. Make me cum with your dick in my ass. Fuck, make me Eddie, please. I want it so bad. Empty those big heavy balls inside me baby. Fill me with your cum. Make me yours.”

“Shit!” he squeaked. “Such a fucking slut when you’ve got me buried balls deep in your ass aren’t you baby? Shit. I own this ass now. You’re MINE. Understand? My perfect little slut aren’t you?”

“Such a slut for you Eddie. Only you. I’m a hole for you to use, Master. You know this ass is yours.”

“Fuck you.” he slapped her ass and she giggled again, knowing calling him master would send him off the charts. “Say it again.”

“You own my ass, Master.” she met his eyes, it took an effort to stop them from rolling about but she knew it would be worth it to see his face.

“Fuck keep talking baby, I’m gonna cum. Gonna full up this tight-fuckin perfect- little asshole-jesus christ.”

“I want you in every hole. Down my throat. In my pussy. Fucking my ass.” she babbled on, her jaw widening slowly, getting closer. “You’re so fucking sexy when you give me your cum, Master let me see it.” she stuck out her tongue and chirped happily, the naughtiest, cutest sight he’d ever laid eyes on. This was Star happy. This was Star safe and fulfilled and in love. Free to say whatever thought popped into her head, knowing Eddie would be there to satisfy whatever need she had with a smile on his stupidly handsome face.

“Fuck baby, here it is. Milk it out of my cock with your ass baby.” she bumped her hips back into his, letting him enjoy the surge and rush of his orgasm.

“Taking all your cum, master.” she said with that sickeningly sweet voice that was now his favorite sound in the world. “Give it all to me. Don’t take a single drop. I want it all.” he came so hard his face contorted, hands hurting her hip bones and balls jumping against her hand as she kept rubbing her clit, feeling him spurt and throb inside her.

“Shit.” he squeaked out. “Fucking...good. Fucking… perfect.” he moaned out mindlessly.

“I’m so close Eddie. Keep fucking me please.” she pushed against him, knowing he would get sensitive soon.

“Yes, baby, yes.” he nodded, gathering himself and assessing the situation before him with a clear mind.

“I’m almost there, give me what I need.” she begged with wide eyes. His eyes darted, considering his options, he was already in her ass, and soon he’d be in pain. So he sucked two of his fingers and lowered his shoulder to slide them into her dripping pussy. “Oh fuck yes Eddie that’s it.” she said with no naughtiness anymore, only a woman on the edge.

“That’s what my baby wants. Both holes filled like a slut. Fuck you’re sucking me right in both holes baby. Greedy baby.” he slapped her ass hard and she bucked her hips.

“Yes.” a tiny gasp left her mouth.

“Master’s gonna make you cum all over his cock isn’t he? I feel it. I know this pussy, Star. It’s mine. Tell me it’s mine.”

“Your pussy Eddie.” she whined, her eyes rolling back involuntarily again. She was ramping up for one of the ugly orgasms Eddie loved. He loved it when she grunted and her face twisted up and froze, her body unable to function for a moment because of how good he was making her feel. “It’s so good. I can’t even… it’s so good.” a tear slipped past her lashline as her lips quivered.

“I love it when you sound so desperate for me. So wet. Such a pretty baby, you know that? My pretty girl. My gorgeous little slut who takes my fat cock in her ass.” she shuddered and moaned helplessly.

“Yes. Fuck. Gonna cum.” she panted. “Fuck I’m gonna cum with your dick in my ass.” as if she’d just realized it was happening. He pounded her with his fingers, hooking in and not being gentle. It was the roughest he’d ever been with her. Her hips beat against the counter by his, his fingers knuckle deep and pounding away. “Oh Eddie.” she got louder, feeling her hips swivel, knowing she was about to cum. “Oh fuck baby I’m g-” she didn’t remember even trying to speak. Her body seized and Eddie cried out with her, feeling her wrench around him like a vice. A sudden burst of liquid escaped her as she shook and tried to form sounds. Her legs gave out and he held her up, his hand soaked in her cum. Her eyes shot open as if she’d blacked out, her orgasm so intense she felt like she stopped breathing for a moment. Her arms shook as they tried to hold her up on the counter, faltering and Eddie leaned in to sweep her up into his arms, holding her against his chest as she tremored and whimpered. He pushed her hair away from her face, his own pressed against hers, shushing and whispering as she came off her high.

“That’s it. That’s a good girl. Breathe. Your Eddie’s got you.” he said so sweetly it made her whine. She felt him slide out of her as he pulled her up as he grew soft.

“Ed-” she tried to speak and felt him chuckle.

“Shush sweetheart, your hearts racing, don’t talk yet you just came really fucking hard.”

“I did.” she nodded and whimpered, and he couldn’t help but kiss her face. “So good.” her voice was so high and squeaky that he laughed.

“You’re so fucking cute after you cum, I swear.” he kissed her neck and held her up, her hands reached out, shaking and uneasy trying to get purchase on the counter. “You good?” he asked, finally letting his hands come off her body as she had slowly come to and got her strength back.

“What the fuck. That was so… intense. I felt like I was gonna collapse in on myself and explode like some black hole.” she ran her hand through her hair and let out a heavy sigh.

“You kinda did.” he grinned and looked down. She turned, still letting her body rest against the counter as she saw the dark splotches on his jeans.

“I did that?” her head tilted, nose wrinkled in confusion. Her cheeks were pink and her lips more so, pouted out.

“You know how we tell each other when we feel things now?” he said with wide cow eyes. She looked up to find them so soft it made her shoulders slump.

“Yeah?”

“You’re so fucking cute right now I could eat you.” he smiled, something wholesome and warm as he tucked himself away into his jeans. He reached down to help her put hers back on.

“I am?”

“Usually are. To be fair but…you came so hard you almost blacked out.” he laughed, tucking her chest back into her top and fastening the strings as she was still far to shakey too. He lavished in the attention and affection. “And you came all over me.” he smirked as he finished, both his favorite girls back snug and close.

“I came all over-?” she tilted her head again and he took her cheeks to his palms to kiss her something sickeningly sweet. She moaned, her hands going to his waist.

“I’ve heard about it. It’s rare I think. But when a woman cums really hard, or gets fucked really hard, like she gets so turned on her body holds fluid or something, and when you cum stuff actually comes out of you.”

“I didn’t know I could do that.”

“If you didn’t I sure didn’t.” he grinned and kissed her cheek. “You seemed like you were into this more than…maybe anything we’ve done before, to be honest.”

“I think I was. I came so hard. It felt so good. Impossibly good.”

“Good.” he pecked her nose. “I have to say, the way you ran your mouth was… legendary.” he chuckled and it made her deep thought falter and she let out a soft laugh.

“That’s what happens when I’m having fun.” she shrugged. “I got all horned up watching you on stage then having to see those girls around you I just… needed you. Needing to remind you you were mine. And… to be perfectly honest remind me that I was yours.”

“My sweet girl,” he whispered and kissed her softly. “It’s always your dick and my pussy, baby don’t worry about it.” they broke into a laugh. “Love you.” he added, squeezing his arms around her.

“Love you too.” she grinned with high cheeks and a happy sigh. “I hope I can walk like I didn’t just get my ass rammed.” she chuckled and let her head fall into his chest.

“Well I hope it looks like I got came on and not like I pissed myself.” they both snorted.

“Maybe we should go hide in the van for a little bit.”

“I think you’re right.”

PART 26

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bowiebond · 2 years

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steve being the only person tommy trusts enough to fuck him is my favorite thing ever. just trans tommy being terrified of getting close to anyone because he's just all wrong and that's not what girls or guys want. but steve's been there since he decided he didn't like his name in 4th grade. he was there and just said "okay cool" when tommy said he felt like he was just one of the boys in 6th grade. he helped give tommy his testosterone shots just before they started high school because he's always been afraid of needles. and when they got to high school he used his king steve status to make sure everyone knew he was tommy and anything else they think they heard is none of their business. maybe he's a little in love with steve but that's not the point because that's his best friend and he just trusts him. so after how many years of getting other people off and acting like it's fine tommy gets frustrated. so he asks steve to fuck him. he pretends to be casual and leans into him while they're watching a movie and just flat out asks. steve who of course is bright red but totally down for it stutters his way through a yes. and he doesn't just fuck tommy, he gets him all spread out in his bed and makes him cum three different ways before he gets on top of him and fucks him all sweet and slow. tommy is not gonna cry during his first time but he's damn near it with how steve treats him. (i am so sorry for writing all this in your inbox i didn't realize it got so long)

Yes, yes, a million times YES!!

We love supportive Steve, even tho I think he doesn’t really get the ‘trans thing’, he’s a bit of a himbo-bitch ally, like ‘that’s Tommy, my best friend, he said he’s a guy so he’s a guy.He hits like one too if you call him a girl, so don’t do that, or I’ll hit you too (cause I don’t want my best friend upset got it?).’

Tommy trusting Steve so wholeheartedly with his body is just,,, AH. Makes me feel things as a trans guy. He trusts Steve with his heart as a friend but gets kinda scared letting Steve have him in a romantic sense so sex is a lot easier to deal with, except Steve is a hopeless romantic even when it comes to sex and he looooves taking his time, loves making his partner writher and cum more than once. To him, sex is only good when both parties are exhausted by the end of it and kind of glowing, which Tommy very much is after Steve is done with him. Whimpers whenever Steve tries to get another round started because he’s just so sensitive.

“No you can’t finger me again, you’ve put me on deaths doorstep already with them, Stevie.” Steve is only half listening because Tommy is gorgeous; loose limbed and sweaty and rosy red all over.

“Come on, just one more time!”

“I’ll kick you. I’m kicking you as we speak.” Tommy’s leg doesn’t even move.

“…Are you?” Steve quirked a brow.

“Am I not?” Tommy asked, confused.

“No.”

“Ah, fuck.” They both break into infectious laughter that has them holding their guts for ten minutes, rolling around on Steve’s sheets and snickering. All is good 😌

#stommy #Steve harrington #Tommy hagan #trans Tommy hagan #ftm!tommy hagan #lemon

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transmascwillbyers · 2 years

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Hope you are having a great day!! Remember to drink some water today !! I love seeing your username all the time. Do you have headcannons for trans!Will?

tsym for the ask! Hope you're having a great day, too! I've got a few trans!Will headcanons, so here we are:

Will knew he was trans from a really young age (like, kindergarten ), but from a combination of internalized transphobia and just not having the language, he didn't come out until around a year before season 1, and felt really relieved and happy once he did.

Jonathan was the first person he told, because Will figured he was the most likely to understand how it felt to be an outsider/not fit it. Of course, Jonathan was super great about switching pronouns/names around different people, and always made sure to check with Will first before telling anyone he was a boy so Will didn't have to come out when he wasn't ready.

The party, or course, was also super supportive. Mike got how Will felt immediately because that's just kinda what he does, whereas Lucas spent a ton of time learning about what being trans was and how he could support Will the most in order to be the best ally he could. Dustin never fully wrapped his head around what being trans and having dysphoria was like, but he also figured that Will seemed happier as a boy, and that was all that counted.

Will started hormones right around s3. Joyce was super supportive and even threw him a "T party", which, of course, everyone he was out to attended. She also usually does his shots for him, since gel and patches are too expensive, and Will's still a little bit squeamish around needles after being examined at Hawkins lab so many times.

Will was stealth around El at first, but he came out to them once they decided to move in with the Byers, since he figured he wouldn't be able to avoid it anymore. El immediately responded with "oh, so I don't have to be a girl? I can be something else?" and has been out as non-binary ever since, because they/them El Hopper supremacy.

Once Will came back to Hawkins at the end of S4, Dustin and Steve steered him towards Robin pretty much immediately, and they formed a really close bond. Robin makes supportive trans jokes constantly, and will occasionally pick up Will's testosterone for him if he has can't make the trip to the pharmacy for some reason.

And finally, I'm not sure if this counts as a trans!Will headcanon, but Mike had a crush on Will before he came out, and even used it as an excuse as to why he couldn't be gay because "I still really like Will, right?" Then he learned his best friend had been a guy all along, and he questioned pretty much everything for about five minutes before burrowing back into the closet once again. Mike, we love you, but we all dearly hope you sort out your shit soon, you brilliant gay mess.

That's all for now, although I could always do more if people liked this! Thank you so much for the ask, and yet again, I hope you have a great day!

#byler #trans will byers #enby el hopper #ask #gay mike wheeler #trans headcanons

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steveshairychest · 2 years

Note

I feel like I should ask the literal king of Steddie posts, okay- So, I'm making an AU for Stranger Things x Venom. Because I just watched both films for the first time yesterday, and it literally immediately gave me so many ideas. BUT- I was wondering if you think I should make Steve trans? ( Like I'm always protecting on characters I love, because why not? ) Eddie is obviously going to be like Venom, I think it'd be interesting to play around and bend the rules a bit. ( Since we know that in the first film, when Venom used Anne's body. He took on her form, as opposed to being muscular. BUT- If I made Steve trans, as his parents are rich. He'd have both top surgery and been taking testosterone shots for a long time. Because even though they are absent, they aren't monsters in this aspect, kinda. So this is where me bending the rules would come in. )

I just rambled a shit ton, and I apologize! But I've been working over scenes in my head, and settings all night at work and I'm just so excited. And this was just supposed to be me asking you a simple question. I'm so sorry, it escaped me.

HIII!! I love this idea so much!! I'd love to read it when you're done!! Venom is one of my favourite movies and the fact you're making a stranger things fic out of it has me climbing up the walls!

About whether or not to make Steve trans, it's completely up to you! Just go with whatever you would want to read and what feels right to you, that's what I do lmao. Whenever I write I put in all my favourite little headcanons for them. Does everyone agree with my headcanons? Probs not but at least I'm having fun. Personally, trans Steve is canon. I project onto that man like my life depends on it.

No need to apologise!! I love hearing about people's ideas and I am genuinely really excited for this fic of yours! Just thinking about venom Eddie has me drooling on the carpet afshsj

#steddie #eddie munson #stranger things #steve harrington

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ladyvillainous · 2 years

Text

Thor - Him in my Stocking, End of

Part of my Christmas Advent Series

Description

Helen reveals exactly what she wants for Christmas

Warnings

Implied Smut but mostly christmas themed fluff

Word Count: 2534

“So Helen, what are you hoping to get in your stocking this year?” Nat enquired with a raised eyebrow and her signature smirk.

“Hmmm, What did you say?” Helen murmured distractedly.

Nat chuckled, following the petite brunette’s gaze to the far side of the party, where a certain God of Thunder was drinking and laughing with Sam and Clint.

“I asked what you wanted in your stocking this year” She repeated slowly, as if talking to a child “But given the way you’re eyeing up Thor from across the room I’d say it’s pretty obvious” the red head laughed into her martini.

Helen smiled at the thought of finding Thor at the end of her bed come Christmas morning “I would not say no to that prospect” she chuckled downing her martini and placing the glass on the bar in front of her.

“I bet you wouldn’t” Nat snickered, signalling to the bar tender for another round.

Stark’s parties were infamous among the wealthy elite, for the Avengers however it was a chore, one that he wouldn’t normally allow them to get out of no matter what the reason. Still they showed up, they played nice and once everyone went home the real party started. Last time the men folk had decided they needed to prove once and for all that Mjolnir’s loyalty had nothing to do with worthiness and everything to do with having Thor’s fingerprints. What followed was a testosterone fuelled half hour, where each of them tried in turn to lift the hammer with no luck. Nat, Helen and Maria had stayed out of it, they had nothing to prove preferring to leave the children to play.

Nat swears to this day that the hammer moved fractionally when Steve tried to lift it, Helen didn’t see it, but out of everyone there that night he was the only one she thought might be able to.

“Ladies” Stark arrived at the bar next to them, ordering a drink he turned to follow Helen’s gaze across the room, smirking at Nat who rolled her eyes “Are we eyeing up the beef this evening?”

“Helen is” Nat responded at once.

“Hey” Helen hissed at her friend, outing her to Stark was a low blow.

“You are drooling slightly” Stark added conversationally, as the bartender handed him his scotch.

“Am not” She shot back, though surreptitiously wiping her chin to make sure, much to Stark’s amusement.

“What are we talking about over here?” Steve boomed, stepping up to the bar beside Nat, who shook her head as the boy scout ordered a club soda “At least order a real drink, you know you won’t get a hangover” she muttered.

“We’re talking about Helen’s insatiable lust for the God of Thunder” Stark piped up, thumbing over his shoulder to Thor across the room.

“Oh my god, please let’s involve more people in this” Helen hissed, enough of a crowd was now building around them that her staring wasn’t going to go unnoticed for much longer, plus Stark was about as subtle as a sledgehammer.

Steve peered over their heads smiling as he caught sight of the God attempting to prop up Sam, he’d been sharing his Asgardian Mead around again clearly.

“Question is…” He fixed Helen with a pointed look “Is this going to be your moment?”

Helen looked round baffled “My moment for what?”

“Finally making that move” Steve qualified with a smirk, great now even he was smirking at her, didn’t anyone know how to smile anymore.

“Well I dunno” she muttered, suddenly very interested in her fresh Martini that had just materialised in front of her.

“What’s your excuse this time?” Stark leaned in, teasing her and reading her mind at the same time.

Helen shrugged evasively “What do you mean?”

“Well last year it was the fact that he had a girlfriend, which while commendable shouldn’t have stood in your way” Stark explained, Steve’s smile dropped “Tony that’s just wrong”

“What?” Stark held up both his hands in surrender under Steve’s disapproval but with a broad grin across his face, Steve just shook his head in exasperation.

“What was her excuse on Valentines?” Nat asked, her face screwed up in concentration, trying to remember.

“Still the girlfriend I think” Steve supplied.

Stark shook his head “No Jane and Thor had broken up by then”

“Oh yeah, was it not wanting to disrupt the grieving process or something” Nat giggled, nudging her friend in the shoulder. Helen’s face flamed, they were making her sound like a right pansy, not a card carrying member of the world’s mightiest heroes.

“How about the one from the 4th of July that was a doozy” Steve barked out a loud laugh, attracting rather more attention than Helen was happy about. Sure enough as she peered to the other side of the room, Thor looked up catching her gaze and shooting her one of his panty wetting smiles.

Helen squeaked, squeezing her thighs together uncomfortably and turned back to the conversation.

“Ah yes too much sun that day wasn’t it?” Stark grinned at her.

“Ok ok, you’ve all made your point” Helen murmured grumpily, hoping they’d change the subject before Thor came over to investigate.

“Here just take this and get yourself over there” Nat thrust a bundle of greenery tied with a red bow into Helen’s hand.

Helen rolled her eyes “Mistletoe? Bit cliché isn’t it?”

“Who cares if it works” Stark smirked.

Helen glared round at her friends, finally softening with a heavy sigh “Fine if it’ll get you all to shut up”

Grabbing her drink, she downed the rest of it in one swallow, sliding off her bar stool determined.

“Oh wait, too slow” Steve winced, gazing across the room with a disappointed expression on his face. Helen looked round just in time to see Thor wrapping his arms around the busty Blonde that had him in a liplock, a bunch of mistletoe clutched in her hand.

With a sigh she turned back to the group “Well add, didn’t get off my ass quickly enough to the list, excuse me”

As Helen departed for the ladies, they exchanged sad smiles and exasperated looks between the three of them, timing was just never on their side.

“Was that Lady Helen I saw departing?” Thor boomed, arriving at Nat’s side where Helen had been up until 30 seconds earlier, his gaze trained on the door she’d departed through.

“Indeed, who was the young maiden we just saw you… er… with?” Stark asked in his best Shakespeare in the park voice, the one he reserved solely for talking to the Asgardian.

“Some Agent” Thor shook his head, the blonde already forgotten “She snuck up on me with this” He held up the bunch of mistletoe the woman had wielded at him to steal a Christmas kiss, tradition she’d said. Never mind she was the last person at the party he wanted to be kissing, but it gave him an idea.

“Why do you still have the mistletoe?” Nat asked shrewdly, eyes narrowed in suspicion. Thor shuffled from one foot to the other evasively “Well I thought it seemed a good opportunity” he responded airily.

“Oh my God. You like Helen, don’t you?” She demanded, standing up on the foot bars of her stool so she was eye to eye with the Asgardian giant.

“Well of course” Thor blustered “She is a courageous warrior” he added defensively.

“I’ll bet it’s not fighting you want to do with her” Stark smirked at him, punching him playfully in the shoulder with his fist.

“That subject is none of your concern Stark” Thor bit back, his temper flaring, he didn’t like it when the tin man spoke like that, it was one of the many reasons he considered him unworthy.

“You should be nicer to me, I could help you if I wanted to” Stark grinned at him.

Genuinely confused Thor frowned “In what way could you help me?”

“Ignore him” Steve shot out distracting him from Stark, no good could come of trusting in one of Stark’s plans, they always backfired in the worst ways.

“I’m the one that can help you” Nat added, climbing down from the stool “Come with me” She added in an undertone, grabbing the Asgardian by his red cloak and dragging him from the room quickly, before Helen could return and spoil the surprise.

Helen knew something was up the second she re-entered the room, Steve and Stark had their heads together whispering and giggling like school children, with Nat was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Nat?” She asked, approaching cautiously, too cautiously as they hadn’t heard her coming. Stark jumping so violently he almost ended up wearing what was left of his whiskey.

Steve rolled his eyes at the man “She went to find you, she thought you’d gone back to your room”

Helen narrowed her eyes, Steve was a terrible liar but she found she couldn’t muster the energy to care right now. All of a sudden, she just wanted to crawl into bed with a pint of ice cream, and try not to think about Thor and the busty blonde, who appeared to have vacated the premises to god knows where.

She shrugged “I might go find her, I’m suddenly very tired”

“Hopefully not too tired” Stark muttered, earning himself an elbow in the ribs from Steve.

“For what?” Helen asked, frowning at the super soldier.

“Never mind” Steve smiled, waving her away.

Deciding whatever games they were playing could wait until the morning, Helen strode from the room without a backwards glance, completely missing the hi five the pair shared behind her back.

Helen rode the elevator to one of the lower levels, where the living quarters were located. She and Nat shared a floor with Sam and Steve, Steve was a fairly considerate neighbour, though Sam was definitely not. Considering the state he’d been in the last time she saw him, Helen already knew she’d have to lock her door and sleep with earplugs. More than once he’d woken her in the middle of the night, either by banging on the door or just letting himself in. He scared the ever living shit out of her one night when he’d wandered into her bedroom and climbed into bed with her, thinking he was in his quarters. That was the night Helen, and indeed the rest of the floor, had discovered Sam screamed like a little girl when drunk.

Punching in the code for her door she wandered inside, stooping just inside the door to remove her heels, her attention focused on the straps around her ankles “Nat you in here? The guys said… Oh My God what are you doing?”

Standing up straight Helen’s mouth fell open in shock at the site before her, Thor was lying on his side across her bed. One arm propped under his head, legs crossed casually at his ankles, completely butt naked. Except for the Santa hat on his head and Helen’s Christmas stocking covering his modesty.

Thor’s smile slipped as Helen continued to stare wide eyed and open mouthed at him, apparently fused to the door she’d just entered through.

“Lady Natasha said this was a better idea than Mistletoe, am I not doing it right?”

Helen was unsurprisingly finding it rather difficult to concentrate on what he was saying, her eyes feasting on the glorious expanse of male flesh on display to her.

Dragging her heated gaze from his face, down his toned and muscular chest, she couldn’t help but nibble on her lower lip at the sight of his 6-pack. The thought of running her hands over his muscles feeling them bunch and roll underneath his skin at her touch, making her slightly giddy.

With a suddenly dry mouth, she noted that her stocking wasn’t quite covering everything, and not leaving anything to the imagination either.

Belatedly she realised he’d spoken, dragging her attention back to the god’s face and his plump pink lips, she shook her head slightly to clear the fog in her brain “Doing what right?”

Indicating the stocking between his legs “She said I should place your stocking…”

“Yes” she shouted, holding up her hand to stop him from continuing “I can see where my stocking is, thank you very much” Helen quickly averted her eyes, trying not to laugh at the situation they’d found themselves in. She genuinely couldn’t decide whether to kiss or kill Nat at this precise moment in time.

Thor’s Face fell completely, disappointment and embarrassment etched across his rugged features “I fear Lady Natasha may have played a prank on me”

Helen snorted “Yeah she has” she told the floor.

“I shall take my leave” Thor muttered, moving as if to rise from the bed.

Helen’s snapped her eyes up to his “I didn’t say you had to go”

Thor looked surprised, settling back onto the bed “If you would like me to stay I shall” he responded earnestly.

Helen gathered her wits, gave herself a mental shake and told herself it was now or never, making her way to the bed she sat down next to him, smirking slightly at the sight of his manhood tucked into her tiny stocking.

“Does something amuse you Lady Helen?” Thor enquired with a slow smile, the object of her gaze not lost on him.

“Just Helen” She muttered, starting to chuckle “Very well, Helen” he inclined his head, encouraging her to continue.

“Nat asked me earlier what I wanted in my stocking this year” she explained with a wicked grin “Turns out she managed to get me exactly what I wanted”

Thor grinned up at her “I am glad you are pleased”

“I think I’d be even more pleased if you took it off” Helen threw out casually, slowly leaning over him until he rolled onto his back on the bed.

Reaching out to take hold of her arms and pull her down with him, until she was resting across his chest, he ghosted his lips gently across hers. Helen sighed with pleasure, melting into his strong body. “As the lady requests” he murmured against her lips.

They both looked up shocked as the door opened “Damn, I forgot to lock it” Helen groaned out.

Sam made it two steps into the room, the door left wide open behind him before he stopped dead, eyes bugging out of his head at the sight of Helen lying atop the very naked God of Thunder, both staring at him wide eyed.

Turning slowly, he crept from the room, his inebriated state convincing him that if he was really quiet, they might not notice him. As he closed the door gently behind him, Thor and Helen exchanged confused glances “Well that could have been worse” Helen muttered surprised.

She spoke to soon, no sooner than the door shut than Sam was screaming at the top of his lungs “It’s a Christmas miracle”

They lay in silence listening to him shouting, as he ran down the corridor and back to the elevator, Helen broke into giggles first, Thor’s booming laugh echoing around her room in answer.

#avenger #avengers fanfiction #avengers fluff #thor #thor fluff #thor fanfiction #sfw

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nathank77 · 25 days

Text

6/3/24

9:30 p.m SIGNIFICANTLY Added to/Edited

Brief update I got to get into the shower. I got my testosterone today. Perscribed by a different dr... weird. Maybe she's on vacation or sick or something. Still haven't heard back about xanax but I'll talk to them in person on Wednesday the day I need it bc it aligns with my t-shot so I wont freak out yet.

I had therapy that was nice. And I did overall sleep well last night. I woke up at 9 a.m needing to pee after having a weird dream: I was in my current house trying to keep a man out, a man in a suit. I believe, not a jacket but a button up. I had the chain locked and I put the chair under the doorknob. I kept looking out the window through the blinds. He had shown up a few times. I remember even though the interior of my house was the same as it is now the outside was at my old house where there was a half way house that my uncle steve who has paraniod schizophrenia lived. I could see the house and the people on the rocking chairs outside. I do remember I kept thinking about my back door and how I wasn't sure if it was locked. I didn't check it, I just reassured myself it was locked.... the dream ended and I woke up.

I took a Benadryl 25mg at 9 a.m when I woke up. Peed. And passed back out... then I slept until 3:30 needed to pee really badly but i Closed my eyes and then it was 4:30... I had therapy at 5.

I hope I fall asleep at like 7:30 a.m... I'm worried I've been trying to wake up at 3:30 everyday for a reason. I did not think I'd fall back to sleep when I closed my eyes I really needed to pee.

I had a couple weird mental images with potential auditory hallucinations last night. One was my legs in my room I was like seeing myself from third person. And I clapped my hands on my thighs twice. I had clothes on.. but I heard the clap... idk if it was a mental image that aligned with American dad or not... then I had another mental image where I dropped something on the floor and I heard the bang.. I don't think it was American dad.... I was worried I wouldn't fall asleep.. but I did.

Hopefully bc I overslept I won't have issues falling asleep tonight/tomorrow.. I had another weird dream. Where I was being shot at by jets and AA guns.. and there was someone out to kill me for being trans but I was smoking weed with him and he kept saying I'm going to kill you soon. I'm still exploring the potential symbolism of both dreams.

I see the symbolism in the dream with Steve my uncle with paraniod schizophrenia. I think the guy was trying to take me away for being crazy... idk I felt threatened. That's all I know and I know that half way house with Steve was there for a reason.. he has Parkinson disease now from antipsychotics. And he is a zombie. It's really sad.

The other dream-I'm always under attack by my brain for being trans, and weed killed me? It killed my brain chemistry and now psychosis attacks my trans identity? Idk.. I think that's pretty clear symbolism with the AA guns and jets shooting at me.. and smoking weed with the guy who was going to kill me. There was def Symbolism to my ptsd with the gun fire...

I got to schedule my mri tomorrow. I realized I don't have paperwork... but they never called me back..

Beyond that: I realized I'm still having visual hallucinations... I looked at her followers list number today... and magically it went from let's say 59 to 60 right in front of my eyes... so that's awesome... I must add i haven't touched weed since that morning at 9 a.m where I was considering taking another half mg of xanax but I wanted to use my last resort before potentially raising my tolerance.

I want to smoke weed but I have not touched it. I legit hit it like 6 times and closed my eyes and fell asleep... and that was it. I may try it soon..I miss it and it's about to go bad in August. If I'm still having visuals... and they are the same as they were in October/November I'm probably safe. All I know is I'm still having them sober... so if I have some high what's the difference? It's a consideration I really miss it. And it may not put me to sleep like it used to but it helps. I smoked at 9 a.m i was sleeping within 15-30 minutes...

Also once I get out of the shower I guess I'm going to eat and wash my glasses and then brush my teeth after dinner...

Idk if I'll game or watch TV. My mom is already in her room.. hardcore nuketown starts tomorrow. I got my white mulberries in the mail but still haven't gotten my b12...it's delayed...

Also I emailed my Dr about the black stool. It hasn't happened since. I asked her if i should schedule an appt/if it was serious and also if I should take the supplement like every couple or few days or just discontinue it and I told her for now I plan to return it. I haven't heard from her yet.

I don't like the different perscriber for my testosterone... but he is the covering doctor.. so she may be sick or on vacation. I'll worry about xanax Wednesday I'm thankful I have a reason to go there. So I don't have to call.. I hope my b12 comes in soon.. I'm prob just going to return the Potassium and eat bananas....

Also these are 2xl and I mean they were a little loose before but they fit like briefs.... now look at me they are fucking boxers...

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lokislastlove · 2 years

Text

Nothing to Fear (Dark!SkinnySteve Rogers x Reader)

Summary: Fuck group projects.

Warnings: Noncon/Dubcon, Somnophilia, fingering, smut, potentially cringeworthy usage of a famous Steve quote.

Note: So a while back @darkficsyouneveraskedfor challenged me to do a college AU with a nerdy Steve because she hates that I love frat boys so much 😏 so thanks for the challenge girl. Skinny Steve needs more love. 18+ Only as always. This is a one shot.

“Alright everyone, in an attempt to avoid favoritism or awkwardness, I have taken it upon myself to form the groups for your midterm project,” the professor smiles wryly as he leans back against the desk.

Your shoulders sag and the classroom erupts in a cacophony of groans, the professor wafting his hand as he patiently waits out the collective dissension. Your eyes dart around the class, instinctually assessing your potential partners for the next few weeks. Please don’t let them be awful.

“Yeah yeah. You can thank me later. For now why don’t you take the rest of the class to find your group and introduce yourselves,” he finishes and busies himself behind his laptop.

You peek up at the board and find your name, you only recognize one of the other three. With your bag slung over your shoulder you stand and near the front of the class where two giggling girls sit batting their lashes at the professor.

“Ashley, right?” You ask, stepping into their view.

The blond narrows her eyes, fake lashes flicking down in silent judgement, “sorry, do I know you?”

“Pretty sure the whole class knows who you are,” you return flatly.

She preens at the comment, clearly misunderstanding your sarcasm, and her demeanor brightens as she offers you a seat next to her. Her friend, Anna, is similar in her vanity though thankfully less outspoken. They ignore you as the rest of the class settles into polite introductions and you wait for your last member.

“Oh, who is Steve?” Ashley lilts as she scans the room. “These classes always have a disappointing lack of testosterone, don’t you think?”

Anna tosses her hair over her shoulder, agreeing with a laugh as her attention slides back to the oblivious professor.

“Would you want to be our last member, professor?” The brunette asks coyly.

“Hm?” the teacher frowns as he looks up and notes the missing student. “Steve!” He calls across the room.

You follow his gaze and spot a small blond head pop up from behind a thick black sketch book, looking alarmed at the sudden exclamation. He seems to only just realize what’s happening and scrambles to collect his things. His unruly locks resist his urgent smoothing as he notices the three of you watching him.

He stumbles toward the group and in his haste he trip, dropping his expensive art pencils. The tin box clatters loudly and the entire class turns to look as his face reddens in embarrassment.

Without hesitation you leap to your feet and move to help him. You hold out the pencils with a sympathetic smile and he returns it with a soft, “thanks.”

“No problem,” you return as Ashley snickers behind you.

“Guess no testosterone for us after all, huh Anna?” She says to her friend, not bothering to lower her voice.

You want to say something, but Steve speaks before you get the chance, “hi. Sorry, I got a bit distracted.”

Ashley turns up her nose as you sit and she launches into a haughty delegation of responsibilities. You pull out the guidelines and try not to roll your eyes as your worst fear about group projects unfolds before you.

“I really think my skills are best suited for the actual presentation,” she announces, “I’m just not the book-worm type, I give off more influencer vibes, ya know? I don’t mean that to be mean, obviously we all have our own… talents.”

She looks skeptically at Steve, who thankfully misses her unspoken slight, and you bite your tongue. Pissing her off this early will only make your life harder. Best to wait until after the project.

“I think that’s smart,” Steve says sweetly. “I mean I definitely think people would rather watch you talk for twenty minutes than me.”

“Exactly,” she raises her chin and grabs her overpriced purse. Without so much as a goodbye she stands and leaves the room, with Anna following closely behind.

“They didn’t even leave their numbers. How are we supposed to coordinate this?” Steve wonders, gaping in surprise.

“Oh, you mean you didn’t notice the business cards they left for us?” You smirk, holding up the embossed rose gold card.

“Oh, wow,” his brows raise, laughing when he meets your eye. “Well, at least I got you.”

“Yeah,” you laugh politely. “Don’t worry, I’m used to doing all the work for these things.”

“Me too,” he commiserates.

—

After ten group meetings and a few casual study sessions Steve starts to shift from classmate to friend. You have the occasional lunch or beer at the bar just off campus, so when he invites you to a party at his friend Tony’s house you feel comfortable accepting.

You pull up the hood of your coat as you walk to the house party on the opposite side of campus. Kicking yourself for inviting your friend Lisa, who is there waiting for you. She updates you frequently with texts about all the hot guys, free booze and food, urging you to get there faster.

Your reluctance increases as the thundering bass and drunken yells greet your ears well before you are in sight of the party.

“Oh, shit,” you groan as you round a corner and take in the three story house.

The front lawn is littered with intoxicated students cheering on a shirtless man as he climbs onto the roof with an extension cord. He yells something as he reaches the top and plugs in a large neon light of a marijuana leaf. You roll your eyes as the crowd roars it’s approval and Snoop Dog blasts from the stacked speakers on the porch.

You check your phone to find three texts from Lisa within the past five minutes, all in caps and only one of them entirely coherent, “WHERE R UUUU”, “POOL IS WET”, “ES SOOO HAWT!”.

“Shit,” you curse as you call her and listen to it ring as you push through the crowd toward the backyard.

The large backyard consist of a modestly-sized pool, the steam rising into the cool spring air as a few girls float around in their underwear, and a grassy area with a single large oak tree. At the base of the massive trunk sits a keg where guys take turns balances upside down atop it while the rest chant, “go.”

You can’t help but stare, its all a bit cliché for your taste, but this is exactly the type of party Lisa has been begging you to go to. As you scan the crowd for her you are startled by a hand on your shoulder

“Hey! You came!” Steve grins and you relax at the sight of him.

“Steve, oh thank god,” you breathe. “I hope you don’t mind I invited my friend Lisa.”

“Oh, so I finally get to meet the infamous best friend!” he chuckles.

“Well, you may have already…” you return awkwardly as you keep looking for her. “See she was able to get here a while ago and I think she may have taken advantage of the free booze. Can you help me find her?”

Steve’s smile falters a bit but he nods, “well the only person around here likely to give out free booze to random girls is Tony… or Bucky.”

“Ok,” you bite your lip nervously. “Based on her texts she may have gotten thrown in the pool.”

“Ah, yeah I know where she might be. Follow me,” Steve grabs your hand.

The gesture surprises you, but you are too focused on following him through the crowd to object. He leads you into the house, past the crowded kitchen and living room and up the stairs. The noise level muffles a bit as you go down a hall and you try to subtly retract your hand, but his grip it tight. Only when you come to a stop outside one of the closed doors does he drop your hand and knock loudly.

“Come in,” calls a husky voice and Steve pushes the door open.

You follow behind and quickly spot the only two people in the dimly lit room messily entwined on the black futon. The red rope light lining the ceiling is just enough for you to recognize the dark curly hair and olive skin.

“Lisa?” You ask in surprise, her skirt is ridden up to her stomach and her soaked sweater clings to her skin.

“Hmm?” She perks up slightly with a languid smile and unfocused eyes. “Bestie!”

Her arms flop open drunkenly as though expecting an embrace and your attention turns to the guy next to her. Despite the compromising position, he seems unaffected by your intrusion. He’s shirtless, with a cocky smirk and messy chestnut hair to match his square scruffy jawline.

“Hiya, Stevie,” he greets and his eyes glitter teasingly. “This the girl you wanted me to meet?”

His gaze glides slowly down your body, humming deeply as he goes. His eyes flick up to your face, smirking at the way your nostrils flare and your chest swells in outrage.

“I’m Bucky,” he smiles. “And it seems like you two already know each other?” he gestures between you and Lisa.

“Bestie,” Lisa repeats happily as her eyes roll and her head falls back against the cushion.

Anger heats your skin as your protective instincts surge within you. You have no doubts that she very likely asked for the booze, she wore the provocative outfit and was likely giddy at the invite up to his room. But you also know that she is clearly too drunk to consent to anything right now.

“Nice to meet you, Bucky. Please get off of my friend now,” you say tersely.

Steve shifts awkwardly as Bucky chuckles and scoots over a few inches, holding his hands up for good measure.

“Bestie, where have you been,” Lisa drawls weakly as you storm over to the futon and move to lift her.

You get your arms under her and lift until she’s standing on wobbly legs beside you. You reach down to grab her purse from the floor then straighten her clothes as you help her toward the door.

“Sorry, Steve. But I have to get her home,” you mutter bitterly, unsure exactly who you are upset at.

“I understand,” he nods, catching Lisa’s other side as she narrowly misses the wall. “Let me help.”

Though he doesn’t take much of her weight, he still helps balance her, making it easier to get her down the stairs and out to the street. You dig into her purse for her keys and punch the unlock button until you see the yellow headlights blink at you down the road.

Steve huffs as he helps you lower her into the passenger seat then stands there watching you, looking like a kicked puppy on the sidewalk. You close the passenger door and face him with an apology on your lips.

He shakes his head before you have the chance, “maybe we’ll stick to just us next time.”

You crack a smile and chuckle, “probably a good plan.”

—

Weeks pass, the guilt weighing heavier and heavier with each dodged invite and unanswered text. You know he didn’t do anything wrong, it’s not his fault his friend is shady, but the whole evening felt off. Maybe it’s because it didn’t feel like the Steve you had gotten to know.

The Steve you know is sweet, intelligent, perhaps a bit awkward at times but in an endearing way. That party and his friends exposed a side of him that you just can’t make sense of, and so you choose to avoid him for now, but hopefully not forever.

The loud hollers from the fraternity down the street pull you from your studies and you rub your achy eyes as you check the time. Its well past midnight, still early for many on a Friday evening, but you decide to call it quits. You tidy up your books and drop them to the floor beside your bed as you curl up in the fluffy comforter.

Shortly after you drift off, your ringtone blares loudly in the dark room, startling you awake. Fearing it might be Lisa, you answer it without checking the ID and groan out a groggy, “hello?”

“Shit!” Steve’s slurred voice greets you. “Oh god we’re you sleeping? Fuck. I’m so sorry.”

Your brows knit together as you check your phone screen and groan again at your mistake, “yeah. It’s late, Steve. What’s going on?”

“Yeah.. it is. I’m just… shit, I’m sorry.”

“Steve, in all the time I’ve known you, you’ve always been bizarrely carful not to curse around me. Just tell me what’s up.”

“Well, it’s just… I went out with Bucky to a party and I - I had a bit more than I should have and then he left so I tried to walk home but I got lost…”

“Wait,” you interrupt his nervous babbling, “Bucky ditched you? Ugh, Steve why are you friends with this guy? Where are you?” You ask as you sit up and toss your warm blankets aside.

“Well, that’s why I called,” he stutters, “I - I think I might be near your place. You said you lived by the Pizza Palace right?”

You walk across the single living space and crawl over your couch to see out the window. Below, you spot the pizza shop and a small vulnerable-looking Steve pacing nervously in front of the darkened doors.

“I see you. Wait right there, two minutes,” you say and hang up the phone before pulling on a pair of sweats and a jacket.

You slip on your shoes and grab your keys before heading down to rescue your friend. Your heavy, tired footsteps draw Steve’s attention, he cheers up instantly like some sort of damsel in distress. It makes your heart ache a bit to see him so pathetic and you smile as he reaches you, wrapping his arms around you in a tight embrace.

“Too much to drink, huh?” You pay his shoulder and he releases you with a sheepish half smile.

“I’m sorry I woke you, god I feel so bad. I shouldn’t have called,” he berates himself, scuffing a shoe as he looks at the ground.

“It’s fine, Steve,” you wave off his apology. “I’m glad you called.”

“You are?” he looks up hopefully.

You smirk and shake your head at him, that sweet dimpled smile gets you every time, “rather that than you getting lost or kidnapped.”

“Psh, who would want to kidnap me?” He lets out a hollow laugh.

“Plenty of people, I’m sure,” you placate him patiently. “Now do you want me to –“

“Not you though,” he scoffs. “You hate me now... Ever since that stupid party... I didn’t know, you know…,” his voice cracks as he flickers through several emotions.

You take in his pleading eyes and your guilt resurfaces instantly, “I know… Look, how about I give you a ride home, then, we can have lunch and talk when you sober up.”

“Okay,” he mutters, his eyelids drooping lower by the minute. “Uh, can I use your bathroom first?”

With a sigh you grab his elbow and lead him toward your building and up to your studio apartment. You open your door, overly aware of the dirty dishes and the clothes littering the floor. But Steve doesn’t notice, he smiles broadly as he takes in the feminine touch you bring to the space and turns to you.

“It’s almost as cute as you are,” he beams and taps you gently on the nose, almost missing as he sways slightly.

“Bathroom is there,” you point to the only other room and he nods.

You wait patiently, listening to the rustling behind the door and the clink of the wobbly toilet. A few more minutes go by with no sound at all until finally you call through the door.

“Steve?” You tap your knuckles softly at first, but harder when he doesn’t respond. “Are you ok?”

You bite your lip in worry, he had to have heard you… unless…

With a deep breath you open the door and find him passed out sitting on the toilet, his face flat against the glass shower stall beside him. It would be comical if it weren’t so late and you weren’t so exhausted from a long week.

“Shit,” you exhale. “At least you still have your pants on.”

You’d think a guy his size would be easy to move a couple of feet, but he proves you wrong as you try to lift and carry him over your shoulder to the small couch. You pull his shoes off and toss a blanket over him before crawling back into your own bed.

—

You feel hot, too hot, body squirming as the blankets of your bed feel extra heavy and weigh you down. You groan as you roll, still half asleep and searching for some relief. You grunt as you try to kick off the weight and the feeling of something firm among the fluffy comforter has you awake in a matter of seconds.

“Shh,” Steve whispers in your ear, making you flinch and blink back at his dimly lit face hovering above you.

“Steve,” you ask groggily, the sight of his bare chest making you go rigid. “What are you doing?”

“It’s okay,” he assures you as he sits his full weight on your pelvis and grips your wrists when they move to push at his chest.

Once again you underestimate him and his size. You struggle to move as he pins your arms to the bed and dips his head down to press his lips to yours. You turn your head and he licks across your face sloppily, moving on to suck at the skin of your neck.

His messy eagerness exposes his bumbling inexperience. No doubt attempting to seduce you but all it does it make you cringe and an audible noise of disgust rises from your throat.

“Stop! Steve, get off,” you grunt and manage to get a hand free.

His lip curls in anger and he slaps you harshly with his free hand. The shock of the hit has you gasping sharply as you hold your stinging face.

“You were enjoying it just fine a minute ago. Don’t go coy on me now,” he sneers as he reaches behind him and slides his hand between your slick thighs.

“What?” You whimper, squeezing his hand between your legs as he plucks at your folds.

“Oh yes, I’ve had you squirming and moaning for me for the last twenty minutes,” he smirks, dipping his fingers into your tender entrance. “Mmm, I could do this all day.”

You cry and hold your face as he sits on top of you, your loose camisole torn, exposing your chest to the cool air. You cover yourself, a meek attempt at hiding your shame, the pleasure warming your core as you turn away from him.

You try to roll over, and he lets you make it to your stomach before he sinks his weight down on you once more. Your hands reach out to pull yourself to the edge of the bed but you don’t get far. His nails dig at your scalp as he grips the back of your head, tugging the hair painfully until you whimper softly.

“Come on,” he hisses in your ear, “I know you want it. I can read the signs. All those dates, huh? Admitting you like it better when it’s just us? Then inviting me up to your apartment?”

His bony fingers grip your hip as his body slips down yours, his warm bony chest pressed against your back. You feel him reach down and fumble with his baggy boxers. His hard tip pokes between your cheeks, missing your cunt and finding your ass instead.

You scream at the pain, having never experienced anal before. Your muscles tense, trying to expel him and he chuckles and pulls back.

“Whoops,” he laughs, hot breath puffing across your shoulder blades. “Sorry, about that. You’re just so wet.”

He uses his hand to open your lips and pushes his way into your cunt, burying himself to the hilt with a moan. You tense and your nails dig into the blankets as you wait out his assault. Your struggles dying as the shock of his betrayal sinks in deeper with every thrust.

“Oh god, you feel amazing,” he breaths into your hair as he brings a hand up to hold your shoulder, keeping you steady as he invades your insides.

You grow numb to everything, mind blank as you lay there, just an empty shell for him to use. Your eyes find the stain on the rug you made a few weeks back and you wonder how this could even be happening. The next thing you know he’s groaning and whining as his hips stutter. He reaches down to grab himself as he pulls out of you and comes all over the swell of your ass.

“Whew, that was close. You almost had me there, honey. A bit early for kids, though. Maybe in a couple years,” he laughs and sits up, proudly admiring his handiwork.

You curl up, reaching out for the blankets to shield yourself as he crawls off the bed and makes his way to the bathroom, as cool as can be. You wrap yourself in them as he flits about the apartment until he’s dressed and ready to go.

“Well, this was fun. We’ll have to do it again soon,” he nears the bed and leans down to kiss you on the forehead.

You watch him leave, unsure of what to do other than clean yourself up and hope you are strong enough to forget this ever happened.

Tags: @darkficsyouneveraskedfor @caffiend-queen @queenoftheworldisdead @buttercupfangirl @emberenchanted @needleandhammer @threeminutesoflife @thiskindahotkindamusic @lokiswildheartcantbebroken @patzammit @maluisamarvelfan123

#dark skinny steve rogers #dark skinny Steve x reader #dark fic #college AU #nerd Steve Rogers #MCU

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anika-ann · 3 years

Text

Just a Human (S.R.)

Type: mini-series turned one-shot, SHIELD recruit!reader

Pairing: Steve Rogers x reader Word count: 8750

Summary: Being a SHIELD recruit was a dream come true, especially with people like Sergeant Barnes or Captain Rogers offering an input to your class’ training.

It was also hard work for many different reasons. One of them being all those guys around; not all of them were exactly fit to become heroes, simply because they were not good people.

Maybe you shouldn’t have pointed it out so openly though. Then again, what would the world turn into if you kept your mouth shut when feeling like speaking up?

WARNINGS: so-so graphic description of assault almost turned sexual, violence and a bit of blood, boys being boys in a real bad way, language

A/N: Steve Rogers vs assholes, round 2. Also, ‘you’ vs. assholes. And Bucky in the mix.

A/N: This was originally posted as a miniseries on AO3, but now edited, I decided to thrown it in as a long, sort-of three part one-shot. Enjoy and mind the warnings.

(gif source dailymcugifs, divider by firefly-graphics)

A Handful of Spite

“Can you believe the fucking nerve on him?!” Henry hissed, punching the bag harder and catching your attention. The statement was followed by his companion nodding grimly.

You tried to ignore the walking testosterone jerks; you never liked either Henry or Jim. The reason was simple – they were, as you loved to remind people, an advertisement on toxic masculinity. Bullies on top of that. The kind of people you wanted to avoid at all costs.

You weren’t that lucky to have that chance though.

So instead, you scoffed under your breath and continued your sit-ups series. You had more important things to do than wonder about what they were talking about this time.

It was your regular training session with the other SHIELD recruits led by Sergeant Barnes – which--- oh my. When joining the academy, you had no clue that the director’s ‘you’ll be learning from the best’ meant that of all things; trained by the more-than-once-believed-late James Buchanan Barnes. Everyone here knew his story – or at least some of it. The brainwashing. The murders. His heroics to make up for them as much as he could. His everlasting friendship and a nickname that was tied to it. Bucky; the very best friend of the oh-so-praised Captain America.

Oh, speaking of which, he joined the sessions too. You were being trained by not one, but two supersoldiers slash war heroes. You couldn’t believe this was your life sometimes, but you were not one to dwell on it. You just accepted it as a fact. An abso-fucking-lutely incredible fact.

“He’s just a fucker, man. Forget about Barnes, you have Cassie in your pocket. Just ‘cause he’s all sticky sweet on her doesn’t mean she’ll suck his-“

You made a disgusting face, pushing harder to tune out the conversation. You wanted to gag and at the same time, your blood was boiling.

Could there be a jerk who was objectifying women more than Jim? A guy who was using his lower brain more frequently than him? Doubtful. You really wanted to throw up at rubbish that was leaving his mouth.

Not to mention that he was throwing dirt on Sergeant Barnes who absolutely didn’t deserve it.

“-he’s like that to all of them. The chicks. And they fucking dig him, it’s disgusting. He makes the poor brainwashed kicked puppy face, reminding the sob story of his and they’re all dropping to their knees I swear…” Jim continued, practically spitting the venomous words.

You squeezed your eyes shut, half furious and half guilty; the sergeant did have a heart-breaking backstory and many girls were making eyes on him, their hearts softened by the tragedy and his bravery, yes. And you couldn’t say it wasn’t moving you as well, filling you with compassion – but compassion only. Obviously, Sergeant Barnes was objectively a very attractive man too, but what they were saying… ugh.

He didn’t deserve these insults; he was not trying anything on anyone, he wasn’t offering his ‘sob story’, actually being rather secretive about it for obvious and no doubt painful reasons. He couldn’t really couldn’t be blamed for the girls fawning over him a bit more because of it, could he? What was he supposed to do? Stop breathing? Stop doing what he chose to be his job?

It wasn’t his problem – and thank god for that – that these two assholes had egos the size of Texas and couldn’t handle a little competition.

Seriously. Walking testosterone-filled jerks. You seriously considered moving from the station you had been given, eyeing Captain Rogers, checking if he would notice.

“Well, he’s not. Getting. Any. From. My. Chick. Asshole!”

The bag swung wildly under Henry’s blows despite Jim holding it. You laid off, taking your fifteen second break.

“I bet he’s fucking them all on side. Always so… so soft on them. I bet he’s leaving all the hard shit for bed,” Jim snorted, somewhere between angry at him competition and amused at his own crude joke.

You were gonna puke. You were sure of it.

“And he’s too hard on us. Showing off for them. I would fucking want to see him holding up against us without that metal arm-“

You had enough. You sat up sharply, panting, your face flushed, unsure whether it was from the exercise or the exchange you were listening to.

“Are you serious?!” you hissed their way, earning their shocked glances.

And then, Jim’s face twisted in annoyance and disgust.

“Oh geez, you’re one of them, aren’t you?” he snarked, rolling his eyes. “The fangirls.”

More heat burned in your cheeks. You weren’t kidding anyone; both the sergeant and the captain had showed up in your not so innocent dreams, but you were only human, alright. There was only so much time you could spend with two very fine men like them in one room, a bit sweaty and rough (or just slightly gentler with the ladies) until your brain reacted. Mostly to the captain. Not the point.

But actually crossing the line? Being a part of the thing they were describing if it ever existed? Waiting in the line until one of them picked you for the evening with a promise to do it again after they… Jesus what, tried all the others? No, thank you. You had some dignity left.

Also, you simply couldn’t imagine them doing such thing. Raised in a different era, tried by war and pain and lost, yet remaining the great men they were? Just nope.

“No! Jesus, are you even listening to yourself?” you hissed, minding your volume. You hoped that the low hum of voice in the room, of others working out, giving each other pointers and the noise of the machines would offer you a cover from the rest of your companion.

“What, you wanna tell me they’re not going easy on you? On any chick, really?”

“Yeah, well, maybe because they don’t actually want to break our bones during training. Supersoldiers. Superstrength. Does that ring a bell?” you pointed out, reaching for your water bottle, hoping either of your trainers would forgive you when seeing you only took a sec to have a sip.

Henry scoffed, leaning onto the bag. “Sounds like someone has a crush…”

You couldn’t help the motion of your hands, inconspicuously throwing them in the air in frustration.

Why were you even speaking to them? You should have kept your mouth shut!

“Oh go to hell, Ulrich! You’re just jealous and scared that your girl whom you treat like a piece of shit will run off,” you murmured, wiping your forehead off sweat.

“Yeah, because they’re sure pulling their punches with guys too,” Jim complained again, rolling his eyes as Henry now watched you, eyes narrowed in anger – oh you hit a nail on the head, alright.

You couldn’t but mirror Jim’s action, deciding to stick to Devil’s advocate, because…. yeah, because it wasn’t fair to either Rogers or Barnes. They were good people and didn’t deserve this.

“So they’re not beating the shit out of us like they do with you, get over it.”

“They’re humiliating us! Showing off their big muscles, trying to impress all the chicks-“

You chuckled incredulously as they actually admitted the real reason behind their bitching so openly; as if you hadn’t known the whole time. Ego. Ohhh, the ego was bruised. Call 911, CPR is gonna be needed! God, how did they even live with ego this big? Compensating for something?

“They’re doing their job. Training. Yes, they go a bit harder on you, because your physiology can take it. Did it ever occur to you that they have bigger problems than entering a pissing contest with you just so they could steal the girls? Jeez… just… maybe try to be less of assholes and the girls will be into you too… ”

You missed the hard look Henry gave you, laying down again, this time on your belly to work on your back.

You wheezed when a knee suddenly dug into your back, violently and painfully knocking the air out of your lungs. Before you could react, one of your arms was twisted behind your back, Henry’s voice raspy right into your ear, low and dangerous.

“Listen, you little bitch, you don’t get to talk to me like that. Understand? Huh?”

He was so proving your point, but you didn’t have the time You tried to breathe in properly, and free your arm while pushing up on the free one, your muscles burning with the effort. Shit, he was heavy. You wheezed again instead of the answer.

“Can’t hear you, sweetie. What was that?”

Peripherally, you could see heavy boots approaching rapidly, making a quick guess of who that could be. You gritted your teeth, tears of humiliation pricking your eyes. You were not about to give Henry the satisfaction of proving his point of your trainers being sweet on all the girls even if this so wasn’t that.

“Screw. You,” you let out with the last oxygen left, grabbing his left calf and sharply tugging to the very same side. A half-second later when his weight of you eased just a fraction, you threw your body to the left as well, adding a jerk of your legs.

Both of you rolled over, him ending up under you and you quickly spun away, gasping, desperately fighting for air. As it burned your windpipe, it was as painful as welcomed. Little spots danced inf ornt of your eyes, but you quickly blinked them away – luckily for you, Henry didn’t dare to attack you again.

You shook your head before pushing to sit up, only to meet with Captain Rogers’s strict gaze.

“What the hell is going on in here?” he demanded, sharp blue eyes flickering between the three of you.

Maybe you were hallucinating, but he seemed to be murdering Henry with his eyes. Uh-uh. You would have been glad he was, hadn’t Henry been talking about favouritism only few moments ago. You pushed up simultaneously with him and you both stood straight, facing the captain.

“Apologies, sir,” you stated mechanically, his gaze immediately shifting to you. Your heart stopped. Oh wow, you would swear the blue of his irises was on fire. You gulped. “We had a slight disagreement with Mr. Ulrich. I’m aware I shouldn’t have been talking to him in the first place. I’ll take whatever punishment is given to me.”

“Yeah, I bet you’d liked taking a punishment from him, wouldn’t you…” Jim muttered under his breath, making your gut twist in disgust.

Was he ever not thinking about sex? You prayed the captain didn’t hear him and you had to stop yourself from shooting Jim a murderous glare.

“I don’t think that’s necessary. Consider it a warning. Mr. Ulrich? You have something to add before you take a few laps?”

You could literally hear Henry’s blood boiling. You opened your mouth to ask for the same punishment, not wanting to have his point proved. You never got the chance to speak.

“No, sir. I only don’t understand why I’m the only one being punished,” Henry questioned innocently and you gritted your teeth.

Maybe because you attacked me, you dickhead?

Captain glared at him for a moment before his gaze shifted to Jim. “You’re not. Mr. Larkin is following your example.”

You pressed your lips together, this time to stop a smile threatening to spread on your lips. God, who knew America’s Golden Boy could get that sassy? You cleared your throat.

“If I might speak, sir, I deserve to run the laps as well,” you noted carefully, earning a curious expression from your superior. You could tell he wavered, a strange spark appearing in his eyes.

You desperately wanted him to let you run too even if you breathing was still a bit difficult; because otherwise Henry would be proved right. Yeah, nope.

“Very well, then. Ten laps around the gym, recruits. Then you move to the station free at the moment. Go. Don’t let it happen again.”

The three of you nodded dutifully and picked up a pace. For some reason, you could feel the captain’s eyes on you while he walked back to assisting his friend with hand-to-hand training. You glimpsed the sergeant leaning to him, probably asking what was that about, but the blond just shook his head.

Towards the eighth lap, you were being overpassed by Henry and Jim, who ran together; faster than you, whether you liked it or not.

“This isn’t over, bitch,” his hateful hiss reached your ears and you picked up speed stubbornly, not showing them that they might intimidate you even for a second.

They wished.

Even when leaving the room after the session was finished, you would swear there was a pair of blue eyes burning a hole to the back of your head. You hoped that you’d soon be free of the captain’s attention.

You sure didn’t want him to watch too closely. You didn’t need him behind your back to see mistakes you sometimes made just like anybody else. Also, it would be harder to admire and ogle him; you did that occasionally, okay. You were just a human, after all.

A Handful of Mistakes

Shauna, your roommate and bestie from science division of SHIELD, was very patient listening to your lament about guys being dicks; she was awesome like that.

So you vigorously vented your frustration with male population, rolled your eyes when mimicking the silent threat of ‘this not being over’, had a very unhealthy piece of cake at the cafeteria that afternoon and moved on.

You should have known better.

Henry’s words came haunting you few days later; which was too bad, because you had already forgotten about them, until the very moment they had punched you to the face.

…or rather to your shoulder and it wasn’t even a punch, more like one of those bumps people did, especially when they were being jerks, shoving you too hard for you to believe it was an accident.

“Sorry, didn’t see you there,” you threw over your shoulder sarcastically, continuing your way to the women’s locker room.

In hindsight, that was probably mistake number one; ignoring Henry and not starting a fight right there, not to mention being mouthy.

To be fair, you had no interest in further interaction; you were exhausted from the training, you were sticky and sweaty and all you craved was a shower. You would have just gone to have one at your dorm, but Shauna was having a hot date and you didn’t want to step on her toes. So you had taken your toiletries with you, using the showers near the gym.

Using the gym shower; mistake number two. It meant all of the students being gone by the time you emerged in fresh homey clothes, hair dripping water, because you hated hair-dryers and avoided them unless they were completely necessary.

You had spent much longer in the shower than needed, allowing your muscles to completely relax under the spray of water. That was mistake number three.

The fourth mistake was your pride. When you saw Henry, Jim, George (at least you thought, you weren’t sure, not having many classes with him) and Frank in the corridor, clearly waiting for you, since they bounced off the wall they had been resting against when you appeared, you should have probably been smarter and scream for help right away.

But no, you were being Miss Future Agent and you weren’t intimidated by four equivalents of high school jocks. Yep, this one was definitely the biggest mistake of yours.

“Fellas,” you beckoned to them, passing them gracefully, your bag over your shoulder along with the wet towel.

You barely made a few steps before a hand gripped your arm, harshly tugging you back. Your heart jumped into your throat, but you tried your best not to let it show. You turned to Henry, looking at his face, head tilted back just slightly due to his height.

“Is there a problem, Ulrich?” you asked calmly, earning a lift of his eyebrows at your tone.

“You know there is. I told you it was not over.”

You tried to ignore your pulse skyrocketing and the panic rising in your gut. You were not that stupid – you understood the implications. You knew that with four guys slowly circling you, you would have to fight bites and nails if it came to it and probably still lose. Sometimes it was just better to walk away and swallow your pride; a concept Henry and Jim clearly didn’t understand.

You jerked from Ulrich’s grip, still hoping you could walk away and call it day.

“It is over for me. Now if you’ll excuse me…“

Yes, you were being naïve thinking it would work.

The bag was torn away from your shoulder, your fingers automatically letting go to stay attached to your hand. You gritted your teeth, blood slowly reaching the boiling point.

Also, maybe you were more than just a bit afraid. Not that you would ever admit it to them.

Henry’s hand reached for your chin and your snatched it away in disgust before he could even make contact with your skin. Amusement dances in his eyes along with a flash of anger.

“Oh, kitty has claws?”

You felt another hand on your backside, sending a shudder up your spine, so you grabbed it, shoving it away as well.

Jim. Why weren’t you surprised? Pigs. What the fuck was their problem?

“I’ll let you know when I meet any. Now get out of my way,” you spat, your gut twisting as a sly grin spread on Henry’s face and he made a step right into your route.

“Or what? You’ll scratch, kitty? Or you’ll scream? Like a little girl?” he mocked you in high-pitched voice, his face lowering to yours so you were only inches apart.

“Bet you’d like that,” you murmured, narrowing your eyes when his breath with an unmistakable hint of alcohol fanned over your face. “No, I’ll offer you a breath-mint, because honestly you should do something about your breath.”

Yep, that was the mistake no.5 and definitely an enormous one.

You heard one of the guys chuckle, but you never got to enjoy the thrill of victory.

Out of blue, there was something around your neck, the weight of the towel shifting (add that to the mistake list) and your body flew backwards, colliding with a male one. George was it?

Your hands went to instinctively grab after the towel crushing your throat, but suddenly they were wrested down and pinned to your sides by strong arms. Jim had caught one, Henry another. Fucking cowards.

With your breath coming out short with both lack of oxygen and rising fear, your pulse thundering in your ears, you tried to jerk from their grip, but they wouldn’t budge, having an undeniable advantage.

Oh fuck, fuck, you were so fucked.

“Sassy little mouth, aren’t we?” Henry hummed, wry expression on his ugly face. “So dirty, feels like we should wash it with something. Who wants to go first, fellas?”

Loud alarm bells rang in your head, icy shiver running down your spine, stomach turning over.

Oh no, you don’t.

Your knee snapped up on instinct to gain the momentum, followed by a swift low kick to Jim’s knee.

He yelped and let go of your arm, allowing you to send an elbow straight to George’s face; and finally, your airways were free as the assault as the towel trap loosened.

You coughed, fighting for oxygen and mindlessly threw the item away to have at least one arm free.

“Bitch!” one of the men yelled; you weren’t sure which one, but you didn’t waste time thinking too much. Survival instinct took over.

Tears prickled in the corners of your eyes and you barely silenced the scream when Henry took advantage of your hesitation, twisting your arm behind your back. Fuck he really had a thing for that, didn’t he?

You tried to kick him, but someone else’s leg somehow managed to swept their leg under yours and you fell on your knees. Sharp tug on your hair caused you to cry out and obediently tilt your head back. Few tears escaped you, but you pushed up in attempt to get up again.

A kick coming from behind threw your body forwards and you nearly fell on your face when Henry finally let go of you. You tasted blood as you bit your cheek, but you managed to at least land on your shoulder instead of face-planting.

It still hurt like a bitch, but at least you still had all your teeth… or you thought so, not having time to check. Catching a movement from the corner of your eye, you managed to roll over before a kick to your side could hit you with full force. Frank’s foot only brushed you, but you were sure you’d have a bruise as a souvenir anyway.

A punch landed next to your face when you dodged it in the last moment, someone grabbing your legs and holding them together. Between your efforts to free them, you didn’t have time to chase away the body suddenly holding your arms as well.

“Fuck--- she’s a handful.”

A ragged battle cry erupted from your throat as you tried to jerk your body from their grip on pure instinct, every self-defence move you had ever learned flying of the window.

“More fun to break her, don’t you think?” Henry purred, his hand sneaking around your waist under the hem of your t-shirt.

Your head spun like crazy at the skin-to-skin contact and nausea hitting you hard. You wanted to puke and scream and punch and you couldn’t make yourself to do either, tears rolling down your cheeks as your body convulsed in a desperate attempt to break free.

There was ringing in your ears, disorienting you, but aware of the hand suddenly covering your mouth you tried to bite it on instinct holding you down.

“Oh-ho, biting!“ you heard, strangely muffled as if you were under water.

“I like them feisty-“

“Playing hard to get!”

“Shit, SHIT-“

The pressure on your legs eased all of sudden and you immediately kicked with all you had, catching the rising figure in the calf, knocking them off balance.

“Fuck!”

You would swear the floor vibrated, but in must have only been your mind playing tricks on you. George disappeared from your field of blurry vision; you only saw a fist sending him flying sideways.

Yep, your mind was fucking making up things, because there was no way he could have been thrown away like this by a single punch. You weren’t complaining; the relief the illusion provided was almost blissful.

Henry’s body weight vanished as well in nearly supersonic speed as if he wanted to escape the illusion. So you did the first thing that came to your mind; with your hands free, you grabbed his ankle, stopping him from running away. Which, thinking about it, was stupid, because only a moment before, you would have given anything to get him the fuck away from you.

He kicked back blindly, but his sole never met with your body – he was dragged away and… and lifted to the air as if he weighted nothing.

Blinking your tears away, your fuzzy mind cleared.

Only to reveal a very muscled and very much pissed off blond slamming Henry against a wall and then letting his suddenly unconscious body slide down.

You gasped, your eyes catching a glimpse of the fourth figure – Frank – several feet away, running for his life.

“Buck?!” came a shout and before you could question it, a metal arm emerged from behind the corner, stopping Frank dead as he rushed straight into it.

“Yep?!” the dark-haired supersoldier yelled back, sounding almost amused.

What the hell was happening? What the hell just happened?!

You blood sizzled in your veins, loud and rapid thump-thump-thump banging in your ears, face damp with several shed tears, body aching and your mind fucking racing.

You heard a whimper on your left, automatically turning to the sound. It left Jim’s lips, his form crumbled on the floor, struggling to stand up.

The captain’s knee seemed to come out of nowhere, digging into Jim’s back and pinning him down again before you even registered a movement.

“Is it fucking over now?”

“Steve, let him be. Not worth it,” Barnes’ voice tried to reason, sounding rather growly, but not nearly as loud as before. He approached your group in rapid pace and Rogers scoffed and let go.

You gulped at sergeant’s angry grimace, crazily convinced he was angry with you for all the mistakes you made that lead to this; but his expression softened when his gaze fell on you.

“Hey there,” he greeted you almost casually, holding out a hand to help you up. “Can you stand?”

You blinked several times at the suddenly dispassionate tone, even if you still sensed something bubbling under it. You shook off the thought and accepted the offered hand – the flesh one. The detail didn’t escape you, your bran in overdrive. Of course he hadn’t offered you the metal arm. He didn’t want to scare you. He was thoughtful like that-

-or not. The strength he dragged you up with was way too much for you, more so when combined with the speed and your state. You stumbled over your feet, a wave of dizziness messing with your balance.

You awaited the upcoming reunion with the floor, unable to stop the fall, but it never happened. Before you could as much as reel, gentle hands supported you in a firm grip, pleasantly warm against your bare arms.

“Whoa, take it easy,” Rogers’ voice warned you, soothing. For some reason, it felt more like ‘I got you,’ instead of ‘take it easy.’

You took a deep breath, Barnes’ hand letting go of yours as he semi-voluntarily handed you over to his friend.

“You’re bleeding from your mouth.”

Thanks for the reminder, I noticed.

You swallowed the snarky remark, well-aware of the sergeant’s care. You fought against the urge to spit the blood out.

“Is fine…” you muttered, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand. “Bit my cheek. I’m pretty sure I—“ you quickly ran your tongue over your teeth just to confirm your theory, “-still have all of my teeth.”

Sergeant Barnes gave you a tiny smile, the worried crinkle that had found its way between his brows disappearing.

“Whatever you say.”

His gaze flickered to something behind your head, probably in order of exchanging a wordless conversation with your still present crutch. Not that you were complaining. The weight of what had happened was slowly settling on your shoulders and you were grateful for any support – and who were you kidding, Captain America made for a pretty reliable support.

“Why don’t we leave you in pu- Cap’s capable hands while I-“ Barnes’ jaw clenched, pale eyes scanning the four bodies on the floor, calculating. “-take out the trash?”

You nearly choked at the choice of his words, wincing. Captain Rogers’ hands squeezed your shoulders reassuringly and you nodded, not sure what else to do.

You didn’t want to look at Henry. Or Jim. Or their loyal companions.

So when the captain carefully spun you on your heels, you didn’t protest and your feet started moving on autopilot in the direction he had set.

“You okay to walk without support?” he asked softly, a stark contrast to the voice you remembered from earlier or from the training sessions.

You knew that if you said yes, he would let go of you. Honestly, his touch felt damn nice, firm and yet somewhat gentle, a pleasant contrast to harsh fingers of the men who had the nerve to attack you – you had to swallow bile rising to your mouth at the awfully fresh memory. Fuck, it had been so close, just a minute later and--- you shook your head mentally and tried your best to erase this memory from existence.

You decided not to abuse the kindness the captain was offering. After several indulging steps, you quietly confirmed he could release you. You found out that sensing his large frame by your side as if he was your bodyguard was nearly as comforting. Nearly.

You didn’t have the strength admonish yourself for basking the light of his protective persona. Future agent of not, you still had the right to want to feel secure at times.

After all, you were only human.

A Handful of Truths

You didn’t realize you were shaking until a blanket was tossed over your shoulders.

You were sitting on a short couch in what looked like a cosy office, hair still damp, body finally registering the ache caused by previous events, just like your brain was slowly taking in what had happened.

Captain Rogers, whose courtesy was to escort you from the hellhole you had been attacked in, had clearly took it as a personal mission to take care of your injuries; it hadn’t dawned to you until you were seated and your mind helpfully supplied you with ‘This isn’t the infirmary’.

He pulled a swivel chair to sit face to face with you, a box of medical supplies left open on the coffee table at your side. You didn’t realize he had moved the chair or dug the box from god-knew-where until the items were simply there.

“How do you feel?” he inquired, attentive eyes scanning your hunched form. You instinctively curled onto yourself, snuggling further into the blanket. You knew you should come up with an answer, but your brain started to hurt with the effort to do so. “I guess that’s fair. Can you tell me what hurts the most?”

You quickly glanced at his openly kind face, his baby blues still watching for any reaction that would clue him. Your throat went dry at the compassion of display and you had to swallow before speaking – and think. What hurt the most…?

You didn’t know what possessed you to tell him what you did, but it came out before you could stop yourself.

“My pride,” you croaked, causing his eyebrows jump just like the corner of his lips.

“That’s probably fair too. Then again, I’d rather know about something I can fix.”

You felt your body relax a little at his informal tone – you might even say a jovial one, but you could still sense too much worry behind it to call it that. You attempted a tiny smile at least to show him that you were more or less fine – you weren’t – and brilliantly failed.

“Landed on my shoulder. Probably gonna have a bruise on my side from when… when they kicked me. Ribs and arms might be a bit tender for few days, ‘cause they were heavy as they--- they’re heavy,” you voice wavered as you saw the muscles on the captain’s forearms clench and his hands curled up in fists. You sheepishly looked up to his face. “I got lucky.”

His eyebrows rose again in a ‘figures’ manner as he leaned back to the chair.

“Nothing else apart from that, your cheek and your pride?”

“I’m a little cold, but you took care of that,” you admitted, taking a deep breath in as you tugged on the blanket pointedly.

Despite what you were saying, you didn’t feel okay, the tremble never quite leaving your body. It wasn’t hard to figure out why. You stared at your knight in shining armour, gathering courage to do what was needed. You tried your best to meet his gaze, feeling so small and embarrassingly weak in front of him.

“Could have been much worse if you haven’t showed up. Thank you.”

He pressed his lips together, shaking his head. He leaned in, his elbows on his knees.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t faster... I should have kept closer eye on Ulrich,” he muttered under his breath, making you wonder if you only imagined it. “Your pride shouldn’t be hurt. You held yourself against them just fine.”

Your heart skipped a beat at the honestly his voice held – and you were honestly grateful for the slight shift of attention. Oh. Had he forgotten how things had been when he had arrived?

You weren’t sure whether you should remind him. You definitely didn’t want to remind yourself, but before you could solve your little dilemma, he clarified.

“You haven’t started training the combat against multiple opponents yet. Let alone four opponents, all of them having both height and weight advantage. You couldn’t exactly go all Black Widow on them if no one showed you how.”

He accented his words with a reassuring smile and you almost believed him. The shivers finally eased, most likely thanks to the warm treatment you were being given in all senses of the word. The inner cold gradually melted and you were left in nothing but pleasant warmth.

Mentally, you patted your pride gently on its head; you couldn’t quite disagree with him. No matter how helpless you had felt earlier and how ashamed for it you were, the truth was you were still learning. You weren’t a finished agent yet.

You breathed in and out, avoiding the gaze that was still on you. It felt like a freaking brand with how intense it was. You couldn’t say you hated it necessarily, you only wished you at least didn’t look so pathetic. No make-up, probably red with a smudge on blood somewhere, perhaps with some bruising already forming, hair wet and messy. You absently ran your fingers through it in attempt to fix it a bit as if it could help.

What had you been talking about? Right… those assholes being cowards and coming at your four against one.

“I… I just fucking hate bullies,” you grumbled darkly, your hand immediately covering your mouth when you realized what you had said. Oh. Language. Still your superior you’re talking to, no matter how nice. “Sorry. Please, pretend you didn’t hear the f-word. I just hate bullies, period.”

“I might have sworn earlier too, so let’s call it even,” the captain offered, one corner of his lips raised. Oh. He had, hadn’t he? ‘Is it fucking over now?’ What did that even mean? “And so I heard.”

“What?” you yelped, your mind racing again in search for the meaning behind his words.

“I mean… I heard you. When you were defending Bucky, in the gym. I’m pretty sure your exact words were about a ‘pissing contest’.”

“Oh god,” you breathed out, your face no doubt set aflame. He had heard you; that was why he had said he should have kept a closer eye on Henry. Oh. Ohhhh.

Also, did he just say ‘pissing’?

“You weren’t wrong by the way. But… neither were them.”

You blinked in surprise. What? “About?”

You knew he didn’t mean the sleeping around with recruits, your gut was screaming that at you, because they wouldn’t, but still, you rather asked for clarification. If he didn’t mean that part, which one then?

“Ladies do fall over for Bucky,” he hummed with a lopsided smile, a playful twinkle in his eyes. It did something to your belly, a strange familiar shift that was very inappropriate, but hell, people needed to cut you some slack. He was impossible not to ogle and you didn’t have the energy to control your reaction after today’s events. “And I don’t really pull my punches when I’m training those two in particular.”

“Why?” you blurted out before you could stop yourself and think better of it.

His gaze bored into yours, burning with intensity and with a glint of something you couldn’t quite put your finger on.

“I don’t like bullies either.”

Did he lean in even more or were you so focused on his face it only seemed closer?

You weren’t able to look away. His blue eyes simply locked you in, not allowing you to escape. The strangest thing was that it wasn’t scary. It should be, he was— he was a freaking captain, your superior, a superior to a lot of people, which you were constantly forgetting ever since he had saved you from falling on your ass in the hallway and you had to remember that.

Before you could though, your racing mind packed up and let your body, your mouth to be precise, act without supervision.

“Not trying to impress the ladies then, huh?”

His tiny sheepish smile cut off the uprising panic in your chest when you realized how bold of you was to say that. He lowered his gaze, giving a subtle shrug. “Guess I wouldn’t want one falling for guy’s muscles and a show-off of dominance.”

“What for then? Honesty? Sincerity? Kind eyes? Strong moral compass?” you heard yourself prying, internally horrified how far you had come when saying that. Your face was drained of colour when it clicked. You were literally naming things you liked about him, absolutely shamelessly putting them in the open. Oh shit. Fix it, fix it, fix it! “…the sass?”

His eyes went wide and he burst out laughing so loud it startled you for a second, especially as he threw his head back with the outburst. Then you reluctantly joined him, covering your face with your hands in embarrassment.

“The sass!” he howled, unable to hold back another fit of laughter and when you peeked at him through between your fingers, you saw his palm resting against his chest as if it could help him stop laughing.

Just like that, blood rushed back into your cheeks.

“Oh god, I made it worse!” you cried out, wishing for the earth to swallow you, frantically looking around for the fastest escape route. “Oh my god, I have to switch schools now… excuse me-“

You hastily got up from your seat, but a quick hand snatched yours, pulling you back.

You stumbled, landing ungracefully right back in your place, this time without the blanket. Captain Rogers was watching you with the corners of his lips high, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

“Sorry for grabbing you like that. But no, please. Stay.”

Your throat closed off when you heard his soft plea, only traces of humour in it. Yeah, you bet he hadn’t met anyone with such big mouth for a while, so he thought it was better to keep the comic around.

“Captain Rogers, I-I- what I said, it was completely out of line-“ you stuttered, only to be interrupted.

“Were you making it up?” he questioned.

You gulped, your mind screaming at you to say yes to save you the humiliation. And yet, with the cerulean irises staring into your eyes, your mouth did the exact opposite.

“No.”

Dammit.

“Then why would you go?” he questioned softly. His hand still didn’t leave yours, only easing the grip into a kinder one. You felt like a brand was being burned into your skin. A pleasant one, so you didn’t retreat. Oh, you’d never. But what on Earth was he getting at? “We need someone honest like you. People who stand up for others, even if only to defend their honour. That is the kind of people who should be in this line of work. The good ones.”

You opened your mouth, no sound coming out as his speech shook you to your core, tickling your stomach pleasantly along with your pride. His words seemed to be coming from heart, genuine, which was not helping your blood pressure and suddenly wobbling limbs.

“Even when they have potty mouth and put their foot in it? ‘Cause I seem to excel in that.”

“Especially then,” he chuckled and you could tell there was no pinch of a lie in it.

Something was in the air, crackling deliciously, and you liked it. You wouldn’t be able to describe it properly, the feeling simply too unique, but it was tickling your fancy so weren’t about to complain.

“O-okay. Thank you, Captain,” you whispered, revelling in the sight of the gentle curve of his lips.

“You started with the compliments, Agent.”

And just like that, you wanted to run for your life again, drowning in embarrassment.

What were you even still doing here? Complimenting him? Enjoying his touch? Flirting with him?

Were you nuts?!

Him, a captain— no, the captain. And you, an agent--- hell, you were not even an agent yet!

The captain whose eyes flickered to not-an-agent’s lips for the shortest of moments, widening a fraction before returning to her eyes.

Oh, now you were definitely going nuts. You were hallucinating. You must have hit your head too. He wasn’t into you and you being into him was very stupid.

You should go.

…any moment now.

…just get off your ass for god’s sake-

“Can I ask you something?”

You blinked yourself back to reality, shushing the voice in your head, curious smile appearing on your lips involuntarily. The softness of his voice felt better than the blanket before and you wanted to cocoon yourself in it, postponing the leaving plans to never.

“Sure,” you replied, the smile remaining on your face despite your better judgement.

He lowered his eyes to your joined hands, his thumb running over the back of your hand in a feather-light touch. You heart positively stopped at the moment, your breath hitching. Holy shit, what was he doing?

“This, does it… do you hate it?” he whispered the question, not meeting your eyes as if he was too shy, which was… ridiculous. He had no reason to be shy.

It still felt like a shot through your heart – a nice one, though, it that was possible. The words combined with the way they were spoken, it stirred something in your belly, warming it up and you couldn’t deny it anymore.

You really wanted this man; whatever this was, it was getting beyond a silly crush. Also, for some reason, it seemed as if he was trying to tell you he was interested too, which you thought was pretty freaking crazy.

“Stay honest, please,” he pleaded when you didn’t answer right away.

Did you hate it? The chastest display of affection if you dared to call it that? Your mind raced, trying to figure out why on earth he would ask that. Because the only reason you had come up with so far was completely impossible.

“No,” you said simply, earning a brief glance up before he looked down again. His Adam’s apple bobbed.

“Good. That’s good… and would you… I’m aware this is out of line and I—I want you to answer truthfully without fearing the consequences-…“

It was your turn to swallow loudly, because what? What did he want to ask that he considered it out of line? He was your superior – you could think of thousand ways of how you could get out of line, but him? And why should you fear the consequences?! Did he want you to help him to hide a body?

That’s not it and you know it. You know what he wants to ask, you rational side admonished you.

Oh please, shut up. Since when you switched sides?

“O-okay. What— what is it-- Steve?” you stuttered out, freezing when his name left your lips and his head snapped up, his hand giving yours a squeeze. Oh boy.

“Would you possibly say you like it?” he blurted out and your brain went to overdrive at the hope behind his expression.

Huh. He really just asked that. Oh shit. Oh wow. Your jaw fell into your lap – only figuratively, you hoped –, your ears buzzing, your blood bursting in excitement.

Oh yeah, you understood why he mentioned the consequences. Either you could say no and you’d fear he might treat you differently or you could say yes and you’d ‘fear’ he might treat you differently.

The fire in your insides burned hotter at the idea of the latter.

His hand slowly left yours, giving you a simple choice you still couldn’t believe you were given.

Holy shit. What do you even say to something like that? Coming from someone like him? Your brain froze as you only managed to stare.

Did his— did the corners of his lips turn down? Was that sadness pooling in the sea of blue of his eyes?

Oh no, you don’t.

“Y-yes,” you admitted sheepishly, closing your eyes at the heaviness of your confession.

You could feel the weight on your shoulders as silence fell, only interrupted by your soft breathing that sounded ominously loud.

Your fingers twitched when his warm palm covered them again, your lips parting in surprise. You kept your eyes closed, indulging the strange moment. His free hand caressed your other as well, the gentlest of touches, tender, contrasting with rough callouses on his fingers.

“I like it too.”

At that, you gathered enough courage to look at him, only to see him inspecting your face closely, observing your reactions. It shocked you that it wasn’t uncomfortable as you would expect; must have been the kindness and wonder in his gaze. You forced your lips to curl up in a tiniest smile. Steve smiled back with same hesitance, his face lighting up.

He looked like a boy next door (making it to a modelling agency), shining eyes and happy grin forming on his lips. He was more gorgeous than ever.

Still keeping your hands, he raised his right one, his knuckles brushing your unharmed cheek. The gesture was so tender it brought tears into your eyes, causing him quickly retreat.

“Sorry-“

You shook your head with a self-deprecating chuckle, squeezing his fingers before he could let go of you completely.

“It’s not you—I mean… it is you,” you babbled nonsensically, taking a breath to gather your thoughts. “It’s just— that was really sweet. No, that’s not-“ Not the right word. “It was beautiful. I swear I never felt so…” loved “-cared for in my life.”

He frowned, a shadow of pain running over his face. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I know that today was… unpleasant.”

Seeing his reluctance and discomfort, you went for the first thing that came up to your mind. You straightened up and pressed a light kiss on his cheek, withdrawing much slowly because once you were in his orbit, it was hard to leave.

His breath hitched, his eyes glued to you intently, flickering to your lips again.

“You didn’t upset me, Steve. That’s the last thing you could do with that,” you assured him, face still inches from his. His name rolled off your tongue easily this time, even though it still left your heart fluttering.

“And if I asked you to have dinner with me?”

Your stomach twisted in a pleasant knot at that suggestion, your lizard brain already thinking about having a dessert for a second; and you weren’t thinking cake or ice-cream.

Yeah, barely. This was a guy ready to treat you right, you were sure of it. He certainly wasn’t about to kiss you now, not afar what happened today, he might go for it after the dinner and that was only if you got lucky enough. You swallowed the disappointment at the idea, quickly shaking it off.

Make up your goddamn mind, woman. You should be glad that men who weren’t thinking with their lower brain still existed and one of those was clearly interested in you, which… yeah, what the hell, that might take a while getting used to. Add the fact that he was being incredibly considerate of how you might feel after being assaulted and you had a winner of your heart. You realized you were actually happy he wouldn’t try anything even nearly ‘funny’.

You were fine with hand-holding and brushes of his fingers on your face, which honestly, the tenderness behind that gesture made you toes curl. You didn’t care much if that made you a freaking sap.

“Still not upset,” you gave an answer at last, deciding he probably liked when you were a bit cheeky.

He offered a closed lipped smile in response, confirming your theory.

“Does that count like a yes?”

You shrugged, the corners of your lips twitching. You had no idea when the change had happened, but all you wanted now was to giggle. And maybe snuggle, but you weren’t about to say that out loud.

“You tell me.”

He licked his lips and shook his head as he retreated. Before you could protest – or have a heart attack, because the motion of his tongue attracted your gaze like a magnet, setting your core on fire –, he sat beside you, leaving enough space in case you didn’t like it.

You liked it, subtly moving an inch closer to his side. Damn, he radiated warmth. Maybe just a bit closer…?

“Cheeky dame, aren’t you?” Steve more stated than asked, reaching for the blanket pooled around you to cover you again.

You didn’t realize you had goosebumps before his hands gently tugged you in, careful not to touch you where you could consider it inappropriate.

Yeah, forget about any funny business any time soon.

You huffed. “Clearly. It did get me into trouble before.”

His eyes darkened a bit, his face noticeably falling.

No, nope, bad move, miss not-an-agent.

“I should walk you back to your dorm,” he remarked, already rising to his feet.

You first reaction was to say no, because you weren’t ready to say goodbye yet. Your second was to say no also, because Shauna probably still had her hot date.

Instead, your hand shot up to catch his, effectively stopping him. He froze before returning to his seat, tiny question mark in a place of his face right next to his soft smile.

You cleared your throat, deciding to give him the latter reason.

“Uhm… my roommate has a date. If I go there, I’ll probably find a sock on the doorknob,” you admitted, biting your lip when he raised an eyebrow and relaxed to the cushions.

“People still do that?”

You chuckled, the fact that not only he was a captain, but also Captain America, which meant he was about hundred years old, hitting you like a train.

“Yeah, people still do that,” you assured him, amused.

He pouted, which you found unfairly adorable and… kissable. Nope, later.

“Sure, make fun of the old man…” he uttered, but a spark of laughter lighted up in his irises, so you assessed he wasn’t too offended. He was most likely used to the teasing.

As an idea of interpreting his words differently popped in your mind, you grinned.

“Is that a permission to make fun of Sergeant Barnes?” you pried playfully, sending Steve into another surprised fit of laughter, not unlike when you had complimented his sass. Your heart swelled at the joyful picture of him and the prospect of seeing more of it in future.

Due to his laughter, you didn’t hear he knock on the door if there was any n the first place. The door simply swung open, revealing the other supersoldier. Speak of the Devil…

Seeing his friend, Steve burst out laughing once more. Sergeant Barnes closed the door with a puzzled look.

You just shrugged in response, opening your mouth without a sound coming out and he took in the scene in front of him again, a smirk appearing on his lips. Under that gaze, you felt your face heat up. You could only imagine how that looked like, Steve cosily close to you, laughing, your hand right next to his thigh as his outburst had sent it sliding from his hand.

The smirk on the supersoldier’s face only deepened when he noticed how flustered he had made you.

“Punk?” he questioned and Steve wheezed once more, raising a palm in the sergeant’s direction, turning to you first.

He offered you a hand to shake. Confused, you accepted as his eyes twinkling in mischief bored into yours.

“Deal,” he mouthed, sending your lips twitching, and only then he shifted his attention to his friend. “Buck?”

The supersoldier had his eyes narrowed, watching you suspiciously.

“I’m gonna regret sending you with her instead of doing it the other way around, aren’t I?” he stated, not actually asking as his gaze flickered between the two of you.

His expression pushed you over the edge and the giggle building up in your chest for the last few minutes finally broke free. You simply couldn’t contain it anymore despite having two superiors in the room. Steve gave you a warm smile as the sound left your lips, clearly not bothered by it.

You hoped you’d be forgiven by Sergeant Barnes as well. After all, you were just human.

“Yeah, Buck, I think you are.”

S.R. masterlist

Sorry for the cavities at the end. Or should I say ‘you’re welcome’? Whatever works for you :))

Thank you for reading!

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