#THEN the final fit MATCHES AND COMPLIMENTS Jonathan’s | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

infitsovermisfits · 2 years

Note

Hi, could you please write an Eddie Munson fic where the reader was like a popular girl who was best friends with Nancy, and she's like totally in love with him

[no smut if possible although IDM, you write really well]

((sorry this took forever to write!!))

Tysm for the request and compliment omg 😭😭 I hope u don't mind that I use Gender Neutral pronouns here :)

info: I have quite the story with this: i started writing this when i was in another country in my notes just to map out how i wanted this. When i got back home, i wrote about 4k words of this, realised i characterised the reader completely wrong and had to rewrite the story into this :) I'll still post the other half but tweek it a little bit because i can't just waste 4k words like that come on ;-; I hope u like this requester!! I had fun writing this :) I'm sorry if it's slow, I was trying to pace it somehow and I... Yes :) this og version also had a party scene but I cut it because it didn't fit and I didn't like the direction it was going- so if I finish writing that it'll likely spawn another fic ;P such is the way of a perfectionist

Info 2: after making many many revisions to this the final tally is: this spawned 2 other fics that may get finished at a later date, and jesus chrsit did this drag on oh my god

WARNINGS: slower pace (sorry), reader is a senior, gender-neutral reader, self-conscious reader, reader has overbearing parents, brief allusion/mention of child abuse, use of the word suicide (once), mentions of underage drinking, underage drug use

MASTERLIST

word count: 7659

"Come on- no cute boys?" Nancy Wheeler asked as she walked beside you through the busy morning corridors of Hawkins High. You let out a long sigh as she stopped at her locker, quickly opening it and beginning to place the books she was carrying in her hands inside,

"You find me one cute boy at Hawkins, Nancy. They all look like they crawled out of a swamp," You groaned, rolling your eyes as you scanned the busy hallways from where you were leaning against a locker next to her, "They all smell worse than a swamp too," At your comments, she giggled, shaking her head.

There were positives to being popular- invitations to every party, access to all the gossip at school about anyone, endless compliments and offers to do any of your work for you... But the novelty wears off oh so quickly, and all the positives cannot outweigh the negatives. And it all just gets so boring. And when you realise you can't exactly have other people sit your final exams at the end of the year, you realised how much shit you were in.

That's where Nancy came in. She'd seen you struggling with biology and offered her help, and surprisingly, you found yourself growing closer with her. She quickly became one of your closest friends, simply because she wouldn't take any bullshit and was honest and more importantly real. Where your friends blindly agreed with anything you said or did, Wheeler would actively oppose you, offer criticism, or try to at least steer you in the right direction with whatever you needed. She also didn't actively try distracting you from your work, instead of encouraging you to do it and offering her home as a quiet place for you to work in. This was fresh; it was new; it was something that made your friendship so strong.

Nancy was so sweet too- when you'd given her a matching best friend's necklace for her birthday, she looked like she was ready to cry. She had mentioned Barb, someone you didn't really get to know before her disappearance, and how she was her only friend for so long and how happy she was to have someone else in her life, now that Jonathan was so far away. With this, you quickly realised you should try and make her as happy as she could be in her final Senior Year at Hawkins- so what if your 'friends' questioned you or gave you weird looks if you chose her over them? They'd have to just get used to Wheeler being around.

Then you had your tutoring sessions. At the beginning of senior year, you had asked those who were doing your work to stop. Obviously, your grades rapidly dropped, causing your teachers to get worried. Biology remained stagnant, but the countless D's and F's on your report card that was usually plastered with straight A's and flattery made the colour drain from your face at the idea of your parents seeing it. After a particularly tense parent-teacher conference, it was mutually agreed that you'd greatly benefit from daily, after-school tutoring sessions. And you had little to say about it under the scrutiny of your parents.

There, you'd met Eddie.

Jocks; athletes; popular kids. Those were the people you hung out with at school and at parties. They made up your friend group, they surrounded you wherever you went. The 'outcasts' and the 'freaks' always piqued your interest, but God forbid you ever interact with them and commit social suicide. That's why you almost appreciated these tutoring sessions- though they were incredibly boring and sometimes difficult to focus on, they allowed you to interact with people you would usually be shunned by your friends for.

Eddie was 'The Freak'. The loud Satanist who insults back at your friends and made a fool of himself where he could to entertain his Hellfire Club friends. It surprised you when you first saw him in the tutoring sessions. Like you, he was failing only... Worse as you came to find out. Compared to the loud image you had of him, he was always very quiet. Wide brown eyes watching whoever was running the session, occasionally flicking down to write a few notes, then looking out of the window. He was never here on Fridays, and a small part of you was curious about where he'd disappear to. He'd always lazily drop into his chair and lean back in it, legs stretching out and spreading open under the desk as he pulled out a notebook and pencil and lazily scribbled notes down. Even doing so simple, to you, it was worth coming just to watch him.

You didn't speak to one another at first; not until one Thursday evening in November. You had a rather clear view of him from the corner of your eye where you sitting. You'd glance up at the chalkboard, scan the text, glance down to write it, then sneak a glance at the metalhead. Today, his legs were bouncing more than usual. You could faintly hear the tapping of his feet along with the annoying scratches and screeches of the chalk on the board. The tutor had even asked him a few times to stop tapping, only to earn mumbled apologies and eye rolls. You usually bounced your legs so much when you were nervous- sometimes at parties waiting for the alcohol to fill your veins and give you the confidence to dance. Or the one time your parents discovered your grades and spent the evening yelling at you...

As the session grew to a close, you noticed him begin to pack his things up much earlier than the rest of your group, and before the tutor could even say their 'good afternoons', he was out of the door, hair bouncing and bag almost falling out of his grip as he left. You glanced at his vacant space as you packed your own things out and noticed a black notebook that had been left behind. Glancing at the others, too focused on hurriedly putting their own things away, you picked it up and looked it over.

It was worn, old, clearly, and you desperately wanted to peek inside and see what secrets were in there. This wasn't the notebook he used for his notes- that one was a fresh, a new one specifically bought for school notes, decorated in crude drawings of lightning flashes and grinning faces, as well as creatures you only briefly saw in flashes when he'd open the book. This one was also covered in doodles, painted in white paint- you could tell from where some of them were smeared, leaving streaks of white paint against the black material. There was no legible writing, though, by the drawing of a strangely shaped die on the front, it indicated this was a 'DnD' notebook, or so you guessed- your brother played that game when he was younger. Personally, you never touched the game, not understanding the rules. And after finding out it was the 'devils' game, you tried staying as far away from it as possible.

So why, was the notebook now sitting atop your sheets and looking so inviting for you to look inside. You'd scanned the front so many times, that the drawings were almost certainly committed to memory by now. Deep down, you know you couldn't- you couldn't invade his privacy like this. But what if reading it told you more about Eddie and gave you a chance to finally have something to talk to him about...?

It was weird enough that you'd essentially stolen it from him- maybe you should just give it back? Yeah- you'd give it back tomorrow!... After you read a few pages. With trembling hands, you reached to pry the book open, before freezing and glancing to your top drawer where you kept your journal locked inside an old make-up box. All the things you wrote in there flooded your head and you immediately dropped his book back down. If he had any secrets in here and you read them, you'd be invading his privacy- and that was just a shitty thing to do. You wouldn't want anyone to read through your stuff, so you shoved the book back inside your bag that night out of sight and mind, while ensuring you had it ready for the morning,

"Hey, where does Munson usually hang out?" You asked your group of friends the Friday morning after, as you stood around outside of school. A silence falling amongst them at your question,

"Ahaha- very funny," One of the Jocks said, and you sent him a glare,

"I'm being serious," You said, watching as they all gave you strange looks, "I uh... I want to get something good for the party tomorrow," You smiled in reassurance, and watched as they mostly relaxed,

"You shouldn't go near him alone, I can go with you," The guy said next to you, arm moving around your shoulders and face moving close. You laughed, shrugging him off,

"I'm perfectly fine on my own," You assured, "Any curse he tries to throw on me, I'll just deflect," You said, and watched him blink confusedly at your statement, pushing him away, "Are you guys gonna tell me or not?" You sighed, and when no one replied, you rolled your eyes, "Anyways..." You tried breaking the awkwardness, "Uhh- I just remembered Nancy needs me. Something about biology and... Cutting frogs," You made a face, before leaving them quickly.

You had to find Munson by yourself, which wasn't great since you knew he never shows up to tutoring on Fridays and you can't just see him at lunch in front of everyone. You walked through the school's halls, smiling and waving politely at the students you passed, taking and returning compliments as you went. You paused suddenly as two boys walked around you, Eddie's name falling from their lips and ringing in your ears. You turned swiftly, following after them for a little bit until they disappeared into a mostly empty corridor. When you were sure no one was looking, you dipped in after them, watching as they disappeared into a club room. It was one of the old drama club classrooms- you used to go here all the time in freshman year...

It was still early but you wanted to see him alone, and without anyone here. You sighed, leaning against the adjacent classroom and getting lost in thought. Your name falling from someone's lips startled you, and you relaxed at the sight of Nancy Wheeler approaching you,

"Why're you here?" She asked curiously, coming to stand in front of you,

"Oh, I'm... Reliving old memories," You smiled, pointing to the other drama room that was unoccupied, "I used to go here all the time as a Freshman," You sighed, "I was super passionate about theatre," She laughed at that,

"Right yeah, you told me. Still obsessed with Romeo and Juliet?" You made a face,

"Don't remind me of that awful thing," You sighed, trying the locked door and frowning softly,

"They don't use them anymore for health and safety reasons," She tapped the sign clearly plastered on the door, "Plus, with the funding, they pulled it's kinda useless to them now. It's a miracle Hellfire even got that room," She nodded her head to the other door, the same one you wanted so badly to go to,

"Hellfire?" You had to play dumb, you had to play dumb,

"Right," She chuckled, "It's a DnD thing? Mike's really into it," She explained, waving a hand, "The idiot forgot his lunch so I have to bring it to him or mom'll tear my head off," She said. And before you could speak up, she was knocking on the door and letting herself in.

There he was, perched on his throne and watching you newcomers curiously, hand raised for the two boys to stop talking. Orange and blue light illuminated him, shining on his features from the overhead stage lights hitting the table and him. He was just missing a crown- he'd look like a king. Slowly, he stood, clapping his hands together and offering you both a wide smile,

"Greetings," He said, and you gave a little wave to him, as he moved forward, "To what do we owe your company on this most joyous of days?" He asked theatrically, and you forced yourself to not laugh,

"Hello, Eddie," Nancy said with a sigh, before her gaze turned to Mike, "Dumbass, you forgot your lunch," Nancy said, an edge to her voice as her younger brother shot up from where he was sitting, ducking under Eddie's outstretched arms,

"Ahh, and here I was thinking you two would be joining us this evening," He said, and he looked between the two of you. Frankly, you were too mesmerised by his hair swishing as he moved to register his words until his eyes met yours. Your brain emptied itself out and filled with nothing but thoughts of him, doing its best to commit to memory the fact that he looked at you. Fuck. Your heart only sped up like this if you were too high and freaked out. But this was... Pleasant. You returned a small smile and opened your mouth to say something,

"We're good, Eddie," She cast him a tight smile and glanced at Mike, "But if you're late tonight, you're walking home," She threatened,

"But-"

"Mike!" She said warned sharply. She rustled the bag at him, and you watched him sigh as he took the bag from her,

"At least say thanks, Micheal," You piped up, folding your arms and tilting your head at him,

"It's not Micheal," He said, moving back to where he was sitting to put his food back into his bag,

"Sure it is Micheal!" You grinned, glancing at Nancy who shook her head, "You should really thank your poor, poor sister. She's making sure you're getting fed," You pouted, putting an arm around Nancy's shoulders and pulling her close. You grinned at how pissed off it was making the boy and saw his lips move in a mumble,

"Oof- can't hear you, Micheal," You chirped,

"Yeah, what was that Micheal?" Eddie now chimed in, watching him with a wide grin too,

"Thank you- oh my God," The boy said exasperated, and you laughed softly, pulling Nancy out of the room, "Thanks for the help, Eddie," You said, waving to him as you exited. You laughed with Nancy as she led you from the room and began to chat with you easily. Eddie's notebook is still in your bag between your own books and folder though. Shit.

You had to figure out a way to give this book back as soon as possible. You even considered ditching the tutoring session to try and follow him, but that'd only hurt your grades- and you needed to graduate this year. The session moved by agonisingly slowly, and you spent most of it trying to figure out the right words, rather than outwrite admitting that you found Eddie's notebook and stole it. You sighed in relief as it finally came to a close and pulled the book from your bag while you were putting your own things away, beginning to walk through the pleasantly empty, quiet halls. You gravitated towards the drama classrooms, hearing cheering and loud noise, and stopping as a group of boys walked out yelling and chatting amongst themselves.

Wheeler, who you recognised from the mess of chin-length black hair, emerged first, running through the halls and hoping to catch Nancy before she left without him. His friend, a mess of curly hair hidden under a hat, followed quickly after him. Then finally, the other boys walked slowly with Eddie, still talking to him before he stopped at the fork in the hallway. There he was, grinning to himself as he produced car keys from his pockets. Soon enough, you heard 'bye's' and 'see you next weeks!', and there he was, turning and walking towards you.

He stopped, seeing you watching him, and, comically, turned to look over his shoulder at the empty hall. He then turned back to you, who offered him a small wave. He made a small gesture to himself, mouthing 'me?', and you couldn't help but laugh,

"Yeah, you," You said to him, slowly walking forward. You produced the book from where you'd safely tucked it under your arm and presented it to him, holding it out at arm's length. His expression morphed into a shocked one, eyes growing wide as he recognised the drawings and his lost object, "I didn't-" You said quickly, "Like, I-" Any preparations you made in that session fell through at his sudden closeness. "Uhh- ahaha," You laughed, more at yourself and how pathetic you felt. He took the book from you, a frown on his face as he quickly skimmed through the pages,

"You didn't... Go through it, did you?" He asked with a frown, glancing up at you,

"No!" You assured him quickly, "You- you left it behind yesterday after our tutoring thing. You left too quick for me to uh... Catch up to you and give it back then," You explained, and watched him slowly nod. He went back to flicking through the book,

"Right," He said. You could hear the scepticism in his tone as he went quiet again. You shuffled nervously, and almost turned to leave before he spoke again, "Sorry- I just can't be too sure," He mumbled, glancing back up at you, "Your friends don't really like me," He gave a slight smile, and though it didn't reach his eyes, it was still really pretty, "I was worried this'd be tampered with but it's not," He said,

"Oh! Yeah, no one saw it," You said quickly, "I put it in my bag so I could keep it safe for you," You explained, cringing slightly at your choice of words. For some fucking reason, you could talk to any boy in this godforsaken school with ease, but when it came to Eddie, your mouth moved too quickly and your brain lagged behind, "I wasn't uh... Sure when I'd see you again so... Yeah," You said, "Glad to have... Gotten it back to you... Now," You said,

"Safely," He added, closing it, "Well, thanks- a lot. I've been going crazy looking for this," He indicated to the book that he now hid away in his bag, "Tore my trailer up last night looking for it," He smiled,

"Oh!" You said, raising your brows, "Didn't know it was that important to you," You laughed softly, "Sorry,"

"It's okay," He said in such a friendly tone it made your stomach flip and heart ache for him to say it again, "Thanks for keeping it safe away from your friends... They don't like me very much,"

"Yeah- sorry," You said again, looking away and shuffling your feet, "They can be real fucking assholes," You sighed,

"Tell me about it," Eddie said sarcastically, but not in a malicious way. In a funny way. So you laughed, "You're not though," He said, and you glanced up at him,

"Hmm?" You hummed,

"An asshole," He added, "You could have ruined that book. Ripped it to shreds, read through it..." He said, and you bit the inside of your lip slightly. You'd been a witness to some of those things when you were younger, "But you didn't," He gave you a slight smile, "So thanks,"

"Uhuh," You nodded, "You weren't in our uh... Session today," You pointed out, "I had to go and hunt you down," He chuckled softly, and you felt your heart beat a little faster in your aching chest,

"Yeah, Fridays are kinda sacred to me," He said, nodding his head back to where he had come from, "I'm the DM in our Hellfire club. It sorta falls apart without me there," He said confidently,

"DM...?" You asked slowly in confusion,

"Dungeon Master- for Dungeons and Dragons," He clarified, and you nodded,

"Right- of course, you are," You nodded, and he looked at you, "So uh. Did you need the notes for today?" You asked, and he looked at you surprised, maybe a little confused, "I uh-" You were already searching in your bag for the notebook you used to keep your notes in, "I even made sure you could read what I was writing," You laughed to yourself, passing him the book, "It was Biology,"

"I hate biology," He commented, taking your book and smoothing a hand over it. You laughed softly,

"Me too," You agreed, "I was really bad with it untill Nancy started helping me,"

"Wheeler, right..." He nodded, your notebook now safely tucked in his bag, "That's why you guys were together this morning?"

"Well, yeah, and she's my friend," You explained, "Because of the biology thing. So I guess it's not all too bad," You smiled,

"Weren't you a straight-A student?" He clicked his finger at you, looking at you confused, and you slowly nodded,

"Yeah, but only because I wasn't doing any of the uh... Work," You said, embarrassed to even admit to your faults, "I didn't really treat school too seriously for a while- and with so many people just... Offering to work for me, it was hard to say no," You said, looking away from him, "Gave me a lot of free time... Too much free time. Then, during the summer I kinda realised I'm gonna be the one writing my final exams, and not them, and so I thought, oh! These first essays, I'm gonna do myself... And I got probably the worst grades you've ever seen," You joked,

"Believe me," He raised his brows, beginning to walk slowly with you, "I know what bad grades are," He smiled slightly, "Or else I wouldn't be wasting my time in those sessions after school,"

"Right," You tapped your forehead with your fingers, "Sorry, I'm uh... Yeah," You nodded, before continuing, "Well, my teachers weren't happy... Neither were my parents," You grimaced, "Got this whole long terrifying talk that I won't get into college and they'll kick me out and I'll be homeless or something," You shrugged, sighing as you recalled the evening you returned home, having spent your time drinking with your friends. Still buzzed and hoping to go to sleep, you instead found yourself sat on the couch in your living room, crying silent tears that stung your burning cheek, and ears filled with the angry ramblings of your father, "So yeah... Kinda lit a fire under my ass, and now I'm doing what I can to just pass," You sighed, "Definitely not a straight-A student," You grimaced again, glancing up at him,

"I mean, it could be worse," He said, twirling his car keys, "This is my third time passing senior year," He sighed, "Kinda makes me wish I had someone yell at me and get me to try harder," He smiled, and you nodded your head slightly, "But alas... All I got is a deep-rooted hatred for this fucking place," He glanced around at the barren white halls, illuminated by fluorescent lights,

"You'll get out eventually, Eddie," You reassured him, and he turned to look at you, "Uhh- Nancy told me that I should have a more positive attitude surrounding this whole thing," You explained,

"A what?" He asked playfully, and you laughed,

"Instead of thinking 'I'm not gonna make it' think 'I'm going to try to make it,'" You said, "Like uh... Tricking your brain to thinking you like something when you really hate it," You said,

"Why would I want to do that?" He said, making a face,

"To fit in...?" You asked softly, and he raised his brows,

"Mmmh... Guess you're used to that, darling," Your eyes widened slightly at the use of the pet name, and he walked forwards a little faster, pushing the exit open for you and holding the door open for you, "But not me," He gave you a slight smile and a wink, and you almost stopped being able to function. You swallowed nervously, mumbling a thank you as you walked out of the door first and glanced over your shoulder at him,

"You've never had to pretend to like something to fit in?" You asked, almost incredulously,

"Nope," He shut the door, looking down at you, "Then again..." He said, standing next to you and leaning over so his head was close to your ear, "I don't have friends who are assholes," As he straightened again, he gave you a warm smile, and you only nodded, glancing through the parking lot,

"Uh..." You stuttered, "I hate parties," You admitted, and he tilted his head slightly. Something about those large round, brown eyes and the way his general disposition was reminded you of a puppy, and you couldn't help but smile at him,

"You?" He asked surprised, "Hate parties?" You nodded at his shocked expression,

"Yeah..." You smiled, "Drugs and alcohol relax me enough to have an okay time, but sometimes I take too much of either and get super nervous," You sighed, "I don't like the crowd; the loud music; the... People there..." You grimaced, "But I know if I don't go, I'll get..." You shook your head, "My friends won't be happy. It's like I'm expected to be there. And I don't wanna disappoint anyone," You frowned. You suddenly realised you were spilling your deepest insecurities to someone you didn't know that well- and a guy you happened to have a crush on- and you had to collect yourself, "But uh, yeah..." You couldn't meet his gaze, too embarrassed to even look up

"Well... if you didn't have to go to a party, what would you do instead?" He asked.

For some reason, you didn't have an answer straight away. No one had ever asked you what you wanted... Certainly not any boy. You blinked at him, mouth gaping open as you stared at him in shock, and your brain searched for an answer so you wouldn't be stuck in silence. He seemed to realise that you didn't have an answer, but instead of saying anything he just nodded for you to go on. You swallowed, licking your lips slightly and glancing away so you could focus,

"I... Would prefer to stay at home..." You said slowly, thinking, then smiling softly and tapping a finger to your lips, "I'd get some vodka and drink it by myself-"

"Oh, that took a turn," He said, and you glanced at him with a smile,

"Beer's just too gross for my taste," You made a face, and he nodded for you to go on, "I'd get drunk by myself... Or with Nancy. Depends if-"

"With Nancy?" He said surprised, "She drinks?"

"If she wants," You smiled at him, "I convinced her to share a joint with me once too," You said, laughing softly as he opened his mouth in shocked,

"Okay- wow?" He said, laughing too, "Guess you really do learn something new every day," He smiled,

"Mhm," You hummed, "I'd also be watching a movie,"

"What movie?"

"I'm not telling you- you're gonna laugh," You said, shaking your head,

"I'm not gonna laugh," He said, watching you. You looked at him, meeting his eyes, "Come on- I play Dungeons and Dragons for fun," He said, "I'm the last person to laugh at anything you'll say," He said. It did make sense. Eddie clearly wasn't like any boy you'd met before and you so greatly appreciated that. With a bracing sigh, you shook your head,

"You heard of 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'?" You looked up at him, fearing his reaction,

"Have I heard- I love that movie!" He grinned, and you looked at him shocked,

"I haven't..." You smiled, "I've never met anyone else who likes that movie," You grinned, "I kinda accidentally saw it with my older sister once at a theatre when we visited Indianapolis and it was so good!" You grinned, "Then we saw it again when they showed it in Starcourt last year," You grinned, "I haven't seen it since but God, would I love to,"

"That sounds a lot more fun than a party," He said, and you looked at him with wide eyes, "You should invite me over," He said playfully, and you laughed,

"Sure! I don't m-" The sudden sound of a car honking brought you out of your conversation, and you squinted in the darkness to see Nancy Wheeler and her brother watching you from her car, "Shit- ah... Sorry, Eddie," You looked at him apologetically, "I'll see you... Later," You said, quickly running down the stairs. Your name attached to the end of his goodbye made you turn, just before you crossed the empty parking lot to get to her car, "How'd you know my name?" You asked curiously as he passed by you,

"Your notebook," He replied, before giving you a slight salute and walking to his van, "Say Hi to the Wheelers for me!" He called after you, and you watched his mess of hair as he faded into the darkness. You slid into the front seat next to Nancy, a smile glued to your lips,

"Still think there's no cute boys at Hawkins?" Nancy asked you with a smirk as your seatbelt clicked into place. It took you a moment, but when you recognised her words, you shoved her shoulder playfully, smiling,

"Shut up, Nancy," You grinned, rolling your eyes,

"Hey, how come they get to be late and I don't?" Mike chimed in from the backseat,

"Because I'm Nancy's friend?" You said, frowning as if it was obvious, "You're just her annoying little brother, Micheal," You turned your head to stick your tongue out at him,

"Whatever," He huffed, turning his head so his forehead pressed against the glass. You looked to Nancy as she drove out of the parking lot, a smile fixed on her lips,

"What?" You asked, "Nancy, what?" You smiled softly as she shook her head,

"You like Eddie, huh?" She asked, and you rolled your eyes,

"I'm not answering that," You said, though your eyes flicked up to the rear view mirror and caught sight of the headlights of his van as he drove a distance behind Nancy's car,

"Come on- I saw how you looked at him!" She grinned, "Does he smell like a swamp?" At that you laughed, loud,

"Nancy, oh my God!" You grinned, "First of all, shut up and drive before I jump out of this car and second!!" You grinned as she laughed, "So what if I do? He's probably the first boy here to be nice to me without trying to get in my pants and ask me questions about my interests," You said, "To see me... As a person and not... Y'know," You shrugged, sighing softly and leaning your own head against the window,

"Uhuh," She nodded, "What'd he ask you?" She asked, giving you a small smile, "You looked enamoured," She commented,

"Not telling you... Here," You said, glancing over at her, then flicking your gaze to Mike, "Not with him there," You side eyed Mike,

"What? Why?" The kid frowned,

"Cause you're gonna blab something stupid to Eddie," You said, rolling your eyes,

"That you like him?"

"Micheal," You grinned as he corrected 'Mike' under his breath, "First of all, I never said I like him; Nancy did. Secondly, I had one-" You lifted a finger up,"-conversation with him. That doesn't mean I'm falling head over heels. And besides, I already said I'm not saying anything in this car while you're here," You said, sighing as you turned back, relaxing into the comfortable seat, "Besides... It's not like..." You bit your lip, "Nevermind," You sighed softly,

"No, what is it?" Nancy asked, glancing at you with a small frown, but you quickly dismissed it waving your hand,

"Don't worry," You mumbled, turning up the music and letting Madonna fill the car as you stared out of the window. You let your mind run as your eyes focused on the dark houses as they passed by, lost in thoughts of Eddie and his kindness towards you this evening. About how badly you wanted to spend more time with him and not your friends. He seemed more real than they could ever try to be- he hadn't laughed at your favourite movie choice, in fact, he liked it too! And he was so warm and friendly it... Was fresh and delightful. You couldn't remember the last time you'd laughed without the need to fake it.

All too soon, Nancy pulled up to her house and told Mike to leave the car, before killing the engine and looking at you. It took you a moment to realise where you where, and when you did, your eyes met,

"What is it, Nance?" You asked curiously, "End of the line? Need me to get out?" You smiled, though reached for the handle,

"No, I just... Wanted to talk to you," She smiled softly, gently taking her hand in yours. You tilted your head slightly,

"About?" You asked confused,

"Eddie,"

"Right," You pulled your hand from hers and grabbed your bag from between your legs, "This was a lovely ride, Wheeler but I gotta go," She quickly said your name, which caused you to freeze and glance back at her,

"Please...?" She asked, with a small frown. You really didn't want to talk to her about this, especially not now, but the reminder that Nancy hadn't had many friends- especially to talk about boys made you reconsider. You sighed, heavily dropping the bag and back into the seat, causing the car to shake slightly,

"What... Do you want to know?" You asked, rolling your eyes but smiling as you saw a grin spreading across her face,

"Okay. When did you realise you liked him?" She asked eagerly, and you sighed, closing your eyes and rubbing them gently,

"A while ago, I guess," You smiled softly, "I don't know- maybe watching him be so... Free and so... Himself was admirable to me- annoying sometimes but... You gotta hand it to him, he has a lot of confidence... And then I guess my admiration grew into," You sighed, "A crush," You admitted to humour her, "I realised in the tutoring sessions,"

"Oh right- because- yeah I see that," She nodded,

"He's... Very quiet there. He has this look like he's actually trying to learn," You said, "And I don't know... He looks cute?" You smiled as she laughed,

"You don't care that he plays a game for kids?" She asked with a smile,

"Hey, don't make me start on Byers," You warned, "Have you told him to cut his hair? Or at least wash it?" You teased, and she laughed,

"I actually don't know if he's cut it or not," She smiled sadly,

"Next time you write, ask him for a picture," You said, "Or... Have you been sending him pictures already?" You asked in a teasing way, and smirked as her eyes grew wide,

"Ew- Oh my God," She said as she caught on to what you were insinuating, unlocking your door, "I was gonna drive you home but you're walking now," She grinned,

"Have you!? Please I have to know- Wheeler!!" You said, grabbing her arm and shaking it playfully before grinning and letting her go,

"Goodnight!!" She said, waving you off and shaking her head as you dropped back in your seat, laughing to yourself. With a small sigh, you settled in the seat, before glancing at her,

"You know... I also think I really like him because he's so different to me," You admitted quietly, placing your finger to your mouth and gently biting at the skin surrounding your fingernail, "I'm... Popular. I've got a lot of friends, a lot of people like me... But they don't see me. They see something I created for them to see- a caricature of who I really am. All the... Good and perfect parts are pulled to the surface and all the ugly gets buried deep and away from view," You rambled, frowning softly, "But Eddie is... Eddie," You smiled, "He doesn't care what people think of. My friends- they call him a 'freak' and a 'Satanist', but I don't get that from him at all, you know?" You sighed, "It's like- they judge him before even giving him a chance... Good thing he doesn't let himself be judged... I wish I could be like that," You sighed, letting your head drop back against the headrest,

"Why can't you?" She asked, and you glanced over at her, "Why can't you just be yourself?"

"I... Don't think I've thought about that before," You frowned, "I guess I realised through the weird looks whenever I'd talk about something I liked that the others didn't like it. And if I talked about something they approved of, they liked me. My... Parents have always expected perfection. My grades, my behaviour... I gave that to them, and when it fell apart they were... Mad... I think I really lost their respect with the whole fake straight A thing..." You said, rubbing your arm gently, "And I know if my friends caught me hanging around with Eddie Munson, I'd... Lose everything I've made for myself at Hawkins,"

"Yeah, but school isn't everything," She said, starting the car back up again and turning the radio down so much you could hardly hear the music, "You would rather spend the rest of your senior year pretending to be who you're not, with people you don't care about?" She asked, "Besides, you wouldn't be completely friendless. You'd still have me," She smiled at you, and you smiled back,

"Yeah... I'd still have you, Wheeler," You echoed, sitting upright and putting your seatbelt on with a small sigh. You considered her words, and maybe just maybe they were getting to you. Really, what would you be losing if you just stopped hanging out with your friends and doing what you wanted to do? Your popularity? The company of those who only used you for your status? Comparing them, the negatives of popularity outweighed the positives... And leaving it had more positives: you already had your genuine friendship with Nancy and you'd also gain a friendship with Eddie... If you were lucky, maybe something more...

It was those thoughts that flooded your brain when you dug out a black sweater you rarely wore and adorned as many necklaces as you could without looking insane, revoking your usual green and yellow sweaters, before hopping into Nancy's car. It was those thoughts that occupied your brain as you walked through the halls and smiled at the students watching you with wide, surprised eyes as you barely spared a glance to your confused friends. It was those thoughts that prompted you, during break, to pass by your usual lunch table and walk over to Eddie. You were thankful you were thankful he was the only one there, for now. It gave you more time alone,

"Hey," You smiled at him. He hadn't been looking at you, focused on sketching something in that black notebook. At your greeting, his head turned sharply, and he instinctively pulled the book closed, standing quickly to greet you,

"Hi...?" He asked a little unsurely, glancing at the table you'd usually sit at. Quickly, you stuck your hand out, and told him your name as if he didn't know it. He glanced down at it, and took it in his own, shaking it.

"Can I sit here?" You asked as you pulled your hand from his, pointing to the seat Gareth would usually take. He gave you a nod, before you sat down, placing your elbows on the table to watch him,

"Can I uhm... Ask what you're doing?" He asked, amused as he sat down next to you,

"Ditching my friends," You said plainly, focusing on him and resisting the urge to look to where you usually sat, "I talked with Nancy yesterday and she made me realise a few things," You explained, "I've been pretending to be someone I'm not since 8th. Surrounding myself with people I really couldn't care less about leaving... I think I prefer your company more than those assholes," You told him, inclining your head to the people you had left stunned. He took a moment to study you, eyes darting over your face, trying to see any hint that you were lying, or playing a prank on him... But found nothing. He gave you a warm smile, which caused your heart to flutter pleasantly,

"Well then, my dear," He said, straightening, "Welcome to the darkside," He grinned as you laughed at the statement, "That's a cool sweater, by the way," He commented,

"Gotta start my descent to madness somehow," You smiled at him.

Who knew that you'd make the best decision of your life that day? If you only knew how much happier you'd become since you left the prison of popularity and became an outcast, you'd do it much sooner. Sure getting called a freak by those you were once close with hurt some part of you deep down, but who cared when Eddie was there to defend you by your side, slinging an arm around your shoulders and pulling your forward, making some comment that made you laugh.

Another perk was the fact that no one wanted you at their parties anymore- which meant you'd have more time studying, as boring as it was, or hanging out at Hellfire. You really had no clue why they ever called DnD the devils game- it was far from it. You found it enjoyable, and seeing this new side of Eddie only made your crush for him grow more. What you loved more than Hellfire were the rides home you'd share with Eddie. Nancy, after a fight with her younger brother (or so she told you with a wink), flat out refused to collect him so Harrington usually got Henderson and Wheeler together, which left you alone with Eddie.

On one February evening, when you where hotboxing the back of his van in celebration of his first ever B, you'd leaned over and kissed him, leaving him pleasantly stunned, and you incredibly proud with yourself.

"Damn, babe- why's your favourite movie gotta be such a sad one?" You heard him say from behind you, clearly chocked up by the ending. You laughed softly, though whiped your eyes on the back of your hands to clear them of tears,

"I just love it so much," You sniffled, "The aliens got to go home," You turned your head to look at him over your shoulder, "It got you too, didn't it?" You grinned as you saw faint tear tracks glittering on his face in the low light of his trailer and felt his arms that had been loosely wrapped around his middle pull you close to him, forcing to lay against his chest,

"Sure. It got me, seeing a stupid aliens in their magical flying house," He said, and you grinned softly as you felt him nuzzling against your hair and neck,

"They're going to do the time warp again," You said, before sniffling playfully, causing him to laugh against your skin. You felt the vibrations through your body and smile pleasantly as the credits begun to roll on the screen,

"They are," He hummed. You let your eyes fall shut peacefully, feeling his hands move to gently shift your hair out of the way as his lips pressed gentle, loving kisses to your skin, not intent on starting anything, simply occupying himself with what was in front of him,

"Did you have a good time at least?" You asked,

"Mhm. You don't have to ask me that, you know, sweetheart?" He smiled as you turned your head so you could see him, "I always have a good time with you around," The compliment made you blush and roll your eyes, trying to turn your head away, only to feel his fingers gently touching your chin and moving it to look back at him, "I'm being serious, sweetheart," He hummed, kissing your jaw gently, "I think you're probably the best thing that's happened to me all year," With that statement, he hugged you tighter, and you only smiled at his words, setting your hands on top of his,

"I think I should be the one saying that, Eds," You said, fingers running over his rings, "You know how scared I was getting this movie?" You laughed to yourself,

"Why?" He asked, lifting his head from where he had been resting it on your shoulder,

"Thought Harrington might find me weird," You said, gently picking his hand up in yours and beginning to play with his fingers. He allowed you to bend then and caress your fingers over the callouses he had developed from years of playing and practicing guitar,

"I don't think he'd have thought you were weird," You heard him say, from behind you, then feeling the welcome weight of his head back on your shoulder, "I bet he gets far weirder customers asking for far weirder movies everyday," He said, and you sighed softly,

"I guess so..." You said, grimacing slightly,

"Besides, of course I'd want to watch your favourite movie with you," He said; you could hear the smile in his voice, "I made you watch the Evil Dead," You laughed softly,

"Mhm," You hummed, taking his other hand off of you and standing. You moved your hand against his so your fingers interlocked and he stood up, following after you, "I liked that one," You commented, glancing over his messy counters for any food, before letting him go so you could rummage through his shelves. Finding an unopened box of cereal, you took it out, looking over it before setting it before him and leaning on the other side of the counter, mimicking his position, "Wasn't scared either," He laughed,

"I'm so proud of you, babe," He said, grabbing the cereal and practically ripping it open, digging his hand inside and beginning to messily eat,

"Yuck- save some for me," You said, grinning as you tried moving your hands between his, laughing as you fought over the cereal.

Maybe some would think your life was less interesting now- considering you only really had two people you were truly close to anymore. But why would you ever need those if you had Eddie with you? Fighting over cereal was far better than sliding between drunk, sweaty bodies from room to room to songs you forgot existed. Nancy was right- life was better being yourself in the arms of someone who genuinely loved you, and in the company of those who were kind, and unapologetically authentic.

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson #stranger things season four #stranger things s4 #stranger things season 4 #eddie munson stranger things #eddie munson st4 #stranger things #stranger things 4

202 notes · View notes

rosemallowss · 4 years

Text

Thoughts:

The Boy Who Danced on Air is singlehandedly the best musical I’ve ever listened to. I’m not even exaggerating, and people could probably disagree with me but I don’t care since this is just my opinion.

The instruments and music are gorgeous and always pull at my heartstrings like what? I’m so obsessed with them and I wish I could explain it in full detail but I didn’t do well in music theory when I took it for a semester LMAO. My music theory teacher could pick apart the songs and tell me why I feel this way though haha. The lyrics are either melancholy, thoughtful, or so romantic and sweet. The city boys’ voices compliment each other perfectly, it’s like aaaahh angelic.

I specifically love “Little Dance” & “Paiman’s Dance”. The music describes the character so PERFECTLY without even needing lyrics. When songs do that, I SWOON. The first time I listened, I fell in love with the piano. It sounded pretty nostalgic, and that’s because the music was just so childlike; the music just told us how naïve Paiman is without even speaking! Again, I couldn’t tell you why the music sounded childish because I struggled in music theory. But all I can say is that it just sounds so childish, so perfectly capturing Paiman’s character. And I’ve never heard a more beautiful tune in my life. Like a music box.

Nikhil’s vocal dynamics provide a heavy impact too! “Denying The Sun”, when The Unknown Man is cut off by Feda’s voice, it sounds like a lullaby; really soft, really soothing, and makes you feel as if you really are on top of the mountains and the wind is rushing past your ear. (God, I love dynamics) Troy’s emotion when he sings as Paiman always captures my heart because he truly sounds like a timid child. “All That I’ve Known” always hits me because of it. I don’t know how to describe it, but Jonathan’s voice just fits Jahandar so perfectly? It just,, matches his character. I can’t tell you how, or why, but it’s honestly an incredible match. The gruffness, the sound. “I Can See It” is my favorite Jahandar song; his runs make me close my eyes and believe I’m watching the sunset in Afghanistan. The way he sounds incredibly hopeful, as if Ghor will really light up with electricity. Although, I hate hearing Paiman being tormented in the background. “A Song He Never Chose”; the style in which it’s sung is incredibly captivating. Deven just nails it man. The best way I can describe his singing is as if he is approaching the story with caution; just easing into Paiman’s growth within the song. This is most prominent when he starts singing “step by step he’ll do as they say...” The music is cautious, building up to the story. I suppose it’s kind of like giving time for the audience to take in the words and the music kind of gives them that “something feels like it’s going to go wrong soon” feeling. I hope you know what I mean.

“Feda’s Song” never fails to pull my heartstrings. But I get most emotional when Paiman says “Give the knife to your son,” you hear the heartbreak in his voice, and the music buildup certainly adds to this painful effect whilst he says that. Like the story is coming to an end (which it was). Feda’s echoing voice in the distance gets you a lot, and especially when the choir of voices come together, singing that song. It really gets you. It’s melancholy and breathtaking. I always imagine this scene as Paiman & The Unknown Man standing on the edge of a cliff, above a giant, deep valley with multiple mountains out for miles. It’s sunset, and Paiman is singing into it, and when the voices come, the skies turn a multitude of colors. And Feda’s spirit lifts, and though Paiman can’t see him, during the final lyrics, we see Feda’s Angel lightly placing his palm on Paiman’s cheek, staring lovingly at him as he sings, “Your song,” with Paiman’s eyes shut, smiling sadly with tears falling down his face at the sky with Feda’s knife cradled close to his chest. The Unknown Man is crying as well, and he’s staring at Feda with pain.

I have so many more thoughts that I’ll probably get out in the next post. But yeah. Music is incredible and so vivid. :)

#the boy who danced on air #musical #feda #musicals #paiman #tbwdoa #nikhil saboo #troy iwata #paida #city boys

14 notes · View notes

katefiction · 4 years

Text

Cora, Chapter 3: Highland Fling

by katefiction (Maria) / 2013

Annie could always see right through me. I was completely transparent around her. From the moment we’d met at her Californian beach house, where my father was visiting her father, an old boarding school friend, she’d been able to suss me out.

As a nine year old, I was a stubborn and spoilt product of two parents who no longer communicated. I was also an arch manipulator. Standing in Annie’s large, marble covered kitchen, I decided that I didn’t want to leave yet as Dad had planned.

‘But Daddy, I feel sick, and the car will make me feel sicker’, I said weakly, nuzzling my face into his stomach.

‘Cora, sweetie, we have to go, we have other people we have to visit too’, he stroked my hair the way he always did when I was ill.

‘But what if I be sick in the car? Please can we stay here, please please please?’. I fluttered my long dark eyelashes at him, widening my eyes like saucers.

Dad sighed, ‘ok, alright, if you’re not feeling well, I suppose we’ll have to stay’.

I bounded up the stairs with Annie, pleased at my latest Oscar-winning performance.

As soon as we got into her room, she rounded on me, ‘I know you were lying!’, she said with the voice of someone way past her nine years.

My face turned puce, ‘no I wasn’t!’

‘It’s ok’, she shrugged, ‘it means we can hang out more!’ She lifted her hand to the air, a gesture I wasn’t used to doing back home.

I mimicked her and she slapped my hand with force, ‘good one!’

From that moment, I could hide nothing from Annie. We became the best of friends and the keepers of each other’s’ deepest secrets. Which is why, sitting on the floor in one of the many bedrooms of Dunrobin Castle as she curls my hair, I watch her face react in the mirror as I tell her the trouble I’ve found myself in.

‘YOU DID WHAT?!’ she exclaims.

‘Oh Annie, don’t make a big deal out of it, please!’

‘You dark horse!’, she says excitedly. ‘Does Nicholas know you’ve invited Ben?’

‘Yes’, I say, my stomach churning.

I had texted Nicholas to ask him if it was ok, and attempted to convince him to say no. Unfortunately for me, he was too nice for that, texting me back, ‘the more the merrier!’

As for Ben, I had sent him the details as well as the offer to bring a friend, secretly hoping he didn’t bring another girl. Not that I was one to talk.

‘So which one do you want in your panties by the end of the night?’, Annie continues.

I scowl at her in the reflection, ‘shut up’. This is gonna be a long night.

Make-up and hair done, Annie and I climb into our tartan dresses. Annie’s, as short as can be, is dark green and black, complimenting her fiery red hair, with a netted underskirt to give it more volume.

In contrast, I’m in the grey and red tones of the Balmoral Tartan, draped around my body and falling almost to the floor, with a slit up the side so I can dance.

Nicholas had given us a room to get ready in, and as we leave the confines of its deep stone walls, the humming sound of chattering voices rises from the ground floor as guests begin to arrive. My stomach churns again uncomfortably.

As if she can hear my thoughts, Annie gives my hand a quick squeeze as we descend the staircase, ‘chill, it’ll be fine’.

Nicholas greets me from the bottom of the stairs; his arms open wide, clad in a bright blue kilt. ‘You both look wonderful!’

‘Thank you Nick’, I glance around the foyer at the arriving guests. No sign of him.

‘Shall we?’, he loops out his arm for me to take and we walk to the main hall together, leaving Annie to find some friends.

As we enter the main hall, all mahogany flooring and wainscoting, with low lighting and decorated with the Sutherland tartan, we are greeted with the rousing sound of bagpipes and the smell of a delicious roast cooking in the kitchens.

‘Wow’, is all I can muster at the sights, sounds and smells around me.

‘Whisky?’ Nicholas says, pushing a glass into my hand as if by magic. I’ve never really liked whisky, but take it anyway. ‘Ah, there’s my brother, you must meet him’.

Nicholas leads me through the crowd, where a tall, well turned out man with a matching kilt stands eying us suspiciously. He is most definitely Nicholas’s brother. Next to him, is a petite blonde woman, who I recognise immediately by her pursed lips and tiny features – Lady Louisa Devonshire.

‘Jonathan, Louisa, meet Cora’, Nicholas says proudly.

‘Nice to meet you’, Jonathan and I say to each other.

‘Cora and I go way back’, Louisa says in a high pitched, overly-friendly tone. ‘We went to boarding school together.’

She smiles at me, her lips pursing together once more. It is a smile that anyone else would take on face value. But I knew better. Louisa and I had despised each other at boarding school. By all accounts, she always had acted like more of a spoilt little princess than I ever did.

‘So are you two an item?’, I ask.

Jonathan places a stiff arm around Louisa’s shoulders, ‘we are indeed, and looks like my brother’s done quite well for himself too’

The two brothers glare at each other, a silent tension between them. Nicholas is clearly not impressed by his brother’s comment, but chooses not to say anything in retort.

Instead, the topic changes to something lighter, and the three of them merrily discuss their last group holiday in Greece. I’m sure Nicholas doesn’t intend to make me feel like a spare part, but as they recall wild nights in Santorini, I’m left standing and nodding along, praying that the dancing will begin soon.

As Jonathan begins another story, making Louisa screech a fake laugh, I feel my phone buzz in my clutch bag. Ordinarily, I would ignore it, but under the circumstances, I’m grateful for the distraction.

A message pops up onto the screen.

‘Try not to look quite so bored’

Ben. My heart jumps. I spin around, trying to catch sight of him; he must be watching me from somewhere.

Another message comes through. ‘What are you all talking about?’

I write back quickly, my fingers fumbling over the keys. ‘Come over here and you’ll find out’

‘It’s much more fun watching you from here – nice dress by the way’

I smile to myself, then realise he can probably see my grinning like an idiot.

Just as I’m about to reply, the music stops suddenly, replaced by a booming voice from a microphone.

‘Ladies and gentleman, we will now begin with the first dance, please find a partner for the Quarrie’s Jig’

‘It’s tradition that I dance with my mother first’, Jonathan says to a sulking Louisa. ‘Nicholas will dance with you though’

Nicholas looks furious for a second.

‘It’s fine Nick, you go ahead’, I say, probably a little too enthusiastically.

‘Yeah Nick, it’s fine’, Jonathan says with a hint of childish teasing.

After promises that we’ll catch up with each other, I attempt to find a partner, scanning the room for someone who isn’t already half cut.

‘Any chance you could show me how this is done?’ a voice comes, close to my ear.

I swivel around to see him standing there, decked out in the full gear. A read kilt and navy blue doublet jacket, a sporran and socks to his knees.

I let out an uncontrolled laugh, ‘you have made an effort, haven’t you?’

‘I try’, he smirks.

The mass of people around us begin to stand into place, a line of men facing a line of women, travelling the length of the hall. Ben and I follow suit, squeezing into a place at the far end of the line.

The instructor for the night patiently explains the steps of the jig – which I and many others here already know – a few setting steps, followed by some travelling steps and the highland step, where the man and woman interlock arms and swing around to the opposite side.

I glance over to Ben as the instructor explains, a look of complete bewilderment on his face. I stifle a giggle and he catches my eye.

‘What the fuck?’ he mouths, making it ever harder to stop my laugh.

The music begins in earnest, and the instructor yells along the steps for the first round, ‘AND SETTING STEP, SETTING STEP…’

My legs move instinctively to the sound of the tin fiddle, tin whistles and drums. Opposite me, in the middle of the line of men, Nicholas is doing the same, guiding an embarrassed looking Lousia effortlessly.

Ben however looks like Bambi on ice, his legs flailing in every direction, his head directed down the line of men, trying to mimic them.

‘AND HIGHLAND STEP!’

I grab Ben’s arm and swing him over to my side.

‘Oh shit’, I hear him say.

‘Concentrate this time!’ I shout over the music as we begin the same moves.

‘I’m trying!’, he shouts back, his legs still doing their own thing again.

We begin again, this time faster, as Ben jumps around the floorboards, showing none of the grace he does on court. He is so uncontrolled, so unafraid to look stupid, the opposite of the man I met that June day. The opposite of me. I continue in my vain attempt to keep him going in the right direction, but as I take his arm for the highland step, he swings me backwards, sending us hurtling away from the group.

‘Sorry!’, he laughs, grabbing my waist to stop me from toppling to the ground.

‘That whisky’s gone to your head’, I say, my stomach aching from laughter.

‘I think it’s the outfit, I’m in character’

‘What character?!’, I say, straightening up my dress.

‘Braveheart? I bet Braveheart couldn’t dance either’

I shake my head, ‘you’re an idiot’

With that, he takes me by the hand and drags me back into the dance.

After ten minutes of relentless jigging, and just at the point Ben had finally got the hang of it, we’re granted a short rest. The group breaks apart, all heading to one of the drinks tables that are scattered around the room.

‘I thought you were supposed to be fit’, I tease, my ears still ringing.

‘I’ll have to tell Rob to add that to my training regime’, he pants, bending over momentarily to catch his breath.

‘Do you want to go outside for some fresh air?’, I ask. I know I shouldn’t, that I’m playing with fire. But I want to be alone with him.

‘Sure’, he smiles, like he’s thinking the same thing.

‘Ben isn’t it?’ Nicholas’ voice comes from nowhere, as he glides in between us. ‘I’m Nicholas. Great to meet you’

He sticks out his hand and Ben takes it, shaking it firmly. ‘Cora here has a little thing for tennis’, he puts his arm around me, and I see Ben’s jaw clench.

‘I think it might be a bit more than that…’ Ben looks at me, and I can’t help but look away. Please don’t make a scene.

‘You here with someone Ben?’, I don’t know if I’m imagining it, but I sense some of Nicholas’ charm disappear from his voice.

‘Just a friend’, he gestures over to his friend, who is currently occupied in the corner with three girls.

‘So how do you and Cora know each other?’, Nicholas asks.

I butt in before Ben can speak, ‘like I told you, we met at Wimbledon and I might be getting involved in Ben’s Trust’

‘Always nice to make new friends’, Nicholas says, his hand curling around my waist. ‘Especially someone as great as Cora’

‘She’s quite something’, Ben says in return.

‘Hopefully we can catch up later, but I must insist that I have this next dance’, Nicholas says to me.

‘Of course’, I say, sounding much too much like Lousia. ‘I’ll see you later?’

‘I’ll see you later, Cora’, Ben nods.

His expression is impenetrable. But I really hope he means it.

The dance with Nicholas is much smoother. He doesn’t put a foot out of place, his legs swinging high into the air like a gazelle. Strong and calm, just like him.

As we dance across the hall, swopping partners as we travel down the line, I watch Nicholas, charming to every lady opposite him, polite and goodness personified. My father would love him, the country would love him. He would be kind to me, treat me well, and probably never make me angry. Of that I was sure.

Sitting at the edge of the room, Ben is being fawned over by a tipsy lady in her 50’s. He laughs along kindly, his legs dangerously open enough that I can almost see what’s under his kilt. It’s just lust, Cora. Lust will get you nowhere.

As the music ends, I’m back I’m Nicholas’ safe hands. ‘I’m sure my last partner was trying to grope my bum!’, I joke, pointing out the pensioner I’d just danced with.

‘I wouldn’t say that too loudly, someone might get offended’, he gives me a serious look.

‘Oh…sorry’

He face softens, ‘not to worry, they’re old family friends that’s all, you’ll learn’, he squeezes his palm around my waist again.

I’ll learn? Did I really want to learn?

Was lust all that bad anyway?

My thoughts are interrupted by Jonathan’s voice sweeping through the hall over the microphone. He stands proudly in front of the grand fireplace, a moose head set on the Sutherland shield, is attached to the wall above him.

‘Ladies and gentlemen, Lassies and Laddies’, the room laughs, but I don’t. ‘Thank you for joining us tonight. I know you’re probably expecting my father to do the speech as usual, but I’ve taken the reigns just for tonight’

Louisa is front and centre, hanging on his every word.

‘As you know, as the eldest of the Egerton brothers, I will one day inherit this beautiful castle and the title of Duke of Sutherland’

I look to Nicholas, whose face is like stone.

‘And every duke needs a duchess’

I roll my eyes. How romantic.

Instinctively, I look over to Louisa, whose bright blue eyes widen excitedly. Jonathan puts down the microphone and heads towards her, pulling a box from his sporran. He bends onto one knee and presents her with an enormous diamond, sparkling under the chandelier.

‘Louisa. Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?’

Louisa jumps up and down like a child and shrieks a ‘yes’. Only the dogs can hear you now.

The room erupts into cheers, friends and family crowding around the couple to congratulate them. I clap politely from the side. Next to me, Nicholas hasn’t moved. His eyes betray nothing, but there is a certain coldness I’ve never seen before.

‘Aren’t you going to congratulate your brother?’

‘Yes, I suppose I should’, he says distantly, looking pained as he pushes through the crowd to pat Jonathan on the back without a smile passing his lips.

I see a life ahead of me, one where I’m the lucky girl receiving the diamond. My family and friends congratulating me on my future life with Nicholas. A life where I’d never have to worry about a thing. But it would be a life where I can’t make jokes about old perverts, one where my partner’s hand around my waist doesn’t send tingles of pleasure up my spine. Like that night.

Pulling Nicholas away from the dinner table was difficult. The meal was more like a feast and the Duke of Sutherland has taken his finest wines from the cellar to celebrate the engagement. I had avoided eye contact with Ben, thinking that even looking at him would be a further betrayal to Nicholas. Eventually, I’d managed to convince him to join me in the drawing room. The same room he’d asked me on our first date in.

‘Nick, I need to talk to you’, I start, shutting the door.

‘I can’t believe Father got out Tuscan, he said that would be for a special occasion’, he ignores me.

‘It is a special occasion, isn’t it?’

‘Not special enough to use the Tuscan’

I have a feeling this may turn into a full on rant if I don’t stop it soon. ‘It’s just a wine, there’ll be more’

‘I suppose…you always know what to say, don’t you?’, I touches my arm gently.

I pull away deliberately. ‘Look Nick, I really like you…I mean, I think you’re lovely and everything…’

‘But?’

‘But I think we’re better off as friends’, I say it quickly, hoping it doesn’t come off as too harsh.

‘I thought we were getting along’, he suddenly looks so child-like.

‘We were, we are! I just don’t think it’s quite right, I’m sorry, I really am’, I’m not lying, if things were different, maybe Nicholas and I would work.

‘I can’t say I’m not disappointed’

‘I’m sorry to do this to you on such a happy night, I just didn’t want to lead you on’

‘Fair enough’, he says dismissively.

‘Still friends?’, I say, careful not to overdo it.

‘Course’, he forces a smile for me, but as soon as I leave the room, I feel it drop behind me.

I scuttle through the castle feeling guilty and excited in equal measure. Part of me is disgusted at myself that I’ve broken it off with one (very lovely) guy to find another. I force myself to bring out the Annie in me.

He was never your boyfriend.

I bump into her as I hurry towards the hall.

‘Where are you going in such a hurry?’, she asks, clearly suspicious.

‘Nothing. I mean nowhere’, I blush.

‘Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do’, she winks and wonders off.

Arriving back in the hall, I see Ben enjoying after dinner drinks with his middle-aged admirer, her hand on his knee.

I stride up to them, tidying my hair in the process.

‘Sorry to interrupt’, I grin.

The woman scowls at me before recognising my face. ‘Not at all your majesty!’

‘It’s Your Royal Highness’, Ben teases.

‘No no no, just Cora, please’, I say at the look of horror of the woman’s face. ‘May I steal him away for a moment?’

‘Oh I suppose’, she chuckles.

But Ben is already half way out of his seat. ‘Shall we go get that air, your majesty?’

We stroll outdoors onto the large grounds of the castle, where small groups and couples are dotted around in the shadows.

‘Is your boyfriend ok with you being alone with me?’, Ben asks as we find somewhere private behind a large oak tree.

‘He’s not my boyfriend, we’re just friends…’, I say, suddenly incredibly nervous.

‘Then why did you want to speak to me?’

I’m puzzled, ‘what do you mean?’

‘I’d assumed you’d asked for a moment with me to tell me to stay away from you, I thought your boyfriend might’ve had a word’

‘I told you he’s not my boyfriend, we’ve been on one date and now it’s over’, I say impatiently, ‘and I just wanted to tell you that’

‘Because?’ he lifts his eyebrow.

Shit. Have I got this all wrong?. Does he really not see it?

‘Because…well I…’

He leans back against the tree, ‘is it that hard to say you like me?’

Heat flushes from my toes to the top of my head, ‘you haven’t said it either!’

He leans forward, getting closer to my face, ‘Cora, do you really think I came all the way to Scotland for the dancing?’

I feel a glow ignite in my chest.

‘Oh’

‘If you’re not interested, I can always fall back on my lady friend back in there’, he says, trying to lighten the mood.

‘I am interested’, I’m surprised at my own honesty. He must be rubbing off on me.

‘Do I need to worry about competition from your friend?’

He’s paranoid about Nicholas, of course he is. I’m practically jumping from one date to another. ‘I know what I must look like, but if I had met you a few weeks earlier, I don’t think Nicholas and I would have ever happened’

‘Shit happens’, he says simply.

‘So you don’t think I’m a total whore?’

He laughs, ‘no’

‘Good. Because you should know that I’m not gonna sleep with you tonight or anytime soon, in fact. I will make you wait, and you’ll probably get really frustrated because I won’t put out, but I need to trust someone first. And I can be really stubborn, I don’t like to be told I’m wrong…’

What am I doing? Am I trying to put him off before we’ve even started.

‘…I’m a bit of a spoilt brat too, and then there’s the whole thing with my family, I know you hate the spotlight…’

‘Cora, hold on…’, Ben holds his hands up like he’s trying to stop a runaway train hurtling before him. ‘Can we just get to know each other first?!’

He’s right of course, but the wary princess inside me needs to let him know what he’s getting himself into.

‘Sorry’

‘I do have a question though’, he says with a glint in his eye.

‘Go on…’

‘Am I still allowed to kiss you, because you seemed to enjoy it last time’

I whack him on the arm with my clutch, ‘shut up… yes you are, just maybe not here, it’s not fair on Nicholas’

He pulls me towards him, both hands around my waist, a fizz runs through my body. We swop places so I’m hidden from view, my back pushed against the oak tree as Ben caresses my waist and hair gently, trying his best not to touch my lips with his. He bends and leaves small kisses on my cheek.

I pull away to stop it going any further, running my hands over the buttons on his jacket. ‘There was someone you should be worried about actually; he might be a threat to you…’

‘Oh yeah?’

‘There’s an old man in there that was groping my bum during the dancing’

‘Dirty old perv’, he laughs, ‘you do attract some odd people, don’t you Cora?’

God, I love how he says my name.

‘So it seems’, I tilt my head at him.

As we stand and talk, his hands trying not to touch me, (but failing now and again), the feel of his lips still on my cheek, and his wood and honey smell rousing my senses, I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be. My surroundings fall away, and it’s just him and me, with the promise to get to know each other, the sound of stirring Scottish music just audible in the distance.

#royal fanfiction #katefiction

6 notes · View notes

robinskey · 5 years

Note

Could you maybe write something for Steve where the reader and him date and they always get made fun of by the gang and by Robin but they all love her, and one day Steve and her fight and they all take her side. Thank you so much, and I understand if you can't write it. Thank you❤

Taking Sides

A/N: Thank you for requesting, anon! This took me approximately forever and a day, but I loved every minute of writing it. :) I got a little carried away with the story (as I usually do), so there’s a lot more under the cut.

Warnings: swearing, angst

When you started dating Steve Harrington, you didn’t expect to gain a bunch of kids, too.

Of course, Steve wasn’t their biological father. The oldest of his friends was seventeen and the rest fourteen. However, they all acted more like nine-year-olds. They had the maturity of fifth-graders at best.

Whenever you were around them, there was constant, merciless, inevitable teasing. Usually, it was over the little things-when you and Steve wore matching sweaters at Christmas time, the way Steve did anything you asked him to without question, or how the two of you always laughed at each other’s terrible jokes. You quickly learned to avoid PDA unless you wanted to deal with incessant mocking. For example, you once accidentally referred to Steve as your “baby boy” in front of Dustin. The kid laughed until he ran out of oxygen in his lungs. Then, he promised that he would exclusively refer to Steve as “baby boy” from now on.

Originally, their jokes and snide remarks started out as a way to test you. They had to make sure you were good enough for their beloved Steve, after all. Before long, though, the gang accepted you as one of their own. Nonetheless, the teasing didn’t stop after they decided they liked you. If anything, it only worsened.

An endless string of dirty jokes ensued every time you and Steve arrived somewhere late because you’d “just lost track of time”-even if you actually had simply forgotten to keep an eye on the clock. Robin often wondered aloud how someone as smart as you could end up with a person whose two brain cells bounced around his skull like ping-pong balls. And on one occasion, you even caught El whispering something to Max about whether or not you and Steve ever had “happy screams” together.

The harassment was relentless. Nonetheless, if it meant spending just a little longer with your favorite person in the world, you could deal with it. Besides, by now, you were in too deep to simply walk out. Steve’s friends had begun to care for you almost as much as they loved him. In some cases, it even seemed like they liked you just a little bit more.

One such situation occurred in the winter of 1985.

It started off as a normal night. You, Robin, Steve, and the party were hanging out in the Wheelers’ basement. After weeks of begging, Will had finally wrangled the gang into a D&D campaign. Max and El, who’d never played, both scrunched up their faces in confusion as Will emphatically explained-or rather, tried to explain-to them the rules.

The kids were crammed around a table with dice, paper, and pens in the middle. When Mike suggested that El sit on his lap “to conserve space,” no one questioned it. After all, Mike was the ringleader of the group, and no one would dare to mess his superhuman girlfriend.

Meanwhile, you couldn’t even sit next to your boyfriend on the sofa-not in the Wheeler house, at least. Once, shortly after you and Steve started dating, the kids had left you and Steve alone in the basement for five minutes while they grabbed snacks. Because you were still in the honeymoon stage of the relationship, it was simply impossible to keep your hands off each other. A little peck on the lips quickly morphed into a full-on makeout session. The two of you got so carried away that you forgot the kids were coming back. Upon returning, they discovered their favorite babysitter shoving his tongue down his girlfriend’s throat. Dustin awkwardly cleared his throat, and Steve gave such a start that he tumbled off the sofa and onto the floor.

After that scarring incident, Mike decreed that, under his roof, you and Steve needed to maintain three inches of distance between each other at all times. It was a completely original rule that he definitely hadn’t ripped off from somewhere, and Robin found it hilarious. She always made sure to act as a barrier separating the two of you “to prevent any funny business.”

Tonight was no different. Robin had squeezed into the narrow space between you and Steve while the three of you chatted on the couch. Now, she was ranting about a particularly annoying regular at Hawkins Family Video.

“…and he wastes so much of my time. Like, the store can be swamped, and he’ll still come up to the desk, looking for recommendations. He constantly asks if we have any recent releases, even though I’ve told him on multiple occasions that new shipments only arrive once a month.”

“Jeez. He must really like movies,” Steve said. When you scoffed, he frowned at you. “What? You don’t think he likes movies?”

“He might. But I’m pretty sure he just likes Robin,” you said. The girl in question rolled her eyes toward the heavens. You didn’t appreciate the attitude. “Oh, come on. He’s clearly just trying to get your attention. Nobody actually likes movies that much.”

“Hey!” Steve pouted. “I like movies!”

Robin glanced at Steve out of the corner of her eye. “Really, dingus? Because when we interviewed for this stupid job, you couldn’t even name one.”

“Well, yeah, but that was only because I was nervous,” Steve said. “I clammed up.”

“Sure it was.” Robin leaned her head back against the couch and turned her face toward you. “You really think he’s trying to flirt with me?”

“Yes, I do. Not that it matters, though. I’m pretty sure sweaty middle-aged guys who wear nothing but stained tank tops is pretty much the opposite of your ‘type.’”

Robin chuckled. “Yeah, you’re right. I think my type is ‘straight girls who are way out of my league.’”

“Hey, that’s my type, too!”

You and Robin both looked over at Steve. A smug smirk tugged at his pink lips; he was clearly proud of the clever contribution he’d just made to the conversation. It was cheesy, sure, but you still appreciated his slightly-clumsy attempt at complimenting you. However, Robin was quick to knock him down a peg.

“First of all, the whole ‘out-of-your-league’ thing is obvious, because you’re…in a league of your own, dingus.” Robin drew a tiny dot in the air with her pointer finger-“This is you”-and another, larger circle off to the side-“and this is everyone else. Besides” -Robin clapped her hands together once- “you’re clearly not just into straight girls. You had a crush on me, remember?”

“At the time, I didn’t know…“ Steve’s voice trailed off as blush crept onto his features.

“No, you didn’t. But that doesn’t mean I was any less of a lesbian when you confessed your love for me,” Robin said, eliciting a laugh from you and a glare from Steve.

“You’re the exception, not the rule,” he said defensively. “And I didn’t confess my love for you. The only girls I’ve ever said the ‘L-word’ to are Y/N and-”

“Nancy!” Robin exclaimed.

The name hit you like a slap in the face. Of course Steve had loved Nancy-you knew that-but Robin didn’t have run around yelling about it. You were about to mention that to Robin when you noticed someone standing at the foot of the stairs to the basement.

Someone needed to put a bell on Nancy Wheeler. She moved gracefully as a snowflake floating to the earth; her footfalls pattered against the ground like sprinkling rain. You sometimes wondered if weighed anything at all, or if helium ran through her blood instead of oxygen, always lifting her toward the heavens. She even dressed like an ethereal being, always wearing pastels, frills, lace, or a combination of all three.

Surprisingly, though, none of those elements had made their way into Nancy’s outfit that night. She wore a form-fitting red dress and matching lipstick. Her hair fell to her shoulders in loose curls, and the low neckline of her dress exposed her collarbones. She wore a touch more makeup than usual; in addition to the lipstick, she had applied a thin layer of eyeliner, blush on her already-rosy cheeks, and dark mascara to elongate her lashes. In spite of the skinny, unstable heels on her feet, Nancy’s smooth gait never faltered as she sauntered toward the sofa.

“Hey, Robin,” she said, then gave you and your boyfriend a nod of acknowledgment. “Steve. Y/N.”

Following Nancy’s lukewarm greeting, the four of you slipped into an uncomfortable quietness. You didn’t have anything personally against Nancy, but you preferred to keep her at a distance. Even though she and Steve had been broken up for more than two years, you knew how strongly he’d felt about her. Those feelings had definitely faded. However, you occasionally questioned whether or not the burning torch he carried for his first serious girlfriend had ever completely burned out.

The reminder from earlier that, once upon a time, Steve had confessed his love for Nancy Wheeler certainly didn’t help the situation. You glanced over at your boyfriend and immediately wished you hadn’t. He gazed at Nancy with wide, somewhat-wishful eyes.

“So,” Robin said, finally breaking the silence, “I assume this isn’t a lounge-around-the-house look.” She gestured to the red dress.

“No, it’s not,” Nancy said with a terse, nervous laugh. “Holly’s staying with a friend tonight, so my mom and dad offered to take Jonathan and me out for our anniversary. Celebrating our one-year with my parents isn’t exactly ideal, but they suggested this really fancy restaurant that we definitely wouldn’t have been able to afford otherwise. I tried to dress nice enough that I’ll be able to blend in-”

“You’re trying to blend in? In that?” Steve blurted.

Nancy’s face fell. “What? You think I’m still underdressed?”

“No, no, no, it’s not that. That’s not what I meant,” Steve stammered. “Red’s a good color on you, actually. You look great.”

The awkward silence returned with a vengeance. Heavy tension hung in the air like thick smog, soundlessly choking you. It even penetrated the little bubble the Dungeons-and-Dragons-playing-preteens had formed around themselves and settled over their conversation, too. No one dared to speak a word.

“We’re ready to go, sweetheart!” Mrs. Wheeler called.

Nancy mumbled something of a goodbye before turning on her heel and sprinting up the stairs. You waited for the sound of chattering voices growing muffled and a door slamming shut. Then, you looked over at Steve.

If he liked red so much, he must have loved the color of your skin.

“What the hell was that, Harrington?” you demanded. Robin, who was still parked in between the two of you, pressed into the back of the sofa, trying to create as much distance as possible.

“What do you mean?” Steve asked, big stupid doe eyes glimmering with perplexity. “I just gave her a compliment.”

“You’re not serious.” When he shrugged, your eyebrows flew into your hairline, and your voice rose an octave. “Steve, you were practically drooling over her.”

“She has a boyfriend, Y/N.”

“Yeah, and you have a girlfriend. But that didn’t stop you from flirting with your ex.”

An echo of “ooh”s sounded from the card table with the kids. When you raised your gaze, it met six pairs of eyes. A couple of them sheepishly cast their gaze downward, but the rest continued to stare unapologetically.

“I need some air.” You hopped up off the couch, grabbed your jacket, and stomped up the stairs. As soon as you were out of sight, everyone’s gaze switched back to the other half of the unhappy couple.

Steve made no move to follow after you. Instead, he stayed put on the sofa, arms crossed over his chest and lips pursed into a pout. If it hadn’t been for his excessively long limbs and the hint of stubble on his chin, one might have mistaken the almost-twenty-year-old for a toddler in time-out.

Once again, Robin was the first one to speak. “I can’t believe-”

“I can’t believe her, either,” Steve interjected. “God, overreact much?”

Robin puffed up her cheeks with air, then blew it out. “Actually, Steve, it’s you I can’t believe. That was a dick move.”

Steve leapt to his feet. His hands landed on his hips as he glowered down at Robin and asked, “Whose side are you on, anyway?”

Robin stood up, too. Even though Steve’s legs were a couple inches longer, it seemed like Robin towered over him as she said, “I’m on the side of reason.”

“And I’m not?”

“Not in this situation,” she said. “You’re in the wrong here, bud.”

Max’s whoop of agreement drew Steve’s attention to the kids. El nodded fervently. Steve, however, waved his hand dismissively and wrote them off with, “Of course you think that. You’re girls.” He turned toward the boys with a desperate glimmer in his eye. “I mean, you guys agree that she’s blowing this out of proportion, right?”

Much to Steve’s chagrin, they all shook their heads. With the exception of Will, all of the boys had something to say. Unfortunately, none of it was what Steve wanted to hear. Mike claimed that it definitely seemed like Steve was hitting on his sister, and Dustin suggested he stay away from Jonathan for a few days, unless he wanted to get his ass kicked again. Lucas warned that Steve was in “really deep shit.”

“Like, take the deepest shit you’ve ever been in,” he was saying, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. “Then, multiply that by a hundred, maybe even a thousand-”

“Okay, okay, I get it. I messed up.” Steve plopped back down on the couch. He ran his fingers through his hair and wondered aloud about what you were thinking right now.

“She’s probably debating whether or not to key your car,” Max piped up. El stifled a giggle.

“God, I hope not. I drove one of my dad’s cars over here, and if that thing comes home with even a scratch on it, I’m dead meat.”

(Fortunately, you hadn’t built up a sufficient store of rage to fuel a desire to do permanent damage to Steve’s vehicle. You were, however, angry enough to trace profanity into the dust on the car. While your act of vengeance would go unnoticed for several days, Mr. Harrington would eventually notice the word “shitface” written in looping cursive on each of the dirty windows and ask his son what kind of dumbass prank he thought he was pulling.)

“Okay, so, what do I do?”

“Go talk to her, dingus,” Robin said, nudging his foot with her own.

“What do I say?”

“Tell her you know you messed up,” Lucas said.

“And that you’re sorry,” El added.

“And that while Nancy’s hot, Y/N is way hotter,” Dustin suggested, eliciting a “Dude, that’s my sister!” and “Hey, that’s my girlfriend you’re talking about!” from Mike and Steve respectively. The three immediately began bickering.

“Shut up!” Max interrupted. “While you’re here arguing about which hotness-which is incredibly objectifying, by the way-Y/N is out there in the cold, waiting for her asshole of a boyfriend.”

After Max’s harsh words, Steve looked to Robin for reassurance. However, his friend gazed back without an ounce of sympathy. “I hate to agree with your children, but Max is right. You should go before she decides you’re not coming and starts to walk home or something.”

Steve nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. Then, he rose to his feet and retraced the path you’d taken minutes before-up the stairs, through the house, and into the crisp December air. The obnoxiously creaky door announced Steve’s arrival. However, the figure sitting on the porch gave no indication of recognition.

You sat on the Wheelers’ front step, curled into yourself. You blew air into your bare hands in a vain attempt to warm them. Little clouds of your breath floated toward the star-speckled sky. Your thin jacket wasn’t nearly heavy enough to withstand the bitter cold of the Indiana winter; as a gust of wind blew across the porch, a shudder ran down your spine.

Automatically, Steve shrugged out of his coat. When he draped it over your shoulders, you continued staring straight ahead. As Steve sat on the ground beside you, it took every ounce of self-restraint to keep from wrapping his arm around you, too. The two of you simply existed there together silently for a moment while Steve gathered his thoughts.

“Look, Y/N. I’m really sorry for what I said in there-how I acted.”

Aside from a sniffle, you made no other noise, so Steve continued.

“I made a dumb comment, and then I made the situation a hell of a lot worse by-by everything I did, honestly,” he said. “I was a real dick.”

“Yeah, you were,” you said, finally breaking your unofficial vow of silence.

“I know.” Steve heaved a hefty sigh. For the next few moments, only the whistling wind dared to make a sound.

Then, you spoke a single word: “Steve.” He’d heard his name hundreds, maybe even thousands, of times. Yet, he’d never heard it like that. No one had ever woven such deep sorrow into his five-letter name.

And when you turned your head, your bloodshot eyes conveyed the exact same sentiment with a million times the intensity.

“You still love Nancy, don’t you?” Though a “no” automatically rolled off his tongue, your somber expression never faltered. The strain was evident in your voice as you told him, “Don’t lie to me.”

Suddenly, the lump in his throat was back with a vengeance. He choked out, “Why would you say that?”

You scoffed, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“I saw the way you looked at her, Steve,” you said, though it came out as more of a hiss.

Steve’s single brain cell once again bounced around in his mostly-hollow skull. This time, it desperately tried to connect the dots. What were you talking about? Honestly, as soon as Nancy had come down the stairs in that red dress, he’d blacked out a little. Steve figured he had to be dreaming; he couldn’t believe Nancy Wheeler, who Tommy H and Carol had long referred to as “the school prude”, wasn’t covered from head to toe.

What you’d mistaken for desire was genuinely just surprise. Steve communicated this to you to this best of his ability, and while your boyfriend certainly wasn’t the most eloquent speaker, you got the point. “Besides,” he said, “you’re way hotter than Nancy Wheeler.”

You gave a small “tsk” vaguely reminiscent of a laugh. “Did Dustin tell you to say that or something?”

“…maybe,” he admitted. When you gave him a playful shove, he knew all was forgiven.

“You know, someday, you’re going to run into trouble, getting dating advice from literal children,” you said.

“It works in your favor, though. They always take your side.”

Steve reached for your hand. You watched as your fingers intertwined and winced as his icy palm met yours. It felt more like holding hands with a popsicle than a warm-blooded boy.

“Come on,” you said, pulling him to his feet and starting the three-foot-trek to the front door. “Let’s go inside before you get hypothermia.”

“Wait.” A gentle tug of your hand brought you spinning back into Steve’s arms. “While I can still touch you without Mike Wheeler chiding us for PDA…”

Steve pressed his blue-hued lips to yours. Somehow, his mouth was still warm-the only part of him, aside from his heart, that the elements could never truly touch, try as they may. Steve tasted of chocolate and sickly-sweet marshmallows from the hot cocoa Mrs. Wheeler had made earlier. This wasn’t the first time you’d kissed him. Yet, Steve still left you lightheaded after he pulled away, as though he’d sucked all of the oxygen right out of your lungs.

“I love you, you know that?” he murmured, leaning his forehead against yours. “I really, really love you.”

“I love you, too, dork.” You kissed his cheek before untangled yourself from him and slipping your palm back into his. “Now, come on. I need to thank your friends.”

“Thank them?” Steve asked, tilting his head slightly like a confused puppy.

“Yeah,” you said with a wink. “I’ve got to thank them for taking my side.”

General Taglist: @novaddictx @anabundanceoffandoms @rexorangecouny @morganvanilla@anolddayslover

Steve Harrington Taglist: @broadwayandnetflix @explode-a-pult @whormotional @loulouloueh@peterhollandd

Stranger Things Taglist: @readinthegarden12 @lacunaclouds

If you want to be added to the tag list for a specific character/my writing in general, leave a reply or send me a message! Thanks again for reading.

If you want to check out more of my writing, here’s my masterlist. :)

303 notes · View notes

chelleaslin · 5 years

Text

Lukadrien June Day 19- Genderbend

@miraculouschallenges

The sand was warm on Adrianne Agreste’s feet as she sat back under the shade of a beach umbrella. She was sporting a white one piece as matching throngs, All a part of her Mother’s newest Summer swimwear line.

“Hey, Adribabe!” A familiar voice called loudly. Adrianne stiffened viabilily at the voice, she turned her head to see her childhood friend, Chadwick Bourgeois.

“Hey, Chad.” She smiled, tensely. She felt herself reach for her beach bag and place in on her lap, covering herself up temporarily while she searched for her matching white beach kaftans, just to cover up more. She liked Chad, he was her first ever friend but after they had gotten into their teenage years and puberty started, he treated her as a object that he own and it made her super uncomfortable. Expecially because being the Mayor’s son, he always got want he wanted, he never took no for an answer.

“You are looking as fine as ever!” He smirked, his blue eyes shamelessly roaming up and down her body. She just smiled tightly at his ‘compliment’ “come and join me in the water?”

Red flags went off in Adrianne’s mind, that was a big no-no.

“I can’t, Mother doesn’t want me getting burnt, I have a big photoshop coming up.” She smiled, hoping that he’ll fall for it. He looked at her for a second before furrowing his brow.

“The why did you wear such a revealing swimsuit?” He sneered, Adrianne could already tell his temper was building from her rejection.

“I’m promoting Agreste’s new swimwear.” She smiled rightly, it technically wasn’t a lie and he had to see logic to that.

“Well what better way to show it off then In the water?” He smirked, leaning over her. She yelped a little at his close approximately.

“I can’t get-“

“Sunburned, I know, luckily for you they invented sunscreen.”

Adrianne was at a lost for words, she really didn’t know what to say back to him. All her excuses were undid by him and she really didn’t want to say no to him directly, no one wanted to start a Bourgeois tantrum.

“Hey, Adrianne!” Another familiar male voice called, this time she relaxed as she reconisised the voice as one of her best friends, Alan Césaire and his girlfriend, Adrianne’s bestest friend, Nina Lahiffe.

Chad stiffened as he saw Alan approach, it wasn’t a secret that Alan, couldn’t stand Chad, he was stuck up, overbearing, bossy and perverted. He was constantly harassing his best mate, Marin all the time, Apparently for years before Adrianne and Alan moved to their school 3 years ago.

“Alan, Nina.” Chad sneered as the couple walked over to them, hands intertwined. Nina instantly let go of her boy friends hand and came to Adrianne’s aid, sitting next to her and placing a hand in her arm for comfort. She knew more then anyone else what a pushy, perverted pig he could be and how much Adrianne was scared to be alone with him in fear of something terrible happening.

“Hey, Chad. Sorry to be a bother but Adrianne actually promised to hang out with us today.” Alan smirked, “isn’t that right Adrianne?” He gave a pointed look to her and Nina.

“Oh shoot! Yes, I totally forgot.” The blonde haired girl played along. Chad watched with annoyance as all 3 teens started “remembering” all the plans they had made.

“Whatever, Samuel, lets go!” He snapped as he turned on his heel and marched towards the water. Samuel, a timid redhead also known as Chads best friend, scurried after him.

“Jeesh.” Alan muttered, arms folded over his toned chest. “What a brat.”

“Are you okay?” Nina whispered, her golden brown eyes filled with concern. Adrianne nodded, glad that her friends had her back. She looked up and the two and smiled before realising someone was missing.

“Where Marin?” She asked, confused. Marin was a very shy and timid boy and in social situations he was normally found right by Alan’s side. A smirk cover Alan’s face at her question.

“Gotta crush do ya, Agreste?” He teased. Adrianne blushed, not because she actually harboured any feelings for him but out of sheer embarrassment, Alan hasn’t been sly with all his comment, she knew Marin fancied her. Unfortunately for the kind boy and Chad alike, Adrianne didn’t fancy boys.

“You know that answer to that.” Adrianne deadpanned.

Alan opened his mouth, ready to tease the girl again but Nina shot him the dirtiest look ever causing him to clamp his mouth closed.

“Look, speaking of Marin here he come now. Oh, Lucia is with him.” Nina smile, waving enthusiastically to the pair of teens walking their way.

Adrianne looked up from her hands to see Marin walking towards them an older girl at his side. The blonde model couldn’t help the blush that dusted her cheeks as she took in the ‘lucia’ girl’s appearance. She had over frown, messy, black bob cut. The ends of her hair dipdyed blue and tickling her collarbones. She had bright blue eyes that shown brighter then any other pair see had ever saw. She wore board shorts and a old band tee as bather, not showing off her figure like the rest of their peers, yet something about that made her even more beautiful, more alluring to Adrienne.

“H-hey, Adrianne!” Marin stuttered when he finally stood in front of them. Adrianne waved back at the boy, not saying a word, silenced by Lucia’s pure present. Marin didn’t seem to mind, blushing at the simple attention from the girl. Lucia furrowed her eyebrows at Marin, looking back and fourth between his blush face and Adrienne lack of proper attention. It didn’t take long for the girl to realise the situation, realisation crossing her features. She looked upset for a second before taking a deep breath and smile down at Adrianne who was still staring intensely at her.

“Hi, I’m Lucia Couffine, Jonathan’s older sister.” She smiled, introducing herself to Adrianne. The blonde girl blushed darker as she realised who this girl was, this girl was Justin, 20 year old, adult women! The one that was in a guitarist in a real bad and was a total badass. She felt her heartbeat harder and fasting, she really should reply right about now.

“I’m Adrianne Agreste, it’s very (VERY) nice to meet you.” She smiled brightly up at the girl, not one of her fake, modelling smile but a genuine smile that made her whole being feel like it was shiny. Lucia froze this him, a light blush appearing on her cheeks. Holy shit, she looks so pure when she smiles! Lucia found butterfly’s erupting in her chest making her freeze, that wasn’t good. She nervously smiled at the girl as she awkwardly begged someone else to start a conversation, just wanting to get lost in her own thoughts. Luckily for her Alan and Marin started to chat straight away, giving her time to think without being rude to anyone around her.

She had recognised the name straight away, Agreste, Gabrielle Agreste’s Daughter, the super model. She didn’t know much about her, fashion clearly not being her thing, she glanced down at her attire suddenly feeling self conscious wearing something like this in the presence of a fashion icon.

“Luci? luci? Lucia!” A voices yelled in her face, she squealed as she jumped. Laughter erupted around her causing her to blush, she looked to her left to see Marin. Was the one trying to get her attention.

“Yeah?” She asked, as she regained her cool.

“Alan and I are going for a swim are you coming?” Lucia grinned, excited to go and mess around in the water for a few hours but found herself faltering, what was Adrianne going to do? She turned a shy gaze towards the girl who was talking to Nina.

“You wanna hang with the girls? All good,join us after if you want.” With that Marin and Alan waves goodbye and had a race to the shoreline. Lucia watched the completely horrified that Marin would actually leave her with strangers! Well technically not,she had meet Nina a few times when she join Alan, Marin and herself, from what she could tell she was a sweet girl.

“Are you going chill with us?” Nina asked happily, Lucia just nodded her head. “Sweet.” Nina smiled, judging Adriannes side, the model just blushed hard.

“Is that okay?” Lucia shyly asked, not waiting to sit and make herself comfortable yet if she wasn’t welcome.

“Yes!” Adrianne blurted far to eagerly, instantly rejecting her out burst as both girls blush horribly. Nina looked between them confused and feeling mildly left out, until realisation click in. Her mouth formed an ‘o’ shape before she smirked.

“Actually, I think I’m going to swim with the boys.” She slowly stood up from Adrianne’s beach chair she was still sharing with the girl. “Ya know, spend some time with the boo.” She giggled as she took steps backward steps towards the beach, never once taking her eyes of Adrianne, who looked like she was about to have a meltdown.

“What-no!” It was too late, Nina turned on her heel and sprinted towards the beach and leaving to two awkward girls behind.

“Would you- ah- like to s-sit?” Adrianne awkwardly asked her yet always ever so polite.

“There’s only one seat...” Lucia pointed out, blushing at the thought of being so close to her.

“We could share?” The blonde moved over more, patted the seat and smiling up at Lucia. Lucia looked at the small gap, Nina was a tiny girl and fitted perfectly alongside Adrianne’s equally petite body, Lucia wasn’t as small as the other girls.

“I don’t think my fat ass would fit, I’d end up on your lap.” She laughed, before freezing as she realised what she said. She slowly looked down at Adrianne, catching her reaction. The poor girl looked completely frazzled by her comment, her face bright red as she gapped her mouth in shook.

Lucia mentally smacked herself, opening her own mouth, ready to apologise but Adrianne spoke before she could.

“I couldn’t mind.”

It was Lucia’s turn to gap like a fish as Adrianne instantly rejected what she said.

From the Ocean, Nina stood with her arms crossed, a smirk on her face. She couldn’t hear what the two girls were saying but by the red faces and bashful atmosphere, she could tell they things were going exactly as she planned. If a gorgeous chick like Lucia didn’t make Adrianne want to burn the closet she confined herself too, then she didn’t know what would.

#miraculous tales #miraculous ladybug and chatnoir #marinette dupin cheng #adrien agreste #luka couffine #nino lahiffe #chloe burgeois #genderbend #lukadrien #Lukadrienjune

47 notes · View notes

reddieorrnot · 5 years

Note

Hey! I saw your post about byler request. Im craving a pinning Mike fic. Usually will is the one doing the pinning. Maybe after the move and will visits for the holidays and mike is whipped and trying to court him. I want mike to court the fuck out of Will

those who ask shall receive! it’s a bit iffy, i had a bit of trouble with pinning mike. hope this is alright!

Will sat on the basement floor, legs crossed, and grin plastered upon his face. Happiness radiated off the scene before him, as he watched Lucas kiss Max on the cheek, and her eyes lit up. His group of friends and had all come together for a Christmas Eve party at the Wheeler house, as Karen Wheeler had openly accepted to be hostess. And considering the delightful pine scent in the atmosphere, the warm fire, and delicious food, the mother had done well. Everyone was laughing and smiling, all having a joyous time. Will felt safe, comforted, and most of all… home. He had gotten to choose the next Christmas movie for the party to watch, and he gleefully suggested A Christmas Carol. There was one thing off though, something he couldn’t explain. As Will tore his eyes off the couple before him, he slowly turned over to face the night’s mystery. As expected, Mike Wheeler was staring at Will. As Mike made eye contact, Will swore a blush made its way onto his face as Mike looked away. It wasn’t the first time that had happened today. Will had caught Mike staring at him multiple times, and it appeared that no matter how many times Mike’s actions were revealed, he wouldn’t stop. Will looked back to the gift exchange occurring and thought about all the other things that had happened leading up to that moment.

***

When Will had first arrived, Mike wasted no time to hug him first. Will, Eleven, and his family barely had their feet through the door before Mike engulfed him. It was a hug that felt starved, desperate. As if being put before Eleven wasn’t already a surprise, the way Mike held WIll and brought him closer was enough to shock the boy right there and then. When Will finally felt like it was the appropriate time to pull away, Mike had fumbled over his words, struggling to put together a coherent sentence. It was confusing but all the more entertaining for the Byers boy.

“I… I missed you, Will.” Mike finally muttered, low enough just for Will to hear. Will turned his head to see where Eleven had gone, his eyes landing on her in the arms of her redheaded friend. Will let out a dreamy sigh, returning his gaze to Mike. Mike’s words rang through his ears, words that he never thought would mean anything. Will pictured Mike missing Eleven, not him. But his words said otherwise, making Will’s heart speed up.

“I missed you too, Mike.” He said bashfully. A smile crept onto Mike’s lips, and as the others came to greet him, it never faltered.

***

After greetings and welcomes, everyone split up into doing their own thing. The adults found a home in the dining room, sipping wine and conversing. Nancy and Jonathan hung out in the kitchen, and Will and his friends sat in the basement. They were playing a game of twister, Mike and Lucas currently on the mat. Dustin was calling out the directions, laughing in-between turns because in his words, “You guys look so stupid!”

Lucas was having a lot of fun, smirking as he moved with ease. Mike, on the other hand, looked far too determined for such a silly game. He kept mumbling about wanting to win, and badly. Lucas simply made a joke out of it, with Max building on the teasing. Unfortunately, Mike didn’t get what he wanted for once. When he was told to move his right hand to a blue dot, Mike slipped due to the difficult instructions. Lucas hollered with laughter, calling himself the king of twister.

“Good job, Lucas!” Will smiled and gave Lucas a high five.

Lucas was overly happy though, as he ignored the high five and pulled Will in for a hug instead. Will simply accepted the gesture and hugged him back. Over Lucas’ shoulder, Will noticed Mike pouting at the scene before him. Will was taken aback, no one could be pouting over losing to twitter, that was overly dramatic. And when Lucas pulled away from the hug and took Dustin in while singing his own triumph song, Mike looked away from Will and at the ground. Will felt like he was supposed to be getting something, but ignored the feeling.

***

After the games, the party simmered down. The teens sat on the couch and snacked on the occasional treats Nancy or Jonathan would bring down for them. Soon the conversation steered in the direction of school. Eleven was talking to everyone, explaining how things were now due to the absence of her powers. She briefly spoke about what a good teacher Will was, helping her catch up on school material. The compliment brought up a giggle from Will, who was flattered. He went to deny the statement but was cut off.

“Yeah, well, Will’s always been one of the smartest out of all of us,” Mike announced. It was random, unnecessary in a sense. Everyone else must have felt the same awkwardness as Will, because before anyone replied, there was a beat of silence. Mike seemed undisturbed though, letting his statement stand forth proudly. The heightened attention made Will nervous, and after a few seconds, everyone began to agree with Mike.

“Thanks, guys.” Will chuckled, letting his eyes linger a bit longer on Mike. Will didn’t consider himself one of the smartest of the group, they were all intelligent. But the comment still boosted his self-esteem a bit, miraculously.

After a few minutes had gone by, bouncing from topic to topic, Will felt a tap on his shoulder.

“You know… You look really nice tonight.” Mike’s voice was soft, his words caught Will by surprise yet again. Not just because it was from Mike, but it was rare for anyone besides his mother to compliment his appearance. Matching Mike’s gentle tone, Will meant to accept the compliment but failed.

“I don’t really think so… I forgot to plan out a good outfit for tonight…” Will tugged at his pale yellow sweater, referencing it. It was true, Will had spent so much time helping Eleven get ready (willingly) that he had forgotten about himself. He had settled for a pair of dark wash high rise jeans and a yellow pullover as previously stated of a yellow hue. The other boy’s outfit differed. Mike had a pair of khakis on, paired with a striped t-shirt. To top it off, he had added a black bomber jacket, it was a new style. Will wouldn’t admit it out loud, but Mike was the one who looked really nice tonight.

“No, no. I really do think you look good.” Mike insisted. Will searched for some sort of pity in Mike’s eye, some sort of indication that his words weren’t from the heart. All Will saw was a glimmer of adoration, this made Will’s heart sting. He chose to ignore the unspoken tension between the two, and just gave Mike a smile.

“Thank you, Mike.”

It seemed to be as if Mike was going to say something else, but he was interrupted before he even began. Eleven had grabbed Will’s wrist, pulling him to his feet. A playful expression danced upon her face, leaking into an enthusiastic smile. Will was nervous about what was to come next.

“Max put on the Girls Just Wanna Have Fun track! We love this song! Sing with me?”

For a second, Will was in an indescribable state of embarrassment. There was a part of him that wanted to deny that he had ever even listened to the song and that he would never sing along to such a feminine song. But a deeper part of him ached to sing with Eleven, perhaps even Max. A part of him wanted to have fun, despite how… gay it would make him look. After the internal dispute, Will nodded at Eleven and returned her excitement. His friends were never ones to make fun of him, he had even thought about coming out to them. But it was too soon, Will wasn’t ready. He hoped his little performance with El wouldn’t give it away itself.

Before he knew it, Will was dancing around with Max and Eleven, singing along, and giggling. Dustin and Lucas shouted out lines here and there, surprising Will by knowing anything besides the chorus. When Will didn’t hear Mike’s voice for a while, he turned to see what the boy was doing.

Mike was looking straight at Will, with a foolish grin on display for everyone to see. Mike’s eyes were wide with awe, and Will felt his face get hot. He didn’t want to assume anything, but it was obvious that if Mike were to stare any longer, he would start to drool. Luckily, the song was ending soon anyways. Will let out one last line, then collapsed into a group hug with his girls.

“I didn’t know I was attending a concert?” Dustin joked, putting a confused face on.

“Me either? When did I buy the tickets?” Lucas played along.

Their comments threw Eleven and Max into yet another fit of giggles, they told the two that it was even better than a concert. Will gave himself the dare of looking back at Mike, and he did so.

Mike was still looking at him, and after a moment's hesitation, he breathlessly said, “Yeah… even better than a concert.”

Will pretended like he didn’t hear it, but he couldn’t hide the smile that made its way to his face.

***

A Christmas Carol played on the television, as Eleven passed around the bowl of popcorn. Will was brought back to reality and remembered where we was. He wanted to kick himself for thinking so much about everything that had happened with Mike, that he had missed the first two minutes of the movie. He pushed those thoughts aside and grabbed a handful of popcorn.

***

They were about thirty minutes into the movie, and about 20 remarks telling Dustin to stop commenting on everything had been made. Every time someone told him to shut up, Will couldn’t help but laugh. They all knew Dustin wasn’t going to quiet down soon, but they still tried. At some point in the movie, Will felt a nudge in his side.

“Come with me, I’ve got something to show you,” Mike whispered, beginning to stand up. Will didn’t want to miss anything from the movie, but Mike sounded urgent. So as quietly as possible, Will stood up from where was previously sitting on the floor. Max noticed them leaving, but didn’t say anything as she turned back to the movie. Mike didn’t say much as he led them out of the basement, and straight upstairs. Will took this as a sign to not say anything either, so he kept quiet. But when they had gotten to Mike’s room and there was still a blanket of silence between the two, Will finally broke.

“What did you have to show me?” He asked. Will looked around the room, it looked was neater than usual. Mike must have cleaned it up recently. It didn’t make much sense though, considering Mike never cleaned his room. Everyone knew Mike didn’t mind there to be a mess where he slept, Will, contrastingly, enjoyed a cleaner environment.

“Well… I know we’re supposed to do it later but…” Mike kneeled down beside his bed, reaching underneath it. What he pulled out made Will’s heart flutter. In his hands was a nicely wrapped present, with a blue bow on top. Will could tell just by looking at it that Mike hadn’t wrapped it himself. Mike must have noticed what was running through Will’s mind because he chuckled and spoke again.

“I tried to wrap it myself, to like… impress you or whatever,” Will’s mind lingered on the idea of Mike trying to do something for him, “But I failed horribly. Got Nancy to wrap it instead, she even added the bow. Isn’t that cool?”

“Yeah, it’s a nice blue.” Will felt like an absolute dork complimenting the bow, but he was at a lost of words. Mike didn’t have to get him a present, and he especially didn’t have to go to the means of wrapping it. Mike never tried to wrap anyone’s presents. “Thank you, Mike.”

Mike chuckled and brought his hand to the back of his neck. An indication of nervousness, WIll thought. “You don’t get to thank me yet, you haven’t even opened it!”

Will nodded and began delicately unwrapping the gift. Before him was an art kit, filled with colored pencils and sketching ones. Had it been any kit, Will would have been thankful. But it had been a specific one, an expensive one, that WIll had wanted for months. He didn’t bring it up too often though, maybe mentioned it once or twice. So as he traced his finger along the packaging, he filled with shock.

“How’d you remember I wanted this? Oh my god…”

Mike sat down on his bed and looked at the ground sheepishly, “I pay attention to you, Will. Always have.”

He didn’t mean to, he really didn’t, but Will couldn’t control the scoff he let out. Mike’s words contradicted his actions for months prior to Will moving, when he had been all over Eleven. They had broken up sometime between the move and the Christmas Eve party, but Mike’s behavior was still something that happened. “You didn’t pay much attention to me when you were with El…”

Mike groaned, letting out a sigh. “I know. And I’m really sorry about that. I was a complete asshole and you never even got to hear me apologize, so I’m saying it now.”

It was simple, but self-aware. So Will accepted his apology. “It’s a few months late now, Wheeler. But I’ll take it.”

Mike laughed and shook his head, “I really am sorry, Will.”

“Hey… it’s okay. You’re just a teen boy, it’s basically expected.”

Mike smiled, “Get used to it because you’re this teen boy’s best friend.”

Will simply rolled his eyes and returned to look at the present, baffled once again.

“The day you said you wanted it, I wrote it down somewhere. I kept track of its price and saved up on the side.”

Will didn’t tear his vision from the gift in his hands, “But why?”

Will didn’t get a response, instead, he got a Mike who looked at him with big puppy eyes. Will’s gut knew what that meant, but he needed further confirmation. So Will slowly made his way to Mike’s bed, and sat down next to him.

He repeated himself, “Why?”

“Because I like showing I care,” Mike answered simply, it was a hollowed-out reply, like the surfaced version. Will took a risk and pressed firmer on the topic.

“Is that it?”

The room went quiet, all the noise from the party beneath the two boys being muffled. The room felt like a bubble, something like their own world. Mike must have felt the same safety because he finally continued to speak.

“Because you matter to me. Because I care that you get what you want for Christmas, and that you know I’ve missed you, that I get to be the one to hug you and impress you by winning some stupid party game. I care that you get to know you look good and all of that. And… and…”

Will swallowed nervously, his insides feeling like bundles of nerves. His eyes bounced from one attribute on Mike’s face to the next anxiously. He looked at how Mike’s eyes glimmered in this lighting, and how his freckles laid upon his skin. And lastly, he looked at how soft and gentle Mike’s lips looked.

“And… what?” Will whispered unintentionally, his heart racing to such an extent he hoped Mike wouldn’t hear it,

“And I care that you know I like you.”

All night people had been grabbing Will and pulling him into things. Mike pulling him into a hug when he had arrived, Eleven pulling him up to dance, Lucas pulling him into his victory celebration. All were completely okay, Will found happiness in all the actions. But his favorite by far of the night, was at that moment. When Mike laid his hand on Will’s cheek, and slowly pulled him into their kiss.

It wasn’t fireworks, or explosions. There was no fire of desire that got put out. It was home. Mike’s lips were as soft as previously assumed, and his thumb caressed Will’s cheek in a way that made time stop. It took a second for Will to kiss back, primarily because a boy he had been secretly crushing on for years was kissing him, and secondly because said boy was Will’s first kiss. But when he finally realized that even though this was Mike, it was also his best friend. Everything was always okay with his best friend. Will kissed Mike back, following in the same pattern of his movements. After a bit of time, Mike finally pulled away. The ball was in Will’s court, him kissing back could have meant anything, what really mattered was what he’d say to Mike.

“You tried to impress me with winning twister?” Will realized with a laugh.

Mike simply rolled his eyes and brought Will in for another kiss.

11 notes · View notes

sidehowriting · 6 years

Text

Date

Masterlist in bio!

A/N: So I really liked Vacation and decided that I needed to write a date with Steve and reader. So this is that story. Its a part 2 to Vacation. Its also for @teamcap4bucky 1k Celebration!

Italics is text communication

Prompt: Are you going to kiss me or not? (I might have grammatically changed it just a bit to work it in)

Pairings: Steve x Reader

Summary: You have your first date with Steve.

Word Count: 3.6k

Warnings: Fluff, swears, talk of sex

You were rushing around your house, trying to make sure everything was taken care of. “Jonathan! Lucas! I put the pizza in the oven! Are you guys responsible enough to take it out in twenty minutes?” You yelled to your brothers while you went back to the bathroom. You looked at yourself in the mirror again, making sure your hair and makeup were just so. When you didn’t hear a response, you yelled again. “BOYS!”

“Yeah!” “Sure!” Came their voices. You knew they were distracted playing their video games, but you didn’t want them to accidently set the house on fire.

You weren’t convinced but it would have to do. You rushed back to your bedroom, remembering that you wanted to put earrings in. You heard a knock on the door while you bent over your dresser, searching for the perfect pair.

“Date’s here!” Jonathan called. You could imagine he didn’t even bother to pause his game.

“Yes, I hear that! Can you answer the door please? I’m almost ready!” You yelled back, growing irritated that you couldn’t find the earrings you wanted.

More knocking came followed by your brother’s reluctant sigh. You rolled your eyes, muttering to yourself how it wouldn’t kill him to get up once in a while.

The door opened and you heard muffled voices, quickly followed by footsteps. “So, freakin’ Captain America is in the living room.” Jonathan was standing just outside the doorway, staring at you.

“Yes,” you said, “I told you this three days ago.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t think it was really Captain America.”

“Did you think I was lying?”

“Well yeah.”

Straightening up you put your hands on your hips. “Really, Johnny? You’re gonna be a dumbass right now?”

“Luke thought you were lying too!”

Your fingers tensed like you wanted to strangle your little brother. Instead, you simply pointed him out of the room. “Go get Luke and meet me in the living room.”

“You don’t need to go over rules, we already know.”

“Go!” You commanded and he didn’t argue. He simply sighed exasperatedly and walked out. Giving up on looking for the earrings you muttered a soft ‘fuck it’ to yourself and left the bedroom.

Steve was waiting in your living room. He looked super dapper: dark button up, deftly outlining his muscles. Matching dark jeans that fitted his waist perfectly, emphasizing his large thighs. His eyes lit up the moment you walked in, his smile giving you the warm and fuzzies. A small bouquet was in his hands and you noticed him clutch it tighter as you walked up to him.

“Hi,” he said when you stopped in front of him. “You look… wow, you look beautiful.”

“Thanks.” You glanced down for a moment, the intensity of his gaze and his compliment making you fidget and blush. Bringing your eyes back up to his, you said, “You look really good too.”

His smile and blush matched your own. You caught the faintest whiff of cologne, deep and strong and yummy. “I brought these for you.” He handed you the flowers. A collection of roses and tulips and daisies and various other flowers you didn’t know the name of. “I wasn’t sure what your favorite was, so I just got a bunch.”

You graciously took the flowers as the boys walked in. “Boys,” you said, turning to face them but having a hard time taking your eyes off the beautiful flowers. Their scents blended so well together. “This is Steve. Steve, these are my brothers, Jonathan and Lucas.”

“Hi,” Steve said, giving a small wave to the boys. “Your sister has said a lot of good things about you guys. She’s very proud of you.”

The boys were just staring at Steve, eyes fixated and lips parted. They really didn’t believe you when you said you were going on a date with Captain America.

Finally, Jonathan moved, leaning towards Lucas. “Dude, I didn’t know Captain America could lie.”

“Johnny!” You snapped. “What did I say about being a dumbass?”

Thankfully, Steve just laughed. “It’s fine, Y/N.” He then addressed the boys again. “It’s true. You sister is very proud of you guys.”

You could tell the boys were feeling awkward with the praise, so you moved the conversation along. “Hey,” you said, “take this for me.” You handed your flowers to Lucas. “Put that in a vase with water, okay? Don’t forget the water.”

You folded your hands in front of you. “Now, rules.” You glared at them when they groaned. “Hey! I don’t want to hear it. Now, the main rule is do not answer the door or phone for anyone you don’t know. I would like you boys to go to bed at a decent time, but I know how you guys can be. I don’t know what time I’ll be home, but I’ll text you when I have an idea. You have Steve’s number in your phones?” When they confirmed you continued, “One last thing, do not forget about the pizza in the oven. I do not want this place burned to the ground, you hear me?”

Jonathan and Lucas gave eye rolls and practically shoved you and Steve out of the house. They were annoying but they were your brothers and you loved them very much.

“They seem like great kids,” Steve said. He had placed his hand on the small of your back, gently leading you to the car. You found this simple gesture very touching.

He opened the door and you got in, adjusting your dress so it didn’t ride up. “Thank you. They’re a handful but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Climbing into the driver’s seat, Steve buckled himself in. “Are you ready for dinner?”

“I’ve been looking forward to it all week,” you said shyly. You were so happy when Steve texted you, asking to go out. It was hard finding a good time with both of your schedules, but you finally were able to make it happen.

The car was thrown into reverse and Steve backed out of your driveway, heading onto the main road. “I have too,” he said. “Actually, I’ve been thinking about it since I last saw you.”

“Really?” You turned to him, a smile forming on your lips.

“Yeah.” He glanced at you then back to the road. “I did ask you out the day we left.”

“You did. And I was really happy you did.”

A comfortable silence fell between the two of you as he drove you to the restaurant. Once inside, Steve gave the name for your reservations. The staff seemed to scuttle around when they realized it was the Steve Rogers and his date. You were quickly escorted to your table, given menus and, a complimentary bottle of wine.

You took a sip, feeling the warmth of the alcohol move down your throat. “This is good wine,” you commented, “Might be dangerous for me.”

“You’re not drivin’, doll. Drink up.” Holding out his glass, you clinked yours against it. Eyes locking on each other as you both took a sip.

Setting your glass down, you picked up the menu and started looking it over. “I’ve never been here before. Do you have any recommendations?”

“I haven’t been either,” Steve said, gazing at his own menu. “Tony was the one that said I should take you here. He recommended the steak.”

You giggled. “Well, then, let’s see if Tony has good taste.” You set down the menu, waiting for the server to come.

She appeared quickly. She was fidgeting, and stammering, and her hands shook as she took your orders. Dropping her notepad several times, she quickly walked away towards the kitchen.

“Does that happen a lot?” You asked when the server was out of sight.

Steve smiled. “Yeah, more often than not. Especially with women.”

“You’re very attractive,” you said. “I can see why they would get flustered.”

You liked the blush that started to form on his cheeks. “Yeah, well, its all serum.”

The server came back, bringing you little bowls of soup and a basket of bread. She was having trouble making eye contact with either of you. As she left, you grabbed a roll. It was warm and the butter you spread on it melted quickly.

You took a sip of soup and a bite of bread. It was delicious. “So far Tony’s right,” you said, munching. “This is really good food.”

With a mouthful of bread, Steve nodded making you giggle. This was a nice restaurant and so far, the food matched that. As did the company.

You focused on your soup and your bread, occasionally glancing up and catching Steve’s eyes. His blue gaze heating you up on the inside.

Just as you were finishing, the server came back with your meals. Taking away the old plates and presenting you with new ones. You took a bite of the steak Tony recommended, eyes rolling back as the flavor assaulted your mouth. “This is delightful! Tell Tony I am forever indebted to him.”

Steve laughed, taking a bite himself. “That would make two of us. And I don’t just mean the steak.”

“Steve,” you said, trying to hide your face with your hair. “That’s so kind of you. And I agree. I haven’t had a nice date in a very long time. Thank you for taking me out. It really means a lot to me.”

“Really? A pretty dame like yourself not goin’ out much?”

“I could say the same thing to you.”

“You think I’m a pretty dame?”

You giggled. “The prettiest.” Dabbing you mouth on your napkin, you continued. “But really, you’re Captain America. I’m sure you can have your pick of the ladies. Why the reservations?”

He shifted in his seat and you were hoping you didn’t cross the line. “Partly, that’s just not who I am. I don’t want to rush into something if it isn’t with the right person. And, Captain America can have his pick of the ladies. Steve Rogers, hasn’t always had that same luck.”

“That makes a lot of sense,” you said, taking another bite of steak. “You want someone who cares for Steve and not just Cap. I hope you’ll believe me when I say that I think Steve Rogers is pretty amazing by himself.”

“I do.” The quickness of his reply and this sureness of his voice made your breath hitch. “I wouldn’t have asked you out if I didn’t. I really like you, Y/N.”

“Steve,” you said so softly, “I really like you too.”

“But what about yourself?” He switched the subject away from himself. “Why haven’t you gone out much?”

You gave a dry laugh, pushing food around on your plate. “It’s my job, Steve. Guys either think what I do is disgusting or get way too excited about it.” You shrugged. “It’s hard finding a happy medium.”

“I’m sorry no one has really given you a chance,” he said with sincerity. “And again, I’m sorry I didn’t when we first met.”

“It’s okay.” You finished your glass of wine and started to pour yourself a second one. “I’m sorry Tony kind of sprung it on you. I honestly didn’t think anything would happen. I was just happy to get a free vacation,” you said, smiling.

He smiled too. “I was definitely not expecting it. Tony just told me that I should spend the weekend relaxing, enjoying my final days in the double digits. But I’m glad he did what he did. I got to meet a really incredible woman out of it.”

“Thank you,” you said, smiling. The happiness the compliment caused stirring inside you.

You continue to eat your meal, moving the conversation from subject to subject. You hadn’t seen Steve in person since his birthday weekend and it was nice to talk to him face to face. The two of you had been texting back and forth but that just wasn’t the same.

The server came back, looking calmer than before. She quickly disposed of your plates and brought out a piece of chocolate cake, also complimentary. She gave you each a spoon, smiled awkwardly, and walked away.

“Sharin’ dessert? How romantic,” you said, scooting closer to the table.

He smiled and agreed, scooting closer as well. The dessert was gooey and chocolatey. It was messy but delicious. Steve, being the gentleman that he is, even let you have the last bite.

He requested the check but was told that Tony Stark had already covered the bill. Since payment was surprisingly taken care of, the two of you left he restaurant, Steve’s hand on the small of your back again. His touch was still warm and made you tingle, the sensation probably heightened from your two glasses of wine.

You were disappointed that the date was coming to an end. When he suggested going for a nice walk in the nearby park, you were elated.

When you got there, you were happy to see the place was calm and open. The few people that were present didn’t seem to pay either of you much mind.

“I’m having such a nice time with you, Steve,” you said as you walked next to him. “It’s nice getting to know here and in person.”

“I agree,” he said, his hands resting in his pockets. “I like talking to you.”

Blushing, you looked at your feet, keeping an eye on where you were walking. “Oh,” you said, grabbing your purse and rummaging, “I should text the boys and give them an update. I’m not usually gone this long.”

“Do you always let them know when you’re out?”

“I always do with clients. Not as rigorously with causal dates, but it makes me feel better and it makes them feel better. With clients I’m on more of a schedule and I can tell them when I’ll be home.” You didn’t have any messages from your brothers asking when you were be back, but you figured giving them an update on going to the park was a good idea.

“So, they know about your job?”

Nodding, you slipped your phone back into your purse. “They do. I wanted to be transparent with them. They were really against it at first. But after meeting some of the other girls and my mistress from the agency, it helped put them at ease. And I take extra precautions that aren’t required but they make me feel safer.”

“What else do you do?”

“Well, I make all my clients sign a contract outlining exactly what they’re hiring me for. It helps keep some of the creeps away. I also don’t drink while on the clock.”

Steve started to laugh. “I think I remember you having a glass of somethin’ when I got to the vacation home.”

You joined in his laughter. “Ah, once again you are the exception, Steve. I expected neither sex nor for you to be creepy towards me. I always envisioned Captain America to be nice and respectful. And you blew that vision out of the water.”

His hand closest to you came out of his pocket. You watched as his fingers stretched towards yours. His skin was soft when it made contact. Your hand practically disappeared inside his larger one. You felt the same warmth and tingling in your hand and it spread throughout your body. Naturally, you moved closer to him, letting your joined hands fall to the side.

Your heart rate sped up when you glanced over and saw Steve looking at you. “Your skin is soft,” he said awkwardly, making you giggle.

“Thanks,” you smiled, giving his hands a little squeeze.

The two of you stayed out walking for another thirty minutes, talking about everything and nothing, sharing silly stories from your childhoods. It felt like the two of you were really connecting. Laughing and joking seemed to come easily. And you loved hearing his laugh. Your hands stayed linked the whole time. When you made it back to the car, your feet were hurting. The shoes you had picked were not conducive for long bouts of walking.

When Steve pulled into your driveway, you inwardly groaned when you noticed the living room light was still on. The boys were up way too late on a school night. They would have to deal with being overly tired in the morning.

Steve opened the car door for you and walked you to your doorstep, his hand encompassing yours. “Thank you again for asking me out, Steve. I really had a wonderful time,” you said as you stood on your porch.

“I’m glad you said yes.” His fingers stroked your hand. “I’m hoping we can do it again soon?”

You smiled. “I’d love that. If you’re not busy this weekend, maybe I could cook for you again?”

“That would be great.” His smile was absolutely perfect, making your heart skip a beat. “I’ll text you in the mean time?”

You nodded quickly, muttering a soft “okay”.

There was a moment’s hesitation before Steve dropped your hand. “I’ll see you then.” He smiled at you before heading back to the car.

“Wait!” You called and he stopped, turning back to you. His eyes were bright and curious and suddenly you felt silly. “Are…are you going to kiss me?” An embarrassed smile appeared on his lips, cheeks turning red, and you felt very silly. “Or not. It’s okay if you don’t want to. I just… well… I’d like to kiss you.”

He came back up to your porch, standing in front of you. “I didn’t wanna rush,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “But I would really like to kiss you, too.”

“I think you should, then,” you said softly, pushing yourself closer to him. He placed his hands on your waist, fingers curving with the contour of your body. Your eyes fluttered closed and your hands went around his neck to his hair. Little butterflies erupted in your stomach the moment his lips pressed against yours. They were just as warm and soft as his hands and you felt lost. You grabbed the base of his hair to anchor yourself as he stole your breath away with one soft kiss.

He pulled away slowly and when you opened your eyes, he was still dangerously close. If he was just some guy, you would have gone back in for more. You wouldn’t let him leave until your tongue had thoroughly explored his mouth. But Steve wasn’t some guy. Steve was special. Old school. Well, really old school. This was a relationship you wanted to take your time with.

“I’ll see you this weekend,” he practically whispered as his hands fell from you. Your skin felt cold without his warmth.

“Okay. Bye, Steve.” You matched his tone, the smile never leaving your face.

“Bye, Y/N.”

You watched him get in the car and back up. He waved at you before pulling out onto the road. When he was finally out of sight, you went in the house, still feeling a bit lightheaded.

Inside, you found the boys lounging on the couch, watching TV. “BOYS!” You yelled, the giddiness instantly dissipating. “Why are you still awake!? You’re both gonna be so grumpy in the morning and I don’t wanna deal with that.”

Jonathan stretched, nearly smacking Lucas in the face. “Well, we were waitin’ up for you.”

“You never gave us a final time you’d be home,” Lucas added.

Guilt for snapping at them started to form, breaking away your anger. “I’m sorry. I got caught up with Steve. That was real sweet of you two.”

“Speaking of Steve,” Johnathan grabbed his phone and walked over to you. “We also wanted to show you this.” Lucas was right behind him as the three of you were huddled around Jonathan’s phone.

After a few clicks, he pulled up a video. The quality was very poor like it had to be from decades ago. Sure enough, you recognized it as one of the propaganda videos Steve had done back in the day when he first became Captain America. While you had seen them before, clearly the boys had not. They were both trying to hide their laughter as the video ended with Steve punching a fake Hitler.

“Wow,” you said and rolled your eyes.

“This is hilarious!” Jonathan put his phone in his pocket once the video was over. “You went out with that guy!”

“And you have a poster of him in your bedroom,” you commented, heading towards your room. “Go to bed!”

You shut your door before either of the boys could say anything. You heard them continuing to laugh as they past your room and went to theirs. They were so stupid, but you loved them so much.

As you stripped off your clothes and got ready for bed, you got a text from Steve.

Steve: I know I keep sayin it but thank you for the date

You: Of course. And I hope I didn’t push you too much with the kiss

Steve: You didn’t. I was wanting to kiss you but I didn’t know how to go about doing it. I’m not that smooth. Even with Bucky’s coaching

You started laughing as you read his text. Of course, he had help getting ready for this date from his best friend. You turned off the lights and snuggled into your bed before you replied.

You: Whatever you are, I like it. And I like kissing you.

Steve: I liked kissing you too

You: I’m getting ready for bed. I’ll talk to you in the morning. Night Steve

Steve: Sweet dreams

You set the phone down and closed your eyes. You hadn’t felt this happy over a guy in a very long time. You had no doubt you would have sweet dreams about him.

Tags: @dsakita @lancsnerd @xxloki81xx

#teamcap4bucky #teamcap4bucky1kcelebration #steve x reader #steve x you #steve fluff #steve x y/n

54 notes · View notes

harttohartforever-blog · 5 years

Text

The Red Strokes

"Many of you were here last year when I sang a song to Jonathan for our anniversary. Well, he insisted on a song this year as well. Last year his gift to me was a very special painting. Darling, here is my painting for you." Jennifer nodded at the orchestra and took a deep breath.

"Moonlight on canvas, midnight and wine

two shadows starting to softly combine

The picture they're painting is one of the heart

And to those who have seen it

it's a true work of art

Oh, the red strokes, passions uncaged

thundering moments of tenderness rage

Oh the red strokes, tempered and strong

burning the night like the dawn

Steam on the window, salt in a kiss

two hearts have never pounded like this

Inspired by a vision

that they can't command

erasing the borders

with each brush of a hand

Oh, the red strokes, passions uncaged

Thundering moments of tenderness rage

Oh, the red strokes, fearlessly drawn

burning the night like the dawn

The blues will be blue and the jealousies green

but when love picks its shade

it demands to be seen

Oh, the red strokes, passions uncaged

Thundering moments of tenderness rage

Oh, the red strokes, fearlessly drawn

burning the night like the dawn

Steam on a window, salt in a kiss

two hearts have never pounded like this

Happy anniversary, Darling."

The applause was loud in the ballroom Jonathan had reserved for the anniversary party this year. Jennifer wouldn't tell him what she planned to sing but he pulled out all the stops, booking the Legacy Ballroom and an orchestra to accompany her and provide music for dancing.

The room was filled with men in either black tie or Naval uniforms, the ladies in elegant ballgowns. Jennifer's peach-colored chiffon stood out among the sea of mostly black dresses, its strapless bodice thickly paved with crystals. Around her neck, she wore his gift to her this year, a necklace of perfectly matched, cultured pearls with a large, antique, cushion-cut diamond enhancer lying against her sternum, its banked fire flashing and throwing sparks as she moved.

The orchestra had played during the cocktail hour, and then, once Jennifer's song was through, they played unobtrusively throughout the dinner service as the waiters passed grilled duck breast and shrimp skewers. At nine the orchestra played the intro to their final song, the Sweetheart's Dance, just for the Harts alone. Jonathan led her onto the dance floor to the first strains of Once Upon A Dream. After he had waltzed her around and around for about two minutes alone the deejay called for all the married couples to join them on the dance floor. When the last notes faded the deejay took over to provide plenty of dance music. They danced the evening away, Jennifer was twirled around the floor with seemingly every man at the party while Jonathan was much in demand as a competent partner, he knew how to make even the most amateur dancer feel like the belle of the ball.

"I need to be alone with you." He told Jennifer when they finally had the chance to dance together again to a recording of the Glenn Miller Orchestra's performance of Sunrise Serenade. "That was quite a song you chose. I felt like I was making love to you through the whole thing."

"That was the idea." She smiled radiantly as he waltzed her into a dip and then kissed her soundly on the way back up.

"I think every man in here had the same thought."

"Then maybe some of their wives will get as lucky as I'm going to get tonight."

"What makes you so sure you are going to get lucky tonight?" His voice was a sensual growl that traveled from her ears straight to all the pleasure centers in her brain and she shivered delicately in his arms.

"Experience," she answered tartly. "I can see it in your eyes. Right now you are wondering if we can slip away quietly like we did at our wedding reception. It's only too bad we have such a long ride home. I don't think Max is going to want to leave his poker game with the waitstaff quite so early."

"It might be the best thing for him, before he loses all his money to them. Besides, it's not early Darling, it's past midnight. It's time for the carriage to turn back into a pumpkin."

"That's Cinderella. Once Upon A Dream is from Sleeping Beauty."

"Well, it's time I got my Beauty home and into bed."

"That was the general idea."

They cuddled in the backseat as Max piloted the big car across the 101 and then South on the 405. They could never drive the 405 without remembering the day they had found Freeway on the ramp. He was just a filthy bundle of fur but Jennifer had insisted they stop and rescue the little pup. Tonight, she had her arms around Jonathan's neck, her fingers in his hair and she had drunk enough champagne toasts that she was feeling no pain.

The sticky August heat inland became cooler and they could smell the salt air coming off the ocean as Max turned onto Sunset Boulevard then up into the canyon. At this hour of the morning, there was almost no traffic and they made it home in about 35 minutes. Jonathan went to bring up a couple of brandies for a nightcap while Jennifer slipped upstairs to change into something more comfortable.

"Why, Mr. Hart, are you trying to take advantage of me?" She asked when he walked into the bedroom with two crystal snifters of Remy Martin XO.

"I rather thought it was the other way around." He told her, clinking his balloon glass to hers. "After that song choice tonight I suspect you have designs on my virtue."

"I don't want your virtue Darling, it's your vice I'm interested in," Jennifer looked delicious in a long, black silk nightgown that swirled around her ankles much the same as her ballgown had earlier. For him, dancing with her was always like an extension of their foreplay. After an evening of holding her close, or even watching her dance with others, seeing the way her dancer's body moved, he could hardly wait to be alone with her. She considered herself lucky that she had married a man who loved to dance, but before her, he hadn't cared about dancing at all.

Jennifer had studied ballet and modern dance right up through college, and still took classes occasionally. The night they met he had taken her to the various night clubs of London and they danced the night away then too. He could waltz and foxtrot passably thanks to Max's insistence that he learn the skills expected of a gentleman, but he had never loved it until he danced with Jennifer. During their very brief engagement, he had taken a crash course in dancing, practicing every evening in order to keep up with her.

Holding her tonight, feeling the heat from her skin radiating through the thin silk of her negligee and remembering how beautiful she looked singing just for him as though the ballroom full of people didn't exist, he felt again the enormity of his love for her. Jennifer had improved his life in every way, he would give her the sun and stars if she asked, dancing was such a simple request.

"What was that you sang, about salt in a kiss?" He asked her, kissing that spot on her throat that always made her crazy. She threw her head back, encouraging his exploration of her soft skin before leading him to their big bed. She had her favorite sheets on the bed, the royal blue ones that flattered her pale, freckled skin, made of pure mulberry silk that was just as smooth and soft as satin but breathed so much better.

On these hot, sticky summer nights the lightweight silk made sleeping bearable. They could leave the air conditioning turned off and throw the big windows open to the evening breezes. The smells of night-blooming jasmine and moonflowers drifted in with the sounds of the coyotes calling to each other in the canyon. Very rarely, they would hear the distant echo of a wolf howling, the eerie sound always filling Jennifer with a kind of beautiful sadness she could never put into words.

Jonathan paused a split second from entering her, her legs wrapped around his hips, her body slick and aching for him, he saw her again like it was the first time. He was looking into her eyes as he moved in her with exquisite, agonizing slowness. Her pupils dilated and her breath stopped for a heartbeat when he, at last, filled her completely. His name on her lips was a plea as he moved back out with the same slow control until her body responded to him from that place beyond words, Her nails clawed at his back, her heels a drumbeat on his thighs, her muscles holding him tightly within her until he let go as well, filling her with everything that words could never convey.

When he collapsed beside her, both of them breathing hard, she turned with him to hold him inside her a little longer. He was caught in her eyes just as surely as within her body. She was the center of his universe, the sun that kept everything spinning in rhythm. It sounded so corny even in his own mind to say that she completed him but that was exactly what she did. She complimented him, her strengths balancing his weaknesses, as he did for her. They fit together so perfectly that nothing could ever come between them or break them apart.

Chapter Two

"Jennifer? Can you come right away? I need your help." Beth sounded frantic and Jennifer looked blearily across Jonathan's body at the clock. 9:15. It had been nearly one-thirty when she and Jonathan had gotten in last night. And after three when they, at last, fell asleep in each other's arms. Between the many, many champagne toasts and the brandy they had shared at home, it felt like the party was still going on inside her head.

"Of course, Beth. What's wrong?"

"It's Gianna. I think she's been kidnapped."

"We'll be there in an hour." Jennifer hung up the phone and shook Jonathan awake. They both dressed quickly and told Max they would be back later. The drive to Sherman Oaks took thirty minutes and then they were pulling through Beth and Cary's gate, parking behind Beth's sporty red SUV.

"All right Beth. Why do you think something has happened to Gianna?" Jonathan asked when they had been shown into the Aldridge's living room.

"We got a phone call. It was from her phone, but it was a man. He said they have Gianna. Not to call the police, and they want five million dollars transferred to a numbered account at Fidelity Bank of the Bahamas by four p.m. or they will kill her." Cary answered for his wife. He was much calmer than Beth. "What do you think, Jonathan? Should I pay it?"

"We're not there yet. Let's start with the obvious. Did you call the school to see if Gianna is there? Maybe it's just a really bad prank." Jonathan spoke seriously, his mind racing. He and Cary had been friends since college. Jonathan had been the best man at his wedding, and he had a photo in his study of Jennifer dancing with a two-year-old Gianna at their own anniversary party five years later.

"I called the school," Beth spoke up although her voice shook. "They said she never arrived."

"Was she driving?" Jennifer asked suddenly. "OnStar should be able to track her car." Gianna had been so excited to get her license just a few months ago, Beth and Cary had given her a little Chevy Volt as a birthday gift.

"No, she rode in with her friend Molly. I've already checked, she didn't make it to school either and her car wasn't equipped with a tracking device. Her parents are on their way over." Beth broke down in tears, Jennifer moving swiftly to hold the sobbing woman. She couldn't imagine what Beth must be going through. The Aldridges had married older, much as she and Jonathan had, but unlike the Harts, Beth and Cary had been blessed with a child. Gianna was the light of their lives.

Just then there was another knock at the door and the housekeeper ushered in a younger couple. Chris and Maggie Malone were in their early thirties and despite living in Sherman Oaks they clearly were not as well off as the Aldridges. Unfortunately, they knew as well as Jonathan did what that likely meant if Gianna had truly been kidnapped. Molly was collateral damage, she had no value as a hostage, therefore a kidnapper would have little reason to keep her alive.

"Why not check Gianna's GPS history? It might tell us something about where she has been recently." Jonathan suggested. The other two men followed him out to the garage where Gianna's little blue convertible was plugged in. Cary activated the touchscreen display and called up her GPS history. It showed her most frequently visiting the Westfield Mall with school in a distant second place.

Chris Malone suggested driving over to the mall to see if anyone remembered the girls or saw anything suspicious recently but Jonathan took him aside and asked him to stay and help Cary see to the women. Privately he thought that canvassing the mall might be a good idea but he didn't want to risk Chris accidentally finding his own daughter's body. He and Jennifer could investigate the mall on their own.

"Cary, you stay by the phone and call me immediately if you hear anything, anything at all. And Chris, why don't you and the ladies call around to the girl's friends and see if they know anything. Jennifer and I will check the mall and around the high school." Gianna and Molly attended Campbell Hall in Laurel Canyon where they were both starting their junior year.

The mall had only been open for an hour or so when he and Jennifer started asking around, showing pictures of both girls. Several employees recalled seeing the girls around at various times, especially in the food court but no one could really identify when they had last seen them with any certainty. Jonathan and Jennifer were in the security office trying to convince the on-duty Captain to let them review security footage to see if there had been anyone following the girls recently when Jonathan's cell phone chirped.

"Abe ... What? When? We're on our way now. I'll call you when we find out anything." He pocketed his phone and turned to the security officer. "Where is 2bella?"

"That's in the east wing, on the first floor, it's that way." He pointed down the left side of the huge space and Jonathan took off at a run, Jennifer hot on his heels. "Gianna's credit card was just used at a store called 2bella a few minutes ago. I had Abe flag her card when I asked him to track her cell phone. Whoever has her card might still be in the area if we can get there fast enough." He panted, threading his way past early shoppers and small clots of track-suit-clad mall walkers.

The clerk in the boutique remembered a group of high school aged girls who all seemed to be together but couldn't specify if Gianna or Molly had been part of the group. She did recall that they were talking about going to Sephora next setting Jonathan and Jennifer off running again. Sure enough, Sephora was filled with teens, one of whom was very familiar.

"Uncle Jonathan, what are you doing here?" Gianna asked him as he tried to catch his breath. Jennifer was already dialing her phone as soon as she spotted Molly Malone in the crowd as well.

"Cary, we've got them. They are safe. Yes, both of them. We don't have any information yet. We'll be headed back to you in a few minutes." She hung up the phone and turned her attention back to the girls.

"We just decided to skip today, we didn't have any important classes, it's just review from last year. And I lost my phone somewhere. What's the big deal? I can't believe my dad sent you after me." Gianna looked embarrassed being singled out and Jennifer felt bad for her but Jonathan took the two girls aside for a quiet conversation after which both girls looked worried and quickly gathered their bags and sprinted towards the exit.

"They are heading straight back to Cary's house. I told Molly her parents are waiting there as well. I'd better call and let them know the girls are safe ..."

"I already did," Jennifer interrupted him. "But what happened?"

"Thank you, Darling." They both began to move towards the exit as well. "It seems the whole pep squad decided to ditch their morning classes and meet here for some retail team building. They all met up in the food court and it was half an hour before Gianna noticed her phone was missing."

"Just this once I wish she was a normal teenager obsessed with her phone, it might have saved a lot of worry if she had noticed it sooner."

Jennifer commented.

"I don't think so, Darling. And I don't think Gianna lost her phone. It's too coincidental to think that a random stranger finds her phone and decides to stage a fake kidnapping AND just happens to call the wealthiest parents in the school. Someone knew what the girls were planning and took advantage of the circumstances. Will you drive back to Cary and Beth's, please? I need to speak to Abe again." Jonathan's brow was furrowed as he scrolled through his contacts.

She was horrified by the idea that someone would be so cruel as to play a prank of this magnitude on her friends. The drive back to the Aldridge estate was a quiet one as Jonathan had a cryptic conversation with Hart Industries head of cybersecurity, Abe Solomon. She was very happy to see the girls climbing out of Molly's white Jeep in front of the Aldridge's house when she pulled up to the gate. All four parents came spilling through the front door crying happier tears now and hugging the girls.

The Malones, in particular, couldn't seem to let go of their daughter, standing in a close huddle, rocking back and forth and crying on each other. Jennifer could empathize with the special fear they must have been grappling with. Cary and Beth had known that their daughter was most likely alive and unharmed, the Malone's didn't even have that comfort. Jonathan asked that all of the adults meet him in the living room when they were ready and led Jennifer inside.

She would not normally presume to make requests of someone else's staff but today she sought out Beth's housekeeper, Ingrid, and asked her to make some strong coffee and sandwiches for everyone. She couldn't help but notice that Ingrid's eyes were red too. She had been the Aldridge's housekeeper since before Gianna was born and she had been praying for The Virgin to intercede and bring the girls home safe. Now she promised to have lunch on the table in half an hour and Jennifer returned to find the adults clustered in the living room listening to Jonathan explain his theory.

"I don't think any of this was a coincidence. I believe someone knew that the girls were planning to skip school and followed them to the mall. I think they used the bustle of the group as cover to steal Gianna's phone and make that call to Beth."

"But Jonathan, if that were true then whoever it was would have to know what I am worth. Why ask for so little?" Carrington Kendrick Aldridge had taken a modest hundred million dollar inheritance and turned it into a multi-billion dollar conglomerate of air and sea shipping companies.

"Because their plan depended on you paying quickly. They needed to ask for an amount you could put together within a couple of hours. The longer it took the more chance there was that you would discover they didn't actually have Gianna, just her phone. The whole scheme would fall apart if she simply borrowed a friend's phone and called home for any reason.

I have asked my corporate investigator to find me the location of Gianna's phone. The supposed kidnapper probably doesn't know Gianna is home. I'd like to play this out. Let him think that you are going to pay, that you are sick with worry over her safety. Drag it out as long as you can, give Abe time to do what he does."

"Look, Jonathan, I'd like to catch the guy too, frankly I'd like to pummel his face into the pavement, but Gianna is home safe and the phone is easily replaceable. Why not just leave it at that?" Cary asked him.

"Because if he is desperate enough to try a stunt like this he may not give up so easily. And next time he might not be bluffing. I don't think Gianna will really be out of danger until we figure out who it is and stop them for good."

"You're right of course. I hadn't thought about that. All right, Jonathan. We'll play this your way. Tell us what you need us to do." Cary spoke but the others nodded their agreement.

"For now just keep on as you have been. Call Gianna's phone and just keep them talking as long as you can. Ask to talk to Gianna, but don't push too hard when he refuses. Maybe talk about how distraught her mother is. Anything to keep the line open while Abe does what he needs to."

"Jonathan, why not just use one of those 'find your friends' apps? Gianna must have one, all the kids do." Jennifer asked him. "It will tell you where the phone is in just a few seconds."

"Abe will be able to get a much more precise location, he only needs to phone to be active for a minute or so and he can pinpoint the location to within a few feet." He nodded at Cary who dialed his daughter's phone number and performed as Jonathan suggested. He wasn't able to keep the faux kidnapper on the line for more than a minute but it was enough. Jonathan's phone chirped again and Abe was able to provide him with an address.

Jonathan tried to convince Cary and Chris Malone to remain behind but they would not hear of it so he had to settle for asking the police to meet them there. Abe's information led them to a house about fifteen minutes from the Aldridge home in another upscale neighborhood. Unlike the homes surrounding it however, this house appeared to have fallen on hard times. The lawn was overgrown and turning brown in patches, and there were cobwebs accumulating in the corners of the wide porch. When Jonathan rang the bell they heard the sound of footsteps and then the door was opened by a teenage girl in a Campbell Hall school uniform with the inevitable Airpods in her ears. Cary introduced himself and asked if her parents were home.

"Da-ad, it's some guy for you. I'll be in the kitchen if you ever get ready to take me to school." Just as she bounced out of the room a man came downstairs, preoccupied with shuffling through a stack of letters in his hand. When he glanced up and spotted the three men in his foyer he looked panicked and tried to bolt past them for the door. The crunching sound of his nose breaking seemed very loud when Cary punched him just as Jonathan launched himself into a flying tackle at his midsection. The man went down in a tangle of arms and legs and made no attempt to get up again.

"Why did you do it?" Cary shouted at him.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about. How did you get in here?" The fear in his eyes gave him away and Cary took out his phone. He punched the redial button and the unmistakable bubblegum sound of Taylor Swift came from the man's pocket. Chris grabbed him roughly and pulled a bedazzled blue cellphone from his pocket just as the police knocked at the front door.

David Standish became very chatty once the handcuffs were on. He had made some bad stock investments recently and was being foreclosed on by his creditors. His daughter Alecia was on the cheerleading team with Gianna and Molly. When he overheard the plan to ditch school he saw an opportunity to get back on his feet. This morning he pretended to 'catch' Alecia and grounded her so she couldn't reveal him then it was a simple matter of getting close to the oblivious group of girls at the food court and stealing Gianna's phone when she put it down. He figured that since he asked for so little Cary would just pay him quickly and quietly rather than risk Gianna's safety.

He claimed it wasn't really a crime since he didn't actually kidnap Gianna and was surprised when Officer Benton informed him that he did, in fact, commit attempted felony extortion as well as theft of the cell phone. Cary gave a disgusted snort when David started pleading for mercy on behalf of his family and begged him not to press charges. Chris coldly informed him that he was pressing charges even if Cary didn't and he should be grateful they weren't suing him for intentional infliction of emotional distress. That was the last they heard from Mr. Standish as the cops led him away. They returned to the Aldridge estate where Jonathan and Chris collected their respective women and left, the ladies promising to make plans to meet for lunch next week.

At home, Jennifer suggested a soak in the hot tub since they left in such a hurry this morning. The spa was a fairly new addition. After fire destroyed the house in '94 they had made a few upgrades to the rebuild that it had been needing, including enlarging the small balcony off of the master bedroom and which now sported the jacuzzi set into the deck and a couple of comfortable chaises for sitting outside and enjoying the balmy southern California weather. With fifty acres of empty canyon wrapped around the house, they were free to forego swimwear, as they were doing now.

"To anniversaries." Jonathan raised his wine glass, "May they never get boring."

"That's what I love about you, Darling. I meet such interesting people. I think my next husband will be a nice, boring banker. Or an accountant."

"Your next husband? Darling, you could never leave me, you love me. You can't live without me. You will never have this much fun with anyone else."

"Jonathan?"

"Yes, Darling."

"Move your foot."

"You love me. You know you love me. I know you know you love me."

"All right, Darling. I love you. Now, would you rub my back for a minute please." She turned to rest her arms on the deck as Jonathan crossed the small space between them and positioned himself behind her. Her sleek blowout was completely undone in the steam and the tendrils that escaped her hair tie clung to her neck in damp curls that reminded him of how sweetly tousled she looked when they made love.

She knew what he was thinking by the way his hands felt on her back, one minute kneading the knots from her neck and the next lightly running his fingers down her spine. She shifted slightly, moving closer to him and wedging him firmly against her butt, smiling as she felt the sudden jump in his attention. His gentle stroking continued along her sides, tracing an hourglass under the water, making her sigh and lay her head back onto his shoulder.

"What were we talking about?" Her voice was already husky and sexy sounding and he could feel her moving against him. The bubbles added a new dimension to their playful banter.

"How much you love me, how you could never, ever leave me." He reminded her, nudging even closer against her.

"I could leave you if I wanted to." She insisted, even as she pressed back against him, her voice becoming ever more ragged in the flow of bubbles from the jets. It was an old routine between them. He could talk her into anything because she was helpless when he turned the full wattage of his seduction on her. But there was always a moment of apogee, when he became helpless in the face of her touch. If she was powerless to resist his words, he was just as paralyzed by her caress.

The bathrobes draped over the nearest chaise were still warm from the late afternoon sun when Jonathan rose out of the jacuzzi and held the thick white terry out for her to step into. And when she went into her dressing room to select a negligee she found one already laid out on the blue velvet upholstery of her slipper chair.

"How does he do that?" She mused under her breath. Jonathan had been with her all afternoon and yet here was one of her favorite negligees all ready for her to slip into. She was certain this was one task he would not entrust to Max, and yet how else could he have accomplished it?

"Magic." She had been so deep in thought she hadn't noticed him approach and she jumped at his voice.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I said 'magic'. You were wondering how I got your gown laid out without you noticing." He smirked at her look of confusion and held the garment in question out for her slip on. He was already wearing a pair of soft pajama pants in white silk with black piping trim. His favorite gold chain glinting at her from its nest in his chest hair. She was so glad he had never gone in for the current fad of waxing his chest. Smooth, hairless chests might be trendy but she had always found his hair to be sexy. She loved the rough feel of it under her fingers when they made love, the way he responded so quickly when she toyed with it through his open collars, and especially how the gold coin he wore on a chain looked resting in the thick brown nest.

The coin had been a gift from her on their first Christmas together, after he had commented about having a lucky penny growing up in the orphanage. He had immediately taken the coin to the jewelers and had it strung on a chain so he could always have it close to his heart. In all the years they had been married he had never taken it off and seeing it there still moved her.

The gown he had chosen for tonight matched his pants, of course, he frequently chose his own clothing to complement hers. She was wearing the same white silk but hers was styled like a traditional cheongsam, the formal high neck Chinese dress slit high up both sides. It was inked in black with watercolor peonies and a vertical line of calligraphy that translated to 'When I met you the sky burned, and so did I'. He had commissioned an artist to paint it especially for her the year she turned 50. That had been a difficult birthday for her since menopause had her questioning her sexuality and whether she was still desirable to him. The gown made her feel beautiful and sexy and very, very cherished.

"It's not the gown," she had told him that night with happy tears in her eyes. "It's how you see me." It still remained one of her favorite gifts. The fabric hugged her slender body and whispered against her skin.

"I want to give you all of the beautiful love words you deserve but your eyes steal all of my words away." He told her now.

"Jonathan, you always say the sweetest things. I wish that I had taken the time to write down all of the beautiful things you tell me. If I had put them all in a book it would be a runaway bestseller. Finally, a definitive primer on how to understand the heart of a woman. But I never wrote them down and my only excuse is that I was too busy being in love with you."

The big California king was an island unto itself when they met in the middle of it. Jonathan fingered the satin frogs that closed her gown from shoulder to hip, slipping them free one by one. Jennifer could feel the heat from his hands searing her skin. Tiny blooms of heat in every brush of his fingertips that spread like ripples on the water. The covers moved slightly and he glanced down to see Freeway squirming out from the blankets beside her.

"Freeway, out. Scat now." He shooed the little dog off the bed and put him out. "Go find Max now, run along." His tone was loving but firm. He sounded like he was speaking to a naughty child and Freeway obeyed much like a child who knows there is no point in protesting any further.

"Now, where were we?" He asked as soon as he returned to the big bed. "Oh yes, I remember. I believe I was right about here." His hands returned to the last couple of knots that held the fabric closed against her skin. "I love this negligee, Darling but it hides something I desperately need to get to." Her laughter was sweet and musical as he finally opened the last frog and the nightgown fell open. "Your neck." He added with a grin, kissing the hollow spot he revealed.

"Darling, you're like a vampire. I should call you Count Dracula the way you are always biting my neck."

"You love it. It's no use denying it now. It's far too late for that." He wasn't wrong. His lips on her throat never failed to excite her. "I'm trying to make up for all the years I should have been kissing you but I just hadn't met you yet."

"I just want to feel your touch, your love. In your arms I am home." Jennifer wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him right up against her body. After his slow seduction in the hot tub, she was ready for him. She didn't want to wait any longer to have him inside her and she wrapped her long legs around his thighs to urge him forward.

"I want to be as close to you as I can be. It's not just the way you touch me, I love the way you say my name, the way you make me believe in forevers. I never wanted to be helpless until you. Every day I willingly hand you the ability to destroy me and every day you show me why I am right to trust you. My life has changed for the better because I love you" Jennifer spoke simply but her words were all the more eloquent for her quiet delivery.

"You have quite the way with beautiful words as well, Mrs. Hart. Being with you is special because I don't have to censor myself. I can say all of the ridiculously over the top things in my heart and know you won't think less of me."

"We really are completely over the top, aren't we? But I wouldn't want it any other way"

"We are. I love these times with you, when the whole world just fades away and all my walls come down. You speak directly to my heart." He kissed her again, long and slow and he was rewarded when he felt her tongue probing delicately, reaching out to sweep across his lower lip. He could taste the rich wine they had shared in the spa as well as a hint of her peppermint toothpaste. The setting sun cast red lines in the quiet room as their shadows merged into one.

They moved together again like thousands of times before. Jennifer loved the way his five o'clock shadow rasped across her skin. Jonathan loved the sound of his name, spoken like a prayer, on her lips. And the way her kisses tasted like sunshine.

"E poi, poi ci son io che in te vorrei semplicemente." Jonathan loved the way her voice sounded, low and sexy when she spoke love words in Italian. Or French, or Spanish, or any of the half-dozen languages she spoke. He waited now, knowing she would translate for him. "And then, then there is me who would simply lose myself in you."

"Sometimes I look at you and wonder how I got to be so damn lucky." He told her. His hands were everywhere on her body, moving over her breasts, through her hair, stroking her arms. His weight on her as familiar to her as her own skin. She tugged lightly on his chest hair, fastening her lips around each of his nipples in turn, making him cry out her name as he spilled himself inside her.

The late sun painted her body in wide strokes of red and dark shadowed places. Now it was his mouth that hovered over her breast and she arched her back up to him but he remained frustratingly out of reach.

"Don't tease me, Jonathan, I need you."

"Tell me." He demanded, his breath a torment on her skin, and a rush of heat flooding her body.

"Kiss me." She pleaded. "Touch me, make my world go black." His hand drifted lower, finding the secret heart of her and stroking softly. He kissed her hard cinnamon-colored nipples, first one then the other, until her breath grew harsh and ragged.

"Not yet." He whispered against her ear. Her body was primed and ready for him and it took only a slight shift to slip inside her again. Her heat was overwhelming as she trembled beneath him and he held himself up with one arm, keeping the other seated firmly between them, pressing against her in time with his movement inside her.

"Not yet," he whispered again. Her body shook with need and he could see that she was nearly at the end of her control. He withdrew almost all the way from her. "Now." He growled in her ear, driving deeply into her and quickly lowering his head to feast again on her swollen nipples. Her screams echoed in the room and a small covey of songbirds in the garden took flight. As her body convulsed she gripped him tightly and he poured himself into her for a second time.

He held her close as her quakes gradually subsided and her racing heart calmed. Thick tears leaked from the corners of her eyes as she breathed great gulping sobs in his arms. Her head was thrown back, his arm holding her close, comforting and soothing her as only he could. He kissed her gently. It was perfect, delightful, as she tangled her tongue with his. It was so soft and gentle and he calmed her soul as he quieted her body. Tenderly, with the softest of touches.

"I love you, Darling."

3 notes · View notes

museumof2021 · 3 years

Text

January Special Feature: Inauguration Coats

I am an absolute *sucker* for a great coat - and January’s outdoor inauguration ceremony was RIPE was excellent choices. Lets dive in:

It actually begins on the evening before the inauguration, as the Bidens and Harris-Emhoffs visit a memorial for the nation’s COVID victims.

Harris wears a coat designed by Kerby Jean-Raymond of Pyer Moss, a black designer who spent the early months of the pandemic working to gather and distribute PPE to overburdened hospitals in New York.

Dr. Jill Biden dons a mask and wrap-style coat from Jonathan Cohen, who is a rising star in sustainable fashion. His work heavily uses off-cut fabrics, that would otherwise be discarded.

The use of American designers stands in stark contrast to Melania Trump, who preferred European fashion houses like Gucci and Dior. Mrs Trump departed the White House in head-to-toe funerary black, wearing a Chanel coat, Dolce & Gabanna dress and Hermès handbag.

The following day Vice-President Harris wears a long purple coat by Christopher John Rogers, a young black designer whose colourful garments have made him a rising star in American fashion.

The colour is a nod to Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to run for president. Harris frequently wears pearls, in homage to her historically-black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha.

The only man who is going to make this list is Nikolas Ajagu, the husband of Harris’s niece Meena Harris. His Dior x Air Jordan 1 sneakers are the only shoes worth talking about. Kamala Harris frequently wore sneakers on the campaign trail - making this an appropriate choice, in my opinion.

His daughters Amara and Leela are dressed in custom coats designed to look like a pair of jackets once worn by Kamala and her sister Maya, the girls’ grandmother, when they were children.

Amanda Gorman, the young poet laureate whose poem quickly became an inauguration highlight, wore a vivid yellow coat by Prada. It was an homage to her connection to Jill Biden, who attended one of her poetry readings three years prior and complimented her yellow dress.

The headband, worn around her braids like a halo, is also Prada. They sold out on the company’s website before the ceremonies had even concluded.

Ella Emhoff, accompanied by brother Cole, wore a beautiful coat with a Miu Miu coat with an oversized collar and crystal-studded shoulders. The tweed coat is a runaway star among the night’s fashions.

Fun fact - the siblings call stepmom Kamala “Momala” which is very sweet.

Michelle stormed back into my heart with this monochromatic Segio Hudson look. Photos do no justice to how beautifully this coat moves - it ripples like a superhero cape. I love the pants. The post-Whitehouse Michelle is no longer bound by the restrictive style etiquette and can indulge in some winter-friendly, gorgeous slacks.

Dr. Biden’s powder blue tweed jacket was designed by fashion newcomer Alexandra O’Neill of Markarian.

Finnegan Biden, Hunter Biden’s second-born daughter, wears a luxe camel coat from Brandon Maxwell while Natalie Biden, Beau’s eldest child, wears a bubble-gum pink coat from Lafayette 148 New York.

Garth Brooks wore blue jeans - go off, casualwear king lol - and Lady Gaga came dressed in a voluminous gown. Her extremely large broach of a dove was likened to the Hunger Games’ mockingbird - a fitting analogy after the dystopian Trump years.

I quite honestly cannot find great photos of Jill wearing this cashmere coat. It was only briefly peeped during the fireworks show on the Truman balcony and the railings obscured the view - but it is a beauty. The double-breasted Gabriela Hearst coat is embroidered around the hem with the federal flowers of each of the fifty states. The matching dress beneath it positioned the flower of Delaware - Biden’s home state - over her heart.

Speaking of knockout looks, though, Ashley wore a sleek black Ralph Lauren suit.

And finally - the mittens. A schoolteacher in Vermont made these mittens for Senator Bernie Sanders, utilizing wool from old sweaters and recycled plastic bottles. It’s an on-brand look for the environmentally-friendly politician.

#2021 recap #january 2021 #2021 in depth

1 note · View note

beholdme · 3 years

Text

All the Many Shades of Gerry - Chapter 16

Chapters: 16/19

Fandom: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Gerard Keay/Jonathan “Jon” Sims | The Archivist, Martin Blackwood/Gerard Keay, Martin Blackwood/Jonathan “Jon” Sims | The Archivist, Gerard Keay/Jonathan “Jon” Sims | The Archivist

Characters: Martin Blackwood, Jonathan “Jon” Sims | The Archivist, Gerard Keay, Tim Stoker (The Magnus Archives), Sasha James, Gertrude Robinson, Elias Bouchard

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Library AU, Librarian Jon, Artist Gerry, Trans Male Character, Trans Martin Blackwood, Canon Asexual Character, Asexual Jonathan “Jon” Sims | The Archivist, Ace Subtype - Sex Positive, Polyamory, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Romantic Fluff, Falling In Love, Boys in Skirts, Kissing, Demisexual Gerard Keay, Minor Character Death, Past Character Death, Canon-Typical Child Neglect, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Flirting, Minor Jonathan “Jon” Sims | The Archivist/Tim Stoker, Adventures in Hair Dying, Happy Ending, Banter, Gerry has a lot of sass, Gerard Keay is Morticia Adams, Jon is a very grumpy Librarian, Martin adores them anyway.

Summary: In which Gerry is a kaleidoscope and Jon and Martin can’t help falling in love with him.

He happens to love them back.

Find it on Ao3

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]

Right in the middle of mild renovations, and Martin moving into the loft, Gerry has a showcase sneak up on him.

They're in the very chaotic process of turning three lives into one and it's unfortunate timing, but he's willing to cope to have his partners close at hand.

Jon is also in the process of moving in, but more slowly, having kept his flat for an extra month, hoping to ease the chaos. Two cats and several duplicate pieces of furniture clutter the space, and everything is just a bit out of sorts.

Gerry's showcases are an odd thing. As an anonymous artist, working under a pseudonym, he doesn't technically have to go to his shows, but Gertrude likes for him to be around, and she tells everyone he's one of her assistants so he can attend without a fuss. No one ever takes any notice and he gets to watch people react to his paintings with absolutely no idea that he's present. It's an odd feeling that often leaves him disquiet, but he never regrets going. As an artist, there's nothing better than seeing your art on display, with just the right environment and just the right lighting.

This time, he also has a bit of a plan brewing.

Feeling truly rooted in the foundations of their relationship after more than a year, Gerry presents Jon and Martin with very fancy, formal invitations, complete with a bow and a suggestive wink.

“Will you be my companions for the evening, gentlemen?” Gerry seems to be doing a very pompous impression of Elias, which sends Jon into instant hysterics.

While he’s distracted, Martin pulls Gerry close and they swing around the room, mimicking some kind of waltz, before bashing into a table and then a couch. They cut their losses and simply kiss breathlessly in the middle of the laughter.

"So," Gerry asks them when they've all settled down and gone back to trying to install the new storage cabinets. "What do you think? Want to be my plus two?"

Jon laughs sweetly from nearby, a screwdriver in hand. "I think I can speak for both of us when I say that we wouldn't miss it for anything."

***

There's a fair amount of chaos as the day approaches, Gerry trying to complete and send off several final pieces while Martin and Jon frantically search for their formal wear in the boxes that currently pass for their wardrobes.

Eventually giving up on trying to organize the walk-in closet to accommodate all three of them, Gerry and Tim drag both Jon and Martin's armoires up the stairs and they all unpack their clothes in their own wardrobes.

This is a rather tumultuous activity, which somehow ends with Tim shirtless and Gerry wearing a bright teal and pink Hawaiian shirt, open over a black lace bralette. No one even tries to guess where the bralette comes from, but Gerry decides he likes it, and Jon eyes him approvingly.

"You should wear that to the opening, Gerry," Martin suggests provocatively from nearby. "Give your own art some competition."

Gerry smirks at him. "I think you should come over here and say that to my face."

"Oh God, can I watch?" Tim asks a hopeful excitement not quite masked by the humour.

Jon manages to sneak a sweet candid of Gerry and Martin laughing with Tim, all looking like they showed up to different parties. Overcome to see his two partners and his best friend all so happy together, Jon decides it might be his favourite thing ever.

***

In the end, their suits are unearthed, wrinkled but intact. They send them off to be dry cleaned right in the nick of time.

The night before his event, in a pique of creative mania, Gerry dyes his hair alone at 3 A.M. Martin and Jon wake up to find his hair a slightly blotchy silver-grey, which they both coo over lustily.

Jon gently helps him even it out, and by the time his hair is clean and dry again, he looks striking and angular. In his dark blue trousers and well-fitted waistcoat, eyeliner and piercings in place, he looks downright picturesque himself- a work of art who also happens to create works of art.

Jon has a favourite black suit with a very faint pinstripe pattern, which he wears with a green waistcoat and matching green tie, to compliment his mossy eyes. His white shirt contrasts pleasantly against his tawny skin and even he agrees that he looks rather handsome.

Martin owns exactly one suit- it's a light grey colour just a little too cool to flatter his summery skin tone, and it doesn't fit quite right through the shoulders, if he's being honest. Gerry gently encourages him to wear his trousers and crisp white shirt with a warm maroon sweater. It's soft cashmere, made even softer (according to Martin's poetic side) by the fact that his lover's gave it to him for Christmas. Gerry's artist eye managed to pick out precisely the right shade to compliment his warm brown eyes and pink hair, and the ensemble leaves him looking quite lovely.

He eyes his bow ties indecisively, and Jon wanders over and hands him a dark blue-grey one with tiny white dots. He even ties it for Martin, and he offers a sweet kiss in exchange.

“You look splendid,” Jon remarks, pulling Martin carefully towards him by the elbows before pressing their lips together chastely. They kiss for several moments, lips dragging together pleasantly. Jon runs his hands down Martin’s forearms to tangle their fingers together, where they fit together snuggly.

Martin sighs as they part, all outfit uncertainty having fled. “What was that for?”

“I just couldn’t help myself.” Jon chuckles, grinning. “I see a stunning man, I have to kiss him.”

“So it’s not because my dotty bow tie fills you with incandescent joy?” Martin presses their foreheads together, simply basking in Jon’s presence.

“Everything about you fills us with incandescent joy,” Jon whispers to him. “Especially the way you can make the perfect cup of tea."

“And,” Gerry adds, coming up to place a hand at the small of Martin’s back. “The way that you can remember the love story from every book you’ve ever read.”

“I-” Martin laughs sweetly at them, blushing fiercely. “You guys.’’

They all stand together for a moment, each looking spectacular in their own ways, soft looks on their faces. Gerry vaguely wishes this was the whole day, that he could just stand here with his lovers and convince Martin that he is the most perfect man on earth. He wishes he could just tease Jon until he snaps and tries to tickle Gerry to death, and they would end up all rolling around the floor, ignoring the many extra pieces of furniture currently occupying the flat.

Gerry wishes for these soft and special moments and knows that there will be a million more of them as time goes on and that the moment coming will (hopefully) be perfect in its own way.

They each share a kiss with the others, then they grab their things and make their way downstairs, excited and jubilant, all laughter and easy affection. They pile into a cab together and Gerry tells them stories of past showcases, full of ridiculous moments and strange pride at his impossible artistic success.

The second they arrive, Gerry is summoned away and with a wink and a grin, he’s gone. Martin and Jon exchange a smile, joining hands and moving through the gentle crowd. There are plenty of people in attendance already, but the sorts of people who go to galleries are the quiet sort, and there isn’t a lot of boisterous energy flying about.

They wander around, finding many paintings which they have seen Gerry working on over the last year, and unsurprisingly, several they’ve never caught a glimpse of.

Sometimes Gerry will work on a painting for weeks and then keep it around for months, looking at it every day, and then other times he'll paint an entire piece in 18 hours, decide he never wants to see it again and send it straight to Gertrude for safekeeping.

It’s all a part of his creative rhythms, and they’ve long since grown accustomed to it.

The gallery itself is a series of thin rooms, with a bench down the middle for extended viewings. Each is filled with four paintings, even if they are wildly different sizes. They seem to be arranged by vague categories, but Jon and Martin are amused to see that a 3D piece made mostly out of torn book pages and painted to appear aflame is hung across from an oil painting of a colony of seals swimming across a galaxy in the night sky.

Gerry reappears at intervals, whispering secrets to them as they consider one piece or another. At the painting of a siren singing longingly to a falling comet, Gerry whispers something into Martin's ear which makes him smirk in a way that fills Jon with burning curiosity. Instead of sharing with him as well, Gerry pecks him on the cheek and then dashes off at the behest of a harassed looking assistant of Gertrude’s.

“What did he say?” Jon implores Martin softly after he’s gone again.

“Apparently he was thinking of us in a very specific way while he painted that one.” Martin is still grinning smugly.

“Ah,” Jon says, nodding. “Naked?”

“Very naked.”

“You know, I rather imagined that was what he was always thinking of while he painted.” Jon confesses.

“Really? That’s a lot of imagined nudity.” Martin whispers, threatening to spill over with laughter.

“Well-” Jon bristles slightly. “We’re very nice to look at naked, like- like muses!” He finishes triumphantly.

“A point well made, love.” Martin concedes.

He drags Martin to the next room after that, and they find it to be the final part of the exhibit.

There are only two paintings here, a matched pair of the same size, sitting on the end wall side by side. They’re another two neither of them has ever seen before, and Jon draws Martin to sit on the bench and simply absorb the art together. Their hands are twined, and they feel rather overwhelmed with unspeakable emotion.

There are a pair of matching sold signs beneath them, bold and unmissable.

Gerry finds them sitting there, and he sits himself on the other side of Martin, gently taking his other hand.

“Oh, Gerry.” Martin eventually whispers, awe-struck.

“Do you like them?” Gerry squeezes his hand, and Jon reaches over Martin to tangle his fingers in the pile. It’s messy, just the way they all like it.

“Very, very much,” Martin affirms.

“Gerry, they’re spectacular.” Jon offers his appreciation. “How did you get them done without us ever seeing them? They’re huge.”

“I finished them months ago, before we spent so many nights all together, then I kept them in the storerooms before I shipped them off to Gertrude,” Gerry explains. “I wanted you to see them here, like this, for the first time.”

“Why?” Martin asks, voice full of warm curiosity.

“It's the way you each make me feel, and I wanted you both to have this moment, to see them displayed to their best potential,” Gerry whispers to them, the space feeling sacred and private, despite the people wandering the gallery around them. "It seemed more poignant than simply saying 'I love you,' back in the days before we said those words so easily."

"I can't imagine being filled with so much talent that I could just…" Jon begins, voice laden with unexpected emotional fragility.

Martin continues for him, "Paint the way you love someone?"

They don't notice, but Gerry actually blushes, hot embarrassment and pleasure filling him in equal parts. His voice is smooth and clear, mercifully, as he starts his explanation.

“Martin, yours is that moment of dawn breaking, out somewhere that there are no other people. Maybe you feel alone, but you never feel lonely, because the sun is rising and it reminds you that the world always moves at its own rhythm. Like sometimes I haven't seen you in a while but I walk into the bookstore or you come through the door, and your smile fills my heart, as steady and unchanging as the rise and fall of the sun in the sky.”

The painting in question rather does convey that feeling, a foggy moor stretching towards a tree-lined horizon, dawn breaking and bringing light and warmth to the cool edges of the space. Darkness sits in the corners, but it only serves to enhance the light, drawing the eye towards the sweet sunrise.

Gerry continues, this time focusing on the darker painting, an intricate stained glass window refracting down, colourful light filling a room with books stacked haphazardly everywhere. “Jon, yours represents what it’s like to try navigating our relationship together. The books are not sorted or organized and they can be tricky to understand, but the comfort and ease of that familiarity can still fill me with peace in the most unexpected moments. The light is colourful and ever-changing, both a familiarity and yet always shifting to suit our moods and seasons together.”

"Constant, but never the same," Jon whispers in return, and Gerry is pleased to hear he knows the feeling.

They simply sit with each other a moment, the sheer scope of their emotions filling them up with warmth and a sort of profound understanding that just doesn’t come from simple words. It’s a gesture as wild and unexpected as Gerry himself, and Jon and Martin bask in it.

“They're breathtaking, love.” Martin declares, turning to him. “It's a pity they're sold. I suppose we couldn't afford them anyway, but I wish I could buy them.”

Gerry grins, pleased. “They were never for sale. They're only here to be displayed. They're gifts. I was hoping- that is, I hope you and Jon will accept them. I painted them to go in your studies in the loft.”

“They're for us?” Jon murmurs incredulously.

“Yes, as a way for me to express just how much I adore you both,” Gerry confirms, giggling a bit at his own words. “How could I pour so much love into paintings, and let them live with anyone else?”

“I’m glad you couldn’t because I love them so much,” Martin tells him earnestly.

“I feel the same,” Jon adds, voice gentle.

“They’re- They’re the best things I've ever made. I’m so glad you like them.” Gerry whispers, surprised to find himself overcome with a hot swell of emotion.

They continue to sit together, hands tangled, lives knit together. Hope and certainty, two emotions none of them have ever been allowed to indulge in, blanket around them, cementing this moment forever.

#the magnus archives #jonathan sims #martin blackwood #gerry keay #jongerrymartin #fic #also on ao3

1 note · View note