#Zepplin tape

[rewatching-sam-and-dean]

Why this Doesn’t Mean Destiel : Part 1 - Mixed Tape

I may make this a series. I may not. But I’m feeling annoyed by a certain side of fandom, so I’m going to take a look at moments (or things) that are claimed to totally make D and C cannon, and discuss why I disagree. If you like the ship, please just save yourself the annoyance and skip on past this post. If you read this anyway or are not a fan, and have anything to add, I welcome your thoughts.

THE TAPE:

First, and I can’t believe I have to say this, a mixed tape is not actually inherently romantic. Friends make mixes for each other all the time, or used to before you could just share playlists or whatever them kids are doing these days. For example, my friends have ripped me CDs because they had better internet, they gave me a mix for my birthday, we went on a road trip and they left me the mix, or just because. I have done many of these things for my friends in return. A missed-tape or CD is simply a way to share songs we like with people we care about, or even an acquaintance. Can it be romantic? Absolutely! Is it inherently so? No.

Why isn’t this particular tape romantic? Check the name: "Dean's Top 13 Zepp Traxx.” This looks, more than anything, like a tape Dean made for himself ("Dean's"). As in, "I really like these particular songs, so I’m going to put them on one tape, so I don’t have to keep changing tapes over on road trips." Also, note the "Zepp Traxx." This looks more to me like something a teenager would write because it looks "cool" than anything else. I mean, a Dean who is pushing 40 might write "Traxx" on a tape — maybe — but it doesn’t seem that likely. So, it’s more than likely this tape was made decades ago, for himself, thus not a romantically intended (or thought out) mixed-tape. There is nothing about the tape itself to indicate it was made for Cass or that it has any special meaning.

DEAN:

Can we be honest here for one minute, people? Can anyone — anyone who has actually watched the whole show rather than cherry picking certain people's scenes — actually picture Dean Winchester, sitting down with an old boom box, lovingly, tenderly loading tapes into one side and recording onto a blank tape in the other side, thinking, "Sigh! These songs are so special to me because they make me think of my crush, Cass!" Or "I’m going to make Cass a tape of the most romantic Zeppelin songs I can to show him I care!"? If you answered "Yes" to that … this is not the blog for you. Also, I doubt that you know who the canon Dean Winchester is, as opposed to the fanon man-shapedr 14-year-old girl version from Tumblr or AO3. Dean doesn’t have time (or inclination) to sit down and make a mixed tape from scratch at this time in the show, especially when, you know, good luck finding a working tape recorder / cassette player / boom box that still works these days. The MOL bunker was frozen in time just a touch before tape cassettes were invented, so I doubt they have one hanging around the place. So, he went and bought something he could make a tape for Cass with? Really? I’m thinking not.

The most likely scenario for Dean giving Castiel a mixed tape? They are in the impala, maybe Sam is there sitting shotgun, maybe he isn’t. Cass starts talking about how he found merit in music Sam liked, or just some random music, and Dean says, "Come on Cass! That music is crap! Here, listen to this. This is the good stuff!" Then he rummages in his box of tapes one-handed, while driving, and tosses one to Cass. "Keep that one. I have a others," Dean adds. Then Cass says, "I’ll treasure it always, Dean!" No I’m kidding. Cass says, "Okay, Dean." He may or may not intend to actually listen to it at some point. After he finds a tape deck, of course.

So, does the mixed tape mean nothing? No, it’s still a nice gesture to give something you made to someone you care about. Do I think Dean put a lot of soecific thought into it, just for Cass? No. I think it’s actually similar to Sam letting Cass hang out in his room (presumable on his bed) watching Netflix on his TV, doing something nice for a friend and sharing media.

CASTIEL:

Even if Dean had sat sobbing over his mix for hours while he painstakingly crafted it just for Cass, it still wouldn’t equal Destiel. Why? Because Cass clearly didn’t appreciate it since he simply used it as an excuse to enter Dean's room and steal from him. Even if it was intended as an act of love, it was used as a tool for deception and betrayal. Thus, this does not support Destiel, rather it makes a case against it from Cass' POV.

THE WRITER INTENTIONS

Obviously, I can’t speak to these personally, but my thoughts on their possible thought process behind the mixed tape. First, they needed Cass to return something to Dean so he can get into his room, and it has to be something that was given as a nice gesture to heighten the betrayal. A tape makes sense because it’s not something so huge that it would be automatically given a ton of significance, but it also isn’t totally insignificant either. Second, Dean has a lot of tapes and he loves music, it’s very possible for him to give one to Cass off screen without the audience getting sidetracked and wondering why (how is he going to play it BTW? Go sit alone in one of the cars he’s stolen?). Third, do I think the writers were also throwing destiellers a bone? Probably, but throwing fans a bone does not equal queerbaiting because nothing else in Dean and Cass' relationship points to romance (and Dean is not into guys or Supernatural Beings). Throwing fans a small bone also doesn’t meant it’s leading to a romantic endgame. They do it with Wincest all the time, after all.

Overall, to me the purpose of the mixtape was to show Cass throwing something Dean gave him back in his face, so he could go behind his back for supernatural purposes. Again. If someone wants to read the tape as a romantic gift from Dean (it isn’t), that actually only makes what Cass uses it for worse. Thus, the tape does not support Dean and Cass romance.

And because I have to, this is a mixed tape (CD) with clear intent.

[especially-obsessed]

#icanteven

pt. 5

#icanteven - The Neighbourhood 

“I can’t even, I can’t even believe what you did to me You can’t even, you can’t even say I’m overreacting I can’t even, can’t even hear your side Shame on me, you fooled me twice”

Masterlist | Series Masterlist | Dean’s Playlist

Summary: series; Sam cheats on you.

Pairing: Sam Winchester x reader, Dean Winchester x reader, Castiel x reader (briefly)

Warnings: descriptions of depression, guilt, anger, descriptions of infidelity, fluff, smut (sam x other woman)

Word count: 4.1k

DEAN POV

Dean pulled his duffle bag strap over his shoulder and held the Impala’s keys in his hand. He couldn’t wait to leave this godforsaken motel. He’s stayed in his fair share of sketchy places, but this was by far the worst. Never in his time on the road, has he been curled up in bed, unsure of what his foot was touching, only for it to be a condom – and a used one at that. He physically recoiled at the thought again and slammed the motel room door behind him. Good riddance. 

He slipped into the driver’s side of the Impala, a motion that was thoughtless now, and jammed the keys into the ignition. The rumble of the car's engine soothed him in a way he didn’t know he craved just then. It was such a subconscious notion, that he barely even noticed it on a good day, which today was. Or it was about to be. He clasped the gear shifter in his hand, and threw the car into reverse, glancing over his shoulder to ensure there were no small children before backing out of the parking space. He thrust the car into drive and sped out of the parking lot, not caring if he left tire marks behind. It deserved it after the hell he just went through. 

Dean was four hours from the bunker, and he couldn’t wait to crawl into his own bed. His bed, which had clean(ish) sheets, and a blanket free of mysterious stains. His hand reached for the sound dial and his ears were flooded with a prominent mid-range frequency; the vocals were centered in the midrange and accompanied by a solid low-end from the bass guitar. Dean trilled his fingers along the steering wheel to the beat as he drove. He let his mind wander as the scenery around him changed from fields of whisping barley to dense forest, back to fields of open nothingness. 

He thought about the current song that was playing on the local classic rock station. It was generic and quite honestly, overplayed, but nonetheless, a classic. Especially during the time that it was produced, it was a masterpiece. Hell, it still is. His mind suddenly thought of you, and the argument you once got into over who had better music. Dean, of course, argued that Led Zepplin had the best music of all time (only because it was a tie between his two favorite songs of all time, “Ramble On” and “Traveling Riverside Blues”). You, on the other hand, argued Van Halen.

“Are you kidding me?” Dean had said, white-knuckling the steering wheel. He glanced over at you, with a grin plastered on your face. 

“I am dead serious,” you replied, trying to hide your grin, but Dean could see right through it. 

“Van Halen isn’t even in the same category as Zep, how could you say that?” 

“They rank right up there for me, along with Aerosmith and CCR,” you claimed. Dean was astonished, not sure if you were just trying to mess with him, or if you were being serious. You tilted your head back and let out a laugh, and Dean laughed with you. He glanced over and watched your hand as it rested on the open window ledge of the Impala, moving up and down in the breeze. The wind whipped around the stray hairs that framed your face. 

Dean smiled at the memory, glancing over at the passenger seat. The image of you had faded, now replaced with an empty seat bench and a couple of cassette tapes strewn about. He let out a heavy sigh and his smile fell, his lips pressed together in a firm line. Prior to this moment, Dean refused to let himself think about you in such a large capacity. Once a memory popped up, he did his damndest to shut it down. It hurt too much to think about the times you had spent together. 

A familiar sound slowly built through the car’s speakers as the radio station transitioned from the previous song, and Dean was pulled back from his thoughts. He recognized the bass marimba and electric bass immediately. It was the intro to “Sweet Emotion” by Aerosmith. Before giving it a second thought, his hand went to the dial once again and increased the volume. Dean’s grin slowly crept back to his lips and he rolled the window down. He laid his foot down heavier on the gas pedal as he drove down the road. 

Y/N POV

You heard the familiar sound of the bunker door creek open and slam shut behind itself. Your heart pounded in your chest. For a split second, you thought about bolting. If you got up now, you could run to the kitchen, wait for him to disappear in his room, and then sneak out without a trace. 

Suddenly, a hand was resting on yours. You looked up to meet Castiel’s icy blue eyes. His hand squeezed yours, reassuring you that this was the right decision. You took a deep breath and turned your head to the sound of his heavy footsteps descending the iron stairs. 

“Cass!” He called, echoing through the bunker halls. “You would not believe the week I’ve had, man. This motel was such a–,” he stopped mid-sentence, his boots landing on the concrete floor at the bottom of the stairs. The silence is deafening as the two of you stare at each other. You sit up from where you were seated with Cass at one of the library tables and take a few steps toward Dean, who is still frozen in place. You are unable to read his facial expression. There were no indicators as to if he was mad or upset; happy or elated. Panic floods your body, realizing that he is not happy to see you. He should have said something by now. This was a mistake. This–

Before your brain can fully process what is happening, Dean drops his duffle bag to the floor and moves towards you, fast. He doesn’t speak a single word, nobody does. You expect him to walk right past you and to his bedroom, harshly knocking your shoulder as he goes by. A final fuck you before you leave for good this time. Instead, he closes the space between the two of you and wraps his arms around you. He buries his face into your shoulder, inhaling deeply. His embrace was warm and firm, his hold on you unwavering. 

You had been craving this moment since the day you had left the bunker. It was a deep, hunger buried far below the surface, now awoken with the feeling of him holding you close. Leaving Sam was painful, sure. But you physically ached at the loss of Dean. The loss of your best friend. You felt your heart race at the thought, unsure of how you were ever able to leave in the first place. You had left the one person behind who could have helped you heal. 

Dean was the first to pull away from you, but he would be damned if he let you go just yet. He placed his hands on either side of your face, almost as if to distinguish if you were really there before him or not. You instinctively leaned into his touch and smiled. Tears welled in your eyes, but you refused to let them fall. 

“Hi Dean,” you said softly. Dean let out a chuckle and smiled down at you. 

“Hi y/n,” he replied, his voice wavering slightly.

“Can I have my face back now?” You asked playfully. Dean only looked back at you, smiling at your sarcastic comment. However, he didn’t move his hands. He gently stroked his thumb across your face, brushing away a stray tear that fell down your cheek. You cursed that tear for betraying you and brought up your hands to rest on Dean’s. Shakily, you pulled his hands from your face and held them in your own. 

“What are you doing here?” he asked quietly, staring down at your connected palms. 

“I missed you,” you whispered, admitting this to yourself for the first time. You stared at him, willing him to look up at you. As if hearing your thoughts, he looked up at you then. His eyes were swimming with emotion; pain and happiness all swirling together. You were lost in his eyes, which were as green as the first leaves after a winter. They held a captivating allure, whispering secrets of the wild, drawing you into their mesmerizing depths. Dean squeezed your hands, slamming you back into reality. 

“I missed you, too,” he spoke softly. Your heart skipped a beat, and it took everything inside you not to cry right then and there. Heat rose to your cheeks. You let go of his hands and backed away from him slightly, not missing the slight twinge of hurt that spread across his face, before being wiped away quickly. 

“I got you something,” you said, quickly trying to recover before his mind spiraled. His face picked up on the mention of a gift. You turned back towards the table you had been sitting at with Cass. You expected to still see him sitting there, waiting for the moment between you and Dean to pass to pick up your conversation from before. But he was gone. 

You moved to where your bag was resting on one of the chairs and pulled out a box. You hid it behind your back as you turned back to Dean. He was resting his shoulder cooly on the entryway to the war room, standing a few inches from the small staircase that descended. You couldn’t help but smile at his nonchalant demeanor, even after the moment you just shared. You pushed the thought away and stood a few feet from him, excited about what you were going to give him. He watched you carefully, grinning. 

You moved the box from behind your back and displayed it with both hands in front of you. Dean’s face lit up immediately, first seeing the box’s contents. It was a medium-sized box, with a clear plastic middle that displayed a freshly baked apple pie. A small crust heart was baked in the pastry top's middle. You motioned for him to take the box from you, and he didn’t hesitate. 

“Grand Traverse Pie Company,” he read aloud, examining the box. The smile never left his face and was spreading like wildfire to your own features. 

“I just finished a hunt up in Northern Michigan,” you explained, rushing to fill the silence. Your heart pounded anxiously in your chest. “I decided to make a stop on my way back down. I remember you telling me about how your dad stopped there once when you were a kid.” 

You watched Dean’s facial expression change. For a moment, you thought that you had made a mistake. You were struggling to read Dean. Hell, almost everything he had done since he got back was hard to read. The thought broke your heart, unknowingly forgetting things you had taken for granted just over a year ago. 

“I can’t believe you reimbursed that,” he said softly. He slowly looked up at you, his eyes glossed over. You had barely ever seen him this emotional before. He gave you one of those patented grins, like a child with candy — or pie. It hit you then, just exactly what he was thinking. You cocked your head to the side slightly and grinned back at him. 

“Right now?” You asked, already knowing his answer. 

“Uh, yeah right now,” he said, walking right past you. He made a beeline for the kitchen, tossing a quick glance over his shoulder at you. You turned to follow him quickly, as you watched him vanish around the corner. In the kitchen, Dean whipped open a drawer and pulled out two forks. He hands a fork to you, which you eagerly take, and uses both hands to ever so slightly slides the lid of the box up. In this moment, as you watch Dean’s face practically glowing as he adores the pie through the box window, you imagine yourself in a cartoon-like scenario. The radiant sunbeams illuminate Dean’s face as if Heaven’s light is being cast on him; the box's edges acting as bumpers to the light's edges and following the lid's edges. You smiled at the thought and looked back to a normal Dean, licking his lips as the lid falls behind the box. 

Dean wastes no time now slicing the pie into pieces, albeit overly sized. 

The two of you sat at the kitchen counter, the metal cool against your forearms. You wiped your face and watched Dean shovel in one last bite of pie. There were crumbs on his face, and you instinctively reached out to brush them off. Dean stiffened when he noticed this, and you quickly drew your hand away. He just as quickly wiped at his mouth to brush the crumbs away. Awkward. Dean cleared his throat and set down his fork. He looked up at you as if he had something he was dying to tell you. But you beat him to the punch. 

“So,” you said, clearing your own throat. “What have you guys been up to?” The corner of Dean’s mouth turned up slightly, remembering the past few months. He gently pushed the empty plate away from him and crossed his arms over his chest. 

“Cass and I have been all over the place lately. It’s a messed up world out there,” he said cooly as if it were the company line. “I was just in the absolute worst motel I’ve ever been in.” 

“Yikes,” you breathed, knowing that it had to be bad for Dean to bring it up. 

“Yeah, I don’t even want to talk about it,” he agreed, reaching out for his beer that rested on the table. He took a long swig, and you watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed. A sinking feeling started in the pit of your stomach, and you looked away from him, knowing this familiar feeling. Dean noticed the change in your body language. “How have you been?”

You looked up at him again and smiled, a big, genuine smile that made Dean’s chest flutter. 

“It’s been great,” you said sarcastically. “Alone, out on the open road, the wind rushing through my hair,” you continued, throwing your hair dramatically over your shoulder. Dean let out a soft chuckle at your dramatics. You reached for your own beer and took a swig. “No, it’s been okay. I needed to take some time, clear my head. I was pretty messed up there for a while,” you said, letting the words fall easily. A weird wave of relief washed over you finally being able to admit that to yourself, let alone someone else. 

“He’s not here,” Dean said abruptly. You almost spit out your beer at his words. You looked at him with wide eyes, not knowing what to say. He cocked his head to the side slightly. “C’mon, someone had to bring him up.”

“I honestly wasn’t sure if I wanted to know,” you replied, a weird sense of relief and…sadness taking over. You were surprised at the latter, not expecting to feel sad in Sam’s absence. Dean could see the contradiction on your face, your own emotions betraying you. And if he were being honest with himself, they were doing the same to him, too. 

“He moved out,” he said. What Dean didn’t say was that he more or less kicked Sam out over what he had pulled with you a few months before. He came home upset and looking to confide in Dean. But Dean wasn’t hearing a poor sob story from his younger brother about losing his girl. No, all he heard was how Sam managed to hurt you yet again after you had done absolutely nothing to deserve it. Dean’s fists clenched at the thought, and he lowered them to his lap under the table, hiding them from your line of vision. “He didn’t have much of a choice in the matter,” Dean added. 

“You didn’t have to-”

“I couldn’t look him in the eye, y/n,” Dean’s eyes were pleading with you. He finally understood how you had felt when all of this first started. The only thing that kept the boys together was a familial bond; the Winchester brothers' family line of toxic codependence. But Dean was no longer blind to his brother’s actions, and he was no longer ignorant to his feelings for you. 

You were speechless. 

There was no air left in your lungs. 

You stood slowly, your heart pounding so loudly it nearly drowned out the world around you. Every step you took around the table felt like crossing into something unknown and inevitable. When you reached his side, you paused for just a heartbeat, and then you placed your hands on either side of his face, your fingers brushing against his skin, warm and soft beneath your touch.

"Dean…" you whispered, your voice trembling with the weight of everything you felt but hadn’t yet said.

His eyes flickered down to your lips and back up, his own parting slightly, and you could feel the tension pulling you closer — like gravity, like fate. His hands rose slowly, fingers grazing your waist before settling there, tentative and gentle.

"I—" he started, but whatever words he meant to say were lost as you leaned in. Your lips met his softly at first, a question in the touch. But when he answered — when his mouth pressed back against yours with quiet desperation — the question turned into certainty.

The kiss deepened, fierce and urgent, as his hands slid up your back, drawing you closer until there was no space left between you. His fingers tangled in your hair, tilting your head as he claimed your mouth with a passion that stole your breath. The heat of him, the way his heart raced under your palms — it was overwhelming, intoxicating. Time unraveled, and the only thing that mattered was the way he kissed you, as though you were the only thing keeping him breathing.

When you finally pulled back, just enough to rest your forehead against his, your chest rose and fell in time with his, both of you breathless and trembling. His eyes were still closed, his breathing uneven, and when he finally opened them, that forest-green gaze was filled with wonder and fire.

"I think I’m in love with you," you whispered.

His smile was slow, radiant. "Good," he murmured, brushing his thumb across your cheek. "Because I’ve been in love with you for a while now."

The loud groan and squeal of the bunker door shattered the quiet intimacy. You turned toward the noise, assuming that it was Cass leaving. But the sound of footsteps faintly grew closer, and your stomach dropped when you saw him — Sam —- round the corner into the kitchen. The air grew heavier and colder, the old hurt flaring up at the sight of him. A year ago, Sam had shattered your heart when he cheated on you, but the pain of that betrayal still felt fresh. His expression froze as he took in the scene before him — you still tangled up in Dean’s arms, your face flushed, your breath still uneven.

"I—" Sam started, but you cut him off with a sharp look; your first instinct to take the defense. 

"Don’t," you said, your voice low and tight. "I have nothing to say to you."

Dean’s arms tightened around you protectively, his eyes hardening as they met his brother’s. "You heard her, Sam," he said, his voice calm but firm. "This isn’t your business."

Sam’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t move. "I just… I didn’t mean—"

"Whatever you didn’t mean, it’s done," Dean interrupted, his tone leaving no room for argument. "You’ve hurt her enough. You don’t get to walk in here and make this about you."

The silence stretched, heavy and charged, until finally, Sam nodded, his shoulders slumping. Without another word, he turned and walked away; moments later, the sound of the door closing behind him like a finality. Your whole body jumped at the sound, and Dean’s arms tightened around you instinctively. 

He turned back to you then, his hand coming up to cup your face. "You okay?" he asked softly.

You nodded, leaning into his touch. "I am now," you whispered, your voice thick with emotion. His eyes softened, his thumb brushing away a tear you hadn’t realized had fallen. 

A few days later, Dean found Sam sitting on the front steps leading into the bunker, his shoulders hunched and his face drawn with regret. Without a word, Dean sat down beside him.

"I messed up," Sam said quietly after a long silence. "I didn’t mean to hurt her — or you. And I don’t know how to fix it."

Dean stared ahead, his jaw tight. "You can’t just fix something like this, Sam. You broke her trust — and mine. You cheated on her, and that’s not something you just brush off. But if you’re serious about making things right, you start by owning what you did. No excuses. No justifications. Just the truth."

Sam nodded slowly. "I want to. I just… I don’t know if she’ll ever forgive me."

"That’s not up to you," Dean said. "But if you want even a chance, you have to show her you’re willing to change — not just with words, but with actions. And you give her the space to decide when — or if — she’s ready."

The weight of Dean’s words settled heavily between them, but for the first time in a long while, it felt like they were on the same page.

"Thanks, Dean," Sam said, his voice rough. "For not giving up on me."

Dean glanced over at him, his expression softening just a little. "You’re my brother. That doesn’t mean I’m not still pissed at you. But I’m not giving up."

As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, they sat there in silence — two brothers trying to find their way back to each other, one step at a time.

In the weeks that followed, life slowly began to take shape again, as though the pieces of your world were being gently reassembled, one by one. You and Dean, despite the weight of everything you’d been through, found a rhythm together — a kind of quiet harmony that seemed to grow with each passing day. It was something warm and steady, something you hadn’t realized you needed until it was there. A love that felt like home, safe and sure, with no pretenses or expectations, just an understanding between the two of you that ran deeper than words.

The bunker, once a hollow and desolate space, transformed before your eyes. It no longer felt like a cold fortress of isolation; it began to echo with life. There was laughter now, spilling freely from both of you when Dean cracked some ridiculous joke or you both stumbled upon something that reminded you of a time before everything went wrong. Shared glances became your secret language, a silent comfort between two people who understood each other more than anyone else ever could. Even in the silence, there was a quiet joy in the small, mundane moments. Soft lamplight bathed the rooms in a warm glow, and late-night whispers became the soundtrack of your existence — secrets shared, plans made, and dreams that felt less impossible now.

Sam, on his own slow journey, had begun to talk about moving back in. It wasn’t an easy thing to bring up, and you could see the hesitation in his eyes, the weight of all that had transpired between you. His words were careful, measured, as if testing the waters to see if there was room for him again in your life. You weren’t sure if it would ever be the same, but there was a tentative hope in his voice, something that had been missing for so long. Forgiveness wasn’t easy. The wound he left still ached sometimes, a sharp reminder of the betrayal that had threatened to tear everything apart tore everything apart. But you were trying — for yourself, for him, and for Dean. 

You weren’t doing it alone. 

Not anymore.

It was clear that healing would take time — maybe a long time. But the cracks in the past, though still visible, were starting to feel less like chasms and more like stepping stones. There was something different now. Something that hadn’t existed before, a fragile but real sense of hope. It was small at first, flickering like a candle in the dark, but it was there. And for the first time in a long while, you felt the pull of something powerful. 

You felt like you were finally home again.

Series Masterlist

A/N: Unedited; Enjoy <3

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[fromasgardandback]

The Hidden Wheeler

Eddie Munson x Wheeler!Reader

description: Eddie has a crush on the quiet girl who likes to read, but he doesn’t know his perfect girl is the cousin to the Wheeler siblings.

word count: 2.6k

warnings: depression, anxiety, feeling worthless, touch-starved

masterlist | oneshots

Y/N wasn’t a sibling to the Wheeler kids, but a close cousin. She did however live with them due to her parents working outside of the United States and wanting to finish high school at the same school. She lived in the basement in that one tucked in the back room where no one actually went. She was okay with that, but sometimes it made her feel like a shut-in. That her family was embarrassed or obligated to take her on, and financially she was taken care of since her parents sent money, yet that feeling knawed at her at night. After family dinners nightly Aunt Karen went to the kitchen while Uncle Ted went to the living room. Nancy was either in her room or out and Mike was the same way. Holly followed her mom wherever she went, leaving Y/N alone in the basement contemplating her worth. She took that time alone in her room to focus on books, novels, and music. For Christmas, her parents sent her a Walkman with tapes of her favorite bands. 

Y/N wasn’t a fan of the preppy kind of music that Nancy listens to, but more of Rock and Metal. Queen, Fleetwood Mac, Guns n’ Roses, Led Zepplin, Metallica, and The Eagles to name a few were her preferences. She decided to listen to one of her records one night without knowing Mike had his friends over for a Dungeon and Dragons campaign. She was lying on her bed with the music at a soft hum and the small window cracked open to have a breeze flow through the room. Y/N softly sang to the music with her eyes closed and imagined herself being at a concert. She dreamed of being on the open road, taking life as what it is, trying to live it to the fullest, and with no hard-set job to tie her down. She was looking into colleges of business management to become a band manager. There was something about the freedom of leaving that helped her try to escape the depressed hole she was stuck in now. 

Y/N knew her parents loved her, but they thought her love could be bought. Don’t get her wrong, she was always grateful for the presents they sent, but once she wished they would come home to spend a holiday with her. A Holiday card with an “I love you, Happy Holidays. Love Mom and Dad” with an international postcard. It was somewhere nice as if it seemed like the couple had their daughter obligatorily. Not that she’d ever want to admit it, however, the anxious emotion of them dumping her off with her mom’s sister. Aunt Karen was loving but made sure to focus on herself and her needs as well. Uncle Ted didn’t care too much about his kids let alone his niece whenever he was home. Most of the time he was at work, but Y/N’s relationship with him did not matter to her as much because she never really cared for the man. The home was already strained and distant, yet whenever the family was out and about, the persona of a “perfect family” went into play. Through environment and self-hatred, Y/N craved the touch and love of someone, anyone.

“Is someone else down here? I hear music and singing.” Gareth asked Mike while helping set up the table.

“Oh yeah, that’s my cousin Y/N.” Mike shrugged. “She lives with us.” He pulled out more dice.

Eddie’s ears perked up at her name. The only girl he knew with that name was his Y/N. The girl he crushed on and increasingly grew to fall in love with. But surely, this couldn’t be his Y/N. The girl he sheepishly looked at from afar and sat next to in a few classes. The girl that has ultimately captured his heart.

“I didn’t know she lived with you,” Dustin commented. “You guys would like her, she’s really cool. Quiet, but cool. She likes the same music we do. Eddie, you should invite her to one of your gigs, she would like it.” Dustin smiled gently.

“Yeah? Well, she’s welcome any time if she doesn’t mind hanging out with the weekly five drunks.” Eddie sat in his chair. “Are we ready or we still talking family matters?” He said trying to hide a blush.

Y/N hated taking the bus to school and driving with Nancy was like driving with the most preppiest and annoying morning person you could think of. They were both in their senior year, so Nancy chose to be happy every day before school started to “enlighten her life”. It annoyed Y/N to no end being that she wasn't a morning person. She had to deal with it during the winter months, but if it wasn't too cold, she biked to school. Sometimes she would take the back way and chill out by the picnic table in the woods behind the school. It was a way for her to escape the surroundings that suffocated her. 

That morning she thought she was alone until she heard leaves crunching in front of her. She looked up while reaching into her backpack to pull out a screwdriver, her weapon of choice. It was easily accessible and could be used to stab, or so she told herself while awaiting the person to arrive. 

“I swear, I am not afraid to put you into a coma.” She said before looking up at the beautiful brown eyes of the person she had developed a major crush on. He stood there in front of her a little shocked by her sudden comment.

“It’s just me, I promise. I didn’t know you came out here.” Eddie said, sitting across from her. His eyes sparkled more in the sunlight that was coming between the tree branches that surrounded them. “It’s normally just me.” He smiled lightly in a calming manner.

“Yeah, sorry I’m taking your space… And threatened you.” Y/N chuckled.

“Well, it did catch me off guard but never be sorry for taking a seat. You’re always welcome here at the Dungeon Master’s Table.” Eddie smirked, while she chuckled at his adorableness. They shared homeroom, Spanish, English, and History together. This made it easily accessible for both of them to develop a crush on each other.  Eddie would look over at her while she wrote notes, or read her book quietly. Sometimes his head was way too far into his notebook writing campaign ideas, that when she answered a question, he nearly broke his neck looking up at her. She would sheepishly admire him in the lunchroom while he expressed himself to the whole school.

“H-how’s your campaigns going?” Y/N looked up, trying to make the interaction less awkward, although her shaky voice didn’t help hide her anxiety.

“You know about my campaigns?” Eddie sat up smiling slightly. He didn’t realize that she had noticed him at all. But to notice something that is so important to him, made his heart flutter a little more than when he saw her.

“Of course, Mike talks about it all the time. Most of dinner is Nancy talking about college and Mike talking about how Hellfire is going.” She smiled at him. He looked at her confused. She never mentioned them before, why was she mentioning them now?

“Mike and Nancy? Do you normally go to their house for dinner? Neither of them has mentioned you before.” Eddie leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.

“Oh,” Y/N sounded hurt in her quick reaction. She understood why, she wasn’t a sibling, just a cousin, but still, she went to school with them, lived with them, and was a blood-related family. “I’m their cousin. I live in the basement. They, uh, they don’t really talk about me much. Not that I expect them to, they’re not my siblings. Although living with them, I consider them close, but I know they don’t think of me like that.” She awkwardly chuckled, while nervously continuing to rant. The feeling of a knife digging deeper and deeper into an already traumatic wound came back.

“You’re the cousin in the basement. You listen to rock music and read comics and mystery novels. It all makes sense now. Why haven’t I noticed that Paladin’s cousin is my dream girl.” Eddie smiled wide at her. She looked up at him surprised at his words and so did he. Eddie didn’t mean to say those thoughts out loud that she was his crush, but deciding to confess how he feels about the girl sitting in front of him.

“Y-your what?” Y/N stuttered out a response. She couldn’t have possibly heard him correctly.

“I’m telling the truth when I say this. Y/N, you are my dream girl. I have had this massive crush on you since we met last year. You walked through the halls and the gates of heaven opened up. You’re gorgeous, talented, funny, and have great taste in everything. I’ve been wanting to tell you how I feel, but the constant thought of rejection stopped me.” Eddie sheepishly said with blush-tinted cheeks.

“Eddie, you’ve been my secret crush since last year. I’ve always found you fascinating, animated, and unapologetically yourself. Plus you’re incredibly hot.” She had blush-tinted cheeks covering her face as well. Y/N’s eyes got wider realizing she just called Eddie hot. Eddie himself blushed harder and got shy, which was a side of him she hasn’t seen before.

“Skip school with me today. We don’t have anything going on anyways, it’s the day before break.” Eddie reached over to hold her hand, and she let him.

“Where to, rockstar?” Y/N smirked, feeling the confidence in her spike up.

After they decided to ditch for the rest of the day, they went downtown to look around the record store, see a movie, and talk about miscellaneous things. Eddie learned that she was just like him. Yeah, he knew they had the same taste in music, but it was scarily to a T. They chose a comedy movie while sharing a large popcorn. Both of them reached into the bucket with their fingers brushing against each other. A blush set across their cheeks as they quickly turned their heads back to the screen. Y/N smiled lightly failing miserably at hiding the excitement she felt when he touched her. Eddie’s facial expressions matched hers in feeling electricity when she touched him. Closer to the late afternoon Eddie drove them to Lover’s Lake overlooking the beautiful scenery before them. They began talking about family, school, and personal feelings. He understood how she felt when it came to family matters. The only one that cared about him was his Uncle Wayne, but for Y/N it was like living with strangers. 

Eddie and Y/N were inseparable from the moment of their picnic table talk. They talked for hours and hours, especially when coming home after school and when he wasn’t in the club with the guys. Friday nights after Hellfire Club was spent at the local diner for fries and milkshakes. Saturdays were spent at the trailer watching movies or driving around town with no plan or destination set. Sundays were study sessions and Eddie chose to pay attention more in class to graduate. Because of Y/N, he took school seriously. Of course, Eddie wanted to graduate this year, but with the recent times spent with her, he was motivated. 

Eddie was motivated to spend more time with her. He was motivated to get done with all his schoolwork on time. He was motivated while writing his campaigns for Hellfire Club. Eddie Munson was motivated to do good by the woman he so easily fell in love with. Even Wayne could see the difference in Eddie the moment he came home with a massive smile and blushed cheeks. Wayne was about to leave for work when he saw Eddie like that, he knew it had to be from a girl. Nothing else made Eddie Munson look like that. For the next couple of months, his entire demeanor changed around her and Wayne. A lovesick puppy in awe and admiration of a lovesick puppy. Neither of them wanted to be out of this phase, and they didn’t have to.

All of Eddie’s friends knew something was different about him, but at lunch, he didn’t change himself. Still, the same metalhead goofball he was, but now with a smile while reading a note that Y/N passed him in the hallway. 

“Eddie? What’s up with you man? You’re acting different.” Mike said popping another grape in his mouth.

“What’re you talking about, Wheeler? Nothing’s changed.” Eddie grumbled, tucking the note into his jean jacket pocket.

“Yeah, I’m with Mike. Something is up with you…” Garreth mentioned. “Or maybe, someone not something.” He smiled wider with an evil look. 

“It’s a girl!” Dustin yelled earning a smack in the head from Eddie. “No, it’s not. Leave it alone.” 

“It’s definitely a girl. Metallica hasn’t released their album yet and there’s nothing new at the Hideout. You’re hung up on a girl.” Jeff chuckled and dodged the pretzel thrown at him.

The rest of lunch the guys teased him about his smile and acting different, while Y/N sat in the corner quietly watching with a smile. She yearned for this kind of connection, never thinking she’d one day be able to have it. She waited for him at the picnic table after school mindlessly doodling in her notebook. She loved the fact that he was all hers and she was all his, but something about being public and showing affection around others was different, and she worried that he didn’t want the same.

“Hey, Babygirl,” Eddie said walking up to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her deeply. She leaned into his embrace kissing him back with the same passion.

“Can we talk about something?” She whispered after pulling away from him.

“Did I do something? Princess, if I did, I’m sorry.” Eddie was quick to ramble out.

“No,” she chuckled lightly. “I um… I was wondering if you wanted to go public with our relationship?” She played with the rings on her fingers, not daring to look up at him.

Eddie was in shock, he didn’t think she’d want to considering what her home life was like.

“Are you sure? I mean I know you were apprehensive.-” 

“I’m sure. I want to laugh with you in front of others. I want to kiss you in the hallways before class and at the diner. I want to hold hands and not care who’s looking. I’ve never felt this way with anyone before and I want to feel this and enjoy what we have together.” Y/N cut him off and poured her heart out to him. Eddie couldn’t have smiled more thinking and dreaming of all the things he just heard her say.

“I want that too.” He smiled that big goofy grin of his. “I want us public, not caring who is around.” He cupped her face in his hands, leaning in to kiss her. She leaned into him as well, kissing his soft lips with love and passion. 

Eddie and Y/N graduated that year happily together with plans to move in together when they had the money. For now, she moved into the trailer with him and Uncle Wayne. Wayne couldn’t have been happier to have her there, especially after getting cold-shouldered by her family except Mike and Nancy. The future held their love closer as Corroded Coffin took off and Y/N’s dream of writing gave her massive success as well. She was no longer a hidden Wheeler from the world, but the well-known author and wife of rock star Eddie Munson.

[rattkween86]

Yes its me 😁 ive sorta been on and off a lot and not been the best at keeping in contact with everyone, lotta shit in my personal life, I'm on a writing Hiatus at the moment, but planning to come back soon hopefully.

I probably need to do another playlist clean out as well... after i make one for Billy and add all the songs we have discussed so far haha

Pour some sugar on me is so clichè for a sex song, but its hot and it works and Def Leppard is one of my favourite 80s bands by far, i think Billy would definitely be a Def Leppard fan, so many of their songs have a sexy vibe and thats Billy lol

That mirror scene where he shoves the colonge down his jeans lives rent free in my head 🤣 i think anything in the adult entertainment industry would suit Billy because he loves female attention and what better way to get it and the added bonus of money lol

Loverboy is such a good band, i definitely need to add more of their stuff to my existing 80s playlist.

Even though this one is a bit older than the 80s, i think Billy still would have heard it, I cant quit you baby by Led Zepplin.

I have never heard anyone call Aussie slang beautiful before, that's definitely a first haha

I'll have to make a post some day with some Aussie slang and tag you in it 😁

Here's one for the day:

We call a liquor store a bottlo pronounced bottle-o kinda like Jello haha

-🇦🇺 anon

Ahhh, yeah I totally understand. 💗 I took a pretty long break for a while and just recently came back, but the writing part is imaginary at the moment lol. I sometimes take a bit to post/answer asks because I'm usually scrolling in between schoolwork as a procrastination tactic, and it's bad lol. But I always love reading your work though, and I'm excited to see what comes next, but definitely take all the time you need! A break can be really nice. I know my brain always cooperates better after one 😅

I'm so excited for this playlist. I've been slowly adding things over the past few days as I listen to music while doing schoolwork, and it's a whole vibe. Billy would totally be into Def Leppard. I know he's into the heavier stuff too, but I always envision him also loving the glam rock/sexy summer songs. And he has to be into Led Zeppelin, that is a perfect idea. I've been listening to Cover Queen by Tesla, and I think it's something he would add to his tapes. I also hc that he's into ZZ Top even though it's a bit different from his usual vibe lol. BUT - I don't think he's a Poison fan. I'm not sure why, but that has never meshed in my mind.

The cologne asjdfl; and the stupid little face he makes when he does it is just....yeah, I hate that it does something for me, but it's real 😂 That man would have a lucrative adult entertainment career. He could be changing a lightbulb onstage, and I'd throw my money at him lmao.

A BOTTLO, I LOVE IT. I just think it's creative. All the other slang people have are usually just shortened versions of words or words that mean something totally different and just have a metaphorical context. Aussie slang says "we're just gonna make up a whole new series of sounds for this and go with it," and it's really the best.

If you do make that post, please do tag me, I would love to see all of it lol.

[tvguidancecounselor]

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 684: David Klein

This week Ken welcomes author, music fan, semi-pro plus one and cousin of the famous, David Klein (www.davidkleinauthor.org) to the show.

Ken and David discuss his new book "The Plus-One: Getting by on Good Connections in the Analog Age", being Winona Ryder's cousin, growing up in suburban NJ, moving to North Carolina, mix tapes, personal memories tied to pop culture, David's brother's work with MTV, getting kicked out of a youth program resulting in riding in an airplane with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, going to the Night on Earth premiere, meeting Bono, having an ex-roomate who dated Marisa Tomei, MTV Europe, record shopping in London, cool older brother effect, Willie Alexander, a song for every number, the two 50s chord progressions, the highlight of a funeral, those people who not only light up a room but light up everyone in the room, trying to get your kids to like cool stuff, The Ramones, being ahead of your time, finding your thing, The Replacements, My Boyfriend's Back, finding your voice, becoming the author you always should have been, being fueled by rejection, how being bored by your work is the most offensive thing, suburban kids getting in trouble on a Friday night, Led Zepplin, Tenafly NJ, Tenafly Viper in Street Trash, the Pixies, how love is a jigsaw puzzle, Mermaids, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, how you only need to see the movie Hapiness once, reading underground Comix, Timothy Leary, the beauty of Monty Python's Flying Circus, Ken's advocacy for Adrian Borland's The Sound, still discovering new music as you get older, having your uncle ask Jerry Lee Lewis how he drove here tonight, Glen Miller, and how the Adventures of Pete and Pete is the greatest television show of all time. 

Check out this episode!

[their80smichelle]

hi, please answer and publish this ask after you have written your exam. let’s celebrate your success together. 🩵

tell us how it felt writing it and how long it took. were you the first one to finish? last one to finish etc. also please tell us what area of rock music was mentioned. glam/thrash/classic soft rock. was there music history on the exam wtc. mention of our/your favourite bands?

thank you 🥰

Hiii !🩷 sorry for replying late !! Honestly I think I did great even if I'm not convinced with one or two answers I wrote, I still wrote something similar to a dictionary length for every questions XD 🥳

It took almost the two hours I had and I really enjoyed it. This was the most satisfying exam of my life. I loved writing it and talking about music (obviously). Probably half of the class was still there when I left.

So I wrote all the questions :

1 - We listened to 4 songs and for the first song we had to tell who was the band and then just describe the rest with the characteristics, why is it this era, what genre it is. We got :

- Iron Maiden, The Trooper, (I didn't find the name bruh only knew it was them)

- Chuck Berry, Johnny B. Goode (and now I realize my doubt were right and I forgot the damn "e" )

- Deep Purple, Concerto (I didn't remembered any of this and said it was Pink Floyd help, I tried to describe it as I could)

- The Beatles, Please Please Me (I was so f happy I knew all the details about this song)

We got a Rock Part :

2 - a) What are the origins or Rock N' Roll ?

I think I kinda messed up this question honestly:/ I talked about the origins a bit and then names all the different genres of rock.

b) What is psychedelic rock ? Illustrate your answers with specific examples.

Well I talked about Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, Hendrix and The Beatles, stuffs we talked about during class.

c) Name a band and a title of a work representing garage rock.

I wrote two things : The Sonics "Witch" and The Kinks "You really got me"

d) what is the 《 British Invasion 》 ?

I talked about The Beatles with the Beatlemania and The Rolling Stones being worldwide.

Then a Metal Part

3 - a) Name two bands from the 70's considered to be the founders of the metal aesthetic.

I named the three bands : Led Zepplin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple

b) What is the name of the interval separating the notes G and C#, used in the opening track of a seminal album ?

It was the tritone interval and I added it was in the song Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath and it was the Devil's interval.

c) Name two of the four American bands in the 《Big Four of Thrash》.

:D I wrote the 4 bands : Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax

d) Using specific examples, briefly detail how metal became part of pop culture between 1984 and 2024.

I talked about the movie Rock Academy, Terminator 3 with the song "You Could Be Mine" (so happy I wrote gnr in my exam lol)

I talked about Stranger Things with Eddie and Master Of Puppets and talked about tape-trading.

Last question was :

4 - To what extent and in what way did rhythm and blues, then rock and roll and its various currents, accompany the civil rights movement and other social protest movements of the 20th century? Give specific examples to illustrate your point.

I talked about the Beatles again and Jimmy Hendrix and the Hippie movement and stuffs but I think I messed up this one too :')

[mizutsugi]

Not a prompt, but what do you think Dean’s favourite song would be?

OMG YAYYY bc i actually think about this all the time so this question is so exciting lmfao... i mean obviously there's like the canon songs like "night moves" by bob seger and all the AC/DC, metallica and zepplin tapes he had in his cassette box... but recently i've been listening to "feeling that way" by journey and i can't stop thinking about him... like i can hear him singing it in the back of my head, maybe as like a guilty pleasure song when he's driving alone <3 i love my mans

[subcultureblues]

Nobody asked but soon after she died, his Dad got arrested and he moved in with Uncle Wayne he could hear Eddie strumming that song all the time, through the closed bedroom door. In a bid to connect with this scrappy, angry kid Wayne tried to find it on cassette. The best he could do was Zepplin 1, they did a cover apparently. He hoped this would be good enough at least.

He hadn’t expected it to have as profound of an effect as it did. Eddie fell in love with that casset. It was that album that really sent him down the road of heavy metal. He started coming out of his room more, sitting on the couch near Wayne’s old stereo, just listening to that tape over and over. God, was Wayne sick of that fucking tape. But it got Eddie out of his room. Brought the spark back to his nephew, one he hadn’t seen in a long while.

Eddie started asking Wayne to drive him to town so he could check out the record store. Wayne was stretched thin with a new kid to take care of so couldn’t afford much, mind. But Eddie liked just going in and listening to what they had in stock. Liked switching through radio stations on the drive over. It was on these long drives into town Wayne finally got the kid to open up a little. Tell Wayne about the stories he’d been writing about knights and dragons and kind, benevolent queens that lovingly watched over their kingdoms. He told Wayne about this game he heard of Dungeon Dragon, or something. Wayne managed to find a copy of the DM manual in a used bookstore near the record shop while Eddie was inside one of their listening booths going through to half their heavy metal albums. He got Eddie one of those too.

He gave Eddie that book and that tape on their first Christmas together. See when Eddie was a toddler, he could never really seem to stop smiling, or laughing. It was the first time in a long time Wayne got to see his face really light up like that again. And those big, happy grins finally started coming back over the next few years.

He’s worn out three different copies of Zeppelin 1 since then. He always went back for a new cassette when the last wore down because Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You is still his favorite song.

The singular headcanon I hold as gospel in my heart of hearts - Eddie’s mom was the most lovely woman you’ve ever met and she died when he was around 10-12 years old. One thing not a lot of people knew about her though? She was brilliant with a guitar.

Her father taught her how to play folk and bluegrass when she was young. She was a natural. She taught Eddie too. He was not a natural. He was actually pretty goddamned awful to listen to, for a while. Like, a while. But she was always patient with him. Proud of every small improvement.

When she got sick, and her hands were too frail to hold down the heavy strings, she asked Eddie to sit by her bed and play for her. She said she preferred listening to him over the radio, and of course he thought she was lying to be nice, but she really, really wasn’t.

He was determined to learn to play her favorite song, an old folk song. Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You. It was a complicated one, there’s some pretty technical finger picking, but she talked him through every note. And little Eddie kept practicing and practicing. It was still rusty but he was getting there and he wanted more than anything to play it for her perfectly all the way though.

She died before he got the chance.

And secretly that will always be Eddie’s biggest regret. That he never got to play his mom her favorite song, not perfectly. Not like he wanted to. He can probably play that song backwards and forward in his sleep these days - but it’s too late now.

(What he didn’t realize is that having her son by her bedside, keeping her company as they sang along to her favorite song again and again while he practiced - those were some of the most cherished moments of her entire life)

Dead Mom Club Eddie Munson, my beloved.

[theyarebothgunshot]

I just keep thinking about the reboot and that jackles is telling the story and he gets to the part of the zeppelin music and how his mom fall in love because john knew the songs, and then u hear another voice - thats why u give me the mixtape ? - and u hear a silence and then u hear dean say - Maybe (with a flirty voice) - another silence, and then he keeps telling the story. And thats how they confirm canon (and kill us in the process).

👾

if there is any mention of the zeppelin situation i will probably combust

[mybrainproblems]

discovered that i’m missing some cassette tapes in my collection and only have the cases and am now in a bidding war on ebay over motherfucking cassette tapes.

[im-robins-bitch]

Steve loves his passenger princess. He adores having you sit next to him in the front. 

He loves how you’ll always share whatever you’re eating with him. How you lean over to give him the last sip of your milkshake and then kiss his cheek. He likes when you push a sweet into his awaiting mouth and he catches your finger between his teeth and sucks, the squeal you let out always makes him laugh. 

Your stuff always ends up forgotten in his glove box, a chapstick, a hair tie and sometimes a mix tape. The items always end up coming in handy, so much so he wonders if you must have some kind of sense of knowing what he needs when he needs it. 

In winter when his lips get all wind-chapped, he only needs to pop the glove box open to find a fruity chapstick you’ve left behind. As cheesy as it sounds, it always feels like a kiss from you when he tastes the familiar flavour. 

When he’s due a haircut and his hair starts to get in his eyes, he always finds a hair tie or scrunchie in the side compartment. You always complain that the headrests hurt your head when you lean back with an updo, so they almost always end up coming down. 

Your mixtapes, sometimes covered in hearts left especially for him, other times tapes you genuinely left behind, always remind him of you when he needs you. 

Mike once found Steve’s ‘makeout mix’, because you insisted Led Zepplin was the best to make out to and Steve wanted to prove you wrong. He’s not sure Mike is ever going to let that go. 

You took on your role as designated navigator, DJ and Steve feeder seriously, much to Dustin's chagrin. Anytime you would be picked up after Dustin, he was quickly relegated to the back. The two of you would bicker about it, normally ending in him throwing fast food wrappers at you while you played a tape he hated on top volume to drown out his complaints. 

Although Steve loved the kids, sometimes it was nice to be able to grab you and drive out somewhere quiet, he didn’t really like taking you to skull rock or lovers lake. He wanted to make sure you knew he wasn’t like that anymore. Instead, he would drive somewhere just out of town. He’d open the doors of his BMW so you could hear the music playing from the radio while you slow danced around the car, stargazed or made out on the hood. 

When he heard about how you struggled with and failed driver's ed made him a little happy. He knew that your driving dates wouldn’t be ending anytime soon. It just gave him more opportunities to spend time with you. He doesn’t want you to get soaked riding your bike to work, if it gives him more opportunities to ogle you in your work clothing then it’s just an added bonus. 

At first, it felt awkward to ask him to drive you somewhere because you couldn’t get there yourself. One day you expressed your concerns, that you felt bad that he always had to be the one driving you two to places and how he was always giving you rides. 

He was all reassurance as he insisted that he enjoyed driving and he enjoyed it even more when you were sat next to him. Whenever you would offer to pay for gas he would always brush you off, claiming he only accepted payment in kisses. He was always overpaid. 

Steve loves having you as his passenger princess but always say’s if you want to learn he can always teach you. Maybe one day you’ll accept, but for now, you were content like this.

masterlist

[arkhamknightz]

ghost of you

↳ in which, peter tries moving on

pronouns: they/them

warnings: character death, substance use, au where reader is in gwen's position but they're older, language, uh idk any other warnings besides not proofread and bad wiring let me know if i need to tag anything else! (it'll make sense trust me)

notes: based off ghost of you by 5SOS :) i rlly like the song and i felt like it could fit andrews peter really well! this is also rushed and not proof read i'm sorry goodnight

"here I am waking up, still can't sleep on your side. theres your coffee cup, the lipstick stain fades with time. if i could dream long enough, you'd tell me i'd be just fine, i'd be just fine."

peter woke up with a jolt, the sight of you falling to the ground engraved in his mind, playing over and over again like a broken tape. the sound of your voice haunting his every step as he held your dying body in his arms, crying for you to be okay. god how he wished you could be okay, how he could be okay. he turned his head to window. the view of your empty bed-side in his peripheral vision.

peter wasn't the same after that night, granted nobody would be. he left his spiderman duties and stayed at home. watching as new york city's crime rate was the highest it's ever been, the city desperate to see spiderman again.

everytime peter tried getting better there was always something that brought him right back to that night. the coffee cup you'd drank the morning of the incident. your lipstick stain on the side of the cup that peter just couldn't bring himself to wash. "todays gonna be a great day pete! i can feel it!" oh how wrong you were.

"so i drown it out, like i always do. dancing through our house, with the ghost of you. and i'll chase it down, with a shot of truth. dancing through our house, with the ghost of you."

this is the fifth bottle of alcohol peter had finished this month. his house reeking of beer and vodka, or any type of alcohol he could get his hands on. he was numb. the thought of you dead no longer on his mind as he drank. he would call your phone, drunk texting you that he missed you and couldn't wait for you to get home from work.

the pain of you being gone always hit him in the morning. he would wake up with a headache and would find himself holding one of the stuffed animals you owned. dread washing over him all over again. greif hitting him as if it only happened yesterday.

memories of the both of you danced through the apartment, your favorite records still sitting underneath the record player. peter couldn't even let himself move into the living room to clean the dusty machine as the song you both frequently danced too was still on the player, waiting for the needle to drop and play the song he once thought was oh so beautiful.

"cleaning up today, found that old zepplin shirt, you wore when you ran away. and no one could feel your hurt. we're too young, too dumb, to know things like love. but i know better now (better now)."

peter finally had the motivation to clean up (using a little help from may of course), they had both been cleaning around the house, dusting the records, wiping the counters and cleaning out the fridge. may had pulled out one of your old graphic t-shirts and peter froze.

peter remembered the last time he saw you wear that. you had ran away from home for a week after your parents had been fighting non-stop. you knew peter had been busy with school and so you did the only logical thing you could think of. you ran away from home.

peter had been worried sick, texting you every half hour and spam calling you. he had never felt more relieved when you came back home in one piece, tired smile on your face as you hugged him tightly, apologizing for leaving so abruptly. he remembered the feeling of your face stuck in the crook of his neck, the feeling of your arms wrapped around his waist.

he didn't even realize he was crying until may came and hugged him tightly, allowing him to sob into her shoulder. he couldn't ever get you back.

"so i drown it out, like i always do. dancing through our house, with the ghost of you. and i'll chase it down, with a shot of truth. dancing through our house, with the ghost of you."

peter couldn't believe he found himself in this position again. he was sat on the couch, third beer bottle pouring down his throat. seemingly feeling a sense of deja vú as that fuzzy feeling came back. peter wasn't a lightweight, he had gotten over that stage after he started drinking a few months ago. he had gotten better, but here he was, all alone again trying to forget about you being gone.

it's almost like he could still hear your sweet little "peter! i made brownies again!" and he could still feel himself running out of your shared room into the kitchen to come get a piece. he smiled slightly at the memory, his heart feeling fuzzy. even when you're gone he still felt butterflies in his stomach at the thought of you and him in those domestic moments.

he just missed you.

"too young, too dumb, to know things like love, too young, too dumb."

peter didn't think the both of you would last as long as you did. the fear of you leaving him for someone better nagged in the back of his head. lingering there, taunting him. but overtime he learned falling in love with you was the best thing he could've done.

the first time he wanted to tell you that he loved you, he was extremely nervous. so much that he backed out. but he squeezed your hand 3 times, and it seemed like that was all he had to say before the words "i love you too" tumbled out of your mouth. he smiled widely, engulfing your body into a hug as he sighed in content.

no matter what anyone said, he knew falling in love would never be something he would regret. he would go through the pain over and over and over again if it meant he could tell you he loves you one last time.

"so i drown it out like i always do, dancing through our house with the ghost of you. and i chase it down, with a shot of truth. that my feet don't dance, like they did with you."

peter sat in front of the record player you had both bought at a vintage shop, the old record you both used to dance along in the living room to laying on the machine. he slowly pulled the needle down and rested his head against the couch, knees tucked into his body. he slowly swayed along with the song. he held in his tears and sighed.

memories flashing through his head of all the kisses shared, everytime you had danced together playing like some sort of film. he knew things would never and could never be the same without you beside him, maybe he just had to learn how to move on

[tvguidancecounselor]

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 684: David Klein

This week Ken welcomes author, music fan, semi-pro plus one and cousin of the famous, David Klein (www.davidkleinauthor.org) to the show.

Ken and David discuss his new book "The Plus-One: Getting by on Good Connections in the Analog Age", being Winona Ryder's cousin, growing up in suburban NJ, moving to North Carolina, mix tapes, personal memories tied to pop culture, David's brother's work with MTV, getting kicked out of a youth program resulting in riding in an airplane with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, going to the Night on Earth premiere, meeting Bono, having an ex-roomate who dated Marisa Tomei, MTV Europe, record shopping in London, cool older brother effect, Willie Alexander, a song for every number, the two 50s chord progressions, the highlight of a funeral, those people who not only light up a room but light up everyone in the room, trying to get your kids to like cool stuff, The Ramones, being ahead of your time, finding your thing, The Replacements, My Boyfriend's Back, finding your voice, becoming the author you always should have been, being fueled by rejection, how being bored by your work is the most offensive thing, suburban kids getting in trouble on a Friday night, Led Zepplin, Tenafly NJ, Tenafly Viper in Street Trash, the Pixies, how love is a jigsaw puzzle, Mermaids, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, how you only need to see the movie Hapiness once, reading underground Comix, Timothy Leary, the beauty of Monty Python's Flying Circus, Ken's advocacy for Adrian Borland's The Sound, still discovering new music as you get older, having your uncle ask Jerry Lee Lewis how he drove here tonight, Glen Miller, and how the Adventures of Pete and Pete is the greatest television show of all time. 

[what-are-you-willing-to-do]

Hi can you do male reader x vance were they both listen to metal/rock music and they have a picnic together

Thanks for this! As a huge metalhead myself please enjoy!

Vance Hopper x (more of a masc presenting reader, he calls reader handsome but pronouns aren’t specified.) Reader

Cw: mentions of abusive parents, possible homophobia listen to cheap trick 👹

A Picnic huh

You decided to surprise Vance with a picnic, he had been getting into less fights lately and he’s been getting better with everything! 

Also him being perfect was also going towards the picnic. Anyways you went to the record store to buy some tapes for your Walkman for you both to listen to. 

Metallica, Iron Maiden, megadeath, Def Leopard, Led Zepplin, The runaways, Rob Zombie, Heart, Cheap Trick, Slipknot, Black Sabbath, Queen, Guns N’ Roses and AC/DC you had it all. (Can you tell I’ve always been a huge metal/ rock head?)

You just had to pick out food you and Vance liked. You made sandwiches, soups, brought fruit, drinks and desserts for you both.  You just had to pick him up. 

You drove to his house in your mustang as you ring the doorbell hesitantly. Thankfully Vance’s mom opens the door. “Oh y/n, how are you honey?” She asks with a soft smile

“I’m alright Mrs. Hopper, I wanted to take Vance on a picnic, I got a bunch of food for us both.” You said with a smile. She didn’t need much convincing. You were her sons best friend and more but she didn’t know that part just yet. 

“Of course honey I’ll call him down you go wait in your car okay?” She says with a bright smile as she closes the door and you walk back to your car. 

You pat your steering wheel as Metal Health plays. Finally you hear a knock on your window. You crank it down as you give Vance a smile. “Well hop in handsome!” You say with a smile as he opens the door.

You both drive as “Surrender” by cheap trick plays. You both sing along as you drive to a park you and Vance go to often. “Mommy’s alright, daddy’s alright, they just seem a little weird!” He sings as you sing back “Surrender, Surrender but don’t give yourself away. 

You both ALWYAS had the best times. As you arrive at the park you bring your Walkman with you putting it your pocket as you bring the basket and blanket. “Hey baby set up the blanket real quick.” You say handing Vance the blanket as he nods

“This good?” He questions as you nod taking the food out. “This looks great y/n!” He says with a smile as he takes out a sandwich and a drink. “I’m glad dig in.” You say with a smile as you take your Walkman hitting play as you start off with some Queen. 

You both begin to eat and talk as you bond about the music playing softly. “Speaking of which what’s your favorite… queen song Vance?” You ask with a smile as he answers quickly. “Radio ga ga is my third, bohemian rapsody and probably Killer Queen.” 

You smile “a man with good taste.” You say as you lay on his thighs as he plays with your hair. “What about your favorite Metallica song?” He asks as you laugh. “Probably (Metallica song).” You say with a smile

As you both finish up your conversation cheap trick comes on again. “Oh sweet, love this song.” You say with a smile as you bob your head. “Is this cheap trick?” He questions. “I’ve never heard this song.” He says as your eyes go wide. “You’ve never heard “She’s Tight!”” You say stunned. 

He looks at you annoyed. “The guy who plays guitar has a guitar that has 5 necks!” You say with a smile as he thinks about it in awe as the guitar chorus plays. “I like this song a lot actually.” 

You smile “Glad I could help baby.” You start cleaning up the food as it starts to get darker. He sighs as he stands up sadly not wanting the evening to end. “Can I stay at your place tonight?” He asks.

You smile as you nod. “Here let me call my mom real quick.” He walks over it the phone putting his hand out as you give a quarter. You sit on the head of your car as he comes back with a thumbs up. 

“After you baby.” You say opening the door. “Thanks handsome.” He says mocking the words you said earlier as you laugh. You turn your radio as Barracuda comes on. “Alright baby let’s go for a ride before we go home, it’s nice out.” He nods with a smile as you both drive off.

[vvitchgender]

Outfit for the concert tomorrow:

tape my chest

ripped led zepplin crop top

ripped black jeans

harley davidson boots

chain belt

black/white/red flannel (tied around my waist, its gonna get cold at night so i might need the sleeves)

heavy metal battle vest

black/white/red bandana tied around my head

the usual rings and bracelets

gay mars symbol earrings

[4x01]

i saw your post about how dean was being romantic in s12, and the mixtape. just... never forget that the way mary tested john to see if he'd be a good boyfriend was testing his knowledge of led zepplin. dean gave cas a led zepplin tape. never forget <3

literally mind-numbing behavior