#also 'try new things' being about coming out of your comfort zone! mike trying the pinapple pizza and ted going on the ferris wheel

[theodorecanaryhood]

This world is hard sometimes

In the process of my LGBTQ fics as we are in pride month, I have just come up with a small little tiddle for you guys. Not my best, but hope you like anyway!

Bat bros x male reader

It wasn’t long for you to know how much your new family meant to you, or how much you meant to them.

Bruce was beyond, he is your Dad in many ways since he adopted you. He takes his time with you and does his best, but his nightly Bat-tivities sometimes do take a toll on him.

Dick has always been the one to make extra time for you, he played with you and always made a way for you to shine. Whether it was education or social. Dick was always the one to get you out of your comfort zone and shine the best. Plus he gives the best hugs.

Jason was moody and a little stand off-ish, but always made an effort. He is your big brother and always did his hardest when he could. He mostly was the one you would sit and read with, he has the best book recommendation list.

Tim was your gaming buddy, your hacking teacher and to be honest, your friend more than anything. You are close in age and him being slightly older always made him protective over you.

Damian is, well Damian, but as your little brother he would always choose you to go to first. After Bruce obviously.

The day you came out to the boys and your Dad was a change for you, they were accepting and loving straight away. Hugs and smiles all the way. Yet, they did change with you in some ways.

Bruce was always checking in on you whenever you were on patrol with him, he also would question every time you brought a guy over.

‘Are you two?’ Bruce asked shyly, you chuckled.

‘Not every guy I know is gay dad, he has a girlfriend’ you laughed, bless him he did try.

Dick taught you self defence, for when you were away from patrolling mostly in case anyone tried anything.

Jason was the greatest one when you came out, which really surprised you. He did take into his own hands though to teach you how to use firearms. Even tried to coax you into carrying one in case.

Tim never changed with you, still treated you the same as before. Not that no one else in the family did, they just became more protective over you which was over bearing.

Damian just had questions, mostly about how you knew you liked men, how you feel about women, how would you ever have children. Things like that.

One day during summer you were out with a couple of friends, things got heated when a ‘Karen’ decided she didn’t like you simply because you are gay. Unfortunately this still happens today.

You being a polite human being just tried to avoid the situation, but one of your friends got into an argument with her after he tried to stick up for you.

You tried to pull him away, then Karen struck back and another one of your friends got involved.

This scene ended with GCPD getting involved and you and your friends being called into questioning.

…

Commissioner Gordon walked into the station to find you in a cell with your friends, shocked he pulled you aside.

When you had explained what had happened he smiled and winked at you, telling you to sit tight.

‘Bruce, it’s Jim’ he said over the phone to your Dad.

‘Hey, what’s up?’ Bruce asked a little confused as to why Jim would call him.

‘It’s y/n, he’s here at the station’

‘What? Is he ok?’ Bruce asked in a panic.

‘He’s fine, he’s not in trouble, but I do think you should get here’ Jim sighed, Bruce ended the call with a quick ok.

…

The ride home with your Dad was painfully quiet, with Mike sitting in the backseat. He kept saying how his parents were going to freak out. Bruce offered support and took him home to explain.

After with just you and Bruce in the car, Bruce kept eyeing you over from the drivers seat.

‘So are we going to talk about it?’ He asked nonchalantly. You rolled your eyes.

‘….’ You mumbled something Bruce couldn’t quite make out.

‘Ok guess not’ he sighed, you sat up a little in your seat and began to speak.

‘This woman called me a faggot, Mike asked her politely to keep her opinions to herself and walk away. The woman started shouting and screaming saying how I was an abomination and, well Mike didn’t like it. I told him to leave it but he didn’t’ you said, Bruce looked shocked but smiled a little.

‘Mike is a good friend’ Bruce replied, you smiled.

‘Yeah he is’

‘I’m sorry son, sorry that happened to you. Unfortunately we still live in a world that isn’t accepting of everything’ Bruce offered an apology, but that wasn’t what you needed.

‘The world isn’t black and white anymore, the world is hard sometimes’ you spoke with sadness in your voice.

‘Your family and friends love you, I love you so much y/n, that’s all that matters’ Bruce smiled at you.

You smiled back and sat still in your seat while your Father drive you home.

‘Jason is gonna ask where this woman lives so Red Hood can pay her a visit, you do that right?’ You joked, Bruce chuckled.

‘Oh I know’

[aetheternity]

Hard Pass P3 (Levi X Reader)

Synopsis: Levi is forced out of his comfy dorm room and in a strange twist of events right into your arms at a college party.

Levi was relieved for the silence as he clicked away at his keyboard. Mike had gone to his only late class of the entire week. Which meant Levi could actually study in his room.

The scent of tea and the small aroma diffuser on his desk as well as the open window in front of him welcomed a nice calming smell that was normally masked by Mike's gym bags and sweaty clothes. Which reminded Levi of the laundry he would have to do soon.

He pressed his tea cup to his lips feeling a twinge of irritation as he was interrupted by two knocks on the door. He looked down at the time. 6:15. A little too early for Mike to be back complaining that he'd forgotten his keys.

Then it was probably one of his girls complaining that she'd left her shit in the room. If Levi had a dollar for the amount of times that had happened he could pay for a new roommate.

The next couple knocks were a bit louder. "Levi? It's Y/N.."

Y/N?!

His face practically exploded. He stood far too fast because just as quickly he was flopping over his stupid desk chair and hitting the floor with a hard thud. He gasped audibly tugging at his knee and gritting his teeth.

"Levi? Are you ok?" Came her voice again.

He pulled himself up with a huff and staggered over to the door. Unsurprisingly he had to limp. With a quick turn of the lock he yanked open the door right into his forehead. God fucking dammit.

He groaned in a mix of fury and disgust partially because he'd idiotically stood so close when opening the door and partially because he hated the stupid inanimate object.

"Oh my god! Are you ok?" Y/N gasped, squeezing herself inside and shutting the door behind her. "Let me see? Did you hit your eye?" She asked

Her fingers were so delicate as she brushed aside his hands. So close.. Her thumb traced the already appearing red spot on his forehead. Soo close.. She brushed his hair to the side cupping his cheeks to gently reposition his head towards the light. Close....

She breathed out a little chuckle. "It's probably gonna bruise."

Levi barely registered her words. Occupied with her beautiful eyes illuminating moonlight and the dim lights in his room. His lips parted ever so slightly. When her hands fell away he gulped and jerked his head back. Trying to find literally anything to take the edge off.

"I'll.. go find you an ice pack, ok?" Y/N began already heading for the door.

"K-knee.." Levi tried and mentally cursed himself.

"Huh?" She asked, turning back.

"M-my.. t-two please.."

Her smile was gentle, "Two ice packs. Got it." And with a little wave she was out the door. Her lingering touch still causing heat to pool in Levi's chest.

~~~~

"Aww sweetie, are you sure you're ok?"

He was not. Definitely not. One of her hands was on his uninjured knee and the other was brushing his hair away from the ice pack. He didn't even know if he'd breathed in the last 20 minutes. His brain echoing the word sweetie.

The two of you had been sat on his bed as he uncomfortably laid his head back on the wall. Trying and failing to not fixate on your touch. Every brush of your fingertips was downright intoxicating.

"You look kinda red. Do you wanna try seeing a doctor or something?"

"N-no.." It was barely audible but he knew she heard when she nodded.

If there was a hole nearby he would crawl into it and never come out. Though he also didn't wanna move as the fear of making this situation worse for himself stayed ever present.

"Let me see?" He partially removed the ice pack from his forehead, spine tingling over the way she sucked in a breath. "You should be more careful."

Levi didn't answer. Just squeezed his legs closer together and sighed. In all the time he'd been in this room he'd never hit himself in the face with the door. Just what kind of power did this girl have over him.

"I know because my little cousin has done stuff like this but you should put some cream on the bump so that it doesn't get redder and it'll go down faster."

Little cousin? That wasn't a fair comparison. Little kids do stupid things cause they're kids. Did she think about him that way? Uggghhhh.

He was yanked from his thoughts by her hand coming down to squeeze his. "Are you positive you're ok? Do you need anything else?"

"I-I'm fine.."

Just as Levi said that his attention was brought to the door. Mike had barely stepped into the room and he was already grinning like a fucking idiot.

"Well, hello." He greeted, stepping closer. "Levi, you didn't tell me you were inviting anyone over. Especially not a pretty girl."

Y/N's chuckle was nervous, "Hello, you must be Levi's roommate." She stuck her hand out which Mike immediately took placing one hand on top of their joined hands.

"And you must be Y/N." He said "I've heard so much about you."

His teasing was met with a glare that could slice concrete. If Levi had known Mike was gonna come straight back to the room he definitely would've gotten rid of Y/N sooner.

"Oh? Really?" Y/N turned to look at Levi behind her. "You told him about me?" It was a split second thing but Levi could've sworn her features softened.

"Oh, no I meant Hange." Mike replied

"Oh."

Oh? Was she disappointed? It sounded disappointed? Did she want Levi to talk about her?

"But at no point did Hange tell me you were this pretty. Neither did Levi honestly, I'm kinda disappointed."

Alright that's enough of that. Levi stood. Placing the ice packs on his bed.

"You should probably leave." He gritted his teeth at how harshly it came out.

Now Mike was letting go of Y/N's hand. "Oh wait! I came to get my phone. Hange said you had it."

Levi blinked. He'd almost forgotten about that. It had been sitting on his desk since yesterday. His knee was screeching in absolute horror as he staggered his way over to his desk.

"What the hell happened to you?" Mike asked, clearly trying to hold back a snicker.

"Aw, it was an accident. I scared him."

Levi returned with the phone shooting daggers into Mike who pretended not to notice.

"Thank you." She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Y-yeah.."

"Did you put your number into it?"

Levi's face perked up a little. "Yes."

"Ok, then I'll text you later." She assured, brushing her finger tips over his forehead once again. "Goodnight boys." And with those last words she took off.

"Faking an injury?! I didn't think you had it in you!" Mike celebrated as soon as she was gone.

"Dickhead." Levi scoffed.

"Hey, is that any way to talk to the best friend who just confirmed your biggest fear moot?" Mike plopped down on his bed with a playful huff.

Levi flopped down into his desk chair, staring up at the ceiling. "One you're definitely not my best friend especially after that shit. And two I'm not you I don't fake shit to get girls."

"That would totally be hurtful if it wasn't true." Mike shrugged "I meant the fact that she doesn't have a boyfriend."

Levi practically flipped himself out of his chair. "How do you assume that."

"Simple. Hange told me about her ex boyfriend. By the way it was probably that guy that took her from the library that day. And Hange says that a lot of guys find Y/N attractive. Because of this her ex got too overprotective and they broke up. But he had no reason to be because Y/N would always tell people she had a boyfriend or at least around Hange she did."

Levi stared at his barely drunk tea. The liquid probably cold after being left on the table so long. So she had dated that guy.. He had been so tall and pretty muscular looking, was that her type? She didn't seem like she was going to get back together with him.. but he was still around.

"All I'm saying is she seems loyal. You better snatch her up before someone else does or she gets back together with her ex."

His attention was drawn away by his phone softly buzzing on his table. He pressed the on button, swiping his pin and clicking the notification as it popped up.

Hey Levi, it's Y/N.

Listen ik you said you're ok but I bought you some cream just in case. I'll bring it to you tm ;)

His heart fluttered and ached remembering her touch and her kind words. If he didn't full blown know Mike was staring at him he would probably hug his phone.

~~~~

Too much time had passed and suddenly the whole school was on break. Levi had been dreading this. Not because he was a workaholic like Mike claimed but because he knew Hange was gonna drag him away and make him vacation.

And no form of vacation could possibly be more relaxing for him than curling up in bed with some books, doing some casual cleaning, and drinking tea with light music playing at all times. Mike was definitely going home during this time so it'd be the perfect way to spend his break.

But Hange's family owned a couple lodges and that meant another year of begging for Levi to come ski and freeze his fingers and toes off.

"Come on, Levi!"

"Absolutely not."

"Erwin!" Hange called to him where he sat on Levi's bed, scrolling through his phone.

"You knew he was going to say no." Erwin replied

"Which is why I brought you to help me make my case." Hange complained

"You clearly made an error in judgment then." Erwin retorted

Mike laughed from where he was laying on his own bed. "Might as well give it up Hange, Levi is just too stubborn about this. We all know he wants to be close to all my junk while I'm gone cause he'll miss me."

"I wouldn't hesitate to tell your stalker where you're going over break." Levi spat

"She'll figure it out anyway. She's a high class stalker. And I'm not her first." The room fell in uncomfortable silence but Mike just leaned back giving his full attention to his phone screen.

"That disturbing remark aside.." Erwin began shaking his head. "I'm going."

"And that's supposed to change my mind? How'd Hange force you into it?"

"It may stun you but I chose to go through with this all on my own. There are studies that claim it's good for the mind to get away from normality during breaks or away from your comfort zone to properly clear your mind. It'll also help you make less mistakes when classes resume."

Hange smiled, "Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking."

Levi rolled his eyes. "If I go you can't beg me next year." Hange's loud shrill screeching made Levi's heart drop out of his ass.

"Finally!!" Hange screamed in excitement as she wrapped her arms around Levi's neck.

"Get off already! You're such a pest!"

And that was how Levi ended up on a train for almost three long hours with Hange blabbering on about nothing and Erwin sat in the seat across from the two of them listening to podcasts while staring out the window of his own very sad music video.

And all of the crap Erwin had spewed about getting away being more relaxing proved to be completely from the ass as Levi shivered along wrapped in two scarves, a pair of gloves, his long green coat that fell around his ankles and a winter hat plopped over his ears.

"Walk faster Levi! Is that the best your little legs can do?!" Hange called, somehow racing her way up the slope with three bags. One that wasn't even hers

Levi grunted in irritation. Not only were they walking up a hill but it was covered in snow so deep that every step felt like he was falling.

"Do you need help?" Erwin asked, not waiting for Levi to respond as he hoisted the overnight bag off his shoulders.

Levi just huffed. "I swear Hange was made in a lab."

"As possible as that is, Hange was basically raised in the snow so this is the equivalent of dust for her." Erwin replied as the two of them trudged along.

"Her parents own multiple ski lodges why the hell did we go to the one up a fucking hill."

"The other closest one was more than 6 hours away. Did you really wanna be stuck on a train with Hange for more than 6 hours?"

Levi just groaned as they finally walked through the surprisingly big doors of the huge ski lodge. Hange raced over to the front desk as Erwin slipped onto the lobby couch, followed by Levi who was still kicking snow off his boots and his second bag.

"What's in that bag?" Erwin questioned, nodding to the luggage Levi had yanked over his lap.

He exhaled loudly giving the bag a couple soft pats. "Clothes, extra boots, extra gloves, two bottles of cleaner and a small box of tea as well as some light reading material."

"When are you gonna have time to read? We're going to be skiing most of the time we're here."

"If you think I'm getting on a ski lift you have less working brain cells than Hange."

Erwin smirked with a roll of his eyes, "Alrighty then, what's in this bag."

"All of the shit that didn't fit in this bag, toothpaste, toothbrush, cologne, extra pairs of underwear-"

"Woah, Levi you can't just talk about your underwear in a public space." Erwin chuckled at his own joke.

Levi rolled his eyes, "It's bad for your health to hang around Mike as often as you do."

"How is it you're not dead yet then?" Erwin retorted

Hange had been chatting up the receptionist for almost 15 minutes, bouncing up and down in front of the desk and indulging him in the stories of their travel up here. The man just gave her a sheepish grin and honestly Levi felt a little bad for the man but a little less when he thought about how it wasn't his problem anymore.

Moblit.. his name tag read. Somehow Hange's mannerism seemed more crazed with him if that was even possible.

"Yeah.. it has been so long." He heard the man say. You got.. taller..

"We're never getting out of this lobby are we?" Erwin sighed as the two continued to chatter on. Levi and Erwin stared as Hange continued on about her car with a surprising amount of engagement from the other party. "You know they kind of remind me of you and-"

"Hey, Hange!" Erwin cut himself off as a brown haired girl that Levi instantly recognized hopped down each step, a bald boy following her. And Levi believed he remembered them from Y/N's stories as Connie and Sasha who he remembered from the party.

"Hange, what're you doing here?" He asked as the brown haired girl gave her a hug.

"My family owns the lodge so I brought Erwin and Levi for the break!" Hange said, pulling Connie into side hug that he immediately reciprocated.

"Oh god! Why didn't you tell me your plans for break? Jean would've driven all of us up here and you wouldn't have had to waste gas."

Hange just shook her head. "It's quite alright I was already out of gas so we just took the train up here."

"You didn't put gas in your car again?" Connie asked

"Wait, if you guys came then does that mean Y/N is here?" Hange asked completely dodging Connie's question.

At her name Levi bounced out of his seat. Almost launching himself into the spot next to Erwin. Pulling his hat over his eyes and sliding his back as far into the chair as he could.

"What's up with you?" Erwin questioned

"I embarrassed myself last time I was with Y/N.."

"What? Didn't she buy you cream like a month ago?"

"Y-yeah." Levi shimmied his feet together as he slid further down in his seat.

Erwin's chuckle next to him made him grimace. "I know you don't really get it Levi. But uh, making an ass out of yourself in front of your crush is the first real hurdle to knowing you've got it bad."

"Shut up.."

"It could've been worse.. You could've accidentally injured her. Or got caught by the loud mouth in your class while writing her first name and your last name in a notebook."

"Sounds like a personal story.." Levi replied, inching the hat off his eyes to look up at Erwin.

Erwin scoffed, "Point is it happens." He said with a roll of his eyes.

Levi let out a little snicker that instantly got caught in his throat. It had never occurred to him that he'd actually paid attention to the romance movies he'd seen a hundred times with his mother. But now that Y/N was walking down the stairs it was like a scene from all of those movies combined.

Her smile just as warm as always. Turtleneck sweater hugging her features along with dark blue jeans and brown boots. Each step felt slower than the last as if everything in this particular room had been put on the slowest speed imaginable.

The butterflies in his stomach swarmed like they were all chasing after one specific thing. Everytime she appeared somehow it was different.

"We're still going skiing today right?" Connie questioned as Y/N stopped on the last stair.

"If Jean's up to it sure." She replied, her cheeks flushed like she'd just walked in from outside.

"Well this is gonna be a fun weekend." Erwin said but Levi didn't even register his words. His heart stammering in his chest. "Go make a fool out of yourself." Erwin nudged

"Hey Jean! Come on!" Connie said

"Yeah, Jean I'm hungry!" Called Sasha

Levi's heart stopped, his chest crumbling in on itself. The same guy from before.. just as soon a loud crash sounded and everyone turned all at once.

"Oh god are you ok?!" Y/N was the first person by Hange's side followed by Moblit from behind the counter.

Hange let out a laugh, wincing as she pulled herself up with Moblit and Y'N's help.

"I'll be ok. Just took a little spill." She continued to laugh.

Erwin was soon standing by her side. "Are you sure, you're alright? Your face is super red.."

A momentary lapse in Hange's facial features made Erwin step back a little. "Shut up Erwin." She huffed

"You fell on your side. You should rest a little bit." Moblit said, coming closer. "Just.. in case."

"Ok.." Hange replied

Y/N seemed to relax at this information. Her gaze immediately falling on Levi surprisingly. He really hoped he didn't outwardly wince.

"Hi, Levi." She spoke plainly giving Erwin a small greeting as well before her, Connie, Sasha, and Jean were leaving the lobby.

Hange and Erwin unsurprisingly crowded into Levi's room about five minutes after the whole ordeal. But Levi couldn't even bring himself to wipe one thing down like he'd wanted to. He just laid still on the bed, eyes planted to the ceiling.

Surprisingly Hange had also stayed silent. Her eyes shut where she laid next to Levi.

"I can't believe you broke the handle on my luggage Hange." Erwin called still sat on the floor holding his luggage in one hand and the handle in the other. Pressing the broken part of the handle to his bag as if it'd be that simple to fix.

"Now what am I supposed to do?"

"It broke my fall Erwin. Be grateful."

"For what exactly?"

"I don't know!"

Levi blinked, his gaze falling on Hange for the first time since she took that spill in the lobby. Her hands were crossed over her stomach, thumbs rubbing the spot where she fell.

"Are you alright or not?" Levi questioned

"I'm fine."

"Ok, I know why Levi's upset but why're you?" Erwin chimed up

"What's Levi upset about?"

"What else? Y/N."

"Uggggghhh Levvviiiii why don't you just ask her out already?" Hange said

Levi sat up on the bed pulling his feet into his chest. Shoes long gone, pushed up against the wall as soon as they'd walked into the room.

"I'm not talking about this shit anymore this week."

"Levi, if we're staying here all of this week and next then chances are she's also staying here all week and next. Which means somewhere in here is a perfect opportunity to-"

"Get in her bed." Hange interrupted

"Or something less crass." Erwin suggested "You did pack condoms in your emergency undies bag right?"

"Did you pack a spare handle in yours?"

Hange's obnoxious laughter was almost loud enough to muffle the low knocks on the door. Her irritating jabs to Levi's shoulder quickly halting when Levi grabbed her fingers.

"Who is it?" Erwin asked, one hand on the door.

"It's Y/N.."

Now Hange stopped laughing. Erwin shrugged as he looked back at both of them before pulling the door open.

"Hey, here." Y/N sounded filled with fatigue as she handed over a small bottle to Erwin.

"Oh! Thank you! Where'd you get this?" Erwin smiled with delight immediately flopping back down next to his bag.

"Jean carries around extra strength glue because Connie always manages to break something fragile." Y/N replied "I doubt it'll work but maybe it'll help a little?"

Erwin nodded happily as Y/N turned to look at Hange. Her hands balled up and her fingers fidgeting where she was pulling at them.

"How's your rib Hange?"

"It's ok now, thanks for asking."

Y/N nodded and at this moment everyone in the room was looking at Levi who automatically felt extremely naked.

"Levi um.. can I talk to you? In the hall?"

Levi didn't know if he had nodded in his head or in real life but he was swiftly moving across the room. Passing Y/N where she stood and then holding the door open as she walked out just behind him. The door shut behind the two of them and if Levi felt naked before the feeling out here was somehow worse.

"What happened?"

Levi could hear the slightly muffled footsteps on the other side of the door and even a whispered Hange as Y/N spoke. His hands felt both too dry and wet all at once as he looked into her mildly menacing gaze.

"Wh- where wh-when.."

"You barely said anything to me after I brought the cream for your forehead. What happened? Did I do something wrong?"

Oh god how can she possibly assume that? Levi felt his stomach clench. He had never had it easy with text, which was why he pretty much always called everyone.

"I-I didn't mean.. it um.." He shuffled his feet a bit now remembering that he still had no shoes on.

Y/N sighed. "I wanna be your friend Levi. Please tell me you want that too."

With a deep breath he replied, "Call me."

"When?"

"Anytime.. I'm a bad t-texter.."

When her facial features softened Levi felt his shoulders finally sag for the first time since he'd heard her name in the lobby. "Ok.. oh ok, that's all it was? I thought I did something wrong. I'm glad we talked."

And Levi was barely registering her hands wrapping around his shoulders. Her body pressing oh so comfortably close to his. Hand sliding over his back, scent overwhelming his nose. And then just as soon it was all being taken away.

"I'll call you, ok?"

"Ok.." Levi's hand was still waving long after she'd already disappeared out of plain view.

"Oh god you're her friend!" Hange laughed the door suddenly yanked open behind Levi.

"It's as cute as it is sad." Erwin clicked his teeth.

"Tch, shut up." Levi stomped back into the room.

"Levi, you're in the friendzone!" Hange huffed as Erwin shut the door. "And if you don't get out of it. You're gonna be the short shoulder to cry on when some big dude with an invalid drivers license, a shit ton of tattoos and a porn addiction breaks her heart."

"That's oddly specific.." Erwin retorts

"All of you keep assuming I wanna be her boyfriend. I don't!"

Erwin rolled his eyes, "That tall guy that she was with actually. I think he'll be the guy who has her running to Levi's shoulder."

"Oh you mean Jean?" Hange nods "But they broke up a while ago."

"Then why is she still hanging out with him?"

"He's Sasha and Connie's best friend. So they've all known each other a while. They're a set, don't separate type deal."

"Then it's only logical that Y/N will marry Jean someday. You know if they all stay so close."

"Yup, definitely."

"You can both eat shit."

~~~~

Day one

Levi strained awake, blinded by the harsh sunlight stabbing his eyes through the uncovered window. He couldn't even remember when he'd fallen asleep last night but he could already tell it was too early for everyone else to be awake.

He could recall a couple things from last night. Hange overstaying her welcome in his room, Erwin suggesting that Hange pay for his fucked up luggage and somethings he would rather not think about.

Preferably the others joining in his room to discuss breakfast plans. At which Sasha had suggested the diner they had already planned to go to early in the morning. Levi's heart sank as he recalled Y/N's gorgeous smile directed to Jean who had stood behind her rubbing her shoulders and whispering in her ear.

He squeezed his eyes shut, standing from his bed and immediately working to straighten out the sheets before eyeing the book he'd unpacked last night.

Maybe he could get some reading done before Hange inevitably came to annoy him.

The one he was currently holding was of a dog wearing a big floppy hat in the mist of sunflowers. He quickly matched it with his black and white sweatpants. And with a small sigh he headed to the bathroom.

He thumbed at the spine of the book, sliding his finger between the pages to the current bookmark. A shower would probably be a better start to the morning though. He set the book down unzipping one of his bags and pulling out the first pair of clothing folded at the top. Levi hadn't remembered packing one of his mother's many silly birthday gifts to him. She had always bought him shirts with pictures on them that confused him.

He didn't even remember the last time he'd had a shower that was hot for more than five minutes. Or the last time he could look down at his feet without seeing a hair monster in the drain.

He took a couple extra minutes to completely wash his hair, combing his fingers through the strands before shutting off the water and quickly getting dressed.

As he reentered his room he remembered the random gaze Jean threw his way. The smirk on his lips, the taunting glare and then just as quickly it was over. And he was talking to her like nothing had happened.

Levi had never once in his entire life thought about having a girlfriend. It just wasn't something that absorbed his thoughts but he knew the second he saw that smirk on Jean's face what he wanted to be to Y/N.

He just couldn't imagine how.

His fluffy towel hugged his head as he popped open the book he'd discarded a couple minutes ago. He pulled his feet in closer to his body tracing the letters on the page, delving into the story-

"Levi!"

Two fucking seconds.. that had to be a new record.

A barrage of harsh knocks sounded outside his door and he yanked it open to see Hange standing there out of breath with a barely alive looking Erwin behind her. Excitement flooding her features as she pushed past Levi with Erwin in tow. A blue toothbrush almost falling from his lips.

"You couldn't let him finish brushing his fucking teeth?" Levi grunted, shutting the door behind the two of them. Erwin sighed his eyes shut, toothbrush dangling from his mouth. "Why're you here?"

"We're all going for breakfast remember?"

"Not for another thirty minutes." Levi narrowed his eyes and leaned back against the tv table.

Hange smiled, "Yup and that means we have enough time to figure out a game plan to get you and Y/N together by the end of today." Hange clapped excitedly though both Erwin and Levi couldn't possibly look less enthused.

"I don't need your help."

"Erwin, back me up here!"

"I'm not doing shit since you didn't let me spit and I had to swallow toothpaste." Erwin remarked, squeezing the bridge of his nose.

Levi's face scrunched up and Hange let out a snort. "Why did you swallow it.. you could've just spit it out in the hall or something."

"That's fucking disgusting." Levi grunted

"Why the hell would I do that?" Erwin asked

"You're not supposed to swallow toothpaste duh!"

Everyone huffed all at once and Levi flopped down next to Erwin on the bed. "If I need any help I'll ask.." He mumbled already feeling heat fly to his cheeks.

"We're finally gonna get you a girlfriend Levi!!" Hange squeezed his body in a tight hug.

Just as Levi was about to push her away a couple of soft knocks sounded on his door again, "We're leaving a little earlier, hurry and come downstairs."

~~~~

Before the car had even pulled up back at the lodge Hange was already screaming about going skiing. Erwin had asked if Levi wanted to which he'd replied with a scoff.

"Really? Cause there are plenty of chances for Y/N to fall on you. Or you to fall on her." He shrugged.

Levi just rolled his eyes and at that Erwin gave up and now he was standing at the freezing cold railing watching everyone go down the stupid slope for what had to have been an hour or so. How'd he end up with bag watch? He didn't even wanna come outside.. He blew on his fingers trying and falling to warm them. At this point he felt exhausted, absolutely none of his clothes were keeping him warm.

With a sigh he pulled Hange and Erwin's bags up onto his shoulder along with Sasha and Connie's belongings. If he could manage to get upstairs he could warm up at least a little. A hot cup of tea practically beckoning him.

It took him only a couple seconds to realize he didn't have Y/N's bag. He looked around for a couple seconds. Did she bring a bag outside? Did he lose her bag?? He'd only left once to got to the bathroom. Did someone steal it.. Shit. He grumbled in disgust. Where could he have left it?

Feeling a bit panicked he headed towards the stairs. Blood running cold, his eyes practically bouncing out of his skull. His heart stopped at the display in front of him. Jean's hand on Y/N's waist as she leaned forward on the railing. Their lips pressed together..

(Hey Siri, play Heartbreak Anniversary by Giveon.)

[thisdreamplace]

//it’s essentially a comfort zone for us. and at the heart of it, the law calls for us to let that comfort zone go entirely. we do try to grasp onto it, making excuses for why it can stay. however, ultimately we will all see a day where we let it go, and accept the wholeness between ourselves and all things.//

so this is like having evrything within us or being us, which means theres nothing to attract,, or to hav somwone else "giv" it to us? how wud that go? i already hav my desires, and actually i already have undesired things too? and only i have to focus more on what I want?

i admit my takw on the law here is a big comfort zone and may be one day i wil b able to accept i am the only one to blame lol. Jkjk. i can affect things around me so i do accept how the world actualy works with me.... its just huge shifts or huge changes in 3d that i wish i could just see already that gets me :( u know? so maybe i can change up my style. maybe im missing somthinf crucial?

ps: ur way of explainng is v gentle. i like it!

one day when we "let it go", what would we b doing then to consiously manifest evryday? Mike also said theres no real reason to do techniqes or reiki healing or anything to fix like that. i do get all this in theory. its I wonder is it reallllly possible to just be aware of things and then idk think a few thoughts with intent and see instant results of our power? how much wud that take to shift to that state of power? 🧲

yep, yep. you have everything already, you are the entire world. it’s within you. you can see the outer world as literally just your inner world… pushed out. all is within and when we desire something, we go within and allow that experience to play out.

the only thing standing between you and those “big shifts” is you. this why you must go all in, in my opinion. sure it’s nice to manifest things intentionally, but what about life ? what about the daily experiences, we cannot possibly manifest every little detail intentionally. but if we were just to surrender and dwell in lovely states overall — those sweet little details of the day, those wonderful happenings would come about like beautiful gifts in our day. and those “big shifts” would be your new normal.

it is possible because youve always been doing it. now you’re learning how to do it with intent. all i can tell you is to prove it to yourself — practice the art of imagining daily. watch how easily and effortlessly your inner world has been creating your daily experiences already. play in your imagination and see what happens, push the boundaries and have fun. its the way to build faith and see the power of your mind firsthand. it doesn’t take much, because it’s already who you are. how long it takes, however, depends on your willingness to let go of the old and allow in the new way of life.

“How do you do it? Self-abandonment! That is the secret. You must abandon yourself mentally to your wish fulfilled in your love for that state, and in so doing, live in the new state and no more in the old state.” — Neville Goddard

thanks for your kind words btw. :) i hope this helps ! 💖

[pappydaddy]

Opposites (s.h.)

  A/N: This is for the request asking for a Steve x Reader where the reader was like Jade West from Victorious (also known as one of my bi awakenings). I am sorry for the delay, this Thanksgiving was crazy (I’m Canadian) and there was so much to do! I tried my best to write the reader like Jade without having her not vibe with the kids bc we all know that the kids come first with Steve. Now, without farther ado, here is the request! Hope you like it lovely Anon!!

Edit: I changed the name bc there are so many fics under the name Opposites Attract😅.

pairing: steve harrington x fem!reader

show/movie: stranger things 

requested

warnings: fluff??

masterlist | taglist | wips | navigation

- not my gif -

  Opposites attract. Something everyone has heard before. It can be applied to magnets or to relationships. While there was no denying that when it came to magnetic pulls, opposites did indeed attract, but Steve was never too sure about it in a relationship sense. He had always gone after girls who fit his lifestyle. Parties, the popular crowd, the girls who fit in to societies expectations. It wasn’t until he had met Y/N that he had realized that maybe everyone was right. Just like magnets, opposites attract did apply to relationships as well. He could not think Robin enough for introducing the hard headed, sometimes (all the time) scary girl who Steve would have never approached. A goofy guy such as Steve paired with the rocker chick who intimidated nearly everyone? Steve had never thought that would be possible outside of the movies. 

 Now, here Steve sat on Dustin’s couch as he bounced his knee, the party bickering all around him as they tried to figure out what they were going to do today. “Why would we watch movie’s all day, we always watch movies, Dustin!” Lucas exclaimed from where he sat on the floor next to Max. Dustin looked up from the pile of VHS tapes he had already selected before hand. 

  “Because movies are awesome and clearly the best option right now,” Dustin answered as if it was obvious. “Nobody can agree on one place, so the logical solution is to stay here and watch a movie.” He shrugged, shuffling through the tapes once again, ignoring Lucas’ groans of protest. Steve tuned them out the best he could as he watched the front door, willing for it to open revealing the two missing members of the party. 

  “Dustin has a point, Lucas.” Max piped up, not even looking up from watching the titles of the movies Dustin was debating on. 

  “Why,” Lucas asked simply, turning his head to face her in an exaggerated fashion. “Just why,” He repeated. “Why do you think it’s better to sit here and watch movies all day as opposed to going to a bowling alley?” 

  “I’d rather watch movies than go to a bowling alley, but we are clearly forgetting the best option brought up,” Mike inserted himself into the conversation again, banging his pointer finger against the coffee table before continuing. “The Arcade. There is a huge re-opening deal and a ton of new games!” 

  “We’re not going to the Arcade, it’ll be too crowded to have fun as a group!” Dustin turned Mike’s idea down once again. 

  “And sitting in a dark living room all day watching movies will be a fun group bonding experience?” Mike snapped back, sending the three boys into a tailspin of bickering. Steve and Max both heaved out sighs at the same time just as the front door opened, Robin walking in first followed by Y/N. The two girls ceased their previous conversation, blinking at the chaos ensuing. 

  “Finally, what took you two so long?” Steve leapt from his spot on the couch, rushing over to the pair, his eyes wide with relief. Instantly, he wrapped Y/N in a tight hug. The girl tensed for a second before melting into his hug, patting his back with one had. She wasn’t much for hugs, not being an overly affectionate person in general, but she couldn’t help but to lean a bit closer to Steve whenever he was affectionate towards her.           

  “Sorry, Stevie-boy,” Robin apologized half-heartedly, plopping herself down in the spot he once occupied. “Y/N got caught up trying to decide which Stephen King book to buy and then she saw the Stephen King display they had put up.” 

  “Ended up getting Cycle of the Werewolf, it came out a few years ago, but I was too wrapped up in the release of Cujo to focus on his book releases,” She told him, not even waiting for him to ask. She pulled out of his grasp, reaching into the bag she carried to hand him the book. Steve shivered slightly, not understanding how she could read or watch Stephen King’s books without getting the slightest bit scared. “But I couldn’t pass on the great deal they had on, they had Danse Macabre for half off so they could get make room for another shipment.” She pulled the second book out of the bag, walking passed Steve who read over the back of the book he held, eyeing the words as if they would jump off the page at him. 

  “That’s great, Y/N, but we need you and Robin to help us decide what to do for the rest of the day,” Dustin interrupted the girl, earning a glare from her (which he ignored). Y/N sat on the middle cushion beside Robin who dug through her own bag to retrieve her own book: Dark Companions. “Lucas wants to go to a bowling alley-”

  “I would rather stab my eyes with rusty scissors then go to a bowling alley.” Y/N cut him off, flicking through the pages of her new book. Dustin laughed in victory as Lucas gave Dustin a warning look in return. 

  “We didn’t get to hear what Robin thought.” Lucas pointed out, hoping that Robin would be his saving grace, but his hope was quickly shot down. 

  “I’m with Y/N,” She stated, looking up from her book. “I hate those places, they are a cesspool of germs. Kids pick their noses then use their booger covered fingers to pick up a ball.” She turned her nose up at the idea. Lucas slumped back in defeat, Max sending him a sympathetic smile despite her internal happiness that she didn’t have to go to the bowling alley. Steve hid his own excitement as he sat down on the other side of Y/N, slinging his arm over her shoulders as she began to read her book. 

  “How about the Arcade, huh? You guys can watch us play awesome games and not touch anything!” Mike brought up his idea, trying to sell the girls on it. Robin shook her head instantly. 

  “Arcades are my personal hell,” Y/N grumbled, flipping the page. “Kids running around screaming and the noises from the games. It’s nauseating.” She cringed at the thought of it. 

  “So that leaves watching movies here then.” Dustin smiled brightly, showing his still missing teeth. Mike and Lucas groaned, flopping back on the floor dramatically, missing the way Y/N’s face twisted into a scowl and Robin’s nose turned up once again. 

  “Sitting here all day watching movies?” Robin asked. 

  “I would rather stuff myself into a wood-chipper.” Y/N commented once again, her eyes never lifting off her page. This prompted Lucas and Mike to shoot back up, smiling widely at Dustin’s defeat. 

  “Hey, isn’t there that band stopping by to preform a little outdoor concert, super low-key and free?” Max finally brought up the idea she had been sitting on the whole time. She knew that Robin and Y/N would have backed her up, but the boys would have shot the idea down immediately. Y/N and Robin slowly lifted their heads, intrigued by Max’s idea. 

  “So? What band would be coming to Hawkins to play a free show? Are they even worth seeing?” Mike lifted his upper lip in a grimace as he got ready to shoot the idea down. 

  “Yes, they are,” Max narrowed her eyes at the boy. “It’s a relatively new rock band, kinda like Def Leppard meets Guns N’ Roses meets AC/DC. They are playing free shows in smaller towns to build a name for themselves, all their earnings come from their merch sales.” 

  “Now that,” Y/N finally closed her book, setting it on the coffee table as she uncrossed her legs. Leaning her elbows on her knees, she clasped her hands together and pointed her pointer fingers at Max, a smirk playing on her dark painted lips. “That sounds awesome.” She unclasped her hands to high-five Max, the red-head beyond happy that her idea was chosen.             

  “It does sound really cool,” Robin nodded, sharing a look with Y/N and Max. “I’m down.” 

  “You know what,” Steve finally spoke up, bobbing his head, a goofy smile on his face as his eyes gazed at Y/N as she leaned back under his arm, looking up at him. “I’m in too. I could use a good concert.” 

  “You’re just agreeing because your girlfriend wants to go!” Mike accused, earning two glares from Y/N and Steve. He shrunk back under Y/N’s hard glare.

  “Come on, guys,” Steve encouraged. “You guys could actually like their music, you might even find a new interest or meet some new people,” He tried to sell the reluctant teen boys. They hummed, actually listening to him. “There really isn’t any harm in going.” They nodded, muttering their lack-luster agreements in choosing the concert. 

  “Forget all that mushy, positive shit,” Y/N waved her hand at Steve’s sappy selling of the concert. “Just go and live outside of your comfort zone, taint your innocent, pure souls. You will thank me later, trust me.” 

  “Are you corrupting my kids?” Steve asked her as the boys all hollered ‘yeahs’ and hopped around the room as if they were tough. Max and Robin rolled their eyes at them, but Y/N looked back up at Steve, a sparkle in her eyes. 

  “Yeah, someone had to undo all the goofiness you instilled in them - make ‘em cooler.” He smiled down at her, pressing his lips against hers softly as the boy’s continued on. The roudiness melted away as they shared a loving kiss. As their lips pulled away reluctantly, parting the sweet kiss. Steve was never more sure that they were living proof of opposites attracting.         

[jean-does-not-have-a-horseface]

Before Dawn (Levi x Reader)

So, I wrote this mostly in one sitting because I longed to post it on Archive of our own but I'm sure not all people read stories there, so if I can make someone's day brighter with some not so slow slow burn and eventual fluff then I'm in. I hope you enjoy, also I don't know how to add the read more option on mobile

Your face meets the hard, cold pillow of your bed with a loud but somewhat muffled thud. Your room turns darker and darker by each passing second as the sun slowly disappears behind the mountains. When you can't feel any stream of light entering the room you peak outside of your dormitory's window. Another exhausting day has finally come to an end.

Being the youngest member of Erwin's team isn't always as good as many of your comrades picture to be. Most of them believe you're babied, treated softly and specially, which is untrue to any possible extend. If anything, you're practically silenced by your other team members, who are much older and far more experienced than you. You do errands for everyone most the time and you're even assigned paperwork concerning fallen soldiers. You humph quietly. Soldiers can talk and gossip as much as they want, you're used to having to hear a new rumor about every one every passing week anyway.

Time seems to pass slowly as you're laying there, not moving a single inch of your body. In fact you contemplate on weather to even bat an eye to the direction of whoever's poking you. You have been satisfied with not having to talk to anyone for that little time you had to yourself.

"(Y/n) come on, we're just finished forming new squads."

Your much necessary time to relax seems to have to come to an end. It's almost never your choice, whether you get to rest or not that is, but you only sense it's going to get worse now that Erwin has been ranked as the new survey corps commander. A loud groan makes its way out of your barely parted lips. It only takes one second to storm out of your bed and another one to be able to stand still on your feet.

"Uhgh Hange, I hate that they have to do this right now. I was about to go shower." You mumble under your breath, solely with the intention of whining your way out of this situation. There's no such thing as convincing Hange out of pretty much anything anyway though, you scold yourself for believing it's worth the time.

The walk down the corridor is dull and silent and the only noise that can be heard comes from inside the dining hall that you pass without missing a heart beat. It's been a while since you started skipping dinner because your appetite was going down hill. In addition, it's not that Hange even brought up dinner at the sight of the dining hall.

Upon arriving at Erwin's door Hange lifts her hand and steadily knocks twice. You're not even standing on the spot for a second before the familiar word of approval is spoken from inside. Hange practically drags you inside, instantly adding tones of despair into your misery for the night.

Despite your best wishes, everyone in the room has fixed their eyes on you after the squeal you let out due to Hange's rushing movements. "Welcome (y/n)" Erwin speaks and you nod in response before saluting boringly. He urges you to take a stand between Levi and Mike and you comply without even trying to give it a second thought. Even though it's frantically silent in the room in a way you think that a single sound carrying breath could break it while Erwin speaks, you witness as Mike decides to tresspass that.

"You're squad Mike girl!" He whispers to you in a prideful way. His smirk betrays the happiness that has swelled on him by receiving this rank.

"Any questions?" Erwin asks before he forces his voice to come to an halt. Seeing that no one requests to know a thing from him he proceeds to call new squad leaders, one by one to pick members for their teams. Surprisingly enough, Levi gets called after Mike, speculating a peculiar reaction by the remaining veterans, even you, someone who has no place in voicing any object to Erwin's commands.

"Levi's not to doubt, I believe you all know that, and he will be running the new special operations team."

It occurred to you that no one was actually doubting Levi's abilities; most of them had probably been jealous to having to work that hard to receive a rank when he was only in the regiment for a year. However had they known Levi even in the tiniest bit though they'd never have an ounce of jealousy for him. Not that you knew much to beging with. What you had managed to gather from him about his past were a few broken sentences a night he accepted to come and hang out with your squad mates that he only spoke to you as he accompanied you to your barrack upon being forced by Mike.

You sit there, between the two men quietly for the rest of the long meeting and once you're dismissed you practically sprint to the showers. You know the water ought to be freezing cold by now but you preferre to endure this rather than having to wash alongside your female comrades. Growing up, your little given time in the shower was your only rightful privacy and you intend to keep it that way.

The water stops with a twist of your hand at the handle. You search for your towel in the dark and as you set your hands on it you rapidly begin to pat your body dry. Throwing your long nightgown on, you begin stomping out. Momentarily you seem to be in a haze of meaningless thoughts that pass your mind so fast, you can't even get a grip of them, many things seem to occupy your mind lately. New formations, improved harness gear, the news of your mother's death. You can't seem to put your thoughts in order, not for tonight at least. It's only when a deep, monotone voice rings in your ears that you jump and leave a little squeak come out of the depths of your throat.

"Oii"

"Shit! Don't sneak up on me like that" you wonder if you have to address him but in the end you do; in the end of the day you are one of formalities and everyone who knows you can confirm that. "sir.."

Levi simply clicks his tongue in response. You're the first person to address him as a commanding officer as of now, probably because every one else would need a moment to take it in, including himself.

"Thanks for making Isabel feel welcome back then." Levi's voice is barely louder than a whisper yet it never cracks, not even a little but that isn't what's taking you aback. The statement, in fact, sends you literally a few steps back and shoots your hand to your forehead in an act of despair. The cruel scene still plays in your head from time to time and you wonder how many times it must do so in his. You find your heart stopping for a moment before you feel a teeny flicker that sends your pulse running through your veins.

It's natural for someone not to be able to comprehend trauma in ways they are expected or rather forced to. Levi in particular is introverted and moody, if not most, then all of the time but this statement shines a different light on your understanding of his character. He's as emotionally drained and traumatized as someone can be. In fact, everyone is but this doesn't mean ones personal pain is lessened, in your opinion it makes it even worse.

"Not everyone is taught mannerisms I guess. The girls who made her feel unwanted can eat shit anyways."

It's obvious that Levi doesn't want to utter another word of the matter and you're not the one to push him out of his comfort zone. An uptight upbringing and the misfortunus chance of interacting with superficial assholes for equal parts of your life have taught you how to have temperament. To be patient even when you physically can't take it anymore.

"Tch.. Go to your barracks you're dismissed." It's time to bid eachother goodnight and of course Levi's eager to be the one to remind you of it. Tomorrow's a big day with everything you have to take care of after today's events. No cadet should be unable or not in position to assist by command.

"Sweating the chair already I see."

____

The next day starts with Nanaba waking you up. You take some time to adjust your eyes to the semi lit room. It strikes you how some people have always talked about how they missed feeling the magic of watching an eventual sunrise and even if you can see where they're coming from you're reminded every day of how much you despise every single aspect of it. Starting off with the runny nose it always bears for you as a hatred gift.

"I know it's kind of first thing in the morning but we have to help squad leader clean the office he was given.

Then again maybe you're just envying anyone who got to be woken up by sun's glowly warmth once it was already up in the sky.

"Hey, psst, don't zone out, get dressed."

Erratically, you skip breakfast. You fail to be in the mood for food lately most likely due to exhaustion or general disgust of whatever soup dish you are to be served. Your stomach has stopped trying to object to you since a young age. The only thing that ever makes it groan nowadays is guilt. With that devil of mother dead though it's not like you have anything to feel guilty for anyways.

"So here's your mop." Mike forces the object into your hands before you even get a chance to greet him. "Okay I repeat. Nanaba scrubs, (y/n) mops, Henning waxes. Lynne and Tomas you dust everything off. Understood?" All of you salute him with a 'yessir' before you watch him exit the room.

You spend most of your morning scolding Nanaba to go faster before you ultimately decide to switch places with her. You want to be over with cleaning, although you have no idea as to why but you do find yourself imagining that Levi sees you cleaning and thinks you're amazing at it and asks you to help him far too many times to count. You end up scolding yourself for that too. Nevertheless, it takes almost half an hour to finish with scrubbing, something you guess would have taken Nanaba eternity and a day.

Any sweat that's falling down your forehead you rub it off with the back of hand before you excuse yourself to a break. Seeing that no one will follow you stroll swiftly down the wooden hallway, with the restrooms in mind. You walk past Mike on the way, whom you greet cheerfully while fast informing him about your break. You're positive he practically smell your bladder is about to burst.

______

Tonight Hange draggs your unwilling piece of meat to dinner. She takes you to her usual table and sits you down amongst higher ranks. Some part of your brain fights you about not taking a stand against it. Your mother has always pressed for you to not enjoy what other in higher hierarchies have. But that's just a wooden fucking table with a stall. The voice in your head can shut it.

"Eat." Hange looks at you with a toothy grin, head tilted in your direction as she a eats a spoonful of her vegetable soup. You still feel an excessive amount of absurd guilt about raising objections so you smile back and stuff a portion of the food in your mouth with the intention of gulping it down as fast as possible. And of course Levi doesn't fail to notice the look of disgust in your face from across the table.

"Eat" Mike orders from Levi's left, gesturing to your plate with his spoon, an awkwardly soft smile plastered on his face. It beats you as to why they've decided to be persistent tonight out of all nights.

"Tch, show some respect to the people who work on your daily food. Drop that disgusted face or take cooking duty for the week."

With a pout in your lips you avert Levi's gaze in anger and overall shame. You lift the bowl containing the soup and you gulp it down as you try to ignore the knot at the back of your throat that threatenes to push back everything if you continue forcing your body to endure this.

Mike seems to be physically scolded to look at you because you see him jump in shock due to the unexpected action towards him for a fragment of a second. He takes no real interest in scolding you however, something that puts pressure on Levi for the matter.

"You just earned yourself cooking duty for the week, keep this up and Mike won't be as lenient as me." He talks sternly as he bores his eyes into yours. The unreadable lack of expression in his face remains intact, as always, but once again you choose to look away.

"Can I be dismissed?" You simply utter while your orbs take turns to look between Hange and Mike.

"Shoo shoo, I'm not pushing you girl" Mike pays little attention to you as he chunks on his bread with his eyes shut. If looks could kill you swear he would have been slashed to death by both Hange and Levi. To your luck of course, they can't, so you sit up from the stall in the most discreet way possible. Hange observes in silence as Levi's eyes follow your form across the room until you take a turn to get lost in the barracks. He then averts his gaze to the bowl of soup in front him for the remaining of his time in the dining hall.

It's one of those nights that you decide not to throw your whole body, face first, onto your bed; you've abused it very much in this way, the last thing you need to is for it to break apart and take down the twin bed on top of it. You sigh deeply before you bring your hands to cover your face in hopes that it will soothe your tingling skin.

Why was that silly little scenario of Levi watching you clean still stuck in your head all day long and why did it keep repeating over and over. To be clear with yourself, you didn't really know.

Your other roommates start flooding the room in a matter of seconds. It's always like that; the come back from dining and they chit chat for a few minutes before some of them go to sleep while others decide on showering before taking their given amount of rest for the night.

"(Y/n) lift your fucking head up you look like a corpse." Nifa, the girl who sleeps on the bed on top yours speaks.

"Not in the mood Nif. I'm sorry."

"You could try and talk to us!" Petra says on response, cutting Nifa off.

"I just don't want to cook for everyone. That's all." You spit a lie that's debatably believable. The girls that starts probing the walls of your stomach almost feels like liquid fire.

Did they really want to know the truth, or would they be disgusted by whatever came out of your mouth. Almost every one in the survey corps had a rough backstory and a purpose, and though you didn't lack of tragic and despair your purpose was pathetic and delusional.

"Look, I hate to see you like that and well you've been that moody way that before that punishment tonight. So spill."

"I don't want to be a burden!"

"Cut the crap." Lynne rhetored as she sat at the end of your bed, pinching your calf.

Well, you're probably annoying them by not letting any one of them in. "My mother died."

A few apologies and condolences are heard in response by the girls around you as they stare at you with oggly pitiful eyes.

"She was horrible and old no need to be sorry, I'm just conflicted on whether I loved her or not. I'm just unfazed but my mind guilt trips me on it." Your words are soft and your gaze fixed on the wooden floor underneath your legs. "I don't want to go into much abusive details, I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise!" Petra exclaims from her kneeling position next to you. "It's fine if you don't tell us anything. We shouldn't have pushed you." The girls all nod in response and the mood seems to darken the rooms aura with each silently passing second.

"I thought it was like boy problems" Lynne says as she wraps her right arm around your shoulder and squeezes you on her. Her palms quickly travel straight to your cheeks to poke and squish them in the most humorus way. "Tomas likes me and I avoid him, give me a breeak!"

You can't help but give a muffled giggle out to her. It's almost as if you approve of her little impression of you, and you do, mostly because laughing helps you take a weight off your chest. All girls around you are giggling in their turns with closed eyes, happily narrowed brows and scrunched up noses.

You shouldn't even let yourself be that moody anywayy.

___

To say that Levi is merely perplexing would be an understatement. Because here's the deal; no one could maintain such a straight face while pinning someone down. You're basically a lost cause as you maniacally move your head on the grass to avoid his gaze. Mentally you try to recall what brought you in this position in the first place. Was it because you challenged him to engage in combat or because he was a complete show off, it's beyond you at this point.

"I have your knife."

"What?" Levi looks at you with the tinniest bit of a puzzled impression plastered all over his face. Yet he doesn't get up from you. In the end he can't even know that you feel your skin burning with rage.

"I have your knife, sir. I won" you remark in a tiny little voice from the back of your throat.

"Tch, just because you have the knife doesn't mean your opponent won't attack you or even use that against you." Levi's voice is also calm and steady and even matching your tone in volume. You watch with anticipation as he opens his mouth to speak and when words begin to form he's interrupted.

"Ah sir, I want to spare with you as well!" Petra smiles as she fixes some lose strands of hair behind her ears.

Deciding to spend anymore time on this position on top of you, Levi pushes your wrists on the ground once again before completely getting off of you. You realise he's taken the dummy knife him, something he probably did in the blink of an eye. Of course he'd make his point whatever it took.

Training has stripped your stomach of the fullness that breakfast has secured you with and now you can hear the organ growl angrily inside your body. Having spent a week as the survey corps cook as a punishment has also worked wonders for your little appetite, because it physically drained you to the bone. You don't even know where to start about that unexpected shenanigan.

Unbeknownst to you, Nanaba and Lynne roll their eyes at your blanked expression. "Wall Maria to (y/n)? Hello? Is anyone in there?" An inpatient Lynne knocks a little too loud at the side of your head. Nifa laughs at the sight as well.

"Ohhh, I am." You whine. "Also ouch! I'm just not in my right head!"

"You uhm... mean piece of mind?" A few pieces of bread fall out of Nanaba's hand as she stuffs her mouth. It only takes a while to come up with a line to say to excuse your absurdness.

It's not that you want to feel that way about Levi or that you choose to either. It's probably an outcome of fatigue and a tiny infatuation that rule your mind like an empire that's about to fall. Levi's handsome, there's no denying in that, you've thought so ever since you set your eyes on him but he was ten years older than you and pretty much uninterested to almost everything. Maybe it's that you hoped he could look at you with the same enthusiasm that made you feel like you had a crush.

In reality you believe that these are pretty much lame reasons and Nanaba especially will laugh at you. 'Do you even have a reason to have a crush on someone?' Ugh, you can literally listen to her.

"Hmm, sorry I can't seem to communicate today. Might as well share." You decide it's not polite to keep things to yourself when others are trying to care for you. "Well it's that-"

"Do you guys find the Captain handsome?"

As always thanks for reading 👉❤️👈 if you have any request you can pop one in my askbox. Feedback is always appreciated, I really love seeing your opinions, they keep me motivated. I adore you guys

[troop-scoop]

Mistakes & Regrets XXII

Summary: When a trip to your Dad’s hometown of Hawkins goes wrong, you end up in the year 1983, and have to learn how to cope with being stuck in the past.

Pairing: Steve Harrington / Future!Reader (like, a really slow burn)

Warnings: Swearing, violence

• • • 

It was pretty much known by everybody who you were friends with that Steve hated your driving. And by hate, you meant it. 

He was genuinely shocked when the DMV gave you your license. You were always going over the speed limit, and taking sharp turns. His least favorite thing you did? Not slowing down at bumps or potholes.

So, you were hoping he wouldn’t wake up while you were driving. Dustin, Max, Mike and Steve were all crowded in the back seat of the car, but Lucas was next to you with the map, even though you knew your way to this farm because you went there to get a pumpkin for Will a few days before Halloween. 

“Y/n?” 

You looked in the rearview mirror, seeing Steve turned and looking at Mike. You redirected your attention to the road, choosing not to let him know that you were the one driving. 

“No don’t touch it” Dustin told him. Though you couldn’t see what he was telling Steve not to touch. “Hey, buddy. . .” Dustin shushed a bit. 

You continued driving, occasionally glancing at the map even if it was so dark you couldn’t really see anything. 

“It’s okay, you put up a good fight. He kicked your ass, but you put up a good fight. You’re okay.”

“Okay, you’re gonna keep straight for a half a mile, then make a left on Mount Sinai.” You nodded in response to Lucas’ instructions. 

“What’s going on?”

You didn’t want to look at Steve but you did anyway. Quickly sparing a look over your shoulder before turning back to the front. 

“Oh, my God.” 

“Hey, relax, she has her license.” Dustin tried to soothe as if Steve was an infant. 

“Yeah, and she barely passed the driving test.” Mike pointed out. You were gonna kill Nancy for coming with you to the DMV. 

“That still counts.” Max and Lucas both pointed out. 

“Steve, dude, need you to chill-”

“Oh, my God!”  He repeated, now fully awake and realizing the situation he was in, crowded around a bunch of middle schoolers with you driving. 

“They were gonna leave you behind.”

You could feel the stress rising in the back seat as Steve continued to repeat himself as he sat up, with Dustin trying to calm him down. 

“Fuck it.” You muttered, speeding up. Your nerves were getting the best of you. You wanted Eleven to be okay, you wanted Will to be okay. 

“Oh, my God! No! Whoa! Stop the car. Slow down!”

You tried to tune them out, with Mike, Dustin and Steve all yelling in the back seat, and Max looking more annoyed by the second.

“Shut up!” She yelled at them “She needs to focus!” 

You were sure it wasn’t a very pleasant way to wake up after getting your ass kicked by a racist. You saw the road coming up and took a sharp turn, which resulted in the squeaking of Billy’s tires and Steve screaming even louder. 

You came to a sudden spot when Mike yelled that you were there at the hole. You remained quiet, sniffling a little bit and turning the engine off. 

Getting out of the car you went to the drunk, unlocking it and letting the kids get what they needed to set up. 

You grabbed the gun, tucking it into your jeans. Taking the red bandana and swimming goggles, you looked over to the side of the car where Steve fell onto the dirt, loosing his balance 

The kids got their goggles and bandanas, having fully understood you when you said that the atmosphere down there was toxic. Because it was just an expansion of the Upside Down. 

Walking over to Steve you handed him the bandana and goggles, knowing you didn’t really need them. If you were immune to the atmosphere a year ago, it wouldn’t really change now. 

He tried to get your attention as you walked away but you couldn’t look at him. The tears felt like they were coming back every time you did.

You’d never let him know that you cried the entire time you were gathering things to get in the car. You were practically sobbing while going about your business, barely making it out of the driveway because your vision was blurry from your tears. 

You stood at the hood of the car while Mike came over with a canister of gasoline and the rope, bending down to tie it to the front bumper. 

“You got it?” You asked, wiping away a bit of snot. You hated crying, and the after effects. 

You could hear Steve yelling about how he said no to this plan, that he wasn’t going to allow it. But if you had to go down there alone, you would. 

“Yeah.” He said quietly. “You okay?” 

“Peachy.” You responded with little enthusiasm, which Mike picked up on, but refused to say anything. 

Walking back to the trunk you grabbed Steve’s arm, catching his attention as he took your backpack from Dustin.

“If you’re not with me, you are my enemy.” You said in a gentle and joking manner, only getting a confused grin from him. “You won’t understand that. . . for a long time.” He looked even more confused as you walked over to the hole as Mike dropped the rope down into it. 

Steve and Dustin quickly followed after you. It smelled familiar. And you could feel how cold it was already. Taking a deep breath you looked at the boys, who gave you an uncertain look through their goggles. 

Stepping closer to the hole. Steve grabbed your wrist, stopping you from moving. “What are you doing?” 

“Going down there? To commit interdimensional arson?” 

“Why don’t you have any of this?” Steve gestured to his bandana and pair of goggles he’d gotten on within seconds. 

“I don’t really need it.” You said softly, pulling your wrist away and jumping down into the hole. You landed with your knees bent and in total darkness.

You froze up. It felt like it was all rushing back, and you lowered yourself onto your knees, the gooey feeling on your jeans also familiar and not uncomfortable. You could remember the sound of rain, and yelling out for your dad, having regretted running as soon as the storm started. And you tried to find your way back, but you stepped over one rock, and all of a sudden you fell into what felt exactly like this.

You remembered having your hoodie on, and your hair up. Your shoes had been soaked from the rain. You still had them somewhere in your apartment. A pair of damaged black vans. 

You could suddenly remember taking your first shower at the motel, watching as the dirt, blood and sweat went down the drain. You hadn’t been able to remember your first night at the motel since you’d been there. 

You remembered taking the shower after buying a completely new outfit, from a store, just so you could feel comfortable. You remembered the odd looks you got from everyone, and staying quiet after you saw the date in a newspaper. You’d put it together far quicker than you’d imagined. You’d enrolled yourself into the highschool quickly, got a wardrobe together, and tried to act normal. You remembered all of it now. 

“Y/n? Hey, c’mon, look at me, are you okay?” Steve grabbed your face, making you look at him. But all you could see was his bruised forehead and his eyes through the tinted goggles. 

“Yeah.” You answered simply. You could suddenly remember the last time your dad hugged you, and how tight it had been. Like he’d known that something was going to happen, or that it’d be the last time. But you hadn’t. 

“I’m fine.” 

Steve helped you onto your feet, and you reached for whoever’s hand was closest, and that just so happened to be Steve’s. 

You started your trek down the tunnels, every step reminding you of what happened. You pretty much zoned out on everything. Ignoring everything that was said and remembering how quiet it had been except for those things that you always hid from. You were good at hiding as a little kid, and even now. Lockdown drills didn’t help.

But you did snap out of it when you heard screaming. Turning back you saw Mike and Lucas run back, and you went after them. Mike was yelling for Dustin and when you came to a large opening, you saw Dustin on the ground, coughing.

Kneeling down you had a grip on his shoulders as he coughed. He had a grip on you too, using you as a bit of balance. 

He stopped and looked up at you, seeing how worried you were. “I’m okay.” 

It was anticlimatic. 

You nodded a bit. “Okay.” You agreed, grabbing the end edge of his bandana and pulling it over the nose of his scuba mask and helping him back up. You walked with Dustin most of the way after that, a hand on his shoulder and the other on Mike’s as they followed Steve’s lead. 

“Alright, Wheeler. I think we found your hub.” 

Steve was right, the other tunnels all leading to this one spot. That everyone shined their flashlight on. 

And instead of a constant feeling of reliving that short month in the Upside Down, you took the gas canister that Mike had been carrying for you. “Let’s drench it.” He spoke as you uncapped it. Everyone did the same, With Lucas spraying the higher walls of the hub while the rest of you got the lower parts, and the floor. The smell was overwhelming, like a gas station but a thousand times worse. And usually you liked the smell.

“Alright, c’mon. Everybody get back.” 

You looked up at Steve, seeing that he was gesturing back to the way you’d come. You dropped your canister, and went to the tunnel.

You were all gathered together, and Steve looked at you. “You still have my lighter?” Nodding, you reached into the pocket of his jacket and handed it to him. 

“Alright, you guys ready?”

“Yeah.” You answered. With everyone else answering as well. 

He opened the lighter and ignited it, the small flame lighting up a small area, before he tossed it into the puddle of gasoline. What you’d all poured into it lit up 

The vines on the floor began to make sounds and flail in the air, almost as if it was in pain. But you couldn’t bring yourself to care if it was in pain. 

“Go, go, go!” Steve shouted. You grabbed Lucas, Dustina and Mike who all took longer than Max, who took off running.

You pushed them all ahead of you and began to run yourself, with Steve behind you. You all ran, not really caring if you were cautious at this point. 

Steve grabbed onto your arm and started to pull you along with him when he almost passed you.

He let go of you when he made sure you weren’t completley behind him or the kids, but right along side Mike. 

You grabbed onto Mike’s hand, trying to make sure you didn’t lose him or he didn’t get lost.

Mike tripped on one of the vines and fell onto the ground. “Steve!” You shouted. While Mike screamed ‘help’ 

They came running back, with Lucas going to the other side of Mike as Steve brought the bat down onto the vine. You pulled Mike away and grabbed his face. “Are you okay?” 

He gave an urgent nod as you helped him stand back up. 

Before any of you could make a run for it again, you heard the familiar growling from a demodog as Dustin liked to call it. 

You still held onto Mike, an arm around his shoulders, holding him close like you would if he were your own brother. You also had an arm out, acting as a shield for Lucas, as Dustin stepped forward. 

You didn’t feel scared, just anxious, with your heart beating a million miles a second, having had both Dustin and Mike fall on the way at some point. Mike had his flashlight pointed at Dart, but his other hand had a death grip on the back of your shirt. 

“Dart.” Dustin spoke, taking a small step forward. 

In unison all of you started speaking, telling him to get back or that it was a bad idea. “Sh! Trust me, please.” He continued to walk over to the thing. Both you and Steve shared a look as your grip on Mike stayed the same. 

The four kids were family to you your entire life, they would have done anything to protect you just like your dad would have done for their kids. So you’d do anything to protect them now. 

“It’s me, It’s Dustin, You remember me?” He asked, kneeling down in front of him, his goggles and mask off. “Will you let us pass?”

  Dart opened his mouth and growled, showing off the tiny teeth decorating the petal like flaps. You pulled Mike closer and grabbed Lucas’ hand who stepped behind you. 

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I”m sorry about the storm cellar.”

“I’m not.” You murmured to yourself. 

“That was a pretty douchey thing to do. You hungry? Yeah?” Dustin took his backpack off, reaching into it and pulled out a three musketeers. 

“He’s insane.” Lucas mumbled. You only nodded in agreement. While Steve told him to shut up. 

“I’ve got our favorite. See? Nougat.” Dustin began to unwrap the candy bar. “Look at that. Yummy. Here, all right? Eat up, buddy.”

Dustin gestured for you all to go past Dart without looking at at any of you. Steve went first, then Max, and then you, Mike and Lucas. Mike and you still having a tight grip on each other and Lucas using you as a bit of a shield, and you didn’t blame him. 

You all stopped once past Dart and Dustin, and saw as Dart looked back at Dustin. “Goodbye, buddy.” Dustin told him, puling his mask and goggles back on, before turning to the rest of you and following. 

Things just kept popping up however, as when you’d barely gotten far from Dart, the tunnel shook, and you could hear distant growling from multiple demodogs. 

“They’re coming.” Mike realized, having taken your hand after you’d let him go. “Run!” He yelled with everyone instantly following what he said and running towards the rope. 

Once there, Steve helped Max up onto the ground, then Lucas, as well as Mike and Dustin. 

“Shit.” You mumbled, hearing the demodogs get closer. You pulled the gun from your Jeans as Steve stepped in front of you, bending his knees enough so you could aim over his shoulder. 

And much to your surprise, instead of attacking, they went around the two of you, acting as if you were just rocks in their way. 

Steve turned and grabbed you with his free hand, keeping you close and out of their way as the two of you watched them run. 

“Okay. . .” Steve mumbled, looking down at you. “Your turn.” He told you dropping the bat and leaning down to grab you from around the knees, and lifting you up to the rope. 

You had a firm grip on it and climbed the couple of inches you needed before Mike and Max grabbed you, helping to pull you out, and then you did the same for Steve, pulling him out as he tossed the bat to the side. 

The headlights of Billy’s car grew brighter for a few seconds, forcing you to shield your eyes. But it was gone as soon as it had come. 

• • • 

Stepping out of the car you were met with Billy sitting on the porch, and the door opening as Joyce came out. The worry on her face was unmistakable. 

“Oh, my God.” He muttered, coming over to you and hugging you. You were both sweaty and gross, but you understood the reaction. She’d expected for you all to be in house when she came back with Will. “You’re okay?” She asked, pulling away and holding your face in her hands. 

You nodded, forcing a tired smile. “I’m alive.” You couldn’t say you were okay, because you knew you weren't. But you were alive, and that was enough for you. 

“Y/n!” Looking over Joyce’s shoulder you saw Will, Jonathan and Nancy coming out as well. Smiling you walked over to Will who came over and hugged you. 

“Hey,” You greeted, hugging him back. 

“It wanted me to kill you.” 

“I know, kid. But you didn’t.” You reminded him, pulling away and smiling down at him. You could see your brother in him. The smile and the tired look in his eyes. “It’s an okay night.” 

“Hey, guys.” You looked at Nancy and Jonathan who smiled back. Eleven and Hopper got back at the same time as you, So Mike and her had gone to each other, and everyone stood around, exhausted and ready to crash. 

“Nancy, Mike, Dustin, and Lucas can stay here for the night, to get some rest.” Joyce told them. “Y/n, Steve, you’re welcome to stay too.” 

Looking over at Steve you could see how exhausted he was, and looking over to Joyce you looked down at Will, who you still had an arm around. “We. . . can get a ride to my apartment. We both need showers.” You told her. 

She nodded and reached over to you, a hand on your cheek that you subconsciously leaned a bit into. 

“I’ll drive them.” Hopper offered to Joyce. 

You nodded a bit, looking over to Steve. “We’ll get the BMW tomorrow morning, yeah?” He nodded in response. 

“We should go now, before he passes out here.” You told Hopper, but really, you could see how Steve was looking at Billy. 

“Let’s go.” 

• • • 

@disneyprincessbuffyannesummers​ @nxncywheeler​ @yllwtaxi​ @songofcosplay​ @potatopooper05​ @cheesecakeisapie @robinsdolan​ @yall-wildin-like-siriusly​  @bisexualpears​ @ilovebucketbarnes​ @random-thoughts-003​ @mochminnie  @abbyg217​​ @stevexscoops​​ @cashmereandtears​​ @iris-suoh​​ @supred12 @ohmyitsfaith​ @beyond-the-gone​

[royallyprincesslilly]

Title: Love, Maybe? {36}**

Chris Evans X Reader OFC Vixen Giovanni

Warning: Cursing, Plot, Fluff, Angst, Slow Burn, Tease, NSFW, SMUT

Word Count: 6.3K

Summary: After a night of drunkenness you wake up next to warm, hot as hell body, a migraine and no memory of the night before. When you come to realize that the hot body belongs to none other than Hollywood’s golden boy Chris Evans you freak out. As events unfold you become even more panicked to find out you got married in your drunken haze. What else is there to do but get it annulled, right? Before walking away, you share one more night of molten kisses and passion. Three years later you are still living with the repercussions of your brash decisions, but the surprises don’t stop there. The past has a way of coming back and have you questioning is this fate that you’ve been running from, hell could it have been love, maybe?

NOTE: **Italic texts is an inner Vixen thought. Bold Italic texts is an inner Chris thought. Recommended listening when indicated by the musical note 🎵: 1st: Pssy & Wine by: Mike Champion and 2nd: All On Me by: Sean Paul  

**Loosley Edited/Proofread**

***Interactive***

Thank you guys for reading!!!! If you enjoyed this please LIKE, COMMENT, REBLOG. 😊❤❤️

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 36: Seize The Day

 -Vixen-

 Singing along to the sounds of Lauryn Hill’s version of Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You, you danced around and finished preparing breakfast. This was one of your favorite songs and today you were feeling it.

 “Oh pretty baby, don’t let me down I pray.”

 You rocked your hips and used the tongs as a microphone and hit the high note as you turned to see Chris leaning against the wall with a smile on his face.

 “Shit!”

“Wow, serenade and breakfast.” You pinched your lips and turned back to the stove to finish the sausages to hide your embarrassment.

 “Morning.” You felt him wrap his arms around you and kiss your cheek then your neck.

 “Good morning,” you whispered with a smile.

“Mmm, it smells great, it’s been quite a while since anyone made me breakfast,” Chris added.

 “Liar, I’ve made breakfast almost every morning since we’ve been in Boston.”

 He smiled and turned you to him. “Wow, liar is a bit harsh. Take it back.” You smiled and shook your head.

 “Nope. You take it back. I’ve been feeding you well.” his smile was wide as he dropped his lips to your collar.

 “Oh yes you have, very, very well,” he answered placing kisses across your collar and chest. You moaned and quickly got lost. His lips felt amazing. Before you knew it he was stooped before you and kissing your stomach and quickly making his way to the apex of your thighs. His tongue was a weapon and he knew just how to use it.

 You groaned and enjoyed the pleasure he gave before you remembered the plan for the day.

 “Mmm, Chris. Stop.” As soon as the words were said he pulled away from you.

 “I’m sorry.”

 “No, no, it’s okay, nothing like that. I just have a shoot to get to,” you explained.

 “A shoot?”

 “Yes, because I had to come here for work, Kassius rearranged the promo shoot for here. I have to be there in an hour which means we only have time to eat and go.”

 “Oh, okay. What’s for breakfast?”

 “Uh, waffles, sausages, some fruit, and chive scrambled eggs. Don’t tell anyone I stole some ingredients last night.” His smile was perfect, you loved it. Pushing it to the side you put a plate in front of him on the counter.

 “Thank you.” You hopped onto the counter beside him and began eating.

 It was interesting how all this felt as natural as breathing like you’ve been doing this for the last three years and no time had passed at all. You wondered what he thought of your life here. You knew bringing him here would mean he’d see the restaurant, see the house and it would be like confirmation that you’d led this life without him, on purpose. You wondered if he was angry and was hiding it.

 Last night there was no anger in him. He was gentle and amazing, everything you’d remembered him to be. You’d be lying if you said you didn’t feel anything last night. How could you not especially with that song playing? Occasionally you listened to it when you couldn’t sleep and now he knew it, he knew just how much you thought about Vegas and him. you didn’t feel embarrassed then to tell him the truth, but now you felt exposed and you hated it.

 After breakfast, you went into the shower and used it to get your thoughts and emotions under control. It was quite the feat because you were everywhere but after almost forty minutes you managed. When you met him in the foyer he was dressed and ready for the day. The two of you got into the rental car and drove through the city to the address of the shoot. He asked plenty of questions about the area when you pointed out Ella’s preschool he had a lot more of them. His interest in your life made you feel good.

 When you arrived at the location of the shoot it was time to get to work. The photographer and one of the guys from the team were there to convey just the look Kassius wanted to achieve. You listened in and corrected them when you heard something that just wasn’t you. You wanted to remain true to who you were and not give in to this fake image, you weren’t Hollywood and you would never pretend to be.

 The first look was your chef’s and kitchen attire that you’d chosen for the new restaurant, complete with a chef’s hat. You smiled for the pictures and tried to listen to the instruction for poses but you felt so out of place, so awkward that you were sure that it was coming through in the photos.

 “Okay Vixen, how about you do some poses you normally do in the kitchen,” Albee the photographer suggested.

 “Uh, poses in a kitchen? I don’t pose in my kitchen. I cook,” you announced. Those around smiled.

 “Fair, I walked into that one, but what are some actions that you do in the kitchen? Can you do those?”

 You looked around the set and walked over to the kitchen area and tried to imitate chopping without a knife then tried to stir a pot without an actual pot to stir. You felt ridiculous and after a few minutes, Chris came to stand beside the photographer. He then whispered something to him.

 “All right let’s take five everyone,” Albee announced.

 Chris walked over to you with an amused look on his face.

 “On a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst how bad did that look?” He smiled and took a deep breath.

 “Well, I don’t want to lie, so eight.” You nodded and sighed out feeling frustrated with the day.

 “Okay look, this is new for you. you’re used to being in the kitchen whipping up incredible dishes being in front of a camera and doing this is weird. I get it, we all get it but you’re overthinking just a bit. I do this way more than I like. It usually helps to make it as natural as possible,” Chris explained.

 “And how do you suggest I do that?”

 “I am glad you asked. First, loosen up you have no need to be self-conscious or nervous, you’re gorgeous and the camera loves you. Put yourself in natural positions, think of it as acting.”

 “I am not an actor.”

 “Neither am I, but don’t tell anyone. Just put yourself in a mindset. You are playing a chef, think of their traits, characteristics, emulate those. When I watched you in the kitchen last night you demanded attention, you were authoritative, confident, controlled, and efficient. You can easily portray those to a camera. Think of poses that show just that.”

 You were hearing him and everything he said was good advice, but you also were focused way too closely on his mouth. It would be so easy to get lost in watching him. The way his mouth moved and then his expressions to convey the meaning of his words were poetic.

 “Try it. I promise it’ll feel easier.”

 “Okay. Thanks.”

 “Anytime.” Chris walked back to stand next to the photographer then he gave you a thumbs up. You nodded and took a few relaxing breaths and went through his advice once more in your head.

 “Ready Vixen?”

 “Yep.”

 You crossed your arms and gave a smirk then remixed it and planted them on your hips and flicked out your shoulder to slightly look over it.

 “Nice, great shots. Keep em’ coming,” Albee critiqued. You felt some of the nerves fall away as you got a little more comfortable. That comfort had you settling into this role that Chris laid out. You glanced at him and he was nodded with a smile of approval. It felt nice to have it.

 Fifteen minutes later, you were posed on top of the kitchen counter like some pin-up model doing role play.

 “All right Vixen, we’ve got some good ones here. Let’s try something different, follow me,” Albee said.

 You hopped off the counter and followed him to a neighboring room that had a real-life kitchen and plenty of things scattered about.

“Uh, what’s this?”

 “Chris brought up something good, you can’t fake what you do. What you do has to be done to be captured, so everything you need to make a dish. As you make it I’m going to snap your pictures. It’ll be real-life art,” Albee explained.

 You looked to Chris who shrugged as if it was nothing. He did this and acted like it was just something regular, something that didn’t need attention.

 “Ready?”

 You nodded and walked to the kitchen and surveilled your surroundings then went to work. This you could do because it felt as easy as breathing, you didn’t have to think about it or plan steps ahead of time. You could hear Albee’s camera clicking but it was easy to ignore it, he worked around you and your actions. There were quite a few comedic flubs that Albee said not to worry about they looked endearing on camera and would work well.

 Halfway through you’d forgotten you were being pictured and now filmed and you were just enjoying what you loved to do. Soon you’d drawn the attention of those who were on set and in the building. They shouted out question after question about the steps you took or how you did something and it turned into a live cooking show.

 About forty minutes in all and you were finished. With the final product in front of you, you finished the shoot with a few shots. You felt in your zone like this was you and not an act.

 “Great work Vixen, my god we got some great shots and footage. You did great.”

 “Thank you. this wasn’t that bad.”

 Albee laughed and patted your arm before he walked off. You looked around for Chris but didn’t see him anywhere. You heard a “psst” behind you and saw him peeking out from behind a wall. As you approached you saw he wore a bright smile.

 “What’re you doing?”

 “I didn’t want to be seen by the people who came in. I wanted this to be just about you.”

 “So you hid back here the entire time?”

 “Not the entire time, maybe thirty minutes. It’s no big deal. You were great. How’d it feel?”

 You quickly pressed your lips to his giving him a sweet kiss that quickly turned into a sultry one. Chris had one hand on your hip and the other cupping your cheek as you intensified the kiss. You wrapped one arm around his neck and just enjoyed it. When you pulled away his eyes were closed.

 “Wow.” Chris looked at you with complete shock and a dumbfounded expression. You pinched your lips and looked down.

 “What was that for?”

 “Uh, thank you. You—you did this, and I appreciate it.” He didn’t speak for a few moments; he just stared at you and gently stroked your cheek with the back of his hand.

 “I’d do anything for you Vixen.” His words hit you like a ton of bricks and several moments passed with the two of you just staring at each other.

 “Excuse me—Vixen?” You stepped away at the sound of Albee’s assistant’s voice.

 “Albee wants to know if you want to see some of the shots.”

 “Yeah, definitely. Thank you.” Without a word to Chris, you walked off to Albee.

 The shots were amazing, and they made you look better than you actually did. You were more than pleased with them and knew Kassius would be too. You mentally checked off another thing on your to-do list and felt excitement bubble with how close this all was to being finished.

 When you and Chris stepped out onto the sun-drenched sidewalk you took a deep breath. “All right, work is done for the day. I have an idea. Let me show you my San Francisco. I’ll take you to a few places I go often, and we’ll grab lunch in there at some point,” you suggested.

 “Sounds good. Lead the way.” He slipped his sunglasses on and tipped his hat low securing the incognito celebrity signature fashion and the two of you were off.

 Five minutes later, you were on a cable car. You were standing on the side holding on to the bar with Chris behind you with one hand on the bar and the other holding you around the waist. “The likelihood of me falling off is slim,” you assured.

 “Better safe than sorry, there’s a little girl who would kill me if anything happened to her favorite person in the world.” You smiled and allowed him to hold you close, you didn’t mind, you actually liked it.

 When you got off you brought him into your favorite bakery. Once he walked inside he moaned. At the counter, he damn near pressed his face to the display case as he admired every treat there. You took care of ordering one of each of the eight things you, Ella and Nex loved here. Once they were ready you were off again. As you walked and talked you ate, it was the San Franciscan way.

 Next, you took him to Telegraph Hill and to some of the famous stone step paths in the city. You talked about a variety of things as you walked toward the steps you knew that would take to you the waterside. He told you stories about his childhood, his siblings, stories about his first few years in Hollywood, stories about those he was closest to in the business and even how he’d med them. It was enlightening. Occasionally he’d initiate contact either through a securing hand at your back, or an assistive hand down a steep decline, every time it made you feel like a girly girl and gave you butterflies.

 Once you’d made it to one of the waterside locations where you pointed out Alcatraz. He was able to use the telescope there to find it. That was when he proceeded to list off a few impressive facts about the place, surprising you in the process with his broad knowledge. After his near five-minute lecture, he stopped and the most adorkable expression washed over him, it was one of embarrassment and humor. It was perfect and gave you a sight of a new side. You sat at the waterside for some time and enjoyed the smell of the water, the sun, and the breeze through the trees. It was a beautiful afternoon. Chris would brush your hair from your face often. When you felt him take your hand it made you smile like an idiot which made him smile like an even bigger idiot and you were two idiots holding hands smiling.

 When you took him to the best seafood restaurant in town the two of you did not downplay how much you ate. You ordered everything on the menu and plenty of beer to go with it as did he and the two of you pigged out without an ounce of shame. It felt good to just relax and not have there be any awkwardness or tension between you. It felt like the night in LA when you’d had tacos together, comfortable.

 The sun had set by the time you made it to your last stop, a chocolatier. Turns out he has a mean sweet tooth that he likes to keep under wraps. While there, he tried almost all of their seventy variations of chocolate treats one after the other. You had no wonder where Ella got her sweets obsession, neither of them had any chill. A few times he’d feed you a few pieces as if it didn’t take a thought. He even finished something you’d had a bite of or wiped chocolate from the corner of your mouth and licked his finger afterward. By the time you left the shop, you were holding hands and slowly strolling to the cable car. On the car, he stood behind you with both arms wrapped around you whispering into your ear with his chin on your shoulder. You had no idea how you’d gotten here, but you liked it here.

 When you were home you and Chris split up. It allowed you time to shower and check emails and respond to Kassius and other work obligations. After an hour, you’d finished applications for the new restaurant, chosen your kitchen staff and most of your wait staff and signed off on most of the vendors before you got caught up talking to Ella. She told you all about the great things she’d been doing with her grandmothers and cousins. She sounded like she was having a blast and barely missed you or Chris. After promising her you’d be back tomorrow she asked to talk to Chris. You found him in the living room doing some work of his own. Once he heard her voice his face lit up.

 You went back to your room to give him some space. When you were in your closet a great idea hit you. When you turned Chris was walking in.

 “She doesn’t sound like she misses me at all.”

 You snorted and laughed then patted his shoulder. “Aww, you’ll get over it.”

 “I don’t know if I will.”

 “I have a great idea. This is your last night here, how about I take you to one of my favorite places.”

 “What kind of place is this?”

 “Uh, it’s a bit of a dancehall,” you informed. Chris’ eyebrows shot up.

 “Dancehall? As in club?”

 “Not a traditional club, it has more of an underground vibe to it. not many people know about it, the music is good, and the drinks are strong. Nexus and I like to go there every once in a while when I’m not too swamped.”

 “So, I’ll see you in your natural environment?”

 You laughed and gently pushed him. “Natural environment? What am I some endangered species?”

 Chris pulled you flush against him with a wide smile on his face then wrapped his arms around you. “Of course, you are. You’re a rare unicorn, mother of unicorns,” he teased. The two of you laughed together until he softly kissed you once then twice and teased your bottom lip. You kissed him back and allowed him to press you against your opened door.

 “So, do you want to?”

 Chris nodded and kissed your nose. “I do, I want to do everything with you.” You smiled and tried not to blush. The way he easily made you feel like a schoolgirl was crazy.

 “Okay. So get ready.” You pulled away and bit your bottom lip, an action he imitated. Neither of you moved again and you felt the air in the room change. You knew he felt it too.

 “Thirty minutes?”

 You nodded and walked away toward your closet trying to create space between you to prevent the inevitable.

An hour and a half later, you walked inside the dancehall with Chris close behind you. One hand was on your waist as you held the other. The music was loud, and the air was hazy from the mixture of smoke from numerous substances. Off to one corner, you saw a group doing hookah, and nearby a few were smoking blunts and cigarettes. The combination of scents wasn’t unpleasant. As you passed people you noticed a few guys who looked you over before looking to Chris. His hand on your waist tightened possessively.

 At a small table in a far-right corner you sat and crossed your legs, Chris’ eyes immediately fell to your exposed thighs.

 “That outfit is bringing plenty of attention,” shouted over the music. You smiled and shrugged.

 “Is it?” He nodded and scooted closer to you stretched his arm around your shoulder and whispered to you.

 “Trying to make me jealous?” You smiled and locked eyes with him.

 “I didn’t know I had the power to make you jealous.”

 “You have more power than you know,” he whispered back. The look that you shared stole your breath and made your heart race. Everything around you faded and neither of you noticed anything or anyone.

 “Eh-em!”

 Before you was one of the bottle girls with a smile on her face. Chris dipped his head down and hid it behind your shoulder just a bit.

 “Hi.”

 “What can I getcha?”

 “Two bourbons, double,” you answered.

 She nodded and walked off but not before glancing back at Chris.

 “I don’t think she recognized you,” you assured.

 The music changed to a modern day soca hit and everyone around you livened up and began dancing and chanting along with it.

 “Do you dance?”

 Chris smiled and went back to your ear. “I think you know the answer to that.”

 You remembered your time in Vegas, you’d been in a club together and danced together. He had rhythm. That coupled with his charm made him a great dancer, although you may have been so drunk and horny anything was good to you.

 “I was drunk as hell; everything was great that night.”

 He smiled and nodded then stood and held his hand out. You looked at it then him and took it. Chris pulled you to him and then brought you toward an even darker corner. Once there he began bouncing to the beat trying to coax you into joining him. slowly you began dancing with him and it didn’t take any time at all for the two of you to begin to enjoy yourselves. You were right he had rhythm and was such a goofball that even if he messed up he didn’t care.

 You took a break and went back to your table to enjoy your drinks and some conversation. The energy in the club was great and you loved that it didn’t get overpacked, there was a max occupancy of a hundred or so and even then it wasn’t as if everyone was all over each other. The music changed several times and went between reggae to soca to sultry RnB and it was all working together with the drinks you had.

 A few hours later, you were as loose as you were going to get, and you grabbed his hand and lead him to a dark corner that wasn’t occupied. Halfway there Chris pulled you back into him and softly kissed your neck. The music changed as soon as you got to your destination and you couldn’t have planned it better. The sounds of 🎵Mike Champion surrounded you. You turned to Chris and locked eyes with him and began swaying your body. He didn’t pretend not to look at you, his eyes slowly raked over your body before his bottom lip caught between his teeth.

 The song was one of your favorites and it always put you in the mind frame where your thoughts easily flowed to him. With him in front of you, you decided to tease him. Turning your back to him Chris squeezed your hip and stood there as you swayed and ground your hips onto him. you could hear his breathing change and felt one of his hands trail to the top of one of your thighs. You leaned your head back onto his shoulder and then you felt his teeth latch onto your earlobe and gently bite down.

 “Mmm.”

“You like that?” His voice was crazy deep and it opened the door of your desire. That was all it took.

 “Tell me.” It was an order and one you had no problem obeying.

 “Yes.” Chris kissed then sucked the sensitive part of your neck and began swaying with you keeping up with the pace you set. You couldn’t believe that you were horny in this club from nothing but his voice and a kiss to the neck.

 Chris’ hand snaked around to your backside but slid down to the back of your thigh. He slowly felt your skin and just as he was about to kiss your neck again the song changed. You could have shot the DJ for it, but when you realized what song he’d changed it to you could have kissed him. 🎵You turned to Chris and draped your arms around his neck. In the same breath, he pulled you on him. The two of you swayed together and kept to the beat. With your forehead just below his nose, you kept your eyes down and focused on the words of the song and how quickly you were fell under his spell.

 Chris’ hands on your lower back squeezed the skin there before he moved them to your hips to squeeze again. A soft groan escaped your lips, a groan you know he heard. Chancing a look at him, you found his eyes already on you. the temptation between you reached an almost critical level. Chris took your hands and spun you, so your back was to his chest. You took the opportunity to whine against him making sure to roll your hips slowly. When you heard him suck in a breath you smirked to yourself.

You dipped down just a little and let your ass do all the talking. You felt his undivided attention and from the quick glance you got of him from over your shoulder he knew just what you were doing. When you stood up to press your back against his chest Chris moved your hair to the side allowing you to feel his breath on your neck by your ear.

 “Cause I'm searchin’ just to find a toppa top girl, and you lookin' fine. I love that shape and that design, gimme your body anytime. And I know you hear me clear, girl, you gotta know I got no fear. And you know I will be prepared if you give me your body anywhere.”

 Your head snapped back to look at him, he had an amused grin on his face. “I may be white but I’m not vanilla.”

 You laughed loud and shook your head and sunk back into him again only this time adding more of a belly dancing flare to it, Shakira was not the only one who could do it. When Chris’ hands rested at your pelvis every urge wanted you to grab his hand and put it where you wanted it. When you turned to him you could see he was struggling with his desires as well. The look on his face was masked but only just a little, you knew just what he wanted and you were going to tease the hell out of him before you gave it to him.

 “C'mon now let’s go, where nobody knows. You and me alone, you and me together. Wanna feel it in my soul, baby take control. Love when you, oh, make it last forever,” you sang along while staring into his eyes.

 There could have been the biggest fight going on around you but neither of you would have known it with how wrapped up with each other you were. Song after song played but the two of you only had eyes for one another and the bubble you were in only got smaller and smaller.

 When you made it back to your house once the front door shut you were on him. You each peeled off your clothes and threw them around not caring where they landed. When they crashed into something the two of you giggled like drunk kids. Your lips and teeth clashed but neither of you cared you just giggled your way through the hall until Chris carried you up the stairs. He stumbled and lowered you to the steps and hovered over you. his lips kissed, licked and sucked a path down your exposed skin. When he got to your waist he didn’t stop instead he went to your core and placed a suctioned kiss right on your clit.

 “Fuck!”

 “Like that?”

 “Mmm-hm.” Your pitch was high, and you sounded desperate, you didn’t care.

 “God, you’re irresistible!”

 Chris scooped you up and scurried up the remainder of the steps to your bedroom where he dropped you on the bed. You laughed while you bounced then sat up to help him undress. As he worked with kicking off his shoes, you busied yourself with peeling off his pants. Chris then took over and kicked them off and jumped onto you. Your laughter mingled together. Chris then slithered down your body to pull off your underwear and again he kissed your clit and went to work.

 He didn’t take his time, his mission was to get you off and it was evident with how expertly he commanded your body to do what he wanted. After only a few minutes you felt your orgasm take over and you clamped his head between your thighs as you rode the wave. He easily pried them apart and pressed them to the bed. The strength he exhibited made you want him even more. You rolled onto him and kissed down his chest across his abs and went right for your prize.

 As you were going to grab him his length spasmed and nudged you right on your nose. That cracked the two of you up and you both broke out in a fit of laughter especially when he apologized.

 “He has a mind of his own.”

 You couldn’t stop laughing. Eventually, you did though and wrapped your lips around him. His groan was deep and guttural. It made goosebumps scatter across your skin, you loved it. Slowly you bobbed your head up and down his need. Each time your lips wrapped around his tip he whimpered and grabbed the sheets beside him.

 “Christ, your mouth feels incredible.”

 You smirked and swirled your tongue around him. making him shiver.

 “Does it? Do you like it?”

 “So much,” he whispered, again you smirked.

 “Do you want me to keep going?”

 Chris quickly nodded his head with his jaw dropped. “Yes, please.”

 Amusement filled you and you continued pleasing him. Everything you did had him grunting, moaning and bucking his hips up sending his full length further down your throat. Your moans joined his and soon his hands sunk into your hair and he began guiding your head. When you picked up the pace he angled his head back and grunted and sucked in a breath.

 “Fuck Vixen. Slow—slow baby.”

 The sound of the endearment made your heart flutter and had you speeding up rather than going slow. When his grunts turned to loud whimpers you pulled your head back and stared at him. When he looked to you, you smiled and crooked your finger to him.

“Come ‘ere.” Chris slid to the edge of the bed and kissed your stomach up to your breast and sucked a nipple before he kissed you with urgency. His hands squeezed the flesh of your ass and he pulled a moan from you before you turned and slowly sank down onto him.

 “Aaah.” He sighed and held you there, so you didn’t move. You enjoyed the feel of him filling and stretching you to capacity. Slowly you whined your hips circling him. he bit your shoulder harshly then kissed it soothing the ache.

 When you began bouncing on him you looked over your shoulder, locked eyes with him and enjoyed how helpless he looked. It made you feel powerful but you also couldn’t ignore how good he felt. After a few minutes, Chris began pumping up to meet each of your bounces sending him further inside of you.

 “Fuck, yes Chris.”

 That was all he needed to hold your hips where they were to plow into you setting a heart-racing pace. Your moans fell from you one after the other as did his. You were so close to losing your shit and he must have known it because when his fingers made contact with your clit you flung your head back and gave him full control.

 “You feel so good, you make me feel so good,” Chris whispered. He then stood with you and pushed you onto the bed and angled your ass in the air then continued his thrusts. The new angle was all you needed for your release to break free. You screamed then felt his hand at the back of your neck holding tightly. Another orgasm washed over you even before the first finished.

 “Mmm, come all over this dick Vix. Come for me.”

 You hadn’t seen this man since Vegas, the man who got off on control and orders, the man who had a clear dominance kink, the man who had the power to make you come over seven times in one night. You gripped the sheets because you knew it was a matter of time before you came again. Chris’ hands wrapped around your hair and gently pulled as he slammed into you to the hilt. As expected you came again and clenched around him. Chris hovered over your back and kissed a path up to your shoulder then bit down.

 “Mmm, God you’re gonna make me come.”

 “Come for me,” you ordered.

 “You want me to come?” His strokes slowed but the depth of which he reached increased. Your jaw dropped, words failed you as your toes curled and body shook with your fourth release of the night.

 “I can’t hear you, Vix. Do—you—want—me—to—come?” With each word, he enunciated he slammed into you. By the time he slammed into you once more he ground against you sending his cock to touch every wall and involuntarily pull yet another orgasm from you.

 “Shit! No! Fuck me.”

 “No please?”

 “Pretty please.” You felt his smile on your ear then he gave you just what you asked for—the pounding of your life.

 Your screams echoed around the room and mingled with his loud grunts and groans. The room filled with the combined scent of your sex and it was a hedonistic scent, one that fueled the fire of desire between you. By the time Chris finally came, you were exhausted. You could barely move let alone keep your eyes open.

 ~~~~~~~~~

 -Chris-

 You were going to be the death of him. He’d buried himself so deep in you he’d made you come over and over. He should have been tired, but he wasn’t. He should have passed out after he came but he couldn’t. He had way too much going on in his head and his body wanted more of you. It had never been like this with anyone. He could easily control himself but with you that control was nonexistent. He didn’t even know what it felt like. You were his addiction, temptation, and relief.

 Ten minutes after both of your breathing had returned to normal he knew he had to tell you. He took a deep breath but hesitated yet again. He was afraid, he knew that by now. He knew there was a fifty-fifty chance that you’d be upset and that you’d want to proceed with the divorce. He knew he could lose you—again. He didn’t want to, but he had to face the music.

 “Vix.”

 A soft moan rumbled on his chest. Closing his eyes, he began.

 “I have a confession, a confession that I should have told you weeks ago. A confession that may come as a shock. First I have to tell you what a huge mistake I made three years ago. What I said to you—there is no excuse for it. I’m sorry. I know I’ve said it before, but I have to say it again. I’ve regretted it for years; I still regret it. I wanted to find you and went back and forth if I should or shouldn’t. I didn’t have the courage to find you really. I was so ashamed of myself and how I’d treated you, I was such an asshole. Uugh.”

 He hit his head on the headboard and hated himself all over again. It was his words that had him missing the last three years. His words, his fault.

 “Since finding you again I’ve—I’ve been reminded of the things I felt. The things I felt, I ignored and buried. I was not prepared for you or what I felt then. I ran from it and ended up right back there. I think about you—a hell of a lot, I dream about you. I want things with you I’ve never wanted with anyone else, I want things I didn’t know I wanted until you. You’re—you’re everything I’ve ever wanted. I really, really—like you. You have no idea how much. I want to start fresh, I want to build a life, a new one. A few weeks ago, I found out that there was a mix up with the original divorce papers we signed. Sherman—Sherman went through a personal ordeal and the paperwork got lost and was never filed. We’re still married.”

 He waited for you to say something but when you didn’t he continued. “I know it’s a shock and probably an unwelcomed one, but maybe it’s a blessing in disguise. Maybe it’s a sign that we shouldn’t be divorced, that we’re supposed to be in each other’s lives. Maybe what God intended three years ago was to bring us together and he’s not letting either of us off the hook.”

 Still, you didn’t speak.

 “Vixen?” He glanced down at you and saw you were fast asleep. 

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” He dropped his head back and closed his eyes in disbelief he’d gone through all of it only for you not to hear him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[itsnsfwalways]

Canyon Moon

FIC MASTERLIST

WARNINGS FOR CHP. 2: swearing, mild drug & alcohol use, brief mentions of death

CHAPTER TWO: wish i could get to know you

The two of you pull up to your buddy Mike’s place, a small, hole-in-the-wall studio.

Harry parks the car and gets out to open your door, although he waits for you outside to tie your boots.

“How’d you meet this guy?”

“Oh, Mike? We can’t really remember the first time, I’ll tell you the story with him when we’re inside.”

You hop out of the car and grab his hand, swinging it back and forth as you walk up to the front, hearing soft music playing already.

The two of you reach the door and Y/N swings it open, yelling out,

“I hope you’re ready because mama wants a tattoo.”

Harry shakes his head and tries to hide his grin as he turns around to shut the door all the way.

“You’re fucking stupid,” A male voice laughs out, looking up from his sketchbook. His feet are propped up on the counter, and of course, he is littered with tattoos.

“Mike, this is Mr. Ferrari, Ferrari, Mike,” you introduce, waving your hands between the two.

“I saw that fuckin car, I was like ‘who the fuck is coming to me in that?’” Mike exclaimed, snapping his fingers.

“Hey, mate, I’m Harry,” Harry says, leaning forward to shake Mike’s hand while giving you a look that makes your head drop to the floor and your heart skip a beat.

“Nice to meet you, dude. I’m Mike, Like your tats,” Mike says, getting up from the chair behind the counter.

He leads the two of you over to his station, getting all his supplies laid out as you hop into the leather chair.

“So what are you getting, Y/N?” Harry asks, sitting in a chair near you.

“This extremely intricate design that’s going to take lots of mental power, and, of course, only gives me a few hours notice,” Mike teases, kicking the bottom of your chair.

“It’s just this geometrical thing I saw on a Tarot card a little while ago, it really stuck out to me.” You explain, pulling the card from your purse.

“Oh, cool.” Harry nods, picking up the card, only after looking at you for permission, of course. He holds it lightly by the edges, being sure to be gentle with it.

“‘S not gonna bite you, baby,” you giggle, knocking your knee against his, biting back a smile at the way his head shoots up.

He grins at you, knocking his knee back while setting down the card carefully on the table.

“I know, but I know these cards are special to some people, want to be gentle with em,” he says softly, twirling his pointer finger ring.

“Some decks are, but these are very relaxed. You don’t have to treat em like glass.”

He nods and blushes slightly, looking away for a second to hide his smile.

“You done flirting so I can start?” Mike asks, removing the transfer paper from your inner right forearm.

“You’ve had sex on my living room floor, I’m allowed to do whatever the fuck I want after that,” you say, shuddering slightly at the memory.

“Fair point.” Mike nods, beginning the design.

“So, um, Y/N said that you guys can’t remember how you met? I’d love to hear the story.” Harry jumps in, eyebrows raised at your last statement.

“Oh, fuck,” Mike laughs, dipping the needle in more ink. “I think it needs to come with a warning that I spent pretty much the entire year of 2015 drunk. She says we met at a Tame Impala gig but I have no such memory of this happening.”

“It did happen! You gave me your number because I kept bugging you about your tattoos but it was to this random mom in Philadelphia, who did not appreciate me calling her at 3 am.”

“Anyways,” Mike cuts in, rolling his eyes, “We officially met at a New Year’s Eve party later that year that my wife, Maggie, hosted. Y/N and her ex came and proceeded to break up right before the ball dropped, and she made out with my sister instead just to piss him off.”

You let out a laugh and cover your quickly turning red face with your hand, peeking through your fingers to gauge Harry’s reaction.

“Wow.” He acknowledges, eyebrows raised and fingers pinching his bottom lip, glancing back at you. His lips quiver slightly as he tries to hold back his laughter.

“Alright, haha, very funny. The ending to this, BEAUTIFUL, story, I must say, is he gave me this tattoo the next week and the rest is history.” You gesture to the sunflower bundle inked on your thigh, before puckering up your lips at Mike, who, without even looking up, shoves your face with his other hand.

“Honestly, Harry, I’d run while you can. There’s never a dull moment with this one, that’s for fucking sure.” Mike advises, rolling his eyes when you smile widely.

“I’m starting to learn that,” Harry laughs, eyes trained on you.

The three of you go into a comfortable silence, the only sound being the tattoo gun whirring and your occasional whimper at a sensitive spot.

A thin line of sweat has slowly covered your body, and Mike notices, scoffing.

“We’re gonna take a quick break. I’m gonna go get a cig when you get calm, back in 20,” He says, stopping the machine and leaving the room quickly.

“So, uh, you guys have quite a fun dynamic,” Harry comments.

You take a deep breath and look to him, your mouth closing at how he’s positioned. It’s been about an hour at this point, and he’s shifted in his seat to a more comfortable position. Leaned back against the chair, legs spread open, arms resting behind his back, it wasn’t helping your situation.

“Yeah, he’s like my older brother. His sister is great too,” You mindlessly say.

“I’ll bet,” Harry smirks, nodding slowly.

“Hey, quit it. You get to have fun with pretty girls and so do I.”

Harry clears his throat at your boldness and adjusts his positioning, changing to lean forward on his knees.

You get up to grab two water bottles from the mini-fridge under the counter, offering one to Harry when you sit back down.

Drinking about half the bottle, you let out a sigh, trying to get your shaking legs under control.

“What’s your shirt say?” You ask, still having not figured out the small black text.

“Oh, it says ‘Treat People With Kindness’. It’s kind of my motto, or slogan, I guess. Most of my merch says either this or the abbreviation for it.” He tells you, hands going down to pull the shirt away from his chest.

“That’s really nice, Harry.” He glances up at you with a small smile on his face, nodding slightly.

“Bit egotistical wearing your own merch, but hey, who am I to judge?”

He rolls his eyes and bumps the bottom of your chair with his foot.

“Why’d he stop? You don’t seem to be freaking out to me. Maybe a little sweaty,” he teases, not realizing what he’s asking.

Groaning, you lean your head backwards towards the ceiling, hating yourself for what you’re about to say.

“Got a bit of a pain kink so I’m... overwhelmed, let’s say, and Mike hates that about me.”

Harry lets out a breath of air at this and you turn your head to look at him.

Your slight leg tremors are now starting to click, the blown out pupils, and swollen red lips from how much you were biting them.

“If it makes you feel better, I had to get a tattoo on live television and to this day, I still see zoomed in photos of my eyes from it online. At least they make the process fun.”

Your jaw drops and you lift your head up.

“Alright, Harry, shit,” you mutter, wiping the sweat off your brow. “Always got to one up me.”

He looks shocked at this and mockingly puts a hand to his chest.

“Says you! From the minute I met you, you’ve continued to surprise me with everything you say.”

“Okay, Mr. ‘I sang with Stevie Nicks and cruise around Malibu in a beautiful car’.” You say, blushing slightly from his words.

“You sang with Stevie Nicks?” Mike asks, walking through the door.

“Yes! He’s a musician, let’s play his album. What’s it called?” You jump up, slapping your hands on your thighs.

“Harry Styles, it’s a self-titled album. You can listen to it later if you want, I mean, we don’t have to-“

You shut off his rambling quickly.

“I wanna hear your voice! Also self-titled, we love a man with a big ego,” You tease, getting up to get the iPad that controls the music.

Typing in his name, you raise your eyes at the number of streams he has, clicking on the album and playing the first song, ‘Meet Me In The Hallway’.

“You’re quite pretty, Harry. That’s some gorgeous cover art.” You comment, pretending to examine it further.

“Oh god,” he laughs, tucking his chin down to hide his face a little bit.

“Okay, Y/N, shut up, sit your ass down, so I can finish this and you can listen to the song properly.” Mike points, making you put the iPad down and come over.

The song hypnotizes you for a second, trying to zone out and listen to it.

“Shit, Harry, you are fucking good.” You mutter, hand going to your mouth at his talent.

“Thank you,” he whispers, looking almost nervous at your reaction.

Your jaw stays open pretty much the entire song, each note making your eyes go wider or glance at Harry, trying to figure out how he is this perfect.

“Is it too soon to propose?” You ask, his voice slowly fading in the background as it changes to the next song.

He laughs and scrunches his nose slightly before telling you, “Just a tad.”

The next song starts playing, and you’d be lying if tears didn’t fall.

Trying to play it off, you look away and wipe your eyes. Mike glances up at you and stops for a minute, rubbing your arm slightly and giving you a squeeze. You tap back on the table and he nods, feeling better that you gave him an okay.

“Fuck, sorry, this is a lot. Crying on the second song, phew. Hope you’re doing good upstairs, Harry,” You laugh, sniffling a little.

“Don’t apologize, please. Music brings up a lot of emotions, I feel so honored that you’re reacting to it so strongly.” He says, rubbing your knee slightly,

“Should I cry a little more then?” You tease, smiling at him with damp eyes.

“Boost my ego a bit, maybe,” he smiles back.

All of a sudden, the song climaxes, and your jaw drops once more.

“Holy shit, Harry! Do you have anything wrong with you? My god.” You shake your head, in disbelief over him.

“I mean, I am always traveling, so there’s that. But other than that, I’m pretty much awesome,” he pretends to boast, fake popping his collar.

The song shifts to Carolina, which Harry tells you after you ask as soon as it starts playing.

“She’s such a good girl, she feels so good. Am I hearing that right? Just wanna check,” you recite the lyrics slowly back to him, moving your free arm around.

Harry looks away, pretending to check out the pictures on the wall behind him.

“Are you gonna be like this for every song?” Mike asks, and you nod happily, bumping your head to the beat.

Almost the entire album plays while Mike is tattooing you, all with varying reactions of either, ‘Harry!’, ‘Is this real?’, ‘I’m gonna start crying’, or ‘this is the sexiest shit I’ve ever heard’. Without fail, you ask him the song name when the first few notes start playing and he tells you it, sitting quietly and smiling at you getting so happy over his music.

Mike finishes wrapping you up and goes to the back to find some healing products for you as the final notes of Woman play, and you swivel in your chair to face Harry, knocking your knees against his.

“What’s the next one called?” You ask, so in awe of the man sitting in front of you.

“From the Dining Table. ‘S the last one. Quite an emotional one.” He says back, smiling sadly at you while playing with his rings.

You nod in understanding as it starts, coming to sit next to him and leaning your head on his shoulder, so drained from the last few hours. He wraps his arm around you, tucking his head over yours.

The song goes by without a noise from either of you, sans a few sniffles that made Harry squeeze you a little tighter.

After it ends and the two of you sit there in silence for a while, you say quietly,

“I like how at the end the music swelled when you wanted them to call you, and then it cut out. That was pretty powerful.”

He nods, the movement moving your head slightly.

“I like that part too.”

You pull away from him and look at his face close up for a second, trying to read him.

“Thank you for sharing this with me. I mean, obviously not with me, but that you let me freak out over you. You’re really special, Mr. Ferrari,” you whisper, brushing his hair out of his face.

“So are you, Y/N,” he mumbles, eyes flickering to your lips for a second.

“You paying cash or card?” Mike’s voice cuts through the air and the two of you jump apart, feeling like teenagers.

“Um, card,” You say, standing up with your purse and heading to the counter to pay.

Mike rings you up and you grab a hundred from your wallet to tip him with.

“Ah, I remembered why I like you,” Mike smirks, grabbing the bill from you.

“Stupid,” you mutter, giving him a hug goodbye.

“Oh, before you leave, I’m throwing a party this Saturday, Harry, you’re welcome to come as well,” Mike adds, gesturing him over.

He moves from his spot against the wall to stand next to you, a hand resting on your lower back for a second before dropping to his side.

“Thank you, I’ll have to check and see but I’d love to come. It was great meeting you mate, might have to set an appointment up in the future,” He smiles, shaking Mike’s hand once more.

“Hell yes, brother, I’d love to. Great album, by the way. Can see why Y/N brought you by.” Mike crosses his arms over his chest and looks at you while he says this.

“Alright, shut it down,” You snap your fingers at him, glaring slightly. “I’ll text you later, loser.”

“Get out!” He yells, making you laugh as you drag Harry away.

“Need help with your bag?” Harry asks as you exit the shop, the cold air biting your bare legs.

“I’m good, thank you though.” You swing the bag so it hits his butt just to see the way he jumps and runs away from you for a second.

“Hey! No hitting the driver!” He scolds, wagging a finger pointedly.

“We haven’t even gotten in the car yet!” You argue, coming to a stop in front of his car.

“Doesn’t matter.” He shakes his head and grins at you when he unlocks the door, immediately reaching for yours to open it for you.

“Thank you.” Your voice came out as a meek whisper and you cleared your throat after he shut the door, trying to shake out your butterflies.

He plops himself down next to you and pats his hands on the steering wheel for a second.

“Do you want me to drop you off at your van or your apartment?” He asks, turning to face you.

“Trying to kick me out?” You questioned, laughing at his expression.

“Van’s fine. I’m probably just going to write, I’ve got some stuff to do for a friend.”

“Is there a name for the beach? I’m not sure I remember how to get there,” Harry admits, opening up Google Maps on his phone.

“Not really but I can just find it on the map real quick, I’ve been in this position way too many times.”

He hands his phone over and you find the cove in less than twenty seconds, handing it back over.

“So where are you from? I’m realizing you tricked me into spilling my guts without telling me too much about yourself.” Harry questions, hand going up to scratch his chin.

“I grew up kind of all around California, my family was always traveling so I was homeschooled for all my life. Only child, because we were pretty broke and I was a ‘happy accident’,” You quote, laughing at your mom’s phrasing.

“Aren’t we all really?” Harry grins, shrugging slightly.

“I think so. Anyways, my parents died when I was 15 and that really made me get my shit together. I moved in with my best friend, Laura. Graduated high school early and just worked my ass off for a couple years. Bought Miss Sunflower and renovated her, traveled through America for about a year and a half before moving here with Laura. She and I got an apartment together and just have kind of figured life out since then. She works at a record label and I’ve been working as a part-time songwriter since I was 16, mostly just helping out whenever an extra person is needed or they need some extra little sad sprinkles in a song.” You explain, taking a breath after you finish your little rant.

“I’m so sorry for your loss. I know your parents would be very proud of you staying true to your roots.” Harry sadly smiles, rolling up to a red light at the perfect time. He leans over to give you a quick hug and you graciously accept, whispering a little ‘thank you’ in his ear.

“It’s been a rough grieving process but I’d like to think they are. Please don’t pity me though, it sucks, yes, but life could be so much worse. I’m lucky to have the people in my life that I do,” you explained, picking your nails nervously.

“I completely understand. I lost my stepdad last year and being there for my mum was the only thing that kind of kept me going,” Harry sympathizes, twisting one of his rings around his hands.

“I’m sorry as well,” you murmur, taking his hand and holding it.

“Yeah,” Harry exhales harshly. “Life’s a bitch.”

You giggle lightly, nodding. “That she is.”

The two of you sit in silence for the remainder of the drive back, listening to the ocean waves and the sounds of your breathing.

Harry parks his car next to your van and puts it in park, leaving the headlights on.

“Thank you for coming with me and sharing all of this, you really know how to make a girl feel special,” you blush, tucking a loose curl behind your ear.

“Thank you, Y/N. I feel like my whole view on the world has shifted so much in the last few hours,” Harry gushes, and you have to turn away to smile for a second.

“Come on,” you mumble, hiding your mouth with your hand.

“I’m serious! I know we just met but I really like you, I’d love to continue this. And I need to listen to you play still, not fair I only got to hear from far away for a few seconds.”

“I’d definitely like to see you again, but it’s a harsh maybe on the playing,” You nod, biting your lip to stop the smile from plastering itself on your face.

“I can give you my number if that works, but, like I said, I’m always here.” You offered, gesturing to your car.

“Number works great. And I’ll let you have your spot, I don’t want to take it away from you,” Harry pulls out his phone to give you his contacts.

“No, please come join me, with friends too! I need to share this little bundle of joy,” You hope to pursuade him into visiting this spot, but his expression is unreadable.

“How about this, I’ll text you before I come?” He suggests, taking his phone back from your hands.

“Perfect. Thank you again, Harry,” you emphasize, leaning over to give him another hug.

“Of course, love. Thank you for a wonderful night.”

You wave goodbye after getting out of his car and head into your van, taking note he doesn’t leave til you’ve gotten yourself inside and shut the door.

You plop yourself down on the bed and sigh, looking up at the ceiling.

“Holy shit,” you sigh, getting up to get into the driver’s seat.

You FaceTime Mike on your way back to the apartment, unable to wait to talk to Laura when you get home.

He answers a few seconds later, beer in hand.

“‘Sup loser,” he greets you with a head nod, “You get home okay?”

“Yes, oh my god. What the fuck was tonight? What do you think of Harry?”

He sighs and moves to lean his phone against something.

“If I’m being honest, the man is unreal. I don’t know how the fuck you found him but, wow. I can’t think of anyone who is down to not only drive someone they just met to get a tattoo, but to then sit through the entire thing while having them fangirl over their album.”

“I was not fangirling!” You try and defend, but one look from Mike shuts you up.

“Okay, maybe I was, but I’m just so in awe. I gave him my number because I thought he might feel weird giving me his. He had almost a billion streams on his first fucking album. That’s insane.” You explain, biting your thumb.

“Quit biting. And yeah, I’m not going to lie I looked him up after you left. Mans is a proper superstar, used to date Kendall Jenner allegedly.”

“Bleh,” you shake. “I don’t want to know about his life from the internet, that’s so weird. Also, when Alex and I were together he was dating some new model every other week, all those magazines are bullshit.”

“True. But Alex also was dating a model,” Mike retorts, trying to pick your buttons.

“Haha, very funny,” you deadpann, rolling your eyes.

“I’m just saying, as your brother, be careful. He really does seem like an amazing guy.”

“Yeah. He really is. Say hi to Maggie for me when you get home! I’m rolling up to my place right now so I gotta go.”

“I will. I know you already know how to take care of your tattoo so I’m not gonna waste my time. Later, loser.”

“Bye, dumbass.” You hang up, pulling into the driveway.

Practically dancing up the steps and through the front door, you’re met with the cozy atmosphere the two of you have created for yourself. You can tell your favorite vanilla candle is burning somewhere in the house and you slip off your shoes, practically running into Laura’s room and leaping onto her bed.

“Hello, my love,” she smiles, hugging you tightly. Her perfume envelopes you and you squeeze her back, lying your head in her lap.

“I thought you were staying at the beach today?” She wonders, playing with your hair.

You sit up at this, resting on your elbows.

“I met a boy,” you smile, putting your hands to your cheeks.

“Shut up!” Her voice raises a few octaves and she scrambles upright, hitting your thigh with her hand.

“Ow!”

“Who is he? Where? Oh my god!” Laura rattles off, bouncing up and down on the bed.

“His name’s Harry, we met at the spot. He came with me to get the Tarot card tattoo at Mike’s.” You gesture to the bandage around your forearm.

“Shit, man. What’s he look like?”

“Fucking hot. He’s British, for one. Tall, curly brown hair, green eyes, lots of tattoos. Also, he’s got the voice of a goddamn angel.”

“You’re not talking about Harry Styles, are you?” Laura asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, you know him?” You wonder, surprised she knows his name.

Her jaw drops and she fully shoves ou off the bed, emitting a ‘hey!’ from you.

“Of course I know Harry fucking Styles. Are you serious?”

You blow your hair out of your face and lean up on your elbows, one leg still on the edge of the bed.

“No, I’m not joking, what the hell?” You laugh, pulling yourself back onto the comforter.

“How the- who- what?!” She stutters, looking at you expectantly for a story.

“He came up to me on the beach asking for a lighter, we smoked a j and just kind of started talking. I asked if he wanted to go to Mike’s with me and he drove me over, and I’m me, so I tried to pick apart his brain a little. We listened to his album, which, by the way, have you heard it? That shit’s incredible.”

“Of course I’ve heard it! The entire world has heard it! Keep going!”

“Jesus,” you laugh, shocked by her reaction. “He drove me back and we got a little deep, I gave him my number before I left. I think we kind of had a moment though, he looked like he wanted to kiss me for a second.”

You pull your knees to your chest and rest your chin on them, thinking back to that moment.

“Holy shit, Y/N,” Laura sighs, falling back dramatically on her pillow.

“I know. I feel kind of weird though, he seems very closed in. I mean, I get it, I saw that he has quite a bit of fame, but I don’t want to have to pry him open, y’know?”

“I mean, yeah, but he’s really fucking famous. His fans are some of the most die-hard people out there. And there’s a hell of a lot of people who would do unspeakable things to be in your position. Myself included,” she mumbles at the end, and you swat her with a pillow.

“Gah,” you moan, lying down next to her. “I don’t know how to navigate my way around that kind of fame. What if he sees that, or still thinks that I’m lying about not knowing who he is? That’d be a bit egotistical, though, so maybe I’d be dodging a bullet.”

“Nope! You are not missing out on an opportunity to fuck Harry Styles.”

You laugh, scrunching your nose.

“I don’t want to think of him like that. Just Harry, the dude who I’ve been relentlessly teasing all night.” You turn onto your stomach suddenly.

“Shit. What if I was being too much?”

You groan again, pushing your face in her pillow.

“Than he’s dumb for not realizing how funny you are.”

Your phone pings suddenly, and you grab it from your back pocket, not recognizing the number on your home screen.

“Shit, he just texted me.” You shout, standing up onto the ground while you read the message aloud.

Hey, Y/N, it’s Harry. Hope you’re enjoying the rest of your night, I just wanted to give you my number and thank you again. Tonight was probably the most fun I’ve had in a while, if I’m being honest, and I was wondering if you wanted to do lunch tomorrow?

“Oh, fuck ME, he just asked me out to lunch.” Your hand goes up to your mouth as you look wide-eyed at Laura, who’s expression matches yours.

“Bitch, say yes!”

“Okay!” you yell back, pacing back and forth.

hey harry ! i’m glad you had fun tonight, i was worried i might’ve scared you off haha. i’d love to do lunch, what time were you thinking ?

“Does that sound okay?” You hand your phone off to Laura, getting her stamp of approval before sending it.

“Ah! Okay, shit fuck, it’s sent.” You throw your phone onto her bed and lean against her door, waiting for his reply.

Your phone lights up not even two minutes later, a text from Harry reading,

Haha, definitely didn’t scare me off. If anything, the opposite. How does noon sound? I can pick you up if you’d like?

“A gentleman,” Laura sighs, fanning herself as you read it together.

“Shut up,” you mumble, blushing slightly as you type back,

well, good, i’m glad :). noon works great, here’s my address. sleep well, harry.

I’ll be counting down the minutes. Goodnight, love.

You scream as you read his last text, shoving your face in your hands.

“Oh my god, okay, Y/N, take a chill pill,” you tell yourself, taking a deep breath in. “Ugh, why am I getting so worked up over a guy?”

“Because he’s funny, cute, talented, and rich, bitch.”

You give Laura a look and she laughs,

“Okay, money, fame, and any prior knowledge I have aside, he seems like a great dude. And if he’s not, well, my dreams will be absolutely crushed.” She shrugs, going back to scrolling through Instagram.

“Oh, wow, thanks.” You roll your eyes, standing up. “I’m gonna make some tea, you want any?”

“I’m good, thanks though.”

You nod and shut her door behind you, going into the kitchen to turn the kettle on.

Hopping up on the counter while you wait, you decide to do a little bit of Instagram stalking, just to see what he posts.

You click on his most recent one, smiling at his caption.

“Kissy,” you mutter, shaking your head lightly.

Scrolling through a few more of his photos, you bite your lip at his outfits, incredibly jealous of his stylist. His feed is better than yours, if you’re being honest, and you smile at the thought of him making sure all the black bars line up.

Hearing the whistle of the kettle, you hop off the counter and pour yourself a cup of chamomile. Closing out the app, you take your mug into your room, turning on your lights that make your room look like you’re floating in the galaxy.

Placing it on your nightstand, you get yourself ready for bed, spending a little extra time washing your face and doing your skin care routine.

You slide into bed and open up your latest book find of the week, this one being Misery by Steven King.

You find your eyes drooping after a while and set your things on your nightstand, snuggling deeper into your blankets.

With a smile on your face, you drift off to sleep, excited for tomorrow.

[yurtletheturtlehenderson]

Sick Day || Will Byers x Reader

Requested: "how about a will x reader where poor reader is sick so the boys decide to visit her and she’s acting really affectionate hugging will complimenting him trying to kid his cute cheeks even saying how much she likes him and coming back to school so embarrassed by that and scared of confronting the boys"

Pairings: Will Byers x Reader [you two are some shy adorable little babies]

The egg timer that you had set went off with a shrill ring. Cringing, you sat yourself up, and reached over turning it off. You had set the timer as a reminder to take the horrific cold medicine and now it was time to take another spoonful. It was disgusting and it make you gag. But you had been recovering quickly so it meant it was working.

Your face was scrunched up in disgust as you poured the gross goopy liquid out into the spoon, and set the bottle aside.

You sharply exhaled, bracing yourself for the foul taste and closed your eyes. It was even more disgusting than the last time and you felt an involuntary shiver run up your spine. Fortunately, you remembered to set aside your favorite juice to wash it down with, learning from your mistake of taking a swig of water.

Setting aside the medicine and setting the timer for your next dose, you slid yourself under the blankets once more. Nestling yourself up in the caccoon of blankets and pillows you had made for yourself on the couch. After all, you had the house to yourself for the day and you figured it didn't hurt to have some entertainment so the TV was on, the remote next to you.

The cold medicine shortly began taking effect. You could feel your eyelids grow heavy, and the next thing you knew you were being pulled from sleep by a loud thud, followed by a string of hushed whispers.

This of course concerned you, given nobody was supposed to be home until eight PM, but felt relief wash over you when you recognized one of the voices to be Dustin's who was cursing under his breath.

"Shit. Shit. Shit. Dammit. Motherfuc-"

"Dustin!" Will hissed under his breath. "Shut up! She's sleeping."

"I'm trying to" you slurred.

Great. You forgot how drowsy and loopy you got on this stuff. It was was easy to forget since you had been home alone while on it. With nobody to interact with, it was harder to tell.

"Y/n. I'm sorry, we didn't mean to wake you." Will said quietly. "We just thought we'd swing by and see how you were doing. We even brought your stuff from school. I took notes for you, so,"

"Really?" You asked, now on your side facing Will, Dustin, Lucas, Max and Mike. "Tha- Thas'sweet, thanks" you cooed, your brain foggy from sleep and cold medicine.

Will chuckled weakly, a genuine smile on his face. "No problem."

Dustin, who was still hopping on one foot, grasping his other was taking sharp breaths.

"Dude, what is your problem?" Lucas asked.

"I stubbed my fucking toe!" He exclaimed.

Max chuckled and Lucas rolled his eyes.

"There'ssome ice in the freezer," you slurred.

"Thanks," Dustin said, hobbling off to freezer in the kitchen.

"Have a seat" you mumbled, and the party looked at one another and shrugged, finding seats scattered across the living room.

Will ended up taking a seat near you, in case you needed anything. Something you appreciated.

"I missed you guys," you pouted, and sniffled, a combination of the cold and your emotions. "So much,"

They gave each other a confused look and looked back at you.

"Man, she's really out of it, huh?" Mike said.

"No kidding," Max said.

"Give her a break, she's been out sick all week" Will said, looking at them.

You smiled tearfully at Will. "You're so nice!" You whined.

Will chuckled, knowing you weren't thinking clearly from the meds.

"Thanks, Y/n," he said kindly.

It was quiet for a short minute, nobody knowing what to say when Dustin came back into the living room with a small baggie of ice.

You giggled, smiling weakly and you called out enthusiastically your friend. "Dustybun!"

Dustin's frowned at the name given to him by his girlfriend, and everyone burst into laughter. "Not cool, Y/n,"

"I like her like this," Lucas said.

"I like you too, Lucas. You're cool." You mumbled, snuggling up to your pillow, thinking he gave you a compliment.

"You're pretty cool too, L/n" He chuckled.

At that moment, your stomach growled, loud enough for everyone to hear, and you frowned.

"Do you want me go get you some food?" Will offered.

Your eyes closed, you sighed contently. "Yes pleeaase," you drawled.

Will got up and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Could he be any more obvious?" Dustin whispered.

Mike elbowed Dustin, shushing him.

"What? Like she'll remember this." Dustin argued.

You had been zoning out and suddenly you burst into a fit of giggles. The others looked at you skeptically but you were in your own little world.

Mike shrugged. "That's fair,"

At that moment, Will returned with a small snack and a glass of water. He walked over to where you were sitting and set the glass of water down on the side table and handed you the food.

"Here you go Y/n"

You looked up at him, he was looking at you kindly, waiting for you to take the food.

You were focused on his face. More specifically his, nose. You slowly reached up and touched his nose. "Boop."

He gave you an amused look, and chuckled nervously.

"Um, do you not want eat right now?" He asked awkwardly.

"No, I'm hungry." You stated confidently, and you struggled to sit up and get comfortable.

Noticing this, Will knelt down on his knees next to you on the couch and adjusted the pillow behind your back.

Your head felt heavy when you sat up, and you realized how sluggish your limbs felt.

You frowned. "My head is so much!" You exclaimed distressed.

"What?" He asked confused.

"You heard her, her head is so much!" Lucas laughed.

"Yeah!" You said.

"My head is heavy, duh!" You sent Will a look that said 'keep up, man' and looked at the others, Lucas in particular like 'can you believe this guy?'

Lucas, who was now thoroughly entertained, nodded along with you, encouraging you.

"But it's okay," you patted Will's cheek. "It's a good thing you're cute."

Will turned pink, and looked to others for help, but they only grinned back at him, eyes widened slightly, obviously happy with where this was going.

"Um, thanks?"

"You're welcome," you cooed. "You're so nice, and cute, an-and nice!"

"Thanks," he chuckled weakly.

"Tha-that's why I like you so much, silly!" You said matter-of-factly.

Max who had already found out about your crush on the boy, bit back a laugh, feeling bad for you, but also reveling in the fact that this was happening.

Everyone else was just as shocked, no more so than Will though of course.

"Um, I- uh," He stuttered, his face now scarlet. "Why don't you just eat a couple bites, and uh, we'll let you sleep some more. We've kept you up long enough. Besides, you need the rest."

You pouted. "But I don't want you to go."

"Yeah but you need your sleep. This cold really did a number on you,"

"Ugh!" You exclaimed suddenly, startling the group, and you gestured lazily to the bottle of cold syrup. "I hate that stuff! It's nasty and it made my brain tired,"

You didn't know how else to phrase it, your entire brain felt sluggish and you were barely making sense of this conversation.

A look of disappointment flashed across Will's face as he looked at the bottle. It disappeared quickly and he looked back at you.

"Yeah, which is why you need rest. That stuff is super strong,"

"It super sucks," you retorted, giggling at your joke.

"Yeah, it super sucks." He chuckled, looking at you fondly.

Will stood up and the others followed suit. "Alright, is there anything else you need before we go?"

You blinked rapidly, your brain still catching up. "There is one thing?"

"Yeah?" He raised his eyebrows, waiting for you to continue.

"A hug goodbye?" You asked, looking up at him innocently, your eyes still droopy.

He seemed taken aback, but complied leaning down to hug you.

Arms outstretched you engulfed him in a hug and as he pulled away you took the opportunity to kiss his cheek, making a small 'muah' sound that the others noticed.

He jumped slightly, and stood up quickly. Looking at you with wide eyes as he lightly touched his bright red cheek where your lips just were.

You giggled mischievously. "Now you're gonna get my germs"

+++

It was Monday morning, and you were finally back at school. You were bummed that you didn't get to stay at home all day but you were relieved you didn't have to deal with that shitty cold that made you miserable.

Plus you would get to see your friends. You barely remember them coming to visit you, and just like that bits and pieces came flowing back. Your face suddenly went pale.

You told Will you liked him. You told your crush you liked him and doted all over him in front of everyone.

Yeah, no, you couldn't show your face to them ever again. You had to get new friends. Sure it would suck, making new friends was a chore and it would suck never seeing them again but that was the price you had to pay. It just couldn't be helped.

Too bad.

"Y/n!"

And now it was time to leave the country.

Cringing to yourself, you sharply exhaled and tried to physically relax.

"Hey, Will."

"Hi Y/n," He said shyly, shuffling on his feet.

"What's up?" You prayed he didn't bring it up.

"I just, I wanted to see how you were feeling. You seemed, pretty out of it."

You sighed, looking anywhere but him. You stomach had a flurry of butterflies.

"Listen, I'm really sorry. I understand if you want some space for a while."

"Y/n it's fine."

"No, it's not."

"It's forgotten. Look, I know you were on some pretty heavy stuff so, it's fine, really. So you kissed me, who cares?" He shrugged.

You eyes nearly popped out of your head and you grew nauseous.

"I what?!"

Will faltered, somehow going pale and turning pink.

"Yo-You kissed me. Don't worry though, it was just on the cheek. It's fine, really."

You backed up slightly, and turned to face the wall of lockers and buried your face in it. You wanted nothing more than the floor to swallow you whole.

Sure you were relieved to hear you didn't actually kiss him but hell, this was still ridiculously mortifying.

"Oh God," you groaned.

"Y/n," his voice was soft and for the forgiving but you hated the pity.

You only groaned louder and shook your head no hoping that would do something to ease the embarrassment.

"I can't imagine what you must think of me." You sighed, prying yourself off the lockers, but you still refuses to meet his eye.

"Well," he said, fiddling with his hands and looking down at his feet. "I thought- I thought it was kinda sweet."

Your mouth ran dry and you looked at him for the first time and ripping your gaze away from your shoes.

"W-What?"

Will smile shyly, and looked around a bit before looking back at you. He took a deep breath and spoke, the words spilling out of his mouth quickly. 

"What I'm trying to say is, I like you too Y/n."

Your heart started pounding, harder than it had been before if at all possible and a nervous but happy smile tugged at your lips.

"You do?"

"Yeah, I do." He smiled sheepishly and nodded his head. "In fact, everyone has kinda been teasing me about it for some time now," he laughed and you giggled along not believing this was happening.

Your eyes met and there was a silent but mutual understanding. He held out his hand, and looked to you fondly. The same look he had in his eyes when he saw you on Friday. A look he only gave you.

"Want to head to class together?"

You looked down at his outstretched hand and you took it, smiling brightly at him, finding it endearing how shy and sweet he was.

"I'd love to,"

A look of relief washed over Will and he beamed at you. Suddenly, his face scrunched up ever so slightly and you frowned. He brought his other arm up and sneezed into his elbow.

He looked back and you laughed. "Well, I guess you were right."

"What?"

"You did give me your germs." 

The words you had said to him days ago came back to you and you instantly felt guilty.

"Oh Will, I'm sorry!"

He began laughing and you couldn't stop the giggles that arose from your chest, finding the situation humorous. You were also just so relieved at how things smoothed over.

Will caught his breath and smiled genuinely. "It's okay. It's a good thing you're cute." 

You were taken by surprise at his boldness, but then you realized just what he had said. Having thrown your own words back at you from your drunken-like state and you laughed, running your free hand down your face.

"Oh God, let's just get to class" you giggled.

The pair of you started walking when he looked up at you. 

"In all seriousness, even if I do get your cold," He shrugged, smirking. "It was worth it."

The flurry of butterflies in your stomach doubled in numbers, and your heart fluttered.

It was now your turn to be a blushing pink mess.

[jovialyouthmusic]

Girls’ Night Out

A multiple AU piece of fun featuring my female LIs

The girl’s night out takes an unexpected turn, and the author has to step in

Word Count 1709

A/N Just one more chapter after this virtual romp. Partial nudity, some swearing and still NOT SUITABLE FOR UNDER 18S

6 Help...

‘Well crap’ said Lucy as Lizzy went limp and crumpled. John rushed forward to catch her ‘What now? I didn’t think she’d react that badly’

‘The plan was for us to change everything to our timeline’ John said. The three women gaped at him as the music stopped. His expression changed as he realised he’d given the game away.

‘Hold on a minute – this was planned?’ asked Sophia, sobering up swiftly. Her head whipped around to the stage, where ‘Snake’, ‘Glad’, ‘Brake’ and ‘Sebastien’ stood sheepishly in their strippers garb. ‘Bas, is that really you and not another version?’ She demanded. He cleared his throat.

‘Now Sophia…’ he started, but she stormed up to him and poked him in the chest. Defensively he placed his hat over his genitals.

‘So you couldn’t leave us to enjoy ourselves – you had to stay in control’ she hissed. Behind her, Lucy suddenly laughed

‘But Soph – look at them!’ she crowed ‘They stripped for us, for fuck’s sake. They’re way out of their comfort zone. I think that shows real dedication’ Sophia stood back and looked Bastien up and down. He did indeed look extremely uncomfortable.

‘Humph’ she retorted ‘Well sadly the game’s up now. What have you got to say for yourself?’ Bastien spoke, regaining some of his composure.

‘Sophia, my goddess’ he started ‘Tell me you didn’t enjoy yourself. You said – no, screamed - and I quote, Come here lover boy, I’m your gal.’ He folded his arms and gazed at her. It was Sophia’s turn to look sheepish.

‘Well okay, I have to admit you did a good job’ she admitted ‘I never thought you’d be comfortable doing something like that’

‘You know I put my best into whatever I do’ he said, his tone soothing. ‘Les helped – we watched some videos…’ at this, Lucy snorted

‘Wow, I’d like to have been a fly on the wall for that scenario’ she guffawed. Now it was Charlotte’s turn to speak. She glared at her Drake

‘How could you?’ she growled ‘You put me up on stage for everyone to see’ He hung his head in shame, hat covering his groin.

‘I’m sorry Charlie’ he said ‘Was it really that bad?’ He looked at her hopefully, and Lucy nudged her

‘Come on Lottie, it was pretty damn funny’ she prompted. Charlotte sighed heavily ‘and look at him’ Lucy went on ‘He’s almost as hot as my Drake. Tell me you didn’t enjoy it just a tiny little bit?’ Charlotte shrugged in defeat.

‘Very well, it was rather - stimulating’ she replied, then rounded on her man ‘But don’t you ever pull something like that in public again’ Drake nodded, and John was next to speak

‘Lizzy’s coming round – I’m going to take her somewhere more familiar if you don’t mind. It was a pleasure meeting you all’ and in the blink of an eye they were gone.

------

Slowly Elizabeth’s senses came back to her. She lay on her back on some padded surface, head propped up on a firm pillow. It was quieter, and the flashing lights had stopped. The soothing strains of a string quartet filled the air along with a soft murmur of voices.

‘Lizzy – it’s okay, you’re safe, my darling’ she heard her fiancé say, and slowly she opened her eyes. ‘Take it slowly, don’t try to speak just yet’ Above her she saw the vaulted ceiling of the assembly rooms, and to the side was a finely painted screen. She lay on a chaise longue, hidden from the sight of the others she could hear on the other side. She raised her head a little to look down and confirm what she knew - she wore her ballgown and satin slippers, not the skin tight transparent leggings and short dress that her companions had chosen for her.

Beside John stood Morag, gazing at her with concern. She passed her hand over her forehead and handed her a glass of water which she sipped gratefully, sitting up carefully.

‘You gave us quite a turn, young lady, passing out while you talked with your beau’ she scolded ‘I know you’re excited about the wedding but you really should eat properly, or you’ll faint at the altar.’

‘I’m sorry Morag’ she said ‘I promise I’ll remember to have breakfast tomorrow’ John stood by her side and placed his hand on her wrist. She smiled up at him.

‘I had the strangest dream’ Lizzy started, and John smiled, leaning forward and speaking softly so Morag could not hear.

‘Are you sure it was a dream?’ he winked, opening his closed hand to reveal a bow tie. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to protest, but he silenced her. ‘Only you and I know’ he whispered. Morag tutted

‘Now then, you know I cannot leave you two alone. Stop your whispering now’

‘Morag, we will be married tomorrow. Can you not allow us five minutes together? I promise we will do nothing improper’ Lizzy entreated her chaperone ‘I only want to talk privately with John’ Morag crossed her arms and harrumphed

‘Very well Miss Elizabeth, but don’t make me regret my decision. You always were headstrong’ She went and stood a few feet away, still in sight but out of earshot as long as they spoke quietly.

‘What happened?’ Lizzy whispered ‘You appeared in your uniform – were you going to take me up on stage for all to see?’

‘I would not have held you up for scrutiny my dearest, never fear’ he assured her ‘The plan was for all to change and for us to be here together. I was going to dance with you as is appropriate for our time’

‘Were the others to follow?’ she asked

‘You wanted time alone with me’ he said ‘But somehow when you fainted and I brought you here, Morag appeared to look after you’

‘I didn’t get to say goodbye or thank them for looking after me’ Lizzy said ‘Will we see them again?’

‘I cannot say for sure’ he replied ‘I hope so’

‘Can we still dance?’ she asked ‘What about your injury?’ He smiled

‘It seems in this place in between worlds, all is possible’ he said ‘The only obstacle is Morag. How she came to be here I know not’ Lizzy sighed

‘If we knew how to contact our author, perhaps she could help’

------

I sat at my screen, scratching my head. My characters had really kept me guessing. First a request for a mock up of Edinburgh, complete with bars and clubs, then for videos of male strippers performing, now one for research on dances popular in the Regency era. I hadn’t really put two and two together, as due to the health crisis in my own world, although I had time on my hands, I hadn’t felt that writing was much of a priority. I sighed and closed down my document to find ‘my’ Bastien waiting.

‘Hey Bas, what on earth is going on?’ I asked warily.

‘You’d better come over and find out’ He smiled. Wearily I put my hand to the screen and felt the tug that took me through to the virtual world. We stood in one of the waiting rooms, sterile and white, and he was there, supporting me with a hand to my waist. He leaned forward to kiss me on the cheek. I rubbed it, feeling the blood rise to my face.

‘Thanks Bas – I’m sorry I haven’t been on much. There’s – a lot going on lately and I haven’t felt up to it’ He held my hand and squeezed it

‘I’m sorry to hear it, but it’s good to see you. Your characters have been – well, things got slightly out of hand’ I placed my palm over my face.

‘Yes’ I sighed ‘There were some odd requests. Tell me the worst’

‘Well, somehow the pairing from your Regency period became self aware…’

‘That’s odd, the readership is pretty low, and it’s not been going long’ Bastien shrugged

‘Well there’s a lot of spare energy sloshing around so things have been a bit crazy’ I made a gesture for him to continue. ‘So your regency heroine was first – and Lucy, Charlotte and Sophia took her under their wings. Did you not see her when you helped them make that mock up of Edinburgh?’

‘Oh dear, either I wasn’t paying attention, or they deliberately hid her’ I conceded. ‘I just thought they wanted a bit of fun’

‘Well that ‘bit of fun’ was a hen night for Elizabeth’

‘Oh my goodness, I wrote her wedding night but it’s going to have to be redrafted, and there’s a few chapters to go before we get there’

‘Well I think she got a bit restless, then their partners got wind of it. My counterpart was not happy for Sophia to be out on the town without backup’ I snorted with laughter

‘I specifically wrote her as being able to cope for herself’ I scoffed.

‘You also wrote her Bastien as being very good at his job’ he pointed out ‘His background of chasing Leo round the nightclubs and dives in Europe made him a bit antsy’

‘Hmmm, I didn’t specifically write – oh hold on, there was the storyline with him meeting Damien in New York when he was following Leo’  Bastien nodded

‘Exactly. Well, anyway they ended up in a club, and the men gatecrashed as strippers’

‘They what now?’ I gasped ‘Oh heck, now the requests for the videos of Magic Mike make sense. Go on, what happened then?’

‘Elizabeth was – kind of overwhelmed’

‘Ohhh dear, poor lamb’

‘It’s okay, she fainted when her John arrived’

‘John is self aware too?’

‘Uh huh. Anyway, the plan was to spirit her away to the Assembly rooms in regency time so they could have a little time alone before the wedding’

‘And did that happen?’

‘After a fashion. Apparently their chaperone turned up and they’re stuck with her’

‘And that’s why you called me?’

‘That, and it was a good opportunity to reconnect’ I sighed

‘Okay, we’d better go and sort things out. I’m going to start by rounding them up at the club - ready?’ I took his hand.

‘Ready’ he grinned.

[mxtantrights]

˚ · · . · ✵ ✷PART TWENTY-EIGHT

word count: 2.7k!

Warnings: jessie gets high but it’s not detailed, just the after part. ALSO FLUFF 

HAWKINS, INDIANA

DECEMBER 26, 1984

I watched as all the kids sat around the game table and exchanged gifts. It was the day after Christmas- friendsmas as I'm dubbing it- and we were all held up in Mike's basement. I know they wanted to see each other all on actual Christmas day but their schedules and families wouldn't allow it. So I called everyone up this morning and arranged this.

They all thanked me with a hug when I got here with Mickey and Dayton.

Speaking of which,

I find Dayton sitting on the couch fiddling with his hands. He's been back for about two weeks now and we haven't talked much about the elephant in the room.

I take a seat next to him and smooth down my skirt. "Why are you fiddling with your hands so awkwardly?"

He stops and looks to me. "I feel like I left you here and I let you down."

"You didn't. You did the best you could do for someone who was in a different time zone. Trust me." I clap his shoulder hard- like really hard, he hates it when I do that. And he winces. "You raised me right."

"Ha-ha."

Theres footsteps coming down the steps and quickly at the bottom is Steve. He waves to the both of us before saying his greetings to the kids. Dustin and him are up to some new handshake and I think if they don't find one soon we'll all be in trouble.

After that he finds his way on the couch next to me and my brother.

"I think we met last year at the fourth of July party. Steve right?" My brother asks Steve so un-smoothly. Did he really think I didn't know that he had Steve look over me while he was gone? He even holds his hand out for Steve to shake.

Steve awkwardly laughs. "Yeah Dayton she knows."

"What? She knows?!"

I try to stifle my laughter at his outburst.

"She used her abilities on me to make me tell the truth! What was I gonna do?" Steve argues his point.

It's true he couldn't have done anything about it.

Dayton only shakes his head in annoyance.

Lucas and Dustin come up to us on the couch with two bags in their hands. I looking between the two of them and their shit eating grins.

"If this has anything to do with milk I'm giving y'all both wedgies."

Dustin passes me a red bag. "It has nothing to do with you being milk girl."

Lucas gives Steve his bag as well.

I move around the fancy tissue paper and see jeans? I pull it out with my hands and I see that it's not pants but a jean jacket. And the back is painted on with some eye popping colors but the patches on the sleeves are what gets me.

One of them is the state of Texas. And next to it is a Hawkins patch. There are a few notable patches besides those. A lasso. One says Cherry bomb. And one with a brain on it.

I look up and it's not just Dustin and Lucas anymore. The rest of the gang is behind them now watching me.

I pull the jacket on and it fits loosely. It's the best kind of fit.

Looking over at Steve I see his gift. It's another jean jacket but his is different from mine. His has got no patches on it just the paint on the back. And I can't miss the big 'MOM' on the back.

"We wanted to thank you guys for everything you did for us." Mike- the kind asshole- Wheeler speaks up.

I get up from my seat and hod my arms out. "Hugs right now or so help me I will cry on every single one of you."

Max and Mickey are first in almost making me fall over. Then Dustin and Lucas, lastly Mike. I quickly place a kiss on the top of their heads, almost missing Mike because he pulls away slightly but I pull him back.

"Okay Jessie, give me my kids now."

HAWKINS, INDIANA

JANUARY 1985

My stomach grumbling was getting annoying. I needed to put food into my system before I combust. I just didn't feel like leaving Mike's couch. After sitting here while the boys play their precious D&D after a whole year, I'm growing attached.

I'm laid on the couch like a mad woman. My legs are leaning off the side arm, only one of my arms is slanged over the back of the couch. The other one is holding me up properly.

Steve comes down the steps. Hair flopping around like usual.

"Steve! Good you're here!" I say as he descends down the last steps.

"Hey!" He waves to me.

Then he's saying hi to the kids. I watch as he makes his rounds and then walks over to me and the couch. NO if he sits down then we're not leaving here. And I need food.

I bolt out of my seat. "I'm revolting I need food."

"Why don't you ask my mom for something?" Mike asks me.

I didn't want to trouble his mom. I also didn't want to have to interact with any adults. My mouth is a little crazy as Mickey and Dayton keep saying. I'm not good at holding back my opinions.

I shush Mike and look at Steve. "Please can I get food? Please? Pretty please? The D&D is making me want to eat the floor."

"Hey!" All the boys and Max say at once.

Steve chuckles and puts his hands on his hips. Oh no what does he want. He only does that when he wants something. What could he want from me? Wasn't being friends with me enough?

"I need your skilled handwriting for some envelopes." He puts rather simply.

Okay I can do that.

"Alright I'll do it," I grab his arm and start dragging him the way he came. "I just need food. Food. Steve my stomach is like boiling. I need food."

"Alright alright. I got you." Instead of letting me drag him up the steps he falls in line with me.

Always the gentleman, he opens the door and lets me out. I let go of his arm, and let him lead the way. He takes the both of us out the back and I see his red BMW. With a spur of energy I run to the passenger side and dive into the seat.

"Come on, faster pretty boy. I'm trying not to die of starvation here."

-

"Have you been getting any memories lately?"

I turn to look at Steve in the drivers seat. I had just finished a whole meal and now he wants me to talk? I need my post-meal nap pretty soon.

I guess I could just talk to him and wait until we get back.

"Not really, no. It's been radio silent up here." I knock on my head twice.

He can't help but laugh when I do. Maybe that will ease this conversation back to a more friendly topic. I don't want to think about all the bad things today. I was trying to just have a nice day. I could think about it tomorrow. Or the next day.

"I'm serious though. You'd tell me if you did?"

"Yeah." I shoot back.

We continue on the drive in a comfortable silence. It feels like it should be awkward but its not. We have some weird upside down bond now. We haven't seen it all but we've seen enough together.

It doesn't take long before I see Mike's house appear outside my window. Steve's quick to get out of the car but I'm not, I just ate! I need to take it slow don't wanna pull a stomach muscle or something.

I've got the itis.

Slowly I open my door and roll myself out of the car. As I do I know Steve is watching me struggle. He loves to do that sometimes I swear if he wasn't my friend I would yell at him, I swear it.

He's back at my side in an instant holding his arm out for me to lock with mine.

"Ah Steve, such a gentleman."

-

HAWKINS, INDIANA

JANUARY 1985

I try to smoothly make it to my desk in one piece without raising suspicion. I don't trip, or look anyone in the eye as I make it to the back where Steve is sitting. However I do see his floppy hair and I have to clamp my mouth shut to not giggle.

His hair!

How does he do it everyday?

How?

I sit down and put my notebook on the desk.

"Are you okay?" Steve asks.

I turn slowly to nod at him, I don't wanna do it to fast or he's gonna think something is up with me. I can't alert the troops. I can't alert anyone!

He studies my face, and then his face changes. Did he just figure it out? Did he just find out that quickly? Maybe he won't say anything.

"Are you high right now?" He whispers to me.

My head is nodding again even though I wanna deny it. I was about to deny it. But my head is faster than my mouth.

Ha!

I watch closely as Steve pulls my chair and then my desk close to his. My fingers start playing with the loose ends of my knitted sweater. I wonder how those little dangling threads happen. Why did they happen? I didn't cut my sweater.

I hear our english teacher clear her throat to get the class to settle. It's then that I roll my shoulders back and face the board with the straightest face I can make.

The class settles after a few moments pass and our teacher begins to write names on the board. I watch with confusion. Why was she writing down our names? Did she forget them?

Then she writes down my name. And Steve's.

I look at Steve.

"She was picking random students to read their essays today- Jess we are fucked." He whispers to me and the way he sounds is so funny I start laughing under my breath.

I pull my sweater over my mouth to try and hide it. My eyes are watering before I know it and I have to put my head down on the desk to hide my laughter.

"Ms.Glendall whats the matter?"

Then that makes me laugh even more. Holy shit I'm about to get caught! I'm about to get caught and I don't even have an excuse to give! I'm gonna get detention! Holy shit have I ever gotten detention since I've been here?

No I haven't. I would remember.

"Jessie's not feeling to well, can she read her essay another day?" Steve asks for me.

I can feel his hand come to pat my head like I'm some sort of dog- I'm laughing even harder now. My stomach is starting to hurt with how much I'm dying from this.

"Sure Mr. Harrington."

Steve peers in close to me, close enough to whisper in my ear. When I can feel his hot ass breath on my ear I stop laughing. "You owe me big time Jess."

Oh god how am I gonna make it to Lunch. Hopefully Jon doesn't mind skipping with me to get some food. I am not eating slop while under the influence.

-

I can't believe I'm this much a wuss. I mean I tasered a demo-dog for crying out loud. You'd think I've grown some macho in me.

But no.

Here I am with my envelopes for colleges. Ready to send.

And I'm holding them in my hands like they're about to fly away.

"Step away from the applications."

I swiftly turn around.

Steve's leaning against his car.

"You know I can just go right back upstairs and cancel our plans to hang out." I quip, already turning away.

It's not long, what with his long ass legs, before he has my arm in his grasp and he's stopping me. I turn around slowly to face him, ready for that stupid look on his face. He's gonna make fun of me. I know he is.

He sent out his early applications and I'm standing here, fiddling with my regular applications.

But he doesn't have a look on his face. He looks serious.

"Alright so do you want me to do them for you or do you want a pep talk so you can do it yourself?"

I look between him and my mailbox. A few times. Maybe it's actually more than a few because he snatches the envelopes from my hands and does it himself.

Instead of letting him get the final touch I do it myself. I raise the red flag on the box.

"Well ladies and gentlemen I think Jessica Glendall has finally finished with her applications! How about a round of applause for the girl!" He starts yelling. I try to cover his mouth but he's too tall. And he's fighting me off a bit.

"Cut it out you weirdo! I have neighbors!"

"Is that what the other houses are for? I thought it was decoration."

HAWKINS, INDIANA

JANUARY 1985

"Did you actually have a lasso back home?"

I stop eating and look at Jonathan. He's got a big smile on his face because he knows he's being a little shit. But he wouldn't come up with this on his own. I know this is Steve's doing.

"Steve put you up to this?" I ask him back.

He shakes his head but can't hide his laughter.

"Nah. I just heard it from Will, who heard it from Dustin, who was told by Steve." He explains to me.

"I don't care that we're the same age I will give you a wedgie you do know that right?" It's rhetorical as he puts his hands up in surrender.

"I'd love to see you give Steve a wedgie. Or put him in a lasso."

"Yeah I'd love to see it too."

-

I was cheering Steve on in the gym not too long ago. He's playing really hard right now so that the scouts can see him. I know that he feels like he has to overcompensate with sport because his grades are too hot.

But neither are mine. We're in the same boat here.

His car chirps and I look around for him. I was waiting for him on his car after all. I find him walking my way with his sport bag slung over his shoulder. They didn't win today but he did carry his team the whole way through. That's gotta count for something.

He doesn't say anything to me- no snide remark, no sass, not even a hello. All he does is get into his car and slam the door. Maybe he wants to be alone right now?

I hop off the hood of his car and he turns the engine on.

Maybe I should take the hint and leave.

I put my bag over both of my shoulders and start to turn my body away when I hear the horn honk. So I turn back.

The window is rolled down on my side.

"Aren't you coming?"

I open the door swiftly and get in. "You sure you don't want to be alone right now? I mean I can understand-"

"No I'll be fine. I just need to drive around for a little bit." He says to me and starts pulling out of the parking lot.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" I offer

I remember the forth of July party and what he said. About College and parents. This was definitely a topic that he dreaded.

He pumps the breaks on the car when I say it. I almost jolt forward but he holds his arm out to brace me. It makes me let out a breath that's all I know. His arm retracts back to his side as he keeps his eyes on the wheel.

"My dad sucks. And my grades kind of suck. And he's riding my ass about college."

I carefully put my hand on his shoulder. "Look all you can do is your best Steve. At the end of the day it's all anyone can do. Your dad might not see it but it's you who needs to start seeing it. It's your life."

"Y-yeah."

"Plus all of the shit you did with those monsters from hell is pretty badass. You'd probably get a metal for it if it wasn't top secret."

He laughs. "Thanks Jessie."

"Of course Stevie."

"Jessica!"

"Stephen!"

[purplesurveys]

1051

Are you between the ages of 30 & 40? I still have to get through nearly another decade to get to that decade.

What was your favorite Saturday morning cartoon growing up? My favorites were The Wild Thornberrys and Little Bill, both on Nickelodeon. My sister and I also enjoyed this wacky show called The Upside Down Show but it wasn’t a cartoon.

What was your favorite toy as a child? I liked any toy that had a lot of buttons or features within it - dollhouses, kitchen sets, cash registers, toy phones, anything that could make me test how much it could do.

In High School did you wear acid washed jeans? No. It’s not a style I would be drawn to, then and now.

How much was a gallon of gasoline when you first started driving? I don’t know; I never paid much attention to gas prices, honestly.

What was your first car? It’s a 2014 (or 2015?) Mitsubishi Mirage I’m still using today, though it was my dad who paid for it and he’s the one who takes it out for oil changes and stuff.

Who taught you how to drive? My dad taught me a few times around the neighborhood, but he also enrolled me for like three classes in a driving school so that I got to learn how to drive in a highway.

What was your high school mascot? Both of my schools didn’t have any. My university does have a nickname for our varsity teams, but we’re simply just ‘Maroons’ and not an animal like what I usually see.

Did you go to your Senior Prom? We had a junior prom, nothing for senior year. I was invited to go to the senior ball in another school by Mike, though. That feels like ages ago; everything is so different now.

What did you do after graduation? After my high school graduation I went straight to college like most kids here. After graduating college, I immediately started looking for jobs; I landed an internship after a month and got absorbed into the company two months after.

What was your first job? I’m currently working as an associate at a public relations agency. This is my first job and for now, I’m content in staying in this career. This is where I set out to be when I was in college and I don’t feel the need to change paths any time soon.

What did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be an astronaut more than anything else, but I remember also wanting to be a firefighter or a vet.

Any posters on your bedroom walls growing up? I had a handful of wrestling posters that my mom was never a fan of. It was never her business since it’s my room, but she always made it the case.

Do you remember the first time you drank a beer? It may have been at Marielle’s debut, five Julys ago. She served beer at the afterparty of her 18th birthday party, and I think I had taken my first sip then.

Did you ever try cigarettes? Yeah, I started this year actually. I’m about to reach my first anniversary of trying my first cigarette :/ I don’t have a lot of them though and I haven’t smoked since like February or March, I think.

How did you spend your summers growing up? At home. My parents were always busy with work, so I had no choice but to myself occupied at home. Luckily I had siblings and cousins, so we were always playing with each other. My summers were never productive until I was in college, when I started making the effort to go out more.

If you could change anything from your teenage years, would you? Ahh idk man I wish I wouldn’t have spent as much time by the computer as I did, and maybe hang out with friends or something instead. < Yeah this hits the bullseye pretty much. I was a very introverted teenager. Not to mention the internet and social media started to blow up during my tween/early teenage years, so I was hooked to my laptop and kept people away as a result. I didn’t start feeling like a teenager until I was 16, when I gained friends and got invited to more stuff.

Do you remember your first time? Yeah, it was during one of my 18th birthday celebrations and she was around.

Ever look back and wish some things were still the same? I do it a lot these days. I do try to stop, because I don’t know what I can gain out of doing so anymore, and because there’s always the danger of being left behind from looking back too much; but most days I can’t help it.

After high school - straight to college or straight to work? University, because you kinda need that credential where I live. It’s unfair, but it’s our reality.

How much did you make per hour at your first job? We don’t really calculate that here...I’ll try to do math for y’all lmao aka Google it, which says I make $2.34 an hour. Wow when you put it that way, it really does not sound high :/ I’m honestly okay with my pay though. I live with my parents so I contribute to the bills and stuff now, but even then there’s more than enough left for me. Favorite home-cooked meal growing up? My grandma’s kare-kare. It was/is always reserved for special occasions; and out of all her grandchildren I was also the one who got attached to the dish especially as I got older, so eventually kare-kare also became the family’s ‘Robyn is coming over so we better prepare this’ dish. I think I’m her only grandchild that she has an allotted dish for, so that makes me feel special :)

Favorite place to eat out growing up? The local Burger King, back when it had a play place for kids. 

Did your parents live in a different country before you were born?: No, they have always lived in the Philippines. My mom has always wanted to migrate but my dad shoots it down every time.

Do you have a preferred coffee brand?: When it comes to coffee, no. I wanna try out everything. But when it comes to coffee shop ambience, Starbucks all the way.

Have you ever dated someone who was terrible with money?: No. I remember Gab as always being very cautious, responsible, and conscious about money. Her parents sustained her debit card and I’m pretty sure they always gave her a little bit extra, but she never took more than her weekly allowance from the ATM.

If so, how did it affect the relationship?: Money was never an issue, mostly because the money we received during the course of our relationship wasn’t even ours lol; we both received set allowances from our parents. If one of us was running out of cash, we never hesitated to cover for each other first, and we never pressured one another to pay back immediately.

How often do you paint your nails?: Never. 

Do you know anyone who's related to a current or former world leader?: Yeah, I went to high school with a relative of Duterte. She’s super secretive about it, which is pretty understandable. I’m friends with/went to classes with people who are grandchildren of senators and other politicians as well.

Do you do your own taxes, or do you hire a professional?: ...I have no idea how to do that...I always just assumed it’s already taken care of when a part of my salary is deducted lol. I may have to ask my parents about this, whoops.

What is something you don't have any natural talent for?: Anything to do with music. Reading it, playing it, singing, writing songs, etc. Also art and anything to do with creativity.

Did you watch this year's Eurovision?: Ah, my favorite time of the year to mute all my overseas mutuals on Twitter at one point lmao. No, I never caugtht up with it.

Have there been any periods in your life that could be described as being chaotic?: Senior year was a big chaotic war zone. The death of my grandpa and my first breakup coincided with all the crucial college entrance exams. Speaking of college, it was also a period of a lot of heavy decision-making due to me having to make choices of what course I wanted to take in every school I applied to. I barely cried during those few months and it still shocks me to this day how I did it. That was the most I’ve been on autopilot.

What is something you frequently forget?: Where I place my car keys and/or glasses last.

If I looked in your fridge right now, what would I find?: Bread, eggs, a bunch of condiments, butter cheese, vegetables, leftovers, and the grazing box I received from my workplace yesterday. I’m sure there’s more, but I haven’t really stopped and stared at our fridge for a while now.

How do you feel about your body?: I used to feel fairly confident about it; like it was never an issue with me. But truthfully, after being dumped, I’ve started to feel insecure over everything about me.

Who is someone you would like to get to know better?: My teammates at work, Bea and Ysa. They both seem like cool and funny people both in and out of work, and I’d love to get to hang out with them.

If you had to move to a new city, where would you move?: Idk, just somewhere with a lot of opportunities to try new things and meet new people.

Have you ever traveled on a double-decker train?: Nope. I’ve never been on anything double-decker, if I remember correctly.

What's your opinion on assisted suicide?: [trigger warning] I’ve looked into it, but it’s a dead end where I live. That’s all I’ll say, as I don’t want to give others ideas.

At what point do you consider a relationship to be 'long-term?': Fuck if I know anymore. We reached six years and it was a point where I was comfortable and didn’t feel the need to doubt anymore; everything turned out to be a lie in the end. I don’t know anymore. I don’t think about these things anymore.

What jobs did your parents have when you were growing up?: My dad has always been a chef, so he went through all the ranks throughout my childhood until he finally got an executive position when I was in high school. I remember my mom being a receptionist.

Do they still have these jobs? Or different jobs? Or have they retired?: My dad is still in that career path but he doesn’t cook in the kitchen anymore, or at least as much as he used to. He does all the menu planning, evaluating, etc. My mom has shifted to becoming an executive secretary, but she’s still in the hotel industry.

Do you own any winter sports equipment?: I don’t. There’s no reason for me to have any.

Do you have a cell contract plan, or are you on a pre-paid plan?: Prepaid.

Would your parents be okay with you dating someone of another race? I can definitely see my mom reacting, but I know she knows I won’t let her get away with saying anything mildly offensive. My dad would just go on with his life and will care more about the fact that I’m seeing someone, lol.

Do you like when friends stop by unexpectedly? No. Schedule it ahead and let me know. I’m not always mentally okay and them showing up as a surprise might just make me more stressed than grateful.

Where are the following people and what are they doing: mom, dad, sibling(s), best friend, significant other, ex, and last person you kissed? My entire family is under the same roof in their bedrooms, either sleeping or having just woken up. Angela is in Parañaque, probably at a cousin’s place; no significant other; I have no idea where my ex, and also the last person I kissed, is. She doesn’t really have anything to do with me anymore.

How strong are your feelings for the last person you kissed? They’re there. I’d still take a bullet for them if it comes down to it, the usual shit. Let’s move on.

What was the last thing someone else bought for you? My workplace gave me a grazing box as the company Christmas gift.

If your parents looked in your purse/book bag would they find anything you don’t want them to see? What about your bedroom? Do you have anything hidden in there? My vape pens. I came home from Starbucks last weekend and my mom thought my breath smelled like cigarettes and she almost got super pissed until I was able to convince her the only thing I put in my mouth was coffee, so I know my 22 year old, employed, self-earning ass would for sure still get in trouble if I was discovered to be vaping.

How close are you to the last person you hung out with? Can you be your complete self around them? It was the first time I met them and they are also my bosses, so I can’t exactly be my complete self around them yet. I had to act super reserved and to essentially make a good impression first before I start whipping out my jokes or whatever.

If you decided to call your ex right now, do you think he/she would answer? How would the conversation go? No, she’d reject it and tell me to text instead. If she was feeling snappy she would also tell me I’m no longer in the place to contact her that way. Sigh. Who is she anymore and why is she so different from the person I was with?

Are you attracted to the last person you exchanged numbers with? No.

Is music a daily part of your life? It’s not. Videos, more like.

Yellow nail polish: yes or no? Bright or neon yellow is a no, but I suppose more muted shades like mustard yellow can work for me.

What do you think of country music? Eh, not a fan. I would skip it in a second, and I never think about it.

Have you ever ended a relationship but wish you could’ve kept it a little longer? I’ve never ended a relationship.

Did you go to your high school’s graduation? Yes...that’s not an event I would’ve wanted to miss out on lol. That was a nice day. My grandparents came to watch me, and we had dinner at a revolving restaurant after.

If you could live the last three months over again, is there anything you’d change? Everything went to shit exactly three months ago, so this hits home very hard for me. Yes, I would change a lot of things for life not to have gone the way it has.

Who was the last person to message you on Facebook? What would you do if that person told you they have feelings for you? My mom. I would be creeped out and tell my dad immediately.

How did you feel when you woke up today? Melancholic.

Who was the first person you talked to today? What did you talk about? I haven’t talked to anyone yet today. I was thinking of replying to Aliyah’s comment on my Facebook post, but in the end I didn’t think a response was necessary.

When you apply your make-up, do you do it in a specific order? I don’t wear makeup.

Did you do anything sexual last night? No.

Do you think the last person you Facebook messaged is a virgin? She has three children, me included.

Did any of your friends lose their virginity before they were 16? If so, did you feel pressured to do the same? I don’t think my friends did, but I probably know other people who did. My baby asexual ass definitely didn’t feel the pressure. I was even scared shitless for my first kiss when it came time for it and I had kept putting it off that night.

Has someone of the opposite sex made you smile today? No.

Does it matter to you if your significant other smokes? With my previous relationship, it did in the beginning; eventually I just stopped caring.

Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with? I think it may have been Andrew.

Do you like where you are in life right now? No. I don’t know if a new year would make it better, or if it would help give me a healthier mindset. I just have to wait and see.

Do you hate it when there is a fly around you? Very much.

Is your mom overbearing? She can be.

Is there snow where you live? Never.

[jakesmith-pats]

Turmoil in Tampa

“The most important relationship a head coach has on his team is with the QB. He’s the one who runs the show on the field; he’s the ultimate extension of his coach. If there isn’t a high level of mutual trust between them, both coach and QB will be doomed.”-Bruce Arians- The self proclaimed QB Whisperer

What we are witnessing in Tampa is nothing short of a disaster. Bruce Arians has continually thrown Tom Brady under the bus with taking zero accountability (which he has been known to preach on). Seems as though Arians has been trying to get out in front of all this to make excuses to keep his job. News flash, your offensive scheme blows. There has never been an NFL offense that has had the “no risk it- no biscuit” & won a Super Bowl. The chucking & slinging the ball all over the field has never & will never work. Bruce Arians has been historic in his teams interceptions. In 1998 Peyton Manning threw league & career high 28 picks with the next 2 seasons at 15 a piece. He goes to Cleveland & his QB throws 21, 22, 18 picks. Takes over in Pittsburg in 07 with 14, 15, 14, 9, 15 even with Tomlin wanting a run first offense, Arians allowed for Big Ben to be sacked an astonishing 215 times in just 5 years. Which is an issue in Tampa in itself with there being so much interior rush pressure he can’t step into his throws. News flash if you want to throw deep you have to have protection or use play action. Brady is has been hit the 5th most in the league. Back to the topic in 2012 gets Andrew Luck (the best prospect since Manning) throws 18 picks 1 behind league leader Drew Brees also gets Luck sacked 41 times. Goes to Arizona 22 picks 41 sacks, 12 picks 28 sacks, 13 picks 25 sacks, 17 picks 40 sacks, 18 picks 52 sacks. Bruce then goes to Tampa where his QB throws a historic 30 picks against 47 sacks. The down the field attack DOES NOT WORK.

PLAY ACTION

Play action allows time for the QB to get extra protection by freezing the linebackers and gives the safety’s something extra to think about, allowing the receivers to find open spaces & take those shots down the field. Seems to me when they go play action Brady is able to find the open guy down field between Godwin & Gronk.

MOTION

Everyone & their mom knows you use pre snap motion to be able to determine if the coverage is man or zone. The Bucs lead the league in the lowest usage of pre snap motion. Arians has put Brady on blast for not reading the coverage correctly, hey Bruce it makes it a little easier if you use motion so your QB can get you in the right play. Arians has also said we make our reads after the snap of the ball. What? What kind of offense operates like that. Tom Brady has made his career by knowing what the defense is in and making calls to put his team in the best spots & mythically marching the ball down the field knowing where he is going with the ball before the ball is even snapped.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO AS A COACH

The thing that separates a good coach from a great coach is the ability to use their roster to its strength. The Patriots operated in a way that allowed for Brady to make presnap calls with routes, line protection, audibles all at Bradys will. With Arians its break the huddle and snap the ball. Literally. There is no looking at the defense making line calls from Brady or Jensen, audibles, hots, nothing. Why have one of the smartest players to ever play the game not use his best asset; his brain. Over the 20 years Tom was in New England I never saw him glaze over his wristband as long as he has to after the huddle breaks. That is a sign that Tom is not comfortable with the play call or he knows it won’t work. Arians & Byron Leftwich calling these plays has to have him thinking “why am I letting this paint drinker & former scrub QB call these plays”.

THERE IS NO SCHEME

There is no game plan each week. It’s the same offensive sets, same route concepts, same predictable play calling. Receivers just running around, not being able to read coverage. Every week I watch this team on offense I see the same plays & a massive inability to adjust during the game. Live & die by no risk it- no biscuit. It is gut wrenching football to watch with all that talent the Bucs have.

WHAT TOM NEEDS TO DO

During this bye week for the Bucs he needs to walk into Arians offense telling him to put down the booze & kit kats & tell him we need to run the offense that we ran in New England. After all why would you bring in Tom Brady and tell him “hey scrap what has made you the greatest of all time and try this”. When Manning went to Denver he walked in the coaches office & told them we are running the Tom Moore offense & guess what, it worked. Why would you ask a 43 year old QB to throw in 50 yards down the field once out of every 3 plays. Doesn’t seem like a good formula.

DEFENSE

In 4 of the 5 loses the Bucs have had have been because they have played soft zone & only rushed 3 or 4 guys. Hey heres a great idea, lets sit back in soft zone against Drew Brees, Jared Goff & Nick Foles. Oh here is an even better idea, lets guard Tyreek Hill 1 on 1 with no safety help. I wonder if after they first quarter of that Chiefs game Arians wondered hmmm maybe we should double Hill & Kelce after 7 catches for 203 yards 2 TDs IN ONE QUARTER for Hill alone.

Everything is out of sync for the Bucs, offense, defense, coaching, it’s all the more evidence how much football is culture, coaching & executing.

TOM HAS PART OF THE BLAME

Shame on Tom for thinking he could make this work. To go down to Tampa where Arians has a reputation & offensive scheme that makes no sense. Shame on Tom for being so oblivious to the fact that he would be getting into an offense that is called by Byron Leftwich. Toms arm strength is still good, he still has a lot of velocity on the ball & still throws a tight spiral but the timing with his receivers & communication is very off. Mike Evans looks like he only knows how to run straight. He has no awareness on how to read a defense, get to the hot spot and sit in the correct spot; the guy just can’t figure out what he is supposed to run unless he is running a go. Gronk should have stayed retired, tho he has looked better than at the beginning of the year. The running backs are HORRIBLE. Tom has always had someone to come out of the backfield that can catch little flats, swings, screens, Texas routes etc. It’s pretty clear why no one wanted Fournette, RJ2 is so hit or miss but can’t catch passes either. The Bucs receivers & backs lead the league in drops. Tom has put the ball into tight windows all year, sometimes it comes down to being able to haul in those passes when you have tight 1 on 1 coverage. Toms glazed over look during these games I completely believe is because he knows this offense will not work unless he is the one running it how he wants to run it & unless Arians sobers up & realizes that then Tom will be trying to get Josh McDaniels down there to take over as the next head coach.

Tom Brady is #1 in the NFL in On Target Throws, Air Yards, Air Yards per play, & 2nd in Completed Air Yards. Tom Brady is playing at a high level but they don’t have everything together. They need to take the bye week, have a come to Jesus meeting & decide what they are going to be on offense & who is going to call the shots. I 100% believe if Tom runs the offense the Bucs can win a playoff game or 2. How they are looking now they are almost a sure lock for a first round exit.

[hockeylvr59]

Life Changes || Paul Bissonnette

Summary: It’s crazy how quickly your life can change...one minute you’re a struggling personal injury lawyer and the next you’re working for one of the hottest sports podcasts to supplement your income. A new job and the end of a long-term relationship was just the beginning for Leigh Thompson when it comes to life changes. Thankfully she has the one and only Paul Bissonnette at her side to help her handle them all. 

Authors Note: Rewriting my Biz series with an OC so that I can give it a little bit more depth and write out the things that popped into my head but seemed too specific for a y/n imagine. In addition to updating the chapters I’m adding in all the social media content [located at end] (which is super labor intensive) so I hope you enjoy it. Note in this world, Spittin Chiclets has separated from Barstool Sports. 

Warnings: like one swear word     Requested: [ ] yes [x] no     Word Count: 2,033

___________________________________________________________

“Great things never came from comfort zones.”

My head was in my phone as I read my daily motivational email while stepping off the plane in Boston. In a way, it almost seemed as if the writers knew exactly what it was that I needed to hear. Because this…this was the exact opposite of my comfort zone. Managing the business operations and events schedule for a popular hockey podcast was not what I’d imagined doing with my law degree.

But I wanted to start up my own practice, a practice in which I only got paid if I could find clients and win their cases. So far, that wasn’t going so well as far as paying the bills was concerned. So when a fellow lawyer had gotten me an interview for this part-time gig, I couldn’t turn it down. It seemed like something fun and different and I’d just been dumped because my ex had ‘met someone else’ so I really had nothing to lose.

Now, two weeks after I’d started work, I was arriving in Boston to meet the hosts of the podcast and their producer in person. Of course, the trip was also for a meeting for a sponsorship deal but I was trying not to think about that because it would be my first big test as their business manager and I didn’t want to fuck it up.

It was a Wednesday and the guys were in the process of recording the podcast when my flight was scheduled to arrive so I hailed a cab and checked myself into the hotel. They’d already made plans for us to go out tonight. Clubs were not my thing but again, “comfort zones.” After hanging my suit up for the next day’s meeting, I climbed onto the hotel bed to work on writing a complaint for my newest client’s case. Hopefully, the whole thing wouldn’t go much farther than that and we could reach a settlement but right now the insurance company wasn’t cooperating, so this was the next step in the process. By the time I finished, it was time to eat and then get ready to go out and so I ordered dinner and ate while watching something random on tv.

Around seven, I pulled out the clothes I’d brought for tonight, a red sparkly tank and dark jeans with a black leather jacket and red flats. Yes, I was going to be dwarfed by these men but heels weren’t my thing either and I’d rather not trip and fall and embarrass myself in front of them. I’d talked with each of them on the phone a few times but this was the first time I was meeting any of them in person and so my anxiety was high.

Quickly doing my hair and makeup, I grabbed my phone, wallet, and hotel key and stepped out into the hall. The five of us were meeting in the lobby at eight and it was already about ten til. When I stepped out of the elevator into the lobby, I looked around but didn’t spot any of the guys I was meeting. Well, at least I wasn’t late.

Leaning against one of the pillars in the lobby I checked social media on my phone once more, Snapchatting my sister like I did every night so my mother knew I was alive. Looking up from my phone after snapping a picture of the lobby, I spotted Ryan Whitney looking around. Waving just a bit, I smiled when he nodded and approached, quickly introducing himself. It wasn’t like I didn’t know who he was, I’d watched him play for the Penguins when I was still just a teenager, but the familiarity of the introductory process helped put me at ease.

“How long have you been down here?” He asked hands shoved into his pockets. 

“About five minutes,” I responded with a small shrug and after a moment he nodded, seemingly impressed. “Hey, when I’m supposed to be somewhere by a certain time I make sure I am. I hate being late. I am not one of those women that are never ready on time.”

“Teach that to my wife please.” He declared his tone light and teasing. When another man approached calling Whitney’s name, I glanced over my shoulder and mentally cataloged the man as Mike Grinnell, the show’s producer. Of all of the men I was now working with, he was the closest to me in age. After he greeted Ryan Whitney he turned his attention to me.

“You must be Leigh. Nice to finally put a face to the name.”

“I would say the same but I grew up in Pittsburgh and I’ve followed the show for a while so I think I have faces down.” I tried to keep my comment as light as possible while reaching out a hand to shake his. Tonight was either going to go well or be really awkward and I was silently praying for the former. Thankfully, before the current situation could get awkward, the other two members of your group, RA and Paul Bissonnette made their way into the lobby. Introductions with them were brief because they were all eager to get an uber and head out to the lounge they’d picked.

During the car ride, the guys pretty much conversed among themselves so I took the time to observe their personalities when there was no reason to front and they were just being themselves. Stepping into the lounge was like entering another world and the five of us quickly made our way to an empty table. Settling into the booth, I looked around, taking in how the level of the music was quiet enough that I could actually hear myself think and how it was crowded but not overly so.

Whitney offered to buy the first round of drinks and when I asked for water they all looked at me like I was crazy.

“What? I’m thirsty. I haven’t had anything to drink all day because I got caught up in work. Last I checked alcohol doesn’t really help with hydration. Plus I’m just not a big drinker…” I did drink socially but I’d never been drunk and I was already worried about making a fool of myself. Alcohol certainly wouldn’t make me any less self-conscious. Actually, it would probably make me make a bigger fool of myself. Thankfully the guys decided to pick their battles and didn��t pressure me and when Whitney handed me a bottle of water I thanked him before taking a sip.

Once the guys had drinks, it didn’t take long before they started asking me a million questions. I’d known this was coming, after all, I was the newbie to the group and if I was going to be working closely with them it was probably best that they get to know me. At the beginning the questions were mild, asking about my schooling and aspirations practicing law. I explained what had caused me to go back to school for my law degree and how my business management degree hadn’t exactly paid off the way I had planned. When I told them about my time working for my undergraduate university’s athletic communications office, and spending a semester as an events marketing intern for the Steelers, it was clear that they were a little thrown off by the extent of my background in sports but that they were impressed at the same time.

Of course, after that, it was unsurprising when a bunch of hockey guys and former hockey players transitioned into talking hockey like they hadn’t just done it for hours earlier in the day. It was also unsurprising, at least to me, when as a lifelong hockey fan I threw my own opinions into the mix. I’d been attending Penguins games since I was three or four years old thanks to my dad’s company seats and hockey had gotten me through some tough times, including law school. That led to the good-natured teasing from the guys about which players I found attractive and after insisting that we’d be there all night if they really wanted to know I smirked and made my way to the bar for another bottle of water. While I was a fan of the game for many reasons that didn’t have to do with player attractiveness, I also wasn’t blind. 

When the sports conversation ended upon my return to the table, the more prying questions began. I refused to answer anything that made me completely uncomfortable, but I was forced to explain how I had just gotten out of an eight-month relationship and how my ex had been a total jerk about it. Even surrounded by men, there was sympathy as to the fact that he’d just shown up at my door and ended things. No fanfare. No signal that it had been coming. It had been a long-distance relationship but it had seemed like things were going well and then it was just over. It sucked because he was the first man I’d truly had feelings for and it felt like I’d wasted eight months of my life, but the wounds weren’t quite so fresh a few weeks later and ultimately I was going to be okay.

Around 11 o’clock, I felt the fatigue of the flight and the exhaustion from being social starting to take over so I decided to head back to the hotel. It didn’t seem like the guys were ready to leave yet but I was confident enough to call myself an uber. Sliding out of the booth I pulled my phone out of my pocket.

“Not to be even more of a spoilsport but I think I’m going to call an uber back to the hotel. We’ve got the meeting in the morning and I’m exhausted.” RA, Whitney, and Grinnell just nodded and murmured goodnight. When I turned to say goodnight to Biz, I found him sliding out after me and shoving his hands in his pockets.

“I’m gonna head out too.” He declared.

“You don’t have to…I’ll be fine on my own. I’m a big girl.” I insisted worried that he felt obligated to cut his night short in order to protect me. 

“I’m not saying you aren’t or that you can’t. But I’m ready to go to bed too so we might as well share an uber.” Throwing my hands up in a gesture that said ‘fine whatever,’ I finished ordering the ride before stepping out of the lounge and onto the sidewalk. In the cold March Boston air, I couldn’t help but yawn, running my fingers through my hair. It was definitely time to get back to the hotel, take the makeup off, change into pajamas and just chill.

The ride back was quiet, the two of us focused on our own phones. I’d gained the entire crew as Instagram followers tonight and to ebb the confusion of anyone paying attention I added my new job title to my Instagram bio before posting a picture I’d taken tonight. I could feel Biz’s eyes on me on and off and when we got back to the hotel, he reached out a hand to help me out of the uber.

“Aren’t you going to follow me back?” He asked while the two of us were waiting for the elevator.

“Only if I unfollow you just to follow you again...” I declared biting back a laugh when he looked down at me slightly confused. “Is it really that shocking that I would have followed you before tonight?” A soft ‘guess not’ left his mouth and I rolled my eyes before stepping onto the elevator and pressing the button for my floor. He was one above me and so when the elevator stopped I murmured a ‘goodnight’ before quietly making my way back to my room. 

After changing, I settled into bed and set my alarms for the morning before turning the bedside light out to go to sleep. In spite of my fears, tonight had gone pretty well and I actually had fun hanging with those guys. This job was looking to be a change for the better.

Chapter 1 outfit:

Chapter 1 social media: 

[emmettspeakz]

Strike headcanons

Compiled by me and @g-ay-gatsby <3

Bisexuals: Dangerously adorable

Richie: you right, you right

Eddie: hell yeah he’s dangerous adorable

Eddie: but, well, mostly he’s just adorable and he thinks he’s dangerous

Stan: who are we talking about? Bill? Mike?

Richie: no you other boyfriend

Stan: Eddie?

Eddie, Bill, Mike: *blushing*

Richie: ….

Stan just being like “I love my boyfriend!!

Eddie, Mike, Bill, Richie at once: Which one?

Stan: *A HUGE BLUSHING MESS*

Eddie and Richie are making out on one side of the couch, Mike and Bill are making out on the other side and Stan is just sitting in the middle BEAMING with HAPPINESS because his boyfriends are so good and he appreciates them so much but also is fine with not making out with them most of the time just being there is good

-Stan is just holding Bil and Richie’s hands in the middle and sighing contentedly 

Richie: did you want a turn at some point stan?

Stan: nah it’s okay I just wanna hold your hand for now

Richie: alright stan lemme know how you’re doing *returns to eddie*

Stan and Richie cuddles with Edie next to Richie at the end o the couch, Mike at the other end of the couch and Bil has his head resting on Stan’s lap and Stan is just BEAMING and blushing so hard cuz he’s soo happy

Richie totally calls him stan the man at the worst possible time and he rolls his eyes/blushes so the other 3 do it as well

Easily embarrassed!Stanley Uris; he’s embarrassed no matter what they call hiM

Protective!Bill Denbrough is canon

Stan decides to try to join in a bit and is kissing bill or something and richie walks in and goes “stan the man! Feeling brave today” but not in a mean way he knows it’s okay and respects stan’s boundaries and stan just gapes at him with his mouth wide open

Bill: Shut up richie

Overusing pet names for stan

Richie: don’t be a ucking pussy stan!

Bill: BEEP BEEP RICHIE!!!

Richie: I was just jok--

Bill: DID I FUCKING STUTTER?!

All of them are so respectful of his sexuality and take it easy and slow with him and never push him. Richie is the one who always talks him through everything and explains stuff to him. But bill is the one that gets SO ANGRY if anyone says SHIT about his beautiful ace boyfriend

Richie teases him but only in a soft, richie way where stan knows it’s light hearted and all in good fun

Mike is more quiet about it. Never initiates anything with stan cause he’s scared to do something wrong

Mike is super protective of Bill though, especially about his stutter

Stan and mike just at the library casually holding hands and reading books cuz stan is too shy to ask him to kiss or do anything remotely sexual

Asexual spectrum! Mike Hanlon - demisexual? Shy!Mike

Mike is comfortable with Bill and they’ve figured out what works for both of them, for the other 3 he’s more...not scared just less confident in what he should be doing

Mike i could see as being someone else along with Stan maybe even Bill if he has needs to be more sexual. But he assures stan that he’s enough and is pure and loving

Bill reassures Mike that he’s safe with all 4 o them no matter what and he talks him through what to do

Reddie is just going at it, as they do, stan is smiling, watching, loving life. Bill joins in and they’re used to mike sorta being nervous and bill just whispering something in his ear and mike turns red but agrees cause he trusts bill

Mike isn’t as comfortable with himself around Richie and Eddie. Might be a bit more distant from them cuz they’re always connected at the hips so it takes time for him to loosen up

Bill being secretly kinky with mike

Bill and mike go off to be sexual and stan is just like “what do i do now?” and richie and eddie cuddle him and watch a movie until he falls asleep

Since mike is so safe with bill he tries new things sometimes and explores his comfort zone but that’s ONLY WITH BILL, with the rest of them he stays with what he knows is okay

Mike doesn’t like that the others know they’re specifically leaving to be sexual so he asks bill to make an excuse every time and it gets more and more ridiculous - but mike asks him to do it every time even though he knows that they know what’s goin on and he knows that he won’t be judged

-“We’re gonna go watch paint dry”

“We’re off to destroy the patriarchy!”

Richie: destroy the patriarchy...alone in your bedroom?

Eddie slaps him

Stan is still just beaming

Mike: yeah, toxic masculinity and all that. Come ON Bill and he makes *that* face

Bill’s just like “s-sorry stan” and Stan acts like he’s okay but he’s clearly feeling insecure and Eddie and Richie cuddle him on either side and make him feel happy again

Stan is often super uncomfortable with it but every once in a while he’ll talk to eddie about stuff. Cause he knows eddie is co comfortable with sex and stuff, and he won’t joke around like richie. So he just asks him specific questions about things without being judged and then eddie hugs him so hard 

*richie walks in and sees them hugging* hey, why wasn’t I invited?

Eddie and stan are best friends and boyfriends like they could easily come off as just friends to other people except eddie will hold his hand in public and be super lowkey flirty

Eddie: it’s eds’ turn rich

Stan: quit interrupting tozier

Mike and stan being super jokingly sexual cause they know neither person is really interested in being sexual with the other

Mike only wants to have sex with bill and stan just wants to be soft and hold hands so they overdo it 

“Wanna go strip off out clothes off and go skinny dipping?”

“Pfft as if!”

Mike would be more shy but stan would totally start picking up on sexual jokes from spending too much time with richie

Stan being super uncomfy with naked boys’ bodies at first like having a pool party and them being shirtless he’s like “what do i do”

And one day he makes a super inappropriate joke in front of bev and she’s like ….what?

STAN never gets over seeing his boyfriend change and stuff, like eds changes his shirt in front of him and he just blushes

Ben is like “when did you turn into richie?”

Richie: *pretending to wipe away a tear* i taught him everything he knows

Eddie: that’s not something to brag about trashmouth

Richie takes of his shirt and he’s just like “want a taste?” and stan just goes “i’m not even gonna attempt to beep you. You know what you did.”

Eddie teaches stan about sexual things, bill teaches him about finding a comfort zone and richie fully just gives him lessons and talking dirty

“So stan when you flirt with a girl--”

“I’m gay.”

“Right”

“In case you forgot you’re also gay”

“Oh shit, is that why i have four boyfriends?”

“You’re beautiful mike. You know who else is beautiful?”

“Who?”

Stan: “literally all of you. Fuck all of you for being pretty.”

Richie: i didn’t think you were into that

Bill: shut up richie

Stan is attracted to all of them but mostly romantically. So one day reddie are just being so damn cute and telling each other how much they love each other and how attractive the other is and what they wanna do to each other

Eddie: gosh your lips are beautiful richie i just wanna--

Stan: but you know what’s more important? You have a BEAUTIFUL PERSONALITY

Richie: yeah that’s great thanks stan but can we get back to what we’re gonna do with our lips?

They’re planning the next time they’re all gonna meet up and stan, being an ace stereotype occasionally offers to bring snacks

Richie is like  “I NEED ALL THE SHOTS”

Mike’s like: oh fuck yeah stan brings the best snacks

Stan to richie: you strip when you drink please don’t

Richie snorts

Eddie: *under his breath* please do

 mike is like “NO I LITERALLY MEAN SNACKS. I JUST WANT PRETZELS.”

Stan: i’m just gonna go get some snacks. Y’al fucking behave

Mike: i’ll help

-JUST GIVE MIKE HANLON HIS PRETZELS 2K19

-Bill: i guess i’ll help too (* is so attached to his baby*)

-And, oh shit, they left reddie alone again

-They come back and reddie are making out on the couch, of course

-Stan is holding both Bill and Mike’s hands so it’s hard for them to bring the snacks but stan doesn’t want them to let go

-Bill is organizing, richie is in charge of alcohol, mike and stan bring snacks, and eds is responsible and brings protection 

Stan has to be holding someone’s hand at all times, otherwise he gets all nervous

Richie: a condom? What’s this for?

Eddie: so you don’t--

Stan: So i don’t get tozier diseases

-Richie has cooties

Richie slicks his hair back, fingers guns out* you already got em baby

Stan is holding richie’s hand while richie and eddie are about to have sex and richie just goes, “hey uh stan do you think you could hold bill’s hand for a bit?”

“Sure, why?”

“I think i’m gonna need both hands for this”

*eddie giggling*

Stan: BEEP BEEP RICHIE

Mike and Bill: we were about to ask you the same thing

Stan: *not having it* Y’all need to leave

Stan can go hold ben’s hand cause he doesn’t stand for any toxic masculinity around here

Bev is like “you can hold my hand” and ben’s like “hey that’s my job”

They joke about ben being the only one they haven’t taken and ben jokes along with them and bev rolls her eyes

“Why don’t you join them already?”

Bev doesn’t care if they joke cuz she just KNOWS ben loves her and ONLY HER

So there’s just moans being heard from all over upstairs and stan just goes “so how’s life you guys?” to ben and beverly

Stan is super red but they don’t point it out

Bill and stan makeout sessions are the ultimate soft fest - Those are the only times stan moans cuz he’s enjoying stuff

Stan and Richie have a neck THING

Richie thinks stan’s moans are the cutest thing and has to hide his arousal coming into the room with bill making out with him

Bill: “Do you mind tozier?”

R: nope not one bit

B: get the fuck out richie

Richie just goes and kisses stan on the forehead

R: have fun you too *leaves*

Stan is at work and bill brings him lunch or something and kisses him on the cheek and stan is blushing like crazy of course and this happens a lot but also eddie comes by sometimes just to check in on him and in general he gets visits from his boyfriends and all of stan’s co-workers are getting confused

Make is panromantic? But homosexual

Co-worker A: omg stans boyfriend is so hot

Co-worker B: yeah i love his curly hair

Co-worker A: *meant bill and is so confused*

“Yeah i just met richie, he’s pretty funny.”

“I thought his name was Eddie.”

Bev drops stan off at work and kisses his forehead and just says something like “have a good day honey” cause she’s ultimate mon friend and everyone is just like?

Each co-worker only meets one boyfriend like the one who meets richie only knows richie, etc. 

“Stan, you straight now?”

“Ew, no, what would give you that idea?”

*co-worker gestures vaguely towards Beverly*

Co-workers somehow manage to always be in the room with the same boyfriend

AND THEN ONE DAY AT THE CHRISTMAS PARTY

Mike and Bill are holding hands talking to someone and she’s like, 

“Do one of you work here?” and at the same time they say

“Yeah my boyfriend does”

“Oh?”

Richie and eddie get there last

Random co-worker: there really seems to be a lot of gay couples here?

Stan: No just us I think *not realizing it looks like two separate couples plus stan*

Someone’s like: hey stan where’s your boyfriend?

Stan: they’re almost here I think

Then everyone assumes he has one boyfriend who uses they/them pronouns

Richie, Eddie, Bill, and Mike all basically line up and kiss Stan and every co-worker is thrown for a loop

One co-worker who always saw stan with eddie at work, then at the party they see stan holding mike’s hand and later they’re like “oh stan i’m so sorry to see you broke up with eddie!” and stan gets really worries that they heard eddie say something

He’s completely oblivious to the fact that not everyone is in a polyamorous relationship with four men, like he has no idea that anyone would be surprised by it

Stan is like “are we okay?” to eddie who’s like “yeah babe what’s wrong?” and consoles him

One co-worker who is down with everything, who is stan’s advisor just shakes his head and goes, “stan you’re a lucky man” and stan’s face turns TOMATO red

Jealous co-worker is just like “you have four men but I can’t even get one?? wtf??”

Stan: sucks to be you i guess

Richie: *pretending to tear up* i taught him how to do that. That’s my sassy boyfriend!!

Bill is hugging stan from behind and eddie is holding mike’s hand while richie is off being hilarious and making people fall in love with him by accident and then out of nowhere richie yells “SWITCH SHIFTS” and they very naturally switch to stan cuddling with richie, mike and bill being soft and cute and eddie is checking the food and pointing out what’s unsanitary to the poor people who happen to be at the food table

LIKE THEY’RE EMPLOYEES

[ithinkthereforiamfandom]

Cupid AU WIP

EDIT: This piece is now Finished. AO3

I'll be doing a Beta read/Edit for a friend this weekend so I'll be fairly busy. Alright, *deep breath* below is the 1st 2K of my current WIP. I'm a bit intimidated by what I've taken on TBH. I currently have over 5K with an established beginning (see below the cut I tried to insert) and I've got the end set as well, I know the journey to get there, it just looks Huge ATM. In short I'm looking for attention *perishes of embarrassment*, a little validation, just feeling Smol atm and need a bit of help plz.

[MORE]

John Watson trudged through the park, Not enjoying his down time at all but he was on his way to a meeting with Mike Stamford so hopefully things would improve soon. People thought of Cupid as some chubby baby with a bow and arrows but Cupids did more than just bring couples together. Love worked a shit load harder than just igniting the odd soul mate spark. Love healed, comforted, inspired, guarded… and Cupids where the guides and guardians of Love regardless of what form it took. Also John was bored… He wasn’t like Mike who trained Cupids at the hospital where hearts broke, they died, and new heart were born, all needing Love in some form. John was a BattleCupid when hearts were at war there, for the sake of Love, stood John Watson and it had nearly cost him a wing but he loved the work. It was his life. He had just returned from Afghanistan were his chances had been few but vital. The kindness shown to local children by soldiers missing their own beloved kids, the love a soldier feels when adopting a stray kitten… John was proud of those ones. He’d taken work as a field surgeon so that when hearts ended his presence wouldn’t be questioned. All hearts had to leave with love.

John felt an ache in his injured shoulder, the bullet had fucked things up and the therapy for the arm still took the wind out of him. Worse still was his wing. The bullet had ripped through bone, muscle, and tendons but it shouldn’t have been able to shatter his wing. It shouldn’t have been able to touch it. The damage had mystified the MediCupids back home and the phrase “caring was not an advantage” had actually passed his own lips. He suppressed a shudder because those hurt him too… had he been too close, had he bonded too strongly, deeply with his team. John scowled at the pavement as he considered his lost men. He had been their Captain and their doctor he was supposed to be close to them. And James, James Sholto's disgrace and his complete withdrawal from the world and even from John had done it’s own damage but he shook off the depressing thoughts before they could spread. He had loved his CO, against good advice and almost against his will. But the damage was done and now he just had to deal with it.

Mike sat on the bench waiting for John, he rustled his immaterial wings, excited to introduce him to his next potential charge. He knew the BattleCupid had been injured and while Cupids didn’t fly, a wing out of commission was uncomfortable, Cupid wings weren’t for flight they were emotion. Wing beats could blow away foul moods, wings could delicately shiver up joy, and feathers could slowly stroke smoldering lust to Passion’s blaze. He explained all this ad-nauseam to his recruits when they found they couldn’t fly and would stir up a hysterical crowd trying. As each student knew, having made the choice, a soul could become a Cupid and help others for the span of one human life time but Only every three hundred years then it was back to the reincarnation pool. They would know all about their own kind only from the time of their arrival and would keep that knowledge just for the life cycle or the burden would grow too great. Poor John was not even half way through his service and his retirement looked likely. Hopefully this next post would lift his mood...

“It’s an interesting case John.” “I’m a BattleCupid Mike, just because I got shot doesn’t make me a baby sitter, how at war can one man be. It’ll be a few weeks of couple’s therapy and he will have her back, right as rain.” “John.” Mike said patiently for the third time. “He’s at war. His heart is at war with his mind and his body. His soul is shutting down John. He is trying desperately not to let himself feel, let alone be loved. He’s just out of rehab, uppers so his heart has physically been under strain and there’s been so much nonsense from his childhood.” Mike pursed his lips. “Mike how bad can it be?” John chuckled at the strained look, it didn’t suit the GuideCupid who was an endless fount of patience and of course Love. “He’s Mycroft Holmes’ brother.” John and Mike exchanged a look. Mycroft Holmes had waged a quiet campaign against Cupids in the government, claiming their emotional focus was illogical and ill suited to serious work. Very few people knew of Cupids as they blended in well but Love Save the man or woman who was caught out by Mycroft because they always lost credibility. “So, not a babysitter then?” “No John not a babysitter but there’s a heart that needs to be saved. Okay?”

…

It was the first 24 hours and John was reevaluating his mission. He’d seen Sherlock disregard people’s feelings and insult those who clearly cared about him, for Love's Sake the only person he seemed affectionate with was his landlady and no wonder, she was a Cupid too. Close to the end of her life cycle but John had felt her shake her wings in delight when Sherlock had brought him through the door and she’d offered him a cuppa Cupid to Cupid, just this once. Mycroft had also got hold of him but the man wasn’t as daunting as others claimed, not when you’ve lived in a war zone for half your life. He had stated his loyalty to his charge and his intentions to heal Sherlock’s heart before walking away from the pompous ass slowly sending drifts of peace behind him. He was unsure how effective his injured wing was but the confrontation had happened and at least that was over with.

…

Sherlock studied his new flatmate, clearly a Cupid like Mrs Hudson but was John on assignment or just looking for a place to stay. Sherlock’s mind coiled in on itself, he didn’t need fixing and Mrs Hudson had been the only one he had let help him, when he had just come back from rehab and had felt so overwhelmingly lonely. The heart support she had given him, the connection she had forged wrapping him in rarely manifested wings had hurt but he had been able to breath again after a few hours. She had loved him like a mother and the memory still made his eyes burn before he could shove it back down. John however just trotted about seeming quite content or was Sherlock the content one to have the army doctor beside him and always just one pace behind him when he raced through London. Sherlock suspected that John might be causing his contentment and he couldn’t figure out why it bothered him so much that John might be here on assignment, might not actually just be here for him. The state and position of John’s wings would tell him so he snuck off to his room for the sonar scanner he had doctored, it was all a question of frequencies and his field tests had been successful so far. The sonar’s pulse shifted the molecules in the wings from the invisible frequency of Feelings to the frequencies of visible light. There were at least seven other Cupids in the area apart from Mike Stamford and his Hudders. The scan seemed to have some noticeable affect on the subject but John was distracted by preparing supper, just a quick check.

John was enjoying meal prep, the Army had fed him for so long he’d forgotten how much he enjoyed the process of simply preparing a meal. A wave of anticipation washed over his wings from the passage behind him before he gave a startled yelp of pain as his injured wing stung suddenly. John turned to see Sherlock staring at him in dismay, the bastard has forced his wings to manifest! The wrecked plumage of John’s injured left wing was suddenly on display! John was furious, tucking his wings quickly against his back he winced as the reflexive movement caused a sharp twinge. “That scan was inconclusive John, your injury made you move your wings before I could study their position.” John took a deep breath and reminded himself that Love was patient and kind so he avoided Sherlock’s nose and teeth when he punched him in the face, again flinching as muscles flexed across his back, bloody manifest wings, it hurt and slowed his healing too. So he watched Sherlock think his actions through as he faded his wings back to the frequencies of Feelings.

“I’m sorry John. The other subjects had shown no signs of pain but your injury clearly…” Sherlock trailed off as he began to feel, being socked in the face by a Cupid apparently carried more weight than just a fist. Some of John’s pain and embarrassment… no Shame, John was ashamed of this improbable injury and Sherlock felt it through the lingering energy of the blow. Sherlock watched white wings sag and fade as he processed what his flatemate had been feeling; contentment, joy, pleasure… John hadn’t cooked in a long time and was enjoying preparing their meal until Sherlock had hurt him with the sonar scanner and ruined it. Shame, Empathetic shame he realized burned Sherlock’s cheeks and ears. “I really am sorry John. I got a bit of your You, feelings in the punch… I just wanted to be sure if you were here because you wanted to or if this was just an assignment.”

John glared at the git he’d saddled himself with but it couldn’t last, Sherlock looked so sad and a little in shock. “Of course I’m here on assignment Sherlock but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to be here. I can choose you know and I chose this. How did you do that any way and needless to say if you ever do that again I’ll kill you in your sleep.” The two shared a shaky smile before Sherlock handed the unit over. It had been carefully calibrated to function in the frequencies of Feelings. There looked to be miles of complex wiring so he reached in delicately and pulled out a handful of it, once, twice before putting the unit down the table and turning to his stricken charge. “This exposes us, Cupids. Sherlock Mycroft knows about Cupids and I imagine he warned you of them?” Sherlock nodded still a bit dumbstruck by John’s actions. “Mycroft is known among us as being heavily prejudiced, he’s made quite a few people’s lives difficult and destroyed the careers of Cupids because he doesn’t think they can function in any responsible roles. He knows about me and I think the only reason I’m still here is because I stood up to him. He must be used to the GuideCupids and the novices at the hospital.” John gave a rueful grin but Sherlock’s face lit up.

“You stood up to my brother, he must have been irate or very impressed. Were you dropped off outside by Mycroft’s car?” “No, I left and caught a taxi.” “Impressed then, had you irritated him he would have had the driver drop you off at the door to keep an eye on you. Impressing him results in a bit of shock for my dear brother. Always knocks him off his busy bodying for a few minutes.” Sherlock was chagrined as he collected his destroyed device. “I know my brother’s opinions John I was always careful to test it on people walking alone.” “It’s an amazing feat of ingenuity Sherlock but it’s just not okay. Did you ever test it on Mrs Hudson?” Sherlock felt his gut clench. “John!” but he couldn’t quite find the words.

John breathed a sigh of relief at Sherlock’s appalled expression. Clearly he had more respect for the elderly lady than he did strangers and John opened his mouth to say something but just wasn’t sure what. They both stood with mouths full of teeth in the kitchen for an endless moment before Sherlock moved to sit down. John returned to making dinner and could feel the pressure of Sherlock’s anxiety but waited for him to talk. While he slowly added ingredients to the pot Sherlock explained his drug addiction, the rehab, and Mrs Hudson’s hours of heart 1st aid on his first night in Baker street. John nodded quietly, still stirring as Sherlock seemed determined to explain himself to the table top and not look at him. “I’m glad she was here, sorry I couldn’t be here sooner. She’s retired as I’m sure you already know. Retirees aren’t as strong as active Cupids but they provide guidance and form the Council. Our governing body” Sherlock nodded at the table again and John slid a bowl of soup into his line of sight.

“Is this a Cupid thing? Feeding me.” “Not really, this is more of an actual doctor thing. You’re underweight and the whole no food on cases idea baffles me to be honest. It’s pea soup, eat it.” “Before it eats me I suppose" The quizzical look John gave him told Sherlock that John was not exaggerating, he must have spent half his life in a war zone to not know Harry Potter but the soup was good and Sherlock had to acknowledge that he was more willing to eat John’s cooking than his own. His cooking was still Uni dorm room food but John cooked like he meant it… John cooked with love! Sherlock spooned down soup as he considered John’s damaged wing and Mrs Hudson’s retirement. He could ask the latter about the former. She was on this Council and John’s senior, who better to provide guidance in helping a her own. Feeling quite clever he scraped his bowl clean before showing the evidence of his finished meal to John and returning to the couch to plan his approach.

John grinned at Sherlock’s empty bowl, he had no idea how the ritual had started, maybe it was their endless focus on evidence and proofs but whenever Sherlock finished a meal John would be presented with his empty dish as if for an inspection. He was glad Sherlock seemed occupied as he needed to see to his wing, upstairs, in his room, far away from curious geniuses.

@mofftissfan @sarahthecoat @loveismyrevolution @riorothbates @underestimatemethatwillbefun @anotherwellkeptsecret @benaddictedandsherlocked @johnlockismyreligion @almosttomorocco @superwholocklmt @strangeps3lyricsmuffin @chinike @loves-to-read-fanfic @sillystring111 @ben-locked @jobooksncoffee @johnlockunicorn @chained-to-the-mirror @thinkanddoodle-batch @melmey-fanfics @the-persian-slipper @melsesowieso @morgendaemmerung89 @shiplocks-of-love @pri1982 @kitten-kin @221b-gone-feels