#also thanks to all the love on the previous pieces I’ve posted

[dawllick]

Here, a doodle that will not be finished anytime soon

But this will also be me manifesting the whole

“It’s cold at night but the ghoul is warm bc radiation”

[boltonbritreads]

🗣️Eddie Munson Fic Recs

This is gonna have a sappy start before I get into the fic rec portion: but I just wanted to say that at the end of May 2022, I was finishing up my first year of law school. It was rough, challenging, lonely, and basically everything you’d expect and I was in a bad place and the fandom I’d been in was slowing down just naturally. I truly wish I could remember how I even became aware of Eddie Munson because stranger things wasn’t really on my radar anymore and whoever I followed at the time that started to veer off into Eddie-mania, thank you. In the two years since then, I’ve graduated and become the worlds babiest lawyer and I genuinely owe a lot to this fandom and community on here for giving me a fun, usually safe, creative place to escape to when it got rough.

I’m just hoping to maybe remind people that there are already an incredible, incredible amount of existing stories to read and talk about that deserve your attention and love if you’re looking to read some Eddie stories. Some of these will be fics I’ve recommended before but I’m going to try my best to pull together writers and fics that I love and think everyone should read in the hopes that someone like me who still scrolls through eddie tags looking for my nightly bedtime story can find something new to them to read! ✨

Previous Fic Rec list here!! some overlap but there’s no such thing as too much hype for these writers

@munson-blurbs I hope it’s ok but I’m linking Bug’s full masterlist here because I have genuinely loved everything she has written. There are blurbs, series, and special events which are all incredible and worth a read! Bug is currently still writing the “Living after Midnight” series which is my current obsession and features rockstar!eddie x motelheiress!reader and it’s angst and lust galore

@corroded-hellfire also sharing the Eddie Masterlist here because there’s so many fics to read!! As You Wish, Big Brown Eyes, Where the Heart Is are all incredible but truly there’s so much here to enjoy

@upsidedownwithsteve SIMMER!! jk I’m actually linking the Eddie Masterlist here too because I love them all but “I Want You To Want Me” and “Simmer” are out of this world

@pinkrelish The Yes Policy I love it, you love it, we all love it and if you haven’t caught up yet oh my god I wish I was you and could read these chapters for the first time again

@ghost-proofbaby I’ve previously told people to go read 24 Hours, and you should, that’s an order; but Maroon is ongoing! and it’s actually infiltrating my every thought so go on over and get caught up bc I think it’s safe to say things are getting amped up

@trashmouth-richie I have also previously recommended Honey, I’m Home because it’s a work of art but Ziggy has a new mini series “Crash + Fall” that I’m completely obsessed with the concept for and I’ve loved every piece so far!

@tiannasfanfic I just reblogged Conviction again but I genuinely am not exaggerating when I say I think about this story and these two monthly and try and find this story all the time to re-read it endlessly. It’s a really lovely story of unplanned pregnancy and two characters not realizing they’ve been smitten for each other the whole time and I love it

@carolmunson I’m sharing another Eddie Masterlist here because I’d be making this post far too long but Carol’s stories are all incredible, complex, and honest. “Let’s go, don’t wait” just got updated and I had to read it like 3 times last night because it was too good to just read one and done

@rebelfell I just discovered Sarah’s blog after reading the most recent “Frenemy” fic and idk what I was doing wrong to not already follow her and not have already read her whole Masterlist but I’m linking the whole thing bc she’s so good!!

@the-au-thor I also only just discovered Elle’s blog and that’s criminal but thank god I found Babysitting Mun because I am a sucker for rockstar!eddie and this series has me on the edge of my seat rn

@storiesbyrhi I’m sharing the Masterlist folks because I have genuinely loved every single story and series and I have read them all now (some several times). So many of Rhi’s stories have a wonderful warm witchy vibe that I crave and I’ve read Siouxsie and the Soulmates, The Cabin in the Woods, Our Patron Saint of the Arts, Vintage Reeboks, and Burning Yarrow (insert screaming fan gif) multiple times now

@heart-eyed-love this fic is the epitome of a soft, cozy, domestic night with Eddie and if you need a hug read this 🥹

@eddieandbird I JUST got caught up on Eddie/Tour Manager series and I’m fully obsessed and desperate to know how they’re gonna navigate this - for folks new to the story, Eddie and his tour manager accidentally drunkenly get married- what could go wrong??

@eiightysixbaby the scream I scrumped when I finished reading Princess Leia, and Other Wishes - look bffs to lovers is already my absolute weakness on this earth but then you had to make it witty and funny and FLUFFY I just can do nothing but re-read and pine

@superblysubpar I’m still obsessed with this addition to The Boy is Mine writing challenge and oh god it’s so good 😩

…and while we’re talking about it - here’s the entire The Boy is Mine masterlist with an INSANE amount of incredible stories to read

@the-unforgivenn !!! tumblr hates me and deleted this bullet (so if you already saw this post, no you didn’t) but And I Need You to Know is a proper novel! I can’t imagine how much time, love, effort, planning, and work went into creating this insane and absolutely incredible world but everyone needs to read this!! and then follow up with She’s So Cold bc I love it and I am so reader

~~ this is not the end nor an exhaustive list! I just wanted to put something out there now that I plan to build on because I know I’m always scrolling and searching for new things to read or old things to revisit ♥️ ~~

[taurusgoddess99]

Frustration

Felix Catton x f! Reader

MDNI

AN: Hi! It’s been so long since I’ve posted on Tumblr that I’ve forgotten how! I hope y’all enjoy this piece that I’ve word it. It’s smutty. Also, I’m posting on tumblr so I’m sure it’ll be sorta wonky. Thanks!

TW: light choking

His bed creaks up under his weight and he notices that she's barely visible from under his sheets.

He eyes the naked skin of her exposed back, and the stretch marks that covered her hips. The bralette barely contained her full tits and he was frustrated that she wouldn't let him touch.

He crawled on top of her, her ass pressed against his dick, and he groaned into the soft skin of her neck.

“Why can't we fuck again?”

“I don't feel like it.”

It's muffled by the sheets. He groans in frustration before nipping at her neck. She says something that he can't hear, and he pulls on the straps of her bralette. Her head pops up from under the sheets and she shoots him a glare.

“I'm not having sex with you.”

“Why not?”

He hates how whiny he sounds but he continues with his motions. His nose nudges against her shoulder.

“Go away.”

“We're in my house.”

His fingers hooks into her black shorts pulling down the soft fabric. He grins when he sees the bright yellow thong that's tucked neatly between her full ass cheeks.

“I'll eat your pussy.”

“No.”

“I'll eat your ass.”

“You're a pervert.”

He slides his finger down her ass cheeks before pulling at the flimsy thing. She shifts and groans feeling frustrated with Felix and his insatiable appetite. She had came upstairs to nap after lounging by the pool most of the day, and Felix had followed.

“I’m your pervert.”

He flips her over and grins at her. She stares up at him just taking in his big brown doe eyes wondering how she ended up with him in the first place.

“Why don’t you go find, Ollie? I’m sure he’d love to take my place.”

His eyes traced over the swells of her full breast. One of her nipples peaked out at him over her bralette and he couldn’t resist himself. He leaned down and kissed the hardened peak. His tongue lapping over it as he maintained eye contact with her. Her body seemed to go limp under him and he knew he had won.

He always won.

He is Felix Catton after all.

Her fingers tangle in his hair that’s still wet from the pool. His large hands unclapse the little bralette and he pulls away from her supple breast to pull it off of her.

Felix takes over her mind, her body, and everything else. She couldn’t remember what her life was like before Felix. Her thumb rubs his cheek as they make eye contact. The words bubbles up her throat threatening to spill but they can’t come out. Not yet anyway.

Her whole life is Felix Catton.

He knows it.

His lips brushes over her collarbone. His nose trails up her jawline before meeting with hers. Her breath quickens and he swears he can hear her heart beating. Her heart beats for him.

He opens his lips to say something. Anything, but nothing comes out. Their lips collide in a quick peck. His wet locks drag against her forehead and causes her to giggle. It’s a sound that he loves to hear. He could pick out her giggle in a crowd of a million.

“I thought you weren’t going to fuck me?”

“Shut up.”

“Why would I go for Oliver when I have the prettiest girl here with me?”

His hands travel down her body, hooking into her little shorts and pulling them off and the thong. He makes a mental note to keep them for himself. He could never get enough of her.

The lips meet for another kiss. He licks into her mouth and can taste the fresh fruit that she had earlier. The taste of his last cigarette coats her tongue. Her leg wraps around his waist and he grinds against her.

He breaks away from their kiss, his hand grips her thigh and presses it against her chest. She’s already slick and ready from their previous activities. He groans at the thought of her full of his cum again. He couldn’t decide if he liked seeing her swallowing it or seeing it dripping out of her better.

Her brow is furrowed and her arms wrap loosely around Felix’s broad shoulder. He nips at her collarbone. She lazily scratches his scalp and it send shivers down his spine.

He’s rutting against her at a faster pace now. His cock presses against her sensitive clit with each thrust. The tip of his cock presses against her entrance. He brings his hand up to her neck and his hand linger there lightly squeezing. He forces her to look at him. She’s laying beneath him, completely dependent on, and her eyes flutter from the pleasure of it all.

“I love you.”

He sinks into her fluttering hole and her eyes widen with the realization of his words and with how full she felt again. She hadn’t realized how empty she felt when Felix wasn’t fucking her. She felt empty when Felix wasn’t with her now that she thinks about her.

Her mouth open and shuts and her bottom lip quivers.

“I love you, Fe’.”

He gives her a lazy smile and presses his forehead against hers. She’s so full of him. His cock is so big and is stretching her out to the max and she can’t escape from Felix Catton. She’s all his.

Felix starts up at a fast pace. The desperation behind his thrust pushes her up the bed. He eyes her full breast as they bounce with the movement of his hips.

She realizes at that moment that they were always connected. They were always meant to be one.

She kisses him desperately, messily, and she’s lost in him. She feels like she’s flying and drowning at the same time. His hipbone nudges her clit and she feels like she could cry.

Her back is arched, both legs are wrapped around his waist, and her fingers are scratching at his shoulders.

His hands move down to cup her thighs again. He squeezes them like his life depends on it and she knows that it’ll be bruises coloring them later. Just like he’ll have the marks of her fingernails on his shoulder.

He pulls her closer and their eyes meet. His cheeks are red and his eyes are dark. His releases one of her thighs to push his fingers into her mouth to get them wet.

His hand slides down between their naked bodies and swipes at her clit. With a yelp of his name, she cums all over his cock, and jumpstarts his own orgasm.

His hips stutter before he forces himself even deeper and coats her wall with his cum. He holds himself there until he’s sure he’s all spent before collapsing on top of her. He rubs his face in her cleavage as they both lay there. She rubs the back of his neck and twitches with the aftershocks that rock her body.

“I really do love you, Felix.”

He kisses her nipple and looks up at her through his eyelashes.

“I love you too, princess.”

The two fall asleep in the post-orgasm fog not noticing the company that they had that was watching them through the door.

[vampirzina]

I really liked your Johnny Cage Sister! Reader post with Kung Lao and Bi-han. Maybe you could do a part two where they actually confess? Maybe kiss? 👀

Btw I love your writing sm!! Keep up the good work! :]

✮ ┆cage’s sister!reader (w. Bi Han & Kung Lao) hcs

╰ ‘fessing up

tw: gn pronouns (mostly you/your), sfw, mdni, short hcs and blurb, friends to lovers, johnny cage mentions

note: thank you SO much!! it makes my heart swell to hear you love my work! here’s your part two anon. it’s a little long

masterlist : hollywood & cityline divider

With Bi Han, it was kind of in the spur of the moment. Bi Han knows you know and it’s been flat since you let him know that you did, but as frustrating as this is for him because it’s inert, he didn’t want to jump to conclusions just because you didn’t explicitly agree or repulse at the idea. He didn’t say it outright, but it was close enough for you who were waiting on him to make a move (regardless of Johnny who outright disproved); you just didn’t think it’d be after an argument between the two of you, when he’d come to you again.

ᯓ★

You made your irritation very clear, forgetting the notion of subtlety for cordiality. You found that a simple lower helped keep further headaches (Johnny) far away from you, all further sores but the one you were mad at.

Bi Han kept his distance for long enough, it seems, and he’d waited until he got you alone and away from prying eyes (again, Johnny) to address the previous indignation towards you—you’d gotten hurt, and instead of focusing on if you’re okay, he chastised and warned you to be careful.

Yes, he did still tend to your injuries… But that’s not the point, you think.

Maybe it’s your swollen ego, but you didn’t take that as an order, rather just a suggestion. And knowing Bi Han for this long, it’s sparked an argument. You could stomp, roll your eyes and suck your teeth all you wanted, but you couldn’t pierce the fortified ice.

You left him standing there and you’ve both been scowling at innocent people since. That was hours ago. Now, at three in the morning you stare him down, who stands in your doorway. Your eyelids close in a long blink. “Do you know what time it is?”

“I don’t care about the time,” Bi Han flatly replied, but there were hints of the leftover tension from the last time you two talked. “I’ve been standing here for long enough. Let me in.”

“If it gets you to go away faster,” you step aside anyway as you mumble, uncaring for whether or not he heard you. It’s three in the morning. “What do you want? Don’t you have snow to make?”

“It’s not snow, it’s ice. And you act as if you’re so busy that you can’t spare a wink of sleep,” at least Bi Han’s acknowledging of your previous state. “I don’t appreciate your sarcasm.”

“Don’t really care. You also didn’t answer my question. Big fat ‘eff for you, unless you want to fix that?” you saunter and skirt around him as you find a seat on the couch of your house. “Or you did you just want to badger me about nothing? Or couldn’t sleep?”

“It did not feel right to.”

This piqued your interest now; the last bits of sleep flew away from the surprise. Bi Han? Lose sleep over something? …You piece it together, and when you finally realize what this had to do with you, you blink for the umpteenth time. “Alright. So the sky must be falling, then?”

“[Reader].”

“Well!” you hold your arms up to keep Bi Han from chewing you where you sit, before folding them again. “Okay, let me just not—okay. But you’re actually losing sleep over this?”

“I did not want my words to be taken the wrong way,” Bi Han started, stepping closer to you once, twice. “Fine, maybe you can hold your own. But the chance that you could die will still linger for as long as you are imprudent. I am worried about you in ways that exceed the boundaries of our relationship, but it only comes out as frustration because you are too stubborn.”

“…What?” was all you could say to his profession, but in seeing his reaction, you shook your head in apology. “Sorry—god—it’s just the way you said that, it really just sounds like you want permission to worry about me.”

“Do not jest with me,” Bi Han warned.

“I’m not! I’m just calling it how it is,” you swore, facing him now with your hands resting on the armrest. “Because what if I wanted you to worry about me more?”

Bi Han’s hardened eyes seemed to twist into slightly wide eyes that bore into you, as if to ask you if you’re serious.

“I’ve thought about what Johnny told me, and its ironic but I can practically feel the heat radiating off of you and you tell me to hush when I bring it up,” you recall, breaking eye contact for a moment to. “I thought on it since. All of this worrying is really cute, you’re not bad yourself, so why not?”

Bi Han’s hands choke his biceps as his arms havent moved from their folded stance since he got here. He hates your overt casualness, but such feeling is overcast by the unknown feeling of kindling warmth in his chest. To you, it looks like he’s in doubt. You rise to your knees on the cushions and curl your index at him—Bi Han’s muscles listen before his head.

You crane your head up just a little further, and balmy lips come to kiss the corner of his mouth. It’s a quick kiss, nothing too fancy, but it has him melting. It’s a bold move, you know, as you reach a hand to pick at his stiff frame, maybe in a gesture to dispel awkwardness. Has your eyes ever been this beautiful?

In what is supposed to be a serious moment, his brown eyes don’t move from your face as fingers that mimic a spider to crawl up the side of his bicep flick his nose—boop. You make the respective sound. Bi Han is still completely unmoving.

“No more sparring dates now, ‘kay? Getting sick of those.”

───

Kung Lao confessed in the sweetest way. Thanks to Raiden pointing out the little things that Kung Lao initially glossed over, he would’ve never thought to just confess and end the waiting. Kung Lao would’ve preferred if you confessed to him, but it’s not like his pride would be hurt by just doing it himself instead at this point. In his head, he’s already got you (he knows that now, again, thanks to Raiden), so all that’s left?

ᯓ★

“The MVP… Me. I’m the MVP,” Kung Lao muttered to himself, his fingers chasing his eyes that skim over the minute details of his uniform through the reflection in the shallow pond. To the other side of him; he so conveniently parked right by a patch of flowers.

You were supposed to be here any minute now.

Kung Lao had been methodically stringing along all morning the moment he knew you’d come by last night: he would send Raiden for you, under the guise that he (Kung Lao) had been looking for you. In the time it took you to find him, he’d hype himself up and unlike the last time, not embarrass himself.

However, he’s skipped class for this. He may get in trouble later, but this is the only way Johnny couldn’t come bumbling in to stop him. The rewards are bigger than the consequences.

From the corner of his eyes, he sees you.

You wave your arm, the already-small smile on your lips growing as he looks at you. Kung Lao turns to you now and, meeting you in the middle, grins back.

“Man, are you hard to find. What’re you doing all the way over here?” you beam, your fist coming up to nudge him. “And aren’t you supposed to be training? Johnny and the others are… Liu Kang offered to teach me, but you know...”

“Yeah, not your style, you said,” Kung Lao finished for you, his eyes flickering over your face. “But if I offered, would you?”

“Depends,” you lick your lips, attempting to hold eye contact that he could not seem to keep. “Can you? Be a teacher, I mean.”

“Of course I can. Johnny just gets lucky sometimes and gets the upper hand, but doesn’t mean I’d be a bad teacher,” he squinted playfully at you. Kung Lao watched as you mimicked him, tilting your head in skepticism. Then, you laugh. He suddenly feels… Conscious. Like his chest is hollow and there’s butterflies living in it.

You settle. “Anyway, Raiden told me you were looking for me?”

It takes Kung Lao a moment to realize that you’re talking again, no less asking him a question. He lets out a quiet yet exuberant ‘oh’, “I wanted to ask you something.”

“Ask me something?”

“Yeah,” Kung Lao affirmed, but as soon as he did, he couldn’t fix his mouth to continue.

In a rush to save his face in the silence, he looked around the scenery a little less than haphazardly—Kung Lao, in posthaste, went up to the patch of flowers and took off his hat. You watch him nimbly slice the bright white flowers, and bring them to you.

It’s then that you realize what’s going on.

“Man, I thought without Johnny in the way I’d be able to just say it,” he started again in a huff, holding the flowers. You reach out to cup the fist that’s practically strangling the flowers. His fists loosen. Kung Lao looks from the gesture to you—you’re already looking at him.

“If this is what I think it is, you don’t have to say it, if you want,” you said, simpering at him for a moment before a hand comes to your heart to soothe the way it’s beating out of your chest. “Is this why you skipped? That’s so… Gods, it makes my heart feel funny.”

“That’s ‘cause you like me back,” Kung Lao guessed into the air, glimmering brown eyes finding yours even when you turn away. “Right?”

“You’re so dumb. Of course,” you sigh out.

Kung Lao, who’s gone pink, cheers—for himself, and for you—he didn’t have to tumble over words because you already knew. He lets you have the flowers, but you have to think quickly before they’re crushed between you and him. Kung Lao pulls you in and giddily rubs your back before he’d hold you by your face.

The excitement soon simmered into a smile.

Your eyes aren’t looking at Kung Lao’s anymore, but at his lips; you’ve been dying to for longer than this moment. When he catches on, the thumb that lie right under your eye swatches there. Then, he closes the gap.

You hum into the kiss, your arms moving from his abdomen to his neck. Kung Lao draws you closer, deeper, his hands sliding across the width of your back to wrap around you. It’s you who broke for air.

“[Reader]?”

You swiftly turn to look over your shoulder as a smug Kung Lao looks forth at a gasping Johnny.

“Motherf—”

───

BONUS

Johnny looked out to the fiery sunset at the porches edge, his elbows rested on his knees. You sat not too far from him, your eyes narrowed in contentment of the sight.

Your brother sulked for hours about betrayal, but the more he went on about it, the more he seemed to grow passive about it—in other words, it sorted itself out.

“You know what, can I ask you something?” he rubbed his hands together before clasping them, and when you hum in acknowledgement, he continued. “Are you happy?”

You took a moment to think on what he meant, and then you figured he must still be on it. “Yeah… I am. I will be.”

Johnny Cage lifted from his position to look at you fully. You did seem satisfied with yourself, even when you turned to return the eye contact. He couldn’t help but let out a quick winded laugh at you. “So if you’re happy, then so am I. I mean, life’s too short for this crap, [Reader]. There’s so much more things to worry about, and you’re a grown adult.”

“Exactly,” you agreed. “I won’t act this way when you eventually find someone again, though. Hopefully I’ll be too busy getting ahead with him.”

“Shit, I hope so too,” Johnny reclined back on his hands, going quiet for a moment to look out into the scene again. Then, face contorted in seriousness, he swiveled his head to look at you again. “It’s cliche, but if he does anything to hurt you, I’m kicking his ass. I promise you.”

“Oh, I believe you, Johnny,” you chuckled. “But you say that as if I’d just let them?”

“I don’t mean it that way, but you get the idea,” he exhaled, his face although softening, still wears a soft scowl. “Just so you know that I mean it, ‘cause you like to act like I don’t and then get shocked when I do.”

“Sure, sure,” you nod along. However, it comes out incredibly fake. It sets Johnny off.

The two of you begin to bicker, and in bickering you miss the beauty in the sun setting on your home.

@𝐕𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐙𝐈𝐍𝐀೨

info

[tacoma-narrows]

Tac's Yearly OC Art Shirt Design - 2024!

IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN!!! For anyone who doesn't know, every year I make a collage of a bunch of art I've gotten of my characters over the preceding year, and get that printed on a t-shirt for myself!! I do this as a way of thanking everyone who's made me something, regardless of if its on this shirt or not, and then showing it off to other people any time I wear it! This is the 6th year in a row that I've made one! :D

I’ve had the design for about a week now, and the shirt came in the mail earlier today, so it's finally time to post it!!

About half of these are from Art Fight, with the rest being mostly gifts, trades and a couple commissions in there too hehe :3

There are 11 different characters of mine on here (plus one friend's OC hehe), and most of them have a pretty good showing! Though there's strong contributions from Seabreeze, Luau, Starburst and Tarmac hehe! Can u spot all my characters? hehe. Overall, included in here we’ve got: Shep, PB, Starburst, Luau, Seabreeze, Rye, Pumpernickel, Astro, Soda, Tarmac and Vostok!

And of course! Those characters are represented through the 18 amazing artists who were all kind enough to allow me to include their work here!! Again, this is one of the ways I say thank you to anyone who’s ever made me something. Whether I included your work or not, I absolutely love anything anyone takes the time to make for me <33

And here are the people who made the art featured here! Go support their work if you don’t already! :D (Also linked are each piece they contributed!) @macaronichewtoyz! [ 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 ] @clear-valley! [ 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 ] @lesbianluxray! [ 1 ] @faaarawayyy! [ 1 ] @a-little-monotonous! [ 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 ] @bellhopping! [ 1 ] @hummiscellanea! [ 1 ] @natarstyc! [ 1 ] @ajd-na! [ 1 ] (Had the J and D swapped on the shirt, sorry aha </3) @woofledog! [ 1 ] @grovery-store! [ 1 ] ArchivalWyrm [Instagram]! [ 1 ] (Credited as LunarGalaxyWing on the back of the shirt since he changed his username after I ordered the shirt lol) RolyJulioli [Instagram]! [ 1 ] Creative_Lass [Instagram]! [ 1 / 2 ] Abyssal_Sapphire [Instagram]! [ 1 ] SilvarooHub [Toyhouse]! [ 1 ] KittenPlush [Instagram]! [ 1 ] FangGraves [Instagram]! [ 1 ]

To anyone wondering, no, this shirt is NOT FOR SALE!! This is a very personal thing for me every year, and of course it would be wrong of me to profit off the work of other people

Again, thank you all so much to those of you who’ve made me something at any point, who’s work I’ve included here, and just people who continue to support my work and what I do. It really does mean the world <33

You can see what the actual printed shirt looks like, along with closeups of the design and previous years' designs below the cut if you want! I'll also reblog this with my previous years' versions as well! :D

The physical printed shirt! (Front and back)

Design Closeups!

And previous years' designs! From 2019 to 2023! For lists of credited artists, see these links: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

[joels-darlin]

Pain

Pairings: post-outbreak!Joel Miller x f!reader

Warnings: mentions of periods, mentions of extreme pain, nausea, fluff, comfort, pet names, soft!Joel

Summary: Joel comes home from patrol to find you not in the greatest physical state.

Word count: 850ish

Author Note: Idk about this one but I’ve been feeling like rubbish cos it’s also that time so wanted to write soft!Joel for comfort. Any feedback is greatly appreciated, enjoy <3

AO3 Link

It was unusual for Joel to return from patrol a dark and empty house. Those days long gone now he had you; his better half. Your presence lighting up every room you walked into which he was thankful for.

Confusion and worry washed over him as he closed and locked the front door. Usually you where home by now either cooking in the kitchen with music on or often in the sewing room, wrapping up extra work you brought home from the small alterations shop you managed in Jackson. Those where the two places he would check first.

The sewing room was empty your desk as you had left it from the previous day - cluttered but well used. Spinning around he padded to the kitchen and was once again greeted with another empty room. He knew you where around after spotting your worn out coat hung up on the rack near the front door. Something felt off.

“Darlin’…?” He called out into the emptiness, no response. His heart was racing now. It was the faint light on the landing that caught his attention next, you must be in the bedroom. In anticipation he near sprinted up the stairs - cracking the door open slightly to look in.

There you where, doubled over in bed arms crossed over your lower stomach, a heating pad clutched against you. A grimace of pain etched across your usually peaceful and beautiful face, making his heart lurch. He noticed a paleness to your soft skin.

Moving across the room he perched on the edge of bed next to your frame, laying his hand gently on your leg. Looking up he spotted your usually clean night stand which was now littered with out of date pain relief, an empty cup, water bottles, his eyes landing on the last item; expired sanitary towels. It dawned on him then, your particularly awful monthly periods. It all made sense now. Leaning over he kissed your forehead, brushing a piece of stray hair away. Bringing his lips to you ear briefly whispered “Sweetheart…?”.

You weren’t exactly in a deep sleep more just resting as the second day of period pains had hit like a train. Having to leave the shop early and retreat to bed with the trusty heating pad and expired painkillers. A feeling of guilt as well as pain panged in your stomach not having the opportunity to greet your love as he returned home. You had heard the keys in the lock earlier and him calling out for you but had no energy to move or speak.

“Hey…m’feel awful”. Trying to move so you could sit up to see him.

“No no stay, I’ll come to you” he said softly. The mattress shifted as he moved from your side of the bed to his own before lying down, wrapping his arm around you gently.

“Sorry Joel…the house is a mess, I-I couldn’t make it to the market for food - barely made it back here” you spoke after a few moments.

Joel’s face softened at your words. Even though he knew you enjoyed cooking there was never any expectations of dinner being on the table when he comes in from patrol. It was just something you had always done for him. The mess downstairs he would sort later no problems.

“Oh darlin’ don’t ever apologise for that, no expectation for you to do anything especially in this state” he cooed softly bringing the hand on your waist up to caress your cheek lightly. “Even if your cooking is damn amazing” you chuckled softly at his words, mind briefly drifting back to when he nearly burnt the house down that time. Joel had insisted on cooking a 3 course meal for your anniversary a couple of months back - lets just say you went the canteen to get scraps later that night.

“m’what are we gonna do with you huh” he cooed, leaning down to plant a soft kiss on your cheek. You sighed at his touch shrugging in response.

Laying in the warm abyss of your bed you continued to ride out the waves of pain and nausea, some bearable others not so much. It was somewhere between the early hours of the morning you had finally drifted into a slumber snoring softly beside Joel; your frame wrapped tightly in his strong arms.

He couldn’t sleep yet, just sat observing you. The movement of your chest rising and falling as you slept mixed with the warmth of your skin against his feeling like home. Lifting his hand to lightly caress the skin of your cheek, careful not to wake you, then reaching to tuck a stray strand of hair behind your ear. Joel felt the tiredness of the long day starting to overcome his old and weary body, leaning down placing a the slightest of kisses; one on your forehead the other on the tip of your nose. Before pulling back to take one last look at your sleeping form.

“Night baby girl, let’s hope tomorrow is a better day”

[freesia-writes]

Ch 37: Ceremony

Master List ~~ Previous Chapter ~~ WC: 2k

It’s totally not for this fic but I can’t stop thinking about this gorgeous post from @faya-feya and how it captures the same vibe I was going for here! 🥹 So go show it some love!!

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“I was going to surprise you all with it, but I just can’t wait to show you,” Omega said brightly, standing from her seat at the long table on the patio and disappearing inside the house for a moment. Curious glances were passed back and forth between the family, and Hunter relished the fleeting sense of normalcy. When she reappeared, holding something behind her back, all attention returned to her. With a flourish, she produced a smooth piece of wood upon which hung a beautiful dress. It shimmered as it reflected the glow of the string lights above, earning an authentic cacophony of “ooh”s and “ahh”s from the table. 

“That’s some nice work!” Phee exclaimed, watching Omega’s smile grow even wider. “Got some details in there, I see?”

“Yes!” Omega gushed, pointing at various parts of the dress. “There are little tributes to each of you in it!” As she explained, Hunter felt a strong sense of admiration as he watched her proudly review all her hard work and creative effort. The others were beaming just as much, delighted with the way she’d brought them all together in one representative piece. 

“It is truly a work of art, Omega.”

“Thanks Tech!”

“It’s… It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” Wrecker said, his booming voice shaky with emotion as he wiped a single tear from his eye. 

“Wow, Omega, you’ve outdone the Kamino armory,” Crosshair said, but his face was undeniably soft as he radiated awe and gave her a meaningful nod, to which she responded with a wink. 

“You did good, kid,” Phee said warmly, as Echo echoed the sentiment from his seat beside her. 

“And I got seats in the front row for all of you!” she continued, holding the dress up to her front and giving a little spin for all to see. 

“We’ll be there,” said Hunter. 

* * * 

The Advancement Ceremony for the students was the culminating event of their school year, which they had spent in various job shadows and internships as they prepared for their adult lives. Since the years on Xylo were 400 days long, it had given Omega ample time to explore many options, and she had enjoyed every single one. The Ceremony was a formal affair at the school, where a large stage was erected for the students to parade across after a select few shared some heartfelt thoughts about their time. Almost everyone on the island was there, to support the young adults as they joined society in a new capacity, and the air sparkled with joviality and unity as the crowd found their seats. 

The school staff was seated in rows across the back of the stage, with the picturesque views of the expansive hills behind them leading down to the sea, and Hunter felt a twist in his chest as he spotted Lyra, tucked between some of the teachers and mentors of the program. He’d been surprised that she was able to return to her position after having disappeared for a few months on Keytoll, but she’d been resourceful in her communications with the right people and had salvaged her job through it all. She was dressed like the rest, in a somewhat pompous uniform that he would have laughed at if her presence weren’t such a burden to him. They hadn’t spoken for nearly a week, since he’d unceremoniously left her house after everything had fallen both apart and together. 

“Thank you all for coming!” the headmaster began, and the multitude of voices quieted as he held up his hands. “We are so proud of our students for all their efforts this year, and we would like to also extend our gratitude to all of you for encouraging and supporting them in their endeavors. We will begin with a few student reflections, followed by some awards from the teachers, and then we will bequeath each student with their traditional Xyloan lei.”

Students shared, the audience clapped, and Hunter watched Omega’s patient, joyful face beaming from her seat on the side of the stage. Where her future would take her from here, he didn’t know, but he was overwhelmed with pride and gratitude to have been a part of her life the way he had. As the proceedings continued to the awards, he felt his stomach churn as Lyra stood behind the podium. He could feel her anxiety from where he sat, and he noticed how carefully she kept her gaze moving in a general scan across the crowd, avoiding direct eye contact with any one person. 

“It is my honor to present the students with individual achievement awards,” she began, her voice constricted as she fought to keep the tremble at bay. “We take note of exemplary displays of the positive characteristics that we most desire our students to develop, in the hopes that future participants would also seek to model these traits. So, without further ado, I would like to start by bringing Larkin to the front.” She turned to face the group of students, beckoning to a burly, dark-haired boy at the end. 

Lyra described his zeal in pursuing some of the most challenging placements, then passed a small crystal trophy into his hands as she proclaimed him the recipient of the Diligence Award. The crowd clapped and cheered for him after he said a few words, then again after she honored another boy with the Critical Thinking Award. Finally, she looked down at the last trophy, a wistful smile on her lips as she raised her eyes again to the crowd. 

“Lastly, I would like to present the Gold Award, which is rather uniquely named as we couldn’t ever find a single word to most accurately summarize all that it represents. This recognition goes to a student who was creative and open-minded in the opportunities presented. She was incredibly kind to all that crossed her path and maintained a strong sense of integrity no matter what she was faced with. There is an optimism, brightness, and joy to her that spread to those around her, and she was encouraging and inspiring simply by being who she is. In virtually every way, she has a heart of gold.”

It had to be her. Hunter knew. No one could match those qualities like Omega, and he was surprised at the tears that sprang to his own eyes as she watched, wide-eyed, from her seat. 

“Please join me in congratulating Omega,” Lyra finished, smiling proudly as she was quickly joined by the young woman. Omega flung her arms around her in a tight hug, and after the initial surprise, Lyra softened around her, resting her cheek on her blonde hair for a moment. She radiated authentic love and deep care, and Hunter choked down the lump in his throat. 

“Yeah Omega!!” Wrecker hollered, his voice ringing out above the cheers of the crowd. Echo whistled and Crosshair clapped vigorously beside Tech, who had the biggest smile on his face that Hunter had ever seen. He was overwhelmed with sheer gratitude. The raucous applause died down as Omega stepped up to the microphone, clearing her throat with visible apprehension. 

“Thank you,” she said, wincing as the speakers squeaked. “Tech, you should have a look at those,” she continued, earning a laugh of delight from the crowd. “I don’t have much to say, because I have too much to say.” Her eyes slowly moved across the line of family members in the front row, and she pressed her lips together to withhold the emotion threatening to spill over. “Thank you to all of the teachers,” she said, more businesslike now in an attempt to hold it together. “Thank you to the mentors and supervisors,” she nodded at Lyra, “for giving us perspective, insight, and the little boosts we needed when we got discouraged or frustrated. And most of all, thank you to my family…” A pause, a glance to the sky to blink back tears. “Because I most certainly wouldn’t be here without them.” 

Her eyes lingered on Crosshair, silently sharing the bond that they alone had. She looked at Tech, brimming with fondness. She smiled at Echo, admiring and affectionate. Her grin widened at Wrecker as her eyes softened. And she finished with a long, significant gaze at Hunter, too many emotions for either of them to reconcile across her beautiful face. 

“I love you all,” she said quietly, then looked back to Lyra, who gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder and a reassuring nod, then guided her back to her seat. 

“My allergies are killing me,” Wrecker joked, wiping his streaming eyes with his sleeves, and Crosshair brushed away his own tear behind hunched shoulders, turned away from the others. 

* * * 

Hunter’s ears were still ringing from the sheer volume of the event as he and Omega made their way back to the cabin. It was late afternoon by the time everything wrapped up and everyone had finished flocking around the students with their well-wishes. The relative silence of the forest cushioned his head, wrapping him in warmth as they strolled along the path. He was grateful for the one-on-one time, the others having retreated to Tech and Phee’s for snacks and camaraderie, and Omega had surprised him with her choice to follow him home for a few hours before rejoining the others. 

“I’m so proud of you,” he confessed quietly as she drew alongside him when the dirt path widened. 

“Thank you, Hunter,” she said earnestly, giving his hand a quick squeeze before letting it go. “I’m proud of all of you!”

He chuckled, “For what?”

“For making lives for yourselves. For going through so much. For being faithful to one another. For fighting for good. For letting me join your family.” 

“You’ve always been one of us,” he smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. They walked in silence for a while, until he could tell she’d been regarding him with churning thoughts for a while. “What is it?” he invited, a wry grin on his lips.

“How are you?” she asked quietly. 

“Fine, why?”

“Really,” she pressed with a knowing look. 

“I’m happy for you. I’m happy to be here. I’m happy that everyone is safe and content.”

“Are you content?” 

He took a breath, then paused. Finally, he answered, “Content enough.”

“Hunter,” she sighed, stopping and turning to face him as he mimicked her movements. “It seems like you hold yourself back from happiness.”

He opened his mouth to protest, then took a different route, lifting one side of his shirt. “I mean… Does this look like holding back?” She laughed as his half-skeleton butterfly tattoo caught the sunlight, a souvenir from his wild times with Luci. 

“You know what I mean,” she continued, following as he began walking again. 

“What am I supposed to do?” he asked, a touch of exasperation masking the genuine question behind it. 

“Why won’t you talk to Lyra?”

A pang at her name. He remained silent.

“Hunter?”

“It’s just… too much,” he confessed, eyes downcast. “Secrets and deceit… jerked back and forth…”

“You can’t trust her anymore?” She pinpointed his fear effortlessly.

“I doubt she can trust me either,” he deflected. 

“You both kept things from each other to protect those you love. If anything, that should bring you closer together because you both know what it’s like. But ultimately… Do you want it to be what it was? Or better, even? Does she make your life more full? Joyful? Content?”

Hunter paused to reflect, eyes flitting to and fro on the path before them as it passed beneath his feet. He considered the heaviness on his shoulders and the ache in his chest as well as the deep, wistful longing he didn’t want to acknowledge. For a time, it had felt like peace. Contentment. Simple, uncomplicated enjoyment of life. But that felt like a door that had closed behind him. 

He looked at Omega, and she looked at him. She already knew his answer. 

And, he realized, he did too. 

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Song: What A Wonderful World /Somewhere Over The Rainbow

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[avengerscompound]

The Interview - Chapter 21

The Interview - A Captain America Fanfic

Masterlist PREVIOUS //

Rating:  E

Warnings: None

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Melody Danes

Word Count: 2586

Summary:  Melody Danes gets the break of a lifetime when as a lowly intern, she’s assigned to write a profile piece on Captain America.  Steve Rogers is a hard man not to fall for and as she and Melody get closer and Melody’s career takes off, jealousy leads to sabotage, and the potential to bring her whole world crashing down.

Chapter 21

Melody felt completely beaten down by the time she arrived at the Avengers Tower.  In less than an hour, she had gone from having a workplace she loved with colleagues she enjoyed working with, to a workplace that felt hostile and colleagues she couldn’t trust.  All because someone she worked with had decided that it was okay to stalk her.

Even though she had content that needed to be reviewed, she spent the afternoon moving her personal calendar offline and deleting things just in case she was being hacked.  She also ran antivirus on the system, but she was considering asking Tony Stark the large favor of coming in and checking it out too.

It was past leaving time when she was done, and the pictures of her and Steve were up on the internet.  There was no hope that people wouldn’t recognize her.  Even if the rumors that she had been dating Captain America weren’t already floating around, she wasn’t an unknown entity.  Sure she wasn’t famous, but she also wasn’t someone outside the media.  The people writing the articles knew who she was, which meant that along with the photo were her name and her job, which led people to her socials, which meant as she was packing up her desk to leave, her phone started to blow up.

It was a mistake checking Twitter.  She didn’t use it for anything other than promoting work, the place was a cesspit of toxic people sharing their toxic thoughts.  Today she was the target of them.  Steve was trending thanks to the photos and her notifications were full of people atting her, calling her a slut, a whore, and ugly, and that wasn’t even mentioning the people who took issue with her race.

When she arrived, Steve, Bucky, and Bobbi were all already there.  Steve greeted her at the door, kissing her cheek and ushering her inside.  Bucky and Bobbi were squeezed together on Steve’s recliner, so Melody sat on the couch.  Steve took a seat beside her.

“Rough day, I hear,” Bucky said.

“You can say that,” Melody sighed, letting her head fall back on the couch.

“What actually happened?” Bobbi asked. “I saw the photos of you both.  Did they finally find you?”

Melody groaned and rubbed her eyes with the balls of her hands.  Steve put his hand on her leg and squeezed it reassuringly.  “It seems that someone at the Daily Bugle found out where we would be before we got there, and sent an email to the media from Mel’s address alerting the press.”

Bobbi sat forward in the chair. “What?!” she said, sounding outraged on Melody’s behalf.  “Do you know who did it?”

Melody’s head lolled forward again, and she met Bobbi’s eyes. “I have no idea.  I really like everyone there, and I hadn’t put it in my work calendar or even in my phone. Steve called me this morning and I scribbled the time and just Comfort Diner on a post-it.  I didn’t say who I was meeting or anything.  All I can think is someone overheard.  You haven’t heard anyone say anything suspicious have you?”

Bobbi shook her head. “No.  I mean - they might not say anything to me anyway.  They know we’re close.  But as far as I’ve heard they all like you.  They sometimes say you’re a hardass, but only when the deadline is overdue and you’re starting to lose it.  I’ve never heard anyone bitching about you personally or saying anything about Steve.  Oh - apart from when you get an Avenger to come in and they speculate if the person agreed because of Steve and it was lucky you had the connections you do.”

Melody groaned again, tugging on her hair.  “I don’t get it.  Why would someone want to pretend it was me who did it?  Surely if you wanted to out me, you’d just go for a scoop.  You could just say you didn’t know and go out and take the photos alone.  This isn’t someone wanting to break the news that Captain America is dating, this is someone trying to ruin my life.”

“Are they being gross on Twitter?” Bobbi asked with a frown.

“So fucking gross,” she agreed.

Bobbi made a little grunt of acknowledgment.  Melody knew why.  Bobbi had deleted her Twitter years ago because of how toxic it could be.  She just had Facebook to keep in contact with old friends and her siblings and then Tumblr for the memes.  “I’m so scared about that with Bucky.  I can already picture people being fucking disgusting about it.”

Bucky sat forward and kissed Bobbi’s shoulder, his hand snaking around her waist.  “I don’t have any social media.  They can say what they want.  It’s screaming into a void.”

Bobbi leaned back and pecked Bucky’s lips.  “Thank you, baby,” she said.  She turned back to Melody, her brows knitted. “It couldn’t be that - shit - I don’t know her name. The blonde that thinks you stole her job?”

“Norah Winters?” Melody asked.

“That’s the one,” Bobbi said.  “I don’t know her, but you said she was a complete bitch to you a few times.”

“I know her,” Steve said.  “She interviewed me once and then twisted everything I said so it was completely misrepresented.  She somehow made me sound like a complete Nationalistic Fascist who doesn’t care about the public’s safety.”

Melody shook her head and leaned against Steve.  She needed his support so badly and he didn’t disappoint. His arm went around her automatically and he pulled her in a little closer.  “I don’t think it could be her.  She works in a different part of the building and she wasn’t around when I was on the phone with Steve.”

“Unless she hacked your phone,” Bucky said.

“Tony is going to come up and check that.  FRIDAY can you nudge him,” Steve said.

“I’ve sent him a reminder,” she said.  “He should be down soon.”

Melody hid her face in Steve’s neck, resting her cheek on his collarbone.  This was all so much to deal with.  It would be bad enough having to just deal with his psycho fans, but to deal with all this as well, she just wanted to run away.

“It’s not even just that.  I went to speak to Jameson.  He said he wanted me to write about my relationship with Steve in my column,” she groaned.

“He what?!” Bobbi said, almost leaping out of her chair.

“He said I didn’t need to name names, but now it was out if I just said vague things about him, people would know and more people would buy the paper,” Melody explained.  “I don’t want to do that.  I can’t exploit Steve like that.  But we moved because I had this new job and it paid well.  If I quit, we won’t be able to make rent, and then what?  We’re on a twelve-month lease!”

“Well, I might have…” Bobbi began but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

Tony Stark came in without waiting to be asked.  “Someone ordered a genius?” he asked.

Steve stood and shook Tony’s hand.  “Thanks for coming up.  Do you think you can take a look at Melody’s phone?  We’re worried it might have been hacked.”

“Sure thing,” he said, holding out his hand.  “Hand it over.”

Melody pulled out her phone and passed it to Tony.  “Thank you, Tony.”

“Hey, it’s Stark Tech.  There’s no way it’s hacked.  Despite what he said, he pulled out a device from his pocket and connected it to her phone.  He sat on a stool nearby, opened a holographic screen, and began typing.

“What were you saying, Bobbi?” Melody asked.

“Um… about what?” she asked.

“You said about me quitting the job and not being able to afford the apartment,” Melody prompted.

“Oh,” Bobbi said.  “Well, Bucky and I have been talking about moving in together.  Specifically, him moving in with us.  If he was there we could help you cover your rent until you're back on your feet.  That is if you’re okay with him living with us.”

Melody almost jumped out of her chair.  She hadn’t suspected that Bucky and Bobbi were thinking about moving in with each other at all.  She wondered if Bobbi was maybe making something up so Melody didn’t feel bad.  It wouldn’t be the first time her cousin had lied to protect her.  But she couldn’t imagine Bobbi just springing moving in together on Bucky out of nowhere like this.  “Really?” she shrieked.  “You’re really going to move in together?”

Bobbi laughed.  “Yes.  If you’re okay with it.”

Melody lunged at Bobbi, wrapping her arms around her and hugging her as tightly as she could.  “Oh my god,” she said, nuzzling into Bobbi’s dark hair.  “I’m so happy for you both.”

“Okay, okay,” Bobbi laughed, rubbing her back.  “I’ll take that as a yes?”

“Yes, of course,” she said, giving Bobbi one last firm squeeze and pulling back.  She flopped back onto the couch leaning against Steve.  “I don’t think I’m going to use it as a reason to quit my job though.  At least not yet.  I need to stand up for myself.  I can’t just run away and shut down because people were mean to me.”

“That’s the ticket,” Steve said, patting her shoulder.  “You have to stand up.  If you lie down, they just end up walking over you.  And for the record, I love your column as it is.  I don’t mind the little pieces of information you give about us.  It’s never invasive and it’s always more about you.  If people can figure out that the guy who keeps leaving socks around your apartment is me, that’s okay.”

“Wait,” Bobbi said.  “That’s you!  I thought it was Bucky!”

“Hey!” Bucky said.  “I’m tidy!  He’s the punk that can’t pick up after himself.”

A bright flush crept up the back of Steve’s neck and he dropped his gaze.  “I’m sorry,” he said.  “I just don’t think about it.  I’ll try to be better.”  He shook his head and looked back up at Melody.  “Anyway, as  I was saying; I’m happy for you to write the way you do even knowing that everyone will know it’s me.  I don’t like the idea of you forcing it for hits, but that’s more about your artistic integrity than privacy.”

“Artistic integrity,” Tony snorted.  “Cap.  Come on.  She works for the Daily Bugle.”

“Thank you for that input, Tony,” Steve deadpanned.  “Ignore him.”

“Yeah, ignore the guy trying to keep your information secure from hackers,” Tony snarked.

“I wouldn’t want to force it,” Melody insisted.  It was part of the whole problem.  The suggestion that she use her personal life to sell papers made it feel like none of the other things she did all day long mattered.  She wasn’t a writer, she was a woman with an in with Captain America.  “I almost feel like backing off on it now.  The column’s either good on its own or it’s not and I don’t want an audience coming in just to learn about your private life, Steve.”

“Hey,” he said, putting his arm around her, and rubbing her side. “So don’t.  Just write what you want to write about.  If it’s good enough people will read it.  I have faith in you.  And if you do decide to write about something personal, I just ask that you think about how it affects me.  I trust you.  I don’t think you’d do anything that would hurt me.” 

She leaned into him and let out a soft sigh.  She was glad he trusted her.  She just hated being in a situation where it would even be questioned in the first place.

“Well,” Tony said, getting up and unplugging Melody’s phone from the device he’d been using. “It hasn’t been compromised.  If you message me from work tomorrow, I’ll access your computer and see if there’s anything there.  If that doesn’t work I’ll get you a device that sweeps for bugs.  I’m not sure how well that will work in a studio that’s full of recording equipment, but hopefully, we can figure it out.”

Melody stood taking the phone and hugging the man.  “Thank you, Tony.  I really appreciate it.”

He patted her back. “No problem.  It’s what I do best.”

Bucky and Bobbi both stood together.  “I gotta get to work, Mel,” she said. “You gonna be okay?”

Melody nodded. “Yeah. Thank you.  Congrats on moving in.”

“We’ll let you know when it’s going to happen for sure,” Bobbi said. “Thanks for saying yes.”

“Of course, I would,” Melody said. “It’s awesome!”  She turned and grinned at Bucky. “See you, new roomie.”

“See you, Mel,” he said.

When Tony, Bobbi, and Bucky had left Melody sat down in Steve’s lap and curled up.  She felt emotionally and physically exhausted and she just wanted to stay pressed as closely to Steve as she could get and fall asleep.

“Shall we order something for dinner?” Steve asked as he enclosed her in his arms.

She nodded and burrowed into his chest more. “I want soup.”

“I’m sure we can get you soup,” he chuckled.

He didn’t move to place the order, he just held her and rested his chin on the top of her head.  She was grateful for it.  She had always been tactile and she often drew her comfort from touch.  The fact she could just be quiet as he held her felt more reassuring than any of the talk.  He had her.  He wasn’t going to let her fall.

After a little while, he pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. “Do you think we’re moving too slow?” he asked.  “Bucky and Bobbi are moving in together.  Sam’s taking Matthew to meet his family.  Should we be living together?  We have been dating longer than any of them.”

She pulled back and looked at him, cupping his strong jaw.  “We’re going just as exactly fast as works for us.  It’s not a race and the checkpoints aren’t in any particular order.  I’m taking you to meet my parents soon, and if you really want to move in together, we can talk about it.  But if what feels more right is the old-fashioned dating, engagement, marriage, moving in, then that’s the way we do it.”

Steve smiled and turned, kissing her palm.  “But you’re in the relationship too.  And you’re not the traditional type,” he said.

“Maybe not.  But I’m also not the type to push the person I’m dating into doing something they’re not comfortable with doing.  I hope you know that by now,” she said.

Steve leaned in resting his forehead against hers.  “I do know that.  And I love you for it,” he said and kissed her.

She continued to caress his cheek as her lips parted and his tongue teased into her mouth.  She melted completely into it, all worries about her job and their future dropping away - at least for now.  Steve pulled back slowly and rested his forehead on hers again. “I do plan to marry you one day.”

She smiled. “And when you ask, I’ll say yes.”

His lips brushed over hers once more before he sat back.  “Okay,” he said.  “Let’s order dinner.”

Melody pulled out her phone and opened up one of the apps.  She still dreaded work tomorrow, but for now, she was content knowing she had an amazing group of people who all had her back.

// NEXT

[magnoliabutters]

• THE SPIDER QUEEN •

pairing: kas!vamp eddie munson x (she/her) reader

summary: munson and henderson have a good o’talk...

warning: 18+ content, mdni, adult language; enemies to lovers trope, canon divergence, fluffy-wuff, season 4 spoliers, switching povs, moody boy kas, grief, y/n count: 1, moody boy dusty buns, violence, death/killing, character death, etc.

word count: 11.6k

reblogs & thoughtsy-watsies are appreciated!

• stories of eddie munson • season two • previous part •

note: potential need for tissues, not to toot my own horn or anything hehe, also highly highly encourage noting the dates & time to stay on track (i be bouncing)

grazi grazi grazi to my sweet ladies, ziggy (@trashmouth-richie, one of my fav authors) & miss nack (@nackrosor, loml) for spending the time to beta read & share your incredible thoughts and wisdom! also, doubly credit to nacky-nack because some of these words came straight from her extravagant brain & i love her so much.

i have never been so proud of the stories i’ve been creating and that’s cause of these two extraordinary writers. thank you, thank you for helping me grow! now, on to my longest post yet…

April 7th, 1986. 10:46pm.

Kas never thought he would respect a man in an open white blazer with a bright blue undershirt and yet, here he is - ready to follow him into battle if necessary. He is invested in this “Miami Vice” show. God, even the name sounds stupid, but he finds himself thankful that you had found a channel dedicated to it. A blissful escape from this shitty old thing called life. 

There he sits with feet kicked up on the coffee table. A fresh stove-top cooked popcorn on his lap. The beautiful girl he loves sleeping soundly against his shoulder. He could die right here and be absolutely fulfilled. A twisted little smile sprawls on his lips as you curl your arm across his waist. The way your soft hair rests upon his shoulder and down to his bicep makes his heart explode and rebuild in a million puzzle-like pieces. 

Who needs a working heart anyway? 

Kas’ eyes are glued to the TV screen, desperately trying to erase the presence of the curly haired betrayal of a boy in his peripherals. He may have had trouble accepting the idea of Dustin at first, but now he’s just a nuisance at the bottom right of his eyeline. He will happily admit that he likes it better when the boy’s unconscious. 

Although, he refuses to share how the curls of Dustin’s hair bring him back to each and every time Eddie ruffled them up with the palm of his hand. He is reminded of the happiness he felt in seeing the boy every day in school. The nostalgia floods his brain anytime Dustin’s yawning catches his attention. 

Relief, another feeling that explodes within his chest. Relief in knowing that Hellfire would have yet another fearless leader once Eddie finally graduated - class of ‘86. 

The excitement, unbridled and innocent excitement that followed their party’s adventures flying off the table and becoming a tangible reality. Right before everything got way too real... 

The cracks of Crockett’s pistol blasts through the air. A shoot out. Miami’s finest detectives dive behind a brick wall as the fugitive sprays ricocheting bullets. 

Kas jumps, startled by the noise, before rushing to find the remote. In his attempts, everything goes beautifully wrong. “Fuck, shit!” The popcorn flies and spills all over your beautiful sleeping body. An accidental kick of his feet and the unfinished beer bottles fall, spilling all over the table and onto the orange tinged carpet below. 

In reaching for the remote, he about falls onto his stomach, spread across the floor, before finally hitting mute. With a deep exhale pumped full of exhaustion, he turns over onto his back, spreading his arms out across the carpet. He reluctantly raises his eyes to yours, only to catch you baring holes into his face. A tight lipped smile curls upon his lips as he mouths, “sorry” with nervous bouncing brows. 

Another thing he didn’t expect was that the loud noise blaring from the TV would cause Dustin to begin rolling around with fluttering eyelids. The boy mumbles behind him, causing Kas’ eyes to open to extreme widths. He straightens his spine and turns before crawling his way back towards you. His torso flush against the hardened bottom frame of the couch. He bumps your right leg with his elbow, desperate to get your attention. 

Thoughts begin to spiral in his mind, his lip quivers - terrified of what may happen once Dustin utters a word. Mortified by the thought of what he will say. It intensifies the frequency of his bumps on your leg. 

Kas may not remember the whole story, but he can physically feel how his heart reaches for the boy. He recognizes that Dustin is the closest Eddie ever got to being a big brother. He feels the remnants of pride that regularly overcame him whenever he looked down on the boy. The thought of what he had and who he could become.

Eddie only knew him for less than the school year, but Dustin was so much more than some random freshie who barely learned the true art of Dungeons and Dragons. No, this boy was a pro - just like he was at that age. The only difference being that Dustin had friends, a party to play with before high school. 

Henderson was his heir, the fucking prodigy. And fuck, does it hurt when the prodigy betrays the teacher! 

Kas watches as your body perks up once realizing Dustin was slowly returning to the land of the living. You quickly stand and crash land upon your knees beside him. He really wished you hadn’t. He selfishly wanted you by his side, to help him not lose his marbles and destroy everything in his sight. 

His teeth begin to grind as he watches you care for the boy. Your hands are delicate and soft as you try to help him wake. You care for him despite knowing that he left Eddie behind, the one person you claim to love the most in this world. Some loyalty. 

He struggles to pull his eyes away, to keep himself from turning into a red hot ball of rage. Deep breaths have helped keep his mind at a leveled state, but hearing your comforting words crushes him to his core.   

Kas returns his gaze upon you two when hearing your voice. “Dustin,” you say as you lightly push a curl behind his ear. He rolls his eyes with a scoff and comically stuffs another fistful of popcorn in his mouth from the thin layer that still rests inside the container. Apparently, you do that move with everyone - brushing hair behind one’s ear. The loving action he cherished so dearly. It feels wrong, undeniably wrong, to see you do that with someone else - let alone with him.

Dustin mumbles something, something that leads you to ask, “what?” so softly. Kas hums a growl at the thought of having to even process the words from his mouth, but he swore to you that he would try. Little did he know it would be this fucking hard. 

The fire in his belly is difficult to describe and truly painful. He wishes he could be supportive, to be fully invested in the responsibility you have decided for yourself - to care for this boy. He just doesn't know how to look at you and your serene actions without feeling a sliver of treachery. 

This boy is the reason Eddie died and turned into the monster that Kas is: a heinous demon that destroys everything in his wake while wearing the face of an angel.

Why couldn't he just have a few more minutes of paradise with you? To hold you in his arms, to feel you sink deeper into his chest. The sleep he craved beside your supple body was divine. All he wanted to do was grab your hand and rush you back up to that bed. To jump onto it and float the waves with you by his side. To forget there ever was an Eddie, a y/n, a Kas, a darlin’. To forget it all and start again. A new life filled with your sweet smile and endless laughter. 

Alas, no. You were reminded of who Kas truly is before any extraordinary, amnesic life could begin. All because of him. Dustin Henderson did this, and he needs to pay.

Abruptly, Dustin staggers with fearful eyes as he pulls from you. Kas could tell that you were startled by the way your chin went several inches back into your throat. He knows that expression of yours very well. He revisits the sight on the backs of his eyelids any time he tries to fall asleep. How much horror he must have caused you while he was figuring it all out. The very same horror he forces you to relive each day. He will regret it all his life. 

As an instinctual response to your worry, Kas stands with tightening fists, ready to pummel anything and anyone who troubles you. Your eyes fall upon him in such a way that he immediately disarms. Your gentle hand reaches towards him with a slightly cocked head. “It’s okay, Kas,” you say in a whisper. He sucks his tongue to the roof of his mouth as he shifts his eyes between you and the boy. He lets out a sharp breath from his nostrils before crashing back onto the couch carelessly. 

Dustin looks his way with that same annoying terror on his face. It screams, “I’m about to pee my pants.” He had no reason to worry, as long as he listened to you. However, the terror persisting any time they make eye contact is becoming more and more difficult for Kas to bear. He’s positive Dustin never looked at Eddie this way. He’d be lying if he didn’t acknowledge the sadness that envelopes his chest at the thought.  

"W-What is this?" Dustin asks while turning back to face you. His movements are hesitant and slow. Kas scoffs, kicking his feet back onto the table as he lazily reaches for a fallen kernel resting on a nearby cushion. He is almost offended that the boy couldn’t sustain the gaze in spite of his tangible fear. 

"You're safe," you comfort, placing a hand on his shoulder but he pulls away harshly, making Kas sit straight up once again. It’s never too late to learn manners. 

"No," he states. "What the hell happened?" You turn back to look at Kas, almost for support, but he gives you nothing. Why would he? You messed the bed, make it yourself. 

"Maybe I should introduce you two?" you suggest, nodding back to Kas. Dustin's lip pulls up in a mixture of confusion and disgust. It’s clear he isn’t very fond of you. Kas loves the idea of being an outcast alongside you. 

Dustin peers back at him with caution, yet eager and watering eyes before clearing his throat and returning to you. That look - jesus fuck, Kas hated that look. An inspirited gaze with raising brows before crashing down into a furrow and welling eyes. It has been some time since you have looked at him with such hope. The ogling stare that searches for something, or more accurately someone behind his muddy eyes. It is usually followed by a depressing combination of shock and hurt once the individual realizes what they were searching for no longer exists. 

Dustin searches for Eddie, just like you used to. Apologies to the traitor. Eddie no longer exists. 

"This is Kas," you introduce with softness to your voice. Your intonation comes off as though you were entertaining the name. Kas tries his best to remind himself that you had understood. You know that Eddie was gone, but the undeniable anger filling him is indisputable. It leads to the clenching of his teeth, the straightening of his back, and the flaring of his nostrils. 

Dustin attempts to say the name, stuttering and stumbling like a child at the unfamiliar word. He continues, desperately trying to understand. “Kas, like - like Kas, the Bloody Handed? Kas, the Destroyer? Kas, Vecna’s most trusted lieutenant?” 

Kas could see you wince at the words. You are desperate to keep the conversation calm and avoid all his triggers. But the boy clearly has his own annoying way of processing the information, blurting the sound of his immediate enemy as a result.

He growls as his jaw slightly shakes with how hard his teeth grind against each other. “How about Kas, the man whose aboutta break your nose if you keep yapping?” he spits out. Dustin quickly turns his way at the sound. He shudders in his seat, preparing for another altercation. 

In an attempt to deescalate the situation, you slowly answer Dustin’s inquiries. “I’m not sure about all that,” you start, speaking directly to the boy. “But Kas, he’s - he’s different.” He looks at you with one raising brow and forward leaning chin, egging you on to continue.

“He may look like Eddie, talk like him, walk like him, even hug like him - if you’re lucky,” you quickly correct. “But he’s not Eddie.” You pause, dropping your eyes to the hands intertwined upon your lap. “I really need you to understand this, Dustin. Kas is not Eddie. They are two different people.”

As you spoke, Kas slowly moved his attention onto your chapped, pouty lips. Your inflection changed as your words continued. His ears are perked as he struggles to understand how you were feeling. How to help. Your solemn expression sets off a multitude of alarm systems in his mind.

His first thought is to scoop you off your feet, carefully supporting your neck and the back of your knees with his arms. He wishes to take you away from this place, to any reminder of the past and what you have lost.

His second thought, however, fuels the anger and resentment within him. The thought that your sadness, that your pain, is caused by Dustin and his aggravating need to know the truth. Finally, you take a breath as those tears you’ve been holding finally dive off your lashes. 

“Eddie is dead…” 

“… So please. If we can move on from this - if you can accept that Eddie is g-gone,” your voice hitches, leading you to take a slow breath before continuing. “Then we won’t have to worry about what happened earlier.”

Kas’ head tilts curiously as he observes your behavior. The words are falling easier and easier for your pretty lips, but the heartbreak resonating throughout your body is crystal clear and constant.

He wishes he could revel in the excitement, to celebrate the happiness that followed your understanding that Eddie is gone. The acceptance that has allowed Kas to live without being under his shadow. But how could he ever be happy when you were so sad? 

Upon hearing your words, he is reminded of the detrimental actions that ripped the perfect morning with you from his hands. The precious morning and slumber that you both deserved. He wanted nothing more than to run his fingers through your freshly washed hair and watch as you fell asleep in his arms.

Kas fiercely avoids acknowledging the thought that he, too, is responsible for taking that away from you. That maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t all Dustin’s fault.

April 7th, 1986. 8:12am.

Kas had an uneasy feeling as he took slow and hesitant steps down the stairs. Who could possibly be here? The knock seemed hurried, yet forceful. His first guess would be the cops, that maybe Rick got out of jail again and they’ve come to bring him back. Or what if it was a neighbor? One that saw some movement in the desolate house and called 9-1-1? Either way, a conversation between the police and Kas, Hawkin’s latest serial killer, is not going to end well. 

He considers calling you down. A fresh, pretty face that can woo the police away. One that can lie and pretend that she has every right to be in Reefer Rick’s abandoned lake house.

No, he could never do that to you. He wouldn’t dare ruin the incredible image in his head of you resting, naked beneath the warm sheets waiting for his return. He couldn’t wait to drop these sweatpants and curl up next to you. 

Nah, man. There’s no way he’s dragging you out of that bed. Plus, he knew, without a doubt, that you would be too busy dry heaving at the thought of lying to the cops to even try. A smile rips across his face. Shit, how he loves you with every fiber of his being. 

As he finally hits that last step, Kas dramatically slumps his entire body upon realizing Reefer Dicky Dick Rick doesn’t have a god damned peephole. He’s convinced that peering through the windows like an idiot would be way worse than just opening the door.

With a sharp inhale and roll of his eyes, Kas flings the door open. The wind wafts in, flying his curls back with the intensity of his speed. All to begrudgingly land his eyes on …

“Eddie?”

Kas’ entire body runs cold as his breath is stalled in his chest. The eyes, the hazel innocent eyes before him. Irises bight and clear as day when flush against the pink of his tearing eye. A reddish plump to his nose and cheeks. The trembling lip that slowly whispers a second “Eddie” that Kas is too astonished to notice. 

Dustin Henderson. The two comrades, friends of war, partners, brothers were left stunned at the sight of each other. 

Several minutes pass and the boy is the first to break the silence. “Ed-,” he starts, but Kas is quick to stop him in his tracks.

“Don’t call me that,” Kas spits out with a deadpan expression. He could feel his entire body shutting down, one muscle at a time. His breath is completely ripped from his lungs as he desperately seeks dissociation, any method of escape from who he must face. 

Pain strikes Dustin’s whole, causing the slightest twinge of his brow. He takes a step back with fluttering eyelids as he struggles to comprehend the situation.

Kas, however, is too busy wishing he could disappear to notice. Wishing that he could turn back time, tell you to hide so that you both could giggle under the fresh sheets until the knocking dissipated. 

Lost in his thoughts, Kas didn’t see the boy’s extending hand before it was gently placed against his forearm. “Don’t!” he yells, raising his tainted arm as he stumbles back into the living room.

Dustin follows him inside with worried floating hands, prepared to catch if needed. He kicks the door closed with helpful intentions. But the slamming door causes Kas to stop dead in his tracks, which in turn causes Dustin to crash against his torso. 

Without a second passing, Kas slams his hands against the mop head’s shoulders. He digs the weak boy into the wall beside the door. Dustin yelps in pain as his hips thrash forcefully back onto a side table. A sharp sound snaps through the air as a glass bowl shatters and keys scatter across the carpet.

“Don’t touch me,” Kas demands sternly. “And don’t call me that,” he adds with a heavy exhale, as though the words have become routine. “I - I won’t,” Dustin blurts out with a fast sucking breath. 

Kas slowly nods with fluttering lashes as he stumbles back. Tears well in his eyes as he struggles to discern reality and memory. Dustin Henderson, Dustin. Dustin. The name floods his body with a volatile mixture of Eddie's and his own emotions.

Is he ecstatic? Is he worried for his friend? Why was he crying? Why did he push him against the wall? That must have really been scary. Maybe he should apologize? Apologize?! For what? Dustin left him to die, rotting away in front of his family’s trailer. 

“They wished you death …. They watched as you were torn apart.”

Vecna’s chilling voice plays on repeat in his head. It’s all - It’s too much. His head spins despite the debilitating feeling of his skull being crushed. Tears roll down his cheeks like cinder blocks. He cannot control them, cannot stop them even if he tried.

He has never felt pain such as this. A pain so shocking that all bodily systems are stalled. His chest begins to heave just as his sight becomes blurry. Any memories tied to you and your anxiety attacks have rapidly been erased. He has nothing, nothing to help him. No one to support him in this unbearable situation. His heart pulses like the clacking of a horse’s hooves, while also freezing every five beats. 

Kas instinctually bends over, falling into a kneel. His chest struggles to rise and fall with each breath taken. His brain is overloaded, cutting all ties with consciousness. 

Dustin rushes to his side with a light and comforting touch upon his best friend’s back. He is very careful not to touch the pink scars ripping across his waist and ribs when catching him. “Eddie,” he calls out softly.

“Eddie…”

“…Eddie”

“Eddie?”

“EDDIE!”

“Oh god! Oh god, Eddie,” Dustin cries as he lands his knees harshly against the cold floor. He pulls his idol’s body onto his lap. Tears stream down his face, dropping onto Eddie’s cheeks below.

Eddie’s entire body was on fire. So much pain but all he cared about was that he finally proved to himself that he was no coward. By the look of Dustin’s blubbering crying face and the fact that he couldn’t feel his toes, he knew that this was it. Time to go out like a rockstar.

“Bad huh?” Eddie coughs up. He could taste the familiar metal on his tongue. It wasn’t the first time blood was in his mouth. 

“No, no,” Dustin starts. “You’re going to be fine. Just gotta get you to the hospital, okay?” His voice keeps hitching. The boy brushes hair from his cheek with a cold breath on his face. 

Eddie nods his head in a desperate attempt to make his little brother feel better, but the blood keeps coming up. He gags on it before muttering, “I think …” The pain shoots up his body in pulsating electrical bursts. “Common,” he utters, trying to hype himself up. He had only a few more words to say before he was done, before he could rest. 

“I think I just … I think I just need a second, okay?” He whispers. He struggles to keep his eyes open, slowly becoming more tired as the minutes pass.

He gets flashes of your smile burning bright. Your laugh, how you cock back your head with each giggle. Your fingers intertwined with his, always such warm hands. A loving smile spreads across his devilish cheeks. “Okay,” Dustin whimpers out in between sobs. 

“I didn’t run away this time, right?” Eddie blurts out with a bit of a chuckle. “No, no, no, no,” Dustin weakly smiles, letting out a bundle of spit with a stifled cry. “You didn’t run.” A cough rips from his throat again. The blood drains from the side of his mouth. 

Happiness fills his aching chest as the thought of Dustin as President of Hellfire plays in his head once again. A thought he fantasizes about often. His eyes close as he sees the light behind the boy’s curly head. “You’re going to have to take care of those sheep for me, okay?”

Dustin lets out a soft whale as he struggles to speak. “No, you’re going to do that yourself,” he whispers stubbornly. Eddie’s brows furrow at the words. He uses all of his might to crash his palm against Dustin’s forearm. 

“Nah, man,” Eddie grumbles. He hated when the boy second guessed himself. Dustin never saw his potential, never felt the confidence he could easily have. Hey, that was the same shit you would say about Eddie all the time. Funny, full circle.

“Say, ‘I’m gonna look after them,” he demands. “Say it.” He wanted the words to come out harsh and strict, bringing the good old dungeon master voice back out for one last ride. He didn’t expect the coughing fit that would erupt from his attempt. 

“I’m… I’m gonna look after…” Dustin starts as the words fall into a jumble of sobs. “Good,” Eddie answers with another harsh cough. 

A smile spreads across his face, the smirk that is clearly copyrighted by the Munson family. “Good, cause I’m actually gonna graduate,” Eddie starts. His smile grows deeper and deeper as he remembers those pretty little eyes of yours. “And I’m gonna marry my Lolly. I think it’s my year, Henderson.” His heart warms - he likes to think it’s because of his incredible future with you, instead of the blood pooling in his lungs. “I think it’s finally my year…”

“...I love you man.”

“I love you too.” 

“… Eddie”

“Eddie …”

“Eddie!”

Kas moves with a body strictly set on autopilot. His mind is screaming, screaming his name. His heart races, beating thickly in his ears. He could still feel Dustin’s tears falling onto his cheeks. He feels the boy leaving. How his pillow, his knees, quickly fall from beneath him. Dustin’s weeping voice as he is pulled away and Eddie is left behind in the Upside Down. 

Before he could stop himself, Kas grabs Dustin’s hands off of his body. He wraps his calloused fingers around his wrists, slamming them harshly against the wall. “What the hell are you doing here?!” He screams into the adversary’s pathetically whimpering face. 

“I-It’s me,” Dustin stutters out, but each word that leaves his lips peaks his anger. Kas yells out a grunt as he digs his fist thick into his collar. He lifts the small boy up and throws him against the floor. Henderson went flying across the living room, sliding upon the carpet. 

Everything became red. A smashing of his knuckles across Dustin’s cheekbones. It hurt, but not as much as when his supposed friend left him behind. This makes Kas feel a whole lot better.

April 7th, 1986. 11:12pm.

Looking back, Kas definitely needed that 14-hour cool down period. He scans over your crushed frame, but your eyes are fixed upon Dustin’s face. His nostrils flare as fluttering lashes drop a tear. He roughly brushes it away with a single finger against his red cheeks.

With a sniffle, Dustin whispers, “O-Okay, hi Kas. I’m Dustin.” His hand shakes awkwardly as he tries to stand. Your arms reach for him, careful not to let him fall. Despite your unfortunate patient, Kas has always adored your caring soul. The dutiful World War Two nurse tending to his eternal wounds. He loves you, not only due to your very beautiful body, but everything within its gorgeous shell - not that you’d ever believe him. 

Dustin looks down at his wavering hands and ripped shirt. His fingertips press against his cheeks. He winces in anticipation of a pain that never comes. “How did I,” he stutters, a gulp thick in his throat. “W-what is this?” Kas finally stands - it was his time to shine. He peers down at Dustin through his cheeks with a lifted chin. The boy stumbles back at his movement, afraid of what may come next. 

Just how Kas likes it: seeing his prey shaking with barely contained fear before him. At least they know the truth - that he’s a monster in sheep’s clothing. 

“I healed you,” Kas starts with a scoff. “Me, I did that,” he points to Dustin’s weak body. His smirk and bouncing brow shoots your way, making sure you acknowledge his selfless act. That annoyed, deadpanned face of yours returned, it’s one of his favorites. 

Dustin looks to you for clarification, some sort of understanding of what the hell happened to his fallen friend. Kas hated it, hated that he looked at you instead of him. Like every word falling from his mouth needed to be fact checked by you.

“Hey, Henderson,” Kas calls out, a whistle to follow. “Eyes over here. Daddy’s telling a story.” 

Kas stalls when he sees both your eyes pop out of their sockets. Dustin’s nostrils are flared as he takes a slow inhale. You quickly drop your gaze to your feet, while stifling a cry. What the hell? Why did the world come to a grinding halt? 

“Vecna saved me,” he continues hesitantly. The words slowly drop from his mouth, each elongated word. “You know, after you left me to rot.”

The boy’s neck extends as shock fills him to his very core. Fire burns true in his little hazel eyes. Something Kas, nor Eddie, has seen outside of the D&D table. 

Oh hello Nog, the Artificer - it’s been a while. 

“Who left you?” Dustin challenges with a finger addressed to the man before him. It makes Kas laugh, enjoying the fire burning within him just like the good arsonist that he is. “‘Cause it sure as shit wasn’t me.”

He steps forward in a way that, involuntarily, spreads shivers down Kas’ spine. A shiver not formed due to fear, shock, nor worry. A shiver that inadvertently fills his body with admiration and respect. “Steve had to pull me away from you,” he says sternly, dangerously entering the other's space. 

Kas’ left brow raises as a smile sprawls across his face. A slow chuckle erupts from within that could scare away Vecna himself. He is callous and cold. His eyes reddening as each word is spoken. “You’re a fucking liar, Henderson,” a cold stern tone to his voice. Kas takes a step towards Dustin, egging him on. “You don’t want to know what I do to liars.” 

Dustin scoffs, suddenly taking the interaction lightly. “Why don’t you start off by telling me exactly who said that I left you?” he asks with rigid eyes. Kas scoffs too, rolling his own, as his lip pulls up on his left side. “Oh,” the boy snickers, making Kas’ entire care-free persona develop into fuel lit fire. “Let me guess, Vecna told you that? Just like how he told you he saved you?” 

“Watch your fucking tongue,” Kas spits through gritted teeth. He could barely see your hands or hear your voice as you attempt to calm the situation. All he could see was red. The resilient, fascinatingly familiar color flushing across his sight. He just needed one good reason to wreck that pretty little face of his. 

“I watched you die and I was there until the very end,” Dustin yells, completely matching his opponent’s energy. “I would have never left you behind.” 

“But you did!” Kas screams into his face. His shoulders raise as he puffs his chest, entirely prepared to destroy the small being. But, fortunately for the boy, you are a sneaky one. A slow palm to his chest, resting with just the right amount of pressure on his sternum. He could feel another hand pressing into his lower back. And somehow he could breathe again. The red slowly dissipating from his mind. All his senses return with lightning speed. It all hit a bit too hard as he struggles to process the next words from his mouth.

“No, I fucking didn’t!” Dustin spit outs with disdain. Your hand still glued to Kas’ hot skin, the only thing keeping the other alive. “Steve ripped me from you, I hated him for weeks…” He loses track of his words as though the memories shot through his precious thinking cap. 

“No, no,” Kas mumbles but the flashes ring true. Dustin cried onto his dying body. He screamed, pleading for Eddie as he was dragged away by Harrington. He didn’t want to go, but Steve was following through on his promise - to protect Henderson. They loved Eddie. His friends would never have left him behind. 

“No!” Kas shouts, pushing the boy back, but he persists, taking a step forward to show his older brother that he meant every single world. 

“It took me so long to see that he was saving my life,” Dustin utters before powerfully pushing two hands against his chest. “I was ready to die with you in front of that trailer!”

Kas bounces back, rocking on his heels with minimal physical damage but holy shit did that fuck over his brain and everything he’s come to know as true so far.

“I should have!” the boy shrieks. Tears stream down his cheeks in a way that breaks Kas’ unbeating heart, in a way he’ll never admit - maybe not even to you. Kas coughs, clearing his throat before plopping back onto the couch. The room is silent until Tobbs calls out to his fellow detective. 

Kas clings onto the TV as a tool for his dissociation. A small voice in his head begins to beg for forgiveness. Regret encapsulates his chest cavity as he acknowledges the pain he caused to not only his prodigy, but to you. The betrayal was his own.

He should have remembered, should have corrected Vecna, but he had nothing. Not a single clue as to what was happening. He was lost, alone. He knew his memories were not his own, but he didn’t care. Anger is easier than loneliness. It wasn’t until he saw you and the graceful flash of your smile that he second guessed those thoughts. 

All he has now is Eddie’s memories from before. He would only need one hand to count how many he’s got, but that’s no excuse. He should’ve remembered. He had an inkling, some part deep deep within him that immediately rejected the idea of Henderson leaving him behind but he didn’t listen.

Why didn’t he listen? How could the idea that everyone would leave him behind be so believable? That he wasn’t worthy of true friendship? What could he have done to deserve that? 

Kas squints before applying pressure from his thumb between his brows. He could feel the beginning of a headache scraping against his forehead. Muffled voices wrack through the air as he struggles to recollect what is true and what he was told.

You and Dustin begin talking about Eddie and his last moments. He now finds distraction from his own thoughts in your conversation.

He, barely, tries to not eavesdrop as you nervously ask, “Did - did he have any message or - or, um, did he say something about me?” His ears perk for an answer that never came. He looks up to see Dustin shaking his head, which forces his heart to sink in his chest. 

Kas instinctually seeks your gaze, knowing without a doubt that this answer would completely destroy you. He watches as your face pales and your body stills. He struggles to deny every fiber in his being that screams for him to hold you. As much as they pleaded and as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t manage to move from his seat. His own body betrays him in the midst of all this new found information.

“Tell us the story.” Your mouth barely moves despite the power of the words that fall from your lips. Kas cannot deny the excitement he feels upon being reminded of your undeniable strength. You were easily the strongest woman he has ever met, even if he did remember all the women in his life. He turns towards Dustin, awaiting the story that even he is curious to hear. 

The boy, however, tucks his hands beneath his pits and crosses his arms over his torso. “What’s going to keep him from punching my face in again?” he spits out. Again, he looks right at you as though you were the handler to the rabid dog that Kas was. 

“He won’t hurt you,” you say through grinding teeth. It was enough to make Kas smile and tilt his chin back and forth, like a giddy girl. He sits back, completely relaxed, knowing that you have his back. 

Dustin takes a breath, lowering his eyes before him, but not before cracking his neck to the side. “Eddie was dealing with Chrissy,” he starts. 

You quickly interject, “Yeah, he had a date set with her.” Your eyes fall as you think further. “It - It was a Friday, right?” 

The boy nods his head as he tightens his arms upon his chest. “Vecna killed Chrissy right in front of Eddie.”

The veins in your neck tighten as you clench your teeth. Eyelashes flutter back tears. Kas cannot help but want to protect you. “Are you sure you want to hear this?” he asks in a low tone. The act surprises Dustin. His eyes flash between you two as he realizes the connection you have. 

You take a deep sigh before walking over to the couch beside him. You crash down, hooking your arm around his bicep. You lean into the meat of his arm as your eyes close. “Keep going, Dustin.” 

Kas pulls you in, holding you closer than he thought possible. He would do anything to spare you from this hurt, but he also knows whole heartedly that you needed to hear it - just as he does. “After that, Eddie went into hiding. Cops obviously pinned it on him… and Max, well, she saw him leave the trailer in a hurry-” 

Your head raises upon hearing the name. Kas turns to you for guidance as it remains unfamiliar. “Wait, Max was a part of this?” you ask in disbelief. 

Dustin stalls before answering. He swallows a huge gulp as he squeezes his hands into a fist. “Yes.” Your brain wracks with ideas, struggling to understand exactly who else was involved in this dangerous ruse. “We went searching for Eddie and it led us back to here,” he mutters as he takes a quick glance around. 

“We found out Vecna’s past and how to fight him, and we were ready,” he slows down his words. “We had a plan and we were going to stop him.” His bottom lip begins to quiver. A hand catches his balance upon the back of the recliner. “Something went wrong, and we needed more time.” 

His eyes suddenly bare holes into yours. You could see the tears welling within them as he struggles to let out the next few words. “He went back,” he swallows, “We would’ve lost so many people if not for him, but by the time I could get back…” He drops his head, shaking it as those fists crash against the tops of his thighs. 

Kas observes every inch of Dustin’s face, of his body language. He understood his words to be true, his feelings to be true. He is distraught. Dustin may have made it out of there alive, but a piece of him still rests on that road right beside Eddie. Dead and hollow. A piece he may never recover.

He rallies the courage from within to finish their interwoven story from his blurred recollection. “I-” he starts. The pronoun explodes a combination of familiarity and disorientation. “I died in his arms.” 

Kas could see your head immediately shooting his way. It made a small smile burst from his lips and shortly take it away. “But after you left, I heard someone. I thought it was you,” he turns your way with a weak grin. Tears flow from the ducts of your eyes, a steady current. “I don’t think it was.”

His voice hitches before he clears it and attempts to continue. “I died a fucking hero,” his eyes raise forward as he is flooded by the reminiscent feeling of bravery and pride. “I wasn’t a coward - no, not anymore.” 

You bite your lip as your arms wrap around his neck. His own tears begin to fall as you pull him into your chest. “You were always a hero, baby,” you whisper into his red, hot ears. "You saved me before any of this happened."

His sobs destroy the very fabric of your being. A sound that will forever haunt your dreams. You take it in waves, all of his pain without regret. Your face slowly becoming stone cold, tears ceasing to exist as you tighten your hold of him. 

Kas clears his throat, slowly pulling away from your soaked shirt. Your hands slowly float to his knees. He looks back at Dustin, his close friend, without anger or resentment. “Vecna brought me back. He told me to kill you,” he mutters while shaking his head. “I came back different.” Another frog is stuck in his throat as he struggles to take in breaths without falling into another sobbing fit. His eyes drop to the hands in his lap. “I wasn’t a killer before, but I am now.” 

Dustin looks your way in a panic, desperately wanting to know more. “He didn’t make me, you know? He taught me how and I just kept it up.” Kas calmly nods as he feels the blood drain from his face. “Eleven people,” his voice hitches as he meets the boy’s innocent eyes. 

“Tammy Thompson, Ryan Trent, Andy Johnson, Carol Carver, Dave McKinney, Paul Richardson, Justine Hutch, Dick Newman, Kristie Peterson, Olivia Wilson, and Vickie McNulty.” 

Kas keeps his head down. Not a single part of him wants to see the terror on either one of your faces. The silence floods the air like a stuffy smoke. It’s almost palpable, almost as though you could feel it weighing down on your defenseless body.

“Vickie.” Dustin slices through the smoke, a wavering tone to his voice. “Vickie from marching band?”

Kas nods his head ever so slightly while struggling to swallow the biggest gulp stuck in his throat. 

He didn’t want to raise his eyes, no not at first. He could remember her screams, particularly hers as they sounded like they were perfectly extracted from Jason Voorhees’ machete. The red of her hair mixed beautifully with the crimson that drenched her clothes.

He would be lying if he said he had any remorse in the kill. He just saw someone he knew. A poor girl smudged with dirt and muck as she struggled to get out from under the library’s debris. He scared her, just a little, to get that blood pumping quickly into his mouth.

“Yes,” Kas finally answers. “Vickie from marching band.” 

Dustin almost collapses backwards, but swiftly rushes to land onto the chair before him. A completely new pain strikes Kas’ heart as he realizes that Vickie meant something to him. Your hand squeezes at the sides of his thigh as you, too, hesitantly land your head against his shoulder. Comforting him, even though you are shocked by his doings.

“I think I need a break,” Dustin mutters. Kas raises his eyes to see that the boy had turned a shade of green. He runs out the front door and vomits off the side of Rick’s porch. A solid tear runs down Kas’ cheek. What has he done? 

While the two are inside, Dustin struggles to keep himself upright. His entire torso is flush against the wooden porch. His eyes almost bulging with each retch.

Robin has been searching for weeks to find Vickie. She’s grown so close to the McNulty family, determined to find her across the Upside Down. She refuses to acknowledge the possibility of her death, the possibility of not being able to save her through all the party's efforts and losses. 

How is he going to tell her about this? 

But amongst the sadness, he cannot deny the feeling of relief in his belly. Eddie is back. Even if it’s some weird, murderous version of him, he can still see him - talk to him. He doesn’t have to pretend to speak to the mist over Lover’s Lake anymore. He doesn’t have to think of a world that Eddie Munson isn’t a part of. 

Sure, his mentor looks different. Much more shirtless than usual. Dustin never thought he would see him in anything but ripped jeans. His hair is longer, smooth and less matted. The contrast between his dark locks and skin reveals how much paler he’s become. Red eyes are a nice touch that he can appreciate when they aren’t paired with a beating.

When Kas speaks, the boy swears he could see sharpened canines. Were those the very knives that dug into his skin before he passed out? 

Regardless, Dustin has his brother back and the happiness that consumes him is undeniable. He would accept him with open arms in any condition. 

A tenacious brotherhood built on fantasy, triumphs, and defeats. A deep connection between a Master Inventor and his Dungeon Master. He wishes he could go back, back to when the worst thing that happened was that D&D got canceled because Corroded Coffin finally got a gig. 

All he can do is wish. 

September 16th, 1985. 8:43pm.

“Yeah, well Mike’s got a girlfriend cross country,” Lucas shares, desperately running away from the attention placed on his and Max’s relationship. 

“What the hell,” Mike gripes as Gareth places a firm hand at the back of his neck. He shakes it while releasing a hellish laughter. “Alright Mike, where’d you meet her? I only slightly think she’s made up.” 

The group laughs as Eddie watches them from his Dungeon Master’s throne. His foot hangs off the edge with a knee to his chest, hands playing with a small ripped paper. 

He is known for his transparency. Whatever he feels is perfectly displayed upon his face. The mood for today is an abundance of annoyance, clear in how he lifts the side of his lips and his eyes roll with each passing second. 

“I met her here actually, she just moved away,” Mike shares. “Her name’s-” 

Eddie slams his hand down onto the table with a force that shakes the auditorium floor. “Why are we talking about maidens?” he asks with a booming voice as he stands from his seat. “We should be talking about how the party’s going to fight Lolth tomorrow,” he hints. 

Dustin’s eyes widen as he slowly asks, “What are you talking about?” He peers around the room, seeing the entire party with mixed expressions of shock and gaping mouths.

Eddie huffs in response, rolling his eyes in annoyance, as he grabs his books and map. “No jerking off tonight, boys. You’re gonna need your throwing hand.” 

The party begins to pack up after a rather rough section of the campaign. Only Lucas, Jeff, and Dustin survived, while the rest await their rebirth. Dustin’s brows pull as he watches his fearless leader. The man who is always moving is now perfectly still. He takes heavy breaths as he grips tightly against the top of his chair. 

“You coming?” Lucas calls out as he and Mike begin to walk down the stage’s stairs. 

“I’ll just meet you there,” Dustin says, waving his hand for the two to leave. He has been trying to find an opportunity to buddy up with the President of Hellfire, maybe this was his chance. “So, Eddie, do you have a sec?” he asks sheepishly. 

Eddie now had his forehead plastered upon the chair as his fingers nervously tap on its sides. He groans as his way of replying to the youngling. Dustin lets out a soft chuckle as he nervously asks, “You okay?” 

Eddie slowly raises his head as a smile lifts to the right of his cheek. “Yeah, I’m good,” he says with squinting eyes. “Hangovers don’t feel like they used to.” He raises his arms to stretch them before rolling his neck.

“I was wondering if, uh, I could get your advice on something?”

Eddie’s eyes perk as he drops his arms and slides into his chair like a snake. “Why yes, the doctor’s in,” he beams with his smile. 

Dustin laughs while pulling a chair out and plopping into the seat. “It’s about girls - uh, maidens,” he starts. 

Eddie nods furiously, gesturing with his hands for him to continue. “What is her name?” he inquires. Dustin drops his head nervously, “Susie.” 

Eddie’s eyes close as he smiles. “Ah, Susie,”  he whispers in acknowledgement. He leans back into his seat, taking a big whiff of the young love in the air.

“Yeah, she, uh, she’s the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. I met her back in camp about a year ago and she lives in Utah, but I, uh, I think I love her and I’ve never said that to someone before,” Dustin rambles.

Humming, Eddie sinks back into his chair. His expression is happy and proud of his little freshman. “Well, little man, it sounds like we’re in the exact same situation. If you figure it out, you let me know,” he dismisses with a chuckle. 

Dustin is taken aback. A king like Eddie having trouble with girls, uh - maidens? He’s a rockstar for christ’s sake, what kind of problems could he have? “What’s her name?” he asks, just as plainly as Eddie did before. He snickers beneath his grin as he rests a chin upon his fist. 

“Let’s just call her Lolly,” Eddie lets out with a breathless chuckle. A coy smile sprawls across his lips. 

Dustin’s brow raises with curiosity as he dives in more information. “Lolly, like … Lolth?” he asks, tucking his chin into his neck in excitement. His eyes widen as he lovingly awaits his DM’s answer. 

Eddie blows out a raspberry before sinking even further into the throne. He shakes his head while creasing his eyebrows. “Did you nickname her after our next boss?” Dustin laughs out incredulously. 

“Maybe,” Eddie retorts in a sing-songy voice. He scoffs, throwing his head back. “Go ahead, honestly, tell me that Lolth isn’t a smokin’ hot babe.” 

Henderson smiles, enjoying his mentor’s flustered face. He shrugs, nodding his head - knowing it isn’t wrong. “She must be a badass,” he utters. 

“Oh, you don’t know the half of it,” Eddie adds, running his tongue over the front of his teeth. “She’s my spider queen,” he hisses with excitement.  

Dustin giggles alongside Eddie. Their smiles fill the room with a rose tinted ambience flooded with nostalgia and happiness between old souled friends. The connection between them was palpable, undeniable. Eddie noticed it the second he laid eyes on the small fella. He knew there was something special about him, and he has yet to be proven wrong. 

“In all seriousness, Henderson,” Eddie says lightly, coming down from his laughing fest. “You should tell her. It’s a risk, yeah, but love isn’t really something you can hold onto. Trust me, it eats away at you more than you can imagine. It physically hurts not to say it,” he takes a deep breath. “You’re lucky you don’t have to see her every day.” 

His words peak Dustin’s interest. Who is this maiden? Has he seen her before? Does she go to Hawkins High? He’s never seen his DM so vulnerable, and he revels within the precious moment.

“You can tell her too, Eddie,” he whispers, careful not to upset him. The President raises his eyes and stares behind his curly chocolate bangs. “What if she loves you too?” 

Eddie’s keen smile pulls to one side as he shakes his head. “She doesn’t even know me,” he mutters, leaning back into his chair. 

“Then let her get to know you, man,” Dustin encourages. With a smile, he starts, “A wise man once told me that love was risky but it’s not something you can hold onto-” 

Eddie rolls his eyes. “Screw you, Henderson,” he mutters with a low hummed chuckle. His head cocks to the side as an idea forms in his mind. He leans his elbows onto the table as he locks eyes with the boy. “Let’s make a pact, right here and right now.” Dustin encouragingly nods. “You tell Susie and I - I’ll tell Lolly,” the words start to lose their muster as he continues. 

“You got yourself a deal, Munson,” Dustin slams his hand against Eddie’s, giving him a good shake. A contract that would build the very foundation of their friendship. 

April 7th, 1986. 12:11am.

Your mind feels like a dead plane about to crash into the ocean. A slow spiral as you fall from the heavens and dive into the horror show below. First row, VIP ticket. Guess that’s what happens when you fall in love with a true killer.

Without noticing, your hand slowly slips from his arm. Fingers hook onto your chin as you struggle hard to process the information. To make sense of something that just shouldn’t make sense. 

“You didn’t know who she was,” you start. Your closed eyes tickle lashes against your cheek. “You - you didn’t.”

Kas’ soft, calm voice breaks through the mist, bringing you back down to that ocean floor. “I did,” he murmurs. “I killed her, and I did it because I knew her.” 

You turn to him with tears flooding your vision. The breath is sucked from your lungs, unable to take in more. You finally hit the water - it’s time to sink. “Tell me, just,” you gulp, shaking your head out as your mind screams for you to run. “Make me understand, please.” You turn to him, heaving sobs as you do. “Why did you do this?” 

He drops his gaze, not wanting another second of your crying face to be burned into his mind. He hurt you, again. Regret, again. All for an unneeded kill he made so carelessly. 

Vickie’s red hair bobbed so effortlessly in the mucky mist of the New World. He immediately recognized her from that unfortunate junior year that he had to take band for his elective. Despite the tragedy, she still was perky and determined to get out. 

And that’s why. She had hope, and all he wanted to do was crush it. 

Kas hesitantly reaches for you, wanting to comfort you and distance himself from the situation. The very act shakes you to your core, causing you to cower to the other side of the couch. “Don’t,” you say plainly. He drops his eyes while clenching his jaw in pain. 

Who did he have to blame this time? It’s not like Henderson was the one who brought up their names. It certainly wasn’t you. You knew he had a list, a list of people who died the way you should have, but he knew you would never want to know who. 

And yet, he gave you just that. It breaks any perception that you had of him. The person who took care of you upstairs, who loves you - yeah, that’s a serial killer. Vecna took everything from you. He could care less about how his kills affect other people.

Chrissy died and Eddie became a “serial killer.” Eddie died and … Kas became the serial killer. 

“I don’t,” you start but quickly take in a shaky breath. You pinch your brows together, trying so hard to see any future with him beyond this but everything comes up blank. 

“I killed because I didn’t know any better,” Kas whispers. His gaze stuck on his hands as they rested between his legs. “I was taught to torture, told that every person in Hawkins would rather see me dead than alive.” 

He abruptly stands, practically jumping off the couch. “I had doubts. I - I tested it, you know?” He begins his pacing, desperately trying to stop his heart from exploding his chest with each beat. 

“With Kristie and Dick, I saw them. They were under struggling to get out of town hall. I helped them get out,” he slows his movements. “They were so happy to see me. And that made me happy, a-and I thought - ‘yes, he was wrong!’ But they were just happy until I got them out,” he says softly. 

“They ran from me, called me an ‘asshole’ and a ‘killer,’” Kas mutters as he stands still before you. “I showed them they were right.”

A wave crashes over you. Weak electricity shoots through your body, tingles that make you feel light headed. Your face falls into your hands as you ponder the thought.  

“But then I met you, darlin’,” he says as he crashes onto his knees before you. His big, warm hands pull your palms from your cheeks. “You showed me that there was another way. And - and I don’t want to go back to that.” 

Kas takes a sharp breath before clearing his throat. His quivering voice continues, “I still hear their screams.” You slowly raise your eyes to his. His face contorted and solemn as he struggles to hold back heaving sobs.

“I wish you were there,” he drops his head onto your lap. The tears curl around your face. You cannot help the gentle hand that brushes through his hair. “I wish I died in your arms,” he cries. “If I did, I wouldn’t be here. I’d be in fucking Valhalla or some shit, but I wouldn’t be back here as this monster!”

He sobs into your bare thighs. Your chin quivers as you try to be strong but fail every other second. You feel empty. No worry or remorse toward him or yourself. Just a body floating slowly into the ocean’s depth. 

After some time, you whisper coldly, “You are not a monster.” He raises his swollen eyes to you, the innocent chocolate button eyes bow beneath all this façade. “A monster wouldn’t have regrets. Wouldn’t be crying with the person he tried to kill.” 

After one last swoop of his soft curly hair, your hand rests at his cheek. Kas leans in as he always does. Those innocent eyes flick up to your hardened gaze. “You are not a monster. Not anymore.” He takes in a shaky inhale through his nose. 

“You are going to work hard, harder than you ever have, to make up for what you did.” You gently place your fingers to the side of his chin, squeezing as you guide him to your eyes. Ensuring you are both locked in before finishing your thought.

“But you will never make up for those eleven lives. You will carry them in your heart until you die. And that does not mean you stop fighting to make it right. Do you hear me, Kas?” 

His lashes flutter as he unsuccessfully attempts to hold back his tears. He could see the strength within you. The power you hold that has barely scratched the surface. He couldn’t be more in love with you despite the horror of the words that fell from your supple lips. 

Kas knows, in this moment, that he will happily die for you a million times. He is crazy about you, completely unhinged and dedicated to your smile. He may never make up for what he’s done, but he will put all his power into trying until the day he dies - not just for you, but him as well. It’s not easy living with a guilty conscience, maybe this will make it a bit lighter. 

Regardless his determination is set, your broken heart is more than enough to fuel his intentions. 

“I hear you, darlin’,” Kas utters. His hands delicately reach for yours, intertwining your fingers as they should have been from the very start. “I promise you I will try my absolute hardest to make up for what I’ve done.” He pulls your interlocked hands to his lips. A sweet peck with eyes fixed onto you. “I promise you I will work my damned best to be the man you deserve.” 

His words pull you right out of your spell. Those worried wrinkled lines between your brow completely smooth out. Eyes fall straight down to your hands. A promise you would never expect from Kas, and one you could count on from Eddie. But one and two are not the same, and fear still encapsulates you. 

You want to trust him. To know that he’s that beautiful man who held you in the shower earlier that day. The man who carried you away from danger. The man who saved you from the dangerous, psychotic being he is scared of most in this world. 

But he is also the man who took Vickie and all those people from their families. The man who left you in a ocean of your own tears, naked and afraid in that fucked up version of Hawkins. The man who stalked you, hunted you. The man who almost drank you dry to please his own murderer. 

“Please don’t break it.” The words fall from your lips involuntarily. You aren’t even sure if “it” is referring to his promise, or your heart. “Please,” you finally raise your eyes to him. 

Dustin opens the door, walking into a quiet room. He closes it behind him, locking the deadbolt before landing his back against the wood. It pulls both your attentions, causing Kas to stand and let go of your hand. Your body aches for him, wishing the boy stayed outside just a little bit longer. 

“I lied,” he starts. His hands crash at his hips, letting go of a huge breath of relief. “He said something about you when he was …” 

It was your turn to release a breath of relief. You are confident, fully confident in the love that you and Eddie shared. Doubt wracked your brain when Dustin told you that he didn’t say anything about you in his last words. For whatever reason, the boy held the information from you. The only way you would get it is if you wait, painfully and patiently. “What did he say?” 

Dustin takes a quick look at Kas before returning to you. “He wanted to marry you, after graduation.” You smile with a trembling lip, both taken aback and not surprised at all. The thought of you across from Eddie in a cheesy tux at city hall. It may not be Chicago, or Paris, but being Mrs. Eddie Munson would be an absolute dream that you would choose over the world. 

He laughs as he finishes his thought. “I didn’t know who he was talking about before, but, yeah, it’s pretty clear he was talking about you.” The tears hit him again, a tickle at the back of his throat. He tenses his face to hold it all in. “He nicknamed you Lolth, or Lolly,” another breathy chuckle drops. “Pretty badass D&D character, honestly pretty comparable to Kas.” 

Your heart warms in a way that turns your body into cotton candy. A sensation you haven’t felt since you last laid your eyes on Eddie. It is almost like he is here. You place your hand upon your chest as you sink into the feeling. “Thank you,” you say with a feverish nod. 

Kas watches the woman he loves turn into a rare aurora of orange twinged happiness. He is thankful for the boy, grateful for his honesty. He seeks his eyes to mouth “thank you” himself. 

Dustin nods, but quickly looks away as he is too worried to hold the gaze. He brushes a hand through his hair while uttering, “I don’t know what I’m going to tell the others.” Your ears perk up, causing you to jump up and rush towards him. Your hands firmly grabbing onto his. He pulls away, but hones in on your intensity. 

“You can’t tell anyone.” Your gaze locked on his hazel brown. Your body becomes a mixture of hot white and cold. You just got him back. No one will take you away from him. No one will hurt him. No. No. No! “They don’t need to know.”

Dustin steps back from you with disgust. His hands are harsh as they rip from yours. It is enough to make Kas take a step forward and let out a thick, heated breath. “They need to know,” he starts pointing to Kas. “He is the last person to see Vecna alive. We need to know everything so we can put that asshole into the ground.”

You turn back to Kas, a slow glance over your left shoulder. His attention is pulled upon seeing your movement. Your brows raise at their tips, trying to discern what he is thinking. A slow smile gradually pulls across his lips. An encouraging nod shoots your way. 

The relief filling your chest finally allows you to take a deep breath. You extend your arm backwards with a hopeful expression. He happily reaches for your hand, resting his warm palm against you.

Kas stands beside you, in front of Dustin. In this moment, you realize that he and you are forever. It may not be perfect, it may not be Eddie, but you are in it - for the long haul. Protecting each other against any potential harm. His fight is your fight, just as it should have been with Eddie. There’s no way you’re backing down. 

You shake out your hair, taking in a slow breath for confidence and neutrality. “Who are ‘we?’” you ask. One simple question to determine the safety of the journey forward. Dustin looks to Kas, seeking the answer within him. How did this boy not get it yet? He shakes his head. He doesn’t know every thing. 

Dustin turns to you, clenching his jaw. “Steve, Robin, Nancy, Jonathan, Lucas, Erica, Mike, El, and Will.” The names float in the air, almost each one recognizable to you. These are the people you see in the hallways. The people in the cafeteria. The people who run the school newspaper. The people in the band. The popular kids. God, how the hell are they all mixed up in this? The only name missing being … 

“Max,” you call out. “You said Max knew what was going on. What - Why isn’t she going to be there?” You rake his face, desperate for an answer, only to see him grow solemn. Kas knew that Henderson’s face undoubtedly meant bad news. He squeezes your hand, letting you know that he is here for you. 

The silence feels unbearable. Your skin is on fire and about to implode. “J-Just tell me,” you start before taking a deep inhale. “Is she dead?” 

“No,” Dustin states. Your heart skips a beat as you gasp in happiness. Max is far too young, far too young to be gone… “But she’s hurt and it’s bad.” 

Your body stills as your breath escapes you once again. “What do you mean?” you utter quickly. Another squeeze to your hand. 

“She’s in the hospital,” the boy utters under his breath. 

You push past him, reaching for the door knob. You don’t even know where you’re going but you are going.

Kas is the one who’s calm hand rests on your forearm, causing you to pause. He models a breath with you before flicking his eyes to Henderson. “Tell the party we’re meeting at Harrington’s at 8. You pick us up at 6 and bring us to Max, then to the party,” he states without a second of hesitancy. Your eyes light up before turning to see Dustin’s reaction. 

“Done,” the boy promises. 

“Dustin!” 

All three of you drop, closer to the ground. The voice comes from outside. You can hear heavy boots onto the steps of the porch before crashing his knuckles against the wood. “Dustin, your mom called.” He groans before knocking again. “Common, I know you’re in there - I can see the light on.”

Steve Harrintgon’s timbre is incredibly clear. He is here, a simple door away to finding out the truth. 

Your heart races faster than it ever has, faster than when you thought you were going to die. You panic, thinking what would happen if Kas and Steve come face to face in such an abrupt manner.

When you whip your head to Kas, his face is calm and unbothered. It gives you strength - a chance to take a breath. 

“Henderson, please. It’s already midnight and Robin’s in the car. If you don’t come out soon, she’s gonna start holding down on the horn,” Steve says with an exhausted tone. A huge yawn follows his words.

Dustin shoots his eyes towards Kas. He gestures for you both to move, to make your way to the kitchen. Kas nods, and guides you over with your intertwined hands.

“Just wait a damn second, Harrington,” Dustin spits out. “I’m getting my shit.” Kas leads you behind the fridge, squeezing your hand in repetitive pulses until you both are safely hidden. 

Dustin swings the door open and steps outside, pushing his way through Steve’s burgundy sweater. “Dude, you gotta stop coming here,” he scolds as the boy closes the door behind him. “How did you even get in?” The voices trail off, but you remain silent, still, and pressed against the fridge. 

Upon hearing Steve’s car pull away, you let out a breath of relief. You instinctually let go of Kas’ hand, stretching your arms and cracking your knuckles to release the tensing pressure. “That was close,” you whisper under your breath. 

Kas slowly wraps his arms around your waist, digging your hips against his. “It was,” he says as his eyes rake over your features. One hand releases to brush a strand of hair behind your ear. It is almost as though he is lovingly adoring everything but your eyes, leaving them for last. 

“Should we finally get that rest now?” he suggests with a smirk. 

Your eyes fall on him as though this was your first time ever truly seeing him. The way his lips part when he looks at you. Those eyes that stop your heart every time they land on you. The way his curled locks land right on his collar bones. His alabaster skin, soft and sensual. The spider tattoo on his peck that you love so much. 

Before you knew it, your hand was trailing across his torso. Peck to peck, before sliding down his sternum and onto his belly. Your eyes were locked, as though they were in a trance, completely intoxicated by his incredible body. Almost as though an alarm went off, your head perks and returns back to hold his gaze. “I would like that.”

Kas smiles as he leads you back into the living room, back up the stairs, and back into the room that will forever, now, be deemed as yours. He lands back onto the mattress, floating upon its waves, as he guides you down beside him.

Your head rests where it belongs, on your favorite spider tattoo and just above his heart. His arm wraps around the small of your back. A hand lightly tracing dancing fingers against your upper arm as you pull closer into his chest. 

A sleep you have been waiting for. A sleep you deserve - you both deserve. 

“Good night, Kas,” you whisper against his skin. “Good night, darlin’,” he whispers back. 

“I love you.” 

note: people really need to stop bothering lolly and kas during their vacation stay at reefer rick's! also, i am physically cringing at the thought of kas meeting the party. I oh so very scared and idk what's gonna happen. get ready y'all.

season two finale • coming soon •

comment or reblog to join the taglist! [join our kas cult]

taglist: @babeyglo, @dotslabyrinth, @wheaty-melon, @mattymurdocksbitch, @sammararaven, @onlyfengs22, @ms1oftheboys, @ghosttownwherenoonegoes, @tayhar811, @hiscrimsonangel, @ali-r3n, @secretdryrose, @stranger-messenger, @ohmeg, @username7430, @seatnights, @bit-of-a-timelord, @nefelibata-dreams (🥰), & @squigglebottom (welcome😘)

• nav • no-no plagiarism • series • requests open •

[spurious]

Your McShep fics are giving me life. I'm CRAVING McShep content recently - its so hard to discover a love for old fandoms that are now less active! Please send me all the great other McShep fics you stumble across, I've burned my way through your whole library

Oh my goodness!!!! This ask plus the one from a few weeks ago are really telling me I need to get back to doing fic rec posts regularly!!!!!

First of all thank you so much for your kind words about my fic 💖💖💖💖 honestly for me SGA fandom feels soooo active, even though I know it was an actual juggernaut back in the day lmao. BUT that means that there’s a MASSIVE backlog of stuff to read!!!! Just insane amounts of staggeringly good fics!!!!

And second of all you can check all my previous rec posts here: the tag is sometimes ficlets I’ve reblogged but also lots of links and lists in there!!

ANYWAY. Let me see if I can rustle up some new recs for you my friend! I have a couple of unposted recs in my notes so we’ll pop those in first:

Five People Who Know by hestia_lacey | ~4k, rated E

Five people who know exactly how John Sheppard feels about Rodney McKay.

Only read this if you’re prepared to have your heart stomped on, but ahhhhhhhh. The first part, with Jeannie, is definitely my favorite.

Wishes on a Wheel by waterfalliam | ~3.2k, rated T

The sun is gentle, faintly wrong against his skin. The wind whispers against his arms and neck that he’s alive and that counts for something, he’s never wholly alone, he still has himself—but it’s nothing like the sea breeze that feels like home.

Absolutely beautifully sad introspective Epiphany!John piece, dealing with his depression and feelings of abandonment, with a sweet ending 💖

Solitary by @esteefee | ~5k, rated M

Four days in solitary gives a guy time to think. Unless he's an idiot.

Aggggh the John voice in this is immaculate (as is to be expected from esteefee ofc). Sardonically funny with a soft and chewy emotional core that just...takes a little time and a little chipping away at to get to. But, you know, worth it.

Followed by two faves from this year’s sga secret santa, both of them variations on the theme of John and Rodney making up:

In the Dark of the Night by @hero-in-waiting | ~5.8k, rated M

The problem with arguments is that they never happen at a good time. Which is a to be expected given their nature. And the problem with trying to make up is, at least in the Pegasus galaxy, they come at an even worst time. Especially when John and Rodney get stuck off world, running from some locals who took a dislike to them immediately and five days after an argument that, in John's opinion, had started over nothing.

But at least they were together?

Love the concept of this one, love them being forced into life or death situations before being able to talk about their feelings, looooove the misunderstanding on Rodney’s part 🥰🥹

When I Think of All the Worries That People Seem to Find by @audioletter | ~2.3k, rated G

After ten years of being together, John acts like John and Rodney acts like Rodney.

Absolutely cried reading this I love it so much. The depth of knowledge that they have for each other after so long is so apparent in the best, most beautiful way.

Aaaand let’s round it out with a nice long one:

Inukshuk by murron | ~80k, rated M

A mission-gone-south isolates Rodney and John from the rest of the team. Forced to search for an Ancient outpost, they struggle to keep each other alive until the time their kidnappers prepare to sacrifice the one and purify the other.

This is absolutely a mcshep fic but I almost found that taking a backseat for me in my enjoyment of the way that the plot unfolds, the way that it’s written? Absolutely spellbinding work, I struggled to put it down.

[flowervolcano]

Oh man… I just read Deadpool (2024) #6 and I GOT MUCH TO SAY. But I’m gonna keep this Taskpool centric, I might do an overall review on the full series later but there’s a few talking points specifically about Taskpool I’ve gotta say before I forget ‘em.

spoilers beyond the cut so DO NOT READ IF YA DON’T WANNA GET SPOILED!!!

At least I hope this works. It’s been a while since I’ve done this, I don’t usually even do review type thingys but I’m really hyped ^^

Let’s begin….

Really loved the way Tasky looked here. But also find this pretty funny considering back in Despicable Deadpool he threw a guy/his wheelchair at Taskmaster.

Interestingly enough, Wade called him Taskmaster more times in this comic than the previous ones. But he’s on business mode rn so he’s definitely keeping it professional!

Because not too much later he then calls him Task-Daddy— WHY DID HE DO THAT???? Tasky, you aren’t getting out of this anymore, I’m sorry… I had to full stop and process this. We kept making jokes… we did it for months now and Wade finally said what we all been saying 😭💀

This just interested me a lot. Both of them are talking about new territory, but it’s not the same kind. I think it’s really important for Tasky because he’s never actually been a father-like figure to anyone (not even his own daughter…) but maybe I was reading too much into this—

I know this is very much in character for Tony to wanna brand more since he’s broke, likes good business, etc, but I can’t help but feel like this equals him being a dad to Ellie, why? he’s never had to brand anybody before, but he obviously saw promise in her and even if Wade may have thrusted this mentorship onto them both, he didn’t HAVE to do it like this, that he is explaining the reasoning just felt like an excuse/deflection, it was like he WANTED to have a piece of himself in her outfit but he’s just gotta act cool about it.

I won’t lie when I say this “No Killing Rule” has piqued my interest the most, because to me, rules are made to be broken. And I am intrigued to see where this leads in the future and what will unfold. It is sort of a big deal for Wade to put onto Taskmaster, and I can think about how he may react if Ellie crosses that line— I mean it is his responsibility… I’m wondering if I’m thinking too much on this!

At first I just wanted to add this in and say isn’t he just gorgeous here? But then I realized the dialogue is something to poke at. He’s somewhat pulling her leg here, but I also think it could be interpreted in a few different ways; he’s never gonna admit that he’s protective of her, but he is. It’s not just hit reputation that he’s concerned about okay?

I also think it may be how he’s worked with Wade for a very long time, but with her, it’s a whole new world. It could go a lot of ways, but I’d like to think there’s a part of Taskmaster that is going to miss working alongside Wade and he doesn’t wanna confess. But being around Ellie is just gonna be a reminder.

Being around Ellie might remind him of his own daughter that he knows nothing about. And maybe he feels regretful about this. Idk maybe he doesn’t even remember her at all… depends on the writer.

—————

Loving the dynamic he’s got with her so far. They’re goofy and silly and I love to see him being the funny guy in the situation while Ellie is more serious. Nice change from Wade & Tasky. Really appreciate Ellie is her own person and not just a Deadpool 2.0, I think Tony likes that about her too.

Finally. Love seeing these two interact. A lot. This is something I will REALLY miss now that… well you know… now that stuff happened…. And at this very moment NEITHER TASKY OR ELLIE KNOW THAT WADE IS DEAD OH I AM SICK!!! (Also why did Wade look extra cute here… there was zero reason for it. Thank you Artist!!!)

Uh yeah and these were my little thoughts and such. I might of jumped over things and I’ve never really done posts like these. But this issue really itched my brain and so I wanted to discuss stuff a little haha. Hope y’all enjoy and ofc enjoyed the new issue!!!

[ladytauria]

tauria hello!!! i have ask game questions for you!!! placing them in your inbox like a cat bringing you a dead mouse 💕

🌵🪐🦷🪲🌸

hahaha hi bean, thank u sm for the asks! i give you answers the same way i praise my cats for their hunting skills

🌵 → share the link to a playlist you love

I don't actually listen to a lot of playlists—or, well. I do, but generally I listen to those like. Either the aesthetic comps on youtube or ones I curated for me lmao. And um. I don’t have links for the latter shsjdjdj And the aesthetic ones get flagged all the time :/

UM but as an apology for the lack of an actual playlist, have this song that was the inspiration for me to finally put together a jaytim playlist: Gently Break It - Beck Pete

🪐 → name three good things going on in your life right now

I have wonderful friends who I love and enjoy talking to!

I made cookies today! Chocolate chip w toffee pieces. I remembered the brown sugar this time (I make them from a cake mix, lmao, bc it gives u more cookies than a cookie mix in my experience) and they came out nice and chewy :) I’m so happy it’s cooled off enough that baking doesn’t feel horrible

It’s getting cooler so I am much comfier and also my cat snuggles with me at night more instead of abandoning me for the hotter

🦷 → share some personal wisdom or a life hack you swear on

Uhhh, hm. Something writing focused: when I wrap up writing time for the day, if I don’t have an outline or if I’ve deviated from my plans too much, I try to write a summary of my intent/plans, just in case I’m not able to return to the WIP the next day.

🧩 → add 50 words to your current wip and share the paragraph here

this is a few more than 50 words, Imao, but I added some of the previous lines for context, lol. anyway, this is bruce/jaybin aob smut <3

He doesn't, because he wants gentleness for Jason, this first time. And many times after, too.

Wants him to know the luxury of soft touches in the most intimate of ways and places, to be spoiled and loved and shown all the ways he can be made to feel good.

Not, he thinks, that Jason will be content with that forever.

Not the way he runs headfirst into danger these days, as Robin. The drive to protect and teenage hormones run wild, fueling the anger long burning under his skin—

Yes, Bruce thinks it won't be too long at all before Jason brings all that pushing and testing and brashness here, too.

It is fortunately much easier to subdue a bratty omega than it is a righteous Robin.

🌸 → do you have any pets? if you do, post some pictures of them

I do! I have two lovely little kitties <3 I used to have three, but unfortunately I had to say goodbye to my oldest, Tauri, three months ago (she was 13)—I'm including a picture of her anyway though.

In order from left to right, this is Tauri, George, and Little Bit!

[waitmyturtles]

Turtles Catches Up With Old GMMTV: Together With Me/MaxTul Ship Edition

[What’s going on here? After joining Tumblr and discovering Thai BLs through KinnPorsche in 2022, I began watching GMMTV’s new offerings -- and realized that I had a lot of history to catch up on, to appreciate the more recent works that I was delving into. From tropes to BL frameworks, what we’re watching now hails from somewhere, and I’m learning about Thai BL's history through what I’m calling the Old GMMTV Challenge (OGMMTVC). Starting with recommendations from @absolutebl on their post regarding how GMMTV is correcting for its mistakes with its shows today, I’ve made an expansive list to get me through a condensed history of essential/classic/significant Thai BLs produced by GMMTV and many other BL studios. My watchlist, pasted below, lists what I’ve watched and what’s upcoming, along with the reviews I’ve written so far. I’ve covered Love Sick, SOTUS, and Make It Right so far, and today I offer my thoughts on Together With Me and the MaxTul ship. Thanks to @manogirl for your encouragement to add this to my watchlist!]

Okay! Together With Me. Well -- well, well, WELL. 

First off: I’m VERY glad I added this drama to my list, and I want to give big ups again to @manogirl for being the loudest supporter of my adding this to the OGMMTVC and learning about the first high heat ship in Thai BLs. Secondly, I have to admit a mistake. I put Together With Me in-between the first and second seasons of Make It Right on my watchlist (pasted below), but I got the airing dates mixed up -- MIR2 aired before TwM, but I watched TwM first. Womp. I’ll fix my list below. (Thanks to @bengiyo for filling me in on important details about MIR2 so that I can make accurate comparisons in this piece!)

Even though I haven’t watched all of MIR2 yet, I can project from the early episodes what happens -- more heat, more chaos, more teenage angst. (MY DEAR CONFUSED FUSE. MY DEAR HEATY FRAMEBOOK.) 

Nevertheless, TwM still provided some fabulous comparative material for me to understand where BL had gone from the time of 2014/2015 Love Sick to the 2017 moment of TwM’s airing. 

2016 was a big year in Thailand, I now realize. SOTUS premieres as the first BL-BL -- the first show that was a BL, that focused solely on a main queer coupling. Then Make It Right airs, and it’s pulpy, wild, open, longing, full of implied teenage sex and direct communication about the befores, the durings, and the afters. Make It Right, as the dear @bengiyo stated, depicted a world in which teenage boys are able to explore queerness without being punished for it. 

Then we get in 2017, and the second season of MIR2, which has more implied heat than the first season. AND THEN, THEN: we get Together With Me. And just, WOW -- did this show ever benefit from the road that Love Sick, SOTUS, and Make It Right/MIR2 paved.

Why?

One thing I wonder is: could we have EVER gotten two JACKED jocks like Max and Tul in a BL ship if LS/SOTUS/MIR/MIR2 had NOT aired before TwM?

I would actually love to entertain that as a question to the family that reads these posts. Because my own thinking is: no. I’m thinking that Captain and White walked so that Max and Tul could do it on camera run. They warmed up the censors to maybe relax a little. I would argue that the previous BLs and BL-inspired material gave MaxTul the safety, as two clearly masculine-presenting men -- stereotypically jacked, jocky, college-aged, huge, masculine, male-men -- to be the first big heat ship, as @manogirl stated, in Thai BL. 

I think audiences were likely primed and ready, if they were following SOTUS (with no heat) and MIR/MIR2 (with high school-teenage heat), to GET some HEATY detail from some VERY BEAUTIFUL, SLIGHTLY OLDER MEN -- men who were also about to have some very moving queer revelations happen between them. 

In other words -- the audiences had been titillated enough. As @bengiyo has reminded me: yaoi manga was tremendously popular in Thailand at this time, and showmakers were taking notice. The audiences were likely ready for ACTION-action. And MaxTul were up to the challenge. 

(Also for context, I also want to acknowledge a note that @bengiyo sent to me about what Thailand was likely paying attention to across the rest of Asia -- as more BLs were coming out of Japan, Taiwan, and China before censorship. From those perspectives as well -- those different cultural reads on yaoi -- Thailand was likely also inspired. I seriously welcome input from the whole OGMMTVC family -- I’m thinking, besides @bengiyo, @absolutebl, @nieves-de-sugui, @so-much-yet-to-learn, and others might have insight on this -- about what outside cultural factors I’m likely missing from my analyses. I’d love to be filled in by the experts on any cross-cultural context y’all think is helpful from the comparative worldview of what was happening at this moment in time.)

So we get to MaxTul, KornKnock, that first scene of episode 1 that had me going WHOA -- I mean, I don’t know what I’ve missed in the intervening years, but even today, we don’t have many series just going STRAIGHT to it. 

I was impressed. 

Now, AFTER THAT? Oy vey, ha. 

I wrote in a post right after I finished watching TwM, that I felt like while I had watched a show in a university setting, that for some reason, a lot of the show took me back to high school.

I wouldn’t criticize TwM as necessarily missing something by way of tone. Rather, I would argue that TwM experimented with a kind of tone that at least I haven’t experienced yet in my otherwise chronological watching of early Thai BLs. Namely -- TwM approached its material with a kind of...flippant tone, if that makes sense.

The script was larded with sexism and sometimes crude insinuations about queerness. The show went into VERY questionable territory with two ethical boundaries of doctor-patient relations and teacher-student relations. (I admittedly could not help but think of the recent debates around the Wat-Sani ship in the recent Our Skyy 2 x The Eclipse episodes -- but I think the Kavi x Phu ship was on a different, much more problematic level, as there was active engagement by a teacher to ultimately not separate herself from a student.) (And that didn’t even come close to approaching the problematic nature of the Dr. Bright x Farm ship.)

Really quickly about the sexism, before I get back to the boys. It was really interesting to me when it was used, and when it was NOT used. Plern is, in the words of @lurkingshan, the ultimate faen fatale. Bitchy, conniving, smart-but-not -- a true villain. Aim of Love Sick couldn’t even try to compete. Prae was a ditz, and Miki was vengeful, but Plern thought she was smart, had it all, and deserved everything she wanted without trying.

But Yihwa presented with LOYALTY, intelligence, insight, and grace. And Faii presented with a chill demeanor and analytical skills, and surprisingly -- even while she was ASSUMED to NOT be athletic -- was shown playing soccer/football BETTER than the boys, which I think was VERY NICE to see in a 2017 drama. (That pushed a neat kind of boundary for me.)

Yihwa and Faii in particular defy the paradigm of setting up female characters against stereotypes of male success. What made them possibly the strongest female characters I’ve seen in a BL is that they used the characteristics of their enemies to get back at their enemies. That was smart. They broke through a lot of what could have really sunk this show, and lifted the show intelligently.

So what COULD have sunk this show? List time:

1) The Dr. Bright x Farm ship. I was honestly so grossed out by this that I don’t even want to spend time writing on it. And I am HELL-FUCKING glad that I am NOT going NEAR the second season, because I understand that there’s a redemption arc for Bright. I’m very disappointed by this storyline, as I think it saddles an out gay man with stereotypes about sexual preferences that can be done safely (like group activity), and instead presented those preferences as predatory. And then Farm goes from played-to-player. In my opinion, when the Tumblr fam warned me about this show being toxic -- this ship was toxic factor #1 by far.

2) Knock and his cluelessness. Holding on an actual MaxTul analysis for the moment -- Korn and Knock were interesting characters for me to see interacting with each other. I mean, Korn’s admission to Knock, I would argue, actually came (HA HA) a little fast (HA HA) for Knock to process. No, but seriously. A passionate hook-up, Knock’s VERY adamant reaction towards Korn afterwards, and then Knock’s warbling back-and-forth between Plern and Korn. Knock had everything happening to him and at him -- gay-for-you, lingering girlfriend, the inching back to his same-sex lover -- and I’d argue that Knock was just a little...let’s say....diluted and bro-y about it all. I could have seen a little more emotional passion. I could have seen a little more real and introspective struggle (save for the internet posts). I did like that conversation Knock had with Bright about “gay for you” -- where Bright, as an out gay man, kind of corrected Knock to say, yes, it’s a little gay, what you’re feeling -- but that’s okay, it’s normal, and I’m here for you.

3) Jocks in love. But Knock’s behavior, and to an extent, Korn’s behavior as well, was, well -- jocky. Knock, I think, was very much like -- “why is this all happening to MEEEEE, my broooosss, crying on my beddddd??” To me, at least, what reminded me about high school with this show WAS this jockish approach to romance. The show presented Knock posting on the internet, for instance -- but not spending time thinking exactly about what those posts and answers meant. 

For comparison, Bright and Farm, as the other same-sex ship in the show, were presented in a predatory match-up. We didn’t have femme-presenting characters (like Christina in MIR) or other trope-y or stereotypical elements of queer behavior that we had seen in dramas past. 

I think the jocks-in-love approach to this show, which came naturally by way of how Max and Tul LOOK and CARRY THEMSELVES -- was risky. Knock was kind of the perfect nickname for that character. He wasn’t a dude that was very able to read between any lines. His true revelation about Plern came when idiot Plern spilled her beans to other people, that dumbass. And I think a lot of the way Knock accused Korn of Korn’s own feelings, and Korn’s behavior in “taking advantage” of Knock, came out of jockish cluelessness. When Korn said, “I love you, dipshit!”, “dipshit” was ABSOLUTELY the right word to use to the continually clueless Knock. 

ALL OF THAT BEING SAID. (Leaving Bright and Farm aside forever, let us never speak their names again.)

I think Max and Tul themselves were a revelation. Were they AS SKILLED ACTORS as Singto in SOTUS, or Ohm and Toey in Make It Right? Oh god, no. Were they AS BAD as Krist? No, no, no one comes close. And were they AS INEXPERIENCED as Captain and White when those two first debuted? Also, no.

Max and Tul, I think, seized a different damn moment. I’m actually not sure I’d say there was electric chemistry between them. I think they both acted WELL, but there wasn’t EMOTIONAL sizzle, at least the kind I look for. They were certainly bros and homies -- but longing gazes à la Tee and Fuse, they did not have.

What they DID do, with their PHYSICALITY, was break boundaries by way of what we could SEE, without needing to read between lines or analyze shit. We just SAW THEM DO IT, tear off shirts and make out and bounce around and show off their muscular anatomy, and I think THAT was actually groundbreaking. I think IN THAT -- the boys knew EXACTLY what they were doing, they KNEW they could do it well, and they DID do it well -- and I didn’t see an iota of hesitation from either of them. And I thought that was really impressive. And I think these guys knew -- by DOING THAT SO WELL -- that they were breaking important ground in the world of television BL. The viewers -- those viewers who, like Knock, don’t like or WANT to read between lines -- THEY GOT what Max and Tul were serving.

What I also find impressive is that these guys IRL are serious allies. Their social media profiles, for the both of them, are gilded with allyship. That’s huge to me. (Tul at NYC Pride, come awn.) They’re owning their ownership of a slice of representation -- again, as jocky dudes in real life who engage fearlessly in queer material. (I now can’t wait for The Outing.)

Honestly? Yes, TwM was at times either painfully and/or hilariously toxic. I think the Bright x Farm ship is violent and harmful, and I truly wish it didn’t exist.

But I’m glad I watched TwM because -- well, fuck it, I’m an old mom, and I like to see jacked, shirtless dudes sometimes.

BUT ALSO: I think the makers of TwM knew that there were VIEWERS who WANTED TO JUST SEE QUEER MEN BE QUEER MEN WITH MEN, and you know what? I think the show’s creators said to themselves -- well, hot damn, maybe we have something here. And now’s (in 2017) the time for it. Sometimes I don’t want to read between the lines, too -- sometimes, I want a show that I can watch with a damn martini in a Solo cup and just be like, ooooh, man tiddies!

And the show creators found Max and Tul for Bad Romance, and realized, yes -- let’s spin this off, because there’s an audience out there who wants this. And I think that was accurate then, and now. Award-winning actors, Max and Tul are not. But they are VERY important to my historical understanding for how queer representation was progressing in BLs at the time of TwM -- in a vastly different fashion than Love Sick, SOTUS, and MIR had set up in their own worlds and their own paradigms. 

I think TwM created a paradigm of its own -- one that I think has helped BL to grow at least in quantity, maybe not in quality, but at least paved a road that allowed creators to think and to say, well -- if we lead with the sex, we can still make a show. I see the OG BL fans on Tumblr marveling often at the sheer volume of BLs we have now. I want to think that that happened in part for what TwM created -- the permission, the openness, and the standard to do just that. And for the fans that want that content? We live in a world now where we have our fair share of shows to choose from. I think TwM created a paradigm that we didn’t know we needed in 2017. And I don’t regret -- even if it’s not my preferred style of drama -- having the option to watch a cheesy, jocky show every so often. Instead, I feel lucky that in 2023, I can have my choice.

[Alright! It was so much fun late-night liveblogging TwM and hopping on the Yihwa bandwagon, and I’m getting back into doing it for Make It Right 2. Thanks to everyone who answered my questions about TwM along the way: @manogirl, @nieves-de-sugui, @absolutebl, @crowie, @clairificusrex, @respectthepetty, @bengiyo, @shortpplfedup​, @kyr-kun-chan, @telomeke, @miscellar (I will always be looking for the BBS connections, friends telomeke and miscellar, haha), @lurkingshan​, and apologies if I’m missing anyone else -- thank you, family!

Watchlist update below, which is corrected for chronology for Make It Right 2. And...unbelievably...I’m adding something else to this list. I’m gonna add SOTUS S. I vowed I wouldn’t because of Krist, but. Since I am NOT, EVER, going to watch the continuation of TwM, I want to watch the continuation of another early series, besides Make It Right 2/FrameBook, to see the maturing of a relationship, as I’ve been involved in excellent convos with @bengiyo and friends about how length-and-depth-in-committed-relationships is NOT the most popular of BL themes -- but it’s a theme that literally brought me to Asian BLs via Kinou Nani Tabeta so many years ago. (I’ve read a lot that SOTUS S is better than SOTUS anyway, and it has my beloved Nammon in it.) I’m wondering if seeing a relationship developing and maturing is an important movement for Thai BLs at the end of 2017 into 2018, maybe a theme that hadn’t been explored YET, before TwM’s continuation, and one that might feed into the shows of 2018 and beyond. And I’m wondering if it’s important, as MaxTul was, for seeing the KristSingto ship move forward -- especially as I get prepared to FINALLY get to He’s Coming To Me, and getting to understand the impact of what Aof, Singto, and Ohm Pawat did to split the KristSingto ship. As always, I welcome any feedback!

1) Love Sick and Love Sick 2 (2014 and 2015) (review here) 2) SOTUS (2016) (review here) 3) Make It Right (2016) (review here) 4) Make It Right 2 (2017)  (watching) 5) Together With Me (2017) 6) SOTUS S (2017-2018) 7) Love By Chance (2018) 8) Kiss Me Again: PeteKao cuts (2018) 9) He’s Coming To Me (2019) 10) Dark Blue Kiss (2019) 11) TharnType (2019) 12) Theory of Love (2019) 13) Dew the Movie (2019) (not an official part of the OGMMTVC watchlist, but I want to watch this in chronological order with everything else) 14) Until We Meet Again (2019-2020) 15) 2gether (2020) 16) Still 2gether (2020) 17) I Told Sunset About You (2020) 18) A Tale of Thousand Stars (2021) (review here) 19) I Promised You the Moon (2021) 20) Not Me (2021-2022) 21) Bad Buddy (2021-2022) (thesis here) 22) KinnPorsche (2022) (tag here) 23) The Eclipse (2022) (tag here) 24) My School President (2022-2023) 25) Moonlight Chicken (2023) (tag here)

[lucienarcheron]

Bouquet Full of Loathing [ Elucien ]

Inspired by: this  and the Flower Shop Modern AU - Person A owns a flower shop and person B comes storming in one day, slaps 20 bucks on the counter and says “How do I passive-aggressively say fuck you in flower?” | Originally posted on my previous blog on 10.01.2017.

Pairing: Lucien x Elain Genre: Fluff/Humor Rating: SFW Recommended listen: McFly - Love is Easy

Author’s note:  This was my first ever acotar fic and will always hold a special place in my heart!

*slam*

“How do I passive-aggressively say fuck you to someone in flower?”

Lucien was furious. He was fuming. He was positive that if was possible, he’d actually be on fire. It was too fucken early for him to be going back and forth with his coworker but that bitch loved to undermine him and continuously make his life hell at work.

Due to his outburst after their latest argument, his manager, who also happened to be that demon’s manager, was forcing him to make amends by buying her a nice bouquet of flowers to say he was sorry. Which he wasn’t. Not even in the slightest. But oh, she was going to get that bouquet of flowers.

The Fawn’s Greenhouse was only a few blocks away and taking a walk gave him a way to release some of his anger. But what he didn’t expect was to find a beautiful young woman behind the counter, staring at him like he was crazy. Then again, who walks into a flower shop and demands those kinds of flowers?

His eyes went to the nametag on the front of her dress and he felt his face go red.

Elain. Such a pretty name for such a pretty girl.

Elain, on the other hand, was slightly taken aback.

She loved her flowers. She loved any flowers.

She loved growing things in her garden and every single part of the process mattered to her; planting the seeds, watering them, monitoring their growth, and finally when they blossomed. Her flowers were her babies.

When Feyre and Nesta offered to pitch in and help her open her own flower shop, she was over the moon. Her own savings had fallen a little short and she was thrilled to have the support from her sisters. The Fawn’s Greenhouse was only a few blocks away from where Nesta worked as an editor at a literary agency and a few extra blocks from where Feyre taught Art at the local community college.

It was a great way for the three of them to meet for lunch or dinner quite often, as they would be tonight.

But to Elain, flowers meant many good things: happiness, gratefulness, new beginnings, apologies, and forgiveness. So when this strange angry red-headed man stormed into her shop and slammed money on the counter, growling at her, she was very taken aback at his request.

Elain finally blinked rapidly then chuckled. “Well, hello.” she said and leaned against the counter. “There are a few different ways to do that, Mr…?”

All the anger that Lucien had walked in with completely vanished and was replaced with awe as he took in her features. Gods, she was gorgeous.

Elain tilted her head to the side and Lucien almost combusted as she gave him an encouraging smile and he cleared his throat.

“Lucien.” he mumbled, a hand rubbing the back of his neck, the color on his cheeks matching his hair. “My name is Lucien.”

“Welcome to my flower shop, Mr. Lucien.” she replied automatically and gave him an even wider smile. “I see someone’s ruffled your feathers this morning.”

Lucien snorted, causing Elain to giggle. “Ruffled my feathers. More like plucked all my feathers to death that psychotic bit —” he cut himself off as Elain gave him an amused look. “I’m sorry. Let me start over.”

Elain watched, trying to hold back a laugh as Lucien took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. He smiled at her and she smiled back.

“Hello.”

“Yes, hello.”

“You have a very lovely flower shop.”

“Thank you! I’ve worked very hard on it.”

“You are also very lovely as well.”

“You aren’t so bad yourself.”

“You could tell me I looked like a piece of filth and I would honestly take it as the highest of compliments.”

Elain burst out laughing at that and Lucien grinned. Score for him.

“Well, that wouldn’t be very nice to say to anyone.” Elain replied, shaking her head with another chuckle. “Besides, it wouldn’t be true. You’re quite lovely yourself.”

Lucien leaned against the counter, the gap between them growing smaller. “I have never felt so lovely in my entire life.” he said, and with an exaggerated flick of his wrist, tossed his hair over his shoulder.

Elain laughed again and Lucien realized he’d only been in the shop for five minutes but he’d sell his soul to hear that sound over and over again.

“You have quite the humor, Mr. Lucien.”

“Lucien. Just...Lucien.” he corrected her gently with a smile. “Mister sounds too formal and I’d prefer to be on casual terms with the person that’s going to give me my special request flowers.” 

“Your ‘fuck you’ flowers?” she asked with a grin and he had the audacity to give a nonchalant shrug.

“The person deserves them, I can assure you.” he replied and sighed. “It’s my coworker. She makes my life a living hell at work. We had a fight and my manager is forcing me to get flowers as an apology. This is me trying to be nice.”

“By sending her ‘fuck you’ flowers?” Elain asked again, her lips twitching. She wondered about this so called ‘horrible coworker’.

“Keyword here, is trying.” he said with a grin and Elain laughed. “Not all of us can be as nice as you, Elain.”

Elain’s cheeks flushed. She liked the way he said her name a lot more than she’d care to admit.

“And how do you know I’m nice?” she countered, leaning off the counter and crossing her arms across her chest with a smile. “You’ve only just met me.”

“Your name is Elain, you’re beautiful, and you own a flower shop. You could literally stab a man in front of me and I would just say he had it coming.” Lucien promptly replied. He sounded insane, he was well aware, but instinct told him he wasn’t wrong. “Also, you smell really nice.”

Elain rolled her eyes and wanted to curse herself for the blush on her cheeks and the smile that was way too wide. “Are you always this shameless of a flirt, Lucien?”

He straightened up as Elain pulled out a book from under the counter and placed it in front of him, flipping through the pages. “Only with pretty girls who own flowershops named Elain.” he said and gave her a charming smile when she paused her flipping to look at him.

She shook her head and chuckled lightly. He was shameless. Very handsome but oh so shameless. “So,” she started, going back to flipping through her flower book for the right ones to fit his order, pointing as she explained. “We have a few options for your amusing choice in the bouquet. There are Geraniums — Horseshoe Geranium which specifically means stupidity and Foxglove flowers which can mean insincerity. There’s also Meadowsweet flowers which mean uselessness, Yellow Carnations that indicate you’re disappointed in a person and last but not least, Orange Lilies which symbolize hatred.”

Elain finally looked up at Lucien, whose grin had gotten wider and wider with each flower that she rattled off and she laughed at his expression. “I take it all these options sound good?” she questioned with a raised brow.

Lucien’s grin was wicked. “Oh, these sound fantastic. Can I have a mix of them all in a bouquet? Please?”

Elain rolled her eyes and chuckled. “As you wish, good sir.” she said then pursed her lips as she started writing down his order. “Is there a note you’d like me to add with the bouquet?”

His eyes lingered on her pursed lips long enough that Elain had to look up confused at his silence and a blush crept on both their faces.

“Sorry.” he said with a sheepish grin and Elain bit her lip, holding back a smile as she continued filling out the order. A moment passed in silence before she responded.

“I don’t mind.” she said softly.

“Good. Because there’s a lot to admire.” Lucien responded, leaning back on the counter, closer to her.

“I’m sure getting spoiled with compliments today.” she said, giving him a playful smile and he grinned in return.

“They’re all well-deserved compliments. I meant them all.”

“Oh, I know. It’s why I haven’t kicked you out yet.” she said as she moved around her counter, grabbing a note card for him to write on and a pen as he laughed. “For your note. The bouquet shouldn’t take too long...I’m caught up on all my early orders. Would you like to wait or should I have them delivered?”

She tilted her head, waiting for his answer and the smile she gave him told him their thoughts were on the same wavelength.

She wanted him to wait.

And wait he would. He’d wait an eternity for those fucken flowers as long as she kept talking to him. Lucien had shamelessly told her this, realizing too late that he was babbling his thoughts aloud.

Elain’s laughter was enough to ease his embarrassment and the two continued chatting as she moved about, putting the bouquet together. Lucien watched her, appreciating the way she moved and talked and the way she laughed at his jokes. Elain’s cheeks were stained red as they talked, trying to contain how much she was enjoying the attention he was giving her, and how invested he was in everything she was saying and doing. Their conversation was comfortable and flowed so naturally that both of them were slightly disappointed in how quickly she finished.

Giving him a shy smile, she gently placed the finished bouquet in all it’s glory in front of him. “Here it is!” she said cheerfully. “Your requested bouquet. Beautiful and full of loathing.”

Lucien grinned, eyeing her work approvingly. “It looks stunning.” he replied and Elain smiled widely, pleased. “Just like the lovely lady who put it together.”

Elain giggled as he reached out, taking her hand and kissed it. “You’re too much.” she mumbled and Lucien chuckled.

“I can’t help it. Something about you…” he said quietly and the two locked eyes.

“Something about you too.” she agreed and Lucien smiled. He paid her and balanced the bouquet in his hands. His eyes flickered between the bouquet and the beautiful girl who had made it and he quickly licked his lips.

“Would...would you like to go out to dinner sometime?” he asked and relief filled his whole body as she beamed at him.

“I would love to.”

“Great! Friday night?”

“I’ll be ready at 6:30.”

“Perfect.”

Elain smiled at him then grabbed one of her notecards and quickly jot down her number. “I expect more shameless flirting till then.” she said softly, curling a strand of hair behind her ear.

“And I will be more than happy to oblige.” He replied, giving her a wink and Elain giggled.

“I’ll see you Friday then.”

“I’ll be flirting with you sooner than that though.” he replied and she winked at him in return, a blush erupting on both their cheeks.

“I look forward to it.”

“Gods, you’re so fucken cute.” Lucien mumbled and Elain laughed, dipping her head shyly. “I have to leave before this kills me.”

She covered her burning face, grinning widely as she then waved him off. “Go back to work before you get fired.”

“Worth it.” he said, using his free hand to make a finger gun and she snorted softly as he waved then finally left the shop.

Elain bit her lip, smiling to herself. In one way or another, her flowers were always bringing her joy.

~

Elain rushed into the restaurant where she had agreed to meet her sisters earlier that day. She was very excited to tell them about her encounter with Lucien. He had kept his word about the shameless flirting and had her phone buzzing all day; she still couldn’t believe how it happened.

Her pace slowed down when she saw Feyre and Nesta, both seated at their usual table, secluded in a quiet corner of their favorite place. It wasn’t until she was close enough to hear their conversation that she froze completely. On the chair next to Nesta was her sister's bag and a bouquet of flowers that was strangely familiar.

Too familiar.

“And then this asshole hands it to me with a note that says ‘I’m sorry’ in quotation marks like the sarcastic little shit he is.” Nesta snarled and Feyre started laughing. “And then adds that I should look up the meaning of each flower to really appreciate his apology. I’m going to ask Elain what they mean.”

“You are really mean to him, Nes. I’m sure he’s not as horrible as you make him sound.”

“He’s a piece of shit. It brings me joy to make him miserable.” Nesta said with a snort and then noticed Elain. “Elain! You’re finally here. Come on, we’re starving.”

Elain approached the table and sat down slowly, smiling nervously. Oh boy.

“...Nice flowers, Nesta.”

“Thanks.” Nesta replied with a wave of her hand and then picked them up to show Elain. “I got them from a shithead at work as an apology. What do the flowers mean?”

Elain groaned internally. It was indeed her own bouquet full of loathing. She bit her lip. “The guy who gave them to you...his name is Lucien, right?”

Nesta froze and Feyre looked at her curiously. “Yes.” she hissed. Quickly grabbing the note card again, Nesta looked it over. “How did I not notice that he got them from your shop!? That bastard! Did he bother you?!”

“No! He was very sweet.” Elain replied quickly, blushing. “Actually...he asked me out on a date and I said yes. We’ve been texting all day.”

Silence fell on the table before Feyre burst out laughing and Nesta snarled, “What?!”

“It’s later this week. I’m...looking forward to it.”

“Like hell you’re going!” Nesta hissed. “With that idiot! That good for nothing garbage can —”

Elain cut her off with a look. “Nesta.”

Feyre’s laughter had finally subsided and she wiped at her eyes. “Nes...you should be excited for her. She likes him!”

Elain narrowed her eyes at Nesta’s face that was filled with rage, daring her to argue. Feyre looked between the two, her lips twitching.

“So what’s he actually like, then?” Feyre quickly asked. “We know Nesta hates him and makes his life living hell at work.”

Elain gave Nesta one more look before her eyes flickered to Feyre’s face and she gave her a small smile. “He’s actually really nice and funny. I —”

“He has a glass eye and a scar across his face!”  Nesta’s growl interrupting her.

“So?!” Elain automatically replied, pouting. “He got it in an accident! It makes him a strong person!”

“He has a glass eye!”

“It makes no difference to me! I like his personality!”

“He’s an asshole, Elain!”

“You think Cassian’s an asshole too and you’re living with him!” Elain hissed back. “Your judgement isn’t exactly perfect!”

“Well, she gets dicked down by Cassian so I mean…” Feyre interjected with a shrug and Nesta glared at her, her cheeks burning.

“That is irrelevant.”

“Is it, Nes? Is it really?” Feyre asked with a raised brow.

The table fell silent again as Nesta and Elain glared at each other and Feyre tried her best not to laugh. It was only when her phone beeped that Elain torn her eyes away from the vicious staring contest with her sister.

Text from: Lucien How’s dinner going with your sisters? Hopefully, I’m not interrupting anything.

Elain’s eyes looked back up at her sisters and her blush gave away who she was talking to, causing Nesta to glare even harder and Feyre to grin widely.

Text from: Elain No, not at all! I was just telling them about you…funny enough, one of my sisters knows you.

Text from: Lucien Really? What a small world! Which sister is that?

Elain hesitated before she sent the next message.

Text from: Elain The coworker you bought the bouquet full of loathing for. She goes by the name Nesta…though you might refer to her very differently.

Elain bit her lip, frowning after she sent the message. She flipped her phone over and then looked at her sisters.

“Now he knows we’re sisters.” Elain grumbled as Feyre rattled off their usual orders to the waiter.

“Good. If he’s smart, he’ll back off.” Nesta growled and Feyre shoved her gently.

“You back off. Let her live.”

“I don’t like him.”

“There’s a surprise.”

Elain’s reply didn’t make it to her mouth when her phone started ringing. Flipping it over, she blinked in surprise at Lucien’s name popping up. She immediately picked up.

“Hello?”

“I’m so sorry for interrupting you at dinner but I realize how awkward this position is for you right now.” he said, hoping he sounded as apologetic as he felt.

Elain chuckled, a small smile on her face. “Are you calling to tell me our date is canceled now?”

“No.” he replied and Elain’s smile grew wider at how horrified he sounded at the idea. He cleared his throat. “I actually wanted to apologize for saying those things about your sister earlier and I promise that I’ll behave and keep work and personal life separate so that you don’t have to feel weird because your sister and I hate each other. Professionally speaking.”

Elain laughed softly. “Just professionally?”

“...Please don’t make this more difficult for me.” he whined softly on the phone. “It’s bad enough I bought her a bouquet full of loathing from her own sister’s shop.”

“Plot twist, isn’t it?”

It was Lucien’s turn to laugh. “Yes, it is. Does she know what the flowers mean?”

Elain grinned. “Not yet.”

“Let’s keep it that way, please.”

“Fair enough.”

“Really, Elain? You’re letting that walking pile of trash interrupt our dinner like this?” Nesta said, making sure she was loud enough to be heard on the other end of the line.

Elain gave Nesta a reproachful look as Feyre shoved her again. “Behave.”

“Fine...but let me talk to him. He is my coworker after all.” Nesta said, her tone calm. She held out her hand.

Elain looked at her suspiciously but Nesta just wiggled her fingers. Her mouth went into a thin and she sighed. “Lucien, Nesta wants to talk to you.”

“More plot twists.” he said, chuckling.

“You don’t have to.” Elain automatically said but both Lucien and Nesta responded at the same time.

“Yes, he does.

“Yes, I do.”

Elain groaned and then held the phone to her chest. “Nesta...please be polite.”

“No guarantees.”

Squinting at her older sister, she finally handed her the phone with a sigh, pressing on the speaker so they could all hear.

“Hello cockroach.” Nesta greeted him and Elain facepalmed as Feyre snorted.

“Hello demon.”

“Of all the people you decided to hit on, you had to choose my sister?”

“I respectfully asked her out on a date. She’s a grown woman. I don’t really think it’s your business.”

“It isn’t.” Elain added and Nesta squinted at her.

“I’m going to be watching your every move and I swear to god if you so much as lay a finger on my sister, I will crush you with my bare hands.” Nesta threatened in one breath. “That is a promise you filthy little vermin —”

Elain snatched the phone from her hand as Feyre cut her off. “Nesta!”

“Jesus christ, Nesta. I’m not going to hurt Elain!” Lucien hissed on the phone.

“What if I want him to touch me?” Elain snapped, knowing it would silence both her sisters and Lucien. “Hm? What if I — what’s the phrase you used about Cassian and Nesta, Feyre? What if I want to get dicked down by Lucien? Would that be such a big deal?”

Lucien made a sound on the phone that sounded like he was choking as Nesta gasped loudly.

“Elain!”

Taking her phone off speaker, she put it back to her ear and spoke softly, “Lucien, I’ll call you when I get home, okay?”

“Yup. Sounds good.” he responded, truly sounding like the air was being choked out of him and Elain's face turned red.

Closing the call, she eyed her sister and held up a hand as Nesta was ready to launch into a speech. “Listen. I know you’re my older sister and you worry about me because I love flowers and seem like a giant idiot who gets easily fooled —”

“That’s never how I think of you, Elain — “ Nesta quickly interjected, her face falling.

“And I know you’re worried about me because the breakup with Graysen was really bad and I was very hurt,” Elain continued, halting Nesta again as her voice shook. “But I am okay. I am fine. And I’m ready to try something new. So please….please be nice to Lucien. I want to see where this goes.”

Nesta fell silent and Feyre gently leaned over to pat Elain’s hand with a small smile.

“We know, Elain. We love you and support you in whatever decision you want to make.” Feyre said softly. “I look forward to getting to know him.”

“...I’m sorry.” Nesta added and reached out to place her hand on Elain’s other hand. “I’ll behave...Try to be nicer to him.”

“Thank you.” Elain said, a relieved smile on her face until Nesta clenched her hand tightly with death in her eyes.

“But if I ever heard the term dicked down and Lucien in the same sentence again, I will kill someone.”

Silence fell on the table once more as Elain closed her eyes, internally groaning at how she was going to have to address that with Lucien when she got home.

It wasn’t until the waiter served their dinner and walked away that Feyre finally broke the silence.

“But what if she does want to get dicked down by Lucien? Elain sounded very enthusiastic.”

“Feyre!” Nesta hissed as the youngest sister broke down in giggles.

Elain groaned audibly now, her face in her hands knowing Feyre was never going to let this go.

“I’m just saying, go Elain, if she does. Nesta said he was a redhead, do you think the carpet matches the drapes?”

“Feyre —  I swear to all the Gods I will stab you with this fork if you don’t stop.”

“Elain, you’ll be sure to share details, right? I want Nesta to know every detail of when you and Lucien finally get down to business.”

“Feyre —”

“Ohhhh what if Elain visits him at work and you walk in on her getting dicked down by Lucien in his office? On his desk?”

Feyre squeaked as Nesta assaulted her in some form or another. Elain had given up, sighing deeply, her face burning.

Who knew a bouquet of flowers would cause so much trouble?

[tacoma-narrows]

Tac's Yearly OC Art Shirt Design - 2023!

IT’S FINALLY HERE!!! For anyone who doesn't know, every year I make a collage of a bunch of art I've gotten of my characters over the preceding year, and get that printed on a t-shirt for myself!! I do this as a way of thanking everyone who's made me something, regardless of if its on this shirt or not, and then showing it off to other people any time I wear it! This is the 5th year in a row that I've made one! :D

I’ve had the design for about a week now, and the shirt actually came really early in the mail this past Friday, so I wanted to make time to finally post this!

But yeah!! The majority of these are commissions, with a good showing from Art Fight as well, and then a mix of trades, gifts and so forth ^^

There are 11 different characters of mine on here, but clearly, this has been the Year of the Starburst lmao, she’s got TEN pieces on here! Can u spot them all? hehe. Overall, included in here we’ve got: Shep, PB, Starburst, Luau, Seabreeze, Rye, Pumpernickel, Wilkołak, Moxie, Isaac and Firecracker!

And of course! Those characters are represented through the 20 amazing artists who were all kind enough to allow me to include their work here!! Again, this is one of the ways I say thank you to anyone who’s ever made me something. Whether I included your work or not, I absolutely love anything anyone takes the time to make for me <33

And here are the people who made the art featured here! Go support their work if you don’t already! :D (Also linked are each piece they contributed!) @macaronichewtoyz! [ 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 ] @tsume-is-asleep! [ 1 / 2 ] @lesbianluxray! [ 1 ] @rolyjulioli! [ 1 ] @tropicalfox! [ 1 ] @darkxwolf17! [ 1 ] @creepincrawl! [ 1 ] Giveitapearl [Instagram]! [ 1 / 2 ] LunarGalaxyWing [Instagram]! [ 1 / 2 / 3 ] xThe.Real.Reidx [Instagram]! [ 1 ] FangGraves [Instagram]! [ 1 / 2 ] ToastyTrip [Instagram]! [ 1 ] HeyIsSammy [Instagram]! [ 1 / 2 ] Blootis [Instagram]! [ 1 ] Keeymann [Instagram]! [ 1 ] Band.1te [Instagram]! [ 1 ] Ott [Toyhouse]! [ 1 ] Glow_Squiid [Instagram]! [ 1 ] Honeypaws.Art [Instagram]! [ 1 ] Fruittyfoxx [Instagram]! [ 1 ]

To anyone wondering, no, this shirt is NOT FOR SALE!! This is a very personal thing for me every year, and of course it would be wrong of me to profit off the work of other people

Again, thank you all so much to those of you who’ve made me something at any point, who’s work I’ve included here, and just people who continue to support my work and what I do. It really does mean the world <33

You can see closeups of the design below the cut if you want! I'll also reblog this with my previous years' versions as well! :D

[carmenized-onions]

This is actually my first time ever commenting without being anon …. And I thought I would do that to wish you the HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS!!! I hope you took the time to enjoy the day before your inbox gets flooded from your newest chapter. I’m currently holding off reading it to write you and read the posts from the previous chapter to prepare. When I tell you I have been refreshing your account religiously, awaiting any and all updates….it was looking a little embarrassing for me there. So glad you’re back again so let’s get into it.

-I saw a comment on how your story is better than the show in a sense. 1000% agree. You have a way of writing all the right things to get us attached (and even a little heart broken)to the characters and storyline while giving us hope that good things can and should still be able to happen for them. Regardless of how they see themselves and the situation(we love an unreliable narrator). Idk if this would make sense to anyone but me, but in my mind this story is a Shakespeare sonnet to the show’s Greek tragedy. Sometimes I think about things that I would have liked to see different in stories I read. Didn’t happen once in any of your chapters so far. Everything seems so perfectly balanced.

-I also pretend Tony is just off screen in the show. Don’t worry guys. She’s just on another job. Girls gotta pay rent😭

- I love the relationship between Tony and Syd omg. Peak female friendship between these two, but wouldn’t be mad if it was more than that…we are severely lacking in Syd stories across all platforms. Enough has been said in other comments about Tony’s relationship with Carmy, but this dynamic with Syd really made me think. Do I want to be her or do I want to be with her?? 👀Mhm mhm I’m gonna let that one simmer on the back burner for a bit. Moving on…

- Speaking of relationships. Tony and Richie. Wow. Just wow. I think the scene of him being a bit protective with the gross chef and him thinking Carmy would be all over it if he would just listen to why Richie thought he was a creep, shows how protective he can be. Our boy did not want to let that behavior slide. Then the heart to heart in the parking lot. I was in tears. Full on ugly sobbing. I had to pause and put the phone down….then read it over to really process it. It hit so close to home for me and truly gave me chills. It was such powerful writing in the way it felt so real to both of them and so accurate to how they would feel. If only one relationship can survive, I petition it to be these two. Friends (cousins) for life.

- You’re the closest we’re getting to justice for the Uncle Lee shit and i love you for it. It felt therapeutic 😌

-Also, LOVED the small character of Union Guy who shouted when people got annoyed at the bar staff getting a break. Very much made me think of that Saul Goodman video “Did you know you have rights? Well the constitution says you do.” It truly is the little pieces of comedic writing that make this story incredible.😭

- Obviously, the main event is Tony and Carmy. I love their dynamic and the way they flow so organically with each other in the story. I look forward to these two every week. It truly feels like before when everyone had cable and you waited all week to sit down and watch an episode of your favorite show. Nothing I say can do justice to your writing of these characters. Chefs kiss😘🤌

With all that being said, I’m sorry this was sooo long. I truly could talk about this story for hours. It can be very difficult for me to stay engaged in stories, but you’re easily one of my favorite writers I’ve ever read. I can’t wait to go read the next chapter and see what you do next. And again Happy Birthday!

THAT MEANS THE WORLD THAT YOU’D COME OFF ANON, WHAT A SWEETIE!! My actual birthday was pretty Mid, alas, jobs. But the weekend was delightful, so thank you!! The chapter I dropped on my birthday was Two Steps Back, right? I can’t remember the concept of time anymore. Regardless, I don’t remember seeing you in my inbox about it, I would LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON IT!! No pressure though, also you fully may well be in my inbox and have already yapped about it— I’m terrible at reading. 

Ah, what a fuckin knife to the heart (in a good way, yknow? Like a sordid French romance knife to the heart). Greek Tragedy v Shakespeare Sonnet— That honestly helps my brain so much, because everytime I think about S3 I go FUCK I DIDN’T PREDICT RIGHT— And that’s just cause they wanted to go down the alley of We’re at Rock Bottom and we’re going to Dig Even Lower and that’s the tragedy— And I went for We’re at Rock Bottom and we’re going to Desperately Try To Claw Out and that’s the tragedy. 

Neither of them are bad ways of writing!!! So thank you for reminding me of that. Do I kinda prefer my way? Yeaahhhh… No one tell Matty!! No one tell, okay!!! Unless it means you can get me a job then yeah tell Matty!! I want an Emmy, baby, get me in that Writer’s Room!! Anyways, thank you for saying so— The balance comes from going to school to write and also from being a freak— Here, let me show you:

Ignore the birthday list i had a picnic and a beyblade tournament it was really fun also i lost neverTHELESS!! My notes app looks like this. There’s more but they’re for Chapter 14/15 so I cannot show, but yeah basically if you think I’m balanced, it’s because I’m. wired in a weird way. constantly re-reading and editing and revising and dying. call me carmen's menu cause baby i'm FUCKIN CHAOS

TONY’S JUST AT THE VIP BAR IN S3 GUYS OKAY SHE’S JUST OFF SCREEEENNN— Sigh, I really do hope Syd gets a good fuckin girlfriend (platonic or romantic) next season she is just,, she needs someone other than this fuckin’ family because they are making my poor baby TWEAK out here. I’m still noodling with how I will do a quick lil SquidInk spinoff. I feel like I can’t just do alternate timeline series, because it would be a lot of the same happening just with Syd and no familial trauma, but like,,, a cute little one off, I do have an idea for. So we shall leave it on the back burner for neeeoww. 

UGLY SOBBING??!?!?! FOR MMEEEE??!?!?!? ooooOOHFDGH— Thank you and I’m sorry, I’m so sorry but also thank you— Yknow? 

With all the growth Richie’s had, with his light bit of misogyny from S1, I knew the one thing that he absolutely carried with them from point A to B was be protective, be a gentleman— And so to see Carmen not act like he did— Bro became full girl dad. FULL girl dad moment. 

Can I also take a moment to admit something? I have been waiting a long time to do the parking lot scene, but I had pictured the parking lot scene way long ago, when I was considering writing a Richie fic! I did not think it was going to end up here until like chapter 3? 

The reason Richie and Chip became such close characters was truly born out of me not wanting to write Y/N, and so I wrote in Cousin and gave Richie the history of knowing the nickname Chip— Because originally, I’d thought Chip and Mikey would be very separate from the Beef. But I wanted cousin!! So their closeness was born, and now they’re literally my favourite dynamic in the series. Funny how that works.

I had to beat uncle lee’s ass on camera. I really cannot STAND that motherfucker and it is also SO FUNNY that in the immediate next note to reference Saul Goodman who is Uncle Lee— But yes that is absolutely what i was going for. That union scene in my head was originally going to be so much longer for literally no reason, and because there was no reason for it I cut it down, but it’s those MOMENTS THAT I LOVE TO WRITTEE BABBYYY

THANK YOU FOR SITTIN DOWN AND READING EVERY WEEK AWWEE— I wish The Bear was a weekly release honestly, I feel like it’d be so much fun that way cause what, right now we’d still be yelling about episode seven or eight by now? Ah. Love love love. My hopes are that I can get Ch 14’s draft done today and hopefully have something up in the middle of this week, but we will fucking SEE WON’T WE?

It was SUCH a pleasure to read your thoughts, and it really does mean the world to hear you’re so engaged and fuckin NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR GOING LONG!! It’s MY job to be brief (and I’m bad at it), you yap all you want. As a little gift, here is a tentative meme that I made in advance for the next chapter. The title is still pending changes, but right now Chapter 14 is called The Cat. Will this change? Probably, we’ll see. Everyone tell me if you hate The Cat.

what does it all meaaann?? theorize at your leisure SEE YOU SOME TIME THIS WEEK HOPEFULLY LOVE YOU !! also THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHOS GIVEN ME FUCKING MONEY YOU'RE ALL CRAZY!!!