#and the guy who came to paint my parent's house (I was watching it for them) told me that he goes to a church with a woman pastor even

[wokestonecraft]

obligatory disclaimer about not everyone in the south being a bigot, but by god, where else do I get told to my face by near strangers that they don't think women should be in positions of authority?

[sparxyv]

Milena Student ID 💜🦅

I decided to finally issue a proper introduction to Milena Chase for you guys so she doesn't remain a face without a story any longer 😤

Thank you for the template @kiwiplaetzchen !! 🫶

Brace yourself for a big infodump - here is Milena's backstory etc etc 🫠

Family

Milena Jacqueline Chase was born in 1874 to a French muggle, Henri Marie Chase, and a Japanese witch, Miyuki Hoshino.

Milena is the oldest of seven siblings.

The Chase Family™ is extremely rich, like, buttloads of money rich. Coming from a long line of vintners, they founded one of the leading brands of the best quality wines in Europe, as well as owned a luxury hotel in central Paris.

Milena's grandparents on her mother's side lived in Feldcroft, and still do. They often watched over the Sallow twins after their parents death when Solomon was busy. (Milena does not know her grandparents. 👍)

Miyuki - Milena's mother - was a Slytherin in Hogwarts, and was friends with Solomon Sallow.

Life Before Hogwarts

Growing up, Milena and her siblings resided in their family's hotel in Paris, France. Since their parents were too busy with business and galas, they were raised by the housekeepers and servants that worked at the hotel.

Milena was homeschooled, undergoing typical muggle education with many tutors over the years. She gained a passion for learning early on, intensively studying practically anything that piqued her interest! (my little Matilda LOL)

Milena did NOT go to Beauxbatons, yet showed signs of magic very early on. The only reason she was aware of magic and wizardkind because of her mother's house elf, Teeley. (we love Teeley 🫶)

She had so much free time on her hands that she'd mastered and studied so many different things, making her a true jack of all trades! Some of these things include - Chess, fencing, horseback riding, painting, embroidery, baking, PLUS she's fluent in German and Russian (in addition to English and French).

Relationships

I'm planning on going more in depth with Milena's relationships in a series of separate posts so I'm just going to list her closest friends 💜

Sebastian Sallow

Anne Sallow

Ominis Gaunt

Imelda Reyes

Athol 'Mousey' McGregor

Samantha Dale

Amit Thakkar

Natsai Onai

Garreth Weasley

Poppy Sweeting

Sacharissa Tugwood

Richard Jackdaw

Personality

MBTI - ENTJ-A

Alignment - Neutral Good

I really think of Milena's personality as close to the in-game MC as possible, but I do tend to wander from that sometimes.. 😗😗

Milena always strives to help out people when faced with trouble, but never actively seeks out problems to solve - they just always seem to find her. Nevertheless, she always takes on difficult situations and rises to the challenge.

It helps a lot that she's very self-assured, something that came out of spending most of her childhood alone and taking care of herself AND others. That being noted, she's a natural born leader. Milena is assertive and logical and can easily adjust and adapt to many different situations - which makes her the perfect person to deal with a certain Slytherin boy who's emotions control him and not the other way around.. 👀👀

Milena is an ambivert. While she enjoys socializing, she's also comfortable being alone. She doesn't exactly prefer one over the other though. Socializing comes easy to her, and she has a secure attachment style when it comes to her relationships, never really feeling insecure about them or getting jealous easily. Milena tends to be more mature, and she never internalizes things when people are rude - but because she's so calm and mellow, people are usually either drawn to her or intimidated by her.

As a Ravenclaw, Milena is naturally curious! She's constantly on the hunt to learn new things, which is why she enjoys exploring outside of Hogwarts so much, taking in everything she can about the hamlets and just the Highlands in general. Her curiousity helps her find wonder in even the smallest of things. She's very open-minded, yet nearly always at least slightly skeptical when it comes to new things. She can be very opinionated, but is always open to other perspectives.

Milena is not one to be overly expressive with her emotions (but to be clear - she doesn't hide them either 😗), yet she does have a side of her that naturally comes out only when she feels comfortable. With friends like Sebastian especially, she feels like she can let loose and be more playful as well as a bit snarky/sarcastic.

Additional Fun Facts!

I've already mentioned this before - but Milena's absolute favorite things in the world are BIRDS. Birds of all kinds. She knows everything about every species, and I mean everything. And somehow, birds naturally flock to her like she's some type of woodland princess.

Milena's hair is NOT naturally curly/wavy, nor is it naturally auburn! Prior to Hogwarts, she used a charm to change her hair color, but it seemed to have some extra effects on her hair texture too..

Milena doesn't often speak French after arriving at Hogwarts, but since it's her native language, she finds it much easier to express herself in French even though she speaks near-perfect English. She also enjoys sneaking in French phrases to occasionally mess with Sebastian since he has no idea what she's saying 🥰🥰

Her love language is gift-giving, but when it comes to receiving it would be acts of service and quality time.

Is VERY passionate about potion-making.

Becomes an animagus in the summer before sixth-year, her animagus form being a giant golden eagle!

Already mentioned but she's quite fearless, except for when it comes to mooncalves. (She's more creeped out by them than scared of them, though.)

More of a dog person - Raphael is the exception 💜

Seeker for Ravenclaw in her sixth-year!

[ellecdc]

L 😭 im a mess i cant stop listening to this song [https://youtu.be/4ELTaMB41OQ?si=7PCNCUQenoJsLQNC] and the only thing in my head is Regulus playing piano w reader 😭😭😭 like i imagine ofc the black parents forcing their children to learn art and music and french shit and playing piano stuck with Reggie bc it helps him kind of turn his mind off for a bit and just let his fingers do their thing 😭 then reader comes along not knowing how to but always loving to listen to reg play 🧍‍♀️ good bye

🩷

omg aweeee yes I see this - I totally see Reg as an artsy guy, both with instruments, painting/sketching, and maybe poetry (tortured souls, right?) this was so cute - and the song too! I've never heard it before so thanks for sharing!

Regulus Black x GN!reader CW: mentions of past family/parental abuse, sibling relationships

You weren't at all surprised to find him here. He'd gone quiet at dinner and excused himself as early as politely possible.

You leaned against the doorframe as Regulus' fingers skirted across the keys of the grand piano in the living room, murmuring soft lyrics you couldn't make out from this distance. The chance of the song being a cover or an original equally as likely.

Dinner's with his brother could sometimes be hard for Regulus - both parties feeling different levels of guilt over their respective treatment of the other. Living in a house with abusive parents meant you either adapted, or you died. Sometimes the boys would stick together - power in numbers and a sense of camaraderie. And sometimes, life was a little bit easier for you if it was your brother who was the object of your parents' attention.

That kind of environment didn't exactly support or foster a healthy sibling relationship.

It only grew worse after Sirius ran away.

All this to say - though the boys have done a lot of work on their relationship and reconciliation, sometimes memories were brought up in conversation that neither boy has had the chance to process fully, and they had to deal with that as it came.

Which brings you back to the living room after having cleared the table, washing the dishes and putting the left overs away.

You were friends with Sirius too - and you couldn't help but chuckle at how different the two boys ended up.

For example, you knew Sirius would rather sit naked on a hot grill than return to the seat of a piano; you supposed having your hands smacked with a ruler until the bled for messing up your scales could do that to a person. But somehow, Regulus seemed to find peace in the thoughtlessness of letting his fingers find their notes along the instrument he knew inside and out; the quiet of his mind gave him the chance to process his feelings.

You decided to stop being a creep from the edge of the room and join Reg quietly on the piano bench. He must have known you were there, because he never faltered or surprised at your appearance.

"Sorry I left." He murmured quietly. "I'll clean up later, I promise."

You leaned your head on his shoulder as you watched his fingers work, shaking your head. "I've already done the washing, don't worry about it."

He made a tsking sound as he leaned his head atop yours. "I didn't mean to leave that up to you, mon chéri."

"I was happy to do it."

"I'll make it up to you, hm? What would you like?" He offered as he kissed your head, the keys and their notes never faltering under his hands.

"Play me a song."

And he did.

[wyverndreamers]

WARNING for extensive talk about the dsmp and the characters in it !! THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH CC'S THIS IS PURELY STORY BABBLE

loving the dsmp revival going on rn (maybe it's only on twt but i don't post on twt, so sorry for dsmp posting on this account) but i really don't like how a lot of the 'revival' is bringing back a lot of c!tommy's mischaracterization as a whole. i can understand the URGE to smooth him out, into something malleable and kind of babied, because for a while there he was just seen as this really annoying character in fandom spaces pertaining to the dsmp, but i see this urge around the internet to turn tommy into a 'perfect victim' with his trauma when that's just not true at all. i say this as a c!tommy enjoyer, i used to watch his pov's RELIGIOUSLY and i say this as someone who has an appreciation for his story and hate to see it cheapened by this constantly crying, blue sweater wearing blonde baby i see on my TL a lot. apart of what made c!tommy compelling is that at certain points he was very petty, and abrasive. he would act on impulse, and not always in a good way. a lot of the time, yeah it did good in the long run, but in the moment a lot of the stuff he does are stupid impulsive decisions that could've ended in FAR worse scenarios. people really like to hold up his trait of loyalty but completely ignore that his loyalty to a fault always came with a subtle sense of ENTITLEMENT that they were supposed to do right, because he was following him, kind of like how a child would be mortified seeing their parents doing something socially wrong like yelling at someone else. and a lot of people in the fandom actually LIKE this aspect of his character, but mostly because it can add to their characterization of him that is of inherent helplessness and childishness. and its usually painted as a good, pure trait to have, fully ignoring how a lot of his childishness is actually willful ignorance- especially in the face of his actions and how they'll effect people around them. he might bend eventually and mutter out a sorry, but that's not something he really WANTS to do. tommy is someone usually fully fixed in his own perspective and you can especially see it in the way that almost every other character at some point gets irritated at him FOR this in certain places in the narrative. and a lot of people would actually have you believe this is a good thing, because they actually view tommy as always having a perfect perspective on everything all the time. they think because he's the closest thing we have to a 'morally correct protagonist' that he is inherently morally correct and thus should be worshipped like the next messiah that will lead the revolution against the evil-doers. except, tommy just does not have that inherently morally correct perspective. yes he wants to do right, but his sense of 'right' is not always what is 'good'. bro literally tipped the initial domino that led to Doomsday happening, and that's not to say that anything that happened because of him burning down George's house was his fault (quite the opposite) but he also knowingly burnt down George's house knowing that George was friends with Dream, and having the full knowledge of what they could do at least to the extent of the L'manberg revolution where they literally had a traitor on the in betray them all. he recklessly incited George's (and again by proxy, Dream's) wrath because he did a reckless action. it's okay to call this behavior reckless and brash guys, that doesn't mean you're saying he deserved to be exiled. i could go on, but again i say this as an enjoyer of the c!tommy storyline and arcs he goes through. i just don't appreciate it when the thing that made his character so compelling, is cheapened down because the fandom cannot fathom the idea of liking a character that responds in complex ways to complex traumas. maybe some people relate too hard, IDK i just don't understand how you can praise a character for being human and then take out everything that MAKES the character feel so human sorry if this wasnt constructive or coherent, i didn't beta read my tumblr post

[albertasunrise]

Oops Baby - One too Many

Masterlist

Summary: Being best friends with Frankie meant movie nights, drinks with the guys and a shoulder to cry on when you got your hear broken. He is head over heels for you but you don’t feel the same… yet a drunken mistake will tie your lives together forever!

Relationships: Frankie Morales x Reader

Warnings: Like AO3 I choose to give none. Read at own risk. 18+ (I am so excited to share this with you. Came up with this idea ages ago, just wasn't sure who to use. Was between Frankie and Marcus Pike... Though our cutie Fish would work best though. Hope you enjoy ♥️)

Series Masterlist -

"What's wrong with me Frankie?" You grumbled as you downed the last of your drink and motioned at the barman to get you another "I mean... Do I have cheat on me written across my forehead?"

"Nothing's wrong with you." He gave you a reassuring nudge and a sweet smile "The guy was just a fucking idiot and couldn't see how good he had it."

"You have to say that." You scoff "You're my best friend."

"No, I mean it." Fish pouted, his eyes growing sad "If I was with you I'd never let you go." His whole body went rigid at his confession and so did yours.

In all the many years you had known each other, Frankie had managed to keep his feelings for you buried. He had watched as you went from relationship to relationship. All of them ended the same way. You cried into his t-shirt as he fed you beers to try and numb the pain.

He coughed in an attempt to dispel the awkward silence that had now settled over you both. His left hand fidgeted in his lap as he grabbed his beer and drained the remainder of it in one large gulp.

"Another!" He said as he motioned at the bartender "Never trusted him you know." He stated as he returned his attention to you.

"No?" You question, your eyebrow quirking at his statement.

"Nah... Guys with eyebrows that well maintained are either cheats or gay." he stated plainly and you spat your beer over the bar "Woah... Mind the shirt."

"Sorry." You choke out as you bash your chest to dry and clear the beer in your throat "You can't say shit like that Francisco."

"What?... It's true."

"No I mean you can't say shit like that whilst I'm taking a sip of my drink!" You chuckled "You nearly killed me."

"You're smiling though, are you?"

"That I am." You agreed, giving him a sweet smile before supping at your beer again.

The two of you moved on to other subjects then. How Will had finally bitten the bullet and created an online dating profile. How Ben was smashing his fights and how Santi was expecting a baby with his wife in Australia.

"Talking of parents... How are mels?" You asked and his expression grew a little sadder at the mention of his, somewhat recently, deceased wife.

"They're doing okay." He replied with a nod "Taking each day as it comes. No parent expects to bury their kid..."

"I bet!" You sighed as you leaned into him and rest your head on his shoulder "I don't know about you... But I think we need more drinks!"

"You going to be okay to get home if you drink much more?"

Ahh sweet Frankie... always the worrier.

"I'll work it out Fishsticks."

"Please don't call me that." He groaned, throwing his head back dramatically before fumbling to catch his hat that had slipped off his head "You can crash at mine if you like?" He propositioned "Seeing as I have the house to myself for the weekend."

"Sounds good." You grinned, perking up immediately "Bartender! More beer please."

...

You weren't sure how you'd got here. One moment you were drinking with Frankie in the bar and the next you were pinned against his front door as he painted your flesh with kisses. His hat and shirt were long discarded and you revelled at his form. Strong arms, broad shoulders and a tiny waist. His tummy was a little softer but you found it endearing and you found your mouth watering as you unfastened his jeans and pushed them, along with his underwear, down his hips.

Then, in what felt like the blink of an eye, Francisco Morales... Your best friend of six years... Was naked as the day he was born in front of you. Normally this is where you would start to panic. Yet, you found yourself so wrapped up in the feel of him that you didn’t have time to. You were dragged back to the present when Fish plunged two thick fingers into your heat, pulling a filthy moan from you and you grabbed his biceps firmly as you threw your head back in pleasure.

"What me to fuck you right here or in my bed?" He purred in your ear and you clenched around his digits.

"Start here... Bed later..." Was all you could pant out before you were grabbing his length and stroked it as he roughly fucked you with his fingers "Fuck Frankie... I need you now."

"Mmmmm." He hummed as he grabbed your thighs and lifted you, wrapping them around his waist.

Your arms instinctively looped around his shoulders as he pushed you against the wall beside his front door, mewling as he drove into you in one deep thrust. He was easily the biggest you'd ever had. Filling you so deliciously that you knew after tonight, he was going to ruin all other men for you.

"Fuck you feel incredible." He growled as he pushed into you, finding your sweet spot almost instantly "Just like I imagined."

This statement would, in any other situation, have given you pause but right now as he continued to fuck up into you with a precision you'd not expected from him, you paid it no heed. He was literally fucking you dumb. Pleasuring every thought out of your head except for one.

A revelation that had taken you by surprise.

You sweet, quiet, reserved Francisco had a filthy mouth... And you loved it. You soaked it up. Revelled in his praise and bathed in the warmth that filled you. He was quick to tip you over the edge. Something guys often failed to do without some stimulation but not Frankie... Not he was able to make you cum with just his length and his mouth.

"That's it, baby." He purred when he felt you peak "Cum for me beautiful."

He fucked you through your high, attacking your neck with kisses and nips as he then went about chasing his own. He fucked you like his life depended on it. Focusing his thrusts so that he could wring every last ounce of pleasure from you before he fell.

"Frankie I'm... I'm..."

"I know baby." He cooed "Me too."

"I'm cumming." You sobbed as he pushed you over the edge one last time but this time you pulled him right along with you.

He collapsed against you, panting as he desperately tried to keep himself from collapsing to the ground. You were now a limp mess in his arms, panting and grinning like a fool as you smiled at him.

"Let's get to bed." Fish managed to say after a short pause "I wanna taste you sweetheart." He stated before pushing away from the wall and carrying you down the hall to his room.

It was going to be a long night.

...

Your brain was pounding.

You groaned as you rolled over to grab your phone, only to find it wasn't there. Two Tylenol and a glass of water, however, were waiting for you. Taking the tablets you threw them in your mouth before downing the water, practically groaning in relief. You then started to study your surroundings and realised that you weren't in your bed.

You were in Frankie's.

"What the hell;?" You questioned as you started to push yourself up and then you realised that you were naked.

Completely naked.

Your heart started to race then. Your mind reeled as you tried to remember what happened last night. You had gone for drinks with Frankie after learning your boyfriend of two years had cheated on you. Then things got a little blurry. You tried to focus... Things come back to you in flashes but then you remembered what you had done.

You had fucked Frankie.

"Shit." You groaned as you scraped a hand over your face "Shit, shit, shit!!"

You grabbed one of his shirts from the wardrobe and headed down the hall, the smell of bacon pulling you into the kitchen where Frankie was standing in just some shorts. His hair was a curly mess. His neck was littered with the evidence of what you two had done last night.

Catching movement from the corner of his eye, Frank looked up to see you gingerly walking in in one of his shirts and his mouth went dry at the sight. He smiled sweetly at you as he pushed the bacon off the heat and went to pour you a mug of coffee.

"How you feeling?" He asked as he grabbed the milk and poured it into your mug, nodding when he was satisfied with the colour of your drink.

"Sore." You groaned, nodding your thanks when he handed you the drink he'd made you.

"Mmmmm." He hummed as he smirked at you, the twinkle in his eye making your stomach twist "The good kind of sore or..."

"Frankie-"

"Last night was amazing." He purred as he wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you close "Wanted this for so long."

"Frankie I-"

"Felt too good to tell you how I felt. I've hated watching you with all those other guys."

Your mind was suddenly assaulted with memories. His smile as he told you his deepest secret.

The night before...

"I need to find someone like you Fish." You sighed as you sipped at your beer "Someone sweet and kind that will treat me right."

"What if I could be that someone?" He asked and you perked up, looking at him in confusion.

'What?"

"What if I could be that guy for you?" He repeated, his eyes doing that puppy-dog thing that you found impossible to resist.

You don't know what came over you but as you looked at him. All dark eyes and sweetness. You decided to kiss him. He didn't respond straight away and you panicked for just a second before he was returning it, his hand threading through the hair at the base of your neck as he deepened it.

"Wanna get out of here?" You suggested and he nodded.

"Fuck yes." He practically panted.

The walk back to his place wasn't a quick one. Any opportunity he had, he'd stop you so that he could kiss you. Unable to get enough of you.

"Fuck... I have wanted this for so long." He panted between kisses "Wanted you for so long." Another firm kiss had your knees going weak "I love you..." He whispered against your lips as he rested his brow on yours.

You should have stopped it there. You should have told him that you didn't feel the same... But you just couldn't bring yourself to do it. Your body wanted him too much and you were a slave to your desires.

So you didn't say anything.

You just followed him home.

...

You were pulled from the memory by Frankie calling your name.

"Baby you okay?" He asked as he looked down at him in concern, brows pulled together.

"Frankie I... Shit, I don't know how to tell you this." You sighed as you pushed him back "Last night was a mistake."

"What?" He all but squeaked and you felt like the worst person in the world.

"It shouldn’t have happened." You sighed as you ran your free hand through your hair "I was in a bad place and I shouldn't have kissed you. We were both super drunk and it... It was a mistake."

"I told you I love you." Frankie growled, his voice taking on a tone you'd not heard from him before "I confessed to you how I've been feeling all these years and you slept with me."

"I know, but Frankie I-"

"No... You don't know." He interrupted as he turned his back to and gripped the stone countertop in front of him "I have been in love with you for years... probably since the day I met you. I told you last night that I wanted to be the guy you wanted and you kissed me... You led me to believe that you wanted the same thing."

"Frankie I'm sorry I hurt you but-"

"I think you should leave."

"What?"

"Get your shit and leave." He growled and you sobbed.

"Okay." You choked out before putting down your mug and making your way into his lounge.

Your clothes were strewn all over the place. Evidence of what you two had done all over his home. Changing back into the clothes you wore the night before you walked back into the kitchen to find Frankie sitting at the breakfast bar, staring at the new mug of coffee in his hands.

"Frankie I... I'm sorry." You sobbed "I never meant to hurt you I just-"

"Please go."

You nodded. Choking out a barely audible "Okay." Before walking to his front door and leaving. You knew this was your fault. You saw an opportunity to bury your sorrows and you took it. But at the expense of your best friend.

You had royally ruined everything.

...

2 months later...

You hadn't spoken to Frankie since that night.

You had called and texted but he had chosen to ignore your attempts to contact him. If you were being honest, you didn't blame him. You had taken advantage of his feelings for you. You had secretly known for a while that he had feelings for you and a part of you had tried so hard to feel something back but you couldn't. You didn't get why though.

He's hot. Kind. Funny.

He's the whole package and yet you still kept falling for men you knew would wind up hurting you. They were all the same. You knew going into each and every relationship that it would end with your heart broken and yet you kept dating them. You were your own worst enemy.

Then, exactly two months to the day that you had broken your best friend's heart, you'd taken a test that was going to change everything.

Ben had kept inviting you to drinks and up until now you had kept declining. This time however you had accepted. You needed to talk to Frankie and he was always at drinks. You just hoped that your going wouldn't push him to ditch them that night.

When you stepped into the bar you could hear Benny call out to you and you smiled as you make your way over, noting how both brothers were smiling up at you but Frank was looking away.

"Hey." You said as you made your way to the table and sat down on the chair Ben pulled out for you "Long time no see."

"Well, whose fault is that?" Will grumbled and you grimaced as you nodded your head.

"Touche."

"Got you a beer." Ben said as he pushed the beverage towards you.

"Oh, I'm not drinking tonight." You said as you nudged it back "Alcohol hasn't been agreeing with me lately."

Frankie snorted and you tried hard to ignore the reaction. You desperately wanted to talk to him. For him to acknowledge you but you knew that he wasn't going to do that. You had hurt him.

"So what's new with you?" Ben asked "How come you've ditched us for the last two months>"

"Had a lot going on." You answered, not a complete lie "Some stuff happened and I needed some time to deal."

"What stuff?" Will asked and you sighed.

"I lost someone." You elaborated "A friend and I miss them."

"Shit Titch, I'm sorry." Will said as he gave your arm a friendly squeeze "Anyone we know?"

"I don't really wanna talk about it." You said as you gave them a weak smile.

"Figures," Frank grumbled under his breath and you looked up at him in shock.

"What was that Fish?" Ben asked and Frankie shook his head.

"Nothing." He growled out "Need another drink."

"What's his problem?" Will asked and Ben shrugged.

"Been off for a few weeks now." Ben sighed "Think he got his heart broken."

"He was seeing someone?" You pushed and Ben shook his head.

"Dunno but I haven't seen him like this since Mel died." That statement made your stomach roll "He's been really forlorn. Doesn't wanna talk about it though. He's not the guy to kiss and tell but I think he might've been seeing someone and she ditched him."

You let out a sigh as your hand reached into your pocket and clutched the item in there. You needed to talk to Frank but you weren't sure how you were going to get him to listen to you. Little did you know, it wasn't going to be how you hoped.

You were an hour into drinks when Ben finally snapped. Each snide remark Fish made when you answered a question had him at tipping point. So in a fit of rage, he opened the can.

"What the fuck is your problem Fish?" He snapped, taking the older man by surprise "You've done nothing but make shitty remarks about Titch all evenin'... Something happen?"

"Doesn't matter." Frankie grumbled and you sighed.

"Frankie I-"

"You say you're sorry to me one more time and I'll-"

"What the fuck she got to be sorry about?" Ben growled and Fish flipped.

"She fucked me and then dumped me." He snarled. taking everyone by surprise "I confessed how I felt about her and she took advantage of me."

"Frankie can we talk about this outside for a moment."

"I don't wanna hear it." He grumbled and you felt yourself growing more agitated.

"There's something I need to talk to you about."

"I doubt it."

"Please... I need to tell you something."

"Nothing they can't hear." He spat and you lost it.

"Fine!." You pulled out the item that had been burning a hole in your pocket all evening "I'm pregnant!.. and it's yours."

Frankie's expression changed from one of anger to complete shock. Finally for the first time this evening he looked at you and what he saw broke his heart.

"I'm going to keep it. I don't expect anything from you." You finished before grabbing your coat and your bag "I think I should leave."

"Titch." Ben grabbed your wrist but you pulled it from his grasp.

"Sorry to have ruined your night."

You left then. Disappearing from the bar and leaving the three men sat there in shocked silence. Frankie stared at the test in disbelief. He was going to be a dad? And with the woman who... despite everything that had happened... He was still very much in love with.

"Fish?" Will's voice pulled him from his thoughts "You okay?"

"Yeah... Um... Just, processing I guess."

"What you gonna do?" Asked Ben and Frankie shrugged.

"Do you want this?" Will asked and Frank sobbed, nodding as he looked over at Will and then a Ben.

"I really do."

"Then you best go tell her." Ben pushed as he gave his friend's arm a friendly squeeze "I know she hurt you and I pissed as shit at her about it but you guys are gonna have a baby so you got to move past that."

Frankie nodded at Benny before grabbing the test and looking at the message on the small screen.

Pregnant

He had to see you. To talk to you but he found himself glued to the spot. What was he supposed to say? He supposed he'd know the moment he saw you. So after staring at the test for a little while longer he said his goodbyes to the brothers and left, waving down a cab when he reached the street.

Meanwhile, you were sobbing quietly to yourself as you brewed your depressing mug of decaf coffee. That was not how you had wanted to tell him. You'd wanted to confess how sorry you were and how shitty you'd been before giving him the test and telling him that something wonderful had come out of it though. You had just sat down on the couch when a knock sounded at your door. You sighed as you placed your mug down on the coffee and made your way over. Not bothering to check who it was before you opened it.

There, standing on your porch was Frankie.

"Frankie, what are you-"

"I'm in." He stated plainly as he gave you a small nod "Let's have a baby!"

Next

Taglist form

Tags: @hayley-the-comet @ajeff855 @mavericksicybabe @supernaturalgirl20 @dihra-vesa @nicolethered @practicalghost @theanothersherlockian @gallowsjoker @little-mrs-morales @sunnshineeexoxo @aliwritesfic @maryfanson @sherala007 @ayrusss @greeneyedblondie44 @elegantduckturtle @jediknight122 @goodgriefitsawildworld @voteforpedro09 @prostitute-robot-from-the-future @mishasminion360 @giggly-otter @athalien @mssbridgerton @huitzilinthebudgie3 @samanthacookieone @salome-c @radcollectivesoul @pedrohoe04 @paintlavillered @ktmadden86 @hotchlover @kirsteng42 @djjarins @balekanemohafe @misscampacyn

[loveswrites]

Pumpkins Please Billy Loomis x Stu Marcher x reader

Pumpkins Please Billy x Reader x Stu

Word count: 1397

Time it Took me: 1 hours 30 mins

To my loves: It was so obvious that stu and billy would win for our celebration of 300 followers! I wrote it that same night so I've had it in my drafts for 6 days now. I was thinking if I should wait till the poll ended but we reached over 300 followers before it even did, So here you go loves! Enjoy! Thank you for the support. It makes me so happy you guys enjoy my writing as it is all I want to do in life.

Love <3

“I wanna carve a pumpkin.” You pouted.

“Why don’t we just crave someone up instead.” Billy smirked playing with the tip of his knife. 

“I already have the pumpkins at my house. You wanna carve em here or there?” Stu said dropping himself on the bed making you and Billy shake with the bed. 

“You didn’t tell me you bought pumpkins.” Billy said, narrowing his eyes at Stu.

“Do I have to tell you everything?” Stu laughed out.

“Yes.” You and Billy said in unison. 

Stu started to laugh but slowly stopped when he realized you and Billy were not joking. 

“I just thought I should have them at the house since you know it is halloween. You know our favorite holiday.” Stu said, looking in between you and Billy.

“It’s not my favorite holiday mine is-”

“Christmas.” The two boys groaned, making you smile.

“The moment September 1st came along you were running around here yelling out ‘It’s christmas!’” Billy mocked you but you could see the slight smile in his cheeks as he recalled the memory. 

“It’s a lovely holiday, what can I say?” You smiled rubbing your socks together. 

Billy stroked the sides of your waist with his knife sending a shiver down your spine. He did this often. To both you and Stu. Still would often get cut most of the time cause he'd always laugh or move too much. But you trusted Billy to never leave a mark on you and he never did. Never has. 

Billy had three favorite things. His knives. His girl. And his best friend.

“Do we have to go to school tomorrow?” You questioned as Stu rubbed your legs while he stared up at the ceiling.

“You wanna skip again? Something on your mind, pretty girl?” Stu questioned. 

“Is someone bothering you? I can handle that, you know.” Billy said with stern eyes as he watched you respond.

“No no none of that I’m fine and no ones bothering me. I just don’t want to go and talk to people you know?” You said, stressed by the thought of even being in that building. 

“When do your parents get back in town?” Billy asked, putting his knife on your nightstand after taking one last long drag against your skin that sent tingles throughout your body.

Your parents had left for a business trip so you invited your two boyfriends to keep you company because why not? They weren’t doing anything before you called anyways.

“Sometime next week. It might get extended depending on some things. They told me I could go with them as always but I wanted to stay.” You said snuggling into Billy’s side.

“I would’ve left. No school and a free trip as a replacement sounds fun right about now.” Stu said, making you smile knowing that he wouldn’t just leave. He’d make sure that you and Billy were able to come as well. No matter if he wanted to admit it or not Stu couldn’t live without Billy nor you. 

Looking up at Billy who had his eyes closed you know he couldn’t live without you or Stu also. He wouldn’t admit it but he shows his love in crazy ways. Rather that’s spray painting the sides of buildings to pulling pranks on literally anybody to actual crimes. Billy has killed for you and Stu. If someone hurt one of you two you either never saw them again or saw them in the news the next day. Same if it was reversed with Stu but Stu doesn’t really clean his tracks very well so it’s mostly just Billy. 

You wondered if loving them made you a bad person. You wondered if keeping their victims a secret made you a murder. You wondered if not feeling a drop of remorse made it seem like you have the knife in your hand. 

But at the end of the day you didn’t really care because at the end of these dark sad thoughts all you saw was Billy and Stu. The two crazy boys who were in love with you. The two boys who showed you the world and would kill anyone who got in the way of your happy fairytale. You just prayed that they wouldn’t be the one to ruin your love story. 

You woke up the next morning feeling relaxed and refreshed. This made you just up and check the time. 1:24 pm. Shit you thought I missed damn near all of school. Rubbing your eyes you noticed that your bed was empty. Where did they go? Getting out of your bed you walked downstairs. Hearing voices, you followed them to the kitchen.

“Dumbass! the butter goes first, did you not read the box?” Billy snapped hitting Stu in the back of his head with said box. 

“You didn’t say that!” Stu said, trying to defend himself as he wiped his cheek leaving some flour in its place making you smile. 

“Maybe if you looked at the box I wouldn’t have to say it!” Billy fussed back. Stu opened his mouth to say something but that's when you decided to make yourself known.

“So are you two gonna bicker all day or tell me what you're doing?” You questioned walking fully into the kitchen.

“Baking you some cookies. Again..” Stu said, making you frown your eyebrows.

“Again?” You questioned.

“Stu burned the first batch.” Billy said, rolling his eyes.

“I did not! They just cooked a little bit longer than the rest.” Stu finished.

“Burnt.” You and Billy said in unison. That was happening a lot more often than usual. 

“We just wanted to do something nice for you before you woke up.” Stu said sneezing all over the batter when he rubbed flour on his face.

“What the fuck Stu!” Billy yelled while you just turned your nose up at the fact that he just sneezed on the batter.

“It’s fine. I’m not hungry. Like at all. I just wanna carve pumpkins okay? That’s it.” You said shifting your eyes between Billy and Stu.

“I’ll go get the pumpkins then.” Stu said starting to move, making you and Billy scream out ‘No!’.

“No! I’ll do it,  just stay here.” Billy said, shaking his head as he walked past you but not before giving you your ‘morning kiss’.

“You keep touching me I’m gonna throw pumpkin guts all over you.” You yelled out. Stu’s elbow kept touching yours as he attempted to show you how to carve your pumpkin.

“I’m trying to help you! You're doing it all wrong, trust me I do pumpkins.” Stu stated as if he was some kind of Pumpkin master.

“You do pumpkins?” You laughed out, tightening the grip on the knife in your hand.

“Shut up if I did you’d be jealous of the pumpkin.” Stu said, rolling his eyes. 

“As if, Who wants to sleep with you?” You questioned going back to cutting your pumpkin.

“You!” Stu said laughing as if that was the funniest thing in the world.

“Only on holidays.. Billy gets Monday through friday.” You said poking your tongue out at Stu to which he leaned in and bit your tongue making you jump back squealing in surprise. 

“Good thing Halloween is coming up.” Stu grinned. 

“Billy, he bit me!” You pointed at Stu with the knife in your hand. Billy pointed down to your pumpkin that was hanging on for dear life. 

“You need help, you keep cutting it like that there's not gonna be any pumpkin left.” Billy said, smirking, making Stu laugh.

“Shut up, it's perfectly fine.” You said going back to cutting pieces of the pumpkin.

“As if.” Stu snickered, earning a handful of pumpkin guts to the face.

“Hey!” Stu yelled out. 

“That’s what you get your lucky I didn’t throw the whole pumpkin!” You yelled.

“What pumpkin?!” Stu yelled back making you gasp.

“Billy!” You yelled.

“God.” Billy said, holding his head in his hands still with the knife in his hand. All he could hear was you two fighting with each other

He was in for a long bumpy ride if he wanted to be with you two forever. But watching the two of the most important people in his life bicker made him realize that he would kill any bump in that road to make them happy.  

[anonymityisfunwriter]

Question...? Act II - “Good girl, sad boy, big city, wrong choices…”

Pairing - Steve Rogers x Reader Summary - After years of back and forth, years of unknowns, a lifetime of questions, it's time for answers.

Question...? Mini Series List | Steve Rogers Masterlist

15 Years Earlier... 

You pick at the grass in front of you, plucking each blade with the utmost precision. “Can I ask you a question?”

Steve watches on as you pick at the grass, content to watch you in the warm glow of the sunset, “Yeah.”

You can’t bring yourself to look at him as the question leaves your mouth in a timid tone you’ve never taken with Steve. “Have you had your first kiss yet?”

A fierce blush paints Steve’s face. It's his turn to stare at the grass. He rakes his fingers through the blades of grass, refusing to look you in the eye. “No… have you?”

You shake your head, finally finding the courage to sneak a glance at him. You pluck blade of grass after blade of grass leaving a small bald spot in Steve’s backyard. “No.”

He clears his throat. “Why?”

“Bucky said he had his first kiss.”

Steve snorts, rolling his eyes, “I know. He won’t shut up about it.” 

“I guess I didn’t know that guys stopped thinking girls were gross,” you lightly joke, finally able to look up from the grass and up at your best friend. “When did that happen?”

He stares at you as the question falls from your lips. You look at him and see the same bright blue eyes you’ve seen every day since your family moved into the house beside his. 

Your best friend. The boy you’d known since your world was one block wide. Those same eyes, and yet, it felt different.

You'd heard the warning dozens of times. From your parents. From your teachers. You and Steve were at an age where things started to change. From one day to the next, the girls in your class went from talking about how they hated boys to hushed whispers about who was going to take them to the next school dance.

Your mom somewhat unsubtly hinted that you and Steve might someday be more than just friends. You were so throughly warned, and yet you'd never felt more throughly blindsided. Feelings flooded the pit of your stomach without a warning. The boy you'd known since you were five, he suddenly seemed... different.

It was the sort of different that you didn't have the words for. All you had to go off of was the fluttering sensation in the pit of your stomach that erupted whenever he smiled at you. 

“I didn’t think you were gross,” Steve offers. 

“Only because we were the only kids on our street,” you retort. “You’d have been all alone without me.” 

It was true. Both Steve's and your mom had no qualms about forcing you to play together in your backyards. As an only child, your mom constantly worried about you not being around kids your own age. And with the way Steve was picked on as the neighborhood playground, his mom was certain he was destined for a lonely childhood. Until you came along. 

“I would’ve had Bucky,” Steve counters.  

“Bucky lives on a different street. You didn't meet him until school.” 

“I’m not worried about getting my first kiss.” 

Your gaze snaps back to him, brows furrowed as you try to figure out who Steve had planned for his first kiss. “Really? Why?”

“Are you kidding?” Steve bitterly chuckles. Though you didn't see it, you knew what he was talking about. You heard it in the mean, borderline cruel, verbal jabs some of the other kids at school liked to hurl at Steve. Even now, he was small, more frail than most, if not all, of the boys in your class. He still struggled with his asthma. He was shy and a little dorky. You knew what people thought about him. But he was, and you were sure always would be, your best friend, your Steve. He rolls his eyes at you like all of those perceived flaws should be as obvious to you as they are to him. “Have you looked at me? I’ll be lucky if I get kissed before I graduate high school.”

“I’d kiss you.” 

Steve’s eyes widen, blown so far out of proportion that it looks almost cartoonish. You'd probably find the look on his face funny if you weren't so thoroughly mortified. “What?”

“I’m not - I mean - I’m just saying, if we get to our high school graduation and you haven’t been kissed, I’d kiss you.” 

He groans, tossing his head back, “Great, I’ll have to wait another five years for a pity kiss.” 

“It’s not a pity kiss if I want to kiss you.” 

His eyebrows pull in as his brain works overtime trying to piece together exactly what you're telling him. “So you want to kiss me?”

“Do you want to kiss me?” you challenge. 

“I asked you first.” 

You shrug your shoulders, trying to seem as casual as your racing heart will allow you to, “Like I said, I’d kiss you.” 

“I’d kiss you too.”

“Steve?” 

“Yeah?” 

You don’t allow yourself to think about what you’re doing. You lean forward as far as you can with your crossed legs. He gasps as your lips gently graze his. The soft breath dances across your lips. 

Just as you’re about to pull away, he closes the rest of the gap, firmly molding his lips to yours. Once. Twice. His hand slowly slides closer to yours. He fumbles forward, resting his hand on yours.

He gulps, wheezing slightly as he pulls away, “That - that was nice.” 

The sound of blood rushing roars in your ears. All you can bring yourself to focus on is the intense flush of his cheeks. And ‘nice’. You’re not sure you’ll ever un-hear how the word fell from his lips. 

Nice. 

Nice. 

Nice?

“Nice?”

“Yeah, it - it was nice.” 

In that moment, it occurs to him that there were probably a million and one better things to say, a million and one better words to describe a kiss other than ‘nice’. 

Your face warms as you feel embarrassment floods your system. “I should go. My mom's probably waiting for me.” 

He doesn't get a word out before you stand up and run out of his backyard. 

Your face flames as you run the dozen or so yards back to your front yard. You burst through the front door as quickly as you can. You don't waste a single moment as you race up the stairs and to your room, praying your parents didn't bear witness to your storm of emotions. 

You slump down on the edge of your bed. Your mind races. He said it was nice.

Nice wasn't bad, but you were sure it wasn't good either.

You would normally go to Steve about this kind of thing, but that was clearly out of the question.

You definitely couldn't tell Bucky about this.

You don’t know what any of it meant - if it even meant anything. 

And you certainly didn’t know that this would be the moment everything had changed.

Question...? Mini Series List Inspired By Taylor Swift Steve Rogers Masterlist

Taglist: @marianita195 @meli18gonzalez @ludicbouquetfromearth @matchat3a @famousbreadcherryblossomsstuff @valoraxx @blue786sworld @buckyandgeraltsupremacy @geminigengar @ansaturn @ecolle @lexhalstead3 @ybflkmj @mediocre-daydreams@shanye1112 @thegirlnextdoorssister @toomanyfanficsbruh @moonlightreader649 @breathtaking-cynthia @mirikusashes @beans-and-toast @niyahcoca @katiechikin @elxvrr @antiheroxsblog @infamouslyclumsy @krissydclayton93 @buckysbarne @deadheadwbedhead @qualitygiantshoepsychic @whitexwolfxx310 @getosprettyboy @matchat3a @weallhaveadestiny @mostlymarvelgirl @honeydew3064 @michealharrypotter @mrs-bucky-barnes-73 @withyoutilltheendoftheline @the-photo-hoe @rae-nna @sarachabeans1@double-shot-of-tequila @spookyparadisesheep @lunaalovesyouu @daisy-loves-bucky@roseproseposts @theoraekenslover@king814318 @maybesomedaytho @carlie-babes99 @sunshinechikin @as-white-as-snow-love @melala1030 @badasswlthafatass @armystay89 @multiversefanfics @cherrysscinema @breathlesspieceofdeath @ravenn-darkholme @bxckybxrnes24 @guiltyasreid @bellabarnes1378 @blithecapricorn @mrsnikstan

[invisibleraven]

"Let's burn it down." for Willex, please and thank you

"Do you ever wonder about where your parents are?"

Alex looked over to Willie who was still gazing up at the clouds, trying to find weird shapes in them. Meaning the question caught hima little off guard since the last one involved if he saw the bunny or not. He rumenanted on it for a moment. "Not really. My parents were... less than supportive once I came out. They made it very clear that if I didn't change I would be on my own."

"Man they suck," Willie spat. "You deserved better."

Alex shrugged at that-for how full of homophobia his parents were they never denied him his meds and his drums like Luke's parents or beat him up like Reggie's folks. And up until he came out they were pretty good parents-cool with nearly everything as long as he kept his grades up and went to church every week.

"I don't really think about them much. The guys and Julie are my family now, and they're all I need," Alex hummed. "What about yours?"

"I never knew my parents," Willie admitted. "Grew up in group homes, went from foster to foster, then ran away before I aged out and then well...you know the rest. I figured they wanted better for me or didn't have a choice in giving me up."

"I'm sorry," Alex said quietly.

"Don't be," Willie shook his head with a smile. "I had a kickass childhood full of fun people and seeing the country, it's all good. Might have been nice to have one home though. Guess I wanted to see yours."

"I mean, I don't think my folks are there any more, but I can show you where I grew up," Alex offered, giving Willie a hand with a grin.

"Cool beans."

They poofed to the manicured little subdivision that Alex knew like the back of his hand. The same familiar identical lawns, the same pastel siding, the same rows of trees that were allowed by the HOA. It was like nothing had changed in 25 years-like it was stuck in time.

He and Willie held hands as he showed him the houses that belonged to his neighbours, none of whom had kids his own age. Then the butter yellow house that had been his. The mailbox at the end still bore the name Mercer-but that didn't mean anything, it was a common last name.

"Let's go inside," Willie suggested.

A niggling feeling climbed Alex's spine as they phased through the door. The reason why became immediately apparent as he took in the decor. Sure, some of had been updated, but he knew that crucifix affixed to the wall, the needlepoint pillows, the wedding photo of stern, taciturn faces.

"They're still here," he breathed out.

He let go of Willie's hand, wandering the halls. New paint adorned the walls, the couch was updated, but the knick-knacks that littered the mantlepiece were the same, down to the crystal duck with the chipped beak that he had broken when he was seven.

He looked at what was missing though-the pictures of him. There was no evidence he ever lived here. No baby albums, no photos on the wall. Even his room was a by the numbers guest room.

"They erased me."

"Let's burn it down," Willie said.

"What?" Alex exclaimed, too startled to wipe away the stray tear. "We're not burning it down!"

"Why not?' Willie asked, fully sincere. "They made it so their only child never existed, even after he died just because he was gay. Why not send them a little reminder?"

"Oh yeah, a big 'Alex was here and queer' right on the lawn," Alex joked.

"Now you get it!" Willie giggled,

"I'm good without the arson," Alex admitted. "I left here long before I died. And you were right-I deserved better. So they deserve to live without my memory. Fuck 'em."

"Fuck 'em," Willie agreed, offering him his hand. "You wanna go watch me do ollies in Beiber's pool?"

"Only if you don't try and make me do them with you again," Alex replied, taking his hand.

"No promises," Willie grinned and they poofed away, haunting the Mercer house no more.

[dre6ming]

Playing for keeps

Chapter I

Masterlist

Pairing: Austin Butler x Y/n

Plot: Austin is the next in line for the throne, but he can’t be king if he doesn’t have a wife. In your country tradition says that a selection formed of 35 young women must be formed for the prince to find a wife. You are obligated by circumstances to participate against your will. What are the chances that you might be the next queen? None right? Right?

Warning: none

Word count: ~4000

"To heal the soul by the means of the senses and the senses by the means of the soul" or something like that, is what Oscar Wilde said to make me really understand why something so simple as feeling the bristles of my brush stroke the rough surface of the canvas. My lines look a little jagged today, my hand keeps shaking and no matter how many deep breaths I take, the rock sitting on my chest hasn't gotten any lighter.

Thirty five, what a strange and odd number, why so many? Why not more or less? Did they have a mathematician who centuries ago did the math for them and concluded that thirty five was the lucky number to find a wife out? I take a deep breath as the word "wife" bounces off of the walls of my skull. It's not just a wife, it's the future queen.

It's been a little more than 30 years since the last selection, when queen Lori was selected out of the bunch by King David and now the result of their successful selection, their son, prince Austin, is about to have his very own selection. All of the girls in the kingdom between the ages 18-22 were asked to submit an entry into the competition, to hopefully end up being the princess of the kingdom and the future queen.

Emphasis on the word "asked" , we were not obligated to do it, at least not by our government, our parents however? Well the forced me to apply, dragged me down to the office where the applications were collected and made me sign up.

"Y/n it's time, come come sit!!" My mom shouts for me and I put down the paint brush, wiping my hands on a rag, brushing back some hair as I make my way to the very small, very crowded living room. My mom , dad and all my 5 siblings are spread around the tv, watching it like hawks. "Come sit!" Mom pats the spot next to her on the couch and I squeeze between her and my older sister.

I can't help but feel angry at the whole situation, my parents live in a poorer side of the country and the fact that they had 7 kids did not help, I'm right in the middle, being the 4th to be born, my older siblings, are married off to their own households where the also pop baby after baby, that is except for one of my eldest siblings, my sister Hannah, who's the reason why mom put me into the selection in the first place.

To back track a bit and explain, my parents met and got married when they were 20 years old, my brother Josh came a year later, he's now 26 married and expecting child number three, his income already stretched thin. Then came Anna, she's 24 she married in a more stable family, but with baby number two, turning into babies number 2 , 3 and 4, yes that's triplets that she's having, money is low. Mark, 22 now, not married, he's actually, well we don't know, he ran away with a girl from around here, we haven't heard anything in years and since we barely have time to live our own lives and win enough for a living, we've put him aside. My sister Hannah, 22 as well, she's Marks twin, she's supposed to marry, but the guy she chose is from a family of twelve and they have little to no money.

Then there's me, Y/n, 20 being auctioned away in the hopes that the weekly allowance my family will get for my participation would be enough for my sister's wedding and some other things for my youngest siblings. After me my parents had kids 2 more times, Kyle 14 and then the other set of twins, this time identical Tana and Lane, 10 years old.

My mom works as a nurse and my dad is a retired guard from our region. Money is low so we all have to work, but with 2 siblings out of the house and one waiting to marry, we lost working hands. I sell paintings on commission and I also work at the local bakery to try and make some extra money, but it's not enough to support me, mom and my younger siblings. Which is why I was forced by mom to join the selection, the family of the girl competing gets a weekly allowance for as long as she stays in the game, not to mention the chance of actually being queen.

As names are being drawn on tv I can feel everyone in the room tense as the 34th girl gets called out and it's not me, I had 34 chances and I lost them all, now I get one more, but I hope I'll lose again. I don't want to go, I don't want to meet the prince or be his wife, I'm not meant to be queen, I'm just not.

My breath gets caught in my chest as the host, Lucas, puts his hand back in the bowl of names. My ears are ringing as he read the name and I almost faint seeing my picture there. "You got it, hon, good job!" Mom says and all of my present siblings start to chant my name, happy for me. I can barely hear them though, so I get up with tears in my eyes, brushing everyone off, walking out, out of the room, out of the house.

My bare feet, touch the sharp gravel, but I can't give into the pain, all I know is I need to run, run for now, or at least until tomorrow when the people from the palace will be at my door to package me up and send me to their prince. Staring out into the midnight sky, I could see everything I had being ripped apart, I didn't have much, but I had enough. Dropping to the ground and letting the cold grass soak my thin cotton dress, I close my eyes, scared to death about the outcome of what I had just gotten myself into.

The next time I open my eyes, two guards from the royal guard stand in my door and my mom hands me a bag I didn't pack, pushing me out the door. I take one last look back at the people I'm leaving behind and I tell myself I have to at least make it a few weeks, so that my sister could use the money for her wedding, then I'd come back and move to a richer part of the country, where I wouldn't be able to ever see my family. Those are the rules, after you get into the game, when you live you have a higher status and income so they move you and you can no longer interact with your past the way you used to.

Watching my step getting out of the car that took me from the airport to here, I take in the palace, with it's high towers and beautiful architecture. People are outside, forming a pathway for us to walk as they chant different names of other girls who also got selected. I am so out my element here, the dress my mom picked for me was too tight and itchy, the high heel shoes hurt my feet and my hands were sweating too much. "Here it goes!" I say under my breath stepping forward and into the unknown building. The inside even more beautiful than I could describe, high ceilings with crystal chandeliers, gold accents and mahogany furniture, underneath my heels white marble floors.

"Ladies! Welcome, I am Silvia and I'll be you're etiquette advisor and teacher, I'll also be your voice here, anything you need, you ask me and I'll make it happen if it within my powers. You will now be less to yours rooms where you will meet your maids, they will help you with hair, make up and clothes and anything else you might need. Dinner will be served in your rooms tonight and breakfast is at 7 am tomorrow, after breakfast you will each get to talk with the prince and get to know him. I've left some pages on your beds with instructions about tomorrow as well as the schedule of our classes. Good evening going forward!" The tall blonde woman left our sight walking gracefully in her long gown. I wonder if I'll ever be like her? Back so straight, shoulders so strong, hair so put together, make up so natural yet so beautiful, voice so clear, everything about her spoke volumes on everything I was not. I don't know how they expect me to last a day here.

In my room, I stand and wonder how can a place for one person be the size of my home which currently houses 7, now that two of my siblings had moved out. "Lady Y/n!" Two petite women curtesy in front of me, they look like sisters, about the same age as me, but one of them looks a bit older. "Just Y/n" I lick my lips fiddling with my fingers. The older one nods, smiling. "A-and you are?" They seem confused by my question. "Your maids lady!" The other one explains in a sweet voice.

"Yes no, I know, I meant, your names, what are your names?" I ask again hoping I'm not making them uncomfortable. "I'm Jules and she's my older sister Jane, we're very happy and honored to meet you, lady Y/n" I nod, smiling as well, as they start pacing around the room fixing things up. My eyes watch them move, mesmerized by how synchronized they are. "Can you stand and turn around lady Y/n? We have the water running in the tub, so you can take a bath."

I stand and turn so that Jules could undo my dress, then sliding my arms through the silk robe. "Just Y/n please!" I ask again, all these official things making me uncomfortable. "Lady Y/n, if I may-" I open my mouth to correct Jane, but she puts her hand up stopping me. "You are now a lady, his majesty will refer to you as such and you have to keep to these titles, at least until you get to know him better." I nod at her kind advice and follow her into the bathroom, where she helps me step into the tub, taking my robe away and checking the water temperature one last time. "Well relax lady Y/n, when you're ready, call for us and we will get you ready for bed."

Before she leaves me to my own, I dare to ask her one more thing. "Jane, is he nice?" I ask, this being the first time I actually my curiosity about the prince, spiked ever since I was selected. Jane gives me a soft smile, fixing the creases on her apron. "That's for you to decide lady Y/n, but his majesty, prince Austin has always been well liked by the staff." She leaves before I get to asks anything more and I take that as her polite way of saying that's how much she's allowed to say.

The bed here is so much softer than the one at home, the one I uncomfortably share with my twin sisters. The sheets are so soft and silky, it feels like I could turn to fast and fly off the bed. Jules and Jane left shortly after, brushing my hair back and helping me into my silk night gown. Even in this big room, air feels compressed and I want to walk, so I find myself putting on my slippers , taking a moment to look at them, I've never had slippers before. I the dark of the room I make out the location of the door and I turn the knob slowly, trying to make no sound.

I feel a cool breeze brushing my bare legs and I follow it thinking this could be the way to find a door leading outside. Only thing stopping me are the two guards standing in front of it. "Miss are you lost?" One of them asks, making me blush, finally so aware of the fact that I left my room wearing only my thin silky night gown. "N-no, I was wondering how to get to the garden." I say hoping my voice didn't sound too shaky. "No can do miss, you need to get back to your room." The guard tells me, his eyes staring straight ahead. "Please, I, I just need a moment." I beg, taking a step closer and that's when they both move their eyes to look at me, their mean stares making me shiver. "Not allowed, back to your room miss!" The other guard speaks.

Suddenly another set of steps are heard and the guards stand straighter. I don't dare to make a move and look at who it might be. "Your majesty!" They say in unison and the blood freezes in my veins. I've never heard him speak before, his voice sounds so clear, a bit raspy, but still sweet, like warm honey. "Lay her be!"

"Your majesty, we can't-" the guard protests. "I said let her be, open the doors!" They do as he says and I don't wait to walk out, the cold air hitting my warm skin leaving goosebumps. "Stay 5 minutes, then back to your room, if you won't go willingly they have my permission to drag you there." I stop and without turning around I say. "Thank you, your majesty!" My voice sounding like it's under water.

I didn't stay too long after I heard him walk away, running back to my room almost immediately after. Sleep came to me easily after that, but I still felt restless now as Jane brushed my hair into a braid. They put me into a floor length light green dress, with beautiful lace details all around the corset. I looked like a princess this morning when I looked at myself in the mirror and I couldn't believe it and then for just a moment too long I had questioned why I pushed this competition away so vehemently. That last thought however got send back to the depth of my mind and I was now patiently waiting for my turn with the prince, tormented by the wonder of whether he would recognize me from last night or not. 

At last my turn comes and I get up from my seat, fixing my dress as I walk with my head down toward the table where he awaits for me. Sitting down, I still keep my eyes on the ground scared to look at him, feeling my heart thudding against my corset concealed chest. "Y/n? Right? Pleased to meat you, I do hope you're feeling better." His voice comes out first, breaking the silence and making me finally look at him. I had seen him on tv, but the screen did him no justice, the blue in his eyes is so electric, the gold in his hair, is so endearing, my fingers itched with the wish to have a feel at it, his pink lips look so soft and warm. Everything about him is inviting and the way he seats in his chair, leaned back with his legs crossed, his chin in his hand, makes him look so young and careless, which he is, being only 22 and a prince. 

"Yes, your majesty, I'm quite well, thank you!" I blush deeply, my hands clutching the material of my dress in a stupid attempt to calm my nerves. Austin's eyes move to my hands and back to my face, a concerned look painting on his god like face. "Are you all right? Lady Y/n?" He asks, changing his position in the chair, leaning towards me. "If you're not feeling well, I can have for the doctor to come and see you later Lady Y/n." He says in a whisper. The word doctor makes me immediately let go of my dress and smooth down the creases, breathing deeply. "I am fine your majesty, it's all nerves." 

Austin hums and I expect him to go back to his previous sitting position, but he doesn't, he actually leans a bit closer if that were possible. I can now smell his woodsy cologne and a warm fuzzy feeling takes over my body. "You don't need to be nervous, I'm just a boy, just as you are just a girl-".

"But you're not" I find myself rudely interrupting him. "You're going to be king some day and 35 women were randomly chosen to come here and allow you to peruse them. 35 is a strangely small number compared to all the women out there that could be potentially way better for you than any of us."

"Then why come here? Why put your name in the ballot in the first place?" He asks and I can't read if he's been offended by what I said or not. "Your majesty, I apologize!" I look away from him and I can't help but notice that the other girls are all watching us, just like I had watched the previous ones when they were up here. I can only imagine they are analyzing if he likes me better or not. 

"Don't apologize, keep talking, I feel you have a point." Austin urges me and I bite my tongue. "Lady Y/n, my situation is unique, but I have no choice, it does not matter if the love of my life is someone outside these walls, I am not allowed to meet them. So please keep talking!" I feel sad for him, it's clear he's thought the same thing as me, what if his one true love is not one of us, but he's obligated to choose one of us either way. 

"My favorite book, "Withering highlights" the protagonists were not allowed to love each other but they did and the impossibility of being together killed them, had they not ever met, they would've been able to love someone else and live. I think what I said is quite wrong your majesty, maybe neither of us will be the love of your life, but with time you might find someone among us, that you could learn to love and survive." 

Austin opens his mouth to say something, but he doesn't get the chance, since it's announced that our time is up and I must go in order for the next girl to come. I get up breathless and do a very bad curtesy. 

The rest of the day I can't help but feel like I'm sitting on egg shells, I knew I had let my stupid mouth speak before I gave to much thought, but something about him made me feel like I could speak my heart. Jane brushes my hair, as Jules arranges things around the room,  taking the pillows off the bed and putting in place the last things for me to go to bed. 

A knock on my door makes Jane jump as she brushes my hair and Jules goes to open the door. "Your majesty!" I hear Jules say and so I turn to see him, in all his glory, wearing the same dark brown suit from breakfast, only he's discarded the jacket and the tie, a few of the buttons from his shirt being undone and revealing some of his chest, the sleeves are rolled up and this look suits him much better than the previous. Realizing I was just sitting and staring, I quickly get up and curtesy. "Your majesty!" 

"How would you like a stroll out in the gardens, Lady Y/n?" Austin's voice is calm and my ears are ringing, so I barely make out what he's saying, but I nod. "Yes, um Jules, my robe please!" I say, remembering I'm just wearing my night gown, which was very inappropriate. "Lady Y/n!" Austin extends his hand and I walk the few steps over to him, putting my significantly smaller arm around his. 

He takes the lead and walks us out of my room and to the gardens. My thoughts are racing, I'm not stupid I know he could have every advantage right now to try and make an inappropriate move onto me, but he doesn't seem like that kind of guy, but how does that kind of guy look anyway. 

"You're awfully quiet." He says as we walk through the dimly lit gardens. "I was waiting on you your majesty." He stops and turns to look at me. "Why so?" Austin asks blinking. I simply shrug my shoulders. 

He sighs and licks his lips, walking further into the gardens without another word. The whole situation is rather spooky and I can't help the anxiety building up inside me. Soon we get to a table, decorated with candles and flowers, steaming cups of tea resting on it. "I thought we might enjoy some hot tea, it's a bit chilly out." He pulls my chair out for me and I sit down hesitant. 

"Tell me more about you, your favorite book is "Withering highlights", what else do you like?" It takes me a moment to realize that he is being serious I can't stop the giggle that comes out. Confusion is once again shown on his face, but this time is accompanied by something else, the corner of his mouth slightly pointing up, he's amused too. "You really want to know?" 

"Well I must find a wife somehow." The breath gets knocked out of me by his statement, for a split second I had forgotten why I was here, to play in the game of selection. 

"I like to bake and knit, I make clothes for my siblings all the time, but by far my favorite thing is painting, there's something so strange about being able to use my own hands to capture a moment I time li you would a picture." He looks at me as I talk and something in his demeanor tells me he's actually interested. 

"Picture, I, well I don't paint, but I do enjoy photography." He admits, his eyes glimmering with excitement. "Really? And what do you find best to photograph? Objects, humans or nature?" I ask, Austin blushing slightly. "All, I can't say I'm that good, I don't have enough time to dedicate to the hobby, but I enjoy it." 

"I don't believe that you must show me one day, any kind of art is good art. I don't have any of my paintings here, but perhaps if I got the supplies I could paint you something!" I propose, trading the experience of showing off our works of art. "Perhaps one day." Austin says absentmindedly, clearing his throat before getting up. "It's late, I should escort you back to your room!" He says hastily. 

I don't bring up how neither of us even touched the tea or what a short time had passed since we got here, the tea still steaming in the cups. Something about him has changed, he's much colder, stiffer if you may. No more words are exchanged between us, except the good night he rapidly wishes me, before walking away.

I'm left confused and with another feeling stuck in my heart, because for a moment there I actually let myself go and I got happy? Maybe, I don't know. 

Sleep came to me very difficult and when I woke up this morning I had a headache, I didn't want to see or talk to anyone. As Jules is complaining that I had tangled my hair so bad in my sleep another knock is heard and my heart stopped. Is this hope I'm feeling? Hope that is Austin? 

"Lady Y/n, a package for you!" Jane announces. 

I get up taking the note from her hand, looking at the huge box that bigger than her. I open the small envelope and the first thing I notice is the very clean and neat handwriting. 

 <Lady Y/n,

I hope you will forgive me for leaving so hastily as I did last night, but I figured that our encounter wasn't quiet up to etiquette and in fear of damaging you or me, I thought it better continue some other time. Please forgive me and accept this gift, I hope you'll have a painting to show me soon enough

A.B>

Tags: @galaxygirl453

@rainydayz101

@samaraannhan20

@marlowmode

@myradiaz

@areuirish

@micaelainthe60s

@homebodybirkin2003

@pennyroyalcreep

@purejasmine

@strokesofstokes

@lanasfloridakiloss

@denised916

@kibumslatina

@macey234

@melodixs-blog

@shantellescrivener

@chewiethecatus

@guacala

@fangirl125reader

@father-of-2cats

@lucid315

@ashtag6887

@ilovehobi101

@richardslady121

@jensmithin

@julie181

@chrisevansgirl34

@ranaissingle

@onecrazydirectioner

@maria-1287

@austinbutlerssimp

@kingdomforapony

@acoolnight

@tarot-sybarite

@goldenmarygio

@frozenhuntress67

@anonyboo63478338

@littlewhiterose

@thefallofthedamned

@1eminicookie

@rose-deathman

@iheqrtaustin

@desitravelsblog

@prompted-wordsmith

@austinsvlrslut

@crystallizedth0t

@hertvgirl

@peanutbutterinacup

@austinswhitewolf

@saniyahgordon

@thatgirlthatreadswattpad

@slowsweetlove

@jaqueline19997

@formulapierre

[writingforatwistedworld]

REQUEST GALLORE I AM SORRY FJDKDJ--

Okay but what if, reader/mc in the self aware au already in their universe (no I don't see a patter what are you talking about-) who was usually pretty physically Affectionate to those they concidered close, friends or others. This affection Carrier also over to the twst characters they meet with hello/goodbye hugs, holding hand when walking together, headpats or patter on the back for encouragment and even mayhaps a forehead kiss or too (if the caharcters allowed it of course)

This bur liek with Leona, Azul and Malleus (ik u see a pattern Veil just don't comment on it i don't have faves i SWEAR--)

Self-aware au

I do not take any responsibility for you reading this no matter which age group you are from!

WARNINGS: Yandere themes, murder, violence, blood, death, obsession, possessiveness, kidnapping, manipulation

Leona Kingscholar/Azul Ashengrotto/Malleus Draconia-Player who is physically very affectionate

Little comparison

That scratch on that student's face that is getting stitches at the doctors? That is a random someone who tried to get just lightly pat him on the back

That person hugging Leona whilst he has to hold back from straight up holding on to them? That is the Overseer with our local not so tame house cat

Ruggie thought he was dreaming the first time he saw that happening (although he is still doing a double take after that every time)

However, at the same time it is you so is this a surprise

But let us make sense of this and not let it stand as some lonely points that crave physical affection themselves

Leona is not used to any kind of touch that is meant to show some sort of affection (minus his brothers family and he is still acting as if he got thrown into cold water)

I mean, come on. What did you expect? The servants smiling and hugging him after saying all of that?

So when you finally started to go all in (in other words wrestle jump onto him in hug version) he was this, and I really mean this close to throwing you off and making sure that you and he adore the same scar

And then, oh Overseer, it is you

The one person he imagined himself to be with since he was a child, seeing you as the only one who would accept him no matter what

This also tells us another thing: he would shred the individuals whom you also show affection towards like that

And also, once or twice, he might have returned the hug with his grip getting tighter, and tighter, and tighter, and...you ended up having a few deep scratches on your shoulder blades

Ruggie was also tempted more than just once to put up a sign saying “DO NOT ENTER!!! DON’T! DON’T ASK WHY!!! JUST DON'T!!!!!” whenever you two are in a room together. (There were a few incidents...)

That special paint the Queen of hearts loved so much is hard to get off of clothing you know?

But it is not Leona's fault for his shirt to get dirty! They just didn't know their place and who is he to deny them lessons which will teach them a lot. Perhaps he should teach them some courtesy...

YESYESYESYESYOUDOINGGREATYESYESYES

*ahem* Interruption aside, you are really doing great work

I mean, my poor man over here is just craving some affection from others than his parents

Now, of course, he isn't just some oversized pillow and will whack anyone who tries something like that with that came of his

But this is you

You and not like some noisy first year why can't keep their hands to themselves and get the note that no, he doesn't like hugs from strangers

But mhm imagine this, the guy is just working there, writing stuff and so on

And then suddenly you throw the door open, looking like you are ready to tear down this place and that special thingy when a person looks way more frightening because the lightning is falling just right

And then you attack... hug him! Attack! No that looks like a hug... And then you attack-hug him!

Ah... his soul just left his body... floating in the air as he watches what happens to his body from the ceiling...

And then he gets sucked right back into it from shock as you tell him how great he is doing and yada yada all of that

Look at how nice you are to others as well... hadn't he told that freshman to stay away from you just two days ago?

Whoops! Looks like Jade and Floyd are allowed to play with their new friend... if he hadn't runied them with a deal before that

How dare that imbicle try to get close to you!

That spot is reserved for him only!

But don't you worry dead! He is very forgiving so why won't you just promise to stay with him for the rest of his life and to please tell him what made you cry like this? Oh? His fingernails are digging a bit too much into your side? Pardon him!

*sigh* I swear to the Overseer people are requesting Lilia and/or Malleus with these kinds of scenarios because they know that it ends with the world burning

But hey aren't you a kind one?

I mean, Malleus is, and this is no big secret, starved for any kind of attention so once you show your affection for him like this?

All I'm telling you is to pack your bags and just say “yes” when he forces asks you to follow him to the Valley of Thorns, so that fire insurance or maybe even the end-of-the-world insurance doesn't have to be used by the Headmage

But ok, sweet great can you do a favour for me?

When you are already sealing your fate so that it's doomed could you please pet that tail and those horns for me? I was always interested in the texture...

Malleus pupils are slits? Nah, he so tame they became big big circles

But imagine, you have been feared all your life and then suddenly your God themselves is like “you are awesome and this is why I'm hugging you”

So, one sunny day a Malleus, a most rare kind of student, was walking down the path... and was ready to make someone's height a head shorter

Why? Well someone just hugged him from behind and thank goodness am I glad that his reflexes are also better like his overall strength because otherwise that would have been the new reality

But I think you might have to teach him how to hug someone properly before proceeding because...

No? Just the nerves? Ok, he just nervous

What Lilia is doing over there with a bag dripping some weird liquid? Nah, that is just your imagination!

Nope! That isn't the hand of that one person you had patted encouragingly on the back sticking out of it!

Just... just pack those bags and show him a big smile!

His home is already eagerly awaiting you so don't fall behind. You usually like to sick close, no?

[acowardinmordor]

My brain won't shut up about this, so maybe if I write it my brain will let me finish working and get this massive work project off my plate.

Warning for Accidental Drunken Pregnancy

Fandom loves, correctly, the idea of Girl!Steve Harrington, either as an 'always a' or trans, we're a fan. And that's good. No arguments from me there.

But I was thinking about Always a Girl Eddie. And the impact that would have. Because see, Eddie is already Wrong in a lot of ways. She's poor, she's loud, she's a freak, she sells drugs, and starts shit with bullies. She's too much in every way, and she refuses to be a girl properly. Has ever since she was old enough to express an opinion.

She didn't want to play with dolls or play house. She wanted to run through the park chasing dragons. When her parents fought, she wanted to run away and get found by the Addams family where no one would be mad at her for liking black and reading about blood and fights and monsters.

By the time she's in high school, everyone's decided she's a lesbian. She isn't. She thinks she isn't, but she doesn't get a chance to try or test or find out before the whole damn town has made it Known. Eddie doesn't wear skirts, and she doesn't style her hair, and she doesn't listen when the counselor sits her down to talk about her behavior and how she needs to try to be a bit more like other girls if she wants to get married one day. That's her junior year, which is when she snaps and, true or not, goes on a rant about being a carpet munching butch who never wants to have a husband.

Her friends don't care. They've talked to her and agree its all bullshit. Her only regret about it is that her outburst becomes fodder for the kind of bias that makes her fail two classes her senior year. It makes her fail four her second time around. PE is one of them. The teacher won't let her participate if she isn't 'dressed appropriately' which suddenly requires that all the girls have their legs shaved. Surprise surprise, Eddie is the only one that has an impact on. Wayne gets into a shouting match over it, and he wins, but not in time for Eddie to pass.

And every time someone pushes her to be more ladylike, Eddie doubles down on being a freak because she's a lot of things, but she's not a quitter. The one good she knows she manages is that barely any other girls in Hawkins get bullied all that much. Eddie pulls too much attention, and Eddie is so far off the end of the scale, it makes the minor mistakes easy to ignore.

All her friends are guys because the girls of Hawkins are scared of the witch/lesbian/succubus/whatever bs they came up with this week. There are some girls who Eddie thinks want to come talk to her, thinks she'd be friends with if she could, but any girl willingly hanging around the Freak is going to get painted with the same brush.

She showed up to every single class in her third go around, daring her teachers to fail her again when she was getting perfect scores on anything with a straight answer, and doing so well on the subjective stuff they were giving her passing grades. She had a new flock of sheep who didn't care about the rumors because she ran Hellfire for them.

After Spring Break, after they accuse her of seducing and murdering Chrissy, after Eddie walks into Mordor and is dragged out the other side. After Eddie gives everything she has for a town that hates her, the school gives her the diploma. Maybe its just because they're terrified that she'll come back for a fourth try if they don't, but she has the damn thing.

Or maybe they don't want the new freshmen to start crying when they see her scars.

After the hospital lets them all leave, and after El and Will do whatever it is they do and promise it's over for real this time, Robin, Eddie, and Harrington sit around and watch crap movies and talk. It's still June when Robin comes out to her, and Eddie has to awkwardly explain that she isn't. Supportive, in favor of it, but not sure if she's like Robin.

"But everyone heard about what you said to--"

"Yeah, she was telling me I should start curling my hair and wearing makeup so I could find a husband."

"She did not."

"Yeah. I kinda snapped."

A few minutes tearing apart that kind of thinking later, and Steve asks, "So you like dudes?"

Eddie shrugs, because she's never tested that either. A bit of leftover enmity from when he was the King and she was the Freak keeps her from admitting she's a virgin. Instead she gestures to her face and neck, the part of her chest visible around her tank top.

"Don't think that's going to matter, Stevie, not now that I look like the Wicked Witch midway through melting."

There's nothing either of them can say about that. Between her status as a murder suspect, the infection from Upside Down dirt, and how efficient the demo bat fuckers were, her scars are ugly. Not the sort of thing she's read in books that a hero learns to take pride in. Just a mess. Her smile is jacked up on the left, and while she does have both of her nipples, the one boob is significantly smaller, and lumpier than the other now.

But they're friends, and its nice. Robin didn't find a fellow lesbian, but Eddie can understand the way she feels, and they bond over it. Where Robin goes, so goes Steve, so intentional or not, Eddie and Steve get close. Help each other with scar cream type close. It would be weird if there was any universe in which Steve would ever be interested in her. Instead they're good friends, and co-conspirators against the gremlins.

Robin is starting college in the spring semester in Chicago. Steve is going with her. Obviously. Eddie hasn't agreed to anything, but she's considering it.

They have one last party at Harrington's place. The kids leave around seven. The Hellfire guys leave around nine. By eleven, all three of them are plastered, and Robin is lamenting that she's leaving Hawkins and still hasn't kissed a girl. Eddie rolls her eyes and smacks one on her. Get it over and done with, right?

After an hour of Robin flustered and babbling about 'yes, yes, yeah, I do like girls! Kissing! Kissing girls is great! Steve! Steve-o! Did you know kissing girls is great?" she passes out on the couch.

Steve and Eddie, just sober enough to know that they're all going to be hungover in the morning, close blinds and lock doors. They leave water and asprin by Robin, then chug down a glass each.

"So, did it help you figure it out? Kissing my Soulmate with a capital P? Did you figure out if you like kissing girls more than guys?"

Eddie giggles instead of answering.

"I know Rob's not kissed anyone, but if you liked kissing her you probably could tell, right? So if you liked kissing her as much as you like kissing guys, or if its not like kissing guys, then you know!"

Steve's not a dumb as the kids joke. When Eddie doesn't answer, he puts it together. "Oh. Oh shit. Eds. You and Robin were each others' first kisses? Thats so -- you didn't have to do that! And now you don't know if you like kissing girls or guys or both or neither or -- Oh!"

Eddie watches Steve come to his decision and turn, and she decides to let it happen. Steve is the only guy her age who doesn't wince looking at her face. This is probably the only chance she's got until she's old enough her skin gets all wrinkly and no one can see the scars are there anymore.

It's better than kissing Robin. There's a lot of reasons why that might be true, but none of them matter, because after that first one. After a few seconds pause. After she leans a little closer like she's asking, they don't stop.

She wakes up naked and sore, with a blinding headache and the tight-skin pain that comes from forgetting the scar cream.

Awkward doesn't cover it when they look at each other in bed. When Robin trips on her way to make coffee, it gives them an excuse not to talk about it. It's bad enough that Eddie keeps thinking about it, and excavating the fragments of memory she's got. Probably the only chance she's going to get, and she remembers barely half. She does remember liking it, and Steve liking it, and neither of them being weird about the scars because they've been helping each other with them for months now.

Once they're sober enough for it, they talk, both of them apologizing, but not really. Neither of them regret it, even if it wasn't their best idea, and Eddie starts quoting Robin's rant about antiquated concepts of virginity when Steve tries to apologize for that. It's definitely weird, but they're not going to freak out about it.

By Wednesday, when Steve and Rob are loading up the beemer to drive north before the holidays, so they could get a place with a rental discount, everyone turns out to say bye. Eddie winks at Robin again, because it still makes her blush, and it still makes Eddie and Steve laugh when she does. She gives Steve a hug, and a promise to make a decision soon about moving up with them.

Six weeks of scheduled phone calls with them, and uncomfortable talks with Wayne, Eddie has finally, finally decided to go for it. She'll still be a freak, but according to Steve, no one in the city will bother her about it unless she asks them to. He's working at a diner, and swears the bookstore across the street will totally hire Eddie if she applies. Robin loves her classes, and her part time hours at the library on campus.

It's while Eddie is looking around and opening drawers, trying to plan how to move with more detail than 'throw stuff in the van' that she notices. There's a box of pads, mostly empty, in the corner of the bathroom cabinet. It's been mostly empty since November. And yeah, her period has never been predictable, and this isn't the longest its gone, and Eddie has never cared since she wears black all the time -- but. This time she had sex.

The odds are tiny, and the image of it is ridiculous. Eddie isn't any kind of a mom. Harrington is more a mom than she is. Anyway, all that shit in sex ed about it only takes once is crap. And she remembers Steve getting out the box of condoms. She doesn't remember anything between that and getting fucked, but she definitely remembers how concerned he was about opening the foil. So there's no way. No chance. Absolutely none.

The test comes back positive, and the nurse at the planed parenthood in Indianapolis asks if she wants to hear about her options.

It's pretty easy to choose as it turns out. Easier than quitting smoking cold turkey is for sure. Hell of a lot easier than telling Wayne. It's not something she ever wanted, ever thought about or considered, but Eddie knows this is the only chance she's got. Well. Sperm donors maybe, not that she'll ever have the money for it, unless she paid a guy to keep coming around until she got knocked up.

At first, she keeps it quiet because the nurse told her about the potential problems, especially with how much Eddie drank and smoked. It's not certain, so she stays quiet. Stalls the topic of moving up. She waits an entire day for the doctor to slip her in between appointments to get an ultrasound and check. Everything looks good. Healthy. and Eddie gets on their weekly scheduled call, hears Robin and Steve laughing as they tell stories, and Eddie breaks it to them.

"What do you mean? You said you were going to move up here. I thought you said you -- Eds, what the hell? You're going to leave me alone to watch Robin's attempts at flirting? You - I thought you promised."

"Excuse you, Dingus, she needs to come up so we can watch your attempts at flirting. I'm great."

"Fun as that sounds, me and Wayne are getting out of Hawkins. Wayne has some family in West Virginia, and I can't leave him at the mercy of all those spinsters. I'll still have a phone, you know."

They move before she's showing, and Wayne never asks, and Eddie never tells, but her uncle knows who it has to be. They land in Summersville, which is a damn lie since its a blizzard when they arrive. It isn't hard to use moving as an excuse to cancel a few phone calls. Then uses a boss moving her hours working at motel as an excuse when hormones means she knows she'll start sobbing if she gets picks up the phone.

Steve gets accepted to a community college. Robin aces her exams. Eddie finds out she's having a girl. She wouldn't have spent the money to find out since it wouldn't change anything, but the planned parenthood was still worried because of the alcohol at the start.

Wayne brings it up. Eddie considers it.

Steve gets a girlfriend. Eddie stalls.

Robin calls solo because Steve is on a one month anniversary date.

Eddie abandons the idea.

She never makes a choice to hide it from anybody. It's always one moment at a time, needing to get through one more thing, one more problem, one more checkpoint, then she could say it. By the end of July it's been too long, and it would be too weird. They didn't have some great tragic romance. They were good friends who got drunk one night. And Eddie is just living up to the warnings all the guidance counselors scribbled down about her.

She's never going to be anything special. She's not going to go chase her dreams and become the Joan Jett of metal music. She's coming up on eight months pregnant, can't hide it or pretend its something it isn't. She's still loud and obnoxious. She still wears all black and chained pants and refuses to style her hair in anything more complex than a ponytail. She's still mauled by monsters and scarred.

She's never going to be marriage material, and never wanted to be anyway. She can be a good mom though. Not a normal mom. Or a traditional one. She's probably going to end up punching someone at a pta meeting. But she can be a good mom for her daughter, whoever her daughter wants to be as she grows. And if that means she has to learn about ballet and glitter and my little pony, then she will.

Steve and Robin ask about a visit before their classes start since they'll have to do calls every other week now. They offer to drive to West Virginia, or buy Eddie a bus ticket. Eddie manages to dodge that bullet.

She dodges another when she starts contractions while on the phone with them, and plays it off like she has heartburn. She cries when she holds her daughter thirty hours later, smiling broad enough that the scars on her face hurt nearly as bad as the rest of her.

She gets good at sewing together a patchwork lie. Gets Wayne to take Lulu out for a walk during calls. Swallows the guilt when Steve talks about his girlfriend, Amy, who wants to have kids. Stares down the pediatrician who raises an eyebrow at her daughter's name.

It's awful. It's wonderful. It hurts more to do it alone than Eddie could have imagined, but she still can't bring herself to say it. Not because she thinks Steve would hate her for it . He wouldn't. One look at Stephanie Luthien Munson -- Lulu -- and Steve would know. And Steve would stay. And Steve would give up his classes and his girlfriend and his hope for his perfect family. Eddie has always known she's not what anyone is looking for.

So Eddie gets good at dodging questions, and explaining away noises in the background, and finding very reasonable excuses not to come out to visit. Very good at it.

She makes it to June of 1989, when her best friends decide it's been too long, and show up for a surprise visit.

Eddie was right though. It only takes a glance at the toddler on Eddie's hip as she opens the door for both of them to know.

[keelt9]

Chapter 8

Powder

Masterlist

“Good morning honey.” Sunday morning is always the same, my parents make a nice breakfast for us to eat in the garden. When I was little in the weekends, after dad came from a mission, specially a hard one, dad usually came with a lot of stress some bad nightmares and troubles for keeping calm, so my mother and I opt for isolated him in our backyard with a nice and just made breakfast, as the time pass and my father were related to a calmer position it was already a routine.

“The painting is in the garage.” My dad says, of course, he won’t let split my disobedience.

I watch my mother asking for help but we both know it was useless. “Yeah, thanks.” 

The rest of the day I spend painting the house, my dad takes mercy of me and helps me for 2 hours then he said was enough for today and I got some rest, I take a quick shower and left for go and visit Penny, my parents warned me we have a special guest for dinner and I must be there.

In Hard Deck, Penny was getting ready for a moving weekend, but she stopped when I entered, giving me a couple of minutes of her attention. I told her the reason why I moved from the house that Riley and I bought, and agreed with me but that doesn't mean she didn’t have her doubts.

“So, when you are approved one more time, where are you going to live?” I help her clean the tables. 

“Here, not in my parents house of course, but I’ll find a nice place.” She puts all the balls from the pool table inside the triangle. 

“And if for some reason you don’t approve?” I stop, strangely I already have an answer for that question. 

“I’ll go back to Pearl.”

Pearl Harbor was where everything began, trying to get free from my father's influence; I moved there in my late teens; my mother almost had a heart attack when I told her but somehow works. My application passed most of the time not related to dad; leaving Pearl in one of the carriers is where I found I really have talent for flying and it’s not some kind of mind trick; I was notified in Pearl they sent me to FighterTown. Riley and I celebrate our first honor on the beach;if I think well, Pearl is a place full of happy moments, I don’t mind going back there and settling down.

“Pearl, huh?” Penny didn’t seem to like my choice. 

“Come on Penny, it will be hard to be here in Miramar watching aviators come and go as I stay, meanwhile in Pearl I can have a new start, maybe finish the college, who knows.” She didn’t answer. “You and my parents are the only ones who tied me here, if the navy said no, I would not like to be here and envy the people who get to be up there.” 

I grab her hand. “That means if it’s a no…”

“I’ll quit the navy.” I smile, because even though I know it will be hard, the truth is actually, I don’t see myself in some desk job, I will be so unhappy. 

As Hard Deck star to full of boys, girls, and people from the navy I help Penny a couple of hours before I have to left.I see Payback, Yale and Omaha having around, still any friendly faces, so I grab my things and say goodbye to Penny, just when I was about to enter to the car she came out. 

“Y/N sorry, it’s not the support you expect but… it just will be hard letting you go and not seeing you wearing even this horrendous jacket or just hanging around with those loud guys.” She is clearly overwhelmed by the thought.  

“I know but you still see me, a new me. Let’s not worry about that yet, ok?” She nods. “I love to keep talking but my parents are waiting for me for a special dinner.” 

She hugs me and I feel her sadness just thinking I could definitely go. “Have fun.”

At home my mother has everything set, so we get ready. Even if it’s not a fancy dinner it must be an important guest because dad is really excited watching his clock and reading a book at the same time. 

At 8:30 the doorbell rings and dad goes to open it; my mother and I were about to walk to the dinner room, when we see Pete hugging my father; in a lovely way too similar to the photo hanging on the wall.

Iceman and Maverick smiling and grabbing his hands sealing a lifetime friendship. 

“Who is the best pilot?” My dad asks and Mav smiles. 

“I’m hungry, you don’t?” All of us laugh.

Pete Michell since I have memory is an important person in my parents life, in mine well let’s go to say it’s like having two dads. He always makes sure to be present in my life, even when dad was somewhere on the planet; he always came home with something sweet for me; from time to time he sends me letters asking how I am or just telling me about how much he pisses off his officer. 

Actually, on my 15th birthday I rushed to his home to tell him I already decided what I want to do. He freaked out, so I had a good base for guessing how my parents would react but when he calmed down and saw the strong conviction in my decision he just said. <Just like your old man, head, and hands cold as ice.> 

My parents told him when I got in Top Gun and he made sure to send me a small cake with a little F-14 on the top to Pearl. When I get to be the first in my class dad can’t let this go and barging about one more time a Kazansky is the best pilot. 

And of course, he was there when I crumbled.

Riley and Maverick met when we got our first honor. Riley was on cloud 9 meeting the famous Pete Michell and Mav was glad to know that someone like Riley covers my back all the time.

A couple of days after the funeral, he told me he lost his best friend in a exercise, he understands the pain and the grief I’ve been through, I never ask him more, who was or how he get out of this because I saw the pain still lingering in his eyes, when I decided to get a full recover in my house he refused to left me alone at least until I can walk without the crutches, I’m pretty sure my parents and he having a constant communication was the  reason they left me go so far away from them with a strange calm.

Like mom and dad, Maverick is a big part of me.

I love this kind of dinners where they don’t have filters and talk like the time didn’t pass, and each time I learn something more about them, as the night passes my body screams for a proper rest, so I said goodbye to all and go to sleep. The next morning, I found empty glasses and bottles on the dinner table, and Mav sleeping on the couch. I giggled probably because the night was longer than I imagined.

The clock hanging in the wall marks 11:30 when Mav enters the kitchen with his hands over his eyes.

“I never imagined seeing Maverick hung.” I smiled at him, and he sat in the stool from the kitchen putting his hand over his face. 

“Here.” I put in front of him a cup of strong coffee. 

“The breakfast is almost ready, so I go and wake up my parents.” He nods and smiles, thanking me and raising the cup of coffee. “It’s nice to have you here, uncle Mav.” 

-

“I can’t believe you are thinking that.” Mav said, putting his cup of coffee on the table, my parents just smiled and looked at each other, we’re just in the middle of the breakfast when I told him if I don’t pass, I will decide to move to Pearl. 

“We told her the same.” My mom stands to pick another pancake. 

“Y/N is ridiculous. Come on!” My dad just giggled. 

“IT’S NOT” I pushed my father's shoulder. “Why does no one think they can reject me?” Mav put his hands over the table and laughed. 

“Sky, can you have a little more trust in you, you put me in a really bad position up there, and that's a lot to say.” I smile and wait a little bit for my mother to join us. 

“Listen, I really appreciate all the blind confidence you have in me but let’s be real, my position it’s not sure anymore and I must have a plan B, and that’s ok, I’ll be ok.” All give me a half smile, not wanting to, they let slip the topic.

When we all are saying goodbye to Maverick my dad can’t avoid messing around one more time. “Pete, the next time, told Penny she didn’t need an invitation to come too.” He got shy at the moment, put on his sunglasses and left home waving his hand. 

“You don’t forgive him a single one, right?” Dad smiles and wink at me.

-

“I’m leaving.” I scream getting downstairs. 

“Hold on, hold on, hold on, young lady.” I smile and turn to see my father reading the newspaper in the living room. “Leaving where?” I sat next to him and put my head on his shoulder. 

“Hard Deck, dagger team is leaving, and I want to say goodbye to them.” He turns the page. 

“And?” I laugh. 

“Have a little fun.” 

He kisses the top of my head. “Be careful.” I hug him and kiss my mother cheek who is entering with a glass of water. “Have fun, honey.”

Hard Deck has a full house, when I get to the counter I see Penny talking and having fun with all the people who are asking for a drink, then she turns around, she sees me sitting and watching the crowd.

“You came” I smile and nod. 

“But I think I arrived at a bad moment.” She denied. 

“No, they are all already he…” She sees the same I saw when I sit; Phoenix in intense play with other people on the table pool, Bob is talking with a nice girl while he smiles to her shyly, Jake is talking with other aviators I guess, barging about how good he is and Rooster well his lips are really busy. She closed her eyes and giggled. 

“Can I offer you something?” I ask for mineral water, another drop of alcohol and my liver will bother me all the coming week. “You look great, by the way.” 

I corrected her. “I look cute.” A blue summer dress is my outfit of the night.

I let the minutes pass, focus on the crowd and think about how much I will miss this if I fail, but at the same time it will be painful and hard to be here, suddenly I hear someone call my name. 

“Sky” I turn, and I see a guy who I can recognize from the dagger team. “They left you in the ditch, huh?” He came closer. 

“Well, they are busy right now.” He scoffs. 

“Come on, let’s play, Hangman always presumes about your fine aim.” I doubt but I also start to get bored. 

“Ok.”

I lost track of time,I was about to throw the next dart, Phoenix pulled me for a hug by the shoulders and lost my balance and hit far away from the center. 

“Why don’t you approach us?” She looks like win more than a couple of games. 

“Damn Nat, I have it.” I close my eyes to the missing target.

“You invited her then let her alone, huh.” I smile and try to get free from Nat. 

“You must tell us, Payback, don't steal her.” She is so strong. 

“Ok, ok, you have me now.” She points with her finger to Payback and Coyote and drags me where Bob is now drinking alone, I wave to them and thank them for the games. 

“Oh, it was actually you.” Bob says when I sit at the table. 

“You almost broke my neck, and yeah it was me.” Nat kept searching for someone in the crowd. 

“If you’re busy, why can't I be there playing?” Nat always will treat me like her little sister. 

“Where the hell is Bangman and Rooster?” Bob and I look at each other, I get it, we both know the answer. 

“Well, Jake is in the bathroom and Rooster is…” Is lovely how good team Bob and Nat have built. 

“Keeping his lips and hands busy.” I cut giggling at the reaction of Nat who just looked at us with open eyes. 

“He is what?” Bob points to our six, where Rooster keeps holding and kissing the girl; Nat didn’t have a chance to answer because Jake sits beside Bob.

“Did you have fun cheating on me? You look beautiful.” He is playing with me, and he notices Nat with her expression about killing someone, he points her to us, and Bob denies and raises his shoulders. 

“Are we having fun, or can I just keep playing with Payback and Coyote?” Jake smiles and all stands walking to the pool tables.

Like Cinderella, when the clock marks the 00:00 in my watch I start to say goodbye. Maybe they left on Tuesday, but I have to go tomorrow morning; a family is waiting to enter their new home tomorrow night. 

“Take care, ok? Never stop talking to her up there.” I hug Bob before going to Nat. 

“You better be back, huh?” She holds me tighter. 

“We work harder to be here for the results, ok?” I felt a few tears in my eyes. 

“Just be safe, that’s all you need to do.” She let me go but holding from my shoulders. Jake pulled me as soon as Phoenix let me go. 

“We’ll be here kiddo, we promise.” I put my arms around his waist. 

“Be safe, but never stop looking good.” He laughs and messes up my hair. 

“I’m always looking good.” 

I turned when I took a few steps. “Say goodbye to the guys.” They nod and wave his hands to me, I walk to say goodbye to Penny, she’s talking with the girl who was with Rooster, but he wasn’t there. 

“Y/N are you leaving?” She asks me when sees me. 

“Yeah, I have a flight early in the morning.” I smile at the girl and jump over the counter to kiss Penny's cheek. “I guess I’ll see you next weekend, right?” She lends me my purse. 

“Affirmative.” She smiles at me. “Take care, ok?” I nod and wave before leaving Hard Deck.

In the night while I was sitting on the little “bench” from my window I talked to myself. “Come on Sky, have a one sided crush is the last you need right now. Put yourself together, there is still a lot to do for having troubles with that.” I laid in bed and remembered Riley's words.

<You deserve someone who loves you with all his heart, mind and soul, not settle with less.> 

*

I let go of Lilian with her friends and I stayed with the rest of my team. 

“She is great.” I hear Coyote talking while he’s paying the bill to Penny. 

“A new girl in your sight?” I ask feeling the dangerous eyes from Phoenix and Penny. 

“I don’t think Hangman will let me.” He says waving his hand to Penny and leaving the bar. 

“Totally right.” Jake kisses Penny cheek before going, leaving just Penny, Phoenix, Bob, and me.

“Who is it?” Phoenix punches me in the arm. 

“Y/N…” Damn it. 

“She was here.” Bob ends her sentence. 

“I told you Bradley, no games if you really like her.” Bob and Phoenix said goodbye to Penny leaving me speechless. 

“Penny…” She cut me off. 

“Rooster, you know I love you so much, but I warn you, Y/N it’s not a girl to mess around, and I won’t let anyone mess around her.” Her face is serious let me know I really fuck off. “Go and rest Rooster, you need to be fine for the deployment.”

[need-a-hobbie]

Identity Crisis: Prologue

Summary: Naya’il is a young na’vi woman that has yet to share her past with the Sully children. Only Jake, Neytiri, Norm, and Mo’at know the pains she went through as a child and that is why she is accepted into the Omatikaya as a sitter for the children. That’s before her, Spider, Lo’ak, Kiri, and Tuk go out into the forest to explore and get captured. This time, Spider isn’t the only one the Sully parents fail to get. Naya’il and Lo’ak join him, the three bonding as teenagers. The only question is, why do the colonel and that bald headed corporal keep looking at her so weirdly?

Warnings: Mature language, trauma, abuse, mentions of death, smidge of stolkhom syndrome, slow burn, smut, graphic sex scenes

Pandora, or as the natives called it eywa’eveng, was the battle ground of human and a humanoid race called the na’vi. First, they came to learn from the people, to build bonds and trade, then it turned to tearing up the ground for unobtanium wich would supply energy to their dying Earth. Now, fifteen years after The Great War that ended with humans being thrown from the planet, they have returned to ensure a new planet for the humans to thrive on and kill. It ends with every creature not domesticated killed, every na’vi hunted and destroyed, the ecosystems, so beautiful and unique replaced with housing for the humans. They will destroy everything, everyone, for their own gain.

“What the hell were you thinking?! I take you two out and you can’t follow a simple order? What happened to staying in the skies and calling out incoming ships?!” The olo’eyktan of our tribe, the great Toruk Makto, tells at his two sons. They had disobeyed, almost died, and I watch with crossed arms. Kiri had come over with Tuk at some point to argue the fact that the oldest sibling, Neteyam, was bleeding. From what Lo’ak explained, an explosion went off and he had been caught in it, flying and cutting up his back pretty decently. “Ma Jake,” Neytiri, his mate, Palulukan Makto, sighs. Her hand, four fingers, rests on her son’s shoulder.

“Go to your grandmother’s tent.” He waves them off and I don’t miss the look she sends him while brushing past. The four leaving to tend to the oldest leaves Jake and Lo’ak, a potent mix of every daddy issue ever. “Olo’eyktan.” His eyes, muck more intense with the black paint surrounding them, land on me, daring me to say anything. “I will take care of Lo’ak.” He opens his mouth and I place my hand on the young boy’s shoulder. “Your yelling is attracting the attention of the clan. Go with Neteyam, please.” A moment of tense silence between us, the ikran chittering and wind rushing through the opening of High Camp. “You’re grounded, no flying for a month.”

He turns on his heel and I squeeze Lo’ak’s shoulder as we watch him stalk off. While I respected him, yelling at the boy who’s a carbon copy of him isn’t something I condone. “You okay, Lo’ak?” I turn him to face me, ears pinning at the tear filled eyes that meet mine. “I got you.” I pull him into a hug, resting a hand on the back of his head. “You’re okay now.” His shoulder’s shake and he cries into my shoulder, hugging me tightly. He reminded me of my younger brother so much, and to see him so upset and emotionally neglected hurt my heart. My ears twitch at the small patter of approaching footsteps and Spider peaks his head out from behind one of the many rock formations.

“Hey guys.” Lo’ak pulls away from me and Spider approaches with a wet cloth. “Jake wanted me to get you something to clean your face off.” Lo’ak lets me take it and I cup his cheek, carefully wiping the paint from his face. “Your father’s war paint. Very important. Very symbolic.” No response and I sigh. “You know, I remember what he was like when you and your brother were babes. Kiri as well, of course, but I distinctly remember the look on his face when he saw you two.” I rub gently, folding over the towel to get a clean spot as to not smear the paint on his face. “So proud, so happy, so young.”

Spider stands beside us, watching, listening. “That was before the humans came back. Before he had to worry for the safety of those who shared his blood, who were made from the very material of his body.” Lo’ak meets my eyes, his ears twitching. “The forest burned when the ships came, destroying much of the forest and burning many of the animals that were caught in the flames.” A pause while I turn his face. “They died horribly, unable to put out the flames on their skin.” A sad look from Spider, and I curse myself for not considering my words. “It was very sad, a very unhappy time for the tribes. Now, he sees himself in you, and he is scared that you will have to go through the same pain that he did as a young warrior.”

The paint is gone, so stains left behind by the pigment and I pat his head, smiling. “Spider, of course, had nothing to do with the pain brought. Only the pain that he brings by pulling pranks all the time.” The boy gives a sarcastic laugh and I grin at him. “Very funny, Naya’il.” I shrug, throwing the rag at his chest before messing with his dreads. “It is true, small man.” A gasp and he smacks the rag into my thigh very harshly. The sound is loud and I yelp, my skin stinging. “Oh! Watch your back, human!” He laughs, Lo’ak joining in and I pout.

“Since you think this is funny, you two can tend to the ikran by yourself. All thirteen that went on the war party!” Groans from the two teenage boys and I give a sarcastic laugh, which turns into a real one after the looks they give me. “C’mon. Let us get them tended before the great Toruk Makto comes back to yell.” Lo’ak snicker, Spider joining in before we start unsaddling the ikran. It takes close to an hour before all of them are fed, watered, unsaddled and sent on their way. He seems in better spirits when Spider starts joking around with him, and his smile reminds me so much of my brother I have to look away from the two as tears well in my eyes. He is not him, and he will never be.

After the ikran tending I head to my tent, head pounding. For the past few days, constant memories have been plaguing me, almost like a warning. I sigh, pulling back the leather of a strumbeast that had been given to me. Not a courting gift, but something that could be spared since others used blankets and rugs for their own tents. My fingers rub over the textured leather before I shake my head. Right, nap time. I enter my tent, stopping at the sight of Tuk. She’s sitting on my worn pillows, an uncharacteristic serious expression on her young face. “Thank you for joining me, Naya’il.” I feel my face scrunch up in confusion, questions on the tip of my tongue before I sigh.

“What can I help you with, young Tuk?” A tense smile and I sit on my bedding, crossing my legs. She had turned on the lamp, setting it behind her, and the idea that she did so to look intimidating crosses my mind. “Lo’ak is going to the forest later, with Kiri and Spider.” I nod. “Okay, what does this have to do with me?” A smile, sickly sweet and dangerous takes over her serious expression. “They want you to go. I want to go.” Another nod and concerned expression from me. “Are you wanting me to force them to take you as well?” She nods. “Yes, you are the oldest.”

I raise my eyebrow, or the muscle that would move one of Lo’ak’s and give her a pointed look. “Tuk. I turn eighteen in two days, that does not make me as old, wise, or persuading as your grandmother.” She frowns and I sigh, slouching enough to rest my elbow on my thigh and prop my chin in the palm of my hand. “Okay, but! You have to stay close and listen to what we say. I cannot promise you will be allowed, but I will try.” The youngest Sully child throws herself at me, squealing and I let the force of it push me onto my back. I hug her back, blinking up at the shadows on the leather, created by the light striking the sticks on the opposite side. “Get out. I need a nap.”

[distilledmelancholy]

Pride/Coming out Headcannons

Happy pride month! And happy first post lol. I thought it would be fun to make some headcannons about how the Welcome Home cast would celebrate/ react to you coming out!

Wally Darling

Celebrating

I feel like Wally would not really understand at first

"A special month? What about when it's not June?"

Would walk around to spread the news to the other neighbors about this wonderful thing he just learned called "pride month" (even though everyone already knows what it is)

Coming Out

Depending on what identity you're coming out with, you will most likely need to explain it to him a little bit. He's just a silly little guy after all.

Would probably paint you a picture of something to do with your identity flag or something to show that he loves you no matter what! Best friends stick together

Barnaby B. Beagle

Celebrating

Something tells me this guy can make balloon animals

Would probably make a comedy routine for pride and make jokes that target each neighbor and their identity lol

Coming Out

Would definitely make some out of pocket jokes (in a good way)

Howdy Pillar

Celebrating

Would deck out his bugdega in banners and ribbons and streamers n shit.

Would also change into the most hideously colorful uniform ever. Dear lord the colors clash so bad but hes trying to show his support for his friends!

Would stock up on all the things that the gays need (extra hairspray for Wally, and just a plethora of rainbow things and decorations for the other neighbors)

Coming Out

"Oh, ya don't say?" (already knew)

Would order you something special that reps your flag so you can show your pride!

Eddie Dear

Celebrating

Already has decor and corny outfits ready the first day of pride, and will continue to wear corny ass outfits with rainbows everywhere until the very last day.

Probably has special mail stamps and envelopes too lol

Defintely shows off Frank during this time. He loves his partner!!

Not headcannon but actually cannon... drag queen. Would be a drag queen in Sally's drag shows

Coming Out

"Awesome, more of us!"

Will definitely give you a big ol' hug and get emotional because you trust him enough to come out to him.

Frank Frankly

Celebrating

Will celebrate if his friends are doing something, but won't do anything himself.

But he'll do anything that Eddie asks him to do.

Which means he wears Eddie's god awful accessories so they can match because he just can't say no to his lovely husband.

Coming Out

Would just kind of be like "Okay cool, can you leave my house now? Im kinda busy" (Was about to go butterfly watching)

Julie Joyful

Celebrating

Would go to each neighbor individually and wish them happy pride month!

Would want to play lots of games and have lots of sleepovers to celebrate as much as possible!

Also matching with Eddie and Frank

Coming Out

"beeee who you areeee"

Give you a big happy hug and get suuper excited

Sally Starlet

Celebrating

Would host plays with the main characters being gay or something so probably shakespeare tbh

Host a drag show once a week

Coming Out

"Does this mean you'll be apart of my plays?"

Poppy Partridge

Celebrating

Makes sooo many baked goods you get a stomach ache

Definitely takes over as a mother figure during this month, so if you normall don't have supportive parents shes your mom now :)

Coming Out

Will probably start crying and give you a hug because she loves you so much

So touched that you came out to her

[clairesgaragezine]

CGZ Featured Artist: MJ (Molly Jean)

May 25, 2023

Everyone, I am SO excited!! Please welcome our very first featured artist: MJ, stands for Molly Jean, female, 38 years old in Kansas City, Missouri. No formal art education outside of the 7 art classes she took in highschool. She took two semesters of theater in community college, "that counts for something" she says. She used to have a website but hasn't updated in years, you can go ahead and find her on Instagram @mollyjean.art  or over on her Tumblr which is a mish mash of fan girl stuff and whatever else she feels like @yourcoolauntie (for her avatar of Aunt Gayle from Bob's Burgers)

Leviathan, 2012 (Acrylic on canvas, 16x20in)

CGZ: When did you start painting? What’s your earliest memory of painting or of creating art? 

MJ: I remember making a little pinch pot in Kindergarten. In first grade we made robots out of different materials, they were flat on paper, it was mixed medium. I used tinfoil and some other stuff. It got hung up at the school district's main office, they tracked me down and gave it back to me in highschool! 

CGZ: And where is the robot now?

MJ: I don't know where the robot is, my mom may have it in a box but it may have gotten lost.

Object II, 2020 (Acrylic on canvas, 30x40 in)

CGZ: Has your birthplace or your family background influenced your approach to creating art? 

MJ: I wish I had an answer about my culture or my family heritage, but I don't. My dad's side is Irish & English, his family came over well over a hundred years ago. My mom is half Croatian but her grandparents were old by the time she was born, and they all assimilated very thoroughly, so I know little of Slavic culture. So birthplace and heritage…the isolating suburbs of the southern midwest. 

Ultimately art has been my constant therapy, so my approach is, I have to do it. Let me try not to trauma dump too much. I grew up in a very dysfunctional home. My mom was the gentler one, my dad was scary. But my folks would take my siblings and I out to museums and around the city to expose us to a bigger world outside our suburb. We grew up poorer than we should have been because my dad was a high functioning addict, with an okay job with the city, but money went to drugs and lawyers. So I'm certain being aware early on of how class works in America shaped me as well. My mom and dad were too different from one another but they both appreciated the world, usually in a very critical and very negative way. My father, troubled, but very smart, always played music, records, he loved movies and anything avant garde and fringe. He had no boundaries and it was a volatile home. So, in a house where one parent was always afraid to speak up because her spouse would explode in a rage and the other never not talking about his every thought and feeling…I never learned to properly communicate mine. So…art. My folks are still alive…I realize I wrote this like they're dead.

CGZ: Who are your biggest artistic influences? 

MJ: The dadaists, the surrealists, abstract expressionists, the early abstract guys like Wassily Kandinsky. We watched a documentary in Jr. high about Keith Haring that stuck with me. That's a big leap from Picasso to Haring but this is kinda off the top of my head, I never took any art history courses.

CGZ: How has your art practice changed over time? 

MJ: I used to be uncomfortable calling myself an artist, in my early 20s I didn't think I'd earned it because I hadn't sold anything yet. That was real dumb. If you make something that serves absolutely no function other than you created it and now it exists and now it's in the world to be debated, analyzed or just looked at and displayed, congratulations you made an art. That aligns with the old adage of Art for art's sake.

CGZ: What do you like best about your work? What makes you happy when you’re creating?

MJ: I don't think I have a best liked…but I'm generally pleased if I can come close to what I had in my mind before I started.

Labyrinth, 2022 (Acrylic on canvas, 16x20 in)

CGZ: I adored your 2023 International Women’s Day post (self-portraits in a candlelit bath with body-affirming/life-affirming messages). Is there a shared meaning or messaging across your whole art practice? What differs for you between your abstract paintings and your photography projects?

MJ: Thank you so much for saying that. Also, great question. This is actually something I've thought about because I'm scared. It's been years since I've displayed anything and I'm worried if I approach a gallery they will ask me this and I will squeak out a bullshit answer like, let the art speak for itself. I think if there is a thread between all my work, paint, mixed media, photography it's about discovery and exploration, acceptance. I'm a traumatized, depressed, queer so that's easy, right? Looking at the parts of ourselves we'd rather keep hidden because of shame or pain, that we all have a part of ourselves we must excavate. Even folks with happy childhoods. Just don't lose yourself in the ditch in the process.  …I'm not sure any of that made sense.

CGZ: What are some of the most memorable responses you’ve received about your work? 

MJ: About a decade or so ago a friend made a little film about this shadowbox project I was doing. It was an artist showcase. I was in the film community as a script supervisor…so that's how most knew me. I didn't talk about my art. I can't watch it now because I cringe…but after the viewing, a DP came up to me and he said, "I didn't know you were interesting." Weird backhanded compliment.

Another standout is walking into a pop up gallery I was showing at and meeting a jewelry designer there and she said, "You must be MJ, you look like your art." That was very affirming.

CGZ: What are the “little things” that you notice but no one else does that inspire your work? 

MJ: A sunrise, the way light simmers and breaks apart when it shines through a tree canopy. I think people see that stuff, I don't want to pretend I have some profound insight on life that others don't. I suppose it's about priorities and what we choose to register and spend our time on. I have no children or a partner, I'm my own distraction and obstacle. I do prioritize stillness.

CGZ: What are your favorite mediums to create in? Are there any “experimental” or new-to-you mediums that you’re interested in exploring?

MJ:  Acrylic is my main bag. I'd love to work with oils. Not very exciting I know. Honestly, I have ideas for sculptures but have no idea where to begin.

CGZ: What is your favorite time of day to create? What’s your “just right” setting? Do you have a favorite drink or mood-setting music? A lucky trinket you keep nearby?

MJ: Some might not say I'm not a true artist because I have a day job and am not starving for my art…but that's the dream right, to be able to eat and shelter yourself and do only art. So, usually midday on a day off. I might smoke some weed, I will definitely be listening to music, through my stereo setup or my headphones. 

CGZ: Describe what it feels like when you know a piece is finished. What makes you sit back and go “That’s done.”

MJ: I never have that feeling of "done", it's usually, I have exhausted all effort and I am either satisfied or I'm not. I'm guilty of painting over works. But I have a few pieces I think I'm completely satisfied with. The ones pictured are a few of those.

CGZ: Where do you go for inspiration? What helps refill the well?

MJ: Listening to other artists, and other people speak on their work. Moonage Daydream, the David Bowie documentary I watched the other night for example. I recently watched a piece on Roberta Flack. Music is a big motivator. I live about 10 miles from The Nelson Atkins Museum of art, so going and looking at the Marcel Duchamp or the Van Gogh's helps too.

CGZ: Do you have a favorite art museum? When you go there, where do you beeline to first?

MJ: See previous. Ha.

CGZ: What’s the weirdest or best book you’ve read recently?

MJ: I'm shit at getting around to finishing a book. I have Blood, Sweat and Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max Fury Road next to my bed. Spine not cracked. 

CGZ: As the kids say: “I’m in my ___ era.” What era are you in? 

MJ: Hermit. My fingernails haven't started to curl yet so there is still hope.

As Above So Below, 2020 (Acrylic on canvas, 16x20 in)

CGZ: What song has been stuck in your head lately? 

MJ: Recently, On My Own from Les Mis. The hermit bit aside, I did just go catch the tour that came through town. So…

CGZ: What keeps you going? How do you overcome creative blocks?

MJ: I don't have creative blocks per se. They can happen but mostly I have hurdles. I let my brother move into the room I was using as my studio…so, I haven't been painting as much. But I have to always be creating something. As a kid before I painted I played piano, then got into theater, acting, modeling for a couple years. I once had a webshow with a best friend where we reviewed TV shows and recreated the episode using Barbie dolls. I was 27. Nowadays I write or play with photography, if I can't paint. Recently, some poetry, and about 100,000 words worth of fan fiction. A girl has gotta let it out somehow, no shame.

CGZ: What’s the best piece of artist/creator advice you’ve heard?

MJ: I'm sure I've heard plenty but my memory is crap, so I have no quotes to give you right now. I think in highschool, when my teacher came up over my shoulder and pointed at the heavy outline in my still life (that she'd tried to get me to stop doing) and said, "You just can't help yourself can you? That's just how you paint." Taught me something. We can be taught and told and can imitate and follow instructions and still reveal ourselves through a simple unconscious stroke.

CGZ: Where do you hope to be in five years? Ten? (Wrong answers only.)

MJ: I can't even provide a wrong answer. These kinds of questions addle my sick brain.

CGZ: A parting quote for our readers? (I adored, “I can't wait until I'm dead and all my art is at a thrift store or left beside a dumpster.”)

MJ: I'm glad you appreciated that. I do love the MOBA, museumofbadart.org, and would feel no shame being included there, they do important work, I do believe that.

I feel like I've said too much. I was mentally smoking a cigarette this whole time. So I'm stomping it out now. Just imagine me staring into your eyes like performance artist Marina Abramovic and come up with something.

This was really fun and terrifying by the way. Thanks so much Claire 🖤

Communication, 2020 (Acrylic and oil on canvas, 18x24 in)

Hellhound, 2012 (Acrylic on canvas, 16x20 in)

[softsnzstuff]

Doctor Au: Eddie knows Steve's really sick when he actually takes the day off from work or actually asks if he can go home early.

I am officially hijacking this ask and making it:

✨How Steddie Got Together (Doctor AU)✨

**

Saturday

“Another round of drinks?” The waiter a asked, towel folded over his arm.

“Yes please!” Robin exclaimed as the young man took away their empty glasses.

Steve held up a hand, “None for me, thanks.”

Robin stared at him judgmentally as he sipped from his water glass.

“You’re so boring!!! Just one more?”

“We’re not supposed to be getting hammered, Robin.”

“I am not hammered!”

Her argument was unconvincing at best, but Eddie ignored it, waving them off. He turned back to the waiter, “Sorry about them - it’ll just be the two margaritas for the ladies.”

“Nothing for you either Eds?” Robin asked.

“Nah, can’t let my boy Stevie stop by himself.” He shrugged.

Steve felt himself tense up at the Eddie calling him “his boy”.

“How very noble of you.” Nancy joked.

The four of them were out for dinner and drinks - something they liked to do once a month or so - going to the fancy hotel restaurant. Robin and Nancy were sitting in the booth seats opposite the boys who had two regular chairs.

Steve felt a tickle somewhere deep in his nose. He lifted the fabric napkin to his face and twisted away from their food.

“H’eMPtsch!! MPT’schh!!”

“Bless you.”

He sniffled as he lowered the napkin again, the waiter returning with the margaritas for the girls. He set them on the table, tiny umbrella and all.

“Thank you, thank you!!” Robin exclaimed.

Eddie picked up a French fry and took a bite. “Yeah. Definitely not hammered…”

“What’s everyone’s plans this weekend?” Steve asked, ignoring Robin rolling her eyes.

“I have to go back to my parents house this weekend. They’re moving Mike out for college and need some help.”

Robin was sucking away at the margarita, realizing it was her turn to speak, “Oh! I’m not doing much. Probably painting or watching tv. What about you, Eddie?”

“Eh, practicing guitar I guess. Not much. Steve?”

Eddie turned and looked at these with the warmest brown eyes. Steve felt butterflies in his stomach. He really didn’t want to say that he was actually starting to feel like he was catching a cold and wanted to sleep all weekend.

“I um… I think I’m just cleaning the apartment maybe?”

“Booooring!”

“Well someone’s gotta do it! It’s me. I’m someone. I- H’AEkishEW! HISHheW! NG’tchEW!!”

“Bless you, Stevie!”

Eddie raised his arm to rest it on the back of Steve’s chair, rubbing the man’s shoulders as he did so.

“Thanks. Sorry.” He sniffled into his napkin, trying not to think about how his crush was sat there rubbing his back right now.

Eddie’s always been a friendly guy, but he’s exceptionally flirty when it comes to Steve. Robin, who has known him since middle school, shoots Steve a knowing glance - he’d told her about his crush when she got hired on.

He shot her an equally knowing, discrete glance that screamed, ‘Don’t say a thing!’

The waiter came back with their bill, setting it on the table. Eddie quickly grabbing for his wallet in his pocket.

Nancy held out a hand to stop him, “No Eddie, we can split it!”

He waved his hand around and shook his head, “Nah, I got this one Nance, don’t worry about it.”

“Thank you Eddie!”

“Thanks Eddie!” Robin added, taking another sip of her drink.

“Thahhh thanks! H’ISSSH!”

“You’re welcome.” He turned to Steve, “Bless you.”

***

Monday

Eddie arrived at 7:25 Monday morning. He came in through the back door, the parking lot already filling up with the morning’s patients. He dropped his bag down next to his office desk.

“Morning Eddie!” Came a high pitched voice.

He looked up, only to meet the eyes of Chrissy Cunningham.

“Oh hi Chrissy! What a pleasant surprise!” He strode over to give her a hug. “How are you?”

“Doing just fine, and yourself?”

“Good, good! Ready to be back at work I suppose. Is Steve here yet?”

The last question was rhetorical. He figured if Chrissy was here, something had to be up.

“Oh, no. Sorry. I’m actually covering for him today.”

There it was.

“Covering for him?”

“Yeah, Robin called me this morning and said he won’t be coming in.”

“Oh, well glad to see you around!!”

As the girl left him, he tried his best to hide the disappointment. He absolutely loved Chrissy to pieces, but the past few weeks, seeing Steve was the highlight of his day.

He knew from the start that Steve was into guys and girls. Once he found out he and Robin were just really really close friends, he felt a relief. He’d been hanging out more with Steve outside of work lately - mostly doing cook nights at someone’s house to talk about life and the job. He thought maybe give it some time and he might have a chance?

He found himself sitting next to Robin at her desk while she signed out a patient, the methodical clicking of her keyboard putting him in a trance. Was Steve okay? Was he hurt? Where was he??

“Can I help you with something, Doc?” She asked, not looking away from the computer.

“I was just wondering where Steve is today.”

“Didn’t you see Chrissy?” She asked again, still typing appointment notes.

He fiddled with his thumbs. He was really hoping she wouldn’t ask questions.

“Yeah I did but…she said he’s sick or something..?”

Robin stopped typing to pull an appointment card out of her deck and started scribbling information on it for the patient.

“He is. Called out really early this morning.”

The long haired man hummed in thought, thinking out loud. “He must be feeling really bad then…”

“Hmm?” She handed the card to the patient and turned around in her chair to face him.

Not realizing he’d spoken aloud, he blushed slightly, “Oh, sorry. I just said… he must be feeling really rough. It’s not usually like him to call out when he’s sick.”

Robin raised an eyebrow, unaware that he was even keeping track of that information, “Uhh yeah I guess. He sounded pretty shit on the phone.”

Eddie bit his lip, not wanting to show too much concern. “Okay. Thanks.” He stood up and walked to his office, pulling the cell phone out of his pocket and sending a text.

Hey, Robin says you’re sick.

Hey Eddie. I’m fine, just a URI or something

Eddie rolled his eyes. “Just” a URI? Of course Steve would say that.

Are you okay though?

No response. He waited several minutes but nothing. He slipped the phone back into his pocket and decided to continue about his day as normal.

When lunch came around, he peeked at his phone again: no new messages. Fuck.

“Hey Robin, have you heard anything from Steve?” He asked hesitantly. He already thought she was into him.

“Nope. Not since this morning.” She looked up from her crackers, “Why are you so concerned about him??”

“I’m not!” He said almost too quickly, “I mean… I’m not super concerned. I’m like an average amount of concerned.”

Chrissy and Nancy looked at Robin an chuckled.

“What??” Eddie asked.

“Just. If you’re so worried about your boy, why don’t you just go check on him?” Nancy teased.

Eddie paused for a minute. “Maybe I will.”

“So it’s settled then. Okay.” Robin and Chrissy laughed some more.

“Okay.” Eddie looked away and poked at his lunch.

***

Steve was where he’d been all day - the bed in his small studio apartment. On Sunday morning, he’d confirmed he’d caught a cold. But by Sunday evening, it had turned into something more severe.

It was like he’d gotten hit with the very worst of every cold symptom. His cough had gotten progressively worse, leaving him voiceless. He constantly had to sneeze, but when he tried to blow his nose, it just felt like his sinuses were filled with concrete. He’d been getting small dizzy spells every now and then as well, something he chalked up to the fever that developed overnight.

He knew immediately upon waking up that there was no way he’d be able to make it through his clinic shift today. He’d thankfully been able to call Robin before his cough claimed his voice as collateral damage.

It was almost 6pm. He should probably eat, but all he’d been able to manage was walking to the kitchen to make a mug of tea. Before he could even decide if he wanted to get up again, someone was knocking at his door, making the decision for him.

He winced as the knocks echoed through his small space adding to his headache. Perks of a studio apartment though, was that he didn’t have to walk very far.

He unlocked the door and opened it without thinking, being met with the soft brown eyes he’d been daydreaming about every day for the past several months.

“Brought ya some tea!” The man held up a paper to-go cup.

“Eddie?” He rasped before having to turn to the side and cough harshly into his hoodie.

“Whoa, easy there Harrington!” Eddie stepped closer, putting a hand on the man’s back as coughs continued to come.

The older man winced, hearing the barking and congested quality of Steve’s cough. Finally the brunette straightened out, swallowing painfully.

“So sorry.” He said, barely above a whisper, “Come on in.”

Eddie had been to Steve’s place a handful of times do their rotational “cook nights”. He knew Steve’s place was cozy, poorly heated, and that Steve made a killer chicken parm.

The younger man led the way, rubbing his nose on the back of his jacket sleeve. He sat on the edge of his bed in the space that doubled as the living room.

“Sorry it’s such a m’bess.” Blush flooded Steve’s pale cheeks as he frantically tried to pick up all the tissues from the floor around his bed. “Would be a lot clea’der if I didn’t have to khhh keep…”

He turned away from Eddie, using his hands to pull the collar of the hoodie over his nose.

“H’eKSHhEW! iGh’TCHEW! Hrd’ziEW!”

“Bless you! You sound so-”

“Gross? I k’dow.” Steve mumbled as he reached for the tissues by his bed. “IK’tsch’IEW!”

“I was gonna say sick.” Eddie sat next to Steve on the bed and put an arm around him, frowning. “You sound so sick.”

Steve tried blowing his nose, to no avail. He threw the tissue away in frustration and coughed rather productively into his sleeve.

“I’b so sorry. You did’t come here to watch mbe be gross…”

“First of all,” Eddie grabbed the paper cup that he’d set down earlier and pressed it into Steve’s hands, “drink your tea. And you know damn well I’ve seen grosser things.”

Steve chuckled, stopping to cough lightly before bringing the cup back to his lips.

“Second of all. I came here because I care about you a lot.”

Shit. The words came out faster than he could think them. Maybe he didn’t notice??

Steve looked up from his tea with glassy, puppy eyes. “What?”

Shit. He definitely heard.

“I mean… I just meant…” he was flustered now. He didn’t mean to say that, “What I meant to say was-”

Steve smiled and put a hand on Eddie’s chest to stop him from rambling.

“I care about you a lot too.” The younger man looked into Eddie’s eyes, heart thumping out of his way too congested chest.

Eddie tried to hold the gaze, but his eyes flickered down towards Steve’s lips (only for a second!). When he shifted his gaze back up, Steve was leaning in.

The older man reached out with a hand, caressing Steve’s jawline and brushing over his slightly swollen lymph nodes.

Their lips met, soft and warm. After a few seconds, Eddie leaned back realizing Steve probably couldn’t breathe out of his nose.

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have kissed you that totally crosses a line!!” Steve was the one to be frantic now, eyes darting around the room. “And AESSHhiew! and I probably got you sick and .. and …”

“Steve!” Eddie put a hand on Steve’s thigh, “It’s okay. I…liked it. A lot actually.”

The younger man deflated, relieved that he read the signs correctly. He went silent, suddenly overcome by a dizzy spell.

“Okay there Stevie?”

The other man squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, “Yeah, just got lightheaded again…”

“Aww. My poor guy… come here.”

Eddie pulled Steve into a hug and then let themselves lean back until they were cuddling on Steve’s bed. Steve was resting his head on Eddie’s chest when his phone vibrated. He looked quickly.

How you feeling sickie?

“It’s from Robin.” He explained. He quickly typed and sent a reply and then silenced his phone, resuming his cuddle session with Eddie.

Feeling a lot better now

***

Friday

Eddie say at his desk, pressing a finger to his temple, hoping to relieve some of the pressure. This sinus headache had been building for the last twelve hours and he loathed every second of it.

“ih’NgxxT! IxxTch! NG’tchEW!”

A few muffled, “Bless you, Doctor Rockstar”s came from the back room. So they’d heard him despite his efforts. Great.

He pulled a tissue, sighing as he realized that was the last one. He blew his nose and then stood up with the empty box, making his way to the back.

Steve was typing notes into a digital chart while Robin and Nancy were discussing one of the patients who just left. Eddie entered the room, nose red and lips parted.

“Do we have snF an’dymore tissues? I ran out a’d… H’iGTsch’EW! Heh’KSHh iKSHHh! SnFF H’eGKT’chEW!!”

“Bless you! Try the left cabinet up top.” Nancy pointed.

Eddie opened it, sleeve pressed firmly to his nose as he opened the box and plucked a couple. He turned to the side, gurgling into them.

“Gross dude come on.” Robin complained. “You’re lucky Billy isn’t here today…”

Nancy stopped what she was doing and turned to really look at Eddie.

“Are you feeling okay? You sound like Steve did earlier this week.”

Nancy had meant nothing by it, but Robin whipped her head around and gasped loudly.

“NO!!” She shouted accusingly, “NO YOU DID NOT!”

Nancy, confused at first, finally caught onto what Robin was implying. “Oh my god guys, really?!”

Steve shot Eddie a look and then glued his eyes back to his computer screen, turning bright red. Eddie’s cheeks and the tips of his ears matched the crimson as he shrugged lightly, not looking at them.

“OH! MY! GOD! They’re finally together.” Robin stated matter-of-factly, high giving Nancy across the table.

“You guys are dumb.” Eddie turned around to go back to his office, holding the fresh box above his head, “Thanks for the tissues!” He called over his shoulder.

Robin cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled back, “Have fun with Steve’s URI!! Heard it’s a real doozy!”

Steve whacked her with a chart and shook his head, the girls laughing in excitement.

As he sat there writing his appointment notes, a guilty smile crept across his face. ‘They’re finally together!’ He was dating Eddie Munson.