#angst with small happy ending

[decojellyfish]

Hatchling.

Hi guys! Sorry it’s been a bit. I’ve been busy! Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated, and feel free to request anything!

——————

Dragon! Price x Baby Dragon! Reader x Werewolf! Soap (And a little bit of the whole hybrid crew :))

!!No Romance For Obvious Reasons!!

Angsty Fluff

Warnings: Death via gunshots

───♡───────────── Beginning

It all started when Price found an abandoned egg on a mission. It must’ve fallen out of the nest, or perhaps the mother must’ve left it behind to protect it from predators or hunters. But he took the egg, holding it protectively with one burly arm while the other held a gun to keep both him and the egg as he retreated to the helo.

His task force members were screaming for him to hurry up, their faces having a tinge of confusion at the sight of their captain with a giant splotchy egg that seemingly appeared out of the blue.

“I had to.”

Was all Price said as he got settled into his seat, the egg resting in his lap with both his clawed hands holding it in place.

With this sudden, out-of-the-blue, parental instinct that Price had when it came to this mysterious egg, he was put on indefinite leave. He spoke about how it was a dragon egg, and that he couldn’t leave it behind. Not without a parent.

Now, here Price was. The egg was in a makeshift incubator, under a heating lamp, and cradled into a pile of neatly folded blankets.

He was in his foldout chair, reading a book, right next to the incubator. He would glance at the egg from time to time, wondering if he heard the little dragon inside of it shift around. He would even just have one of his hands rest a top of the egg, thumb gently stroking at the shell. He could faintly feel a little heartbeat inside of it.

It made him smile.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Price’s mates visited from time to time, checking up on the egg, checking on him as well. It was still strange how Price suddenly wanted to become a dad and with someone else’s abandoned baby too.

Gaz, being a harpy, would sometimes bond with Price over the fact that both of their kinds laid eggs. Gaz would share tips on what his parents did with him while he was a little bird, and Price would share stories of what he was like when he first hatched.

Soap was fascinated by the egg, his ears perking up whenever he watched it move slightly. He would bark at Price in excitement, “Price!! It moved! It’s gon’ae hatch!!” His tail violently wagged as he watched.

“Nope, little one’s got a few more weeks, Soap.” Price chuckled as he walked over to his comrade.

But for now, it was just Price and the egg in this moment. On this day, when it happened. You hatched.

It was a few days after your estimated hatch date, so Price was extra alert. He was walking out of his bedroom, he had woken up not even 5 minutes ago when he heard a tiny crack, and then a little rustle. Before he heard a faint, muffled, and quiet chirp.

He snapped wide awake and practically ran over to the incubator. A tiny crack had appeared and it was slowly growing. He didn’t want to interfere, you had to hatch on your own unless there were complications.

“C’mon, little one… c’mon, you can do it…” he whispered as he watched the egg wiggle and move about as you began your journey of entering the world.

The crack got bigger and bigger, branching off into other cracks all over the egg before your little fist finally punched out of the egg. Price nearly grinned from ear to ear at the sight, and waited for the rest to come.

Then the rest of your arm was pushed out, then your two feet kicked a good portion of the egg off of you. And that’s when you really began to wiggle and squirm about to get that damn egg off of you!

Price chuckled at the sight of your kicking legs and flailing tail as you tried to get the rest of the egg off of your upper body. Soon, you tore the eggshell away from yourself and you revealed yourself to the new world around you. Covered in membranes, blood, and other fluids that your egg held throughout your development. Now, Price took this moment to gaze at what a perfect little dragon you were.

You were scaly, like him, only your scales were a shade of coral red. Your tiny wings, still folded into your back, had little talons at the tips. Your horns were tiny, so tiny, barely budding out of your head from your slimy skin. You lay there, curled up and exhausted from the exercise you had to endure. Your eyes closed, and your tail tucked in around your body.

He stared at you for a bit, mesmerized. You were a beautiful baby, peaceful and comforted by the soft blankets and warmth of your heating lamp.

Price would reach for you, gently taking your little frame into his large, calloused hands. You squeaked at the sudden feeling of his sandpaper-like fingers. But as he pulled you to his chest, keeping you curled up and tucked away into his big arms, you adjusted yourself to the new source of warmth.

A little purr left your throat, your heartbeat syncing up to the one that held you. You accustomed yourself to the smell, the scent of protection, warmth, and safety. Your father.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

It had been a few years now, you were still tiny but were now able to toddle around. Which meant you were able to follow your father around wherever he went in the house.

Price would be in the laundry room, unloading the dryer when he would feel a pair of tiny, chubby hands grasp at his tail followed by the sound of your sweet giggles. Or if he was in the kitchen, preparing dinner for that night, he would eventually feel your tiny form hugging his calf. He had grown accustomed to this, it meant you wanted to be held.

As you had grown, so did your wings, tail, and horns. Your horns were slightly curling back toward your head, kind of like a ram, and you had gotten into the habit of incessantly flapping your wings as you tried to fly. To no success.

But your father would always hype you up whenever he saw you doing it, cheering for you even if you weren’t able to lift yourself off the ground even a little bit.

“Maybe next time, sweetpea. I know you can do it.”

His mates loved visiting even more now after you’d hatched. Soap would playfully chase you through the halls of the house, letting you pet and hug his fluffy tail. Gaz would try and teach you to fly, desperately trying to get you to watch him as he flapped his wings. Only for you to get distracted with something else and immediately toddle off to get a closer look.

Even Ghost liked being around you. He would hold you and pretend that you were flying around, calling you a ‘little chopper’. He would even tolerate you being a curious little one, who would tug his mask off and put it on your head. Only for it to be way too big and completely hide your face.

With you being a little more grown than when you were a fresh hatchling, that meant that Price was able to return to service. He had a nanny already in place for you, and of course, you loved her. She was Price’s neighbor from across the street, she was a harpy. That also meant that you would still get your flying lessons in while he was away.

When he was testing the waters with you and the nanny, he was more worried about being away than you were. He would only return to service for a week or two, small missions, just to make sure he could come back home to you as fast as possible.

Every time he returned home, he would find you playing with the nanny or sleeping on the couch. Either way, when you saw him after he returned home, you would squeal loudly and run up to him and nonverbally beg for a hug. In which he would happily oblige, holding you tight and petting your little head.

After a few months, getting the routine down of being away for a bit and returning to your smiling face, knowing you were safe and sound, Price began to go on longer missions, mostly lasting for a month or two.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Gunshots rang out throughout the battlefield, with no intention of stopping. Price ducking for cover behind a cracked, decaying wall. Moss beginning to grow on it from the floor, tiny white flowers blossoming from it. He looked at it, a smile flashing upon his face as it reminded him of you. That smile was quickly wiped off of his face when he heard a few members of the enemy team approaching. He held his gun near his chest, ready to fire.

He eventually turned around the corner and began to fire at the men, his teeth grinding against each other in his closed mouth. He didn’t stop firing until they dropped to the ground, dead, despite the sudden throbbing pain in his chest and abdomen.

Once he knew they were dead, he was finally able to feel the pain in full force. He dropped to his knees and leaned up against the wall he was previously hiding behind. His hands clutched at the areas he felt the pain, only for him to pull his hands away and see the blood that coated his gloves.

He had been shot in the stomach and chest. Close to his heart, too.

He reached for his radio, desperately calling for any of his men or a medic, his other hand clutching at one of the bullet holes in his abdomen. He let go of his radio and used the other hand to put pressure on the hole in his chest. He tried to control his breathing, feeling like his entire body was on fire.

Soon rapid footsteps could be heard approaching, and a familiar werewolf entered Price’s line of sight.

“Price! Price! Holy shit, don’t die on me, you bastard!” Soap barked at him as he dropped down to his knees to try and help him.

He held him in his arms, barking out into the field for any kind of help.

Soap looked down at him, seeing Price’s eyes grow tired and weak, similar to his breath which was short. The dragon reached a shaky hand up and gripped at Soap’s arm.

“Y-You… take- care of my- gh…my little one…that’s an-… order…” he choked out, blood filling his lungs with every second.

“N-No, I can’t! They- they need you! I’m no dragon!” Soap tried to control the shake in his voice, but the burning lump in his throat made it near impossible.

“Soap… ‘m not gonna make it…Soap… y-you… and the boys… t-take care of them…o-…okay…?” Price coughed, a bit of blood spitting up from his mouth and onto his tactical vest.

Soap stared down at him, trying everything he could to blink back his tears before he slowly began to nod. “Yes, sir… I’ll make sure the wee one never forgets their papa either…” he said through sniffles.

Price would smile, weakly, before a long, breathy exhale left his throat and he slowly went limp.

“Price? Price?? John!?” Soap called out to the lifeless captain that rested in his arms. It was then that Ghost and Gaz were finally able to get to Price’s spot.

Ghost stared at Price’s body, trying to process the fact that this was actually happening. Gaz could already feel the tears stinging at his eyes, witnessing the lifeless body of his mentor who was practically a father figure to him in a small sense. He covered his mouth before turning around and holding his head in his hands, muttering small curses under his breath.

Soap would let out a shaky sigh, reaching for his radio.

“Watcher 1, this is Bravo 7-1. Bravo 0-6 is KIA.”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Soap never thought he would ever approach Price’s home with such dread. The feeling of horror and anxiety locked into the pit of his stomach as he went up the steps of the front door.

He held his fist up and knocked on the door. His ears would slightly twitch when he heard, on the other side of the door, the sound of tiny footsteps rapidly approaching the door. Followed by more urgent ones, along with the voice of your nanny laughing at your urgentness.

She would open the door, but soon noticed that Price wasn’t there. “Oh, hello. You're one of Price’s friends, right?” Soap would nod before being interrupted by a tiny dragon hopping up and down.

“Untle Johnny!! Untle Johnny!” You called out excitedly, your wings fluttering rapidly to fly up to him. But only lifting yourself up about a centimeter off the ground. He looked down at you and soon slapped a bit smile on his face.

“Agh, look a’ you! Already flyin’??” He chuckled and rubbed your head. Before he looked back up at the nanny, his smile slightly weakened as his voice softened. You didn’t need to hear that your father was dead. Your little ears didn’t deserve such ugly words.

Your nanny’s face turned to one of horror, sadness, and shock. You noticed and soon began to climb up on her to wipe at her eyes. She noticed and held you in her arms.

“Don cry!” You squeaked out, your little hand rubbing at her face. “Why you cry?” She looked at you, a solemn look on her face. Soap looking at you the same way. “Just… some people leave our lives too soon, sweetie.” Your nanny spoke softly, petting at your hair. “Why dey leave?” “‘Cuz it’s their turn to go to heaven.” Soap spoke up. “Tha’s where your daddy is. Heaven.”

Soap knew damn well that Price wouldn’t be in heaven with the atrocities he’s done throughout his military career. But no toddler needs to hear that their father is suddenly in hell for murdering people.

“Will daddy come back?” You asked, blinking your eyelids over your big, innocent eyes. Soap and the nanny glanced at each other, Soap being the one to take a small, sharp inhale.

“No, lil one… when daddy goes to heaven, daddy stays in heaven…” “Why?”

“Because he has to take care of his own mum up there, but that means he can’t stay here… so he sent me, and uncle Simon and uncle Kyle to keep you safe. But, you need to always remember this, lil one…” “What?”

“He loves you. Forever and ever.”

───♡───────────── End

[marvelwitchergilmore]

Slow Dancing and Slow Mornings

Summary: Logan x Fe!Reader -> Logan and you have been kidnapped and you come to find out Logan has been in love with you for twelve years.

Disclaimer: Mentions of kidnapping, explosions, hints of torture, love confessions, Logan gives you a massage. Mostly fluff, little bit of angst, and slow dancing to familiar records. Not proof read.

“What?” 

You turned in your chair to try and look at Logan, who wasn’t looking in your direction at all. 

The prick stood opposite both of you and just smiled. “What? He didn’t tell you?”

“You…you love me?”

The prick nodded as he placed his hands behind his back. “Has done. For Twelve years.”

“Shut up.” Logan said to him. 

“Logan?”

Finally, he looked at you. His expression was twisted with pain. 

“You love me?”

Logan nodded. “Have done for twelve years. Thanks for noticing.”

There was no point trying to deny it now. He had loved you for twelve years, and now you were both about to die. 

“What didn’t you tell me?”

Logan shrugged. “There was never a good time.”

“A good time?”

“Seems our courageous hero-”

Despite your hands being tied behind your back, you waved the yapper off. “Yeah, yeah. We’ll get back to you. “You never told me because there was never a good time?!”

Logan was a little shocked. “We’re five minutes from dying and you’re mad at me right now?”

“Yeah, sorta! You’ve been in love with me for twelve years and you never told me!”

“It’s not like we had years of spare-”

You shook your head. “Don’t bullshit me, Logan. You had plenty of time to tell me.” 

You couldn’t help but laugh. “Hell, you had twelve damn years.”

Your captor sighed as he crossed his arms. “Perhaps you two can argue-”

“It’s not like I can do anything about it now!”

You looked at Logan, unsure of what to say. Fuck you? You could have done something twelve years ago? Hell, you could have done something last week? Go fuck yourself?

Logan watched as you decided what you were going to say to him. And then the cogs stopped turning in your head and your gaze focused on his soul for a moment, before it became lighter. 

“Yeah there is.”

Logan was confused, but just as he was about to ask what, you continued. 

“You can tell me if we survive this.”

“Sur-survive what?”

Then a loud crash came and everything turned white. 

Slowly, you came to. 

The blinding flash and loud crash had sent a shock wave throughout the entire room and somewhere in the rubble, you were lying down, your ears ringing and your head feeling heavier than ever. 

You tried your best to make out what everything was. The stone bricks beside you, the dirt beneath your body, the rebar poles sticking out here and there in front of you. 

Groaning, you stood before pressing a hand to your head. Bringing it back down, you found an imprint of blood in the centre of your palm. 

In the distance, you could see Storm and the others making their way over to Logan. You could have run to him. You were about to. 

Then the rubble moved. 

Your kidnapper flew through the air and towards the woods. 

So you followed. 

Logan groaned as he got up, Storm’s hand on his back. Immediately, he started looking for you. And he found you. Flying towards the forest. 

He called out your name but you were too far away to hear him. 

“Logan-Logan, we’ll go. You need medical attention.” Jean told him. But he shrugged her off. 

“I don’t need medical attention.”

With your head pounding, you landed in the general area you’d seen him land. It was a lot quieter now. The lights from the jet were barely visible through the thickness of the shade. 

And just as you turned your back, you were sent flying to the ground. 

“You still think you can beat me?!”

You groaned as you found the power to stand. “I’m still trying, aren’t I?”

“Just give up. You won’t be able to stop me.”

“Urgh!” You turned around on your heels and looked at him. “Can I at least stop you from talking?”

The prick just laughed. “Let's see if you can try and fight long enough to make this interesting.”

And you tried. You got a few of your own hits in, sending him flying through the branches and down ditches. But with your pounding head and the pain racking through your body with each hit you took, post being buried by rubble. 

Once more, you were thrown against a tree and fell into the dirt beneath it. By the time you opened your eyes again, you were met with his figure walking towards you. 

“It’s a pity really.” The pain you’d suffered from being tied in the chair a mere fifteen minutes ago twisted inside your body again, only getting stronger by the second. “You didn’t get to tell him you feel the same.”

You managed to catch your breath for a moment. “He knows…”

Your body was gasping for another breath, begging to push the pain away. “He knows.”

The man above you gave you a twisted smile before he twisted your inside a little more. “But he’ll never know how much, will he? How long you went, wishing he’d feel the same. Who knows, maybe I’ll do you a favour and tell him for you once I’m finished with you here.”

You let out a breathy laugh. “It’s okay.”

You watched as the man stood above you went from holding all the power, to holding nothing but confusion. 

“I’ll tell him myself.”

As Logan kept running, he was shouting out your name, Storm hot on his tail calling out his. But just as he caught your scent, your colour of power exploded and spread through the whole of the forest. It was strong enough to knock both himself and Storm back. 

And as he stabled Storm, he looked in what he guessed was your direction. 

“Logan, no-”

“Y/N!”

Logan kept running, his breath sharp against his lungs. You had to be okay. You had to be fighting back. You had to have won. 

But as he reached the centre point, he looked around. The smell of dirt and imminent rain clouds messed with his senses as he constantly whipped around in a circle. And then he saw it on the ground. 

The necklace you always wore. A locket lay open on the floor, face down. You never let him know what was on the inside.

Picking it up, he brushed the dirt from it and found what was inside. 

A picture of everyone lay on one side. 

And a picture of him on the other. 

He remembered that picture. He remembered you and him being told to stand together in front of the record player stand. At the time, you’d both shared the same neighbour and attended the same dinner party. And after a few glasses of alcohol and some good food, you’d all been dancing to a couple records. 

He didn’t even know you’d owned a copy of that photo. 

Folding the small picture back, he replaced the photo and snapped it shut. 

“I can’t find her.”

Storm’s expression saddened as she slowly approached him. “She’s gone, Logan.”

He looked around again. 

“Logan. She’s gone.”

Only when he turned back to face Storm did he feel the tears on his cheek. But he couldn’t face her. His eyes kept looking for you. “She’s-”

Logan’s voice broke with pain. “She’s not.”

Storm placed a gentle hand on his arm. “Logan, she’s gone. You and I both felt it-”

Storm watched as Logan’s head snapped in the opposite direction. 

“Logan, she’s gone.”

Then he pulled himself from her and started walking away. 

“Logan, where are you going?”

“I heard something.”

And he did hear something. 

A few moments later, Storm watched from behind Logan as you climbed up a ditch. 

Your face, hair and clothes were stained with blood, ash, dirt and moss. Grasping onto a nearby tree, you took in heavy breaths until you finally looked up.

“Medic!” Storm shouted. 

Logan took off running towards you. 

“Logan,” you breathed. 

“What the hell were you thinking?”

You pushed off from the tree and hobbled towards him. “Just shut up and hug me.”

A few more strides and Logan had you wrapped up in his arms, tightly. All he could do was breath you in, feeling your skin bruise under his fingertips as he clutched onto you like a lifeline. 

“You’re okay? Are you okay?” Pulling back from you, but keeping your body flushed against his as best as he could, Logan looked you over. 

You had a cut on your head and other small scratches. He couldn’t check your body over due to your clothes, but he did try and feel for any more wet patches of blood. 

Then you chuckled. 

“What?”

“Isn’t there something you need to tell me, Soldier?”

Logan’s gaze ran over your face for a second too long as his brain fought against itself, trying to convince him you were okay, real and most importantly, alive. 

Then he remembered. 

“I love you,” he breathed. “I have loved you for twelve years. I love you.”

Taking his face in your hands, you looked him over as you smiled. “I love you, too.”

It took Logan a minute before he finally gathered the courage to kiss you. He didn’t want to hurt you. His kiss peppered away across your cheek, down your neck and onto your shoulder as his arms wrapped around you more, holding you in a hug close to him. 

A medic was closing in and Logan turned around, you still in his arms. “Come on, we need to get you checked. What happened to-”

“He’s taken care of.”

You looked at Storm. “At the bottom of the ditch. I don’t think he’s gonna remember what happened for a while.”

Storm and Cyclops headed off in that direction whilst your own hands brought Logan’s attention back to you. 

“Stay with me?”

“I’m never leaving you again.”

Then he kissed you. 

“Come on.”

Two days later, you were fully showered and practically boiled clean of any evidence from what had happened when you had been kidnapped. Your clothes now consisted of long pyjama bottoms, an old t-shirt and a hoodie that you had stolen from Logan’s closet. 

The amount of energy your, quite literally, explosive fight had taken from you had been a lot. And it was clear the next couple of weeks would be filled with a lot of sleep and a lot of rest. 

Whenever you woke up, it was ninety percent guaranteed Logan would be asleep beside you. And when he wasn’t and you went in search of him, you found him in the kitchen, cooking. 

“Here, eat.”

He’d place a bowl or plate of whatever he had made in front of you at the counter before sitting beside you, pulling your chair until it was practically between his legs as he sat turned to you. 

A week later, you had woken up snuggling into the crook of Logan’s neck and you stayed there for a while. Until you remembered you needed to shower. 

“Do you think you can stand for that long?”

“Probably.”

Logan kissed the top of your cheekbone as he lay beside you. “I’ll draw you a bath.”

And he did. 

And the minute you stepped into it, you relaxed against the hot water. Between your fingertips, you let your power flow around your fingers. But you jumped when you felt a familiar presence sit behind you, placing his hands on your shoulders. 

“You need to save your energy.”

“All I’ve done for a week is sleep, Logan.”

“You nearly levelled a forest. It’s going to take a while.”

With his thumbs firm against your shoulders, Logan slowly massaged the tension away. A small moan left your lips as you moved your neck, giving him more access to your muscles. 

Logan chuckled. “Like that?”

“Love it.”

Logan smiled as he leaned down and kissed the top of your shoulder and behind your ear before continuing to massage away the ache.

Finally finishing in the tub, Logan held up a towel and tried his best to look away as you stood up and wrapped yourself in it. 

“You okay?”

“Yep,” Logan strained. “Just…concentrating.”

You laughed a little and blushed. “Thank you for running me a bath.”

Logan looked at you and smiled before you pulled him in and kissed him. “But next time, feel free to join me in it.”

With another quick kiss, you smirked as you walked away leaving Logan both a little in shock and a little embarrassed. He might have loved you for twelve years but sometimes he had to remind himself that you loved him back and you both now had the freedom to…do…that. 

A few hours later, after having dinner together, Logan went in search of you. You weren’t in his room, the library, outside or even the living area. 

But as he walked back past his room, he heard a familiar sound. 

Floating out from your room were the faint sounds of a record playing on the record player. Carefully pushing the door open wider, Logan smiled when he saw you. Fast asleep, curled up on your side, the record had lulled you to sleep. 

With a soft smile, Logan closed the door and reached to turn the volume down a little before approaching you. 

You felt your bed dip for a minute, but you had already recognised his footsteps and scent from the hallway. And you felt yourself smile and reach out for him. He chuckled. 

“I thought you were asleep.”

“I was,” you curled into his arms as he lay down with you. “But then I remembered my human heater.”

“Oh, is that my new name?”

“Yep,” you replied, already hearing the smile in his voice and in his heart. 

“At least I come in useful for something.”

You smiled. “I can think of a couple other things, too.”

Logan smiled and pulled you up to him a little more. “I’m sure you can.”

Not long after that, you fell asleep. 

And when you woke up, your back was flushed against Logan’s chest, your legs tangled in his and his arms wrapped safely around you. It was still dark outside, but there was a little winter sun peaking out, way beyond the trees. 

“Where are you going?” Logan’s tired voice asked you as you sat up, his hand by your waist. 

Looking back at his bed head and tired eyes, you smiled. Reaching over to your desk drawer, you pulled out your film camera and snapped a picture. Logan groaned, putting his head between your pillows as you chuckled and stood up, placing your camera on the desk once more. 

As you stood and rounded the bed towards the record player by your door, Logan reached over and picked up your camera taking a couple of candid shots of his own, of you, as you looked for a new record and placed it on. 

“What?” Logan asked with a tired smirk as he lowered the camera. 

You smiled tiredly. “Dance with me.”

Logan smiled and gave a fake groan as he pushed himself up from his back and onto his feet, leaving the camera beside your bed. 

Walking to you, Logan pulled you to him, wrapping one hand around the back of his neck whilst his hand folded around your other and, holding you by your waist, he leaned into you. Swaying with each other, you let the sounds of the record float over you, giving you both a sense of deja vu. 

Twelve years ago you’d made friends with each other and danced at a small dinner party to the very same song. Then you’d been dragged into taking a photo together to have a memory made in time. A few hours later, you had asked for a copy of the photograph of you and Logan. 

You hadn’t really known why. You’d only known Logan a couple of weeks. But something told you, you needed a copy of that photograph. And around two years later, you realised why as you folded it in half and placed it inside your locket. 

One Logan had fixed for you one Christmas when the clasp had broken. 

And, when you had wandered into Logan’s room, in search of his hoodie, you had found a small tin box. A tin box you had opened to find it containing a couple of different sentimental things, including a couple of different photos from over the years. 

But one you knew instantly. 

Because it was the same one you carried with you every single day. 

Looking up at Logan, you found him already looking at you and your heart soared.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Leaning down, Logan pressed a kiss to your lips as his fingertips pressed into your skin through your t-shirt and hoodie. And as he lifted you a little, and spun around, you let out a small giggle. 

“Ready for breakfast?”

You smiled and nodded. “Soon. I just want to stay like this for a while.”

Logan smiled and kissed you once more, continuing to dance with you in your room barefoot, letting the sun peek out from beyond the trees before you both finally made your way downstairs for the day. 

“Okay.”

[poppy-s-rampage]

Once a Hero.

-Prologue-

Danny Phantom fought with the knowledge that at any given time he could be stricken dead. With the knowledge that his own parents, the people who brought him into this world, could be the ones to take him out permanently. The Job was already half done after all.

But no matter what, no matter his adversaries, Danny held strong. Despite the constant threat of the GIW and his parents, despites his rogues’ shenanigans and Vlad’s scheming, despite the citizen’s ungratefulness, he held his ground. Always staying true to his beliefs.

Yes, he made mistakes ,terrible ones. Yes, he has done things he would forever be ashamed of. But he never let others take responsibility for his actions. The very proof being his existence as Phantom.

There is no denying it, Danny Phantom/Fenton is a hero.

An existence to whom every victory comes hand to hand with tragedy.

An existence favored by fate.

And fate is known to be a cruel mistress.

~~~

He should have known something was up. It was too good to be true. He should have trusted his instinct. But he ignored it, choosing hope instead of the very thing that kept him alive all these years. All it took was one mistake for everything to domino into a nuclear warhead that quite literally took his everything.

And now, there he is on all four in the middle of a crater of what once was Amity Park and its surroundings. His ears ringing only able to hear the sounds of his own screams.

The once menace, once protector of a city too soon departed wailed in agony. Clutching at his wounds with a strength that reopened his sloppily made stitches. His devastated wails, only interrupted by his sobbed breath and hiccups. His throat was ripped to shreds, tainted ectoplasm pooling into his mouth and lungs while some got projected out with each wail.

Rivers of tears cascaded down his face burning his already bloodshot eyes. His unstable form glitching from ghost to human to something in between.

His once healthy balanced core was now struggling to remain whole. Cracks appearing all over, life and death fighting to preserve their precious Halfa’s existence. Danny felt his body and core beginning to give out. His consciousness finally fading. His body slowly being engulfed into the cold familiar embrace of death.

He fell on his back. His wails dying to choked wet sobs and coughs. Through his tears, Danny could only vaguely see the smoke covered nightsky. Ash falling slowly around him like snowflakes.

He could feel the cold creeping up his limbs then gripping his chest. His already dying heart being embraced by a type of cold even his core couldn’t dream to reproduce. Phantom finally fell silent, his unseeing eyes staring at the starless sky above.

Danny in his last few coherent thoughts felt the pain of his core shattering and reforming itself. It felt like his entire being was set on fire before being melded back together. He felt familiar arms cradling him close to their unbeating heart. The familiar ticking of a clock luring him into a dreamless rest.

--------------------------------------

Masterpost!

Chapter 1!

------------------------------------

Author notes:

My brain vomiting this at 3 am. I am sorry for any catastrophic grammar and english, that would be my brain short circuiting from lack of sleep. I intend to hopefully continue this story wherever it may go. You’re welcome to suggest anything or add yourself something to it.

[plutoispurplw]

The Story Of Us

Summary: Reader and Timothee!Wonka are having relationship problems and reader is questioning is this is the end of the story of them.

Words: 1K

Couple: Timothée!Wonka x Female reader

A/N: I only did this one shot because three things. 1- Two Days ago the light in my house was gone.

2- The request of @riordanness

3- I love Taylor Swift, you can count how many times I write a name of a song or a lyric.

Masterlistᝰ.ᐟ

My relationship with Willy was great, we we're crazy in love with each other, he was always affectionate like it was our last day alive. He was the love of my life and I knew it. I know it sounds bad but he is the only person or thing that I ever needed, It was like he convert darkness into daylight.

Our personalities were the opposite, I never had hope in people before I met him, always prepared to be stabbed by close people, nothing calm my racing thoughts, always overthinking, I felt haunted so I leave my tired hometown just to discover that I was the problem.

He was the sun and I was the moon.

When I met him after being trapped by Scrubbit, I felt more helpless that I ever felt but then I met him, three days later after I arrived, he become my best friend and then my lover, I always help him to sell his chocolates, and I stay with him after my debt was paid, he was my daylight.

The work of managing the fabric and his store had him tired all the time and stressed out and that when it happen, our bedroom that was our secret oasis become a battle ground, this was a war that neither of us could end without fighting over and over again.

The only thing I could thought before falling asleep was that if this was the end of the story of us. The fairytale was slowly dying and I couldn't bear witness it.

How long can we still be a sad song? How long the silence would last until one of us leave? I didn't even remember the last time we kissed, or cuddle, or even talk in a affectionate way.

One night I was exhausted of this, I needed to feel again his caress and his lips against my collarbone, we were laying on the bed, the silence was still there, I got more closer to him and I tried to hug him but he only pulled away from my hold and got up from the bed.

I finally explode like a volcano. "I'm tired of this, why are you avoiding my touch or hugs like I'm something poisonous!" I yell at him while being sat on my knees on the bed.

"Stop, I don't wanna fight tonight, just stop."

He said with a very annoyed tone, his hands running through his hair.

"I'm tired of the silence, I miss when you cuddle with me while whispering sweet nothings against my hair." Tears streaming down my face, memories replaying like broken records. I got up from the bed and walk towards him. "I know that you're stressed out and that you don't wanna fight but we have to fight, if we keep like this out love is gonna die."

"You adore to fight, don't you? You're always want to fight." His voice sound more frustrated, his eyes fill with a anger I never seen before in him, maybe he was like the rest of the people after all.

"This is the last time we fight and I'm gonna go away, this is your last chance to give me a reason to stay because you're losing me."  He stay quiet and didn't say anything, I just change my clothes and pack my things, he didn't do anything to stop me, I wish he would.

When I left the house, I went to a friend's house, the whole way I was crying, did I ever meant something to him for him to try to fight for me?

I stayed the night there waiting for him to come but then days passed by and then one week and then became almost a month without seeing him.

This is how the things end? My love story never got a happy ending? It was my fault? I was the problem in this situation too? Thoughts like this filled my mind before falling asleep, my dreams were memories of him.

That day I needed to get more clothes and things so I went to our house, when I came into our bedroom I saw him seeing the ceiling, the room look messy, his expression full of sadness when he He saw me, he got up from the bed and walk towards me.

He look like he wanted to talk but how we could talk without screaming at each other? Without yelling that was the others fault. The problem was that I was bleeding and I could just runaway and live but my heart wanted to stay, to try to resolve things even if I bleed more, even if I died.

"I'm sorry, I should have fight or talk with you but I couldn't, I didn't want our love to die but in the end that's what happen." I started to cry, part of me wanted just to kiss him but I was still hurt.

"If you don't want to forgive me, don’t do it but please just understand that I love you and that I never wanted to lose you, why would I? You're perfect and you're the love of my life, since I meet you I meet you that day, I knew that it was fate that brought us together." Tears falling from his eyes, his eyes full of sadness, the happiness and daylight was almost gone.

I don't know who did it first but we were hugging each other like we would die if we didn't, my face against his chest wetting his shirt. He whispering apologies against my hair, his hands caressing my back as I cry.

I pull away to see his face, he was crying too, I stood on my tiptoes, my hands cupped his face and pull him closer to close the gap between our lips, when they touched it feel like heaven. The battleground was back again our secret oasis.

This wasn't the end of the story of us, it was just the start of another chapter in our fairytale

[imfinereallyy]

Eddie grew up as a creature of the night. It was to no one’s surprise really. The day was exhausting but the night was always full of this chaotic energy that he loved. The night was mysterious and other, the wonders of it still unexplored.

Eddie felt one with the night. He made friends with the moon and the stars. And although there were times that would pass where he could not see them, where there was nothing but the inky abyss, he knew they were still there. Hidden but never gone.

It started when he was young, his love of night. Eddie thought it had probably started when he was just a boy. Dumped his Uncle Wayne’s doorstep. He had been terrified, whisked away by a father on the run just as dusk brushed against the horizon. They had made it to Wayne’s trailer precisely as the evening settled into its peak. Eddie’s father hadn’t even bothered knocking. Just left Eddie on the porch with one backpack and a buzzed head. And Eddie waited there for a moment, looked up at the sky and thought it wasn’t that lonely with stars out.

His wondering mind was interrupted by Wayne pulling the door open and yanking Eddie inside no questions asked. The night was when Wayne had given Eddie a home.

As the years past, his fascination with night only grew stronger. It helped bring people closer to him. Eddie interpreted the night into campaigns, songs and even advice for the kids (lots of night metaphors for failed dating lives). He got most of his work done at this time. His mind coming alive and bursting with ideas. Wayne’s schedule was at night too. So when he worked, Eddie shared odd meals with his old man. And when Wayne was off, his brain like Eddie’s ran with the schedule of the moon.

The night also helped Eddie learn to be okay with being alone. Late night drives. Walks in the woods. Stargazing from a picnic bench. All things he had learned to enjoy his own company while doing.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like they day per say, or the sun. It’s just that Eddie had found the day boring. There was no wonder, no lust, no mystery. There was no appeal. The world was too bright, too open. There was no exploring and there was no comfort. Just exposure.

Then Eddie met Steve Harrington officially. Well, officially for the first time after everything. After the High School bullshit. After the wild adventures of the (please god never again) Upside down. When Eddie met Steve officially, in his hospital room, he is baffled to find him awake at 6 am, with a smile on his face.

And all Steve said was, “Glad you made it to actually see another sunrise.”

Like it was nothing. Like at of all the things that had blown Eddie’s mind the past week, or even more specifically out of all the things Eddie had learned about Steve Harrington, the thing that absolutely floored Eddie was the fact the Steve Harrington was a morning person.

It shouldn’t had bothered him so much. It wasn’t like he had been planning on become friends with the guy. But then he did, and Eddie couldn’t help but spiral.

Because no one should like the day as much as Steve did. Sure, Eddie was most definitely being a hypocrite. Like he had proclaimed himself as the goblin king of night once (although very drunk on Nancy’s whiskey), and Eddie prided himself on being a freak and accepting of everyone. So it was probably unfair of him to judge but this was excessive.

The day was everywhere when it came to Steve. He woke up early. He laid out in the backyard against the pavement. Steve would ask Eddie to go chase dawn with him on an early morning drive. It was in Steve’s wardrobe for Christ sake. That yellow sweater haunted his dreams, and Steve looked so good in it, and Eddie can’t help but stare—

The day was everywhere when it came to Steve Harrington.

And Eddie was damn fool who fell in love with him.

Eddie had fallen for the unattainable. The straight boy. His best friend. The guy who picked him up from a bad date in Indie no questions asked. The guy who shared a bed with him after plenty of nightmares. The guy who listened. The guy who cared.

The King and the Freak. The day to his night. The absolutely, infuriatingly opposite of what Eddie is allowed to like, allowed to have.

It had gotten so bad, that Eddie, when he couldn’t sleep and Steve wasn’t around, found himself whispering to the night about him. Told it how although Steve and the night didn’t meet very often, Eddie was certain it would love him anyway.

Eddie knew Steve was just as baffled by Eddie’s love of the darkness.He had asked once how he could stand it.

“Don’t the nightmares make you hate it? The lack of sleep alone makes me hate it, and that’s not even when I remember what the upside down looked like. No light, only hazy red darkness? Not for me man. Never again.” Steve had said while they passed a joint.

“I don’t know man, it’s not the nights fault really. Like it doesn’t matter the time of day, I still get nightmares. It’s not the night’s fault the Upside Down exists, and what it looks like. I guess I feel a solidarity with the night now. Even more than I did before. Something being blamed for simply being there. A scapegoat.” Eddie leaned into Steve’s side as he sunk further into the couch. He kinda feared he had said the word night too much in his speech.

Steve stared at Eddie for a moment, something of understanding passed on his face. “Actually, that kind of makes sense. I kinda expected you to talk in weird metaphors to explain it—“

“I still got stars wars analogy up my sleeve.”

Steve pushed on and ignored Eddie, “—but I get it. Like the night, you’re a reminder to people of the bad things that happen even if you’re just there, just existing…It’s complicated, and beautiful and very weird. Just like you”

Eddie didn’t hold back the smile when he said “Steve Harrington, are you calling me beautiful?”

“Yes I am.”

They stared at each other for awhile, no words spoken. It should had unsettled Eddie, or even spark useless hope in him. It didn’t though.

It just made him feel content. Good. Home.

He never felt the need to explain the night to Steve again.

Weeks later, Eddie learned why the day was good too. It was another night spent in Steve’s bed when the nightmares built up for days, with no end in sight. For once Eddie had woken up first. Steve’s head on Eddie’s bare chest. Eddie’s fingers combed through his soft hair, and he hummed softly to nothing but the dawn. The sunrise had started to slowly peak into Steve’s room. Because of course, even the day started towards Steve.

Steve’s eyes had fluttered open unhurriedly. Then he tilted his head up towards Eddie and did something that changed him forever.

Eddie expected him to freak out. For Steve to push him away in horror. To scream, and hit Eddie even. They had shared a bed before but it had never been that intimate. And Eddie knew his face wasn’t hiding any of his feelings either. Eddie, like the night, was only a mystery to those who didn’t know what to look for. And Steve always knew what to look for.

Steve did none of that though. Instead, Steve reached up slowly, brushed his lips across Eddie’s cheek and said, “Good morning, darling.”

Eddie felt his whole body stop and revive back to life in that instant. He died and became a new person. And then Steve, Steve took it even further when he laid back down on Eddie’s chest, without breaking eye contact, and beamed up at him.

Eddie now understands why Steve loved the day. It was because Steve loved the sun. And when Steve smiles at him, Eddie can’t help but think that Steve was the sun. And how Eddie loved the sun too.

Eddie couldn’t be stopped from kissing him in that movement.

Eddie kissed Steve like the morning. Slow, warm, and just as meaningful. There was no rush. It was waking up in comfort. Eddie had always imagined that if he ever got to kiss Steve it would be as chaotic and harsh as the night.

Eddie couldn’t find it in himself to want it in any other way in that moment. It made Eddie ache. It was sincere. It was sweet. It was devout.

Eddie leaned back to take a breath as he said, “Good morning, sunshine.”

———

this is my first stab at writing something eddie centric, so sorry if it’s rough, but it did come straight from the heart. I had fun writing it (as usual at 2 am, which is really in line with this narrative i now realize). It was fun to kinda project my own feelings do the day v night debate. I’m a night owl, and I love all things that come with it. But there is something so comforting about daylight and the warmth of the sun. <3

send me something to write next. :)

[honeylations]

- “I Love You For You, Ryu” -

Prompt: Ryujin gets dumped by her ex girlfriend, and you give your absolute best to help her get back on her feet. Little did she know was that you were trying to fight your own feelings from having Ryujin all to yourself.

Warning(s): g!pRyujin, sad Ryu :( , heartbreak, happy ending, smut ;)

🍿🥤

———

It was 3:15am at your shared dorm with the girls. Yeji, Lia, Chaeryeong and Yuna were asleep in their bedrooms while you sat alone in the living room, waiting for Ryujin to come home. You knew you had schedules early in the morning but for some reason, your body refuses to sleep until the one member was with you in your shared room.

Ryujin told you earlier on that day that she was meeting up with her girlfriend, Karina from Aespa. No one knew about their secret relationship besides your group and their group, promising to keep your mouths shut until the two girls make it public themselves.

Ryujin had also told you about how rough her relationship was going with the Aespa member. Unfortunately Karina was not as supportive on finding out about Ryujin’s opposite-genitalia secret. She even tried to convince Ryujin to get surgery to make her a ‘proper woman”. It made your blood boil and also hurt your heart that your bestfriend (and love of your life) still decided to stay with her when you were right there, willing to give your whole soul to Ryujin.

You knew she wouldn’t love you back. She only saw you as a friend, a bestfriend, a sister, a group member. Although Ryujin had never confirmed that to you, your anxiety was speaking for you.

Your body straightened from the sound of the main door being unlocked, making you stand up quickly and speed walk to the door. You were about to scold the older member for being out so late but you froze upon seeing her look so…broken.

Ryujin’s eyes were red and puffy, face stained with tears, her hair a little ruffled, and she was sniffling behind her black mask. She looked at you with no colour in her eyes which you’re not used to.

She was known to be such a bright person, always smiling and giving the effort to make others smile too.

This wasn’t the Ryujin you knew.

She took off her mask and threw it to the side carelessly, shoving her hands into her pockets. “Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you” She mumbled with a voice that shattered your heart even more.

You opened out your arms and sighed. “Come ‘ere, gorgeous girl”

Lips quivering, she ran into your arms and broke down crying. You couldn’t quite decipher what she was saying between her cries but you did hear one sentence clearly.

‘I hate myself, Y/n’

Whatever Karina did to her, you were surely willing to run over to their dorm and smack the shit out of her.

“Hey let’s go to our room, how does that sound?” You softly whispered, running your fingers through her short hair.

You felt her nod and she allowed you to lead her weak body upstairs where you found the rest of your members, now awake. Oops.

“Hey it’s past 3am what’s- oh my god Ryu what’s wrong?!” Lia panicked, trying to make the girl face her but the crying member could only bury her face deeper into your neck, hugging you tighter.

“I think Ryu only wants Y/n right now. Let’s give them some space” Yeji spoke, her hand rubbing Ryujin’s back softly.

“Go on Y/n. I’ll check up on you two tomorrow morning” The leader continued to say in which you nodded and finally got Ryujin into your shared bedroom, locking the door behind you.

“Sit on the bed, darling. I’ll get some comfier clothes for you” You told her.

She didn’t respond. Her eyes stared blankly into the floor as she was seated on the bed, slowly taking her shoes off.

You went to her closet and came back with grey sweatpants and a baggy white T-shirt, helping her get changed. You got her to lie down and you pulled her quilt over her curled body. You kissed her forehead and ran your fingers through her hair one more time. “Sleep this off for now, okay? We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t-“

“She broke up with me” The older finally spoke.

“What?”

“Lie down with me please, Y/n. I don’t want you to go too..”

You knew this wasn’t good for your heart but for Ryujin, you’d do anything so you got under the sheets and allowed the taller girl to lie her head on your chest and hug your waist. You continued caressing her back, knowing it helped her relax and you smiled upon hearing her sigh with relief.

“I’m not going anywhere, Ryu. Tell me what happened”

“The moment I went to her dorm, I cooked us dinner and the whole time we ate, I knew something was off with her. She wasn’t smiling, she didn’t give me any affection, and she didn’t even call me by our usual nicknames”

“Were her other members not there?”

“They were at their family’s house apparently so we were alone”

“Mhm. What happened next?”

Ryujin sighed. “That’s when she told me she wanted to break up. At first I thought it was because I wasn’t being good enough as a girlfriend but she said she didn’t want to be with someone born with a penis..She even said that if I truly loved her, I would get it cut off”

“That bitch..” You said under your breath, pinching the bridge of your nose.

“I was trying to explain to her that I liked the way I am but the more she insulted me, the more I started second guessing myself” Ryujin said as she started to cry again, you hugged her tighter.

“Oh Ryu, I’m so so sorry that happened to you. If Karina truly loved you, she wouldn’t have cared about what you were born with. It just showed how worthless she was. You deserve so much better and don’t ever think that you have to change yourself over some idiotic girl. Don’t do anything that will make you unhappy, okay?”

Ryujin sniffed and nodded, her glossy eyes looking into yours.

“You’re the most talented, most gorgeous, most handsome, most perfect person I know. I’m more than happy to tell you that again and again” You smiled, wiping her tears away with your thumb.

“You’re the bestest friend anyone could ever ask for” Ryujin smiled back at you.

“I know”

“I’m sorry for keeping you up this late”

“You don’t have to apologise for anything. But I’ll tell you what I want you to do from now on..”

Ryujin nodded, letting you know she was listening.

“Show everyone that you’re better than what Karina says. Even better, show her that you want to be you. It’ll anger her so much seeing how happy you are”

“Okay..” She said softly, her eyes slowly falling.

“You better have listened to what I just said sleepy head” you giggled.

She tiredly smiled at you before falling asleep, her little snores making you laugh more. You kissed her head again. “Goodnight Ryu….

I love you” You whispered the last part. “And I’d treat you so much better than Karina if you let me”

———

It’s been a few months since Ryujin’s breakup and you ensured that you were with her every step of the way in healing, even though you were hurting in the process.

She seemed to be better now, finally going out and eating proper meals. She’d smile and laugh from time to time but she always stuck by your side which the other members had noticed.

Your whole group decided to have a night out at a pretty restaurant, using it as a time to reward yourselves for your hard work. You were all dressed nicely aswell, Yuna being the silly girl she was and forced everyone to wear black as the colour theme.

“Who’s funeral are we attending Yuna?” Lia joked, making the youngest playfully slap her shoulder.

“Black is a sexy colour! And tonight we are the stars of our own show” She winked, making you all laugh.

You, Chaeryeong and Lia sat on side of the table while Ryujin, Yeji and Yuna sat on the other side. You were lucky enough to have Ryu in front of you and she was looking hotter than ever. She was wearing a black button up long sleeve with black business pants and black shoes. She took the colour theme seriously.

You on the other hand was wearing a strapless black silk dress that reach just above your knees and it hugged your figure nicely. Yeji had already ordered the food for you all and as you were waiting, a group of girls entered the restaurant, making all of your heads turn. It was Aespa and one other girl that was holding hands with Karina.

You looked at Ryujin and she had her jaw and fists clenched while looking away. You felt yourself tense as the group approached you, Karina smirking with the girl in her hand. “Hey Itzy, funny seeing you here”

“It’s a restaurant after all. Anyone’s allowed to be here” You responded with a cold tone, sending a bitchy smile to the speaking girl.

Karina rolled her eyes. “Anyways this is Jooyeon, she’s a music producer for YG entertainment. She’s also my girlfriend, just putting that out there”

“We don’t remember asking” Yuna responded, making Yeji tap her under the table.

“Hey Ryu long time no see. Got a girlfriend yet?” Karina spoke to Ryujin who clenched her jaw tighter.

“Why do you care?” She growled. You held both of her hands and rubbed your thumbs across them, sending her a reassuring smile to hopefully calm her down.

You felt your heart swell as Ryujin smiled back.

“Oh don’t tell me” The Aespa member laughed, confusing you all.

“What?”

“I didn’t think you’d actually date Y/n. You couldn’t find any other girl so you had to go for your own member” Karina continued to laugh.

You were about to correct her that you and Ryujin weren’t (sadly) dating but Ryujin spoke up before you. “Yeah I chose Y/n cuz fortunately she doesn’t have the bitchy rat disease that you have. And hey, how’s that treatment for your yeast infection going?”

Everyone gasped as Lia choked on her wine.

“Fuck you Shin. Let’s go girls” Karina spoke, dragging the rest of her girls to their table.

“Ryu, we can go to a different restaurant if you want” Lia offered while cleaning the mess she made.

“No it’s fine. I want to be here with yous” She smiled.

“Does Karina actually have a yeast infection?!” Chaeryeong snorted, going red from laughter.

“Yeah. I didn’t mean to use it to insult her but she was really getting on my nerves. She’s so worried about what’s in my pants that she needs to worry more about the fiasco happening in her’s” Ryujin chuckled, not realising you and her were still holding hands.

“So…you two are dating?” Yeji questioned with a smirk.

Your eyes went wide as you pulled your hands back, face going red as a tomato. “N-No! Ryujin just said that get Karina off her ass!”

Ryujin pulled her hands back with disappointment that you didn’t seem to see, her smile slowly fading.

The food finally arrived and your group ate happily, finally getting peace and satisfaction you needed from your hard work.

———

Back at the dorms, you and the members bid each other goodnight but you and Ryujin didn’t plan on sleeping just yet. The older member was sitting at the edge of her bed, clearly filled with thoughts, looking cute in her blue plaid pyjamas.

“What’s on your mind, Ryu?” You asked, placing the book you were reading aside. You were in a matching pink plaid pyjama in which your roommate insisted to wear.

“Come with me to the balcony, Y/n. I wanna talk”

“Sure”

Following the member to the balcony, your eyes were blessed by the gorgeous view of the city lights and the stars in the sky. Ryujin was resting her arms on the railings while looking down. You stood next to her, eyes admiring her gorgeous side profile.

“What is it Ryu?”

“I wanna apologise for kinda putting you on the spot back at the restaurant when Karina came. I panicked and I didn’t know what else to do” She explained, still making eye contact with the city night.

“Hey don’t be sorry! Plus, it felt nice seeing her tremble”

“There’s one thing I need you to know though, Y/n” Ryujin spoke softly, facing you and looking deep into your eyes.

“W-What’s that?” You mentally cursed yourself for stuttering.

The taller girl held both of your hands again just like at the restaurant and pulled you closer. “I wasn’t faking anything”

You were speechless, mouth slightly parted in shock. Were you hearing her right?”

“The few months of me trying to find my source of healing…trying to find my answer to love..was right in front of me” She whispered, eyes flicking from your lips to your eyes. “I also didn’t tell you the full truth on why Karina broke up with me”

You tilted your head. “Wait what”

“During the whole argument at her dorm, she was rambling on about how our relationship seemed closer than whatever I had with her. That’s why she’s quite sour with you. I was trying to defend myself about everything she was saying but it was slowly making me realise that my feelings for you were much clearer. Whenever I was asked about my future, I’d think of you. Whenever someone asked me who I saw myself being with for the rest of my life, I instantly said you”

“Ryujin..”

“I’m sorry for being so oblivious. The whole time you were trying to help me forget Karina, I didn’t realise I was hurting you in the process. I’m so so sorry, baby”

“Wait you knew I liked you?” You questioned, trying to ignore how fast your heart was beating.

“Yuna accidentally let it slip yesterday”

“For god’s sakes Yuna” you mumbled, looking away with a frown, already plotting a way to get her for that.

But all of that was forgotten when Ryujin made you face her again with the tip of her finger on your chin. “You’re my healing, Y/n. And I’m forever grateful that you were with me this whole time.”

She made you wrap your arms around her neck as she held your waist, lips getting closer to yours.

“R-Ryujin, a-are you sure you want this?”

“I’ve never been more sure in my entire life. You’re my everything, Y/n. Let me be yours too…please, baby” She said, feeling her breath against your lips.

Saying nothing back, you made the move in connecting your lips, thanking the Gods for finally letting you have Shin Ryujin. Your crush. The love of your life. The girl you wanted from the very start.

You pulled away, giggling at how Ryujin slightly leaned in for more. “I’ve always wanted you, Ryu”

“Well now you have me. All of me”

“I love you so much Ryujin”

“And I love you too. Always and forever” She kissed you again, hugging your waist tighter. “Let me prove that to you tonight please”

You went red, knowing what she was implying but there was no way you were turning down this opportunity. “Go on then handsome”

You were already wet at her smirk as she dragged you to your bedroom, pushing you on her bed. You looked up at her as she unbuttoned her pyjama top and throwing it to the side, showing her abs that look like they’ve been carved by the gods.

“You’re staring, baby” she said with a husky voice.

“Can’t help it when my girlfriend looks irresistible” You don’t know where the confidence came from by Ryujin clearly enjoyed it.

And oh how amazing it felt to finally claim Ryujin as your girlfriend.

She hovered about you and got you to remove both your top and bottoms, leaving you almost naked. Just covered in a matching white lace set.

“You’re so sexy” Ryujin whispered, capturing your lips desperately before moving her way to your neck, sucking gently.

A lewd noise escaped your mouth as she hit a certain spot at your pulse point, making her cock get painfully harder. She sucked at that spot until a purple mark formed, pulling away and admiring her art work. “Beautiful”

She sat up on her knees, letting you see her abs again and also the huge tent in her pyjama pants. You gulped and ran your hands from her gorgeous abdomen down to the bulge, palming it gently. “I can’t tell whether I should be worried or excited”

Your girlfriend chuckled and softly moaned as you squeezed her bulge harder. “You’ll find out” Was her response before removing her pants, leaving her in black boxers, the bulge looking bigger.

“You’re so blessed, Ryu. I don’t know why Karina wanted you to take it away” you spoke, your long acrylic nails brushing at the sides of her trapped cock.

Ryu hummed and leant down to kiss you again and again, her tongue swiping at your bottom lip. “I don’t want to hear that name ever again”

“Have you ever had sex with her?”

“Nope. She said she’d get turned off just by looking at it”

“She so fucking stupid. I love you for you, Ryu” You cupped her face, smiling.

“I love you so much, Y/n”

You two locked lips for the millionth time before Ryujin skilfully removed both your bra and panties, one hand groping at your tit while the other held her up. You moaned into her mouth before she sat up again and threw her boxers off, making you gasp at her size.

“Oh my god will that even fit?”

“I’ll make it fit, baby. That way your pussy is only tight for me” She winked, slowly jerking herself off that got you drenched down there. “Wait I need to get a condom-“

“N-No need. I can take pills after”

“You ever had sex, baby?” Your girlfriend asked, still stroking herself.

“Not really. I’ve only used my fingers”

Ryujin smiled and kissed your cheek before rubbing the tip of her cock against your soaking folds. “Shit, you’re so wet. Is that all for me?”

“Y-Yes, baby” You moaned at the feeling, slightly scared of what’s to come. (Or should I same cum)

“I’ll be gentle, my love. I promise. Please tell me if you want to stop because I’m more than happy to do that for you” she reassured you.

You nodded and whined at the feeling of her cockhead being pushed in. One hand caressed your waist before she pushed more of her length in, causing you to whine, tears falling from your eyes. Ryujin showered your face with kisses, going at your pace.

“Ryu, it hurts..”

“I know, baby, I know. I’m sorry…Give it a moment and you’ll be okay” She grunted, savouring the feeling of your warm and tight pussy.

Her entire cock was finally in and you made her stay in the uncomfortable position for a few more seconds before you tapped her shoulder. “M-Move slowly”

“Anything for you, Princess”

She held herself up more before moving her hips at a slow pace, and you softly moaned as you realise the pain was turning into an addictive pleasurable feeling. “More, baby, more. Please…” You whined that could’ve made Ryujin cum on the spot.

“F-Fuck yes, you feel so good” She grunted in your ear, her thrusts getting faster and harder.

“Oh Ryujin!” You suddenly yelled, making your older girlfriend shove her fingers down your throat. “Don’t want to get caught, my love”

You nodded and sucked her fingers, moaning more as her cock hit spots in your cunt that your fingers couldn’t reach. She removed her hand out of your mouth and kissed you more.

“Yes yes yes, Ryu, oh my god…”

“You sound so perfect, fuck!” She groaned into your chest, latching her lips around one of your nipples, moving to the other after a few minutes.

You were so lost into the amazing feeling of your girlfriend’s cock absolutely destroying you that you didn’t feel her leave a million hickies around your neck and chest. Painting you like her own canvas.

Ryujin lifted your legs up for a better angle, letting her hit you impossibly deeper, making it harder for you stay quiet. “Fuck yes, Ryu I’m gonna cum baby, please don’t stop!”

“Yeah? You gonna cum on this big cock baby?” She chuckled into your ear.

“Uh huh!” You moaned, clawing at her smooth back, knowing it’s gonna leave marks.

Ryujin groaned at your nails digging into her skin, turning her on even more. “Fuck I’m gonna cum in this pretty tight cunt of yours. You’d like that wouldn’t you, baby? Letting me fill you up to the fucking brim until your pussy can’t hold it any more”

“Yes daddy~”

“Fuck!” Ryujin groaned feeling your walls tighten. Your orgasm triggering her to pound you a few more times before squirting thick ropes of cum into you.

Ryujin placed your legs around her waist again before laying her entire body on top of you, panting into your neck, beads of sweat going down your bodies.

“God, that was fucking amazing” Your girlfriend huffed into your ear before kissing your cheek.

“You felt so good, baby” You smiled, rubbing her back and frowned feeling the marks. “Oh my god, im so sorry! I didn’t think I scratched you that hard”

“No no it’s fine. I’m proud of it. And plus, it makes us even” She eyed your chest.

You looked down and saw purple marks everywhere, making you slap her shoulder. “We have practice tomorrow!”

“And? I wanna show what’s mine”

You rolled your eyes at her cheeky smile and quickly latched onto her neck, sucking hard and fast until your own mark was on her. “There. NOW we’re even”

“Do you want me to pull out now?”

You nodded and winced as the older removed her cock from you, cursing at how your mixed cum escaped your abused lips and drenching the sheets. “Wow I came a lot” Ryujin commented.

“Fuck I feel so full”

“I’ll quickly change the sheets, babe” Ryu said as she was about to stand up but you dragged her down next to you, laying your head on her naked chest.

“We can do that tomorrow morning. I’m really tired”

“I bet you are. Goodnight, baby”

“Goodnight Ryu”

“Thanks for always being there for me…and for being my girlfriend. I love you”

“I love you more, my darling” You whispered, giving her a final kiss before falling into slumber in each other’s embrace.

The end.

SLAYYYYYY 💅🏼 I manifest to have this type of happy ending in my life🥹

[fortytworedvines]

Audrey is in hospital, having been slightly blown up. Things are changing fast for her and Mr Farnon...

[arsonlookers]

My Thalassophile

childe x fem! reader

This original story from @kiryoutann

𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐃! 𝐀𝐔 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬 ::: 𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐀

A/n: this is just my own ending thought of the story, if the original idea author @kiryoutann wanted this to be down i can delete this if they want. the perspective might be so confusing sorry about that I will read it again to correct it, in the future...hopefully.

The Mermaid reader this time as a supermodel was the heartbreaker, she will play with his heart this time around, you really do not want to bother with him but just seeing him and how he never even remember what he did centuries ago pissed you off and somehow made you ...feel something...and the pain of the betrayal, the reader wanted to make him feel what she felt centuries ago, though this means stooping low on his level centuries ago but why does that matter now?

It's been centuries yet you were still trapped on the past he had done and even if you wanted to move on, how? the reader already gave their heart for him....one heart he should have treasured and not broken.

A curse. they say, and it's true, for centuries you have made yourself believe that loving him was a curse. Meeting him was an unfortunate fate, and the fairy tale is not real....so is true love's kiss.

A heartbroken mermaid for centuries cursed by the land and by the sea for loving both.

both the impossible.

What an unfortunate fate it is that you two were both to meet again in this lifetime, a curse indeed.

Just like how the ocean will meet the land, again and again, never-ending repeat and yet never meant to be.

After planning and seducing him it took years, you made him fall harder and harder every day for her, without suspicion.

yet her heart was never to love another man again, he may be the same man from centuries ago the past should not be dwelled and yet she was trapped in the said past he had created.

Though from deep inside you know there was something that you had long been buried inside bloomed...yet you ignored it and kept stepping on it, not thinking too much for the man you long once loved.

As for Ajax? at first he really just wanted a break from everything and to stay away from love, yes he does flirt with people a lot but committing to the relationship? he can't... Remembering the pain he has gone through his the past 7 years with his ex's relationship, he just wanted a break from the emotion called love.

But when he met you as if something was pulling him in for you, how beautiful your eyes are, how shiny your hair is, and how mysterious you were, he was interested but inside his heart was beating, too much that he remembered was beating for his long-gone ex. though yes he was cautious still he thought "It's not gonna hurt to be her friend and have a deep relationship, right?" But every day was like a new feeling for him with you, it's as if you know him...you understand who he is, and for some reason this made him feel so connected with you.

Ajax, sweet Ajax was starting to get addicted and starts to love you deeply how amazing your voice is, and when he had nightmares of drowning (which is actually from his past but he always forgets what's it about) you were always there to reassure him, and sing him to sleep as if it was normal. it feels unreal and yet he wants you for himself though he also knows you want your freedom, so he stayed.

that one time when you said that you needed to go somewhere and it would take months or years to go back home in his arms, you said and promised that you would be back, and told him to just wait for you.

(this time around he knows, you were a mermaid and this makes him love you more without any question, though you never told him about your past and absolutely His past)

he was heartbroken when you said this, "you will be gone that long?" Ajax said laying his head on your lap and gazing you with sadness on his eyes

the thought of you leaving him was painful, his heart felt like it was going to burst by how, much it was squeezed, and yet the way you sounded missing your home and the sound of you talking about how much you wanted to see your family. It was heartbreaking.

"yes...I have decided to go home for a while" looking outside where the scenery was the ocean as if calling to you and how much you heard how it misses you too.

Ajax was speechless at the view he saw now, you look so sad and it pains him seeing you like this he doesn't want you to leave him but the thought of making you sad by staying on his side is also not an option.

he murmured silently

"i love you [name]..."

You heard this and made you look at him, you smiled gently and even Ajax notices how different this smile is from the other smile you have always given him...it looks genuine...yet sad.

though you never said 'i love you' back he was satisfied with this silence...because deep down he feels like every time you look at him makes you sad, he doesn't know why but it feels like he deserved it.

he still remembers that one time he heard your cries on the seabed, he remembers how painful that cries was, he didnt want to disturb you and yet he also dont want to leave you, so he decided to stay there...all night.

the next night he has a vivid dream, and as always he doesn't remember it but tears fall from his eyes... painful unknown feelings, he doesn't understand why, he doesn't know why, and yet he feels like he deserves it yet it feels like he doesn't deserve you... That same morning he was absent from the set and called it a sick day, when in reality he cried his heart out without even knowing what this painful feeling was and he didn't want to know.

he sat back on the bed and sat by your side skin to skin and he could feel your hair on his skin because of how close you were.

with this closeness, you decided to lay your head on his shoulder and never said anything just the sound of the ocean and silence

Ajax too looks outside the window, the moonlight reflecting on the ocean, it looks beautiful and yet he feels nostalgic. he closes his eyes and opens it again turning his head to yours, he can't see you fully but he can see it in how you look in the ocean, sadness.

how he can feel your breathing and how the air outside the window makes your hair flow gently.

He promises himself he will forever bury this in his memory and remember how beautiful you look tonight, after all, he has this feeling this will be the last night he will be seeing you like this...

"ok...i'll wait for you" he said sadly and yet he cant look at everywhere except you and this picture perfect in front of him.

this made you look at him and there was sadness and shocked on your eyes he can see it and yet there was also happiness shining on your beautiful orbs.

you didn't say anything You never said anything that night and just smiled happily at him.

the two of you lay there on the bed he hugs you and he keeps touching you as to remember everything about you, and how you feel so warm and how beautiful you are tonight.

he mumbles on your sleep form

"i'll love you...i'll wait for you.. even if it meant forever" as he closes his eyes and falls asleep

You heard him...you were never asleep from the start...and yet when he said that it made your heart squeeze ....you feel sadness.

in the cold night the ocean can be heard outside calling for her, yet in front of her was the man she once loved.

with his orange hair falling on his eyes, oh how you remember the first time you laid your eyes on him how you find his eyes beautiful and resemble the ocean, how it shines with you.

This time around you have seen it in his eyes were dark and it reminded you of the dark and cold ocean and yet it still shines now that he looks at you.

You moved his fluffy hair strands away from his face and

kissed his forehead.

as you close your eyes and feel yourself betray your past self, it hurts and yet so sad.

you mumbles so quietly that it blend on the sound of the ocean outside "i..love..you..aj..ax"

you stayed there for a quiet while and that night

Ajax fell asleep without you and was alone on the bed.

When Ajax woke up the next day, he could feel how cold the other side of the bed and this made him panic...yet again tears fell from his eyes, and he cried and cried that day, his heart was like being torn to pieces.

If once in the fairy tale of the centuries said that a brokenhearted mermaid caused the disaster that erased a kingdom, in that same land, A man cried his heart out and called out on the one he loves in the ocean, calling her name, and staying there on days on end.

he was always seen on the shore, still calling out for someone and yet people around him called him crazy. It doesn't matter he said. he keeps his gaze on the ocean and he keeps the memories he has with you, he never failed to remember your birthday and your anniversaries, he always faces the ocean every time he is sad and so does when he remembers you.

5 years later, Ajax becomes a successful actor, though he never accepts some happy endings in the movies he joined it was always a sad one, or either he was the unrequited second lead.

he was successful and yet he still remembers you every time, every day, every month, every year.

he stayed on his usual spot on the beach after a breakthrough in his career he went straight to the ocean, he talked to himself there and how happy he was, how he missed you, and how...much he loves you.

"[name] did you know...." he rambles on and on

"[name] I comes home to my family last week, sorry for not coming and visiting you, but even there I keep my eyes on the ocean" he sadly smiled

he keeps his gaze on the ocean as if expecting something to come out...expecting you to just hugged him and say hello, to hear your voice and to feel your touch.

and yet

Nothing.

tears fall out of his eyes "I miss you, baby" he says quietly the sound of the ocean overpowering his calling and yet so calming as if it's the way of hearing his call he can only hear the sound of the ocean back. but over that He can hear your voice calling out for him just like how his memories call out for him, you and him together sitting on your bed facing the ocean in your open balcony window and having you on his shoulder as the sound of the ocean in the background.

"I love you, [Name]"

[maybeamiles]

Thinking about trans Zoro angst...

Trans Zoro who comes out at such an early age that none of his peers know he was born a girl- and he wants to keep it that way.

Trans Zoro who hears Kuina's speech about puberty and weakness and womanhood and challenges it, partially because he wants to prove her wrong, but partially because she reminded him of what's going to happen to him in a few years, and maybe he wants to prove that he's different from her, that he's not going to become a weak woman.

Trans Zoro who sees Kuina die and promises that he'll be strong for her.

Trans Zoro who grows up learning that women are weak and fragile and never gets a chance to see those ideas disproved.

Trans Zoro who is taught that men don't cry. That men are strong. That men don't die to silly things like falling down the stairs. That men must protect the women they love even at the cost at their own health.

Trans Zoro growing up terrified of what might happen if anyone found out he was trans. Terrified of losing his place in the dojo. Terrified of being seen only as a weak woman.

Trans Zoro who tells Chopper that "real men don't cry" because he doesn't cry and he's a real man. The fact he doesn't cry proves it.

Trans Zoro whose dysphoria hits harder every time he loses a fight.

Trans Zoro who overcompensates for his dysphoria by falling into the patterns of toxic masculinity he was raised with. Who tries to be the kind of man his sexist teachers would be proud of.

Trans Zoro who refuses medical treatment because he doesn't want anyone else to look at his body.

Trans Zoro who is "found out" after his fight with Mihawk.

Trans Zoro who is shocked to discover that nobody sees him as weak because he was born a woman. Who only needs to shout "I'm a man" to go back to being seen as one.

Trans Zoro who learned that men have to be strong, but is slowly learning that it's okay for them to be weak too.

Trans Zoro who is learning that he can be whatever kind of man he wants, his teachers be dammned.

[fiveki]

Small Huskerdust story!

(Angst )

It was a rainy night, Angel felt weak, tired and used. As always.

He opened the hotel’s doors, immediately collapsing on the floor as soon as he got to the lobby. His whole body ached, he could still feel Valentino’s hands all over him. It was disgusting. Angel was disgusting.

The spider teared up, unable to just stand up and go to his room. He was too tired, really weak. The poor boy began to sob silently on the cold floor, he really was pathetic. Crying unable to do something for himself, as easy as just standing up and going up a few stairs to go into his dorm, cuddle with his pig and sleep. As he always does.

That time it felt different.

Suddenly, a deep voice spoke out loud.

“You look like shit”

Husk was sitting down on an armchair, he stood up, the look that reflected through the red windows form the hotel’s main windows allowing Angel to see him, his eyes were teary, so the image was kind of blurry.

“You let himself be used again? You made me wait for nothing. You always bitch to me about how much you hate Valentino, how much you hate your job but you’re fucking unable to do something about it. You’re just an useless piece of shit. The only thing that makes you slightly useful is your body, and look at it. It’s so fucking disgusting. I’m about to throw up.”

Angel’s eyes widened at Husk’s rude words, each of them felt like a stab in the heart, completely. Slowly, he tried his best to stand up, he fixed his soaked clothes; that night he didn’t have too much time to change, he was almost wearing nothing

“Husk what are you- what are you talking about I- I am confused is everything okay are you-…drunk..? What’s up with you..!”

The boy’s voice cracked, showing how pain he was holding and was about to let go.

“I am not drunk, I’m being realistic. Do you know why I always drink when I’m with you? To forget I am next to somebody like you. You make me feel ashamed of even staying in the same place as you.”

Husk stepped closer to Angel, he was ready to receive whatever Husk had to give him. Valentino had taught him well to be prepared to get hit and not fighting back.

Husk made a quick movement, he was going to hit Angel.

As soon as Husk’s hand was going to collide against Angel’s face, he woke up with a loud gasp, trembling.

He immediately leant up and glanced around, he was terrified.

Husk woke up with Angel’s sudden movement.

“Angel..? What’s wrong, is everything okay..?”

The cat wrapped his arms around the spider.

“Bad dream again?”

The boy nodded, slowly starting to relax. He lie back down, hugging Husk gently yet tightly against his chest.

“Do you want to talk about it? I don’t like how tense you are”

The bartender lifted his head to look at him, his eyes widened in surprise when he saw Angel was crying.

“You’d never hit me right..? No matter- how pissed you are…”

Husk sighed, he knew what his nightmare was about now.

“Angel, my love… I’d never do that to you, alright?”

Angel nodded slowly, wiping his tears.

“I’m- it’s true… I’m sorry…”

Angel’s arm was grabbed in a gentle way by Husk, pulling it away. Husk’s hand cupped his face

“Dont apologise, I will repeat it as many times you need to make you understand or just remind you I’ll never lay a finger on you in a harmful way…”

A small smile was plastered on Angel’s face, he nodded, hugging him to show how much he appreciated that kind act, he kissed Husk’s head as well.

“I love you, Husk…”

“I love you more, Anthony”

[afewproblems]

Part Four: Final Part Four Mean!Eddie Misunderstandings Au

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Read in full on Ao3

Thank you to everyone that cheered me on @samcoxramblings for your kind words on every post! @flowercrowngods and @barbariansteves for your helpful advice and @zerokrox-blog for your original prompt waaaaay back in February, I'm sorry this took so long but I hope you finally get the comfort you wished for!

***

The kids demand two weeks to prepare for their Hellfire session, insisting that they need this time to debrief Eddie and come up with their game plan, which is fine by Steve.

It also gives him two weeks to decompress from his last interaction with the kid's Dungeon Master, and time to try and untangle exactly how he feels about the whole situation. 

It was nice for things to start moving back towards something resembling normal. The kids seemed happier, even going so far as to begin splitting their time between Eddie and Steve once again. Asking for rides to the hobby shop in Indi from their resident metal-head rather than Steve. It was nice to finally have a little bit more time to himself again.

Even Robin, who had previously been steadfast in her Anti-Eddie stance, had suddenly grown rather tight-lipped about the whole thing.

She had even offered to accompany Steve on his errands for the day they scheduled their Hellfire meeting, citing that she was always up for a grocery run and he may need help bringing everything in.

Which, in hindsight, should have been Steve’s first clue that something strange was going on. 

“So, you ready?” Robin hums as they walk up and down the canned food aisle of Marsh Market, “you can still back out you know?”

Steve smiles and grabs a box of onion soup mix, he’s fairly certain he has some sour cream at home to make a dip of some sort, much easier than the last snack he tried to prepare for the group. 

“Yeah, Robs, I know, I think it should be fine,” he crosses off the soup mix on his list and turns the cart around the empty aisle to head towards the produce section, “the kids are already setting up now so the only thing I need to do is be there,” he shrugs and stops in front of the humming displays. 

Steve waits until the misting stops before reaching for a bag of mini carrots and tossing them into the cart. 

“Can’t believe you trust Henderson to have a key, I can’t believe you hold us at the same level of trust!” Robin grumbles under her breath as she picks up a granny smith from one of the bins and rubs it on the rolled up sleeves of her navy blazer; it’s just slightly too big for her, most likely stolen from her dad’s closet. 

Steve rolls his eyes and continues pushing the cart around the produce area, "careful Birdy, you roll those up anymore you're actually going to turn into Don Johnson". 

"I should be so lucky," she snarks back as she catches up to him by the celery.

She tosses the apple back and forth between her hands, nearly dropping it twice before placing the produce into the cart under Steve’s unimpressed gaze. 

She starts snapping her fingers and shuffling her feet as they continue walking up and down the aisles, going through their list bit by bit. Steve finds himself watching his friend’s nervous fidgeting with curious eyes, it was just a grocery trip, there shouldn’t be anything to really make her act like this, right?

He takes a quick glance around at some of the employees stocking the aisles, in case Vickie or some other pretty classmate of Robin’s is wandering around. 

But, they’re alone.

“Are you sure you don’t need anything else?” Robin asks, as Steve folds up the list and turns the cart towards the check out tills.  

She tips the small watch she’s wearing up to her face, her eyes flit back and forth between Steve and the watch as she chews on her bottom lip, which is more than a little odd.

The kids are already at the house and Eddie and the rest of the Hellfire gang won’t be arriving for at least another hour, they have plenty of time?

Robin steps away from the cart and throws her thumb over her shoulder at the chip aisle, “you do realize that you’re going to have like ten teenagers at your house right? You think veggies and dip is enough?”

“I’m ordering pizza later, I think this is fine?” Steve says slowly, gesturing at the cart, confusion and suspicion saturate his words as his eyes narrow at his friend. 

“Robin,” Steve murmurs, walking the cart closer towards her, “what's going on?”

“Nothing, why would you --nothing!” She stutters as her freckled face pales slightly. 

Steve smirks, Robin is probably the worst liar he’s ever met, and it's always endearing whenever she tries. 

The last time she had lied to Steve, it had been about the mascara wand she had dropped onto the passenger seat, staining the leather just slightly, and smearing the black makeup all over the floor covers. 

Robin had panicked and insisted that had been there before she had sat down.

Steve had been sitting in the car with her at the time.

He knew a Robin lie when he saw it, but he also knew it wouldn’t take long for her to crack. 

“Okay!”

There it is.

“Listen,” Robin hisses sharply, she steps closer until she’s nearly whispering in his ear in the empty chip aisle, “I’m stalling you okay?”

“Probably not something you should be telling the person you’re stalling but okay?” Steve snorts as he leans onto the cart handle, “also, this was the worst place to go to stall us, it's two in the afternoon on a Wednesday, no one else is here”.

“I know!” Robin groans, letting her face fall into her open hands, she slowly lifts her face once more and lets her fingers drag across her forehead and cheeks, pulling at the skin, “I should have said no, I wanted to say no, but they used Will--”

Steve nods, “and you can’t say no to Will, yeah I gotcha”.

The words register after a beat.

“Wait, backup, the kids put you up to this? The unsupervised shitheads in my house right now?”

Robin nods, her blue eyes wide and the barest of smirks still covered by her hands.

“Oh christ,” Steve mutters under his breath, “do I even want to know?”

Robin drops her hands away from her face and scowls for a second before sighing, “I would absolutely love to tell you,” she shakes her head and looks up at the ceiling, “better yet, I’d love to just take you to Indi for the day, forget about this completely, but those God Damn kids know exactly what to say,” she looks at him once more in barely concealed exasperation, “how do they always know what to say?”

“How angry do I need to be, on a scale of like one to ten?” 

Robin stares at him consideringly, her eyes scanning his face, “I mean, if I were you, it would be at like, a hundred,” she says eventually, “but since it’s you?”

“Maybe a four”.

Steve nods and drums his hands on the cart handles, blowing out a long slow breath as he makes his decision, “how much more time do they need?”

Robin looks at her watch again and smiles this time, “Well this bought them another five-ish minutes, so maybe another half hour?”

She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a crumpled five dollar bill, “come on, I’ll getcha a coffee or something?”

“Wait, do I even need these snacks? Robin?”

Robin was wrong, this at least warranted a five for the groceries alone. 

***

The drive back is uneventful, Steve did end up going though check out, rationalizing that, no matter what, he needed some veggies for the rest of the week so there were worse things he could have spent the money on. 

Robin had bought him a coffee from the gas station down the road. There wasn't enough creamer in the world to make that palatable so he leaves it in the cup holder while driving back. Even with a hot chocolate Robin hasn't fared much better. 

"Okay, well that's the worst five dollars ever spent," she groans after taking a sip. Robin wrinkles her nose and sets the cup in the other empty holder beside Steve’s before sneaking a quick look at her watch once more, “worth it though,” she says with a small smile.

It slides off her face after a moment when she realizes that they’ve turned down her street, “Steve?”

He looks between her and the road, tilting his head as she touches his elbow gently. 

“You can just come over you know, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to and that includes letting people force you to--” Robin snaps her mouth shut with an audible click of her teeth. 

She shakes her head and takes her hand back, “sorry, I promised not to say anything”.

Steve pulls over onto the Buckley’s driveway and finally turns to face Robin as much as the driver's seat will allow. 

“Still sure about this whole thing only warranting a four?” he asks softly as a bubble of anxiety begins to expand from his stomach and into his chest, as though he’s absorbed her nervous energy over the course of the afternoon.

Robin shrugs, “I don’t know, but,” her blue eyes bounce back and forth between his own, “just don’t let them make you make a decision you’re not ready for,” she chews her lip again, “no one gets to push you around but me”.

Steve laughs as Robin leans out of her seat to give him a quick, but firm, hug before she opens the door and steps outside. As soon as she’s out of the car, Steve wishes he had asked her to stay, to come with him and hold his hand through the unknown. The bereft, hollow feeling from before returns in full force as she walks up to her front door. 

She turns around and holds up her thumb and pinky as she lifts her hands to her face, mouthing, ‘Call me later,’ as she waves with her other hand. 

She stays outside as Steve slowly reverses, hesitating on the street for just a moment as Robin walks backwards the rest of the way to her door, she moves her hands, motioning for him to get going. 

Steve nods once and takes a deep breath as he shifts into drive and heads down the street.

It’s just the kids, he tells himself, how bad can it be?

***

By the time Steve pulls into his driveway, he’s nearly turned around to retrieve Robin and insist that she come with him at least five times. Even now as he pulls the emergency brake for the slight incline of the Harrington driveway, he considers starting the car again and leaving. 

The last time he felt this anxious to be home was after graduation, after he’d been rejected from every school he’d applied to and knew there was no getting around that conversation with his dad. 

That conversation had ended with the crack in the table, a hastily completed Scoops application, and his parents leaving for three months. 

If it hadn’t happened he wouldn’t have met Robin, so at least there had been a silver lining on that occasion. 

He’s not sure if there will be one this time.

Steve gets out of the car before opening the back door to grab the paper grocery bag from the store, he leaves the full coffee and hot chocolate cups with a grimace and makes a mental note to throw them out later before locking the car door. 

Steve slowly makes his way to the steps, balancing the bag on his hip as he rifles through his pants pocket for his house key. 

He looks around the street and spots Eddie’s van parked a few houses down. Great.

Steve knew that Eddie and the others would be showing up around now, even before Robin went ahead and spilled the beans about whatever it was the kids were secretly doing, but he had still hoped for a moment to just breathe before he had to face the inevitable.

Steve takes a deep breath and grabs the door handle, scoffing as it opens immediately. He makes a second mental note to scold Dustin for leaving the door unlocked for just anyone to come in --especially since the rest of Hellfire was already here apparently.

“Hey assholes, the snacks are here,” Steve calls out as he steps over the threshold, tossing his own keys into the dish on the side table. 

He kicks the door closed and locks the deadbolt with a roll of his eyes, “and I do include myself with that statement,” he adds under his breath with a smirk.

Steve slides off his shoes and pauses, looking around the foyer.

It’s quiet.

Where there is normally an abundance of yelling and laughter, of the kids arguing amongst themselves, or Eddie’s usual dramatic storytelling, there’s nothing. 

Steve walks into the kitchen and puts the bag onto the counter, “guys?” he calls out again, only to be met with silence. 

Steve makes his way into the dining room through the swing door and stops in his tracks.

The table is gone. 

“What the fuck?” he hears himself whisper as he walks into the middle of the space, nearly into the hanging light in the center of the room --he’d never noticed just how low it was, what with the table that was normally there to stop him from walking directly into it.

“What the fuck?” Steve hisses again, his heart starts to race as he steps around the light and spots the open sliding door to the backyard. 

“If you little fuckers decided to move my grandmother’s table when there is a perfectly good patio table out there, I swear to Christ--” 

But the kids aren’t outside either. 

Eddie freezes as Steve walks around the corner of the house, he’s standing next to the dining table with a piece of sandpaper in his hands.

“Steve,” Eddie squawks in surprise, quickly hiding the sandpaper behind his back, “hey!”

Steve’s not entirely sure just what he’s looking at as he takes another step further into the yard. Eddie’s normally black ripped jeans are covered in a fine layer of dust, his wild curls have been pulled back into a messy ponytail away from his face, and an open container of wood filler sits beside him on the concrete patio.

Steve takes another four steps until he’s close enough to touch the wooden surface, his mouth hanging open as he takes it all in. 

The surface of the table has been sanded down in its entirety, removing the beautiful deep cherry varnish, but the crack in the center has been mended, some kind of slightly darker putty has sealed the gaping wound that had marred the surface. 

“Can you,” Eddie’s voice shakes, drawing Steve’s attention once more, “can you please say something, I can’t tell if you’re mad or what?”

“You fixed it,” Steve whispers, his eyes fixed on the table, he reaches to run a shaking hand over the surface.

“Careful,” Eddie says softly, grabbing Steve’s hand before it can touch the center with long sure fingers, “that still needs about an hour or so to cure”.

Steve looks from the table to his hand, still cradled in Eddie’s own, before looking up to see two big brown eyes staring into his own. 

“I don’t understand,” the words come out in a whisper as Steve swallows around the sudden lump in his throat, “why?”

“Well,” Eddie murmurs as he squeezes Steve’s hand once before threading their fingers together and dragging Steve towards one of the pool loungers in the grass.

Eddie sits down and pulls Steve with him to sit, he feels a deep flush begin to wash over his neck and the tips of his ears, it's impossible to hide in the bright sunlight this time --not that he’d even be able to with Eddie’s firm grip on Steve’s hand.

“Those kids of yours are pretty genius,” Eddie says slowly, deliberately, his gaze never wavering from Steve’s face, “and they love you so fucking much man”.

Eddie clears his throat and rubs his thumb over Steve’s knuckles, “and there seems to be some confusion about how I actually feel about you, so allow me to uh, lay it all on the,” he gestures with his free hand towards the dining table and smirks, “well you know”.

Steve feels his heart leaping out of his chest, he can’t sit here, listen to this, he’s heard it before, it isn’t real.

Steve moves to stand up from the lounger but Eddie is faster as he manages to grab Steve’s other hand, holding him in place.

“Eddie--”

“You said no one had ever bothered before,” Eddie barrels on, speaking so quickly that Steve hardly understands at first. He squeezes Steve’s hands lightly again, the skin warmed metal from Eddie’s rings press into the palms of Steve’s hands.

“No one’s ever tried to fix it, have they?” Eddie breathes out as his eyes flit back and forth, searching Steve’s own, “would you let me try?”

For a moment, Steve lets himself just sit with the words. 

Lets himself indulge in the soft, almost reverent way that Eddie asks. He lets the warmth of Eddie’s hands tether him to something resembling hope.

Before he shakes his head.

“You don’t know what you’re saying Eddie,” Steve growls, but the words lack any true bite.

“I know exactly what I’m saying,” Eddie insists, he gets up from beside Steve and kneels in the grass in front of him, “but I don’t think you do, I think we’ve been talking past each recently Steve, and it took speaking to a bunch of people --way smarter than me, to realize it. So here it is--”

“Don’t,” Steve shouts at the same time that Eddie whispers, “I like you,” and for a moment neither moves. 

Steve slowly takes his hands out of Eddie's now slack grip. 

He lowers one hand down to the edge of the pool lounger, gripping it so harshly that his knuckles slowly fade to white, while the other he brings up to cover Eddie’s mouth.

“Don’t say something you can’t take back,” Steve says softly. 

Eddie just stares for a beat, his forehead pinched in a terrible frown, before he reaches up to cup Steve’s cheek and gently removes the hand covering his mouth. He smiles softly and lets his thumb gently run over the crest of Steve’s cheekbone.

“Good thing I don’t want to take it back,” Eddie insists, he slides the hand on Steve’s cheek down to hold his chin firmly between two fingers.

“Steve,” Eddie lifts himself up so he’s balancing on the balls of his feet, just high enough that they are at eye level now, “I spent a very long time holding onto things that weren’t even remotely true, and they made me act like an asshole, I can’t tell you how sorry I am for that sweetheart”.

“What if you change your mind, what if I--”

“Steve, what the fuck could you do at this point that would shock me?" Eddie says with a derisive laugh, he lets go of Steve's face to press his hand briefly to his own chest. 

"I’m a drug dealing, satan worshiping, murderer who almost ate it in another dimension from killer demon bats".

Eddie grins as he peppers his speech with air quotes but the edges of it are jagged, and the good humour doesn't quite reach his eyes.

Steve breathes out sharply through his nose and shakes his head, “I get angry sometimes, I say things I don't mean, I…" 

He sees himself surrounded by ceramic shards again, crying as he sweeps up his own mess, and shudders.

It's enough for Eddie to nod, and shuffle closer still.

"Pot," Eddie says softly as he pokes Steve in the sternum with this pointer finger and then brings it around to point at his own face, "kettle". 

Steve chews his bottom lip as his thoughts swirl together and fly apart, disjointed and frenetic, "I just," he swallows around a harsh lump that begins to form in his throat, "I don't want you to think that I'm something that I'm not”.

Steve closes his eyes, missing the way that Eddie freezes at the words, but he can’t stop now --he has to get this all out or he’ll never be able to.

"That I've changed, that I'm this thing you've built up, for your sake, because let me tell you, it's pretty heartbreaking when everything you hoped was real turns out to be all in your head".

Steve opens his eyes as Eddie makes a sound like he’s been punched in the gut. 

He’s still kneeling in front of Steve, even closer now, almost close enough that Steve can count the light dusting of freckles on his nose, and it feels like his heart will burst at any moment. 

Fuck it.

"I've been halfway in love with you since you woke up from the hospital," Steve blurts out, “only to find out that you didn't feel even remotely the same about me, this whole time,” he breathes in shallowly as Eddie pales.

"I don't think I could take it if that happened again Eds,” Steve continues as he drops his gaze to his knees, “I think it would crush me".

"That's why I don't want you to say something you can't take--"

The words die on his lips as Eddie grabs his face and kisses him.

It’s harsh and clumsy, their teeth clack as Eddie loses his balance, pushing himself into Steve. They fall over the lounger, Steve’s shoulders and lower back hit the metal  frame hard, forcing a muffled groan out as Eddie falls on top of him with his own faint, ‘oof’.

Eddie tries to raise himself up by his hands before falling even further as one of his hands slips through the rubber slats of the chair and he crashes into Steve's stomach.

Eddie babbles a string of incomprehensible apologies as he frees his trapped hand and manages to gently straddle Steve. Eddie hovers over him and lifts his hands to cup Steve's face.

“Shit baby, are you okay? Fuck, that’s not how I wanted that to go at all, I’m so shit at this”. 

“Can we, can you get off and then we can get off the stupid chair?” Steve wheezes as he tries to catch his breath and shift his weight away from the metal still pressed into his back, “lets go inside, we can..talk about this”.

Eddie curses under his breath, his expression nervous, and moves his legs off of Steve and the chair before holding a hand out to help Steve to his feet.

Steve rubs his back as he leads the pair back inside through the sliding glass door, not daring to turn around and face Eddie. 

He feels his own mortified flush spread across his chest and neck and winces; this is probably the most he’s blushed in years all in the span of a single afternoon.

He kissed me, he kissed me, he kissed me, plays on a seemingly endless loop in Steve’s head as he walks into the house, he can’t help the wide smile that blooms over his face --despite the other, darker thought that whispers in his ear, be careful, be careful, be careful.

Steve takes them through the empty dining room and into the living room before dropping onto the couch with another low groan. He looks up as he realizes that Eddie is no longer beside him.

Eddie stands in the entryway to the living room, he’s holding a thick handful of hair over his mouth and watching Steve carefully.

“Can’t talk with you all the way over there,” Steve huffs. 

He tries for a smile but the effect is lost as Eddie continues to stand and stare at him, looking as though he could bolt from the house at any moment.

“Please come here Eds,” Steve tries again, his voice small. He takes a deep breath, if Eddie can be brave so can you, he thinks as he holds out his hand.

Eddie hesitates for just a moment more, his eyes flick beyond Steve to the hallway linked to the foyer and back, it’s so quick Steve nearly misses it. 

Still, he keeps his hand steady, holding it aloft.

Eventually Eddie takes a tentative step, then another, slowly moving forward until his fingers brush Steve’s own. He takes a seat next to Steve on the plush gray couch but doesn’t relax as Steve turns his body to face him. Eddie tenses even further as Steve gives his hand a gentle squeeze.

He opens his mouth to start but Eddie beats him to it.

“I’m so sorry Steve,” Eddie whispers, his voice strained and thin as he takes his hand back, “I just fucking attacked you? Jesus, I," he cuts himself off, whatever he had been about to say trapped behind the teeth that dig into his bottom lip.

"I mean," Steve mumbles, hating the hunched line of Eddie's shoulders, "I tell you I've been in love with you for months and you kiss me, that makes sense to me?"

"Stop doing that," Eddie bites out as he stands up, slapping his hands on his knees to launch himself away from the couch.

He paces the living room, not looking at Steve and getting progressively more agitated as he walks.

"I apologize and then you turn it around on yourself, why do you do that? Just let me apologize!"

Eddie halts suddenly as he straightens and faces Steve, it's as though a lightbulb has blinked on in the ether as Eddie speaks his next words slowly and carefully, "stop letting me off the hook Steve, be honest with me".

"I have been honest with you," Steve tries but Eddie shakes his head.

"Nope, you've told me some of your stuff today, but not why you keep downplaying everything, why you're not just telling me you're upset, it's like you're censoring the stuff you think I don't want to hear, come on”.

"My stuff," Steve mutters under his breath as a hot flicker of irritation licks at his ribcage.

"Yes," Eddie says, throwing his hands into his hair in frustration.

"Everybody censors themselves Eddie, you think I tell the kids everything? That I've told Robin everything?"

At this Eddie blanches, surprise etched over his forehead as his eyebrows climb into his wispy bangs.

"But Robin--"

"Knows enough, but not everything,"Steve scoffs as he crosses his arms over his stomach, "and she doesn't need to".

Robin may know his parents are hardly around, she may have formed her own opinions, assumptions about what she thinks is going on; but Steve has gotten very good at hiding these things -especially over the years. 

Pulling out the King Steve persona, make them laugh, make them mad, watch this hand while the other pulls the wool over their eyes. 

"Then tell me," Eddie says softly, but there is a challenge to his words. 

He shifts his stance slightly, putting more weight on his left leg as he cocks his hip out to the side, "shock me Harrington". 

Steve shifts on the couch, feeling pinned under Eddie's gaze, before swiping a tired hand over his face and dropping it into his lap.

"That crack in the table happened just before I graduated," Steve says softly, his head tipped down so the words tumble into his knees. 

He ignores the sharp intake of breath from Eddie, not daring to look up as he continues,  "my uh, my dad opened the rejection letter from Vincennes, that one had just been delivered that morning I think". 

Steve breathes out slowly and picks at a hangnail on his left thumb, he hasn't ever spoken about this to anyone, he's never really managed to talk about his home life growing up without side stepping things. 

There had been moments where Steve thinks Tommy and Carol might have had their suspicions, but they never asked and Steve wasn't in a position to talk about it.

"I think that was at the beginning of June, so, so his logical conclusion was to uh, go looking for the other letters, the ones I must have received already". 

Steve barks out a laugh, but the sound rings out hollow in the large living room, he startles slightly as the couch dips down next to him as Eddie sits, close enough that his knees are brushing Steve's own.

He doesn't say anything, but it's enough for Steve to breathe out and keep going.

"And he found them, my dad, in the shoebox I kept in the back of my closet". 

"I don't know why I had even kept them," Steve shakes his head, "I should have thrown them away".

Steve absently traces a faint white line across his temple, staring past his knees into the patterns of the ornate area rug, "I got home from school and he had the letters waiting for me". 

"He laid them all out on the dining table," Steve sweeps his hands out, setting the scene in his head, "like you see in those detective movies right? He just needed some string to connect them all to me". 

Steve shivers and closes his eyes, the words still echoing fresh in his mind, the hot spittle that hit his face as his father cornered him against the wall still makes him flinch if he thinks about it too hard.

"He asked when I was planning to tell him about the rejections, and I couldn't give him an answer," he reaches up and pinches his nose, just once, blinking a few times as he wills away the gathering moisture.

"I didn't raise you to be this way Steven, like some fucking ungrateful coward --look at me when I'm God Damn talking to you!" Richard seethes as he slams the flat of his palm into the center of the table, his Harvard class ring splitting the wood as it connects with a loud crack.

Richard doesn't look down, his hand slides to one of the letters, snatching it from the surface as he steps around the table, towards Steve, in three sure strides. He backs his son towards the wall, looming over Steve as he shoves the paper into his face in one hand while the other grips the collar of Steve's T-Shirt.

"What will people think, huh, our only son didn't get into college, Hagan got in for chrissakes," his dad shakes him once, forcing Steve's head to connect with the wall, "what am I supposed to tell people Steven, what are we going to tell your poor mother?" 

"I thought that Wheeler girl was supposed to be smart, tutor you or something," Richard scoffs as he finally lets go of Steve's shirt collar, "or did she finally come to her senses?"

Steve sneers before he can stop himself, "I didn't think you were even around enough to see that dad--"

The blow comes swiftly, catching him across the temple, his father's class ring comes out to play once again as a hot burst of pain blooms across the entire left side of his face from the backhand. 

"Don't you ever speak to me that way again, you want to be a big man Steven? Just see what happens". 

Steve blinks once, coming back to himself, "my dad, um, he has a problem with anger, with uh, expressing it I guess".

"But that isn't what this is about," Steve whispers, and this time he can't keep the wobble from his voice as he speaks.

"I'm afraid, I'm just like him, that I could do what he did if I got upset enough, and you," he breathes out sharply but the sounds more like a sob than anything else, "you want me to be honest?"

Steve finally lifts his eyes up to meet Eddie's own. Eddie, who looks as though he wants to melt into the floor, his shoulders tense and his own eyes seem suspiciously shiny as they stare back at Steve.

"Why couldn't you be honest with me, huh?" Steve whispers, "from the beginning?" 

A tear breaks the surface, tracing down Steve's cheek. He manages to catch it roughly with the back of his hand before reaching up to press the heels of both his hands into his eyes --as though the pressure could stop the building deluge he knows is inevitable.

"I was so angry with you when you told me that you hadn't meant what you said in the Upside Down," Steve manages to speak through the tightening of his throat as he drops his hands back down into his lap, "that I smashed a plate in my kitchen after you left, I don't, I don't know what happened". 

His breath quickens suddenly and every other word comes out as a gasp, "but it's like my worst fucking fears h-have come true and I don't, I don't know what to do, I don't, I--" 

"Oh sweetheart," Eddie says softly as he reaches for Steve, pulling him into his arms with gentle fingers, "oh, I gotcha".

Steve lets himself be moved, for his head to be tipped into the crook of Eddie's neck and his body tucked into Eddie's chest. 

Steve tries to slow down his breathing, to stop the shuddering of his chest as he fights the tears. 

"It's okay," Eddie tries but Steve shakes his head.

"It's not," he bites out, the words taper off into a whine, "it's not--"

"Okay, you're right, it's not," Eddie says so softly Steve nearly misses it.

"I'm so, so, sorry Steve," Eddie murmurs into Steve's hair, holding him tighter as Steve finally gives in and lets himself cry. 

He's not sure how long they sit for, eventually Steve feels a steady hand card through his hair while the other strokes down his arms, he feels the tension in his shoulders begin to melt away and the tears slow to a gentle trickle.

"I'm an idiot," Eddie huffs out, the breath flutters Steve's hair, making him twitch at the sensation.

Steve reaches up and wipes at his face with tired hands. The skin feels warm to the touch and puffy around his eyes and his nose which refuses to stop running, he must look like an absolute sight right now, he thinks to himself with a grimace.

"You're not an idiot," he manages to croak, but Eddie's already shaking his head sharply, turning himself to look at Steve.

"Oh believe me, I've fucked up before, pretty spectacularly, but this takes the goddamn cake sweetheart". 

"And you're right," Eddie says slowly, carefully, "I shouldn't be harping on about you hiding how you feel when I'm the reason why we're in this mess".

Eddie chews his bottom lip, worrying it between his teeth before pulling away from Steve entirely as he reaches up to cup Steve's face between his hands.

"I'm sorry for not being honest with you Stevie, and I will spend every day trying to make it up to you if you let me?"

Steve looks at Eddie, really looks at him.

He takes in the drooped curve of his shoulders, the subtle pink of the tip of his nose and the glassy sheen in his brown eyes. The way his chest has stopped rising and he drops his hands away from Steve the longer he openly stares at the metal-head, the way Eddie anxiously spins and spins and spins the rings on his hands the longer he waits. 

It’s an easy decision to reach out and place his own hand on Eddies own, to halt the frantic movements with a gentle squeeze.

“So,” Steve says, grinning as Eddie finally looks up at him once more, "on a scale of helping to chauffeur the kids to finishing fixing the table, what kind of making it up to me are we talking about?"

The smile Eddie gives him is nearly blinding as he launches himself at Steve, gathering him up in his arms. His hair smells like sawdust and there's the barest hint of some kind of cologne that Steve can't place.

Eddie leans back into the couch cushions, laughingly wetly and taking Steve with him. The sound makes his chest ache as Steve realizes just how much he’s missed Eddie’s laughter. He buries his face in Eddie's neck as they cuddle into one another, letting themselves sit with nothing but the sound of the occasional car driving down the street outside or the humming of grasshoppers through the screen door to the backyard.

"For what it's worth," Eddie huffs, breaking the quiet, a hint of dimples revealing themselves as he smiles, "I've never met the guy, but from the sounds of it, you are the farthest thing from being like 'Ol Dick Harrington".

Steve says nothing but feels something in his chest finally unclench for the first time in weeks.

"Besides, there's nothing like a good plate smash every now and again Stevie," Eddie hums as he runs his thumb over the crest of Steve's cheekbone again.

"That's what Robin said," Steve mumbles, as he leans further into Eddie with a smile, "she came over that night, after". 

"A wise and terrifying woman," Eddie says sagely, "who I hope to never piss off again".

He stops suddenly and looks up at Steve, a nervous pinch to his brow as he plays with a loose curl hanging in front of his face, "I'm glad you guys have each other," Eddie says slowly, letting his thumb stroke Steve's hand absently, "that you have people in your corner and--”

Eddie swallows, his eyes darting back and forth between Steve's eyes as he finally seems to steel himself.

"I hope you'll let me be one of those people".

This nervous, quiet Eddie, is so strange to take in, but then again Steve's also never been on the receiving end of so many apologies all at once, it's just shy of being overwhelming at this point.

"Oh come off it Eddie," Steve huffs with a roll of his eyes, "you had me the moment I saw that fucking table outside and you tried to hide the sandpaper behind your back --real smooth by the way".

The way Eddie stares at him in surprise and that same look of awe from before, tells Steve that was the right thing to say.

Eddie barks out a wet laugh and squeezes him tighter, tipping his face to nuzzle Steve's ear, "I missed you teasing me".

"That was the worst part about all of this," he shudders once and drops his head to Steve's shoulder, "I thought I lost my friend, but I have you back".

"Yeah, you have me Eds," Steve says softly.

Steve rests against Eddie, uncaring that the position is growing more uncomfortable as the arm tucked closest to the metal-head falls asleep. Eddie holds him with such gentle reverence that Steve feels as though he may just burst from happiness at any moment. 

Everything he's wanted for months, has finally fallen into place.

It's quiet for another moment. Steve plays with one of Eddie's hands, running his fingers over the calluses from playing guitar and the eclectic rings decorating his knuckles.

Eddie clears his throat after a beat, swallowing once, “so uh, earlier….that wasn’t exactly how I pictured our first kiss you know?"

Steve feels a small grin slowly bloom, he's not quite facing Eddie the way they're sitting, so he can play coy a little longer.

 “You’ve pictured it huh?” 

Eddie snorts “Oh yeah, you have no idea, there’s usually more tongue involved and less chipped teeth”.

Steve nods, letting them sit for a moment longer, letting himself be chased for once.

Eddie pulls back slightly, leaving his arms loosely wrapped around Steve, “think we could uh, try again?”

“Will you mean it as much as you did the first time?” Steve says with a smile as he rubs his lip with his thumb and flushed cheeks.

“You liked that huh, always knew you were a freak like me Harrington,” Eddie barks out, his eyes shining with mirth as he leans closer to run the tip of his nose down Steve's before nuzzling them together, "wanna make some good memories in this house Stevie?"

“Only if you’re with me Eds,” Steve whispers against Eddie’s lips as he slowly leans in. 

Steve’s heart races, anticipation flooding his veins and filling his chest with a giddy realization that he finally, finally, gets to have this. 

That he knows Eddie finally, finally, feels the same way.

He’ll call Robin later, let her know about Hellfire’s plan, the apology, and maybe even the truth about everything he’d kept hidden away for so long. The old hurts soothed and the lid of the box in his mind permanently open now, the lid wrenched off its hinges so as to never close again. Maybe he could let people in, to let them know him. 

For now, Steve lets himself be lowered onto the couch, lets Eddie's hands roam freely, over Steve's shoulders, his neck --letting his fingers gently brush the long scar from the Demobat tail, before lifting one hand to cup his cheek while the other climbs into Steve hair, threading his fingers through it and giving the locks an experimental tug.

Steve's hands make their way up Eddie's back, under his shirt, tracing over the raised scars on his sides. Eddie shoots Steve a wicked grin, his eyes crinkle at the sides as he lets his weight gently fall over Steve, catching himself with his hands on the couch cushions on either side of Steve's face, effectively caging him in. 

Eddie moves slowly, deliberately, it's not nearly as brutal as the first time but Eddie kisses like a wildman starved, licking into Steve's mouth and grazing his bottom lip with harsh teeth. 

It feels like Steve is being consumed, slowly, carefully.

It's overwhelming in the best way. The feeling of his soft lips against Steve’s own, the harsh stubble that rubs against Steve’s chin. The smell of weed, and sawdust, and cologne invades his nose.

Eddie pulls back briefly before leaning down again to place a soft kiss against Steve’s lips.

“How's that for a second kiss?” he asks with a raised eyebrow and a wide smirk pulling at his slightly puffy lips.

Steve scoffs and tugs at Eddie’s shirt collar, “I dunno, maybe we need to check again?”

Eddie’s laughter rings out loud and long in the Harrington living room, as he leans down again and hugs Steve tightly.

For the first time in a long time, Steve feels himself relax. 

He lets the weight of Eddie press him into the cushions and releases a long contented breath, the Harrington house, finally feeling warmer than it has in a long time.

I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed working on it! This was the first fic of this length that I was still actively writing as I was updating that I've actually completed and I'm pretty damn happy about that! I was so worried about abandoning this guy and I'm glad I was able to finish it, hopefully it has come to a satisfying conclusion <3

Taglist: @zerokrox-blog @samcoxramblings @thosemessyvibes @liketheocean @vampireinthesun @themostunoriginalpersonever @merricatty @hyperfixationgoddess @hippieg1rl420 @mysticcrownshipper @estrellami-1 @clumsiluni @messrs-weasley @the-obsessed-nerdist

[nyan-bynary]

As cute as satosugu is, it's SO important to me that no matter how much they loved each other (romantically or platonically idrc to argue w/ ppl) they did NOT tell each other. That they lost their chance bc they were young and strong and full of hope and they thought they had all the time in the world to tell the other how they felt, y'know, like how teenagers are supposed to feel about life. But they couldn't be together, they couldn't have each other's company the way they really wanted. Their youths were forcefully taken away from them their emotions that they were still not fully settled on forced out of their hands because they had bigger more grave things to worry about now. It's so important to me that they were always doomed no matter what.

[alessias-art]

Just a quiet moment among the daily chaos, soothing each others' pain away...

OCs: Alena and Andrey

[ladyolivia689]

🌿 "In The Quiet Of Us" 🌿

When home feels like a place you don’t quite fit, and the world outside promises something more… ✨

This is a love story, but it’s also a story about finding your place in the world. Nola's village, quiet and familiar, is where she’s always felt small. Liam, with his passion for exploring the unknown, opens her eyes to the life waiting just outside the boundaries of her home. Together, they explore the worlds they've missed and the lives they have yet to live. ✨ Would really appreciate some love on this - In The Quiet Of Us✨

“The only way to be truly happy is to let go of what you can’t change.”

[robinthetiredartist]

I’ve just finished the prologue of Till Someone Gets hurt! Talon’s story of love and loss! It would mean the world if you gave it a read! Love y’all!!

(Reposting the Cover art with the book itself for better effect cause it didn’t get a lot of traction last time-)

[astrid-nomically-steddie]

Part 2 of My Steddie mean girls au

Part 1

Steve feels like an asshole.

He really didn't mean to do this. What was the point really? To be popular? How stupid is he. He ruined his only chance at real friends. And for what? To mess with Carol? Yeah sure she's a bitch but why does that matter? And Tommy? Yeah he doesn't even really want him. Steve just wanted to get back at Carol.

God he's pathetic.

And Eddie. Jesus fucking christ. Eddie. He's been so nice and sweet to Steve and he just basically threw it all away. He took a bit fat dump on their friendship and a chance at something more for nothing. And Robin, she was so kind to him too. He shakes his head. He needs to fix this now.

Steve gets up, wipes his face and takes the canvas with him. He doesn't even glance at the painting knowing if he did he would stare at it for hours. As soon as Steve is 10 feet from his house he can feel the music pumping through his feet. Shit. The party, he thinks. He sighs as he walks closer to the door.

When he walks in the music screams in his ears. God I'm going to get a massive headache after this. One of the basketball players comes up to him, Steve thinks his name is Jake? Jason?, something with a J.

"Hey Steve. Had a good time with Hagan, huh." He said sluggishly.

"Umm, yeah I guess." Steve replied wanting to get away from him.

"You guess? Tommy told me you loved it."Jason? said.

"Loved what?" He was so confused they only ever kisse-.

Oh. My. God. Did Tommy tell people they fucked?

"Ummm, you guys did fuck. Right?" The guy - Jake? No Jason definitely Jason - said.

"No?! What are you talking about? We barley even made out!" Steve replied slightly frantic and a little angry at Tommy for lying.

"OK, jeez. Just asking! That's just what I heard. Don't shoot the messenger and all that shit." Jason mumbled as he began to walk away.

Steve stood there in shock and anger. He couldn't believe this. He needs to think but he can't because of this stupid fucking party. That's it he can't take it anymore. Steve power walks to where he knows the radio is and full on unplugs it. He gets on top of his fireplace and screams at the, now confused, party-goers.

"That's it! Party's over, guys! Go home!" He yells over all the protests. He sees Tommy and his friends stare at him with annoyed looks. Steve watches as Tommy tells his friends something and goes to walk towards where Steve is. "Dude, what the fuck?!" He says.

"What?" Steve replies slightly confused but with left-over irritation spilling from his voice. "What do you mean, what? You stopped the music and told everyone to go home!" Tommy argued but Steve thought it was pointless because he was, So. Fucking. Done. "And?! It's my house and my party. I can do what I want." Steve huffed, "Now, get the fuck out of my house, Tommy!" He practically yells at him.

Tommy just stands there in shock not knowing what to do. "Well?! What are you waiting for? Leave!" Steve yells this time. Not just at Tommy, but instead at everyone who stayed standing there like complete idiots. They all scramble to get their stuff and rush out the door. Tommy shakes his head and starts to walk away. Before he leaves he tells Steve, "You are not as cool as I thought you were." Then he walks away with all his friends. They keep looking back at him and giving him looks.

Steve feels like a total fool. Who was he to think that Tommy was an actual good person? God he's a complete buffoon. As time went on and the last people trickled out he began to clean. After around 5 minutes later he felt a tap on his shoulder. He quickly turned around.

The face he saw was definitely not one he'd thought it would be.