#bald eagle count | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

orellazalonia · 7 days ago

Text

Stars, Stripes, and Secret Birthdays

Summary: Steve Rogers once claimed July 4th was his birthday in a moment of patriotic panic and now, decades later, he's trapped in an annual circus of fireworks and singing cakes while Bucky Barnes, who knows his real birthday, watches it all unfold alongside you with ruthless amusement. (Bucky Barnes x reader)

Word Count: 1.1k+

A/N: Happy 4th of July, everyone! This was inspired by this post from @couldnt-think-of-a-funny-name. I saw it a while back and thought it’d be perfect for a short themed fic today! Happy reading!!!

Main Masterlist

The Fourth of July at the Avengers Tower was somehow more over-the-top than you ever imagined, and you’d imagined a lot when you first joined the team.

There were drones in the shape of bald eagles circling the upper levels, tables decked out in red, white, and blue confetti, and a life-sized cake replica of Captain America’s shield slowly rotating on a platform like it was on some sort of sugary patriotic pedestal. Fireworks hadn’t even started yet, and you were already overwhelmed.

And that didn’t even touch the twenty-foot holographic banner flashing: “Happy Birthday, Captain America!”

“Wait… Steve’s birthday is today?” You asked, frowning as you tried to keep up. You looked over at Bucky, who stood beside you with a drink in hand and an expression that was somewhere between entertained and exasperated.

He didn’t answer at first. Just sipped slowly, like he was letting something delicious settle on his tongue.

“Supposedly,” He said at last, eyes twinkling.

You raised a brow. “Supposedly?”

He turned to look at you, lips quirking. “Let’s just say the truth’s a little snowier than the fireworks would suggest.”

Before you could push further and ask what that even means, Tony Stark’s voice blared from the stage.

“Ladies and gentlemen, heroes and freeloaders, give it up for the man, the myth, the living legend; our one and only, star-spangled Steve Rogers!”

The crowd erupted into cheers. Steve, dressed in a casual button-down and looking very much like he wanted the earth to open up and swallow him whole, offered a stiff smile and a half-hearted wave from the side of the crowd.

You leaned toward Bucky again. “Okay, what is going on?”

Bucky chuckled, clearly enjoying your confusion. “He wasn’t actually born on the Fourth. That was just a panic response back during one of his tour interviews. Wanted to sound more patriotic, I guess and said July 4th like a reflex, and now he’s been trapped in that lie for about a hundred years.”

You blinked. “Wait, you’re serious?”

“As a heart attack,” Bucky said, grinning. “His actual birthday’s in December. Always was. I used to sneak him cake when we were kids. But now? Now he’s got mugs, documentaries, and a Hallmark holiday outfits.”

You glanced at Steve, who was now cornered by Sam, Bruce, and a S.H.I.E.L.D. rep holding an enormous red-white-and-blue party hat. His jaw was tight. His eyes flicked toward Bucky like a silent plea.

Bucky just sipped again. “He lives in constant fear someone’s gonna dig up his birth certificate.”

You looked back at Steve, then at the holographic display of his “birthday,” and then back to Bucky. “And you just… let him suffer?”

“Every year,” Bucky said, grinning. “It’s my favorite holiday.”

You couldn’t help it. You burst out laughing, and Bucky’s smirk deepened as he watched Steve try to gently wrestle a sparkler out of Tony’s hand before someone lost an eyebrow.

You nudged Bucky lightly with your elbow. “You’re a menace.”

“Don’t act like you’re not gonna enjoy watching this unfold.” He leaned in, dropping his voice low just for you. “Wait ‘til the cake comes out. It sings.”

You glanced over at the monstrosity of frosting and fondant slowly rotating under a spotlight. And suddenly, you understood why Steve looked like he might bolt.

Oh, you were definitely staying for the cake.

When it was time to cut the cake, you realized it did, in fact, sing.

It started as a low hum of patriotic instrumentals swelling from hidden speakers as the lights dimmed in dramatic anticipation. Guests crowded around the massive dessert like it was about to perform an opera, and honestly, it might as well have. A minute later, the cake’s top layer mechanically opened like the roof of a convertible, revealing a tiny animatronic Steve Rogers figurine that popped up to salute.

Then it began singing “Born in the U.S.A.” Off-key. Loudly.

Steve flinched.

You were openly laughing now, wheezing into your drink as Bucky casually leaned on the back of a couch like a man watching karma do his work for him.

“I told Tony this was too much,” Steve muttered through clenched teeth to Sam, who was doubled over laughing beside him.

“Oh, come on, Cap,” Sam said between gasps, “You’re telling me this isn’t the birthday party of your dreams?”

Steve glanced over at Bucky again. You swore the temperature dropped five degrees from how hard Steve was glaring, but Bucky only raised his glass in a slow, infuriating toast.

“Does no one else find this weird?” You whispered to Bucky, grinning. “That literally everyone believes he was born on Independence Day and no one’s ever questioned it?”

“Oh, people have questioned it,” Bucky said. “But by the time someone pulls out a dusty archive or some old hospital record, they’re shut down by a wave of patriotism and Steve’s guilty little puppy face.”

You blinked. “So this is just… the life he chose?”

“He didn’t choose it,” Bucky said, feigning innocence. “He lied once, and now he’s stuck pretending his birthday smells like hot dogs and gunpowder.”

You raised a brow. “And you never let him forget it?”

“Would you?” Bucky asked.

Fair point.

Across the room, Steve was trying and failing to defuse Tony, who had just unveiled the night’s next surprise: a series of drones that would skywrite “BORN ON THE FOURTH TO FIGHT FOR THE FREE” in glittering red sparks across the skyline.

You watched Steve visibly flinch with each passing word in the sky, jaw locked so tight you could see the muscle twitching from across the room.

“I think he’s going to pop a blood vessel,” You whispered.

Bucky smirked, completely unbothered. “Every year he asks Tony to tone it down. And every year Tony says he will. He never does.”

“Is this why you like the Fourth of July so much?” You teased, nudging him.

He shrugged like a man with no shame. “It used to be the worst day of the year for me. Now it’s one of my favorites.”

You gave him a sideways glance. “Because you get to watch your best friend be tormented by the consequences of a hundred-year-old lie?”

“Exactly,” Bucky said brightly.

And you couldn’t help it, you laughed again. But then Bucky leaned closer, his tone dropping low, soft just for you.

“I think next year, I’ll slip a December birthday card into his locker,” He murmured. “Maybe make it snow in the common room. Just to keep him on his toes.”

You tilted your head, amused. “And you say you’re not the dramatic one.”

Bucky looked over at Steve again, who was now trying to pry the animatronic figurine off the cake as it attempted to salute and tap dance.

With all the chaos swirling around him, Steve caught Bucky’s eye one more time, half rage, half helplessness.

Bucky just winked.

And you knew then, with full certainty: This would be your new favorite holiday too.

#marvel fic #marvel x reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #steve rogers fic #steve rogers fluff #fluff #bucky barnes fic #4th of july #july 4th #independence day

210 notes · View notes

brookediamonds · 4 months ago

Text

stuck on you | Axel Kovačević x Fem! Reader

Summary: This is apart of my sunshine!Axel x Grumpy!Reader trope. Your friends have recognized your behaviors with your boyfriend are similar to a famous pair of eagles that are best known as Jackie & Shadow.

Word Count: 1.7k Warnings: none, fluff!!

gif is not mine

Lunch at school is always chaotic, but today, Sam is unusually quiet, eyes glued to her phone.

You don’t think much of it as Miguel and Robby are wrapped up in some debate over street tacos, Tory is swiping fries off Robby’s tray, and Axel…

Well, Axel is all over you, as usual.

You sit stiffly, munching away at your chips, while he lounges against you like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

One arm drapes lazily around your shoulders, his fingers absentmindedly playing with the ends of your hair.

Every so often, he leans in, nuzzling into your temple, pressing a quick kiss to your cheek, just generally being Axel.

And as usual, you don’t fight it. You just side-eye him with the kind of exasperation only built through experience, letting out a slow sigh like you’ve long since given up on stopping him.

Across the table, Sam suddenly snorts. "Oh my god."

"What?" Miguel questions her, leaning in.

She doesn’t answer right away, just turns her phone so the rest of you can see. The Big Bear Bald Eagle Live Nest Cam is playing, and on the screen, Jackie and Shadow sit in their nest.

Right as the camera focuses, Shadow swoops in with a giant stick, fumbling with it, only to knock straight into Jackie.

She doesn’t react beyond narrowing her eyes, looking utterly unimpressed as she endures his antics. You can't help but snort when she begins to holler at him.

Miguel takes one look at the screen. Then at you. Then at Axel, practically wrapped around you like a human blanket.

A slow grin spreads across his face.

"If Jackie and Shadow were people, it would totally be Y/n and Axel," Miguel snickers.

Your friends burst out laughing, nodding in agreement and Robby adding in, "I can totally see it."

You inhale deeply, exhaling in pure, exhausted defeat. Because the worst part? They’re absolutely right.

Axel grins, poking at your side. "Does this mean I can start building a nest around you?"

Laughter erupts around the table, Tory actually doubling over. You roll your eyes, shoving his arm off your shoulder, but he just leans right back in like it never happened.

"Don't get any ideas," you threaten him, continuing to pop another chip in your mouth.

Miguel wipes a fake tear from his eye. "Oh man, that’s too good."

Lunch continues as normal with Sam propping her phone up for everyone to bird watch with her, all while Axel persists to be all over you, with you tolerating it like you have been this past year.

And you wouldn't have it any other way. But Axel, being Axel, doesn’t let the joke die.

─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ─

Later, at practice, you’re stretching when you notice something out of the corner of your eye. A small pile of sticks, placed suspiciously close to your feet.

You frown, looking up. Axel, standing a few feet away, meets your gaze with an infuriatingly innocent expression.

You glance down. Another stick has been added.

"Babe."

"Yes, my love?"

You stare at him. He stares back. Then, very deliberately, he places another stick by your foot.

"You’re not building a nest around me," you say pointedly. Tory and Sam being to snicker at your boyfriend’s insistence.

"I think I am," Axel says, his blue-green eyes sparkling with mischief.

He drops to a crouch beside you, arranging the sticks in a loose circle. "It's a very nice nest. Very sturdy. Top-quality twigs."

You roll your eyes so hard you're surprised they don't get stuck. "Sensei is going to kill you."

"Worth it," he declares, adding another stick with exaggerated care. "Shadow would be proud."

Sam snaps a picture on her phone. "This is going on Instagram."

"Tag me," Axel says without looking up from his masterpiece.

You reach for your water bottle, purposely ignoring him. "We are not eagles."

"We could be," he insists, pushing another stick toward your feet. "Look how well I provide for you."

"What's happening over there?” Sensei Lawrence voice booms from across the yard. "Are we training or building a campfire?"

Axel jumps to his feet, not even slightly embarrassed.

"Just preparing a home for my mate, sensei!" he calls back cheerfully.

Your face burns as everyone turns to look. Miguel and Robby are practically holding each other up, they're laughing so hard.

"Your mate needs to work on her roundhouse kicks, not real estate," Sensei Lawrence barks, but you can see the corner of his mouth twitching. "Clean that crap up and give me twenty push-ups, on your knuckles, both of you!"

"Both of us?" you sputter. "I didn't do anything!"

"You encouraged him by existing," Johnny retorts. "Twenty push-ups."

Axel is already dropping to the ground, grinning like this is the best thing that's happened all day. You groan but join him in the grass.

"I'm going to kill you later," you mutter, starting your push-ups.

"No, you won't," he replies cheerfully. "You love me too much."

The worst part is he's right, but you'd rather eat your words.

─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ─

Later That week...

Your parents are out for their date night, leaving you and Axel alone with a stack of movies, a bowl of popcorn, and the comfortable quiet of the empty house.

You're nestled into the corner of the couch, wrapped in your favorite fuzzy blanket, with Axel curled around you like a human radiator.

His body is warm against yours, one arm wrapped around your waist, his chin resting on top of your head. The TV flickers with an action movie you both agreed on.

You're only half-watching as you listen to Axel's heartbeat, his fingers drawing absent patterns on your arm.

"Want more popcorn?" he murmurs, his breath warm against your hair.

You shake your head, burrowing deeper into his side. "Too comfortable to move."

He chuckles, the sound rumbling through his chest and into yours.

Outside, rain has started to patter against the windows, creating a cozy backdrop to your evening.

"You know," Axel says suddenly, his voice soft but playful, "I've been thinking about those eagles."

You groan, tilting your head back to look at him.

"Are you still on that? It's been a week."

"No, but really," he insists, shifting so he can see your face better. His eyes catch the light from the TV. "They mate for life, you know."

"I'm aware," you say dryly. "Sam has been sending me eagle facts every day since lunch."

The rain picks up outside, drumming against the roof in a soothing rhythm. Axel's fingers find yours under the blanket, intertwining with practiced ease.

His skin is warm against yours, calloused from karate but gentle as he traces your knuckles.

"I like that about them," he continues, his voice taking on that dreamy quality it gets when he's thinking deeply about something. "They build this home together, year after year. Same place. Same partner."

You smile despite yourself.

For all his childish antics, there's something endearing about the way Axel latches onto ideas, turning them over in his mind like precious stones until he finds the facet that shines the brightest.

"Jackie probably rolls her eyes at Shadow just as much as I do with you," you point out, reaching for your soda on the coffee table.

"Probably," he agrees, helping you sit up without unwrapping his arm from around you. "But she still comes back to him every season."

You take a sip of your soda, watching the rain trace silver patterns down the window.

Axel shifts beside you, looking down at you with a completely serious expression.

"Would you still love me if we were eagles, babe?"

You nearly choke on your soda, coughing as you set the cup down.

"Would I still love you if we were eagles?" You repeat back to him.

"Yeah," he says, completely earnest, his eyes completely locked on yours. "Would you pick me every season?"

There's something in his voice that makes you pause. Beneath the ridiculous question is a vulnerability that catches you off guard.

You study his face, the way his lips quirk up at one side when he's trying not to seem too serious.

"I don't know," you tease, pretending to consider it carefully. "Do eagle boyfriends steal the last slice of pizza and blame it on Casper the ghost?"

He clutches his chest dramatically. "One time! That happened one time!"

"And do eagle boyfriends put their freezing cold feet on their girlfriends when they're trying to sleep?" you ask, raising an eyebrow.

"My feet are not that cold," Axel protests, immediately pressing his socked foot against your calf to prove his point.

You yelp and swat at him. He laughs, the sound warm and familiar, before pulling you closer.

"You didn't answer my question," he reminds you, his accent thickening slightly the way it does when he's being sincere.

You look up at him, at his stupidly handsome face and those ocean-colored eyes that somehow always manage to look at you like you're the most fascinating thing he's ever seen.

"Yes," you say finally, your voice softer than you intended. "I would pick you every season, even if you built the messiest nest in all of Big Bear.”

Axel's entire face lights up, and he presses his forehead against yours. "I knew it."

"Don't let it go to your head," you warn, but you're smiling too.

He kisses you softly, his lips warm against yours. When he pulls back, there's that look in his eyes, the one that makes your heart do stupid things in your chest.

"For the record," he says softly, "I would pick you every season too. Even if you were the grumpiest eagle on the mountain."

"I would be the grumpiest eagle," you agree. "Especially with you bringing me sticks all day."

Axel laughs, pulling you back against his chest as he settles deeper into the couch.

"I'd bring you the best sticks. The premium sticks. Five-star eagle nest material,” he declares.

"Of course you would," you say, unable to keep the fondness from your voice.

The movie plays on, forgotten in the background as Axel's fingers resume their gentle exploration of your arm.

The rain continues its steady rhythm against the windows, creating a cocoon of sound around you both.

It's moments like these, quiet, unplanned, that make all his ridiculous antics worth it.

─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ─

Masterlist

Taglist: @ggrgcribg

(a/n: i had to write this one, it was too cute not to. working on the diaz!reader next, i already have my outline and ending can't wait to get it out! don't forget to like, comment, or reblog! much love 🤍)

#axel kovacevic x reader #axel kovacevic imagines #axel kovacevic imagine #axel kovacevic #axel cobra kai #cobra kai #axel x reader #sam larusso #miguel diaz #eli moskowitz #tory nichols #robby keene #johnny lawrence #cobra kai fanfiction #cobra kai imagine #Spotify

141 notes · View notes

supercritters · 4 months ago

Note

does all might count he's the only superhero i know

YES I absolutely will count All Might because I love him a lot <3

Toshinori Yagi - All Might

I wanted All Might to be a stereotypically "American" species, not in terms of ecology but in terms of symbolism. A bald eagle felt way too obvious to me, and besides he doesn't give me bird energy

However he DOES give me big dog energy, especially goldens - a devoted friend, loyal to a fault, known for being protectors and guardians, kinda dumb, blonde

Also, I wanted to do the design feature where his ears went up or down depending on what form he's in :]

#ask #art #toshinori yagi #all might #supercritters #my hero academia

126 notes · View notes

spanishskulduggery · 27 days ago

Text

Since I mentioned animals, there are also two standard words for "bird" and they're contextual for the most part

Any bird that you see will be el pájaro "bird", it's the default word understood everywhere

People will also sometimes use the diminutives pajarito and pajarillo... or you might see pajarraco which means roughly "ugly bird" or "big ugly bird" [the suffix I think is considered "despective" which means it gives it a negative quality; English despectives are usually in the front and blur with augmentatives like "big old" or "ugly old" where "old" isn't exactly meaning elderly just adds extra flavor]

...

The one that's more complicated to explain (for 2 reasons) is ave meaning "bird"

The first part of it that's hard to explain is purely grammatical - that ave is technically feminine, but takes a masculine article - el ave or un ave in singular, but las aves and unas aves

This requires its own explanation in more depth (which I can do if people are interested, I've done it before) is that certain words take a masculine article in singular but are actually feminine nouns. These are words that have the vocal stress on the first syllable that start with A- or HA-... this is because Spanish has a habit of absorbing the vowels of some words when counting syllables, so this imposes an artificial break in the word so you're fully pronouncing something correctly

The most common examples are el agua "water", el hada "fairy", and el hambre "hunger"; but you'll also see this for el águila "eagle", el aula "classroom", el harpa "harp", and a few others

Thus, you'll see something like el agua bendita "holy water" or el águila calva "bald eagle" with feminine adjectives

The second contextual difference for ave is that it tends to show up for classifications of birds, usually scientific terms

It's similar to how we say "avian" or "fowl" to mean birds or things that look like birds, while using "bird" as a general term and a basic noun

The two most common examples of this will be el ave acuática / las aves acuáticas which means "waterfowl"

...and then el ave rapaz / las aves rapaces to mean "birds of prey" or "raptors" [lit. rapaz (or the verb raptar) in Spanish mean "abducting" or "grabbing" or "taking away", related to "raptor" - "rapt" and "rapture" also share this root; the noun is el rapto "abduction"]

So you can say things like el águila es una de las aves rapaces "the eagle is one of the birds of prey", or el cisne es un ave acuática "the swan is a waterfowl"

You can use ave to mean pájaro and it's accepted, but I think pájaro is probably the word you'll most often hear and see

#spanish #languages #language #langblr #learning spanish #vocabulario #la gramatica

56 notes · View notes

raven-dor · 10 days ago

Text

you and i pt.4

in which steve harrington and his best friend decide to stop delaying the inevitable…

PAIRING: steve harrington x reader

WARNINGS: given last name (Wilkins), banter, mentions of death, typical stranger things violence, yearning, KISSING, idiots in love

WORD COUNT: 3.2k

🎶 : you and i - one direction

AN: ♥️💗 - they're so cute, i sure hope nothing happens in the future that breaks them up!!

You couldn’t move, frozen where you stood as you stared at the Mind Flayer. Max held your hand tightly, cold to the touch.

This was it, you told yourself, this was when you died. It was only a matter of time; after all, there was no way you could survive yet another upside-down encounter without a casualty.

Your heart dropped, thinking about all the things you hadn’t done. All the things you hadn’t said. You coughed, yelling over your shoulder. “Guys!”

Jonathan yelled, his voice urgent. “Nancy!”

“Alright, alright, I-” She looked up, jaw dropping. “Shit!”

You pulled Max back, trying to put some distance between you and the Mind Flayer. Mike grabbed El’s hand, racing after you. The lovely thing about this predicament is that after spending virtually all summer in the Scoops Ahoy break room, you knew this place like the back of your hand.

You tried to attack the Mind Flayer, but any and all efforts were useless. You yanked the kids behind the counter of a random fast food chain, holding your breath.

"Griswold Family, this is Scoops Troop. Do you-" The radio sat on the other side of the counter, your lower lip wobbling at the thought of dying. The Mind Flayer would gravitate toward the sound, its growl growing closer and closer.

You’d been right, unfortunately. Grabbing the walkie off the ground, it roared, flinging it across the mall. Dustin's voice fell out of the remaining parts, garbled from the damage. "Are you en route to Bald Eagle's nest?"

No one dared to reply, too scared to move. "Someone, please just answer. Confirm your safety! Please-"

Another voice came through, tears falling down your cheek. "Wilkins. It's me." You slapped a hand over your mouth as you sobbed, wishing he were beside you. Wishing you’d told him the truth, the thing you’d been denying for years. "Please let us know you're safe. Please." His voice broke, and she almost started to cry. "I-I lo-"

A crack echoed through the mall, the Mind Flayer destroying what had been left of the radio. In that moment, you’d been convinced that the last voice you would ever hear was Steve’s.

That was fine with you.

He’d been hesitant to leave you at the mall. He’d finally gotten his hands on you after the whole Russian kidnapping incident, and then he had to leave. He almost asked you to come with them.

He should have.

Since he’d left you there, there had been no communication, complete radio silence. He could see the mall’s lights from here, growing uneasy at the way they flickered on and off. Grabbing the walkie, he shoved it into Dustin’s hands, nervously tapping his foot. “Talk to them, will you?”

“Okay, relax.” The middle schooler cleared his throat, speaking into the radio. "Griswold Family, This is Scoops Troop, do you copy?"

A roar rang through the mic, and Dustin’s heart stopped, eyes welling with tears. His cousin was in there, his friends were in there. Erica and Robin had stopped, staring at the radio like the Mind Flayer would burst through at any moment.

Dustin yelled through the radio again, hoping you’d answer. "Are you en route to Bald Eagle's nest?" No response. "Someone, please just answer. Confirm your safety! Please-"

Steve ripped the radio out of his hands, frowning when he realized his own were shaking. "Wilkins, it's me." He took a deep breath, scared shitless at the possibility that the love of his life was dead, feeling like a coward that he’d never told you. “Please let us know you're safe. Please.” His voice broke. “I-I lo-" Another roar rang through, followed by a crack. He’d had enough. He couldn’t stand idly by when you were possibly fighting for your life, or even worse, lying cold on the mall floor. A chill ran down his spine as he ran down the hill.

“Where are you going?”

“To get them the hell out of there! Stay here, contact the others!”

Robin raced after him, wincing as her knees popped. “Shit, wait up!”

You led them out the back, glad that all the time you’d spent in the Scoops Ahoy break room hadn’t been for nothing. Running out of the glass doors, Lucas and Will jumped into the car, while you, Jonathan, and Nancy ran towards the open hood. Billy revved his engine, Nancy nervously urging her boyfriend on.

"Let's go. Jonathan, start the car."

"What-"

"Get it started!"

You grabbed your gun, cocking it before pointing it toward the nusance that was Billy Hargrove. "Ready?"

"Yeah." Nancy grinned, letting off her first shot.

Billy pressed on the gas, and you aimed for his wheels while Nancy aimed for the window. Nothing stopped him, the bullets like bugs on a window shield. Nancy's gun clicked, her shells empty. He was so close you could see the cuts on his cheek.

Taking a deep breath, you mentally apologized to Max before aiming for his face. Nothing. He was still speeding towards them. You braced yourself for impact, hoping that somehow you could shield the kids from the brunt of the damage.

But it never came. Another car rammed Billy's, flinging him across the parking lot. It instantly lit on fire, not that you cared or ever noticed. You weren’t paying attention, eyes glued on the Toddfather, and the two people sitting inside it.

Steve kicked his door open, slamming it behind him.

“Are you alright?”

You nodded quickly, grinning, as your stomach turned. You felt sick with adrenaline, breathless as he stared at you like you were the only thing in the world. You had this feeling, maybe it was nausea, maybe it was excitement, either way, you knew he was about to do something neither of you could take back.

He raced toward you, colliding into you, wrapping his arms around your waist. You let out a sigh of relief, wrapping your arms around his neck. His fingers felt hot against your skin, pulling your face out of his neck to look at him, to look at his face and connect his freckles like dots in a line.

He leaned his forehead against yours, breath heavy. His eyes held yours in a trance, and you knew you couldn’t pull away even if you wanted to. You’d almost laughed. You could never say no to Steve. “Steve, I-”

His hands landed on both sides of your face, pulling your lips to his. Your eyes widened, melting into his touch. You ran your fingers through the hair that lay at the nape of his neck, smiling when he pulled you closer. “Steve-” You pulled away just enough that you could breathe, but still close enough that your lips were touched.

"I love you."

You grinned, pulling him back toward your lips. He sighed, eyes fluttering shut as he kissed you back. “I love you, too, Harrington.”

“Are you done?” Robin’s voice called out. You laughed, hiding your face in Steve’s chest. He wrapped his arms around you instinctively, flipping off his friend.

“Get in!” Nancy yelled out the passenger window. “We need to go!”

Robin jumped out of the passenger seat of the Toddfather and into the back of Nancy's station wagon, you and Steve piling in after her. She wiggled her eyebrows at you, laughing to herself. "Could you have chosen a worse time to confess your feelings? You couldn't have chosen any other moment in your entire lives?"

You glared, shoving her, nodding in satisfaction when Robin fell backwards. “If I remember correctly, you wanted this to happen, Robin.”

She sat up, smiling softly at her friends. “Yeah, I guess I did.”

"Dusty-bun, you copy?"

"I copy Suzie-poo. It sounds much better now, thanks."

“Oh my god.” You gasped, turning up the volume on the radio. “She's real.”

"Okay, listen, do you know Planck’s constant?"

"Do you know the Earth orbits the Sun?"

You laughed, shaking your head at her comment. This girl sounded perfect for Dustin.

"Okay, so I know it starts with two sixes, and then a... what is it?"

Suzie-poo sounded agitated. "Okay, let me just be clear on this. I haven't heard from you in a week, and now you want a mathematical equation that you should know so you can... save the world?"

"Suzie-poo, I promise I will make it up to you as soon as possible."

"You can make it up to me now."

Steve’s face looked absolutely disgusted, and as a result, pretended to gag at the walkie. You laughed, smacking his arm playfully.

"What?"

"I want to hear it."

“What the hell?” It was your turn to gag, and you found yourself wishing you could go back in time and make sure you never heard that.

Steve smacked your arm, wiggling his eyebrows, satisfied with his revenge. “Shh.”

"Not right now."

"Yes, now, Dusty-bun."

"Suzie-poo, this is urgent."

"Yes, yes, you're saving the world, I heard you the first time, but Ged is also saving Earthsea, and he's about to confront the shadow, so this is Suzie signing off."

"Wait, wait, wait. Okay."

You muttered under your breath, staring at the radio with wide eyes. “What weird shit did Dustin get himself into?”

Steve looked embarrassed for him, but was absolutely planning on relentlessly teasing him about this after. "Oh, Henderson."

"Turn around, look at what you see, in her face, the mirror of your dreams-"

Robin laughed. “Is this the Never-Ending Story?”

“I believe so, Robin.”

"Make believe I'm everywhere, given in the light, written on the pages is the answer to our never-ending story, ahahah, ahahah, ahahah. Reach the stars, fly a fantasy, dream a dream, and what you see will be, rhymes that keep their secrets will unfold behind the clouds-"

“I can't listen to this anymore.” Steve reached for the radio, and you laughed, holding it out of his reach. “Uh-uh. I want to hear this. It's not every day your cousin sings the Never-Ending Story, Harrington."

"-and thereupon a rainbow is, the answer to our never-ending story, ahahah, ahahah, ahahah, story! ahahah, ahahah, ahahah." Suzie sighed, seemingly satisfied with her boyfriend’s participation. "Planck's constant is 6.62607004."

"You just saved the world."

"Gosh, I miss you, Dusty-bun."

"And I miss you mor,e Suzie-poo."

"I miss you more, multiplied by all the stars in our galaxy."

"No, I miss you more-"

The disgusting groveling got cut off, and you knew only one person possessed the power to interrupt them before everyone was tramautized from their disgusting display of affection. "Thank god for Erica."

The Mind Flayer still, looking back toward the mall before changing it’s course. “Shit.” You whispered. “Mike, El, and Max are still there.”

Steve groaned. “And so is Hargrove.” He yelled up at Jonathan. “It's turning around.”

“What?”

“It's turning around.”

“Maybe we wore it out.” Lucas suggested.

Jonathan shook his head. “I don't think so. Hold on.” He gripped the steering wheel tightly, whipping the car around. All it’s passengers yelped, falling out of their seats. Steve flew backward, and you followed, falling on top of him.

Robin’s head hit against the wall, and she winced, rubbing her head. “Ow.”

Your cheeks felt hot, Steve’s hand wrapping around your waist. "Hey, Stevie."

His voice was quiet, gentle as you stared up at you like you’d hung the moon and the stars. “I like this view.”

You gasped, shoving his chest for leverage so you could sit up. “You’re a terrible flirt!” He shrugged, obviously not embarrassed by his actions. “There are children present.”

He rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath. “It’s always the damn kids.”

You groaned as Steve pulled into the Family Video lot, putting the car in park. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn't Keith work here?”

Robin nodded, tilting her head. “Yeah, why?”

“Robin.” You turned around, staring at your best friend. “Think for a moment.”

Her face scrunched, like she really was thinking about it, before the familiar look of realization appeared. “Oh shit.”

“Yeah.” You nodded, lowering yourself into your seat. “Oh shit.”

Steve looked over, squinting, hating that he wasn’t apart of this little secret. “What does ‘oh shit’ mean?”

“Nothing.” You smiled, kissing his cheek sweetly. “Trust me, it’s nothing to worry about.”

He nodded, kissing your lips quickly. “Alright. If you say so.”

Robin grabbed the folder in the middle seat, peeking at Steve’s resume. “You put your mom down as a reference?"

“Steven.” You laughed. “I told you not to do that.”

“I know you did.” You glared. “But she's super well respected.”

He grabbed the door, holding it open for you and Robin. “You're such a dingus.”

You nodded in agreement. “Honestly.”

Steve walked in behind them, staring between you and Keith as he tried to decipher what ‘oh shit’ was in reference to. Robin leaned on the counter, trying to butter up the stubborn manager.

“Just so you know, we weren't fired. The mall burned down and killed a bunch of people.”

“Thanks, I didn't know.” Keith looked at you, taking a deep breath as he tried to act as nonchalant as possible. “Are you applying too?”

“Nope.” You popped your lips, pointing to your shirt that spelled out New York University in large purple letters. “College.”

“Oh. Cool.” He pointed at Robin, snapping. “Three favorite movies, go.”

“Uh, The Apartment, Hidden Fortress, Children of Paradise.”

He snapped at Steve, wiggling his eyebrows. “You, go.”

“Uhh…” He looked at you for guidance, eyes wide. You gave him an encouraging nod. What could you do, tell him his favorite movies? “Favorite movies?”

“Did I stutter?”

You scoffed, crossing your arms. “Relax, Keith.”

“Animal House, for sure. Uh…” He looked at you again, and this time, you mouthed two words. Star Wars.

“Eyes on me, Harrington.” Keith barked out.

You practically cackled, before quickly trying to pass it off as a cough.

“Yeah, uh... Star Wars.”

Keith seemed alright with his answers so far. “Which Star Wars?”

Steve scoffed. “The one with the teddy bears, duh.” He then proceeded to do the most nerdy thing you’d ever seen him do: he squealed like an Ewok.

You clutched your stomach, no longer trying to hide your amusement. You could not believe you were deeply, irrevocably, in love with this idiot.

“No?” Keith looked less than pleased. “Oh!” Steve jumped, grinning. “The one that just came out! The one where the mom wants to... You know. The one with the DeLorean and Alex P. Keaton. The time…” He trailed off, forgetting the title of the movie he’d watched not even a month ago. “Yeah, those are my top three, classics.”

Sure, you thought. If classics were movies that had came out in the last ten years. You grabbed his hand, rubbing the back as you tried to sooth his nerves.

Keith pointed at Robin, smiling. "You start Monday." He then pointed to Steve. “And you start never."

You and Robin huffed, whispering to each other before nodding.

“Steve.” You murmured.

“Yeah, baby?”

“Give us a minute, will you?”

“Yeah.” Robin nodded. “Go look at the movies.”

“Why?” He looked between the two of you suspiciously.

You gave him a pointed look. “Steve.”

"Fine, fine." He kissed the back of your hand before trudging away. You waited until he was in the animated section to speak to Keith.

“Alright, you have to understand Keith, I know his taste is a bit pedestrian, but the dingus has other qualities."

"He's a douchebag of the highest order, Robin." You smacked your head against the counter.

"He was a bit of a prick to us in high school, I'll admit, but he remains a total chick magnet."

Keith glared at you as if you had wronged him. "I thought he was dating Wilkins now."

Robin laughed, feeling the momentum slip away from her argument. "Yeah..."

He shook his head, smirking at Robin. "Nope. He's not working here."

You knew what you had to do. Pushing Robin gently out of the way, you smiled as sweetly as you could before placing your hand on Keith’s arm. “Keith, I understand Steve was an asshole to you. Truly, I do. But can you do this one thing..." You conjured your best puppy eyes, tracing shapes on his forearm. “For me? Please?”

Keith gawked at you for a moment before collecting himself, pulling back and straightening his shirt. “Tell him he starts Monday.”

You grinned, winking at the flustered manager. “Thanks, Keithie.”

Robin hooked her arm through yours, walking toward the dingus you both loved so much. “Keithie?”

You laughed. “I had to seal the deal.”

“I can’t believe you just did that.” She whispered as you approached Steve.

“Well, I did. Now let's never talk about that again.”

Steve turned around, frowning. “He didn't change his mind, did he?”

Robin grinned. “He did actually. You start Monday.”

“Really?” He grabbed you, spinning you around like you weren’t in the middle of a very public Family Video. “I did it!”

“I know!” You smiled, gasping as he collided his lips into yours. “Alright, big guy. Why don’t we go home?”

“Ew.” Robin groaned as you walked back out to the car. “You couldn’t have waited to say that until after you dropped me off?”

You were dreading this. Getting into NYU was a huge honor, no doubt about it. You’d cried when you found out, excited to walk the same halls your father had so many years ago.

But now, the idea of leaving home, the idea of leaving Steve, Dustin, Robin, and the rest of your little crew was not in the slightest appealing. You were dreading it so much that you’d even brought up the idea of withdrawing to Steve.

He’d quickly reminded you that you needed to leave Hawkins, that you were destined for bigger things. You admired him as he parked the car, grabbing your luggage out of the trunk.

You couldn't stop staring at him, as if you stopped, he would vanish. Your friendship had spanned decades, but your relationship had just begun. You felt disgustingly in love, finding yourself taking in his appearance, committing it to memory. You loved him so much that if you stared long enough, you began to cry.

It was dramatic, you were fully aware.

You turned around, wiggling your eyebrows at your little cousin. “Anyone tease you about Suzie-poo yet today?”

“Shut up. I’ve heard enough about it from Lucas and Max. They kept singing at me.”

“Well, we had to go through the horrifying ordeal that was your rendition, so I think you can deal with it.”

You cackled. “Well said, Robin."

Steve popped back in through your window. “Let's go, babe. Time to get on the plane.”

You glared, raising an eyebrow. “Excited to get rid of me?"

Opening the door, he shook his head. “Of course not, baby-”

“I'm kidding, Steven.” You kissed his cheek, smiling. “Thank you.”

Dustin groaned, whining as he watched his cousin and best friend flirt. “Just to let you two know, I still am completely disgusted by,” he waved his arms at you. “-This.”

Steve smirked. “Well, we were disgusted by you and Suzie-poo, so deal with it.”

"Yeah, Dusty-bun, deal with it." You stuck your tongue out at your cousin, and Steve rolled his eyes, shaking his head affectionately, his arm hooked around your shoulders. “What are you five?”

Robin mirrored Steve, slinging her arm around Dustin’s shoulders. “Think about it this way, you won't have to deal with that until Winter Break. You’ve got time.”

“No.” He shook his head. “I don’t.”

taglist: @kendallroydefender @beebeechaos @milesdrift @eddiemunsons-lover

LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO JOIN!

#literature #fanfiction #x reader #angst #stranger things #stranger things 5 #stranger things fanfiction #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington angst #steve harrington #stranger things fluff #stranger things angst #🪩! fics

40 notes · View notes