#bravely putting this in the main tag and for what

[monacobasedgirldad]

highland cow seb returns~

[luckyemo]

ok i do really hate the danganronpa fanon category of "antagonists" (ie. komaeda, togami, + ouma as a group). in part because its just the wrong term for these characters and it can be confusing whos being referred to, like i saw a post saying like 'danganronpa is wild the antag will tell the protag they want them carnally and just move on no explanation' and i was like ???????????? when does junko say that to naegi?????? tsumugi said something like that????? kamukura????????????????

and my bigger issue with it, is its really hard to not see this as like a direct symptom of people ignoring women characters and over-valuing male characters. i know this accusation gets brought up a lot in fandom spaces, and then it just becomes a circular argument of misogynistic writing leads to fans favouring male characters which reinforces the demand for male focused stories etc etc or ppl being like 'im gay of course im going to have a preference for male/male stuff over things with women', but it really really does feel like women get completely pushed to the side to center two men. using the dr1 characters as an example, its not even like how kirigiri and fukawa are "pushed to the side" as romantic interests so togami and naegi can be together, its over crediting togamis character to be at an "antagonist" level when junko (and mukuro and even sakura if u want to generalize her role as 'the traitor') is Right There. it also isnt lost on me how out of the main three actual antagonists kamukura is included in fanworks/written out the least (though the 'ultimate evil abuser' kamukura vs 'totally innocent' hinata that happens frequently isnt great either...... but like at least hes there vs junko and tsumugi who are forgotten.)

but idk, i know languages changes and a group of ppl being like 'hey to our group this term means this even if is not the original definition' happens all the time. sometimes these shifts are useful, especially for the in-group doing the re-defining, but it can also be confusing and frustrating for the fandom at large when the words have other agreed upon meanings and when women are being ignored/erased

[writing-is-a-martial-art]

When making a monster story, ask yourself: did you seal their FATE?

Is it freaky

Is there an abomination

Are the themes transsexual in nature

Is it emotionally devastating

[quigzahhutt]

mpreg (does that count as a kink?? im counting it) and sargebon bc its all ive been thinking abt lately but i cant express it well enough to write it and i know you will do it justice

mpreg and/or breeding is a popular request today ... and i am not complaining :)

sargebon mpreg smut (kind of?) read at ur own risk, u have been warned

The first press of Alex's cock into Logan's hole is unbelievable; they've done this countless times before, but knowing it's different this time is... overwhelming.

Logan had pulled him aside a few months ago, slid his left hand into Alex's right, and the cold metal of his wedding ring against Alex's fingers where they were laced together was dizzying; it still is, honestly.

It still feels like a dream to think about– the fact that they're married and living together in a ritzy flat in Monaco. They're officially an item, no longer just a couple, a pair of adults who don't know what they're doing, teammates.

And as he was stuck in an emotional haze, caught up in the touchy feelings of having a husband, Logan had asked about having kids, and Alex suddenly felt like he was back in F1, taking an ice bath in a silly inflatable pool, practically naked in front of four different cameras. Completely and utterly out of his depth.

They had a conversation about it– numerous conversations, actually, long ones about the logistics, the realities and fantasies of it all, before eventually coming to a mutual conclusion.

And now here they are, tender bodies tucked against each other, filling the gaps and missing places of the other person, skin touching skin as the sun sets out the window.

Although, it is overcast out, so the sunset isn't anything special, but it feels like... like Alex knows they don't need it for this to be significant, that this is special all on its own even if the sky outside is an ugly color.

The warmth of Logan's hole is suffocating without a condom; Alex almost feels like he can't move or else he might hurt himself, that he might pull out and find the head of his cock charred and burnt.

"Alex- move," Logan gasps out, wrapping his legs around Alex's torso and fucking himself back on his cock.

It works, and Alex is pulling out and thrusting back in like it's his first time ever doing it; the movement is choppy, and it punches a groan from his chest, something that steals all his breath and leaves him heaving.

Logan isn't any better off; he's breathing just as heavily, and his fingers are digging into Alex's shoulders like he thinks he might disappear, leaving behind an crescent indentation of his fingernails.

"You okay down there?" Alex huffs, the end of his sentence swerving off into a breathless chuckle as he rests his forehead against Logan's, and the smile he gets in return is something he wishes he could tattoo on his brain for the rest of his life.

Because it's absolutely beaming, full of teeth, and lazy, and it's the most relaxed Logan has looked in years.

"More than. How couldn't I be when you're about to knock me up?" Logan says, still smiling with ease.

And he says it so naturally and it feels like a punch to the gut; the realization that Logan is made for this, made to be with Alex, made to be his, made to be pregnant and a mother and its all so overwhelming.

Alex has to tuck his face into Logan's neck because he feels like if he looks into his eyes any longer he might burst into flames, or maybe say something stupid and ridiculous that would definitely kill the mood immediately.

Instead, he steels himself, hikes Logan's legs up higher against his hips and then plants his arms on either side of his head.

"Are you ready?" Alex asks breathlessly, drunk on joy and a brand new feeling blooming in his chest, something he's never felt before.

And Logan just looks up at him, the skin around his eyes crinkled in the way that he loves oh so much, and the expression on his face tells Alex everything he needs to know.

this prompt completely ran away from me I'm so sorry if this isn't what u were looking for anon😭😭

[messengerofmechs]

[Puts on my clown wig] Bravern is a mockery.

They're making all these Brave references and making him so tonnally different from the rest of the cast but not because they care about Bravern. The whole episode the writing seems to mock him and what he is.

Bravern has not has a single genuine conversation with anyone. He talks but all he does is shout catchphrases.

Despite how much he talks about Isami, he has not had a single conversation with him. Bravern asks where Isami is, but does not do any investigation himself. Imagine for a second, a world where Bravern discovers that Isami was being tortured. Imagine a world where Bravern actually cared about Isami.

Right now, in the show, Bravern does not care about Isami.

Despite all the Exkaiser references, Bravern completely fails to have even a fraction of the care and gentleness that makes Exkaiser so endearing.

[starkittnd93]

Yk what now that I’ve fully completed the game and can’t risk getting spoiled anymore, might as well share the other Loop theory I had

So my first theory was that Loop was somehow a Siffrin from another loop, which ended up being correct, but…

I had another theory near the end of the game, which was that Siffrin wished Loop into existence when they were a child, but then forgot all about it.

I thought of this after finding the sad diary again in act 5. When interacting with it, Siffrin remarks that they loved the story as a child because they liked the idea of finding someone who could understand them because they ARE them.

So my other theory was that Siffrin wished an alternate version of himself into existence, created Loop, completely forgot about Loop once The Country disappeared, got stuck in a time loop, and then Loop came back???

… this ended up being completely wrong- I just thought it’d be interesting to share the other theory I had XD

[romansgoodluckcharm]

Virgil being away for a week for work and Logan calling her in the middle of the night, whining and panting, bc he hasn't been able to cum a single time since Virgil's left despite his attempts. Can't cum without Virgils touch, without her voice.

Virgil cooing at him, pressing the phone between her shoulder and ear, speaking into the mic in that tone she knows Logan loves so much, telling him exactly where and how to touch himself. Logan can hear the rustling of fabric and a wet slick noise, and he finally feels that familiar heat building up inside him, his movements getting all the more frantic-

But then Virgil orders him to pull away at the last second. She can hear Logan's cries through the speakers, and it only makes her more smug when she tells Logan he'll just have to wait till she's home, forced to listen to Virgil's moans as she cums before hanging up <3

[elegyofthemoon]

listen while i love the alcryst and celine b support and what it entails, i had to take a pause during the support bc i was too busy laughing really hard about alcryst calling diamants snores akin to a saw cutting and my brain flashed through those tiktoks of some sleepovers where a bunch of bros are charading all kinds of things to one of their friends snoring

[trentcrimminallybeautiful]

i think. ted is a service top actually.

[helmetjellyfish]

realized i've somehow never made a minato & asumi post despite them being some of the characters i think about the most in the story. i want them to be friends who get lunch together every other saturday

[throughpatchesofviolet]

Heathcliff E.G.O - Default | Corrosion

[emstargazer]

Poked around another recent mutual's blog since they seem like an oasis of good stuff, just to get shocked by #@!&!, again.

Twice. It happened. Twice.

Visibly trembling right now. I'm not joking.

Oh fuck me... I think I'll need to unfollow a mutual even though I really don't want to, because I just saw a name I was NEVER expecting to see on my dash.

[burntheedges]

Pas de Deux Chapter 3

Din Djarin x f!reader | 2.2k | fic masterlist | main masterlist | ao3

chapter summary: You talked to Din and he complimented you, and so you felt like you needed to return the favor.

a/n: welcome back! what's up in our favorite ballet company this week? See my notes at the end and on the masterlist about reader in this fic and ballet in general. Thank you @katareyoudrilling for being the best beta, as always!!

chapter tags/warnings: gen, ballet terms (see end notes and the masterlist for definitions and videos), a bit of angst, a bit of fluff

Chapter 3

The next day you weren’t sure what to expect when you entered the studio for class. You glanced around the room and found most of the company there, with Din warming up alone as usual. When he saw you he met your eyes and nodded. You nodded back, surprised. 

You quickly slipped your shoes on and stood, rolling your shoulders back and stretching. Maybe it was time to break up the routine of Din being so separate from everyone else. You nodded to yourself and walked across the room towards him.

“Good morning,” you greeted, trying not to sound nervous. You took up a position near him and started to stretch.

He looked over at you, face expressionless as always. “Morning.”

You breathed through a stretch while you considered what to say next. “How was rehearsal yesterday?”

He turned towards you fully and tilted his head. “Good.” You waited, but he didn’t continue. You weren’t sure what to do or say next. 

You opened your mouth to say something, you weren’t sure what, when Adrian stepped up next to you. 

“Good mooorning,” he greeted, drawing out the first syllable of morning with a smirk on his face. “I’m Adrian, by the way.” Din nodded at him and he nodded back. “Breaking down barriers, are we?” He elbowed you and you felt your cheeks heat as you rolled your eyes. 

You were saved from any further awkwardness by Alexa’s arrival, and you and Adrian moved to your usual positions at a different barre. 

Before she started the music Adrian leaned towards you, eyebrows raised. “What was that about? Are we brave, now?”

You shrugged. “I figured now that I’d talked to him once, maybe I could do it again? Make the whole vibe in here less awkward?”

He glanced back at Din, whose back was turned to the two of you. “How did it go?”

You shook your head. “Not sure. We didn’t get very far.”

Alexa started the music, and you sprang apart. You spent the rest of class trying not to be obvious as you watched Din at the barre and later going across the floor, wondering what he thought about it all. It was impossible to tell.

As usual, he was the first one out at the end of class, disappearing quickly down the long hallway.

…

You thought about it on Sunday, your only day off in non-performance weeks (which you usually spent trying to relax, stretching, doing PT, running errands, and recovering from a long week). You resolved to try again on Monday, and even brainstormed some questions for Din to try and break the ice. 

You weren’t totally sure why you were feeling so compelled to do this, other than the surprise that Din had noticed you and your dancing. And complimented you. With details. It felt like returning the favor, to try to make it a bit easier for him in class.

But your plans were interrupted on Monday morning when Karga intercepted you outside of his office.

“Ah, just the person I was looking for! Come in, let’s talk for a minute. Don’t worry,” he continued when he saw you start to gesture down the hall. “Alexa knows you’ll be a little bit late.”

You blinked, surprised. Being late to morning class was generally not encouraged, to put it mildly. But you followed behind Karga into his office and took a seat across from him at the desk.

“Now, this shouldn’t take long. Tell me – what do you think of Din?”

You opened your mouth and then closed it again. “Um,” you started and wished you hadn’t. “What do you mean?”

“When you talked, and in class – how is he doing?”

You weren’t sure why Karga was asking you about this, but you tried to answer anyway. “Oh, fine I think. It’s hard when you’re new, but I mean, his dancing is beautiful.”

Karga nodded. “It is. Well, I thought it might take some time. Anyway, that’s not the main thing I wanted to talk about.”

You straightened in your chair, unsure of where this could be going. You thought things had been going well for you. You hoped that wasn’t about to change.

“Don’t worry, I won’t make you wait. We’d like you to dance the pas de deux with Din in the anniversary gala.”

You blinked and this time your mouth dropped open completely against your will. “You…” You had no idea what to say. “What?”

Karga smiled and leaned forward on his elbows. “I think you’re the ideal choice, to be honest with you. You’ll balance each other in all the right ways. And you have so much to learn from each other as well!” He tapped his fingers against the table and considered you. You were sure you still looked shocked. “You can say no, but I’d like you to at least give it a try first.”

You shook your head, startled into a response at last. “No! I mean, yes. I mean, I’d love to.” You winced. “I’m saying yes, not no.”

Karga grinned. “Excellent. Din already knows, I spoke with him this morning. We’ll post this with the final changes to the other programs this afternoon before rehearsal.”

You swallowed nervously. “Um, alright. What about the quartet?” You had no idea what the reaction would be when the others found out that you had been given this role. 

Karga nodded. “We will also announce who will join the quartet, since you will be doing this instead. Go on to class. We’ll discuss more details later, and you probably won’t start regular rehearsals until after the show this month. Until then, I’d like you to try to talk to Din a bit more. I know he can be…” Karga trailed off, and smiled wryly. “A bit closed off.” You smiled a bit, hesitant. “But give it a try.”

You nodded. “Alright, thank you.” You stood up, but stopped short. “Thank you for the opportunity. I– well. I am grateful. Um, can I ask a question?”

Karga nodded and spread his hands out in a welcoming gesture. “Of course!”

You worried the strap of your bag. “Well, um. Why me?”

Karga leaned forward. “As I said, you complement each other.”

You nodded. “I mean, I’m sure others could balance his style, too. I just…”

“Ah,” Karga nodded and sat back in his chair. “Well, I do think you’re the ideal choice, that was the truth. You have a perspective on ballet that Din could learn from, and you from him.” He paused. “You’re also the first person in the company I’ve seen Din have a conversation with since he arrived. The first person I know of at all, outside of the staff and instructors.”

You felt your eyebrows rise in surprise. You weren’t surprised to hear that he hadn’t talked to many people in the company, but you were surprised that you were first and apparently only one. “Oh.” You nodded. “Thank you again.”

“No, thank you – I know the pas de deux will be lovely.”

…

Adrian shot you a questioning look when you arrived late to morning class, but you shook your head. “Later,” you whispered as you joined him at the barre, and he narrowed his eyes but nodded.

You settled in before looking up, but when you did you almost froze in the middle of a fondu. 

Din was looking at you, and when you looked up your eyes found his like they were magnetized, drawing you in.

You only faced each other at the barre when you were working your left sides, and it just so happened that you were facing each other now. And he was looking at you.

You didn’t know how long you held his gaze, even as you felt the awkward tension growing between you. But you couldn’t look away, and his face was as expressionless as always. Your body continued through the exercise with little to no input from you. You were suddenly glad that you could fall back on your training, and that Alexa had you do the same practice almost every day.

You didn’t tear your eyes away until you turned to face the other direction. But then you were facing the mirror, and you found yourself tracing the lines of Din’s shoulders and the length of his neck as he moved. You could see how strong he was.

Karga had said he told him this morning, and clearly it was on Din’s mind. Why else would he be looking at you?

You tried not to outright stare for the rest of class. You tried to put it out of your mind and focus, but every glimpse of Din drew you in. You found yourself tracking his movement across the floor more than once and shook your head, looking away.

When class finally ended, you closed your eyes and shook out your shoulders. You barely had a moment to breathe, though, before Adrian crashed into you. He threw his arm around your shoulders and almost spun you in a circle.

“And just what was that all about?” he asked, squeezing you. “First you’re late and Alexa doesn’t bat an eye, and then Djarin can’t keep his eyes off of you during class?”

You felt your cheeks start to burn. “I– what?”

Adrian nodded and leaned closer. “He kept looking at you, at the barre. And then he watched you go across the floor every time.”

You blinked. “Um, well,” you started, and glanced around to see if Din was still there. He wasn’t, he’d probably left quickly like always. “Karga offered me the pas de deux.”

‘What?!” Adrian exclaimed, and you elbowed him when several people turned to look at you because he was so loud. He lowered his voice to a shouting whisper. “Oh my god! What!”

“I know!” you said, tucking your arm through his and leading him to your bags. “I said yes, obviously, but fuck. He wants me to dance with Din Djarin?” You could hear the anxiety and fear in your tone and you knew Adrain could too when his face softened. 

“Hey, no,” he said, pulling you into a hug. “He offered it to you because you’re fucking amazing, ok? Now that you said it I can see it. You have all the right skills to make it something amazing. If Djarin can just pull that classical stick out of his ass you’ll to light that stage on fire together.”

You laughed, despite your worries. “Karga said he thinks we complement each other.”

Adrian looked thoughtful. “You know, I really can see it. I think he’s right. And shit, this is huge!” He grabbed your upper arms and shook you. “There’s no way you don’t make principal, not after this.”

You shrugged. You didn’t want to get your hopes up. You’d only just made first soloist. “Maybe.”

“Maybe?” Adrian scoffed as the two of you started to head for the door. “Maybe, she says. As if you weren’t just chosen for a freaking brand new, world premiere, three-part pas de deux with Din Djarin.” 

You laughed at his lofty, teasing tone. “Ok, ok. I mean, I’m not going to think about it like that, because I’ll get way too nervous. But ok.”

He shook his head at you, smiling. “Hey, wait. I never said – congratulations. You fucking deserve it. And I can’t wait to watch my best friend blow everyone away.”

You grinned and ducked your head. “At least it’s with Kuiil.”

He rolled his eyes playfully. “Yeah, yeah, we all know how you feel about Kuiil’s choreo.”

“Hey!” You bristled playfully. “His choreo is amazing.”

You kept going down the hallway together, arm in arm, with Adrian teasing you about your ballet-crush on Kuiil’s choreography (he was right, you loved it), and you teasing him back about his secret love of the classical style above all else, even if he did love the more character-driven roles, too.

When you reached the hall of rehearsal studios, you had to split up. Adrian hugged you one last time before darting into his practice. You turned to continue towards yours when you were brought up short by a tall figure, all in black, leaning against the wall next to the studio door.

“Oh!” you said, stopping just inches away from him. “Hi, Din.”

He nodded at you, but didn’t respond. He had his arms crossed and he was wearing his expressionless mask. You started to feel nervous.

“Um, Karga said– he said he spoke with you this morning?” you cringed internally at your uncertain tone. 

Din nodded again but didn’t say anything. You floundered. “Well,” you said, searching for something else to say. “I’m looking forward to working together.” You wanted to take it back immediately when he didn’t react. What if he hated the idea, actually, and didn’t want to dance with you at all?

But Din finally spoke then. “Kuiil said we’ll start rehearsals in the next week or two.” His tone was hard to read, and you couldn’t help but notice that he hadn’t responded to what you said, really. He stared at you for a moment, and you wished you could see past his mask. “I’ll see you then.”

Din turned and walked away, and you stood there, frozen in place, wondering why it suddenly felt like this wasn’t going to go well at all.

...

prev | next

a/n: the pas de deux!! how do we think it will go? 👀 some ballet terms:

fondu - to melt - you bend both legs and straighten at the same time, but one extends outwards (watching the video will help lol)

company class - I thought now would be a good time to talk about the company class again. All companies have their dancers attend regular technique-focused classes where they do barre work, center work, and the combinations across the floor. It won't be the same every day but it will often cover the same skills and techniques. NBT is more laid back so the dancers aren't all wearing a uniform for class or rehearsal, necessarily. It's more like this, this or this. Or this. You can see how they start with the barres in the middle of the room - that's how it's set up with Din and reader are diagonal from each other and facing each other when working their left sides.

pas de deux - a dance for two people. Usually story ballets feature these prominently throughout the ballet but there are also pas de deux that are choreographed on their own. A grand pas de deux has 5 parts and a particular structure. There are some particularly famous ones and it doesn't have to be a man and a woman, though it often is. Usually principal dancers get these roles, so it's a bit of a surprise that reader is offered it instead of one of the principals (but not a huge surprise, she is a first soloist). This pas de deux is going to be more contemporary ballet and it's not going to follow the classical structure. I will share more videos to give you an idea of that in the future! Here's part of a famous classical one from Nutcracker, and another from Swan Lake.

[holylulusworld]

Come to heaven

Title: Come to heaven

Written for @buckybarnesbingo (Round 6)

Card: B004

Square Filled: K5: handle with care

Ship/Main Pairing: Mobster!Bucky Barnes x Ex!Reader

Rating: Mature

Major Tags/Triggers/Warnings: angst, jealousy, ex! sugar babe trope, drunkness, fluff, hopeful ending

Summary: Making amends is hard.

A/N: Lyrics in Italics taken from Bruno Mars' "Locked Out of Heaven"

Word Count: 1,7k+

BBB BuckyBarnesBingo 2024 masterlist

Catch up here: Go to hell

Written in reader’s PoV

Bucky tries to slip his hand into your panties, but you wrap your hand around his wrist to stop him. This is how he always made you compliant and stopped any argument.

“No! Not this time.”

“No?” He sounds surprised. Of course, he’s surprised. You always gave in and let him seduce you. Pleasure and having his attention, even for a fleeting time, was better than thinking about the future, or your non-existent relationship.

“No!” You stiffen in his arms. “Let go of me. I won’t let you do this to me all over again. It’s always the same. You stop me from speaking my mind with your lips, hands, or cock. I’m done being a sexual object, a toy you can play with to you.”

“Doll, I…” Bucky reluctantly releases you from his embrace. He steps away to watch you turn around. “What do you mean?”

“This,” you press your hand to your heart, “was yours. I admitted my feelings and waited for you to at least tell me that I mean a little more to you than a set of holes you can fill. But…” you sniffle but put a brave face on, “you couldn’t even give me that.”

“So, you want to go back to that old man and his limp dick?” He scoffs in an attempt to hide the hurt.

“Even if I’m not in love with him, I know exactly what he wants from me. He won’t make promises of keeping me safe and happy only to turn his back on me the moment I tell him that I love him. With him, I know what I’ll get.”

You try to sidestep Bucky, but he blocks your path. “That’s it? You’ll leave me for that man without giving me the chance to make things up to you.”

“James,” you gently cup his face and look him in the eyes. “You can’t make things up to me with gifts or sex this time. I asked you if you can imagine having a relationship with me. You gave me your answer. It’s my turn to tell you that what you have to offer is not enough.”

“Not enough?” He’s confused. “But I…”

“Money and shiny things cannot replace what you are unwilling to give,” you give him a sad smile. “As much as I enjoyed our time together, it’s over. We both knew it’d end like this. This kind of arrangement is meant to end sooner or later. There is nothing we can do about it.”

You press your lips to his scruffy chin, ending what began as a passionate one-night stand with a soft kiss. “Goodbye, James. I hope, one day, you’ll find something worth being more than…” Your voice cracks and you drop your hands from his face.

“Y/N,” he tries to grab your hand but you step away the moment his fingertips brush your skin. If you give in to him now, you’re doomed to repeat history. “Wait, I can try to be better.”

You give him a weak smile. “No, you won’t, James. You never had to try, and that’s the problem. Your good looks and reputation made everything so much easier for you than for other men.”

He allows you to leave, watching you go to join your companion for the rest of the night. Bucky will sulk in a corner, drinking too much while wishing you’d stayed by his side instead of laughing about the things the old man by your side says.

Bucky is close to losing his patience. He’d hoped scaring the man you chose over him would be enough. Much to his chagrin, your companion from last night is rather amused about Bucky’s presence.

Erik Lehnsherr lived long enough to fear nothing. Not that he ever feared anything else than his own mortality. But at his age, even that fear faded a long time ago.

“I don’t understand why you are here, Mr. Barnes,” Erik leans back in his chair, an amused smirk on his lips. “Do we have business to do? I don’t think so. I’m old, not forgetful.”

“If you release Y/N out of her contract with you, I’ll pay you any sum,” Bucky tries to get you out of your sugar girl arrangement with the old creep.

“A contract?” He quirks a brow. “The lovely lady accompanying me last night came with me to make sure I’m not alone. We don’t have an arrangement. She’s just a lovely young woman spending time with me to help me with my paperwork.”

“Paperwork?” Bucky eyes his concurrent warily. He’s a master at reading people and finding lies behind a friendly smile. “She’s your employee?”

“A freelancer, the young people call it these days,” Erik holds back a chuckle.

When you offered to join him at the party, you told him everything that happened with James Buchanan Barnes. The man breaking your heart. Erik promised he’d do anything to make the fool let you go see that he made a grave mistake.

“I’m old, not someone creeping on young women,” he adds after a long pause. “I had my fair share of lovely ladies and gentlemen when I was younger.” Erik eyes Bucky up and down. “You’d be on top of my list if only I was thirty years younger.”

Bucky backpaddles. He eyes Erik warily before clearing his throat.

”What exactly is Y/N doing for you?”

“I already told you that she does my paperwork. I believed I was the old man here. Maybe you should get your memory checked, young man,” Erik chuckles. “If you’d excuse me now. I’m waiting for a massage therapist. A pretty boy getting this old man going…”

‘Old creep’, Bucky thinks to himself before leaving without saying goodbye. “At least he doesn’t creep on Y/N. That’s a pro.”

Bucky drove to his best friend to release some steam. He told Steve everything about you and the stunt you pulled to make him jealous.

“She tricked you,” Steve can’t help but laugh. “Man, you’ve got yourself a smart little cookie. I bet she tried to wrap you around her finger.”

“I fell for her lie so easily,” Bucky huffs. “I believed she’s riding that creep’s dick. Now I know, she put on a show to get my attention, not to rub it under my nose. My sweet doll is missing me.”

“Well, if she’s your sweet doll try to treat her better. She deserves someone to take good care of her.”

“Steve—”

“No, Buck. You need to handle her with care,” Steve won’t let his friend get away with a false excuse. “Y/N got hurt by you once, Buck. I don’t want you to make the same mistake twice.”

You walk a little faster to outrun Bucky. He’s following you around town, a bouquet of roses in his hands.

He tried to convince you to move in with him, promising the world to you.

“Go away,” you huff. “I don’t know what kind of game you are playing, but I won’t participate. Just leave me alone.”

“You know that you can’t run away from me in those shoes, right?” Bucky smirks when you stop in your tracks to look at the colorful thongs you’re wearing. “I never understood how you can walk in these…”

“I like to feel the sunshine and air on my feet,” you point out. “Not everyone wants to run around in polished leather shoes all the time.”

“Ouch,” he snickers. “Come on, baby doll. Let’s have lunch together. Give me the chance to show you that I can change.”

“Bucky,” you sigh. “You don’t get that I can’t go back to what we had.”

“Y/N,” he drops the roses to cup your face. “I don’t want to go back to what we had. Baby doll, let your Bucky treat you like a queen.”

“I don’t want you to treat me like a queen,” you wrap your hands around his wrists to pull his hands off of your face, “only like someone you respect and love. I want you to treat me like your girlfriend. But you can’t give me that.”

“Baby…”

You look on the ground. “Please pick the roses up and give them to someone who wants to become your next sugar babe. I’m out of this for good.”

Again, you walk away. You’re holding your head high and ignore the ache in your heart as you leave Bucky behind.

'Cause you make me feel like I've been locked out of heaven For too long, for too long Yeah, you make me feel like I've been locked out of heaven For too long, for too long, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (ooh) Oh, yeah, yeah Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (ooh) You bring me to my knees, you make me testify (ooh) You can make a sinner change his ways (ooh) Open up your gates 'cause I can't wait to see the light (ooh) And right there is where I wanna stay (ooh)

“What the fuck!” You yell out of your window. Bucky parked his car in front of your apartment complex. He’s singing along to a song, begging you to take him back. “It’s 2 am Bucky! What is wrong with you?”

He turns the volume down and kills the engine before waving at you.

“Baby doll,” he slurs. “I came here to bring you home. ‘m missing you, doll…Please come home.”

“SHUT UP!” one of your neighbors yells out of their window. “Do you know how late it is?”

“It’s 2 am,” Bucky yells back. “Stop yelling so loud. You’ll wake the neighbors!”

“BUCKY! Stop being so loud!”

“Baby…can I come up and cuddle you?” He grins dopily when you slam the window shut. “She loves me!”

“SHUT UP!” Your neighbor yells.

“Shut up!” Bucky yells back. “OH…there you are…” He stumbles toward the door when you get out. “BABY DOLL!”

“Bucky,” you hiss and grab his hand. “Stop yelling and come with me.”

“You look pretty in your pajamas,” he purrs your name and wraps himself around you. Bucky nuzzles his face in your neck and sighs. “Without you, I’m in hell, doll. Forget about that old creep and go for Bucky.” He mutters against you.

You sigh deeply. “Fine, come with me to heaven. You can bunker on my couch. In the morning, we will talk about impulse control and not yelling in the middle of the night.”

Tags in reblog.

[bonny-kookoo]

Jungkook/platonic!OT7

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝 [Part 2: Wind]

Somehow, you don't want to go home yet.

Main tags/Warnings: Werewolf!Jungkook, Werewolf!Bangtan, strangers/enemies to lovers, romantic Jungkook x reader, Platonic bangtan x reader, eventual smut, mentions of past emotional/psychological manipulation, hurt and comfort, fluff!, some wariness from MCs side, a nightmare?

Length: 2.3k words

There is no taglist for this fic.

-> Masterlist

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The woods are dark. Deep. Endless, even.

There's no clear path to take, noises all around you echoing, only faint light making you see somewhat. Animals watch you with curious gazes, like you're something they've never seen before- and you feel like you're not yourself, even though the reflection of a puddle on the ground shows your face clear as day.

You're not wearing shoes. Bare feet standing on soft moss. In fact, you're not wearing anything, one look down offering you your bare body, though you feel neither shame nor the need to cover yourself. You're warm enough. You're alone, too.

There's a creature circling around you- a large wolf, dark brown fur almost black as it's body brushes against yours, rubbing it's side over your legs, as if to cover itself in your scent. It licks at your skin, and you reach out to touch it, golden eyes staring back.

It's tail wags. You can't help but laugh.

Suddenly, it's bones break however, blood pooling out of its mouth that forms a snarl, teeth showing in anger as it stands up into a human stance, back arched once it grows into a humanoid beastly version of itself. No longer does it offer you comfort, no longer do you feel safe.

Suddenly, you cover yourself, feeling vulnerable, naked, lusted for as the beasts eyes glare at you with hunger. Claws are sharp, paws looking more like hands as it reaches for you. You trip, fall, frozen on the ground as it crawls over you, jaws opening wide to Suddenly bite down right in your face-

"Hey- you're okay!" Jungkook's voice reassures, worried face the first thing you see as you wake up from your nightmare, breathing heavily. Your skin is sweaty, smelling strange, and you Suddenly feel embarrassed. "Come on, sit up for a moment yeah? So you don't fall again." He says, and it makes you a little uneasy.

Can he read dreams or something? Or have you been talking in your sleep?

Either way, you do as he says, sitting up, taking a deep breath. "Sorry." You alplogize, calming down. You have nightmares like this on a constant basis, though they typically never start as such a pleasant dream.

"Its okay." He reassures you kindly, a hand on your back. "Your clothes are freshly dried by the way. Do you.. want to stay for breakfast?" He asks you in an almost hopeful tone- and you nod after a moment, feeling oddly brave. You don't want to come off as rude, either- they've been very kind in offering you a place to stay for the night after all, the least you can do is stay for a little and properly thank them. "Oh, awesome! I'll tell Jin to put out an extra plate then!" He excitedly says, before he runs to the door- stopping for only a second. "Uh- your clothes are in the bathroom- you can just use my stuff to shower or something.. and uh, there's an unopened toothbrush under the sink in the drawer that you can have." He tells you with a smile, before he opens the door and leaves, closing it after him.

A wave of fresh air comes in from that. Brings in smells of the woods, faint rain, and a little coldness from the morning dew. What time is it even?

After getting ready, you walk outside- unsure where to go, so you just walk around a tiny bit, taking in the scenery around in the daylight. It's cozy- unique in that it feels like it's so disconnected from the buzzing city life. As if a place like this shouldn't exist in the state it's in.

Birds are eagerly moving around, collecting nesting material and chirping their morning talks to one another. A squirrel hops over the wooden roof of Jungkook's cabin, disappearing as quickly as it appeared. There's no artificial sound. No cars honking. No nothing.

"Over here!" Jungkook calls out from the largest house, waving you closer, door open behind him. The smell of something cooking hits you like a truck, causing your stomach to growl and mouth to water at the prospect of food. "Don't worry about them." He offers you kindly as he keeps the door open for you to walk through, your head nodding politely to everyone at the table inside the house.

"We typically take what we want from the main plates here- so just grab what you like to eat, yeah?" The tall man, Seokjin, offers you. "I hope you slept well." He says while everyone begins to grab something for their plates.

"Clearly not." A low voice comments. "She reeks of fear." The man says, putting food on his plate.

"Yoongi!" The leader of the pack scolds, Jungkook sighing.

"She just had a bad dream, nothing big." He explains, before he turns to you. "Sorry. We can just.. smell a lot of things a lot more than you. And Yoongi isn't very.. tactful to say the least." Jungkook apologizes.

"Its okay." You simply nod, quietly eating. It's a bit odd to have all those eyes on you, but you'll manage- simply listening to them banter around, before you finish up and pack up your things.

"Thank you for letting me stay." You tell Namjoon, who nods.

"No issue whatsoever. Please get home safe." He says, politely telling you goodbye before Jungkook walks you through the woods again.

You feel off. As if you're forgetting something- but you checked twice, you have everything you brought with you in the first place. "You can.. always visit, you know?" Jungkook offers, his hands in his pockets as he walks next to you. "Or we could, I don't know.. meet up next time you need some time away from the city. Or just grab something to eat in the city too!" He rants a bit nervously.

"...sure." You nod. "Why not?" You decide, almost talking to yourself mostly, while Jungkook beams a grin next to you.

"I-..." he starts, unsure, as you reach the start of the hicking track where you first met. "...you know you don't have to hide, right?" He asks, and you're not sure what he's talking about.

"What do you mean?" You wonder- but he shakes it off, simply smiling at you, golden eyes kind.

"Nothing. Please- uhm.. could you maybe text me if you got home well?" He asks, and you nod, exchanging phone numbers with him- before he awkwardly nods again, waving at you as he walks back. "I'll see you around." He says, and you smile back equally as uneasy, before you walk down the path a little.

And as you look back, jungkook is out of sight ready-

Though you're not sure why that upsets you so much.

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Back home, you text jungkook that you're alright and back, receiving multiple thumbs up emojis from him, before you open your bedroom drawer for your medication. You'll need to renew the prescription soon- you're running low these days.

Maybe because you didn't take them before your hike you got so sweaty during the night again. You tend to get hot flashes and headaches without you're prescribed pills- your mother having explained to you that you've got an overactive immune system that just attacks your entire body the moment you don't take those pills. And it makes sense. You do feel awful when you're not taking them.

Once more, you find another monthly letter from your mother on your table- unopened, because you just don't want to hear her made up stories on how she needs you. She doesnt- she only want to control you, because she fails at controlling herself. You don't want to live with her any longer, you want nothing to do with her in general- so you just throw it into the drawer in your bedroom, where all the other's lay.

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It's a few days later when you meet up with Jungkook again- the small convenience store quiet as you both eat your instant foods together.

"So, the guy goes 'I'm not gonna let a dog help me lift!' And breaks his wrist not even five minutes later!" Jungkook laughs, shaking his head. "Karma is a thing, I'm telling you." He chuckles, moving to take another bite of his food.

"Does that happen a lot?" You ask. "Like.. people judging you solely based on what you are?" You question, and he shrugs, before nodding.

"Yeah. It's normal." He simply admits. "And to be fair, there's enough real evidence of particularly alphas who just can't keep themselves in check- so I don't blame anybody for being cautious, you know?" He offers, licking his lips clean. "I mean, you weren't really fond of me and my pack either." He jokes.

"That's not true..." you argue softly. "You're.. really nice. I'm not scared of you or anything." You tell him, and he smiles, leaning his head on his palm.

"I'm glad." He offers. "Can I ask you something?" Jungkook questions, and you laugh.

"You just did." You joke, and he rolls his eyes. "But yeah, go ahead."

"Are you sleeping okay?" He asks, and you frown a bit in confusion. "You just.. look really tired." He worries a bit, and you shrug.

"Its a side effect of my meds." You tell him. "I've got.. some issues with my immune system, so I'm on constant medication- and they screw up my sleep." You offer.

"Oh." He answers. "What.. happens when you don't take them?" He wonders.

"I get a fever, usually." You explain, finishing your own food. "And I get dizzy, nauseous. Had to skip them as a teen once because I got my vaccines done- and man was I miserable! My mom had to tell everyone to not even enter my room because I was so bad!" You laugh. "I always got really whiny when I was sick. Always complained. Really annoyed my mom." You explain.

"What about now?" He asks, watching you with an odd sense of curiosity.

"I'm still whiny as hell!" You giggle. "But I just suck it up and get through it. It's just how it is." You shrug.

"Doesn't she visit you?" Jungkook continues. You shake your head.

"No." You answer. "After my dad died, and my mom got her new boyfriend, it just went downhill." You sigh. "Like, my dad would always go camping with me. He was a super outdoors kind of person, you know?" You remember. "But when he died, my mom started keeping me home all the time. I wasn't allowed to go out on my own or sleep over at friend's houses. I get it now that it was because I got sick so easily, but still. It was like she was holding me hostage sometimes." You admit with a distant gaze, before you shake your head in shame. "Oh god, I'm rambling, sorry!" You laugh.

"No, no, you're fine!" He reassures. "Is that why you're so wary of wolves now?" He asks, and you nod.

"She used to tell me all kinds of stories." You admit. "Like, actually disturbing stuff. How your bones abreast when you shift and such." You say, and Jungkook cringes.

"I mean.. shifting isn't very pretty, I admit that, but that's not something to tell a child, especially when it's a human one." He mumbles.

"Thats what I'm saying!" You agree. "Like, why would you tell that to a kid who won't ever understand that anyways??" You whine, before laughing.

You're both quiet for a little while, when you talk again. "Does it hurt?" You ask, and he looks at you for a second, unsure. "When you shift, I mean."

"It does." He nods. "Very much. And it's pretty exhausting." He laughs. "But it's only a few times a year, so its alright. I'm used to it by now- it's kind of like a cramp. When it happens, it's agony- but once it's done, you're good to go."

"Do you really.. like, sleep?" You wonder. "Your human side, I mean."

"No." He chuckles. "I'm still me, no matter what form I'm in." He tells you with a soft tone.

"..do you think I could pet you?" You ask. "Or would that be weird?" You tell him, and he laughs, tips of his ears red.

"Oh I'd absolutely let you!" He responds, golden eyes warm as they watch you.

And you can't help but feel like he's seeing a lot more than you do.

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There's a letter in your inbox today, official envelope making you curious as to what's inside.

The formal words are clearly meant to intimidate, though you check twice that it's directed at you by looking for your name on the form- and it's there, together with your date of birth, and other personal details. But this can't be right. This doesn't make sense.

Your phone vibrates on the kitchen counter, Jungkook's name telling you he's the one calling, probably to ask when you'll come over to watch a movie- but you ignore it, as you read over the words time and time again.

'Last notice regarding your IC-Evaluation test.'

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[streamafterlaughter]

Safe

masterlist | nav

summary: a night out with your friends turns sour, but you’re rescued by an unexpected hero

A/N: i wrote a chapter based on this post for my main fic, but feel a desperate need to write it again putting more detail into it bc i love a fictional man covered in blood idk what to tell you!!! let me know if you want a part II, im feeling a miniverse comin’ on (dw, chapter 23 of FD is in the works, i promise!) reblogs and comments always appreciated!

tags/tw: friends to lovers, mentions of sexual harassment, blood, violence (eddie gets in a fight), swearing, slut shaming, confessions, drunkish!eddie. (lmk if i missed something!) fluff, angst, slight hurt/comfort. reader and eddie are about 22-23, out of high school, happy etc etc. best friend!robin and best friend!steve feature, of course.

—

Your friendship had been simple, at first. You and Eddie had met as kids, before boys had cooties and girls were lame. Eddie had been cornered on the playground, by some giants in the grade above you. They'd shoved him against the chain link fence, their greasy leader demanding he hand over his lunch money. When Eddie blubbered that he didn’t have any, that he hadn’t eaten lunch in weeks, the goons cackled at him, shoving him to the ground while calling him things like “trailer trash.” You couldn’t stand it, even at eleven years old. The poor kid, with hair buzzed closely to his scalp, dressed in all black, carrying around a battered notebook with doodles of dragons on its cover. Your face had warmed with anger, hands balled into fists ready to swing on the group that would outnumber you five to two, or five to one if you were being realistic. This kid clearly wasn’t a fighter.

“Hey!” You had shouted, stomping your worn out converse against the mulch of the playground. “What the hell are you doing, Jared?” You hadn’t been afraid to get in the kid’s face, brows furrowed together as you jabbed your tiny finger into his puffed out chest. “What’s he ever done to you, huh? I don’t think it’s his fault your mother left.” You know now, it wasn’t the nicest thing to say, but it had worked. Jared’s goons had gone silent, anticipating his retort, but all he’d done was cry. What a bitch.

When he’d run, tail tucked between his legs, you’d turned to the cowering boy behind you, offering your hand. “You okay?”

He’d nodded, clearly still shaken up but trying to be brave. “I can take care of myself.” Of course, it had been embarrassing. Not because you were a girl, or younger than him, but you were braver. You didn’t give a shit what people thought of you. Even then, he could tell. You were fucking cool.

”Yeah, sure looked like it. Whatever. I’m Y/n.” You held out your hand to him again, this time to shake, like you were a seasoned lawyer, or something.

“Eddie.” He’d taken your hand, given it a brief shake, but you could tell he was nervous by the way your palm stuck to his.

”Hi, Eddie. You wanna walk to Benny’s with me? Get some burgers?”

He’d shaken his head. “I don’t have money.”

You’d only shrugged. “I got it.” You didn’t think mentioning that Benny was your uncle, or that you and your friends could always eat free, was worth mentioning. From that day on, you and Eddie had been inseparable.

—

The Hideout is loud. You’re wrapped around your best friend’s arm as he leads you through the bar. It’s the only time you’ve seen this place busy, let alone filled with people that don’t qualify for a discount at Denny’s.

The crowd must be the fault of the band. They're full of life on the tiny stage in the back of the bar, somehow convincing patrons to take to the sticky wooden floor to dance.

“You wanna drink, sweets?” You hear him even over the loud music, like a siren call meant only for you.

“Yes, please!” You look up at Eddie, who’s already staring at you. His rich brown eyes sparkle in the dancing stage lights, and you find your tongue in knots at the sight of him.

He nods, sliding his jacket from your shoulders before seating you at a table. “I’ll be right back!” He promises before skipping off to the bar. You keep your eyes trained on him, hypnotized by the way he glided towards the bar, weaving between the mass of gyrating bodies.

You can’t exactly pinpoint when your feelings for him started changing. You assume it had to have been high school. He started growing his hair out, dressing in leather and denim, and listening to a lot of heavy metal. Something about it was attractive to you, watching your best friend become the man he is now, at twenty three years old.

Even with an exterior most find scary, Eddie is still the kindest soul you know. That’s what really pulled you in. He’s always treated you with kindness and care, never once letting you leave his house angry, and knowing just what to say to calm you down. He always makes sure you’re home safe after a night drinking, sometimes even willing to forfeit his own fun to drive you to your place, or crash at his trailer.

Of course, these feelings have stayed stuffed deep, deep down. You can’t bring yourself to ruin what you have with him, risking your closest friendship to maybe be told what you want to hear.

“Hey! You still in there?” Eddie waves his decorated hand a few inches from your face, and you’re dragged back to earth. He places your drink on the table in front of you.

“Yeah, sorry.”

“Penny for your thoughts?” He rests his chin on his knuckles, full attention on you, and you feel your face warm.

“Just happy to be out with you is all.” Not a lie, but not exactly the truth. Safe.

“Alright.” He’s never been one to pry. “You wanna dance?” The song has changed to something slower, and you try not to read into his timing as you nod your head cautiously, taking Eddie’s hand as he leads you to the floor.

Eddie places his hands on either of your hips, and you can’t help but stiffen. “This alright?” He must have felt it too.

“Yes, yeah,” You stumble to reassure him, nervous you’ll scare him off. He’s always been such a gentleman, so careful with you.

You drape your arms around his neck loosely, casually. Safely. Still just two friends, swaying to some angst ridden tune you can’t understand the words to.

—

It’s later when Steve and Robin arrive, already drunk from spending the night at a concert in the city. You’re still not down for the count, and Eddie’s nursing his sixth drink of the night as the music has switched from guitar driven to computer beats coming from a turntable.

“Since when does The Hideout hire DJs?” Robin shouts over the bass driven music, eyes squinting in the bright lights.

“Ever since the place sold to some big wig in Indy, they’ve been doing this shit on weekends!” Eddie informs her as Steve starts talking about how “this is actually a great business tactic.” You decide now is a good time to slip back to the bar for a refill.

Unfortunately, you are one of about fifty people to have that idea, and you groan as you fight to find an open space along the counter. You mumble “excuse me” after “sorry” after “move, please!” until you’ve almost reached the front. As you’re about to order, you feel a hand squeeze your ass.

You whip your head around, and come face to face with a large, muscular man in a tight t-shirt and even tighter jeans.

“Hey, baby,” He winks, the disgusting smirk on his face sending a chill through your body. “You here all by yourself, gorgeous?” Your throat tightens. This is what it’s like, you know that. You shouldn’t be by yourself, that was your mistake. Your throat tightens, impossibly dry, before looking back up at this man. He is seemingly a foot and a half taller than you, likely able to break you in half using only his bicep, and he’s is standing way too close. You can even smell the whiskey on his tongue. “Uh, well,”

“Cmon, let’s go dance, huh?” He interrupts, snatching your wrist with an iron grip, and you squeeze your eyes shut as he leads you towards the dance floor, already formulating an escape route. You’ll say you need to use the bathroom, then you’ll find your friends and leave. Easy enough, right? Unfortunately as you reach the dance floor, the song slows again and you find yourself flush against this beast of a man, his big arms caging you into his chest. You feel the tears start to well in your eyes, blurring your already obscured vision. Your heart drops into your stomach when you realize you are completely, fully, and hopelessly trapped.

—

“Sooo,” Robin turns to Eddie, who’s been staring across into space, daydreaming about you for the last five minutes. “Where’s your girl?”

“What?” He’d heard her, but he wants to hear it again. And again and again.

“Your baby, dingus! You’re one true-“

“Would you shut up?” He interrupts her slurring of teasing, aching jabs, feeling his face heat up with every syllable. “She’s not my- y’know, she’s not mine.”

“Oh, please!” Steve snorts, causing Eddie to whip his head to look at him. “We all know she’s yours, and you’re hers, and all that romantic bullshit, okay? No use trying to squirm out of it. Be grateful you got that much. We all know she loves you.”

He rolls his eyes, but his heart is skipping with each word. He wants to believe them, desperately. He can’t bring himself to have those hopes, though, not about you. He’d only disappoint you, or scare you off when he got too close. It’s better, keeping you at a distance. Safer.

“Is that… No,” Robin looks beyond Eddie, and he turns to follow her gaze. He finds you easily, the only figure he’d recognize in such a loud, multicolored environment. You’re squished against a boulder of a man as you sway to the music, but he can’t see your face. Eddie feels his heart catch in his throat as he turns back to his friends.

“See? I told you she’s not mine.” He clears his throat when he hears his own voice crack. Not fucking now.

“Who is that guy?” Steve asks, craning his neck to get a better view.

“Probably just some club sleaze, she’s probably not even having fun.” Robin shrugs. Her comment clicks in Eddie’s brain before it clicks in her own, though.

“I gotta go.” He shoves himself from the table.

“Should I go with him?”

Robin shrugs. “That dude is gigantic. Maybe watch his back.”

—

“Hey, um,” The song has ended, and you need to get the fuck out of here. “I’ll be right back, I gotta use the ladies’ room,” You peel yourself away from him, but he grabs your arm before you can.

“Nuh uh, you can use the bathroom at my place. C’mon.” There will be no talking yourself out of this. Usually you can confuse a man into leaving you alone, but this guy’s different. You can sense the danger, the complete lack of empathy, like it’s a scent he’s giving off. You have to make a scene.

You twist your arm, writhing to get out of his grip, when you feel the cooling rings of a familiar hand on your shoulder. “Hey, sweetheart,” Eddie’s voice is low, so this man/monster can’t hear him. “I’m gonna get you out of here. Hang on.” He moves in front of you, between you and the giant causing him to drop your arm. There’s an angry red ring of his lasting grip around your wrist. “You gotta problem, buddy?” The guy puffs his chest out at Eddie, like some weird, animalistic instinct to seem bigger. Like he needs that advantage.

“Yeah, I do. Why were your hands on my girl?”

You try not to think about the words too much. Despite the situation though, you feel your heart skip. Steve joins him beside you, placing his hand on your other shoulder protectively.

“Your girl, huh? Well your girl’s a fuckin’ slut then, she’s been dancing with me for the last ten minutes.”

“What the fuck did you just call her, you prick?”

“You heard me bitch boy, she’s a slut! And I like my girls dirty.” Before Eddie can respond, the guy swings his arm into Eddie’s unsuspecting face as you watch, frozen and helpless. Your hands fly to your mouth to muffle the shriek, but you catch the attention of some nearby patrons.

Eddie doesn’t go down, though. The adrenaline keeps him on his feet. “Oh, we’re doin’ this now?” Eddie smirks as he wipes the blood from his split lip. “Cmon, I know you got more in ya than that. You’re massive!” Eddie taunts him before launching at the guy, managing to double him over with a punch to the gut. “You’ll have to do more than that if you want her, big guy. I’ll lay down my fuckin’ life in this bar for that woman.”

The crowd has now turned their attention to where Eddie’s got the brute in a headlock. He gets one more punch in before his opponent breaks out of his grasp, sending his elbow straight into Eddie’s nose. “Oh, ho, ho,” Eddie cackles maniacally as he lifts away from the counter, blood now dripping from his nostrils into his mouth, staining his skin and his shirt. “Look at you, tough guy.” He spits a mouthful of blood onto the bar floor. “Real big of you beatin’ on someone a quarter your size.”

Before anyone else can make a move, the bouncers are rushing up behind them, escorting both men out the front entrance while you follow behind with Steve and Robin. It takes six guys to move the giant, leaving Eddie to comply with the disgruntled manager. You watch as your adversary curses at Eddie before walking into the night, disappearing before anyone could think to call the cops.

“Oh my god, what the fuck?!” Robin is laughing nervously as she looks between you and Eddie, then to Steve with that annoying, know-it-all glint in her eyes.

“Eddie, he could have fuckin’ killed you!” Steve, ever the babysitter, scolds his friend with an elbow to his ribs, causing Eddie to wince in pain.

“Yeah, maybe, but if it meant keeping her safe-,” He cuts himself off as he meets your teary eyes. “Oh, no. Sweets, what’s wrong?”

You shake your head, barely able to look at the bloody boy in front of you. He’s hurt because of you. You were supposed to keep him safe.

“I’m so sorry, Eddie.” You whisper, afraid your voice will betray you for speaking at full volume. “You shouldn’t have done that, I shouldn’t have let you.” The tears are warm on your cheeks when they spill, and as quickly as they do, you have six arms wrapped around you.

—

“Get some rest, we’ll see you guys tomorrow.” You shut the cab door behind you before following Eddie into his trailer. You don’t want to be alone tonight, and Eddie has graciously offered a sleepover at his place.

“How’s your face?” You ask, already on your way to the freezer for an ice pack.

“I’m fine, honey, I promise.” His voice says otherwise, low and scratchy from a night of straining it. “How are you doing, though?”

It’s a loaded question. How are you supposed to feel, watching your best friend risk his life for you? You’re grateful, sure, but the guilt eats at you still. “I’m just so, so sorry Eddie,” You carefully lift your hand to caress his swollen cheek. “You really didn't have to do that.”

“What was I supposed to do? Let him hurt you? I couldn’t live with myself.” He shakes his head, wincing in pain. “I meant what I said. I’d risk my life to keep you safe.”

You shake your head, not accepting his answer. “Why?” It’s meek, barely a whisper as you blot the remaining blood from his lip.

“What do you mean why?” His words are muffled by the tissue.

You huff, getting upset despite yourself. “You’re telling me you’d put yourself in danger if it meant keeping me out of it? What’s the point? Why do that to yourself because I’m too stupid to make the right decisions? What do you gain from that?”

He shakes his head, clearly frustrated. “Do I have to gain something from it? I do it because I love you, y/n. Simple as that.” You gape at him, and he rolls his eyes, the beginning of a smirk twitching on his face. “Do I have to spell it out for you?”

“It would be helpful, yes.” You’re just about begging now, the nervous sweat causing your shirt to stick to you.

“Sweets, I accepted that I would die for you a long fuckin’ time ago. If it meant keeping you happy, I would tie myself to the train tracks. Or, in this case, let some fucker twice my size beat the living shit out of me.”

You can’t accept it, logically. Your brain won’t let you believe any of his claims. “But I don’t-“

“No.” His voice is stern, almost scolding. “No more of that ‘I don’t deserve you’ shit. Okay? Absolutely not. Because you do. You saved my life all those years ago, and I promised myself I’d make sure to protect yours, too. You are my best friend, and the absolute love of my life, so I’m gonna give you everything I’ve got.” He laces his fingers with yours, and you watch as his rings catch the light.

“It’s okay if you don’t feel that way about me, I’ll never ask you for that, it wouldn’t be fair. But I can’t stand by when you’re in trouble, it’s not what I do.”

Your heart is fighting to free itself from your ribcage. It wants to jump from your skin, straight into Eddie’s open palms. Though the ever present coward in you wishes to curl up inside yourself and hide from him, everything else in your body is being pulled towards him, compelled as if by nature.

Before you even notice you’re crying again, Eddie wraps himself around your shaking frame, rubbing soothing patterns on your back as you sob, open mouthed and ugly, into his t-shirt. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m right here.” He coos, and you focus on his breathing, matching the pace to calm the stutter of your cries.

You claw at his jacket, inhaling his scent of cigarettes and pine soap. You need him closer. He tightens his grip on you, and you look up to face him. His own cheeks are wet with tears, his eyes screwed shut trying to stifle the bite of the wracking sobs you know the strength of well. This is the only chance you’re getting, so you move with calculation. Despite the anxious pounding of your heart, and everything in your head telling you that he’s not yours and never could be, you crane your neck to reach Eddie’s split and swollen lips, squeezing your eyes shut as you place your mouth on his, ever so gently.

Before Eddie can react, you’re gone, face inches away from him as his eyes flutter open. “Whoa. Uh, w-what… what are you doing?” He sputters, face now bright red, and you feel your own cheeks blush.

“I’m- I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed… ” You cover your mouth with your hand to hide the shame, feeling the fire in your stomach. You have just ruined years of friendship, and for one stupid kiss! But Eddie’s beaming, and he’s still gripping you close to him. “I've just wanted to do that for so long.” You admit shyly, shifting against his grip, ready to retreat, but he holds you tighter.

“Can you do it again?” His voice is more confident now. You’re not sure you’ve heard him correctly, but when you look at him, it’s undeniable.

You mirror his smile, nodding before leaning into him again. He makes the connection, taking the lead as your body contorts around his, lips locking together as he holds you flush against him. His lips are so soft, and he’s so gentle with you, even though you can tell he’s eager, like maybe he’s also wanted to do this for a while. The thought causes you to smile against his lips, and you feel his own lips stretch against yours as your hands move from his shoulders to his hair.

One of his hands moves from your waist to caress your face, holding your jaw like a precious pearl he’s discovered after years at sea. Your tears fall freely now, ones of overwhelming love for Eddie, ones you never could have hoped to shed, content letting them simmer in the pit of your throat if it meant keeping your best friend. You’re breathless when he lets you go, fighting the urge to chase after his lips. After almost a decade of wondering what Eddie would taste like, what kissing him would feel like, now you get to know. “I have been in love with you since that day on the playground,” He confesses, tightening his arms around your waist to keep you close. “But I’m such a chicken shit, I didn’t wanna ruin anything. You were so sweet to me, I couldn’t risk losing that, losing you.” The words seem to spill from him now, like he’s been craving to tell you. You suppose he has.

You take in the sight of your best friend, battered and bruised for the sake of your honor, like a knight thrown into battle without armor. He’s beautiful, even in black and blue. You bring your hand to his cheek, rubbing small circles on his skin as he leans into your touch. You could stay here forever, you think. “I love you too, Eds. I have for as long as I can remember.” He smiles at you, lip splitting again but he doesn’t even flinch. You return the grin, feeling your cheeks ache from how wide you’ve stretched your mouth. “Thank you for keeping me safe.” You kiss him again, letting yourself taste the blood he’d spilled for you, a silent promise that you’ll make sure he never has to again.

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taglist @children-of-the-grave :p