#but nope!!!! michael who EVERYONE IS SCARED OF is perfectly fine pulling himself away from control just so his vessel/husband can eat

[paradisecas]

yes im still thinking about the script. it’s already kinda bonkers that both of them—namely adam—are fine with the visible power dynamic of one of them not being handcuffed while the other is; adam’s been betrayed enough that if they didn’t trust each other to the extent that they do, he should be wary of michael having this power of him. but the script shows that michael’s okay with it too, that even in his lowest moment he’s not worried about his vessel having a freedom he doesn’t. i wish they kept the second part in because while it’s already perfectly clear how much they care for each other, this demonstrates just how much they do, just how much they truly and wholly trust each other.

[votederpycausemufins]

Alright, time to work on tying up loose ends ish. i think there’s like... 2 chapters left after this? idk, I’m still writing!

@petrichormeraki @helleborusangel

While most everyone wanted Grifter dead, the fact that he was the only way to free Xannes made them keep him alive. They did manage to get the Listener to let him out, but at the same time, he let his own family out as well before disappearing with them. Fortunately as they left, the world rolled back, undoing all the damage as well as leaving Grian rather grumpy that his hard work was gone.

Shortly after that, everyone had to keep Grian and Techno apart when the avian tried attacking him for being near Grum, who to Grian’s annoyance seemed perfectly fine around the warrior. He reluctantly accepted it, only to get piled on again as he tried to make a second nest. 

Xannes hacked them all out of the castle, at least those he could. Kristen and Joe followed on their own a few moments later, everyone soon at the quartz mansion. Grian was immediately after as many blankets as he could obtain, Tommy laughing, but quickly helped out. 

Kristen stayed for a bit, long enough to officially say hello to Grian once he was lucid enough, but stayed longer after Grum clung to her leg and refused to let go. Eventually she relented and got pulled into Grian’s blanket nest, Grum running off to drag Techno in next.

“So… how have you two been?” Kristen asked, before correcting herself. “Besides this whole mess that got me involved.”

“It’s been pretty pog since I found Grian. We didn’t even know we were related until, what? A week ago?”

“I’m sorry. I honestly had no clue.” Kristen apologized, but Grian shrugged.

“I don’t blame you. I ended up in a world that death didn’t seem to exist in, at least not really. People who died showed up as ghosts. So even if I did remember your job, I wouldn’t have blamed you there. Then there were the Watchers, and then apparently Zed’s been dealing with things in Hermitcraft. I- are you two related?”

“Yes, we’re siblings.” Kristen replied, shocking both Grian and Tommy.

Zedaph, who was nearby, stepped closer. “Why do you look so shocked? I thought you knew, or at the very least I thought Grian knew.”

“Is that why you acted so casual when you asked me to kill myself?!” Grian balked, making Kristen whip around to look at Zed.

“You asked him to what?!”

“It was for a game! I asked a number of hermits to see who could kill themselves the fastest for a prize! Honestly, I don’t see what the problem was since he started Demise a year later.”

“That was sort of my last shot to find anyone. I thought so much death would make Mum show up.”

“Well, as far as I know, she wasn’t even showing up for Phil after you left, so not like there was much hope there.” Tommy shrugged, though he said it in a joking manner. It still made Kristen frown before Tommy elbowed her. “Hey. It’s fine. I mean, we’re meeting you now and not before we found each other again, so that’s pretty pog too.”

As the two of them chatted, Grian managed to find some paper and ink and started putting together a quick family tree before handing it to Techno to fill in the blank of Fundy’s mom. “Alright, so Wil, Techno, Tommy and I are the kids of you and Phil. Wilbur’s got Fundy with someone named Sally?” Grian quickly looked to Techno who nodded. “Sally. Mumbo and I built Grum and Jrum, meanwhile Techno and Tommy don’t have any kids.”

“Yeah I’m still looking for the ladies.” Tommy jokingly boasted, getting some chuckles from those nearby.

“And I don’t see the point in relationships.”

“Aro, got it.”

“I prefer fireworks. I don’t need arrows.”

Grian stifled some chuckles before continuing. “You’re siblings with Zed, who’s currently with Impulse and Tango, which I’m not going to go further into for my own sanity. And then you and Dad are immortal or something, so who knows about your parents.”

Kristen nodded. “Good, but you’re forgetting your uncle.”

Grian showed off the chart. “What? No, I’ve got Zed there with Impulse and Tango. If you’re going with the misconception that Worm Man is related, I’ll have you know that Poultry Man has assured me that’s not the case. Plus Zedaph has an interview with Worm Man and they are definitely in the same place.”

Kristen half nodded. “Oh, I’m sure that’s very much the case. However, I’m talking about Phil’s brother.”

“Mum, I’m glad to meet you and everything, but could you have waited like another week to drop that on us too?” Tommy asked as Grian looked like he was on the edge of a breakdown.

“So, should I not mention he has-”

“Nope! Not now! And we’ll ask dad ourselves.”

“I was just a hermit a week ago. I was technically still an orphan. I had the hermits as a family. Now some of them are really my family. Why? Why? Why is this happening?”

“Okay G, time to go to bed.” Tommy said, pulling one of the blankets out of the nest and throwing it over Grian’s head, hoping the darkness would kick in Grian’s parrot brain and get him to calm down. 

It was just at the right time too, because the door opened with Phil coming into the building. “How’s everyon- Kristen?!”

From there, all of the family currently in that world - other than Zedaph - ended up in Grian’s blanket nest. They chatted a bit before Kristen eventually had to leave, though she made sure to let all of them know how to call her if there was an emergency. Zedaph finally joined to take her place, getting glared at by Grum of all people. “You doing alright there?”

“I’m upset I didn’t know you were my uh… great uncle?”

“Grunkle has a better ring to it.” Zedaph smiled, but Grum just pouted and crossed his arms before being pulled into a hug from Grian. “But yeah, I’m sorry Grian. I can’t believe I never noticed you didn’t know.”

“No, it’s fine. I had a crazy enough story with my family growing up, what’s five more.”

“Five?” Phil asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Grian started counting on his fingers. “Finding out that Tommy was my brother, the whole situation Techno caused, finding our Zedaph is related to me, finding out you’ve got a brother, and then Mum mentioning there was more to that.”

Phil sighed. “Oh, she told you about that? Okay first off, we’re half brothers, so that’s normally why he’s left out of things. Plus, he’s been doing his own thing for a while. I haven’t really heard from him since his letters about Minecrack.”

Grian paused, processing that new information before grabbing one of the blankets and screaming into it, Grum patting his dad on the back.

“Is he okay?” Phil asked, making Zedaph shake his head.

“Some of the hermits used to live there, so one of them might have met your brother. Sorry, half brother.”

“Ah, good to know.”

Grian slowly put the blanket down. “Okay, obviously talking is just making things worse. How about we all shut up for like… ten minutes while we still have some peace? I’m scared if we try much else, something else will come out of the woodwork and make things worse again.”

“Ugh, normally I’d hate not talking,” Tommy piped up with an agreeing groan. “But for once, you’ve got a point.”

“For once?!”

Tommy didn’t say anything else, just mimed zipping his lips up, locking them, and throwing away the key.

.

.

.

Grian woke up, glad it wasn’t from a nightmare. He, Tommy and Grum were the only ones left in the nest from before, but he smiled upon seeing the empty space had been given to Tommy’s friends. Ranboo seemed to have been dragged in based on his awkward position, likely by Tubbo and Michael who seemed much more comfortable.

Looking around, it didn’t seem anyone else was in the room, voices coming from elsewhere in the building. Grian carefully moved Grum closer to Tommy, the bot happily clinging to the teen instead. He then pulled himself out of the nest, doing his best not to wake anyone in the process.

He was glad to see everyone looked calm and nothing immediately seemed concerning. The closest thing was what looked like a living diamond walking around, but the fact that no one else was concerned made it less worrying. “So, who’s the new… person I think.”

Phil looked over to where Grian was standing now. “His name’s Skeppy. When the world got repaired, the people that weren’t already revived showed up. It also fixed my wings.” And he let one of them open up so Grian could see.

“Good to know. Nothing bad’s happened yet?” Grian asked, and Phil shook his head. “That’s good. Once Grum and Tommy are away, I’m going to be taking them home. I mean, unless Tommy wants to stay, because he might want to see people again, but Grum still needs repairs. Plus I need to talk with Mumbo about something I found out.”

“Anything bad?”

Grian shook his head. “Not necessarily, just something we need to be aware of.” Then Grian was quiet for a while before speaking up again. “You know, ever since I found it again, I’ve been taking care of the castle.”

“You mean… back in-?”

“Yeah. The place I grew up in has way too many bad memories attached. Evo’s gone and my building world is lonely. Hermitcraft is the closest thing I have to a home, but being able to take a break and go back there helps.”

Phil smiled. “Well, you’ll have to show me what you’ve done with the place.”

“Yeah.” Grian smiled. “I’ll try to visit with Tommy plenty. I’m sure you want to stay here now that it looks like things are calmed down. I’m sure you’ll want to visit us, or at least someone will, so I’ll look into that.”

“Just don’t go silent for eighteen years.” Phil joked, making Grian whack him in the back of his head with a wing.

From there, the two of them chatted, catching up. Both of them avoided the more unfavorable topics, which was a bit tricky, but they managed. At least they did for a while. “Hey… I’m sorry. I know I screwed up with Tommy.”

“Can we not talk about that?” Grian said, ruffling his feathers. “Enough has happened. I don’t want to talk about serious stuff right now.”

“Well who knows when we’ll get another chance.”

Grian sighed. “Fine, but I’m making it quick. Since you’re not going to be around, I’m just trusting you’ll maybe do better. I can check in any time I want, so just know if you screw up, there’s a good chance I’ll see it. There’s a good chance I’ll break down your door if I heard more stories from Tommy, but for like the next week or so, you’re safe. Is that good enough?”

Phil hesitated for a moment before responding. “Alright, sure.”

As soon as he responded, Grian went back to the other room, glad to see Tommy was awake. When Grian replayed the options to Tommy, the teen thought it over before deciding he would stay behind for a little bit at the very least. He didn’t want to disappear while Ranboo and Tubbo were both asleep. Grian made sure Tommy still had NPG’s old comm so that he could call for Grian to pick him up again.

Grian carefully picked Grum up, the bot clinging to his chest, then he opened a portal to take them home. 

.

.

.

Grian was glad that the repairs ended up being mostly his job to fix. The redstone seemed unharmed, save for right near the trident wound and Grum’s buttons. Technically the buttons themselves were mainly aesthetic anyway, but some redstone was close by so they needed to be careful.

Once everything was fixed, they plugged Grum in to be safe and then Grian started explaining what he had learned. Mumbo was surprised and excused himself briefly to try contacting people for information. For the most part, he was able to get help, but in terms of whatever glitch the bots had, the information was too vague for anyone to get a good guess.

Grian got Xisuma to take a look, but unfortunately the admin couldn’t figure anything out. Neither could Xannes, but that was affected by NPG wanting to go home soon and check in his aerbunny.

With no other options, Grian was ready to use his Watcher magic, but he was quickly interrupted. Suddenly Grifter was there and threw himself into Grian’s arms, leaving the Watcher struggling to hold his double up before just dropping him. “What are you doing here?”

“Hiding?” Grifter answered innocently. “I kinda messed up, though Dad did too.”

“What did you do?” Grian growled as Grifter stood up and dusted himself off.

“Okay, so dad wanted me killing Nightmare. That’s cool, I did that. He just kinda let it slip his mind that he didn’t tell Punch. So now until Dad talks him down, I’m hiding here! Also watching for spies. Who knows where they could be hiding.”

Grian half groaned, half sighed. “How do I know you’re not going to destroy the place?”

“Uh, because that would make it obvious I’m here, duh. Look, just tell me what you want and I’ll do it. I mean, if it’s something other than leaving. I’m sticking here because if I get seen here, he’ll assume it’s just you. Wait, I’m going to need to get out of my new look. That’s no fun, I really like th-”

“Okay shut up for like five seconds. I don’t have the patience for this today. You said there was something of a glitch with my kids. Tell me what it is or fix it or something and you can stay for a bit. If you cause any trouble, you’re out though.”

“Oh yes of course!” Grifter responded, hugging Grian. “Okay, so the problem is kinda pretty simple. They aren't completely connected to this world so other data is being used to check where they’re from. If everything’s just within this world, it’s fine, but it fucks up their respawn if it’s not.”

“That’s… that’s it?”

“Yup! Just tell your admin and I’m sure he can- OH FUCK! Gimmie your bowwwww!” Grian suddenly started doing his best to climb Grian, having little luck with them being the same height. Grian did his best to keep his balance before seeing what exactly was freaking his hels copy. Nearby, a chicken had walked into view, and apparently that was the problem.

Grian gave a deadpan look before killing the chicken, which immediately calmed Grifter down. “You were scared… of a chicken?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I said he could be sending spies!”

“And… those are chickens?”

“Yes! Of course!” Grifter exclaimed like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Grian wanted to sigh in exasperation, but then he realized that this was good news. If for some reason Grifter acted up, well, a certain hero could help save the day.

“Alright, maybe this might not be the safest place for you here, but you can stay.”

“Why? Why isn’t it safe? Are there lots of spies?”

“Oh, we have the worst one yet. His name is Poultry Man. Have you ever heard of him.”

“I have! I thought Xannes was lying! He’s really real?!” Grifter asked, trembling, making Grian have to hold in laughter.

“Well, he hasn’t been around for a while, but who knows? If - you said Punch? - if he’s looking for you, Poultry Man might show up.”

“Oh no! Do you have anything to stop him?”

Grian couldn’t help the sly smile that got onto his face. “Well…”

.

.

.

Grum watched as Mumbo looked through a bunch of books. He had gotten fixed up, but his daddy said there was still something they needed to figure out, so Dad was out doing that. But he had left a while ago and sitting in one place for a long time was getting boring. “Daddy, how much longer do I have to wait here?”

Mumbo jumped slightly before looking up from his book, which just made Grum frown. Obviously he had been forgotten about. “Um, well, I suppose that depends on what your dad does.”

“But I’ve just been sitting here for ages.” Grum crossed his arms.

“I know, but apparently there’s a bug in your system and until we can identify it, we want to keep you safe. You’ve already been through a lot, I’m sure you don’t want anything more happening.”

“But Daddy I-”

“Grum, this isn’t up for discussion.” Mumbo cut the bot off, who flinched back at the harsh tone. “I know. I don’t like it either. But sometimes the harder options are the better ones.”

Grum was quiet again, just thinking. Mumbo started to look at his book again, but then the bot spoke up once more. “Is it about Console? Or my chat in general?”

“What?” Mumbo looked back up, confused.

“Well, Jrum’s not here, so it has to be something that’s just me, correct? That would likely involve when the admin was using me as a console or the fact that I have gained a chat like Techno, Phil and, based on conversation, Dad.”

“Oh, you mean MFDD? At least I’m still pretty sure that’s what we said it was. I’d have to go digging for my old books again. And Grian might have them at this point.”

“What’s MFDD?” Grum asked, tilting his head.

“It’s the abbreviation for the condition we’re pretty sure Grian has. But it’s a condition that last I checked, was still in a sort of odd state, and I’ve been in Hermitcraft since school, so I’m not updated on it.” Mumbo glanced over to Grum, who just looked confused. “Right. Well, the simple version is that’s what the real name of your Dad’s ‘chat’ is. MFDD. But based on what he told me, that’s not what you have.”

“Oh. Wait, I don’t?” Grum asked, sounding worried and slightly panicked.

“Don’t worry, it’s fine. It’s nothing bad. I’m sure we’ll need to get it properly diagnosed, but the fact that you seem to have what’s like… multiple people in your mind and they can sometimes be in control, along with the fact that it happened after… stressful events. That all likely means it’s DID. Which essentially means you have multiple personalities.”

“And is that good or bad?”

Mumbo rubbed his mustache. “Well, I don’t think it’s necessarily good or bad in and of itself. I wish I knew more about this… In short, it’s at the very least not bad. Or at least not bad if you don’t let it be bad.”

“I still don’t understand.” Grum frowned, leaving Mumbo to try and figure out some other way to explain.

“Hmm… It’s. Uh… Well let’s see. Well it… no that wouldn’t make sense. It’s… Oh! So, when you’re building, say you make a house. And the house has a bunch of rooms. It’s all one house, but there are different rooms and um… well each one has its own person.” Grum nodded along, mostly understanding. “And well, you own the house even though others live there. Because you own the house, you’re in charge.”

“But sometimes I’m not. Like Console and Eyes decide to be in charge or I let them.”

“Well, sometimes something… happens. Like maybe you’re busy… cooking? And so if you’re doing that, someone else gets to be in charge. Or maybe you just want to… sit on the couch?”

Grum’s digital mustache twitched in thought before he nodded. “Okay, I think that makes sense.”

Mumbo nodded, turning back to his books before sighing, glad that what he made up on the spot worked. 

“Mumbooooo! I’m back! I figured out what’s wrong! We need to take the boys to Xisuma!” Mumbo jumped from Grian arriving, then was confused to see two of him.

“Why is Grifter here?”

“Long story, it’s fine for now, we need Xisuma. Let’s go go go!”

Mumbo just stared for a moment before sighing and shrugging before going to get Jrum. It didn’t seem like anything bad was happening, so there was a fifty fifty shot it really was fine. Maybe less since there were two Grian’s involved, but it was something Mumbo came to expect with Grian in general.

[tropicalsuki]

Do You Copy? - Steve Harrington x fem!reader

Summary: Y/n, Steve’s girlfriend of over a year, is gone all of summer for a camp counselor job in the middle of nowhere, meaning the only way to stay in contact is through letters. Dustin and the party are sick of seeing Steve mope around, so they decide to set up a surprise date between Y/n and Steve. 

warnings: FLUFF, some angst, language, sexual references/making out, slight season 3 spoilers if you squint

word count: 2,566

A/N: this was supposed to go up Monday but my internet went down Sunday night and we just got it back today, so sorry for the delay! I hope you all love it and enjoy! Also, I’m up for writing a part two if enough people want it.

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

Dustin, Lucas, Max, and Will were all at Steve’s house, arguing over what movie to watch. It was their monthly movie night, and everyone was there. Well, almost everyone.

“Does anyone know when the hell Mike and El are gonna be here?” Dustin asked, annoyed with their constant flaking. 

“How are we supposed to know? They show up whenever they’re done kissing. It’s bullshit,” Lucas answered.

“Woah, language!” Steve acted offended as he walked into the room with two large bowls of popcorn. Max quickly grabbed one and sank into the couch, shoveling the snack into her mouth. “You better share!” Lucas yanked the bowl from her and the two began bickering like they usually did.

Everyone stopped talking when the doorbell rang.

 “Is it them?” Will asked as Steve went and opened the door. He came back in the room a moment later with a letter in hand. “No, not them. Just the mailman,” Steve said as he opened the letter with a slight smile. 

“Is that another letter?” Lucas asked. Max sat up, interested, “from who? Y/n?”

Steve didn’t answer their questions as he read the letter, a stupid grin on his face. 

“Ooh, let me read it!” Dustin went to grab it but Steve quickly yanked his arm away, “no, absolutely not! This is a private letter for my eyes only.”

“Aw come on! Let me see!” Dustin complained. As Steve and Dustin were arguing, Max came up behind Steve and grabbed the letter, running to the other side of the room to read it. Steve ran after her, but Lucas, Will, and Dustin tackled him as Max began reading aloud.

“’It’s only been a month since I left, but it feels like forever. I’m counting down the days until I come back to Hawkins. I miss the sound of your voice and the smell of your cologne and the way you kiss me and how you-’ ohmygod, you two are disgusting!” Max stopped reading, her face going red. 

“What? What does it say?” Lucas demanded.

“Read it for yourself! I’m not saying that out loud,” Max shook her head. 

“Will you all stop?! That’s a private letter!” Steve yelled.

Lucas and Will ran over to Max, peering over her shoulder to read the rest of the note. Dustin didn’t budge from his spot on top of Steve. As the two boys scanned the page, they went wide eyed. “That is... graphic,” Lucas finally said, trying not to laugh. 

“You two must really love each other,” Will spoke, making Steve sigh. “We do. And that’s why the letter is so important. So can you please give it back?” he asked, defeated. Dustin got off of him and Max handed over the letter. 

“Why don’t you just call her? I don’t see the problem,” Lucas said. 

“Because they don’t have phones in the middle of the woods, dipshit,” Max snipped. 

“Jesus, I forgot. No need to be so rude,” Lucas huffed as Steve got up, the doorbell ringing once more. Will ran towards the front entrance. 

“Mike and El are here!” Will called, walking back into the room a moment later with the the two teens in tow. 

“About time” “Great! We can finally start the movie now!” Max and Dustin said at once. Lucas went over to the tv, shoving the VHS into the slot. 

“What movie?” El asked, picking up the bowl of popcorn that Max left on the table. 

“Monty Python and the Holy Grail; only one of the best movies of all time,” Will stated excitedly. “Ooh, good choice,” Mike flopped down on the couch, pulling El down beside him. The others got comfy and happily chatted away as the movie began. Max shushed loudly when the opening credits were over and everyone quieted down. 

Throughout the movie, as everyone was laughing and making comments, Steve stayed quiet. Dustin took notice and waited for his chance to talk to the others. When Steve left to go to the bathroom, Dustin ran over to the tv and paused the movie.

“Dude! Why’d you stop it? This is the best part!” Mike complained. Lucas and Max chimed in with agreement.

“The movie can wait. But right now we need a plan to help Steve. He looks miserable,” Dustin answered. 

“Maybe he does not like Monty Python,” El suggested. Will sighed, “No, Dustin’s right. He’s been acting like this all summer.” 

“Why? Because of Y/n? She’s coming back in, like, three weeks,” Mike shrugged.

Max rolled her eyes, “please, Michael, if El was gone for half that long, you’d be complaining everyday.”

Mike didn’t respond, knowing she was right. 

Dustin nodded decidedly, “alright then. What’s the plan?”

-

Steve told the group he was going to the bathroom, quickly leaving and heading up to his room. He wanted to have a fun evening, he really did, but the letter stuck in his head and he couldn’t think of anything else. 

Walking over to his desk, Steve opened a drawer and set the new letter over a pile of identical ones. You and Steve sent letters back and forth at least once a week, but it still wasn’t enough. All he asked for was to hear your voice, but not even that wasn’t possible. Two months away as a camp counselor in the middle of fucking nowhere. Steve thought he would be fine without you for that long. 

He was wrong. 

Steve snapped out of his thoughts and closed the drawer, taking a deep breath before heading back downstairs. As he reentered the living room, the kids immediately stopped talking, all turning to look at him. 

“What did I miss? Did something happen?” Steve asked, looking between the six of them. 

“Nope. Nothing at all,” Lucas said casually.

“We were just waiting for you to come back. So we can keep watching,” Max added. Dustin quickly got up and started the movie again. 

Steve was too mentally exhausted to care what they were talking about, so he sat back down without question. 

-

A week passed before you got another letter in the mail. But it wasn’t from Steve. This time, it was from Dustin Henderson, claiming that Steve was in the hospital and you needed to come home immediately. 

As soon as you read the letter, you ran to your boss with tears in your eyes, begging to be sent home early. Your boss knew there was no hope in arguing, so he complied, and you sent off a letter to Dustin saying you were on your way back to Hawkins as soon as possible.

“Y/n’s coming back!” Dustin announced, waving the letter in his hand as he walked into Mike’s basement. 

“I still don’t think it was a good idea to lie to her about Steve,” Max replied. 

“She’s probably gonna have a heart attack before she gets here,” Lucas agreed. 

“Listen, I know it was messed up, but we literally haven’t seen Steve leave his house in over a week. It was necessary,” Dustin defended himself, but the others didn’t seem convinced. Dustin continued, “Y/n will be at the airport tomorrow at noon. We need to meet her there before she goes looking for Steve.”

“That’s nice and all, but how are we going to get there? None of us can drive,” Max pointed out. The others looked at each other knowingly, already having two people in mind.

-

“You told her Steve was in the hospital?!” Nancy exclaimed, looking at the six kids in front of her like they were insane before turning to her boyfriend, “Jonathan, did you know about this?”

Jonathan shook his head, “I did not. Because if I did, I would of told them it was a stupid and cruel idea.”

“That’s what I said!” Will huffed.

“Look, I fucked up. I get it. But it’s already done, so can we move forward please?” Dustin said, frustrated. 

“Yeah, whatever. It’s 11:30 so we need to go,” Nancy and Jonathan got up, leading the younger teens outside and to the car. Nancy got in the drivers seat and took them all to the airport.

When the group finally saw you coming off the flight, you were a mess. Your eyes were red from crying and your clothes and hair were all over the place. You spotted the eight of them and ran over, dropping your bags to pull Nancy into a hug, “oh god, it’s so good to see you.”

Nancy smiled, hugging you back, “I know, I missed you. We all did.”

You pulled away, looking at everyone carefully. “Is... is he okay?” you asked quietly, scared of what the answer may be. 

They all glanced at one another, silently arguing over who was going to tell you that Steve was perfectly fine. You took their silence as the exact opposite, and suddenly began crying. Jonathan pulled you into a comforting hug as Mike elbowed Dustin hard, forcing him to speak.

“No! No, don’t cry. Steve’s ok. He’s perfectly fine, and not in the hospital. He never was... I, uh, lied. to get you to come home early,” Dustin explained quickly. 

You moved away from Jonathan, your sadness and worry turning to confusion then anger, “what?”

“Yeah, uh, sorry about that,” Dustin gave you the sweetest smile he could manage. 

“You lied about my boyfriend being in the hospital?! I left my job and paid for a last minute plane ticket - and for what? What was this all for for?!” you said angrily, trying your best to keep your voice from rising. 

“Steve has been miserable all summer. But it’s gotten worse the past few weeks. We wanted him to feel better, and the only way to do that was to bring you home,” Will stepped in to explain. You sighed, having a hard time to get mad at Will; he always meant well no matter how messed up the idea. 

“Where is he? Does he know I’m here?” you questioned, wanting to see him as soon as possible. 

“No! No, he doesn’t. He can’t. We have this whole plan and we’re gonna surprise him so you can’t see him until tonight,” Lucas said quickly. 

You didn’t want to wait that long, but you doubted the kids would let you anywhere near Steve before their plan was complete. So you looked to Nancy instead, “this has all been very emotionally draining. And I need a drink.”

Nancy smiled knowingly, “I got you covered. Let’s go back to my house.” 

You nodded heavily and turned back to the kids, “you can tell me your ridiculous plan on the way there... and this doesn’t mean I’m not still beyond pissed at you all.”

The six of them nodded quickly, not wanting to push you. You followed Nancy outside, Jonathan grabbing your bags for you and hurrying after the group.

-

Dustin, El, and Mike banged on Steve’s door. He didn’t answer the first time, so they persisted. Finally the door was yanked open and Steve answered with groan, “what?!”

“We have a surprise for you,” Dustin grinned. 

“Does it involve going out?” Steve asked. Dustin nodded. “Then I’m not interested,” Steve decided. 

“Just listen to us! It’s about Y/n,” Mike said quickly.

Dustin began explaining before Steve could say anything, “we’ve been trying to find away to get into contact with Y/n, and we finally figured it out. You know my ingenious invention, Cerebral? Well, we sent a letter to Y/n and there’s a way you’ll be able to talk to each other!” 

Steve watched him, a blank expression on his face, “nice idea, but that’s not possible. If phones don’t work there, how is your stupid little radio going to?”

“It’s different. Landlines and radios work on different frequencies, and interact in different ways. There’s no phones at Y/n’s camp, but there’s radios. So it’ll work. We’ve tested it,” Dustin insisted, trying his best to be convincing. 

“It’s true,” El nodded. Mike smiled at Steve in support. 

Steve was desperate, and willing to try anything, “fine. When?”

“In an hour. So go take a shower - you smell awful,” Mike said. 

-

An hour later, Steve was hiking up to the highest point in Hawkins, while you hid a bit further down on the other side of the hill with Lucas and Max. Dustin, Mike, El, and Will lead Steve to where Cerebral was set up, talking to him about how you were waiting on the other end. 

“This better work or I’m going to beat you with your own equipment,” Steve said to Dustin, no hint of sarcasm in his voice. 

“It’ll work. I promise,” Dustin assured, sitting down by the main radio. Dustin pretended to work on getting a proper connection, but it seemed to be failing, and Steve was growing impatient. 

“I swear to god, Henderson, you took me all the way up here and got my hopes up and the damn radio wont even work,” he said angrily. 

Dustin didn’t reply, turning a few more knobs as you sneaked up the hill and stood behind Steve.

“Steve?”

When he heard your voice, Steve quickly moved closer to the radio, surprised that it was actually working and how clear your voice sounded, “Y/n? Y/n, is that you?”

“Steve,” you said again, a bit louder, and he froze, realizing the voice wasn’t coming from the radio. Turning around, his eyes landed on you and a grin spread across his face. 

“Hi,” you grinned back and Steve ran over, scooping you up in a tight hug and spinning you around, both of you laughing from happiness. 

He put you down and pulled you into a deep kiss as you wrapped your arms around his neck. The kids watched on, proud of their work. 

“You came home,” Steve stated, keeping you close. 

“The kids told me you were in the hospital. I came home as soon as I could. They were lying, obviously,” you explained. Steve was too happy to have you back to be mad about that right now, so instead he just pulled you closer to him.

“I missed you so much,” you breathed, running your hands down his chest and kissing him. Steve kissed you back with an almost desperation, and the six kids realized things were about to get heated. 

“Should, we uh...,” Lucas trailed, pointing down to the bottom of the hill. “Yep. Mmhm,” the others nodded and the group quickly ran off, leaving you and Steve on your own. 

You pulled Steve down so the two of you were laying on the grass, never breaking the kiss in the process. He moved you on top of him, running his hands through your hair. You pulled away slightly to catch your breath, “I love you so much.”

“I love you too. It hurts how much I love you,” Steve answered, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. 

“Did you get my last letter?” you asked as you ran a hand across his cheek. 

“I sure did,” Steve smiled slightly.

“I meant every word. And those things I promised I’d do to you when I got back...,” you started playfully, but was cut off when Steve rolled you over so he was hovering over you.

“I know you’d never break a promise. So just kiss me, idiot,” Steve said teasingly. You grinned and pulled him down to meet your lips once more. 

-

End.

[celtics534]

Covert Love: Gorgeous

I wanted to thank everyone for all the excited comments on the first chapter! I’m so glad everyone is loving this story so far. I’ve personally become addicted to writing it so it makes me so happy to read such kind comments. Also, if anyone was wondering the chapter titles are from songs that I love/ obsess over. This one happens to be from the magnificent Taylor Swift. 

Also Read On: FF.net or AO3

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ginny had to force her eyes back onto the diagrams she was meant to be studying. Instead, she’d been studying something else. Harry Potter’s fine arse in his quidditch trousers as he completed his stretches was that something else. Fuck! She couldn’t take her eyes away from him.

 She’d hoped that after spending some time with him her little -- for a lack of a better word -- crush would go away. Of course, that wasn’t what happened! Rather, she’d become more enamored with the man, and not just for his looks anymore. Now she enjoyed his personality. Never before had there been someone she was willing to spend entire evenings, into mornings, talking with. That was until Harry fucking Potter entered stage right.   

 “Weasley?” Markus’ voice tore Ginny’s attention away from the center of the pitch. “Wanna come back from your daydream and focus on this new play?” 

 “Yeah! Sorry!” Ginny could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks. All her fellow chasers’ eyes were on her. She just hoped they hadn't noticed what she'd been staring at while daydreaming.

 Ariel McKidd made eye contact with her before looking over at Harry's stretching form. When she looked back over at Ginny, McKidd winked. And there goes that hope. 

 "As I was saying," Coach Markus grunted. His Scottish accent coming in thick. "The Arrows are known for overpassing. We need to take advantage of this." 

Ginny watched the diagrams Markus had created, focusing on the little redhead’s (who was supposed to represent her) movements. The chaser squad worked on the drills until well into the afternoon. Markus let them go for a long lunch, telling them to be ready for a full team run. 

 Deciding she was craving a good sandwich, Ginny went to the locker room to change into some muggle clothes. As she pulled on her jacket, McKidd and Caron leaned against the lockers beside her. 

 “So, Weasley,” McKidd drawled. “Care to share what’s going on with you and Potter?”

 Ginny had known this was coming. She knew Ariel would drag Prue over to discuss what Ginny had dubbed the staring incident. McKidd, Caron, and Ginny were the only females on the team in a mainly male profession, so it was normal for them to be close and talk about the... appeal... of the men in the sport. However, normally it was over a bottle of wine at Caron’s flat and junk food they’d work off the next day at practice, not in the locker room where any of said men could hear. 

 “I - I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Ginny closed her locker door with more gusto than she’d intended. 

 “Don’t play the fool with us,” Caron scolded, her French tongue still somewhat noticeable after three years in Ireland. “Ariel said you couldn’t take your eyes off him.”

 Ginny licked her lips, as she weighed her options. They wouldn’t drop it until they got their answer, but there was no way in hell she was talking about her thing for Harry arse where he could hear about it. Well, it wasn’t just his bum… it was all of him. His messy hair, mesmerizing green eyes, the dimple that formed over his lip when he laughed, his laugh, humor… Fuck! Ginny could be there all-day writing a list of everything she found attractive about Harry Potter.

 She sighed. “Fine, do you lot wanna go to lunch with me?”

 Her friends smiled wickedly. “I thought you’d never ask,” McKidd said as she reached for her jumper. “Where are we going?”

 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 “Damn, girl,” Ariel sighed. “You’ve got it real bad.” 

 Ginny closed her eyes as she threw her head back. “I know!”

 “I guess the question is, what are you gonna do about it?”

 “What am I -” Ginny dropped her chin and looked at her friends. They both stared at her, waiting. “What do you mean, what am I gonna do?”

 Prue smiled incredulously. “I thought that was rather obvious. We mean, what are you going to do so you and Potter get together?”

 Ginny ran a hand through her hair. “I - I’m no good at this kind of shit.” 

 "Oh, we know." A wicked grin slid into Ariel's lips. "Remember the Finn stories?" 

 "Or Michael," Prue supplied ticking off fingers, "Dean, Ni -"

 "All right." Ginny held up a hand. "There are plenty of examples of my failure to flirt and date."

 "My personal favorite was Ian." Ariel laughed. "Didn't you judo flip him because he snuck up behind you and hugged you?"

 "I don't need to dignify that with an answer."

 "She did!" Prue positively cackled. "And he cried like a petite garce." 

 "Okay, well in all fairness..." She rubbed the back of her burning neck. "I had pressed my knee really hard into his chest… he said it he was crying because of the pain." 

 "When was that?" Ariel's brow scrunched together. "Two years ago? No! Three years. And come to think of it…" Her jaw dropped in horror. "Weasley, was that the last time you got any?"

 Ginny could feel the heat intensifying on her cheeks. "Ian and I never actually did anything more than snog." 

 "What!" Her teammates leaned forward. Ariel did some quick maths. "So that would mean the last time you had a shag was with Nick." 

 “Nerdy Nick.” Prue rolled her eyes. “I swear I was gonna kill him if he mentioned his dungeons and dragons alliance one more time.”

 “Prue,” Ariel scolded, “you’re missing the point! She dated Nick when she was a rookie… which was five years ago.” 

 It took a moment for Prue to understand McKidd’s meaning when she did her jaw drop comically. “No!”

 Ginny knew her cheeks must match her hair, but there was nothing for it. “Listen -”

 “Has there at least been some satisfying one-nighters?” Ariel asked, her hand coming across the table to grip Ginny’s. 

 “I mean...” In all honesty, there hadn’t been many since she and Ian had broken up. All the hurtful and cruel things Ian had said as he walked away from her had been holding her back from trying to find anything sustainable, and hookups had never really been her thing. “Some, yeah.” 

 Prue pursed her lips. “Well, then this is all the more reason to get with Potter. From the way you talk about him -” 

 Ariel nodded vigorously. "She's right, Ginny. He seems like a decent bloke that would want to treat you right."

 "He seems like the doting type," Prue included. 

 Ginny sighed. "Harry is a great guy. It's just…" she couldn't find the words, but Ariel seemed to understand. 

 "You're afraid you'll fuck it up." 

 "Yeah." Ginny folded her arms on the table before laying placing her head on top of them. "I always seem to fuck it up." 

 Prue reached across the table and lifted Ginny's head, making eye contact. "That's because none of those blokes were right for you. From what you’ve said Dean was too old fashion, Nick was needy, and Ian, well, he was afraid of strong women. But Harry… he doesn’t seem like the type to scare easy." 

 "I saw you two chatting after practice a few days ago," Ariel smiled at her. "You’re always good with people but there is something about you and Harry."

 "So, what should I do?" Ginny asked, looking between her friends. 

 “Hmm.” Prue laced her fingers together over her forgotten lunch. “He’s taking you on his motorbike this weekend, right?” 

 Ginny nodded. 

 “So snuggle up to him. ”

 “Yeah!” Ariel clapped her hands. “It’s a prime opportunity to get all close and personal with him. You know, as your riding down the road lean forward and get real cozy with his neck.” 

 “You don’t think that’s a little, I don’t know, forward.” Ginny had never been one for making such blatant moves. 

 “Here’s the thing, if he gets defensive and asks what you’re doing you can just say you were cold.” Ariel grinned wickedly. “That way you can get an idea about where his mind is.” 

 Prue nodded enthusiastically. “Oui! Though, I’m rather sure he’s interested in you as well.” 

 “What gives you that idea?” Ginny asked, her stomach performing a rather impressive series of flips. 

 “Oh, he’s so obvious.” Ariel waved a dismissive hand. “The way he looks at you when you’re talking to him. Not to mention, the way he looks at you when you’re not talking to him” 

 Ginny felt heat reappear on her cheek, but the idea made her happy. “Really?”

 Her friends just grinned. “The boy’s got it real bad.”

 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 “I’ve just gotta grab my jacket,” Ginny told Harry as she made her way to her bedroom. “Back in a moment.” She was so glad she’d forgotten her jacket in her room last night because she needed the walk to cool down her raging hormones. Harry in that perfectly cut leather jacket… and those nice jeans… Hot damn! She hadn’t thought Harry could get any fitter, but bloody hell he had outdone himself today. 

 She needed to compose herself if she had any intentions of following through with her plan… well, Ariel and Prue’s plan. Ginny was supposed to, as Ariel put it, charm the fuck out of Harry, but how could she do that when her brain shut down when he walked into a room?

 “Gin?” Harry’s muffled voice came through the door she’d closed behind her. “Everything alright?”

 “Yeah!” She took a deep breath, hoping to calm the butterflies flapping in her gut. “Be out in a second."

 Fucking hell! She needed to woman up and not let this crush affect her so much. There was no way she would be a blushing blithering buffoon. She was a strong, witty woman and an attractive man would not change her! 

 Taking a few final calming breaths, Ginny walked out of her room mentality prepared for Harry’s sexy biker look. He was sitting on her sofa, flicking through one of the quidditch magazines she’d left on the small coffee table.

 “Ready to go?” Ginny asked, refusing to acknowledge how his shirt had ridden up revealing a very toned section of skin. Nope, She didn’t care about that little bit of hair that trailed down lower. Not a single care…

 Harry started, nearly dropping his reading material. “Oh - yeah!” He jumped from the cushion as if it burned him. “You look…” She could see his Adam’s Apple bob as he swallowed. “Great.” 

 Ginny ignored the way the butterflies in her gut fluttered like they were in a wind storm at his words. Instead, she sent him what she hoped to be a cheeky smile. “You don’t look too bad yourself.” She moved over so she was standing directly in front of him. His scent was headly, some sort of mint mixed with something else she couldn’t place. She resisted the urge to just stand there and smell him by taking the collar of his jacket and straightening a non-existent crease. “Now you’re perfect. Let’s go.”

 The motorbike was just as Ginny imagined based on the photos from her muggle studies books. Big, built, and badass. Harry had placed two helmets on the seat, just waiting for them to go. 

 “You ever wear one of these before?” Harry asked, picking up the headgear. Ginny shook her head. “Okay, well they are really simple.” He took the helmet and hovered it over her head. “Er -- wanna hold your hair back so it won’t be in your face?” 

 “Oh, sure.” Ginny did as she was instructed. Pulling her hair into a loose ponytail, she watched Harry’s face as he slowly lowered the helmet onto her head. His tongue stuck out at the corner of his mouth in concentration. His eyes focused solely on her face as if he were trying to memorize each freckle on her cheeks. When the headgear was firmly on her head, his hands drifted down towards her neck. At first Ginny thought, more hoped, that he was going to cup her jaw. Instead, his fingers fumbled with the strap that was attached to the headpiece, knotting it under her chin. He lingered, toying with the band, his eyes focused on her lips. 

 If he were to lean in and kiss her right then, she wouldn’t mind at all. Hell, she would take off the bulky headgear as to give herself better access. Instead, his body jerked slightly, then he backed away with a contrite smile. “You’re all set now. Safety first and all that.” 

 He turned away to put on his own helmet, placing his glasses on the bike seat until after he had his knot tied. Ginny watched as he threw one leg over the seat and straddled the machine. When he looked over his shoulder at her, the term knicker dropper came to mind. 

 “Hop on.” 

 It took her more time then she’d want to admit for her mind and body to associate with each other again. “Oh -- yeah, sure.” She threw her leg over the back end of the bike, careful not to knee Harry in the back. The seat was comfier than she’d expected.

 “So you’re gonna want to hold on to me.” Harry’s voice was muffled by the helmet, yet it still enough to send a shiver down her spine. 

 Prue’s words replayed in her mind. Steeling herself for the rejection, she slid her body closer to his, her arms coming to wrap around his middle. “Like this?”

 She could feel Harry’s sharp intake of breath, and he waited for the count of three before he released it. “Yeah, that’s perfect.” 

 Harry lifted up his right leg and kicked something up off the ground, at the same time turning the engine. The bike roared to life, vibrating under Ginny. 

 “Woah!” Ginny hadn’t meant to show her surprise. “It’s like a more extreme broom.” 

 She could feel Harry’s chuckle more than hear it. “Just wait until we make a turn. Just -- just keep your arms around me, alright.” 

 “You don’t have to convince me.” 

 Harry revved the engine before merging onto the road. Watching the houses and signs fly by her was incredible. The wind flew all around her, just like when she was high in the sky, driving the quaffle towards the opposing keeper. However, there was more to worry about on muggle streets than at Ballycastle Stadium. The first time a car drove past them on the opposite side of the road, Ginny couldn’t help but flinch. And when Harry was forced to suddenly stop for a distracted muggle crossing the street… Ginny’s heart had jumped into her throat. 

 After half an hour, though, Ginny was in love with it all. The way the wind stung her exposed face, the sights, and of course the way Harry’s muscles felt against her as he shifted to make turns. 

 Harry took them past roaming green hills that were used on postcards. Then over onto thinning roads along the coast, that made sea breeze combined with the wind. Harry wasn’t in a hurry as he made seemingly random turns, his only purpose to give her the best view. 

 As they passed a cluster of grazing sheep, Ginny rested her head on Harry’s shoulder. He tensed for a second before relaxing to her touch. Her lungs filled with his scent. Cedarwood, she realized as they banked left. Cedarwood was the scent that mixed so perfectly with that mint and it appeared prominently on his neck.

 It was like she’d found her own nirvana. Every single cell in her body was awake and alive in the best way. When Harry pulled off to the side, into a small deserted car parking area, disappointment coursed through her. 

 Harry steady the bike, knocking down the kickstand before killing the engine. “You should get off first.” 

 “Right.” Ginny had been so content that the idea of stopping had never crossed her mind. She put her right leg down on the gravel before lifting her left. Fuck! She was sore, much more than she’d expected. 

 Harry gave her a sympathetic look as he got off the machine. “Takes some getting used to.” He moved stiffly, which made Ginny feel better about her bandy-legged walk. “You can take the helmet off if you want.” 

 Ginny’s fingers came up to touch the cool plastic headgear. “I’d forgotten I had it on.”  

 Harry laughed as he untied his strap. “At first it’s such a weird sensation like someone engorged your head, but then you get used to it.” 

 “My brothers always said I should have a bigger head, with my temper and cheek.” Ginny tried to undo the knot Harry had tied earlier, but her fingers were numb from the cold air. 

 Harry put his helmet down on the seat, a warm smile spreading across his lips as he saw her struggle. “Here, let me.” 

 For the second time that day, his fingers brushed against her skin. Though his fingers were chilled, heat spread from every spot he touched. 

 “There you go.” Harry lifted the helmet off her head. 

 Ginny could feel the static generated from her hair and knew she must look a fright. She brought her fingers up to comb through the mess. “Well, now, I think you just made me wear that thing so someone’s hair would be as untidy as yours.” 

 Harry laughed as he put her helmet beside his. “You caught me. I used safety as an excuse to make someone match my look. You’re too clever for your own good.”

 “Just remember that in the future. You can’t fool a Weasley.” 

 “I’ll keep that in mind.” Harry turned back towards her, his lips twisted in amusement. “But what else should I know about dealing with a Weasley?” 

 They started walking up the well-worn path towards the ruins at the top of the hill.“Oh you know, the usual.” Ginny started ticking off fingers. “Never leave a Weasley unattended with a niffler, never challenge a Weasley and expect to win, always make sure your Weasley is well-fed, and of course, never get a Weasley wet if you can’t handle the consequences. ” 

 Harry tripped over his own feet. “ Uh -- wet?” 

 Ginny laughed. “Yeah, I’m a master in water wars. My twin brothers bought some muggle toys that are basically like -” 

 In a sudden moment of clarity, Ginny realized what she had said, and why it had tripped Harry up. “Oh!” She could feel heat spreading across her cheeks, but instead of giving in to the urge to jump off the nearby cliff, Ginny gave Harry’s shoulder a little push. Because he hadn’t been expecting her attack, Harry stumbled sideways before recovering. He turned to look at her. “I wasn’t referring to that, you dirty man.” 

 Harry blushed matched her hair. “Right.”

 Ginny then did something that surprised even her. She ran her finger along his arm. “But either way, the statement stands if you want to find out the consequences.” 

 Harry’s jaw dropped as his blush deepened. “W - I -” 

 Laughing, Ginny pointed up to the old ruin on the hill. “So have you been here before, or are you as lost as I am?” 

 “I -” He cleared his throat. “I’ve been here a few times. It’s somewhere I like to come and think.”

 “And yet you’ve brought me?”  

 “Well, I figured, if it’s a good place to sit and think that it might be the perfect place to sit and chat.”

 “And what, pray tell, did you want to talk about?” 

 Harry’s hand came up to rub the back of his neck. “Uh - I didn’t have an agenda or something. I just really like talking with you.”

 Ginny sent him a devious smile. “Why Potter, are you flirting with me?”

 He lowered his hand, stopping beside the old stonewall fence that surrounded the building. She watched his eyes, a mixture of emotions and thoughts seemed to be crossing his mind. “I -” A  shy grin came to his lips. “And if I was? What would you do about it?” 

 “Well, now, is that a challenge?” She moved in close, bringing her hand up to cup the back of his head, letting her fingers thread through those messy locks she was obsessed with. Cedarwood, which was quickly becoming one of her favorite scents, filled her lungs again. 

 His Adam’s Apple bobbed as his breath hitched “Maybe I was.” 

 She leaned up onto her toes, bringing their eyes, and lips, level. “Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” In a quick motion that would have made an auror proud, Ginny drew her wand and cast a silent Aguamenti. The cold spray hit him right in the gut. Harry yelped in surprise, falling backward onto the grass. 

 “I told you never to challenge a Weasley.” Ginny laughed at the flabbergasted look on his face. 

 “Really?” Harry’s shock looked shifted to amusement. “Well, I learned my lesson.” He held up a hand. “Care to lend me a hand?” 

 The moment their hands connect, Ginny realized her mistake. Harry held her palm tight, as he pulled her down beside him. She landed on the grass, her knee connecting with a rock. 

 “Ow!” She rolled onto her back. 

 Harry was instantly hoving over you. “Fuck! Did I hurt you?” His eyes scanned across her body as if looking for a broken limb or gushing blood. His body heat made the pleasant spring air like it was mid-July. Ginny couldn’t seem to get enough air, at least air that wasn’t overpowered with his intoxicating scent. 

 “I -- I’m fine,” Ginny grunted “Though I am having a hard time breathing now. Could you get off of me?”

 “Hard time brea - Oh shit!” Harry scrambled to his feet. “Sorry, Ginny. Here.” He extended his hand for the second time. 

 Ginny studied it with comedic caution. “Why should I trust you this time?” 

 Harry rolled his eyes. “I can’t pull you to the ground when you’re already there, now can I?”

 “Good point.” Ginny took his offering. She knew he was strong, but she hadn’t realized just how much upper body strength he had. He pulled her right to her feet with enough power that she flew into his chest. She had seen him shirtless in the locker room after practice, so she knew he was well-toned, but to feel it up close and personal was different. The urge to run her hands all across his chest was nearly impossible to ignore. 

 But she managed to disregard the temptation, instead, pulling away from his body. His hands, which had repositioned to her hips when she crashed landed into him, ran across her jacket hem before flopping to his side. “I - sorry.” When he spoke this time, it was more of a husky whisper.  

 “I’m not.” The words slipped out of her mouth before her mind could catch up. Instantly she knew her cheeks had changed color to match her hair. She forced a laugh through her embarrassment “I mean, how often does a girl get a bloke to sweep her up like that.” 

 “Well, are you sure you’re okay?” Harry asked, his eyes roaming across her body again.

 Ginny held her arms out wide. “Do I look okay?” Harry mumbled something Ginny couldn’t hear. “What was that, Harry?”

 “I said you’re looking incredible, not just okay,” Harry muttered the words only slightly louder this time, his cheeks changing to light pink. 

 “Well, now.” Ginny smirked, her arms falling back to her sides. “Nothing to worry about then, but just in case.”  His words had encouraged her to follow her friend’s instructions about staying close and personal. She moved in so she could hook her arm around his. “I’ll stay close so you can keep an eye on me.” 

 Harry’s mouth fell open for only a moment before he snapped his jaw closed and smiled. “Safety first.” 

 “That’s right. So lead the way, Potter.”

[janethepegasus]

BMC Miraculous Ladybug AU RP Thing: The Platonic Marriage

A RP Thing related to the BMC Miraculous Ladybug AU ( @pika-ace ) and this is the moment where ERIC AND JORDAN GET FUCKING MARRIED. YEAH BOIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!

(Eric is sitting in his dressing room, dressed in his suit, staring at the floor; the ceremony is going to begin very soon)

(He looks a little nervous, fidgeting his fingers a little)

(Just then there's a knock on the door) Jeremy: Hey, it's me...can I come in?

Eric: ....Sure.

(Jeremy opens the door, walks in, and closes the door; he's dressed in his nice suit too) Jeremy: Hey...how you doing?

Eric: .....Fine....

Jeremy: I...don't think so. *walks towards him* Nervous?

Eric: .....*sighs* Very.

(Jeremy nods and sits next to him) Jeremy: It's gonna be great. Everyone's real happy for you two

Eric: I know but.....i-i still can't believe this is actually happening....

Eric: Back when I was marrying Keira...I remember saying to myself that this is the biggest change you'll ever have in your life...I never expected to find myself back in this same position after all this time...

Jeremy: Hey, back then, you never expected all of this to happen! You just thought that....that was it! Just a happy life with you and Keira! But.....it didn't really turn out that way, huh?

Eric: No...at first it was pure bliss...but then...you know how it ended...

Jeremy: Yeah.....

Eric: I guess, I...I'm scared Jeremy...what if...it happens again...? W-What if I'm cursed to never be happy and lose those I hold dear...?

(Jeremy wraps his arm around Eric, looking at him)

Jeremy: You're not, Eric. You of all people deserve to be happy. And I know you CAN be happy with Jordan. Jordan would move PLANETS for you and he would keep you safe from ANYTHING, no matter what. You two deserve each other, and you deserve to live out the rest of your lives as a loving platonic couple. No doubt.

Jeremy: You're lucky to have a guy like him Eric, he wouldn't trade ya for ANYTHING in the world.

Eric: ...I suppose you're right Jeremy... Jeremy: And no need to worry about an akuma crashing the wedding; we got all our Miraculous at the ready and our Kwamis are gonna keep a look out. ;)

Jeremy: We don't want that bird brain to ruin your big day. ;)

Eric: He better not...then I’ll KNOW that I’m cursed to be miserable...

Jeremy: Yeah, we don't want that to happen!

Jeremy: ...I’m really happy for you, Dad :)

(Eric smiles at Jeremy)

(He puts his arm around him and pulls him into a side hug, kissing his temple)

Eric: Thank you son.....

Jeremy: No problem Dad... :) (Meanwhile, in Jordan’s room, he’s leaning on a dresser and looking at himself in the mirror, trying to keep his nervousness down)

Jordan: *to himself* Jordan, just calm down, you'll do great out there. You're gonna get married to Eric.....your best friend in the whole damn world.......just calm yourself, calm down, calm down, calm down......!

(There's a knock at the door; Jordan jumps and whirls around to see Jo peeking in) Jo: Mind if I pop in?

Jordan: Sure.

(Jo enters and closes the door, wearing a blue dress) Jordan: *chuckles* I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing you in girl clothes.

Jo: Nope! I rarely go back to my roots but it doesn't hurt to try!

Jo: But enough about me, you're the one who's clearly nervous about this ;)

Jordan: N-No i'm not!

Jo: Jordan, your hands are shaking like autumn leaves, and I know better than anyone that you get nervous when stuff involves people you care about. :3

Jordan: .....Y-You're right.....i can't lie to a close friend like you....

Jo: You're not that good at lying to begin with. *Jordan gives her a look* Hey, it just means your an honest man, that's a good thing!

Jordan: *nods* Yeah.....i rarely lie at all.....but....y-yeah.....i am nervous....

Jo: *sits and gestures for Jordan to sit next to her* Well c'mon, tell me about it.

(Jordan sits down next to Jo)

Jo: So? What's eatin' ya? Jordan: *sighs* I guess...just the fact that it's Eric that I'm marrying...god that still feels so weird to say...I'm marrying ERIC...

Jo: It's a PLATONIC wedding Jordan! It's not like it'd your typical ROMANTIC wedding!

Jordan: I know! I've accepted that part, and I'm so glad that I'm able to marry Eric without forcing him into a romantic relationship! I just...I wanna be good enough for him, Jo. Eric's been through so much in his life, and the stuff with Keira and Kean...it's still a touchy subject for him. I wanna give Eric the best life he could ever ask for...and I'm just afraid that...what if I'm not enough?

Jordan: What if....somewhere down the road.....things don't go well.....what if we break up?! What if we- (Jo wraps her arm around Jordan)

Jo: Hey hey hey, calm down Jordan, breathe.

(Jordan takes a couple of breaths)

Jo: That ain't gonna happen. Hell I betcha anything Eric is worried about the same thing. And yeah, you might have a couple fights down the road, but that's just a part of marriage. If the two of you can fight but still love each other in the end, then you know it's meant to be. And besides, Eric knows he can trust you with anything; you've only saved his life over a dozen times ;)

Jordan: Heh, yeah. My little peach keeps getting himself into trouble....

Jo: Eric knows how far you'd go for him and he's stayed by your side regardless. This is the right choice for both of you, I know it.

Jordan: *smiles* Thanks Jo.....

Jo: No problem. *straightens his tie* Now, in a few minutes, you're gonna go into that sanctuary and Eric's gonna walk down that aisle. You're gonna take his hands, look him in the eyes, recite your vows and pledge yourself to the man you love and you're not gonna break a sweat, get me? ;)

Jordan: Yeah....it'll do my best.

Jo: I know you will, and Eric will too.

Jordan: Yeah....

(Just then there's a knock on the door and Tobias peeks in) Tobias: It's about that time. You ready, Jordan?

Jordan: *nods* Y-Yeah....i-i'm ready.... Jo: Good luck! ;)

(Jordan takes a deep breath and walks out of the room)

(At the sanctuary, Jordan walks out and walks down the long carpet, where everyone is smiling at him)

(Jordan reaches the alter where Joe is waiting and stands in place)

Joe: *whispers to Jordan* You're gonna do great, Jordan.

Jordan: *whispers* Thanks... (He takes a deep breath as everyone stands up and Eric is led down the aisle with Tobias, along with Michael as the ring bearer and Jane and Kirsty as the flower girls)

(Eric walks up to the alter and looks at Jordan)

(They look at each other and beam at each other, both their hearts pounding)

Jordan: *internally* Just calm yourself Jordan.....just relax....don't get too nervous.....

Eric: *internally* You can do this Eric...you can do this...

(They take a deep breath, and they finally calmed themselves)

Joe: I think that's my cue. (Eric and Jordan nod and Joe begins) Joe: Dearly beloved and honored guests, we are gathered here today to unite both these men in the bonds of holy matrimony...

(The ceremony goes on perfectly, until finally the time comes) Joe: Do you Jordan Ellis, take this man, Eric Williams to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, to love, honor and obey, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself solely unto him for as long as you both shall live?

Jordan: I do.

Joe: And do you Eric Williams, take this man, Jordan Ellis to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, to love, honor and obey, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself solely unto him for as long as you both shall live?

Eric: I do.

Joe: If there are any objections to this union, please speak now or forever hold your peace.

(No one says anything)

Joe: Now, the rings please. (Michael steps up and Jordan takes the two rings)

(Jordan puts the silver ring with the Azurite on Eric's finger)

Eric: *whispers while tearing up* Jordan...it's beautiful...

Jordan: *whispers* I know....i made them myself. ;)

(Eric smiles and puts the ring with the ruby on Jordan's finger, the two of them clasping their hands together) Joe: By the power vested in me, I know pronounce you, life partners.

Joe: You may now kiss.

(Jordan and Eric come forward, tears in their eyes as they come together and kiss before hugging tightly)

(Everyone gets up and claps and cheers for the newly wed platonic couple) Jane: *tears up* I can't believe this all started with a simple mention. :)

Kirsty: *tears up* I know...the platonic ship has sailed :)

Jane: I'm so happy for them! (tears start to flow down her face)

Kirsty: Me too!! *clings to Jane*

(Jeremy looks at Eric and Jordan, tearing up) Jeremy: *tears up* I'm so proud of you dad....

Michael: *hugs the pillow that used to have the rings, tearing up* This is the best...!

Tobias: *tears up* I'm so proud of my students..... :)

Joe: *wipes a tear away* They grow up so fast...

(Everyone else was tearing up for them as well, happy for the newly weds)

(Jordan and Eric are still hugging, tears leaking from their eyes) Eric: We did it...

Jordan: We really did it....

Jordan: How do you feel...?

Eric: ....Happy. :')

Eric: ...Happier than...I've ever felt in my entire life... :')

Jordan: ....Me too.... :')

(They pull apart slightly for another kiss)

(They held the kiss for bit, tears flowing down from their eyes, and then they broke the kiss)

Eric: *softly* I love you...so much...

Jordan: *softly* Love you too.....my beautiful peach....

(Jordan holds Eric's face tenderly and they kiss again)

Joe: *tears up* I'm so proud of them....

Tobias: *nods, still tearing up* I just know they're going to be so happy together..

Joe: *tears up* Indeed.

(They watch as Jordan and Eric break their kiss and Jeremy and Michael run up, making a group hug)

Jeremy: *sobbing* I'm so proud of you dad!

Michael: *crying* I never thought this day would come, but it did and it's amazing!!

Eric: *tearing up* Yes it was....!

Jordan: *tearing up* And all it took was you two and your friends messing around with that shipping of yours X'D

Jeremy: *sobbing* Yeah! But you guys did it! :'D

Michael: Now our two dads are finally married! :'D

Eric: *tearing up* Y-Yeah.....now we're together......

Jordan: Together for as long as we both shall live... (They clasp hands, their rings sparking on their fingers)

[stingrayaffection]

21st // Tyler Carter

(creds to gif owner)

Rating: PG-13 (making out, drugs, alcohol)

Word Count: 1.6k

Request: Nope!

Summary: Tyler throws you a 21st birthday at his house

“I’m here!” 

I sent the text quickly after I pulled into Tyler’s driveway, grabbing my bag off the passenger seat and beginning to step out of my car. I heard the door to the house open and turned to see Tyler running towards me.

“Happy birthday baby!” He smiled, taking me in his arms and swinging me around on the gravel of the driveway. I laughed, holding onto him for dear life until he placed me back down on the ground.

He leaned down, planting a kiss on my lips quickly before grabbing my hand and practically tugging me towards the entrance. “Why are we in such a rush.” I giggled, trying to keep up with him so he didn’t pull my arm off.

He didn’t answer, but instead opened the door to the house and rushed me in. The screams of “Happy Birthdays!” and “Surprise!” scared me, making me jump back into Tyler’s chest, his laugh radiating through the air.

When I began to process it, my hand flew up to my mouth, seeing all the friends I’ve made over the 2 years of dating Tyler all standing before me, red cups in the hands and their arms open.

I let go of Tyler’s hand, hugging everyone. All the boys, Andrea (Nylo), Lynn, Andy, and so much more people. I was thanking everyone, taking pictures, and just having a quick talk between new and old friends. After I made it through everyone Tyler was back to my side, yelling about something.

“My baby’s gonna have her first legal drink!” He laughed, dragging me over to the kitchen. Everyone began crowding around. Tyler pulled me up onto the counter and pulled out a plastic shot glass.

“Give her the tequila, chicks dig that.” Michael pointed out, handing Tyler over the bottle of tequila. I watched as Tyler messily poured the tequila in the shot glass and handed it over to me. 

“Get it babe!” He shouted, watching me down the shot and cheering along with everyone else in the room. I laughed, scrunching up my nose and wiping the corner of my mouth. “How was it?” He asked at a normal volume, coming in towards me with a bottle of something else, it was amber colored.

“That was actually really good.” I laughed, wrapping my legs around him where he situated himself in between my legs while I sat on the counter. “What’s that?” I asked looking down at the bottle in his hand. 

He held it up, “Whiskey, this one’s next, but I don't want you to go too fast. Can’t have you drunk just yet, the party just started.”

“Tyler,” I laughed, “that’s the point, now pour me some.” I almost demanded, but he quickly complied, picking my shot glass back up and pouring the liquid in. I smiled, graciously taking the cup from his warm hands and putting it between my lips, downing the smooth liquid quickly. I hummed at the warmth that ran through my chest. 

Tyler smiled up at me, setting the bottle on the counter and wrapping his arms around my waist, my arms making their way to his shoulders. I leaned down, his lips reaching mine as we kissed. The kiss didn’t last long since I started smiling like a doofus, my forehead resting on Tylers while I laughed to myself.

“What’s so funny?” He chuckled, looking me in the eyes. He pulled our heads apart, watching as I almost broke down into laughter.

I shrugged, taking a deep breath in and composing myself before I hopped off the counter. “I just can’t believe you got so many of my friends to come celebrate me getting drunk off my ass.” I smiled, opening the fridge door and taking a look, settling for a bottle of Corona. 

With a shit eating grin I handed the bottle over to Tyler, who skillfully opened the bottle and took a quick sip before handing the bottle back over to me and throwing an arm over my shoulders. “Anything for you.” He smiled, leading us into the living room where a table was set up and red cups were being placed.

“Oh my gosh, let’s play!” I yelled, setting my beer bottle down on some random surface before getting to one side of the table. “Me and Andrea versus Tyler and Michael!” I laughed, pulling Andrea by my side and watching Tyler shake his head, pulling Michael over. “Make sure we play the fun way,” I said, winking over at Tyler before Andrea and I went to find the package of ping pong balls.

The fun way, Tyler and I liked to play, was having all the perimeter cups filled with beer, but the middle cup was filled with either Black or Vodka, whichever we could get our hands on. Usually, that’s the cup Tyler and I aimed for first.

When we came back with the ping pong balls Tyler and Michael had just finished pouring the drinks, beer cans littered on the sides of the table. “Ready to lose?” Tyler smirked, grabbing the ping pong ball from my hand, positioning himself at the end of the table, aiming perfectly in the center before he bounced the ball across the table.

There were celebratory shots after Andrea and I won, the warm whiskey gliding down my throat easily, setting down the shot glass and getting tugged closer into Tyler’s side. I smiled, leaning my head on his shoulder, looking up with a big smile. “Thanks for this.” I smiled, humming into his skin and wrapping my arms around his neck. He smiled, shaking his head.

“Anything for the birthday girl.” He smirked, placing a soft kiss on my lips. “Now, we have a surprise for you.” He grabbed my hand, leading me through the crowd of people setting up a new game of beer pong and walking up the stairs to his bedroom where I heard people talking and walking around.

When tyler opened the door to his bedroom I was instantly greeted with a cloud of smoke. A smile made its way to my face, walking with tyler to the side of his bed where Michael was sitting with filled bowl in one hand and a lighter in the other hand.

“For the birthday girl.” Michael smiled, passing the bowl over along with the lighter. I smiled, thanking him and quickly taking a look around the room, only the guys and their girlfriends were here, sitting around talking, most likely high off their asses. Tyler grabbed the lighter from my hand, waiting for me to put my lips against the bowl. I faced him, lips on the bowl, covering the small hole on the side, looking up at Tyler who was lighting the bud at the top.

I inhaled deeply, the smoke entering my lungs as I held my breath, passing the still lit bowl over to Tyler who took a deep inhale in, finishing off what was left of the first light. Everyone began talking again and I let out my breath, Tyler following and beginning to light the bowl again.

We spent about a half and hour just lighting up with the guys and their girls, laughing at stupid shit, and just talking about anything and everything. Michael went down to check up on everyone frequently, make sure no one was breaking shit. I was leaning into Tyler, my legs draped across this thighs and I hugged him close. 

“I’m having such a good time.” I smiled, looking up at him as he placed a kiss on my lips. I smiled as he pulled away, tapping my legs and beginning to stand up with him, letting him bring us downstairs and into the kitchen 

“We’re gonna start kicking people out soon, so I’m gonna need you to drink this water for me, alright babe?” He said, pulling out a water bottle from the fridge and opening it before handing it towards me. I scrunched my nose but drank the water anyway, killing off at least half the bottle. I followed Tyler to the living room where he started telling people it was time to leave. I got hugs and a bunch of cards and gifts on their way out. I thanked everyone and shut the door when the last person left, sighing with a smile before taking another big gulp of my water bottle. Tyler appeared from upstairs, where he was clearing out the guys from his room and situating them somewhere else in the house. 

“Ready for bed?” He asked, stacking all the empty cups on the table neatly and setting them off to the side, probably waiting until tomorrow to clean up fully, more focused on heading upstairs and into bed. I nodded, finishing off the water bottle and setting it down next to the cups on the table, grabbing his hand and following him back upstairs into the bedroom. 

I took no time removing my clothes and tossing them in a pile next to his. I walked over to where he was undressing and wrapped my arms around him from behind, my hands playing with the waistband of his jeans as I kissed along his shoulder blades.

“I think I deserve some birthday sex, right Carter?” I asked, humming against his back and pulling him in closer. I could feel him shake his head and I pouted on his skin. 

“You’re completely drunk babe, maybe tomorrow morning if you're still feeling it.” I turned in my arms, placing a sweet kiss on my lips before tapping my butt and leading me to my side of the bed where I practically collapsed, eyes closing at the soft blanket and instantly curling up.

“Okay baby, I’m fine with getting my present a little later.” I smiled before my eyes closed and I fell asleep.