#caine was on something when she made him and i am banging my head on a wall

[camelspit]

christopher wolfe the only character ever

[fxckadoodledoomunson]

Negligence |Part 6|

Previous

Summary: It’s been over a month since you and Eddie agreed to keep your distance from one another. But when an incident occurs at Family Video, you feel conflicted about your decision.

Warnings: swearing, smoking, underage drinking.

Tagged: @ali-r3n @somethingvicked @booksarekindaneat @tlclick73 @luvingdreams @sadbitchfangirl @lacrymosa-24 @emotionaldreamer @lail1010 @wh0reforbucknasty @thegreatbossjr @rupsmorge @siriuslysmoking @digital-charlie @decadentwombatmiracle @eris-rose-86 @savagejane1 @its-quinns-bread @allagogtoreblog

Author’s Note: Hi! I’m sorry for not updating in a while. Been having massive writer’s block, and I had to rewrite this chapter as I wasn’t satisfied with the previous attempts.

“And smile,” your mother said, as she held the Polaroid camera to her face, taking a couple of photos of Mary and Jason in their prom outfits, while Cain smiled at the couple, as he wiped a tear away. “You look so beautiful, darling,” he commented.

Meanwhile, you were in the kitchen, finishing your dinner before heading back to work. You had decided not to go to prom so Mary could go with Jason, even though they wanted you to come too. However, you swapped shifts with Steve, so he could do something before going with Robin and Vickie.

You were straightening your badge and got off your chair. You then grabbed your bag, as you called out, “I’m off now.”

You were about to head out when Mary call out, “Hey! You’re not leaving until you have a picture with us.”

You rolled your eyes, before letting out a giggle as you went into the living room and stood next to Mary. You then smiled for the camera, as your mother took the photos. After the photos were taken, Mary asked you, “Do you really need to work tonight? Come to prom with us. I’m sure Keith can manage.”

“I wish I could, but I still have to cover Steve’s shift. Apparently he’s got to do something before taking Robin and Vickie,”you replied.

“Well, I can drop you off on the way there,” Jason offered.

“Thanks, but I can cycle.”

“Be careful,” your dad chimed in. You nodded, saying goodbye your family and Jason, before telling him and Mary, “Have fun tonight.”

The couple thanked you, as you headed for the door.

Not long after you had arrived back at work, you were setting yourself up at the counter when Keith came out, wearing a tuxedo, carrying a box. “A bit overdressed for the rest of the shift,” you joked.

“Very funny, Cinderella,” Keith retorted, as he was about to leave when you called out, “Uh, hold on! You’re not really going to prom, are you?”

Instead of answering you, Keith started walking out, humming.

“Hey! You can’t expect me to serve the customers on my own.” As soon as Keith left and got in a car with Ally, you groaned, as you started banging your head on the counter. “Great,” you sarcastically muttered, as you lifted your head up when a couple of customers entered the store.

An hour or so later, Jason and Mary had finished slow dancing and made their way to a table, Mary was greeted by Steve, Robin and Vickie, before waving at Nancy, who was with Jonathan and his friend from Lenora Hills, Argyle. Earlier, Steve had picked up Jonathan and Argyle at the airport, so Jonathan could surprise Nancy. They approached a table, and sat with Andy and Chance. “I can’t believe Patrick didn’t come tonight,” Andy said loudly over the music. “He’s missing out.” Suddenly, a couple of girls from the cheer team went up to Andy and Chance, asking for a dance, which they accepted.

After the boys joined the girls on the dance floor, Jason and Mary watched them, when she asked, “You’re okay…with Patrick being with Chrissy?”

Jason smiled, as he responded, “Yeah, I am.”

Mary tilted her head, as she continued to ask, “So, have they actually…?”

“They haven’t exactly said, but if they do tell me that they’re together, they’ll have my blessing.”

As he put his hand on top of hers, Jason told her, “I’m glad that you came with me tonight.”

Mary smiled, as she replied, “Me too. Months ago, I never thought that I would end up going to senior prom with you, let alone date you.”

Jason chuckled, before telling her, “Yet here we are.”

Mary laughed, before he leaned closer to her, as they both shared a kiss, only to be cut short by a sound of a slap. They turned to find an angry Ally stomping away from Keith. “What the hell?” Mary exclaimed.

“Why’s he here?” Jason asked. “I thought he was working tonight.”

Mary was about to go up to Keith, only to be stopped by Jason when they saw Keith take a swig from his flask. “I hope he’s not gonna do something stupid tonight,” Mary muttered.

A few moments later, you were serving Chrissy and Barnaby, who were renting The Black Cauldron, as some of the other customers had left with their rentals.

As you were checking out the tape, Chrissy said, “You must’ve served half of Hawkins tonight.”

“Yeah, no thanks to Keith,” you replied.

“Still can’t believe Keith left you to do the shift by yourself.”

“I still can’t believe that he’s got a date for prom. I’m pretty sure that he bribed Ally to go with him.”

After checking out the tape, you passed it to Chrissy, who gave you the money for the rental, as you asked her, “So, you’re really not upset about not going to prom?”

Chrissy shook her head, before replying, “After what happened with me and Eddie, we didn’t deserve to go. Besides…” Chrissy had put her arm around her little brother, as she continued to speak, while tussling his hair. “I get to have a movie night with this little guy.”

“And Patrick too,” Barnaby blurted, as he moved her hand away.

“Oh,” you exclaimed, you gave her a surprised look. “Jason didn’t say that Patrick wasn’t going.”

“It was a last minute decision,” Chrissy replied, when you noticed Barnaby was making kissy face behind Chrissy’s back, causing you to let out a giggle. As soon as she turned to him, Barnaby stopped, expressing a mischievous smile.

Chrissy shifted her attention back to you, as she said, “We better get going, before he gets more mischievous.”

She had put her arm around Barnaby, as they were leaving when Chrissy stopped and turned to you, and told you, “Listen, I know you guys aren’t talking anymore, but I thought you should know that Eddie misses you.”

Your face fell, hearing her comment. Ever since you and Eddie had agreed to keep your distance, you tried your best to avoid any conversations involving him, and the places you would go with him, even the Hideout. You were about to say something when Chrissy elaborated, “He didn’t actually say, but I’ve seen the way he looks at you in class.”

You silently looked down at the counter, whilst fidgeting with the stacks of returned tapes, wondering if what she said was true.

“I’m sorry,” Chrissy began to apologise. “I shouldn’t have said-“

“Don’t worry about it,” you softly replied, as you shook your head.

As you looked back up, Chrissy gave you a small smile, before saying goodbye to you.

As soon as they left, you rested your chin on the stacks as you sighed when you heard Barnaby clamouring, “Chrissy and Patrick, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-“

“Stop!” You heard Chrissy cry, making you giggle, as you sat up and picked the tapes up. After you had rewind some of the tapes, you had put them in their designated shelves. After putting the last video tape on the shelf in the science fiction section, you couldn’t help but look at The Planet of the Apes cover. You picked it up, as thought about the first time you watched it with Eddie, reminiscing about how he would make you laugh by re-enacting the ending scene. You thought about that memory when you thought about Chrissy’s comment. Does he really miss me? You shook your head, before putting the tape back on the shelf. You then went over to the drama section and picked up Nineteen Eighty Four, deciding to play it during your shift.

After you took the tape out of its cover and put it in the VCR player, you sat down on the stool and grabbed the controller, before pressing the play button, waiting for the film to start when you heard the bell ring at the door, making you get off the stool, as you began to greet, “Welcome to Family Vi-“

You froze when you saw Eddie standing in front of the counter, holding a tape.

For the first time in over a month, you were facing him. Trying your best to be professional, you cleared your throat, before asking him, “How can I help?”

Instead of answering you, Eddie looked at the video cover and smirked, as he picked it up. “Trust you to pick a dystopian movie on your shift,” he lightly chuckled. “Last I remember, you picked Soylent Green-“

Eddie paused as he watched you give him a stern look, making his smile drop. As he placed the cover back on the counter, he cleared his throat. “I’m just…returning…” He hesitated, as he put down his copy of Nightmare on Elm Street. You took the tape, trying to avoid eye contact with him. You then checked if the tape had been rewound. After seeing it had been, you checked it in when Eddie spoke, “It’s quiet tonight. I thought the place would be packed with half of Hawkins.”

He quietly chuckled, as he watched you typing on the database.

He sighed as you continued to avoid meeting his gaze. He had no idea that you were working. If it weren’t for the fact that the rental was due, he would’ve come back another day, saving you the trouble of seeing him.

Eddie gulped, and began to speak, “Look-“

Suddenly, the electricity went out in the store. Eddie heard you swear, as he padded closer to the counter, only to hear your footsteps move further away. He leaned over, as he called your name when he heard a loud bang. “Shit!” You shouted from the back room.

A worried Eddie looked up at the door, and rushed into the back room. After he took out his lighter and flipped the lid off, lighting it up, he began searching the room when he found you squatting down on the floor, looking for something.

“Where’s the flashlight?” You growled, “Why can’t Keith put things where they belong?”

“You okay?” Eddie asked, before realising that Keith wasn’t here. “Where’s Keith anyway?”

You quickly turned your head to face him for a second, before turning back to look for the flashlight, as you mumbled, having no choice but to answer him, “He’s at the prom.”

Eddie’s eyes widened, as he asked, “What? You’ve been working on your own this whole time?”

You didn’t respond. You continued to search for the flashlight when you heard Eddie sigh, before hearing his footsteps move away from you. You turned around again, finding Eddie opening the fuse box with his free hand, before he slipped the switches, bringing the electricity back.

“And then God said let there be light,” Eddie dramatically cried. He then chuckled as he flipped the lid back on his lighter. As he turned around, his smile dropped when he noticed a cut on one side of your forehead. “What?” You asked, looking confused, when Eddie suddenly grabbed your shoulders and gently sat you down on the chair, as he asked, “Where’s the first aid kit?” You silently turned your head to the cupboard, and you were about to get up and get the first aid kit when Eddie stopped you. “No, you sit, I’ll get it,” Eddie said, before going to the cupboard and picked up the first aid kit. You lightly touched your head, and winced. As you looked down at blood on your fingertips, you thought, Shit, I must’ve cut my head when something fell off the shelf.

After grabbing what he needed, Eddie squatted in front of you and took out a disinfected wipe, before he started gently dab it on your wound, making you wince.

Eddie apologised, as he continued to dab the wipe on your forehead, when he began speak, “Can’t believe Keith left you on your own.”

You glanced down at the floor, biting your lip when Eddie mumbled, “When I see that asshole, I’m kicking his ass.”

You gave a small smile, as you looked up to glance back when Eddie quickly looked down, tearing a plaster out of the cover and stuck it onto your wound, as he said, “There we go.”

He was about to tousle your hair when he stopped and refrained himself.

“Thanks,” you mumbled, as you were about to stand up when Eddie stopped you, “Woah! I think you should stay still for a while,” he told you, as he had his hands on your shoulders.

You moved his hands away, as you retorted, “I’m fine.”

You stood up and took a step forward when you started to feel wobbly. Eddie held onto you, steadying you, as he sat you on the chair. “Easy, sweetheart,” Eddie softly spoke, as he lightly rubbed your shoulder.

“Do you need me to drive you to the hospital?” He asked, as he squatted in front of you.

You silently shook your head, when he suggested, “Well, maybe I can take you home. I’ll let Harrington and Buckley know what happened-“

“I’m fine,” you snapped as you glared at him. Eddie’s eyes darkened, as he angrily muttered, “Fine.” He stood up straight and turned away from you, before walking away, as he continued to mutter, “Don’t come crying to me when something else falls on your head.” Your eyes softened, feeling guilty for shouting at him, while Eddie stormed out. “Eddie-“ you called out when you heard the bell ring. You leaned forward, covering your face and started to quietly sob.

Back outside, a grumbling Eddie stormed towards his van and opened his door, before getting inside. He was about to switch on the ignition when he heard the radio from another vehicle, belonging to a kissing couple, started playing Chicago’s Hard Habit To Break. He then looked up at the store, face softening, as tears fell down on his cheeks, before he pressed his forehead against the steering wheel, sobbing, wishing that he could take back what he said.

Meanwhile in the storeroom, you heard a vehicle driving off. You had wanted to keep your distance from Eddie, but with him leaving the way he did, you began to realise how much you missed him. Your thoughts broke when you heard the bell ring again. Assuming it was a customer coming in, you called out, “I’ll be with you in a few minutes.” You wiped your tears away, as you got up to get a tissue from the toilet when you felt wobbly again, before your vision started getting blurry. You faintly heard someone calling your name, before you started losing consciousness…

“Has she had any previous head injuries?”

“Well, she, uh…hit her head at school awhile ago, but I don’t think she went to the hospital for it.”

You fluttered your eyes open, finding yourself in a hospital bed, before shifting your attention to Eddie talking to the nurse.

“Will she be okay?” You heard Eddie ask with concern in his voice.

“We’re still waiting for the results,” the nurse informed him.

“Eddie?” You croaked, as you slowly sat up. Eddie turned around and realised that you were awake. As he went over to sit down beside you, he softly greeted you, “Hey sweetheart, how are you feeling?”

You rubbed your eyes, as you asked hoarsely, “How long have I been here?”

“Several hours,” Eddie replied, as the nurse approached you.

“You were lucky that your boyfriend was there when you fainted,” the nurse told you, as she checked your fluids.

Boyfriend? You thought, as you watched her walk away. You were about to tell her that he wasn’t your boyfriend, when Eddie asked, “When’s she allowed to leave?”

“Like I said, we’re still waiting for the results,” she replied. “But if she starts vomiting or anything like that, let us know immediately.”

Eddie nod at the nurse, before she left the room.

You noticed that Eddie kept yawning. “Have you been here all night?” You asked.

“Pretty much,” Eddie replied, as he stretched his legs, before he checked his watch, and continued to reply, “Had only a couple of hours of sleep.”

You gasped, only realising that you’ve been in bed overnight. “Shit,” you exclaimed. “The video store-“

“Don’t worry. I called your folks and your dad locked up for you.”

You sighed, before mumbling, “That’s a relief. Otherwise, Keith would’ve been pissed.”

“I don’t think that you need to worry about Keith. He’s got bigger problems right now.”

You furrowed your brows, as you asked, “What do you mean?”

Eddie sighed, as he stood up. “You’ll probably see for yourself later,” Eddie said. “You’ve got Mary and Carver waiting outside, I’ll get them now.”

You tried to speak when Eddie left the room. You sighed, as you heard the door open once more. Mary and Jason came in, still wearing their prom outfits. “Hey,” Mary greeted you, as she and Jason sat beside you. “How are you feeling?” She asked, as she took your hand.

“I’m okay,” you croaked. “Have you guys been here all night too?”

“Yeah. Mostly went to cafeteria and got coffee for Eddie while he insisted on staying with you.” Mary explained that your dad had left a note, which Steve and Robin found, about you going the to hospital.

“Munson explained how it happened,” Jason said. “You were lucky that he was there when he was.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Mary chimed. “If Keith had been at work instead of prom, you wouldn’t be here.”

“Eddie said that Keith has bigger problems, what did he mean by that?” You asked.

Jason and Mary explained that Keith and Ally had a fall out, because he kept talking about Nancy and by the time Higgins had announced Prom King, who was unsurprisingly Jason, and Prom Queen, to everyone’s surprise, was Nancy, Keith had stumbled onto the stage, drunkenly professing his love for eldest Wheeler, before he fell off the stage and hurt himself.

“Shit, is he okay?” You asked.

Before any of them could answer, you heard a familiar male voice yell, “My head!”

“Was that…?” You began to ask.

“Keith? Yeah, it was,” Mary replied.

“How serious are his injuries?”

A few moments later, Mary and Jason wheeled you to Keith’s room, seeing a badly injured Keith with casts plastered on both arms and legs, as well as a neck collar.

Keith had let out an exaggeration groan in pain when Mary and Steve silently glared at him, making him stop.

“I know you said he fell off the stage, but I never thought it would be this bad,” you said.

“He’s gonna be off work for quite a while,” Steve replied, as he knocked on one of Keith’s plastered legs, making Keith groan. “But I’m sure Robin and I can cope.”

“Uh, and me,” you retorted.

“Well obviously,” Steve had put his hands on his hips before telling you, “But you need to rest. Speaking of which…”

Suddenly, Steve came up behind you and started wheeling you back to your room, with Mary and Jason following you. “I’m taking you back to your room,” Steve said, while Keith continued to groan. As Steve wheeled you through the hallway, you heard a frantic male voice say loudly, “She’s not in her room. She hasn’t discharged herself, has she?”

As Steve continued to push you, you saw a nurse walking fast down the hall with a frantic Eddie behind her as she apologised and informed him that she needed to see another patient when he spotted you and the others. You saw him sigh with relief, before he ran up to you, nearly knocking you over.

“Woah! Easy Munson,” Steve exclaimed. “You could’ve knocked her out of her chair.”

“Sorry,” Eddie panted. “I just went inside and she wasn’t there. I thought something happened.”

“I’m okay,” you assured him. “Mary and Jason just took me to see Keith.”

Eddie rubbed his forehead, feeling relieved. “How are you feeling now?” He asked.

“Well, I haven’t vomited,” you replied.

“That’s good.” Eddie cleared his throat, before announcing, “Well, I guess I better go, you don’t need me…”

He began to turn around when he heard you speak, “Eddie?”

He turned back to you, as you asked, “Maybe you could take me back to my room?”

Everyone gaped, as an astonished Eddie asked, “Really?”

“Are you sure you want him to?” Mary asked, worried that Eddie’s presence might upset you.

Eddie gazed at you, when you nodded. “I’m sure,” you replied.

Eddie smiled as Steve moved back, telling him, “She’s all yours.”

Eddie went behind the wheelchair when Mary asked, “Do you need us to stay?”

You shook your head, telling her, “You guys should go home and rest.”

Mary gave you a goodbye hug, before walking with Jason, who lightly tousled your hair.

“I better get going too,” Steve announced. “I gotta pick up Robin.”

Steve lightly patted your shoulder, before leaving with the couple, while Eddie wheeled you back to your room. “Okay,” Eddie said, as he walked backwards, entering your room. “Do you need me to get one of the nurses to help you get on the bed?” He asked, as he wheeled you closer to your bed.

“I think I’m okay,” you replied, as you slowly got up from the wheelchair and moved carefully to the bed, and got in it.

As soon as you settled, Eddie moved the wheelchair near the wall, before announcing, “I better get going.” He went up the door, as he continued to speak, while reaching for the doorknob , “I’ll see you around, maybe-“

“Eddie?” You interjected, causing him to stop, and turn to face you.

“Can we talk?” You asked.

A worried Eddie asked, as he approached you, “This isn’t about the boyfriend thing, is it?”

You silently looked at him when he sighed and sat down, as he began to explain, “Look, I only said that to the nurses, so I could stay with you until-“

“It’s not that,” you interjected.

Eddie furrowed his brow, as he asked, “Then, what is it?”

You took a deep breath, before telling him, “It’s about our…agreement.”

Eddie shook his head, before telling you, “I know that we agreed to keep our distance. And I didn’t intend on coming on your shift. I only went because I didn’t wanna get a fine, or else Wayn-“

“I made a mistake,” you confessed.

Eddie’s eyes widened, as he croaked, “What?”

“I thought…keeping my distance from you would help me get over you, but…after you walked out last night, I realised that…I miss you.”

A stunned Eddie gazed at you, as you continued to speak, with tears brimmed in your eyes, “And I know that I said I didn’t want to latch onto you like a lovesick puppy, and still don’t want to do that. But, you mean so much to me, as a friend, and I just-“

Suddenly, Eddie shot up from his chair. You anxiously looked up at him, feeling sure that Eddie was going to leave when he suddenly wrapped his arms around you, embracing you. “E-Eddie…?” You whispered, as you heard him quietly sob.

“I’m sorry for leaving you like that,” Eddie wept, as he held you close. “If I hadn’t come back…Jesus Christ, I wouldn’t have forgiven myself if something happened…”

“It’s okay,” you softly replied, as you returned the embrace.

Eddie quietly sobbed, while holding you tight.

“Eddie…”

“Yes sweetheart?”

“You’re squeezing me too hard.”

“Oh,” Eddie exclaimed, as he let go of you. He let out a nervous laugh, before he began to apologise. The two of you wiped your tears away, when Eddie softly spoke, “I guess I’ve missed you too much.”

You lightly chuckled as you opened your arms, when Eddie asked, “You sure?”

“As long as you don’t squeeze me to death,” you joked.

Eddie chuckled, before embracing you once more.

After the two of you had let go of each other, you both began to talk about slowly rebuilding your friendship.

Weeks later, after your reconciliation with Eddie, you and the Hellfire club, as well as Erica, were in the back of the auditorium, in the middle of a campaign. Will, who came back to Hawkins with his family including El and Hopper for the summer holidays, also joined in. You promised Eddie that after the graduation ceremony, you would join in the campaign. For the past few weeks, while rebuilding your friendship with him, Eddie had taught you how to play.

Surprisingly, you all managed to beat Eddie’s campaign, even though you had a rough start. After finishing the campaign, you all agreed to watch a movie. Eddie leaned towards you, before telling you, “Now, seeing as you’ve survived your first official campaign, you get to pick the movie.”

“As long as it’s not a chick flick,” Gareth chimed in.

You rolled your eyes, as you chuckled, when Eddie told the others, “You guys are in charge of snacks, we’ll meet you at Henderson’s after we pick up a movie.”

“Why my place?” Dustin asked.

“Because I’m the club leader, and I said so,” Eddie retorted.

“Well, as you’re club leader, why don’t you host at yours?”

Eddie was about to bark back, when you said, “Actually Eddie, I haven’t seen Wayne in a while, and I’d like to see him. So…maybe we can watch the movie at yours instead?”

Unable to resist your puppy eyes, Eddie raised his hands, replying, “Okay, fine. We’ll watch at my place. But I should warn you, the maid took the week off again.”

After Eddie told them what snacks to get, some of the members left backstage, while you, Will and Dustin helped clean up. Eddie was putting away his D&D set, as he was having a discussion with Will about the next campaigns. After filling up a bin bag, Will told you that he was going to find a trash can, when Dustin said, “I’ll go with you, I gotta call Steve anyway.”

As they were leaving, Dustin asked you what movie you wanted Steve to reserve for you. “Planet of the Apes,” you called out.

After the younger boys left, you were putting the chairs away, as Eddie continued to put away his set when you knocked over a paper bag. You knelt down and picked it up, while Eddie paused with packing and turned his head to look at you when he noticed you holding the bag. “Oh shit,” he exclaimed, as he snatched it from you.

“Don’t worry, I wasn’t going to open it,” you assured him. “I swear.”

As Eddie held the bag close to his chest, you asked, “So, whose it from?”

“Huh?” He exclaimed.

“Well I didn’t see anyone give it to you at graduation, and it must be something so important that you wouldn’t want me to look.”

Eddie sighed, before telling you, “The guys will kill me for giving it to you now, but…”

He handed the bag to you, as he continued to speak, “I can’t wait any longer for you to see.”

You giggled, as you carefully opened the bag, and took out a Hellfire shirt.

You gasped, as Eddie moved closer to you, telling you, “I figured that now you know how to play, you’ll need the gear.”

“Really?” You smiled, as you gazed at the shirt, before looking up at him, as you thanked him.

“You’re welcome, sweetheart,” Eddie replied, as you neatly put the shirt back in the bag. “Listen, when I give you the shirt in front of the guys, could you act surprised?”

“Like this?” You asked, before letting out a dramatic gasp.

Eddie chuckled, as he helped finish tying the bag and placed it on the table.

“Thank you, Eddie,” you said, as you wrapped your arms around his neck and embraced him. “It’s one of the best gifts I’ve ever gotten.”

Eddie chuckled, as he held you close. You then moved back as you let go of him when all of the sudden, Eddie crashed his lips into yours. You froze, feeling confused by his action. However, you gave in, mewling as you kissed him back when you felt him stumbling back. You opened your eyes, as you heard him gasping, as covering his mouth with both hands. “E-Eddie…?” Your voice cracked.

“I-I have n-no idea why…?” Eddie tried to explain his actions when you both heard Dustin and Will talking, as they entered the room. “Bad news, someone else has rented the last copy of Planet of the Apes, so it’ll just have to be either-“ Dustin stopped talking, as he and Will looked at the pair of you. Sensing some tension between you two, Dustin asked, “What’s going on?”

Before either of you could say something, Dustin pointed at the bag, and asked, “Did you peek?”

“Peek at what?” You denied. Dustin gave you a suspicious glance, before Eddie quickly asked, wanting to divert attention from you, “So, what’s Harrington reserved?”

After picking up the video Steve reserved for you, which was Back To The Future, the four of you drove to the trailer park. While Will and Dustin were sitting in the backseat, catching up, you and Eddie sat in silence, which made Dustin suspicious.

“Okay, what’s going on with you two?” Dustin asked, as he poked his head between you two.

You turned your head and asked, “What?”

“Ever since we came back, you two have been acting weird. You haven’t falling out again, have you?”

Both you and Eddie denied falling out, before Eddie pushed Dustin’s head back, as he said, “Now are you done with the interrogation, Columbo? I need to focus on the road.”

Dustin huffed, as he sat back in his seat. While Eddie was driving, he looked over at you, as he thought, Why did I kiss her? I’ve never been attracted to her. But, that kiss-

“Hey!” Eddie’s thoughts broke, as he heard Dustin yell. “Eyes on the road!”

A few moments later, Eddie drove through the trailer park and parked his van outside his place.

As you all got out, Wayne was coming out of the trailer, as he greeted you all.

“I’ve let your friends in,” Wayne said, as he got in his pickup truck. “Whatever you have planned tonight, be sure to clean up.”

“I thought you had the night off tonight,” Eddie replied.

“I do. Cain called and asked if I wanted to come over. I’m sure that he wanted Mary out of the house so she can go to the graduation party with Jason.”

After Wayne said goodbye, he drove off, as you waved, while Dustin, who was holding the bag, called, “See ya, Mr Munson.”

The two younger boys were walking to the trailer when Eddie came up to you. “Listen, sweetheart,” he began to speak. “About earlier-“

“Don’t worry about it, let’s just forget about it,” you quietly replied with a sad tone in your voice, before catching up with Dustin and Will. Eddie stood still and watched you walk away, figuring out how to approach you about the kiss, before catching with the others.

As you all went inside the trailer, you noticed that El and Max sitting on the sofa, chatting with Mike and Lucas. As the girls greeted you, Lucas told Eddie that they invited the girls over to watch the movie. Before Eddie could say anything, Dustin began to announce, “Before we watch the movie, we want-“

Suddenly, Eddie took the bag from him. “Hey!” Dustin exclaimed, “I haven’t finished.”

Eddie glared at him, as he retorted, “I’m still club leader and Dungeon Master, so I’ll make the announcement.”

“Okay, no need to act like a child,” Dustin mumbled.

“I heard that, butthead,” Eddie retorted, making Erica let out a stifling laugh.

Eddie turned to you, and said, as he smiled, “On behalf of Hellfire, I present you with this gift.”

Eddie handed over the bag to you, before you opened it. You pretended to be shocked, as you lifted the Hellfire shirt up, “Holy shit!” You exclaimed. “Thank you so much guys.”

As everyone clapped, Dustin leaned towards Will, as he whispered, “She’s definitely seen it already.”

After everyone congratulated you, Eddie suddenly announced, “Oh, and another thing. The band and I will be in California next month for an audition for a record company, so we won’t be attending Hellfire during that time.”

While everyone else cheered and clapped, you quietly clapped. You had no idea that the band was going away. Not once did Eddie mention it to you when the two of you had been spending time together. While Eddie padded towards the television, everyone else started sitting down when you plopped yourself down next to Max on the sofa. Eddie had inserted the tape into the VCR, and went to sit next to you when he saw that Dustin had commandeered the seat.

Eddie was about to make Dustin move when he looked at you, noticing that you were avoiding his gaze. Eddie sighed, before sitting on his uncle’s armchair, as the film started to play.

You were snacking on the popcorn while the film was showing the prom fight scene. While you and everyone else cheered for George McFly, Eddie sat silently with his hand resting on his cheek, unable to focus on the movie. All through the film, he kept looking at you, as he still thought about the kiss. He still didn’t understand what came over him. Not once, had he ever thought of you as more than an friend.

I just don’t get it, he thought to himself. I don’t know why I kissed her. Not gonna lie though, I kinda liked it.

He then remembered what Mary told him that night at the Hideout, about why you hid your crush on him, and how things would be awkward with him being your dealer if you had got together and broke up.

I’m no longer her dealer, he thought, as he continued to look at you. And we’re both single. So, maybe if she wants to-

He snapped himself out of his thoughts when he heard Gareth asked him, “Eddie, man. Why aren’t you watching?”

“Huh?” Eddie exclaimed, as he noticed that everyone, including you, were staring at him. He was quiet for a moment, before he suddenly stood up, as he mumbled, “I’m going for a smoke.”

Eddie walked past the counter, grabbing his packet of Camel’s, before heading out into the porch. You heard Jeff ask Gareth, “What’s up with him?”

You looked over at the door, wondering if Eddie was okay. You knew that you told him to forget about earlier, but you decided to check on him. So, you got up and made an excuse that you were going to the bathroom. You approached the bathroom door, as you checked that no one was watching you, before heading out to the porch, where you saw a spaced out Eddie, frantically smoking his cigarette, unaware that you were standing behind him. “Penny for your thoughts?” You asked, startling Eddie.

“Jesus Christ…” he groaned. “You could’ve given me a heart attack.”

You sat down on the old sofa, as Eddie continued to puff. “I thought you were watching the movie,” Eddie said. “You’re gonna miss the prom scene. I know that’s your favourite part.”

You giggled, surprised that Eddie remembered your favourite scene, before replying, “I’ve seen it like a gazillion times. I just wanted to check on you.”

You watched Eddie silently smoking, as you asked, “Is this about earlier? The kiss?”

Eddie stopped taking a puff, unsure what to say to you.

You sighed, before telling him, “Eddie, it’s okay.”

Eddie took notice of the sad tone in your voice, as he stubbed out his cigarette on the ashtray, when you continued to say, “I know that you didn’t mean it, and I’m sure that you want to forget that it ever happ-“

“I don’t” Eddie interjected, making you furrow your brow. “Look, I don’t know what came over me. I never once thought of you as more than a friend…”

“No, I get it,” you retorted, getting teary eyed, as you got to your feet and went back inside. Realising what he just said, Eddie got up and grabbed you, pulling you into his bedroom, making you yelp, before he shut the door. Fortunately, the others were so engrossed with the movie that they didn’t hear you two.

“What are you doing?” You asked in a hushed tone. “You can’t just-“

Before you could get another word out, Eddie cupped your face and passionately kissed you.

You heard Eddie moan, as he deepened the kiss.

To his surprise, you pushed him away. Eddie mumbled your name, as you slid down against the door, feeling confused.

He called your name once again, when you asked, “Why?”

Eddie furrowed his brow, as you asked, with tears brimming in your eyes, “Why did you…? You just said that you never thought of me as-“

“I know what I said,” Eddie interjected, as he squatted down in front of you. “But what I was trying to say was…I never thought of you like that, but after I kissed you, I couldn’t help but think that-“

You shook your head, as you interrupted.“Please don’t do this.”

“Do what?” Eddie asked.

“Make out that you suddenly have feelings for me-“

“What if I do?”

You glanced at him, as he sat on the floor, with his legs crossed, before he asked, “What if I do have feelings for you?”

“Eddie…” you mumbled, as you frantically shook your head. “We can’t-“

“What?” Eddie asked.

“We can’t be…” you quietly sobbed, as he crawled towards you and sat next to you.

“I don’t get it,” Eddie softly spoke. “I thought that you like me.”

“I do, it’s just…We’ve only just become friends again. And you’ve broken up with Chrissy not so long ago.”

Eddie sighed, before he asked, “Is it just because you don’t want to be a rebound? Are you worried about things getting awkward between us if we did break up while I was still your dealer?”

You continued to quietly cry when he asked, “Or are you worried that I’ll become an asshole again and neglect everything and everyone?”

You sniffled, when Eddie sighed before he said, “Look, sweetheart…” You felt him wrapping his arm around you as he explained, “That won’t happen. For one, I’m not dealing now. I promised Wayne that I won’t do it anymore.”

You stared at him in disbelief when Eddie confessed, “Also…I’m over Chrissy. And besides, I don’t want to go back to being that guy again.” You sniffled, as Eddie wiped your tears away, before you asked, “What about the band though? You’re going to California soon, and even if we did get together, it probably wouldn’t work out-“

“We’re just going a week,” Eddie interjected. “And it’s just to audition, we’re not moving there. Jesus, if Gareth’s mom thought that we were moving there, she wouldn’t let Gareth stay in the band unless he graduates.”

You gazed at him, as you blurted, “I didn’t know that you guys were even going.”

“Well I wanted to tell you straight away, but the guys wanted it to be surprise.”

Eddie started stroking your hair, as he continued to speak, “Look, I can see that you don’t want to jump into a relationship right now. Like you said, we’ve only just become friends again, so…I can wait.”

“Really?” You whispered.

“For as long as you need, sweetheart.”

You smiled, as you thanked him. Eddie leaned towards you and kissed the top of your head.

He then got to his feet, and pulled you up, before telling you, “We better get back, before the others wonder where we’ve got to.”

You nodded, as Eddie opened the door, and to your surprise, the most of the boys fell forward as they yelped, while the girls, Lucas and Will stood behind them.

As they got to their feet, letting out groans, you asked, “Have you been spying to us?”

“I told them not to do it,” Max told you.

Eddie was about to scowl at them when he noticed that the three older boys were sniffling. “Are you guys…crying?” He asked.

They denied it, claiming that dust was in their eyes. You giggled, as you and Eddie stepped out of his room.

Next

[imp-writes]

I changed my mind about my earlier idea of once a week probably.

I want to start Fanfiction Fridays. I planned to do this earlier but it is currently 11:56 and the bit I wanted to post isn't finished. So, here's an excerpt from an old fanfic I started a few years ago.

X and Cop walked through a little orchard. It was a perfect spring day, if a little humid and cloudy.

“Cop?” X asked suddenly. Cop turned.

“’sup, X?”

“I’m just wondering,” he said, clearly flustered with what he was going to ask, “But…there’s a difference between you and me, even though we’re sure now you’re based off my design…and it’s not the same difference between me and the other reploids…and then back when we first met you asked me what my story was…so I guess…what I wanna ask is… what’s your story?” Copper hesitated.

“Well, X,” she started, “I used to be a human…back when Dr. Light and all were around. When I was a teenager I caught a terminal illness and…well…I became known as Copper and worked as a bit of a vigilante for the rest of my days. They --Drs. Light and Cossack-- digitized my consciousness as you see me now. I asked not to be digitized, but something changed their minds. When I woke up, Dr. Caine had opened my pod 100 years later and here I am.”

“Wow,” X said, “So you knew Dr. Light personally?”

“Yes, for a few years,” Cop answered, “I knew his robots too. Rock, Roll, Blues…and all the Masters.”

“Can you tell me more about him?” X pressed. Cop smiled at the memories.

“Well, he was a father figure if ever I knew one. Kind, calm, supportive, always happy to help or spend time with the people he loved. He never gave up on anyone, even Dr. Wily. He had a warm presence and laughter that could just fill a room. His creativity and ingenuity were endless and he had energy to match most of the time.” X’s eyes shone. The clouds gathered darker and it began to rain.

“Hmm…we should get back in,” X remarked. Copper grinned impishly and bonked X on the head before running toward the house.

“LAST ONE BACK’S A DATED SYSTEM!” she called over her shoulder. X gave chase and she shrieked laughing as he cornered her and bonked her back.

“Can’t outrun me, fossil!” He quipped. Cop grabbed a long, skinny stick and shook it pretending she had a bad back.

“Come back here, you whippahsnappah!” She shouted in a fake creaky voice, “I have wisdom of age on mah side!” She straightened and ran after him, “Besides!” she said, “your build is older than mine so who’s the real fossil!?”

“You were ten years older than me at least counting non-digitized!” X grinned.

“Technicalities, ya blue gremlin!” X gave a smile that clearly had you could be my motherboard written all over it as he hastened his escape from Cop’s stick still laughing.

After a brief chase around in the rain, the two of them headed in and dried off, taking refuge in a large room with a crackling fire as the rain grew into a thunderstorm. The looked at each other for a second, a poorly suppressed smile on both their faces.

“Face it, we’re both older than Dr. Caine,” they said at the same time. There was a slight pause before they doubled over laughing.

“Chess?” X asked, when he finally let go of his sides. Cop sighed with a soft smile as she finished drying her hair with a towel.

“You’re on,” she said, walking to a cupboard in the kitchen next door and picking up some E-tanks. X set up a board and the two of them began a game.

“Tell me more about Dr. Light?” X asked again as he moved a pawn.

“Well, there was a couple times things went awry at the labs where I was present,” Cop replied, moving her own piece. “Like one time he was trying to do something to an arm update on…well I had a robotic arm at the time. Roll had just made him lunch and Rock and I were looking for tools at the back of the room. We both jumped as there was a big BANG!” She giggled, “Dr. Light’s hair was all up on end and singed and his sandwich was fried mostly black and he was standing there mouth and eyes wide open. He just kinda stood there for a minute, then he picked up his sandwich and took a bite and said “now this is grilled cheese!””  X and Copper laughed as their game continued. They exchanged stories about Drs. Light and Caine as they played chess by the fire.

[fromthereicanseeit]

One.

 From the window I can see a child standing there, waving at me. Her palms are white and leave behind trails of grease on the dark, cracked window. The curtains inside are gray, stained with some yellow spots. Or perhaps yellow, stained with gray dust. The house number 8 has a little girl who always waves when I pass.

Her name is not known; but her hair is curly and blond. She stands and stares at the gray outdoors, waiting for a blue day.

When I pass the house I am always on the opposite side of the street; yet I can feel her eyes always on me. Waiting. Watching. Wondering when I will cross her path directly. 

There are no cars in the broken driveway, no garage in sight. The porch was once painted white but now only chips of paint remain. Ants crawl up the wood, hiding in their societies within. The wood is filled with splinters, they are brave ants for crossing through the spiky terrain at such a small size.

If there was a time where the house was new, no one could recall. Only one could ever spin the tail of the old house; an old man named Pete who lived down the winding street. And so there I traveled, and I walked down my sidewalk. Staring at my feet as I crossed the house, careful not to meet the gaze of the girl. I could feel her cold eyes burning my flesh; it caused the hair on my neck to stand. I hurried past, careful not to trip on the cracks of the sidewalk, careful not to kick up the yellow grass. 

I lifted my head to stare at the houses, all painted gray or white to match with the cloudy sky. Only one stood out; Mrs. Johnson's house was a pale blue color. Her window had been shattered. 

Pete’s house was a dark shade of gray. Its porch is painted white. His windows were clear and showed the inside of the old, dusty building. I made my way to the stairs, each one creaked beneath my foot. A screaming sound. I knocked on the door, careful not to put my fist through it as the wood was so dreadfully old. And I waited. Then waited more. I waited until I felt a chill on my hand. Then, uninvited, I put my hand on the gold door knob and made my way inside. It was unlocked. 

The house had grayish brown floorboards, similar to my own. The ceiling was low and a light hung so loosely it creaked when I put my feet on the inside. My head grazed the bottom of the once magnificent site. It looked as if it would’ve been a bright golden color, crisp and shiny. Now it was gray with dust.

I called Petes name, and heard the shuffling of footsteps met with the thumping of a cain. Pete was small and wide, old as well. A white mustache hanging from his face with large eyebrows above his lowly casted blue eyes. He asked who was there, I introduced myself. He told me to leave, I asked him of the little girl at number eight. He told me there was no girl, I told him he knew something; he’s mentioned the girl before. Silence. 

I felt my face grow hot with annoyance. I needed answers. I was not getting them here. I turned and I left. Pete was silent. I walked down the street, on the opposite side. I would find the answers for myself. I went to the house and I knocked on the door, pounding, hollering for someone to answer. A neighbor passed by; I looked at her. She stared at me in a pity-filled gaze. 

I went to the window, I banged my fist on the glass. It shattered. I crawled inside. I stared and I looked, I searched and I hollered. No one responded. I glanced behind me and I saw the little girl. Her curly hair just out of my reach. I called her to come to me, called her to speak, but she did not listen. I grew angry and walked towards her, YOU HAVE TORMENTED ME LONG ENOUGH! She felt so familiar, so strange, yet so simple. I grew towards her but every step I took I did not move. I walked still as she stared. I walked into something in front of me, but it wasn't the girl. It was the wooden wall. The wooden wall that was rotted and gray. I fell through the wall and into a chaos of rats. I screamed and they scattered, though some stayed and hissed. I scrambled out of the hole I had made. The girl was gone! I left the house and fled. I fled back to Petes place, he had to know something!

I was kicking rats off of me, my feet shaking. Neighborhood kids stopped to stare. They did not know like I did! I marched to Petes house, the stares WAILING as I stepped on each one. A cry for help as my shoes pained its flesh. I banged my fist on Petes door, hollering his name. 

Oh stop your banging! A voice said from behind. I turned. It was a woman I was unfamiliar with. Go back to your bed, you are unwell. She said, 

I must speak to Pete, I said. She stared at me with pity in her eyes. Why must everyone look upon me like that! I repeated myself, I must speak to Pete. 

Oh hush, you poor thing. The voice said, Pete has been dead for many years now. I turned and I opened the house door, just as before it was unlocked. I was going to prove her wrong. I went through the house, to every room, to every crack on the floor. The light was gone. I left the house in a storm, the woman was still there. I returned to number eight and looked at the house. The child was there. The window was fixed. I yelled and kicked the house, but I fell. 

When I rose, the house was gone. An empty plot of land with two graves in the center.

[fishfingersandjellybabies]

The Crown Found in Rose Thorns - fic

Characters: Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson, Talia al Ghul, Jon Kent, Cassandra Cain, Bruce Wayne Pairing: jondami Summary: “My name is Jonathan Kent, of the Kingdom of Krypton. And I’m here to marry Prince Damian of the Kingdom of Gotham.” A/N: I told @berryfartsart some medieval jondami headcanons inspired by the DKOS announcement and they cyberbullied me into writing the AU for it. (Kidding, of course.) Anyway get ready for some old fashion slow burns and smoopy goopy love~ (but like...eventually, this won’t be fast updated haha)

~~

Damian huffed, crossing his arms, wincing as the Cassandra pulled the brush through his curls once more.

“This is a farce.” He droned. “A complete jester act.”

Talia chuckled, but didn’t look back at her son. Continued brushing her own hair.

“It’s going to be the same as the past three days.” Damian warned. “They’re all simpletons not worthy of my time, or anyone else’s.”

“Then I would at least like to remind you, my dear precious boy.” Talia hummed, effortlessly twirling her hair into a braid. “That I am not asking you to marry today. I am asking you to explore what traits might appeal to you, what kingdoms you trust, or don’t.”

Damian winced as his sister tugged gently at his hair, and scoffed. “It shouldn’t be up to me. My marriage is unimportant.” He mumbled. “You should be focusing on the heir’s marriage.”

Talia sighed, dropping her brush onto her vanity and standing. She stared into the mirror for a moment before leaning over and plucking Damian’s crown off its stand. She turned and slowly walked across the room, staring warmly down at Damian as she approached him.

“Richard does not have a threat hanging over his life.” She murmured, pushing his bangs back before carefully placing the crown on his head. “Richard does not need all the protection he can get.”

“And our brother already has a suitor.” Cassandra chimed in with a giggle. “That warrior princess from the Tamaranean lands.”

“Indeed.” Talia agreed. “So even if he needed any protection from something he could not handle himself, it appears he already has it.”

“Jason then.” Damian tried. He twisted to look at Cassandra. “Or you.” He sat up. “You’re already betrothed to that bard woman!” He turned back to his mother. “Why can’t we make a big deal about her nuptials instead!”

“Because her grandfather is not threatening to steal her away and hold her prisoner and eventually murder her for power.” Talia laughed, holding Damian’s face with a hand on his cheek. “And I am not above a political marriage if that means you have two kingdoms protecting you instead of just ours.”

Damian pursed his lips, ignored the heat rising through his face. “…And if I pick no one to attempt a courtship?”

“Like I said, my beloved.” Talia leaned down and kissed his forehead. “I am not above political marriage to protect you.” She smiled, eyes darting between his. “Even if you forever hate me for it.”

She stood back up, adjusted his crown, then Cassandra’s, then her own, and turned to glide out of the room.

~~

The throne room was abuzz with citizens of the town, and even visitors who had come to try their luck and win Prince Damian’s hand.

Damian sighed as he followed Richard onto their altar. Scanning the room, he could already see no one of merit, and no one of interest. So it was going to be another boring, pointless, wasted day.

“This should be for you.” Damian mumbled again.

Richard snorted, plopping into his seat. “Sorry I found love on my own, little one. Without Mother and Father’s help.” He smirked. “Besides, you should be nice to me. I don’t have to sit here with you all day. I’m just here out of the goodness of my heart, and fondness for my poor, sorrowful, lonely little brother.”

“Piss off. You’re here to amuse yourself at my expense.” Damian rolled his eyes, sitting more politely in the throne next to him. “And so you can go cackle at my misfortune with our brothers later.”

“Nonsense. We cackle at your misfortune on a normal day too.” Richard promised with a wink. “How’s that growth spurt treating you anyway?”

Damian frowned, tugging at his sleeves. “…I have requested a new fitting with Alfred after today’s…festivities.”

Dick smiled again, running his fingers through Damian’s neatly combed curls. “Your clothes will fit for longer than a week one day soon, kiddo.” He let his fingers fall from Damian’s hair to his cheek. “…I’m not just here to keep you company, you know.”

“…Oh?”

“Mhm.” Richard nodded. Damian watched as his blue eyes darted around the room. “I’m here to vet your potential suitors. Make sure they are good enough for you, strong enough to protect you-”

“I can protect myself, thank you.”

“-and this is the fourth day of the festivities. No doubt your grandfather has heard of them by now. Someone has to make sure no undesirables have snuck in, or attempt to make a move.”

“Do you truly think he would be so brash?” Damian questioned. “Besides, this whole thing was Mother’s doing. So, I thought that was why Father keeps attending, to keep watch.”

“He is. But like I said, this is the fourth day. Enough time to get word and move to strike. And forgive me if I’d rather be safe than sorry.” Richard smiled apologetically. “So Father and I are in here, Jason and Cassandra are running the perimeter and Timothy is monitoring the guard towers.”

Damian sighed, staring out into the crowd once more. A few of the guests were glancing their way now. Giggling and falling back into their whispers. Some of the less modest ones outright stared, giving Damian as flirty a smile as they could.

“…Well, as much as I appreciate your concern, I’m afraid it will all be for naught.” Damian drooped in his chair and crossed his arms. “If today is anything like the past three, it will be the most boring day of your life, and nothing will come to fruition.”

“Never say never, little one.” Richard offered dreamily. “Love strikes when you least expect it.”

“Love.” Damian scoffed, glancing over as Bruce and Talia entered the room, hands clasped between them. “Who said any of this was for love?”

“Well.” Richard hummed. “It is because we love you.” He offered. “And we’re hoping not to make this an arranged affair. That we can find you happiness in a partner as well as protection. That’s why we want you to choose.”

“And if I never choose anyone?”

Richard blinked, then offered a smile. But it was sad, almost pitying.

Damian crossed his arms tighter, glancing towards their parents as the King and Queen sat next to them.

“As I keep telling you all, I can protect myself.” Damian mumbled. “And I’m content being alone.”

Richard kept his sad smile. Damian refused to look at him anymore.

~~

Damian wanted to rip his hair out.

As he had predicted many times that day, it was just more of the same.

A blacksmith offering the best weapons, and the safest house on the continent.

A nomad promising a life of adventure and delicious foods.

A group of sisters offering as many heirs as they could carry, and their father as the sole brave knight to protect them all.

A witch and a wizard together, offering magic as protection and endless fertility to continue the kingdom’s bloodline.

A princess offering the best clothes and parties.

A duke who…wasn’t even sure why he was there. He was sent by his father, and didn’t even know Damian’s name.

A young woman who merely offered her humor and loyalty. She could make him laugh, and made it clear that was all she had.

Damian almost agreed to meet with her, if only because he appreciated her honesty.

The sun was dipping in the sky outside the western window, and Damian could feel his stomach starting to growl. He glanced to his brother, who had sat all but stock-still all day, doing exactly as he’d said he would. Watching the room, vetting the visitors. Making sure these potential suitors were good enough for his littlest brother.

“…How many more do you think Mother will have stroll through here?” Damian whispered. “I don’t think I can take much more of this mind-numbing torture.”

Richard chuckled. “I’ll give her four more, then push for a recess. Alright?”

“Thank you.” Damian breathed in relief, glancing out towards the room. The crowd had thinned slightly, with some parties departing when their candidate was politely rejected. Others were just the local townsfolk, remaining purely to stick their noses in royal business.

Talia called for the next suitor to step up, and on the far side of the room, Damian saw three people stepping forward. But before they could make it even a yard, one of the large doors across from the thrones groaned open.

“Am I late?” A male voice called. A wave of chuckles swam around the room, and even Damian found himself smirking.

“Depends on what you’re looking for, son.” Bruce called. Despite the normal nature of the interruption, Damian could already see both his father and brother had put their hands on the hilt of their swords.

“Apologies, Your Highnesses,” Alfred appeared behind the man. He sent a glare over his shoulder as he passed by him. “I had asked him to wait a few moments, but he clearly refused. I do hope we aren’t interrupting.”

“No.” Bruce waved to three people apologetically, who nodded and disappeared back into the crowd. “If he is here for Damian, then we can hear him out.”

“I am!” The stranger called. When he moved, the sound of armor clanked around him. “Um, yes. I mean. I am. I am here for Prince Damian.”

“…Though tardiness is not a good first impression, I must say.” Talia scolded quietly. Bruce gave her a gentle smile and patted her hand. “Bring him forward.”

“Great!” The man – young, by the sound of it, probably closer to a boy – called, leaping past Alfred. “I mean, uh, thank you, Your Highness. For the opportunity.”

Damian watched the man as he walked the long carpet forward, and he felt his eyes narrowing in curiosity. He had dark hair that seemed permanently windblown framing his face, and an awkward smile that almost seemed like it was about to burst from his face.

What really struck Damian’s interest, however, were his eyes. They were a sharp violet, a color Damian didn’t recall ever seeing on a human being before. They were fascinating. Beautiful, even, if he really had to describe them.

As he approached, Damian realized the man – boy, he truly was a boy – was around his age. Seventeen like himself at most, but more likely a year or two younger. What surprised him about that, though, was the armour he wore. While a sparkling silver and recently cleaned, Damian could see nicks and dents in it, even a few shadows that could easily be blood stains, if he got close enough to look.

Barely seventeen and already a battle-worn war veteran?

Attached to the shoulder plate of his armour was a brooch that fastened his bright red cloak together around his neck. It was gold, shaped like a freshly cut diamond, with a large S painted blue on the inside.

Damian didn’t recognize the coat of arms. And Damian knew all the coat of arms of every kingdom and town on the continent.

That was suspicious.

He glanced to his side again. Richard had not taken his hand off his sword.

The boy had reached their feet now, that large smile still adorning his face.

“Hello.” He said plainly. “My name is Jonathan Kent, of the Kingdom of Krypton.”

Talia huffed, raising her head. “And what are you here for, Sir Jonathan?”

Jonathan’s smile, impossibly, seemed to widen.

“Well, Your Highness.” He started, turning his head to stare directly at Damian. Damian found himself flinching under the intense gaze. “I’m here to marry Prince Damian of the Kingdom of Gotham.”

A wave of gasps rolled through the room, followed by an almost deathly silence. While they were all here to propose a courtship and future with the prince, no one had dared to be so forward! Just as no one should have. It was presumptuous and out of place. Everyone knew that. Everyone.

Bruce and Talia glanced at each other, and Richard had the gall to stifle a laugh in his fist.

But Damian.

He was tired, he was annoyed. He was fed up with this charade that had not only taken up almost a week of his life, but one he did not want to partake in, in the first place. He was fed up with people looking at him. Fed up with being treated like a thing, a prize.

So as his parents glanced at each other, and the court calmed themselves over the offense, Damian stood, moving to the front of the altar.

“I beg your pardon?” He spat, brushing off Richard’s fingers as he tried to grab him. “How dare you think I’d want to marry a nameless peasant such as yourself.”

“Well, past experience says you wouldn’t be that against it.” Jonathan shrugged, armor clanking. “But that also is a moot point, because I’m not a peasant. I’m Jonathan, from the Kingdom of Krypto-”

“I’ve never heard of it.” Damian declared. “And I know every kingdom here to the coasts. Which makes you a liar, dear knight.”

The moniker was all but sneered, but Jonathan just let his smile grow a little wider, a little…fonder.

Suddenly Jonathan glanced over Damian’s shoulder. “My father’s name is Clark Kent, but he also sometimes goes by Kal. You’ve fought at his side before, King Bruce.”

Damian whirled around to find his father nodding. “Indeed I have.” Bruce frowned. “I don’t recall him being from any kingdom though. He called himself a traveler.”

“A…recent development.” Jonathan admitted. “One we are still getting used to. But Krypton is his – our – home, and once the truth was discovered, they welcomed us back with open arms.”

“Your father is king?” Jonathan nodded. “Quite the…development, as you said.” Bruce murmured. He glanced at Dick, who shook his head. “He never mentioned a son.”

“He has two. Myself and my older brother, Connor.” A nervous chuckle. “He was…very protective of us as we traveled. Hid us in forests and with witches when he and mother had dealings in towns and villages. Apparently whatever ousted him from Krypton all those years ago, he was afraid we would be its next target.”

“None of this is relevant to today.” Damian cut in, whirling back around to face the suitor. “How long have you been under the title of prince?”

“A few years.”

“And in a few years you did not learn any manners?” Damian scolded, crossing his arms. “You do not enter another’s kingdom and demand someone’s hand in marriage.”

“I did not demand.” Jonathan countered. “I promised.”

Damian felt heat rise to his cheeks. “And who said I would choose you? How do you know I have not chosen anyone to court yet?”

“Past experience.”

“Past experience with who?”

“You.”

The room’s silence grew tense. Damian’s hands balled into fists.

“I have never met you for a second in my life.”

Jonathan lowered his voice. “Are you so sure?”

Damian narrowed his eyes, and opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by his mother.

“Damian.” She hummed. “…What do you think of this…gentleman? Are you interested in him?”

“I think he’s a complete buffoon.” Damian answered instantly. Jonathan chuckled to himself. “An arrogant, deceptive moron.”

Jonathan merely blinked. “Your Highness, that doesn’t answer her question.”

Damian felt a blush blossoming on his face. “You-”

“And if we’re going to marry within the year, perhaps you should answer quickly, so we can begin our courtship.”

“Again, who said I would ever want to marry you?” Damian demanded.

Jonathan shrugged again. “Well, so far, you haven’t said you don’t.”

Damian felt his jaw go rigid. This idiot. This disrespectful, uneducated boy who claims he fell into power. So sure of himself, so narcissistic. And he already thought Damian belonged to him? That Damian was already his?

That smile was still plastered to his face. It was mischievous, and held a secret.

Held a challenge.

Say no, it said. I dare you. Let me embarrass you in front of your court and walk away with your tail between your legs. I dare you.

Damian never could turn down a dare. A test. And if it was a challenge Jonathan Kent of Krypton wanted, it was a challenge he would get.

He wanted to court Damian? Fine. Let him court Damian. Damian would eat him alive. Emotionally tear him limb from limb. Send him crawling back to Krypton wondering why he ever even bothered with the youngest Prince of Gotham.

After a moment, Damian returned the smile, slowly walked down the altar steps, and moved towards the knight. Stopped only inches away, and stared up into those mystical purple eyes.

There was something in those eyes, Damian noted. Something just out of reach. Purposefully hidden. Hidden from everyone? Or just Damian?

This close, and Damian was reminded once more of the marks on his armor. The red shadows he’d noticed before, he could now confirm were blood. Old and flaking, and much more of it than he first realized. Not his own, Damian decided, based on their locations. Blood from others.

Mischievous…and dangerous.

(And beautiful!, his brain supplied. But he ignored that part. Stayed focused on the challenge at hand.)

He glanced down between them when he noticed Jonathan’s fingers twitch, like he wanted to reach out. Want to touch him. Damian let his gaze rise. Smirked, and reveled in the scene of Jonathan biting his lip, just slightly.

“Yes, Mother.” He whispered. But his voice was heard through the whole room. “I think I am interested.”

Jonathan kept his gaze. Whispered back, “I knew you would be.”

“Your arrogance will be the death of you, Traveler.” Damian hummed, turning away. He began back up the steps, was almost to the top, when he heard the quietest words ever spoken.

“No, I do believe only you will be, love.”

Damian spun back around at the tender sound, his face heating up. Jonathan was still staring, but now his gaze was softer, more adoring. Like he’d known Damian for years.

Like he really was here just to profess his eternal love and marry him on the spot.

…Curious.

Suddenly, a hand was on Damian’s shoulder, and he turned to find Richard above him, watching Jonathan as he tugged Damian back to his seat.

Talia began speaking to Jonathan, Bruce adding a word or two, as Richard and Damian sat back down. That look was gone from Jonathan’s face now, back to business as the queen set a time for him to return the next day to spend time with her son.

“…First impression?” Damian murmured to his brother. He felt himself twitching every so often, when Jonathan would glance his way.

“Honestly? Suspicious.” Richard returned. “I’ll need to look deeper into this history he’s claiming. See if Father and I can get a hold of Clark. Find out about the status of Krypton.” Richard paused, then looked over at him. “Are you honestly interested in him?”

Damian shrugged. “If not for love, then for my personal entertainment.”

“That’s cruel, if he’s genuine.”

“Do you think he is?”

Richard looked back. The knight was bowing to their parents now. Stood, and turned to the two of them to bow again. When he stood upright once more, he gave Damian a wink, then turned to walk back down the aisle and out of the room.

Richard clicked his tongue as Jonathan disappeared out the large door. Glanced at Damian with a sly smile. “…Ask me again after your first date tomorrow.”

Damian groaned and slumped in his throne.

[ckneal]

About a month ago, I had a fairly random revelation that Lilith was to Lucifer what Adam was to Michael. Not in the sense that she was ever his vessel, as all humans capable of serving that role are purportedly descended from Adam and Eve, and, while it’s never specifically confirmed to be true for the Supernatural universe, most lore surrounding Lilith sets her up as being too old for that.

And I also don’t necessarily mean that Lucifer and Lilith were in love—Lucifer is too egotistical and arrogant for me, personally, to believe he’s capable of a true romantic bond, and it is twice stated that he lost his virginity to Kelly Kline, in settings that leant themselves toward his credibility on this subject (musing aloud to an uncomprehending Kelly in the privacy of their bedroom, and awkwardly grappling for something to say in his first unplanned meeting with Jack, respectively)—leading me to believe that the recognizable sleazy substitute for love (lust) was not present between these two either. But, I do think that there was a connection there, and I do find myself curious about it.

After all, Lilith was willing to die to set Lucifer free from the cage. And yes, I am aware that she had made a deal with Michael to help set off the apocalypse, and she was obligated to carry out her part, but has anyone ever wondered what exactly Lilith got out of the bargain? She’s not exactly written like Eve, from season 6. She is not mothering toward demonkind. I can’t see her sharing Michael’s motivation to bring God back. The one who stood to benefit from her sacrifice, was, in fact, Lucifer. (And Michael, obviously.)

I think that the bond Lilith and Lucifer formed was a bit similar to what Adam and Michael had, in that it came from a lack of choice. I firmly believe that Lilith and Lucifer spent a decent amount of time together in Hell, just the two of them. Likely for a much longer period of time than Michael and Adam did in the cage. We don’t know exactly when Lucifer made Lilith, but we do know that he was out and moving around for awhile after the apple incident that Gadreel was incarcerated for—after all, Cain was a grown man when he caught Lucifer circling Abel and agreed to take the Mark. And bible ages are a little strange, but let’s say that that’s a good couple of decades in earth time. That’s much longer in Hell. Assuming that Lilith was turned prior to Cain, that’s a long time with Lucifer and Lilith being the only two occupants of Hell. (Well, except for Ramsey and her hellpuppies; remember she was pregnant when Lucifer saved her from extinction.)

And I wonder if in that time, the two of them could have developed a begrudging sort of friendship? Just from the forced proximity—Michael was clearly capable of decimating Lilith on sight if she went back to earth, and there weren’t exactly a lot of humans wondering around that early on in the species to provide her with cover—not to mention a meatsuit. She was pretty much stuck there, while Lucifer was presumably laying low, while he got his schemes together. Setting up the horsemen, binding Death, somehow getting and hiding the demon tablet, creating the Princes of Hell, and such. . .Just a lot of stuff, and where he used to have a vast multitude of siblings to talk to, he now just had this snarky little corrupted human soul, and I think—I think—they became friends.

And Lucifer considers this to be the filthiest thing that he’s ever done—on par with the most torrid, disgusting affair that anyone has ever had, and he still hates everything about it to this day. That’s why Lucifer never once talks about Lilith. He is nauseated by the fact that they were the original frenemies, completely disgusted and powerless to resist their intense conversational chemistry, and if they saw each other tomorrow there’s a tiny part of him that will still light up because no one has ever been more thoroughly on his level.

And it’s fucking mutual. If they saw each other tomorrow, they would exchange the most vehement of insults, maybe even physically attack one another, shouting their hatred at full volume—and then a few hours later be spotted at a coffee shop, passionately talking trash on Sam Winchester, and set terrible, terrible plans in motion that will plague Sammy’s life for the next several years. When they part ways, they would both feel intensely dirty, telling themselves that this will never happen again—but Lucifer has never been one to resist temptation, and at 3am finds himself sending that text message he knows he’ll regret later. . . “So what are your thoughts on Dean? ;)” And off they go again, all night long.

And that’s why Lilith was willing to lay down her life to set Lucifer free. And it’s also why she had her moment of doubt, when she nearly got Sam to agree to that demon deal. She had a moment of realizing that she was about to die for an asshole she doesn’t even like.

I personally like to think that Michael was the archangel who nearly came blasting in to defend Chuck that night, when Dean pulled the plug on the deal Sam was about to make (and before you try to tell me that wasn’t a real deal because Lilith was planning a trap—rewatch that scene, Sam was the one who played dirty by reaching for the demon-killing knife; Lilith was busy eyeing his crotch through his jeans and feeling up his chest). After Lilith smoked out of her meatsuit, I like to think that Michael followed her and gave a kind of prep talk, telling her that it’s important that they remember their motivations, shameful though they might be

At which point, Lilith just bursts into tears, crying, “Oh god, you’re right. . .He’s my best friend—how did this happen? How did this—Oh god, oh god, oh god, I’m going to be sick!”

Lilith sobs into Michael’s wings, while Michael is just sort of stuck standing there, because Lilith is gripping one of his four heads with both hands as she cries, while the other three are looking around for help, intensely confused because he, of course, was talking about bringing God back, and now he has no idea what to do to get out of this uncomfortable social situation that he does not understand.

And thinking about Lucifer and Lilith and Michael and Adam as parallels, it gets me asking these questions about how things would go if the roles were reversed. Would Adam willing lay down his life to free Michael from the cage? As a fanfiction writer, I enjoy the idea of saying yes.

In fact, I’m a little enamored with the idea of a parallel world where everything is flipped. Where it’s Michael in the box, and Adam running around breaking seals, Adam on that final, fateful night—after having had his moment of doubt in which he’d lured Ramiel into a secluded spot and offered to stand down and nearly banged Ramiel’s brains out in the bargain—but that’s all past, and now he’s firm in his resolve. Adam standing in front of a mirror—but instead of the white gown that Lilith wore, Adam’s in a black suit, dressed as if it were his wedding day, though he’ll never see his groom. And Raphael appearing at his elbow, looking concerned—instead of some random follower of Lilith’s, and Adam telling Raphael to be happy. Everything is going to be okay.

And it’s Adam reclining against the alter, all serene anticipation as Ramiel—the second Prince of Hell, who rejected his place in the succession because all he wanted was to live out a quiet life with his fishing gear, well away from the Pit and the Life—comes storming into the church with Zachariah at his side, assuring Ramiel that he’s trained for this, he can do it—only to have Azazel come bursting in behind them, shouting, “NO, RAMMY! IT’S WHAT HE WANTS!”

[nooneelsecomesclose17]

Go to the ends of the earth for you - Part 2

Really struggled with this chapter and it was meant to include a Paddy confrontation but it wouldn't fit, so that's still to come!

(AO3 link)

It had to happen, he’d known there would be no escaping them once he was back in the village and he’d barely set a foot outside the door of the B&B on the way to see the solicitor about Seb, before going to visit Robert, when his Mum is there.

“Mum, I don’t have time right now.” He opens the car door only for her to slam it shut.

“Make time. What on earth are you playing at Aaron? You disappear with barely a word, we don’t hear from you for a year and then you’re back and you don’t tell us.”

“Why would I?”

“I’m your mother!”

“Right. Of course. I guess I missed your text at Christmas did I? Or all the calls you made, given you had my number.” She doesn’t answer, barely even looks sorry and he opens the door again. “Like I said, I don’t have time. I’ve a meeting about getting my son back.”

“What? Why?”

“What do you mean why?” He’s half in the car and the voice in his head that sounds suspiciously like Robert tells him to leave it but he can’t. “He’s mine and Robert’s son, he deserves to be with us.”

“Bothered now is he? Now he doesn’t have to share him.”

“You’re hardly someone to lecture on leaving a child Mum.”

“You can’t speak to me like that!”

“I can, and I just did. Now, I’m late.” He spots his Gran at the door to the B&B and she smiles at him, and it gives him the courage to go, to not get sucked into the same old arguments again. “Bye Mum.”

———-

“So you just left her standing there?” Robert chuckles when he’s finished telling his story. “I wish I could’ve seen it.”

“I bet you do. You’re a nightmare. No doubt I’ll get an earful next time I see her or Paddy.”

“Why don’t you find somewhere outside the village? There’s no need to stay there and put up with them.”

“I’m nearer Seb this way. Besides who’s going to keep you in gossip if I’m not there. I can handle ‘em. Anyway, how are you?”

“I’m fine. Stop worrying. Ethan’s good you know, really good. He’s been over everything again this morning.”

“I…is it wrong to say I’m afraid to hope?” That was what was at the root of everything, his fear that all of this would've been for nothing and he’d lose him anyway. Robert reaches over and places his hand over Aaron’s, holding tight when Aaron instinctively moves away.

“I don’t care, Aaron. I don’t care who knows.”

“But…” It wasn’t safe, it meant a target on your back, he knew that. He gulps, Robert was willing to do that, to out himself in here, for him.

“I hid for so long, I don’t…I know it might mean trouble, but I don’t want to have to sit across from you and not even be able to hold hands. I can’t. You’re my husband.”

“I know that. I don’t need you to hold my hand to know it. I just want you to be safe.” He was so proud of him, but at the same time, fear and memories were making him urge to pull his hand away to protect him.

“You keep telling me not to worry about you, well I’m telling you not to worry about me. You said you’re afraid to hope, and so am I, but once upon a time I was afraid to hope I could ever be with you, have a family with you.” He nods, he’s not convinced, daren’t let himself be, but he’s not going to take away whatever’s improved Robert’s mood. “Anyway, tell me about Seb.”

“He’s amazing. He introduced me to all his toys, and told me how he’d shared some with Harry because he was all grown up now and didn’t need them.”

“I can’t believe all that time, Rebecca was gone and we didn’t know. I don’t understand why no one called us. Cain knew where we were.”

“I asked him that. He reckoned he knew we’d come rushing home, and he figured you being banged up for life wouldn’t do Seb any good. I told him that wasn’t his decision to make, but you know Cain. But we’re back now, he’s not without us any more.”

“Well you at least.”

“Only for a while. Then the three of us are going to be happy ever after. I saw the solicitor this morning. She reckons it’s just a formality for him coming home to us, some box ticking and that, as long as we’ve got a decent place for him to live.”

“Which we don’t.”

“That’s tomorrow’s job, finding somewhere half decent for us until you come home and we decide where we’re going to live.”

“You know, you could always buy Liv out of the house.”

“No.”

“Aaron…”

“I mean it. For one thing I don’t want to go back there, not now, and second as angry as I am with her still, I wouldn’t turf her out. Besides, we don’t even know if we’re staying so why make trouble?” He’d thought about it, it’d be easier than finding somewhere else, but at the end of the day he really didn’t want to go back there, not now.

“You were really serious, you’d move out of the village, even if you didn’t have to?”

“I don’t care where we live Robert. It looks pretty clear Mum and I aren’t going to make amends, and anyone else can always visit. I’m seeing an estate agent tomorrow to find somewhere to rent until you get out, so we can show social services that Seb will be cared for, and when you come home then we can do whatever we want.” He frowns as the bell rang signalling their time was up. “I’m not doing anything I don’t want to do so stop thinking the way you are.”

“I hate how well you know me sometimes.” They get to their feet and he hesitates, for all Robert’s words he might not want to hug goodbye, but Robert pulls him close, holding him tight before smiling at him. “Kiss Seb for me.”

“I will. I’ll see you soon.” He’d visit every day if he could but both Vic and Diane had said they wanted to visit so he’d stood aside for a couple of days. Robert goes giving him a nod, and he waits until he’s gone through the door before he turns and leaves.

———-

He doesn’t go back to the village right away, instead he parks up in a lay-by, their lay-by. His head is filled with everything he needs to do, to get everything just so for Seb, find a new house, get Cain to take him back at the garage for as long as it took. The scrapyard sale had gone through about four months into their time in France and they’d been glad of the money, still were, but it meant he had no job to go back to and he felt he needed one to make a good impression.

Then he had to be there for Robert. It felt strange to be the one taking chance, getting stuff done. It had always been Robert, the house, the wedding, he’d always taken the lead and he’d let him. He’d liked it, after so many years of being either on his own or constantly let down by his family, it was a nice feeling to have someone there to take the burden. Now he had to step up and be that person for Robert.

First things first, the job is probably the easiest thing to sort out and he texts Cain, grimacing when the reply says to meet him in the pub. That’s the last place he wants to go, but this is for Seb so he’ll do it. Cain’s buying though he decides as he puts the car in gear, heading back towards the village.

He can’t see his Mum behind the bar when he steps into the pub and he finds Cain at the table in the corner.

“Why did we have to meet in here?”

“I was in the middle of my pint. You can’t avoid her forever.”

“I’m not, she already collared me this morning. I’m not in the mood for anything she or Paddy have to say Cain and you know why.”

“Well you can’t avoid them forever if you’re staying.”

“I don’t know if we are yet.” It’s the first time he’s said it out loud to anyone but Robert but the longer he’s here the more he knows it’s not home anymore. “When Robert gets out we’ll decide where we’re going to live.”

“You’d leave, even if you don’t have to.”

“Doesn’t feel much like we’re wanted anymore. I don’t want a lecture or any kind of interference either. I just wanted to ask if I could get a few shifts at the garage…need to show social services we can provide for Seb.”

“You know I can always find work for ya. You should try and talk to your Mum though. I’m not sayin’ stay, but she’s your Mum.”

“And how’s that working for you and Gran?” He can’t help smiling a little at the scowl he gets from his uncle over the top of his pint. “If she drops the attitude then maybe I’ll talk to her, but we both know that won’t happen. Anyway, that’s all I came in for. When do you want me to start?”

“Oh, you mean you actually want to work? I was just going to make all the right noises for the social worker.”

“Nah, it’s going to be all above board. Besides, I need something to do until Robert gets out.”

“Day after tomorrow.” Cain nods. “Don’t be late.”

———-

“So, you’re taking the house?”

“Yeah, six month lease.” He lies down on the bed as he answers, the busy day getting to him all of a sudden, Robert’s voice letting him relax for the first time in hours.

“That’s optimistic.”

“I can extend it if I need to. Might want to high tail it out of town by then.” He says it to get the expected laugh from Robert and he’s pleased when he does.

“You know, we used to live there, just before I left, Me, Dad, Andy and Vic.”

“Yeah? I can call you if I need to find the stopcock then can I?”

“Ha ha.”

“Anyway, any news on a court date yet?”

“Oh, yeah, the tenth.”

“Not long then. You ok?”

“Yeah. At least we’ll know then, right?” He can hear the wobble in his voice, wants to hold him more than anything. “It’s fine, Aaron. Talk to me about Seb. Still going with the zoo for his birthday?”

“Yeah. It’s too cold for the beach and he loves animals. Then maybe tea at Vic’s. I just…can’t wait until he’s home with me properly. I miss the little monster.”

“Me too.” He lets Robert’s voice lull him nearly to sleep before they have to hang up.

———-

“I’ve packed his bag, there’s extra juice in the pockets and a change of clothes and…” He puts a hand over Vic’s as she’s rifling through the bag.

“Vic, this isn’t my first time. We’re going to be fine, right mate?”

“Yeah!”

“We’ll be back by four for tea.” He feels bad, knows she’s missing Robert too and maybe he should have stayed home, spent the day with her too but he needs to get out of the village and spending the day with Seb sounds like heaven now. “I just need to be doing something, so I’m not worrying about tomorrow all day.”

“I know. Well, you have a good day.”

Seb’s chattering keeps him occupied on the drive, it’s a nice change to the silence of his thoughts. He’s had the court date on his mind ever since Robert told him, all manner of scenarios running through his head, mostly bad as if he’s afraid to even contemplate a good outcome.

Seb loves the zoo, and Aaron takes a ton of pictures that he can take in for Robert at the next visit. He’s worn out on the drive home and Aaron has to carry him from the car.

“Aaron, I just wanted to see how you are after today.” He turns to see Ethan looking at him, concerned.

“Fine. Me and Seb have had a great day at the zoo, haven’t we mate.”

“Oh. Well that explains why I didn’t see you in court.”

“What? That’s tomorrow.”

“No, it was this morning. I assumed Robert would tell you. I did think it was odd not seeing you.”

“He told me…never mind. So…what happened?” He has to bite down on the anger rising inside him, that Robert would lie after everything, all they’d been through. “How long?”

“Two years. He’ll likely only serve half of that and then be on licence for the rest. I can take you through it all if you like, but given everything this was a good outcome.” It didn’t feel like that, it felt an age, and reliant on Robert keeping away from trouble, and the goodwill of someone who didn’t know them. “I just got off the phone, he’s staying at Hotten, although the main prison now obviously.”

“Ok, thanks.” He can’t seem to get his thoughts in order. “Sorry, I…”

“It’s ok. Why don’t I call in tomorrow and we’ll talk. I expect Robert will have called you by then.”

“Hope he’s ready to be yelled at.” Ethan laughs. “Thank you, again. I should…get him inside. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He’s on autopilot as he grabs Seb’s bag from the boot, locking the car and knocking on Vic’s door. “Your Daddy is an idiot mate. You’ll come to learn that soon enough. Always thinks he knows best he does. But we love him anyway don’t we?”

[mersuperwholocked-lowlife]

Kill Them

Word Count: 1,871

Characters: Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester, Charlie Bradbury, Eldon Styne (mentioned), Reader

Pairings: Charlie Bradbury x Sister!Reader; Sam Winchester x Platonic!Reader; Dean Winchester x Platonic!Reader

Warnings: angst, death

A/N: Sorry it’s not that good, I just wanted to post once more before the new year!

A/N 2: I might write a part two???

Masterlist

“Charlie? It’s like 3 in the morning,” you groaned, sitting up in your bed as you heard the front door open.

“Hey, kid. Sam needs some help with something, I’ll call you in a bit to check in, okay?” she walked to your bed, leaning over as she kissed your forehead softly.

“How long are you gonna be gone for?” you asked.

“I don’t know yet. Stay here, keep your knife nearby, salt all the-” Charlie began.

“Salt all the entrances, I know,” you gave her a small smile as she grabbed her bag, waving to you as she walked out the door.

Your smile faded quickly, as worry began flooding through your mind. 

Something was going on with Dean, but you didn't know what. Charlie came back from Oz, and she was different. Everything seemed to be changing and everything was different, but everyone seemed to try and keep you out of it. Sam always tried to talk to you, and keep you in the loop, which you highly appreciated, but he still didn't tell you some of the stuff.

You tried to ignore the fear you felt for your sister. Some crazy family was after her and after you because of some magical book, but Sam burned the book. They were still after you. 

As the next few days went along, you began to grow more and more anxious. Charlie had only called you once, she stopped checking in every day. 

You paced around the hotel room nervously, debating whether or not to call her. Maybe she was on a hunt with Sam and Dean.

You shook your head, dialing Charlie’s number once again. After a few rings, it went to voicemail. You dialed Sam’s number, only for it to go to voicemail too. You finally decided to call Dean.

“Hey,” he picked up.

“Dean, can I talk to Charlie?” you asked.

He paused for a second before answering.

“Uhm, it’s Sam, sorry. Charlie’s busy right now, but I’ll tell her to call you as soon as she can,” he replied.

“What’s going on?” you ran your fingers through your hair.

“I’ll talk to you later, gotta go,” he quickly hung up before you could ask anything more.

---

It had been nearly a week, still receiving no calls from any of them. Worrying was something you were used to doing, after knowing the Winchesters for so long. 

You currently paced around the living room, calling Sam once again.

“(Y/N),” he quickly answered, breathing heavily.

“Sam. Where are you? Where is Charlie? I haven't talked to any of you in so long,” you began to scold him.

“I know, I’m so sorry,” he interrupted.

“I’m not done. Don’t you see the hundreds of missed calls you have? I haven't talked to my sister in so long. Just… tell me where you are. I’ll come to you,” you rubbed your head.

“Stay where you are. I promise you that Charlie will call you as soon as she can, okay?” Sam replied after a moment of silence.

“Sam, please,” you begged.

You were dangerously codependent on your older sister. But that's what happens when you lose your parents at such a young age. Charlie was all you had left. As much as you loved the Winchesters, you couldn't stand the thought of them pulling Charlie away from you.

“I gotta go, (Y/N),” he said softly.

“Sam, please-” you heard him hang up the phone as your eyes watered, clenching your jaw as you buried your face in your hands.

You held in your cries as your body began to shake.

---

You stood outside the bunker door, banging your fists harshly. 

It’s been too long. Sam hasn’t talked to you in three days, neither has Charlie.

“(Y/N)? What are you doing here?” Sam jumped slightly, opening the door for you as you walked in, while he backed up.

“I am done messing around. I haven't talked to my sister in too long. Where is she,” you raised your voice.

“Shh, okay! Okay, I’ll take you to her now, okay? Just keep quiet, okay?” Sam said quickly, looking around cautiously.

He grabbed your arm, pulling you out of the bunker, before pausing, hearing his phone ring. His face immediately dropped into worry, getting a call from Castiel.

“What?” his face dropped as you felt your heart ache.

He backed away from you, lowering his voice.

“What do you mean she’s gone?” sharp tears immediately flooded your eyes as you heard Sam talking to Castiel.

“(Y/N)...” he put his phone down, looking at you nervously.

“What did you do, Sam?” your voice broke as you put your hands on your face, trying to control your breathing.

“Sam! Sam!” you heard Dean yell, running to you and Sam.

“What the hell is the creep saying about Charlie? About the book?!” you could see Dean’s veins popping out of his neck as he yelled at Sam.

“We… We were just trying to help you,” his voice broke.

“Is she dead,” you whispered.

“No, s-she’s not dead,” Sam stuttered, as he looked down, avoiding eye contact from you and Dean.

“She just… she ran away. She just needed some time alone,” Sam shook his head.

“Alone? I told you to drop it, Sam! And now you got Charlie involved,” Dean slammed his fist on the wall, as you jumped slightly.

“Will you please tell me what's going on?” your voice squeaked as you looked at Sam.

“Dean has the Mark of Cain. I-It’s hurting him, it’s changing him, and… Charlie was trying to help me. She was trying to help Dean,” Sam sniffled.

“Why didn't you tell me any of this?” you cried.

“Charlie didn't want you to know. She just wanted to keep you safe, (Y/N). S-She’s not dead… she’s gonna be okay,” Sam said, trying to assure himself more than you.

You looked at Dean, seeing dark bags under his eyes, his eyes bloodshot as he gave Sam a deadly look.

“That’s it. I’m grabbing Eldon and we’re going to find Charlie,” Dean seethed in anger as he continued looking at Sam.

Sam nodded his head softly, walking into the bunker, heading towards the dungeon.

“Who's Eldon?” you asked Dean.

“This psycho comes from this family, they’re after Charlie now,” Dean clenched his jaw.

“Dean… if Charlie’s dead,” your voice broke as you paused, shutting your eyes tightly.

“She’s not dead, she’s gonna be okay,” Dean said.

Before you spoke again, Sam ran to the two of you, his eyes red.

“He’s gone. Eldon’s gone.”

---

You sat in the backseat of the Impala nervously, anxiously watching your leg bounce as you took big breaths.

You heard your phone ring, getting a call from Charlie.

“Charlie? W-Where are you?” you quickly answered, putting your phone on speaker.

“I’m at a hotel, I’m sorry I didn't call you, it’s just-” she started.

“What hotel? There's someone coming after you-” you felt your heart breaking as you heard someone banging at her door.

“Dean-” your voice broke.

He tensed, clenching his jaw as he stepped on the gas, driving faster.

“Charlie, listen to me, just give them whatever they want, okay?” Dean yelled.

She paused before exhaling sharply.

“I’m sorry, Dean, I can’t do that,” she said.

“Charlie, please. T-They’re not…” you stuttered, finding it hard to say what you had to.

“I love you, kid. You’re the best sister I could ever ask for. It’s always been us, and I’m so happy to have had you with me,” her voice began to fade as you heard ringing throughout your ears, your tears streaming down your face.

“Why are you saying goodbye?” your voice broke.

“Stay safe, kid. I love you,” she sniffled.

“Charlie, no-” you heard the phone disconnect as Sam turned back to face you, giving you a pitiful look.

You looked away from him, crying softly as you leaned against the seat.

---

“Stay in the car-” Dean started, turning to you as you pushed past him, grabbing your gun as you ran into the hotel room, hearing Sam and Dean yelling behind you.

You looked at the broken door as you entered, seeing Charlie’s bag spilled on the ground, with a chair knocked over.

You ran to the bathroom, kicking the door open as you froze, gasping softly as your eyes widened.

The one sight you weren't prepared for, seeing your big sister’s dead body in front of you.

She laid in the bathtub, legs hanging out, a knife buried in her stomach as you began to hyperventilate.

“(Y/N), oh my god,” Sam gasped, looking down at Charlie.

You stumbled backward, holding in your cries as you felt the world around you begin to fade. Your head began throbbing, hearing ringing in your ears as your vision blurred, tears in your eyes.

You heard Dean calling for you softly, as he wrapped his arms around you. You buried your head in his chest, sobbing loudly as you gripped onto him tightly.

---

You stood there, frozen, in shock as Sam and Dean carried Charlie’s body. You watched her body burn as your eyes were bloodshot.

“Charlie, you were-” Sam began to speak.

“Shut up,” you spat.

You felt both of the Winchesters looking down at you.

“(Y/N), I-” Sam began.

“No. Shut up. You don’t get to say anything. You’re the reason she’s dead,” you clenched your jaw tightly as you looked forward, keeping your eyes off of Sam.

“I didn't mean to,” his voice was a whisper as you yelled at him once more.

“You never mean to. It’s not like she matters to either of you, right? The two of you only care about saving yourselves to give a fuck about anyone else,” you yelled.

“Charlie was like a sister to us,” Dean started.

“She was like a sister to you. She was my sister, Dean. She was everything to me. She raised me, she took care of me. And now she’s dead. All because she wanted to help you,” your voice wavered as you turned your back on them.

“(Y/N), please,” Sam put his hand on your shoulder, as you pushed away from him, immediately turning as you made a fist, punching him in the face.

“(Y/N),” Dean started.

“I said shut up, Dean. Don’t pretend to know what this feels like. Every time you lose Sam he comes back. Every time Sam loses you, you come back. Just because you’re some dumb Winchester doesn't mean that everyone else has to suffer losses,” you raised your voice, trying to hide your pain.

“I’m sorry about Charlie, I’m sorry for what we did, it’s all Sam’s fault, okay?!” Dean yelled at you.

You could see Sam’s eyes flooded with tears as he bit his lip, holding in cries as he looked at you.

“Don’t talk to me again. Don’t try to track me down, don’t try to call me or text me. Just stay the hell away from me,” you yelled at the two of them.

“So then what are you gonna do now?!” Dean yelled.

“I'm gonna kill them,” you said, turning your back as you walked away from them.

“I’m gonna kill all of them.”

[scp-miraculous-pandoras-days]

If Elias Gray was brought to the foundation (One-Shot!)

(Since it has been over a year since the Thrill of the Hunt hiatus started, and I'm starving for some content (and this has been bouncing around in my head for a while), here is a joke chapter about if the SCP Foundation was in The Thrill of the Hunt Miraculous Ladybug universe! Also, I own none of the characters other than my own O.C (Dr. Glee), here are some links to the original comic and comic dub, Please enjoy! The art above by Ipku of Deviant art.)

The foundation has tracked a dangerous anomaly to an abandoned warehouse on the east coast of Canada. However, this anomaly was unique. From eyewitnesses' reports, it appeared to be a humanoid wolf hybrid with a white coat and black accents, and gray armor-like plates on its legs, chest, and shoulders, a gray wolf skull for a face, and yellow luminescent eyes. It has exhibited several powers to evade capture... Such as electricity manipulation, the ability to raise voice to the point where it creates destructive soundwaves, abnormal strength, and agility. It is a likely Euclid class and a possible Keter class.

That is what the paper in the girl's hand said. A young, petite girl with light blue eyes, dark black hair with a blue hue, and fair skin sat in a chair, reading the paper in her hand. She wore a black t-shirt, jeans, and a metal collar with a small red light around her neck. That girl was once named Marinette Dupain-cheng, but now her name is Scp-6000, aka Pandora. A bright red box with black polka dots sat on the table in front of her. In the chair opposite from the girl was a woman in a lab coat. She had short dark brown hair with light brown highlights at the roots and ends. A large bang covered the right side of her face, concealing the right eye. Rectangular bottom rimmed eye-glasses sat at the bridge of her nose, the right side also hidden by her hair. Her deep green eyes looked tired and weary... dark bags were always present under them. Around her neck was a think chain with an odd eight-pointed star-like cross resting on her chest. The woman looked at Pandora expectantly.

"Dr. Glee, what do you want from me?" Pandora asked the woman.

"Pandora, it wasn't my idea. But, the o-5 council wants you to help contain this anomaly. It would be in your best interest to comply." The woman called Dr. Glee said. Pandora sighed, running it over in her head.

"I don't want Elias to be here. He does not deserve to be in this place. But... if I don't bring him in... the others will try to get a hold of him..." Pandora thought. Images of her friend being killed by the G.O.C, being used by the Chaos Insurgency, or Serpent's Hand running through her head. She hated the thought, but Elias had to be brought here... to protect him. Pandora looked up at Dr. Glee.

"Alright... I'll help contain him..." Pandora sighed. Dr. Glee looked relieved but paused at Pandora's choice of words. But, she shrugged it off.

                                                          ~+~

Pandora was shocked when she arrived at the warehouse. She wasn't startled by the warehouse itself, but at who was there. Her friend Iris Thompson (Scp-105) was there, in combative gear, her camera around her neck. Her other friend, Cain (Scp-073) was also there, in a black tank top and jeans. But what shocked Pandora the most was the fact that Able (Scp-076) was there! She knew that after seeing her for a little over a month he started to act more human... but the fact the foundation let him out was shocking. He was glaring at Cain with intense hatred, so he hadn't completely changed.

"Er... what's going on?" Pandora asked Iris.

"Well, Able, Cain, and I were brought here to back you up in case the weird wolf thing decided to go nuts and try to hurt you!" Iris told her young friend.

"I have the Kwamis... this isn't necessary!" Pandora sighed.

"We insisted! You are our friend... we will make sure you aren't hurt." Cain said in his robotic voice while keeping one eye on Able.

"While I hate to admit it, my brother is right. We care about you, girl." Able rumbled, still glaring at Cain. Pandora sighed at the trio.

"If you guys insist... I'll call you three in if he gets hissy, alright?" Pandora said. The three nodded at that, but Cain noticed something.

"Pandora, you say that like you know it... do you have familiarity with this thing?" He asked.

"I won't answer that..." Pandora said, holding her box close to her. An M.T.F soldier walked up to her.

"The anomaly is in the warehouse... are you ready, Scp-6000?" He asked.

"I am..." Pandora responded.

"Elias... please know this is for the best..." Pandora thought to herself as the M.T.F soldier with a few others escorted her to the entrance, with the trio of humanoid anomalies tailing them.

                                                         ~+~

Elias sat in his wolf form on the rafters of the abandoned warehouse. Who were the people hunting him? What did they want? Did they want to capture and kill him? These thoughts swirled around in his head, and he sat. His ears perked up when he heard a door open. He turned his head towards the sound and listened hard.

"Scp-6000, you understand what you must do, correct?" A male voice asked. Elias exhaled through his nose. They were sending someone else in to do their dirty work? How pathetic! But then, he heard a familiar voice... her voice...

"I know what I'm doing, don't worry." The familiar voice said. Elias moved to get a better looked at the source of the voices... He saw a man in a S.W.A.T-like uniform talking to...

"Marinette!" Elias thought. There was no mistaking that hair. However, Elias noticed that she was different. She wore a plain black t-shirt and jeans... her hair was down and a few inches longer. Her eyes were different too... they looked... tired... and old.

"What have those people put her through?" Elias thought angrily. He then noticed the object in her hands.

"Isn't that the Miracle Box?" He thought.

"Calm down, my pup. You must get all the information before you go on an angry rampage." Ylva told him in his head. Elias nodded and waited.

The man gave Mariette a walkie-talkie and closed the door on her.

"Coward..." Elias thought. He started to stalk from above.

                                                         ~+~

Pandora sighed as she walked through the warehouse. She kept an eye on her surroundings. She didn't know how Elias would act.

"He may still be an a$$, but he won't hurt me... I hope..." Pandora thought. She felt eyes on her, and she stopped walking.

"You know... I never found the point in stalking prey before attacking it~" Pandora mused. She heard something descending from the rafters above. Jumping down from one crate to another, landing a few feet behind her. Pandora turned around to acknowledge her old friend.

"You haven't changed at all, have you?" She asked the humanoid wolf. He didn't answer... he only stared. Pandora was about to say something, but she was cut off.

"You're... alive?" He asked.

"Why... wouldn't I be?" She responded.

"But... the plane crash..." He started.

"Hold on, Plane crash?! What was the story everyone in was told?!" Pandora asked.

"Erm... well... we were told that you were going to America for an educational opportunity. But a malfunction on the plane you were on made the plane crash somewhere in the Atlantic ocean." He told her. Pandora stayed silent for a moment.

"Well then... So that's the story the foundation told my friends and family. Looks like I'm going to have a "talk" with the higher-ups when this is all over," Pandora said to herself.

"I'm glad you're alive... what really happened, though?" Elias asked.

The two started to chat with each other. Trading stories about what happened after Pandora was taken into the foundation. In the middle of Pandora's story about how she and Iris met, the walkie-talkie placed next to the Miracle Box suddenly buzzed to life.

"Pandora! Is everything alright? You have been in there for a while! Over!" Iris's voice said. Pandora picked up the walkie-talkie.

"Relax, Iris. Everything is going smoothly! Over!" Pandora said into the walkie-talkie.

"Are you sure? Over!" Iris asked.

"Very sure! Over!" Pandora responded. She then turned the walkie-talkie off and turned to her friend.

"My friends outside are getting antsy. We're going to have to cut it off!" Pandora told her Elias.

"Okay? But... why did that girl call you 'Pandora'? Your name is Marinette." Elias said.

"I haven't gone by Marinette in ages. My new name is Pandora ever since I was brought to the foundation. Actually, I prefer Pandora over Marinette now!" Pandora said.

"Geez... You'll still be the clumsy girl I knew back in high school in France, though..." Elias teased.

"Of course-" Pandora started, but a crashing sound was heard. The two turned to the source of the noise to find an agitated, 6-foot, tattooed warrior smashing through the warehouse. His exasperated cyborg brother, and an equally exasperated blonde girl on his heels.

"What the..." Elias started.

"I know..." Pandora responded before her friend could finish.

The two immortals and girl stopped when they saw their friend sitting with the anomaly she was supposed to be containing.

"Erm... Pandora, what are you doing?" The blonde girl called Iris asked her friend.

"Having a conversation with an old school friend," Pandora responded nonchalantly.

"An old school friend?" The cyborg-like man known as Cain asked.

"Yes, we went to the same high school back in Paris for a little while. He... was always like this..." Pandora said, gesturing to her friend. The tattooed man who was called Able... then dropped his weapons (which disappeared the moment they left his hands), and started to walk out.

"Able, where are you going?!" Iris asked incredulously as he walked away.

"I quit..." Able responded.

"What do you mean 'I quit'?! Able, get back here!" Iris said, jogging after the guy.

"You never said anything... why?" Cain asked.

"I didn't think it was important..." Pandora said.

"PANDORA-"

                                           We'll be right back!

                                                         ~+~

"So... you never brought up the fact that you went to the same high school with another anomaly because you were never asked?" Dr. Glee clarified.

"That is one way of putting it!" Pandora responded. Dr. Glee face-palmed and gulped down some coffee from the cup she had in her hand.

"The fact you were hiding this makes me wonder what else you are hiding from the foundation..." Dr. Glee sighed.

"You know... drinking too much coffee isn't good for your health..." Elias quipped. He was in his human form, wearing some clothes Pandora had given him. Ylva was at his side, dozing as he scratched her head.

"Look, mister werewolf, this stuff is one of the only things keeping me going... besides that, Pandora, hiding things from the foundation won't end well." Dr. Glee said.

"Dr. Glee, with all due respect, the foundation was the best option for me. But, it is not good. I don't trust anyone there, even you. I don't want the wrong people to use the Miraculous for the wrong purpose." Pandora said.

"Yeah... I agree with Mar- I mean, Pandora. She and I have seen what the Miraculous are capable in the wrong hands..." Elias commented.

"I suppose that's fair... But this is going to cost paperwork... looks like I'm pulling an all-nighter... again..." Dr. Glee sighed, downing the last of her coffee... before leaving the interrogation room.

"Is that lady always like that?" Elias asked.

"The foundation is not the easiest place to work... and considering all she's been through ever since she first became a researcher... she is bound to be messed up as a result..." Pandora responded with a sigh.

"She's not the only one who was f***ed up by this place..." Elias quipped.

"Judging from the look in your eye, you've seen some s*** too..."

"It's true..." Pandora sighed.

"Because of the capabilities of the Miraculous, the foundation is very interested in me. I've been asked to do so much for them, some of it fun, some of it... not so fun..." She confessed.

"Why don't you leave?" Elias asked.

"As I told Dr. Glee, this place was the best option for me... There are other organizations, that is true, but they don't have any interest in keeping the Miraculous a secret." Pandora explained to her friend.

"Care to elaborate?" Elias asked. Ylva's ears perked up.

"Well, there is the Global Occult Coalition. They were formed by the United Nations, and instead of containing and researching anomalies... they kill them..." Pandora sighed.

"Kill them?!" Elias exclaimed. Ylva looked alarmed.

"Yup! Those b*****s wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet in my head and throw the Miracle Box in an incinerator. They likely would have done something similar to you if the foundation hadn't gotten to you first." Pandora said.

"W-well then... are there others?" Elias asked.

"There is the Serpent's Hand... they want to reveal anomalies to the world and live in peace with them. It's a childish dream if you ask me, and an irresponsible one at that..." Pandora said.

"True..." Elias said, eyeing the Miracle Box In Pandora's hands.

"Then there is the Chaos Insurgency... I am not touching that thing with a ten-meter pole even if you pay me to do so..." Pandora sighed.

"What do they do?" Elias asked.

"They create chaos, you can tell from the name... they tried to get their hands on me at one point... yeah... didn't end well... had to get an amnesiac to forget the whole incident..." Pandora said.

"Jesus... are there any others?" Elias asked.

"Those are just the organizations I know of! Some anomalous churches and cults would love to get their hands on me! And who knows how many are out there!" Pandora ranted.

"Oh, God... What did I get myself into?" Elias asked.

"I have to wonder that too..." Ylva said.

"Oh... you two..." Pandora chuckled ominously.

"Welcome to the S.C.P Foundation! Otherwise known as; Hell~" Pandora said, throwing her arms wide open in faux welcome.

(Here’s a one shot! And if you want, you see more of this stuff here!)

[geckolady]

Skulduggery Pleasant: Raising Cain - Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - First day on the job

Stephanie woke up in the morning to an empty room but the sound of a lot of activity. She groaned, remembering exactly what a blubbering mess she had been the day before, but then she remembered that this was her house and her friends were here and they owed her a lot of hugs, especially now they were her brothers. How dare they be her brothers for – she checked her phone – twelve hours and she only got a hug from anyone but Skulduggery!

She stomped from the room and found them scattered in the hallway with various pieces of furniture and objects.

“Unacceptable!” She shouted at them. They all went silent and looked at her nervously. “How dare you!”

Dexter stepped forwards and put his hands up when she glared. “Stephanie, we thought you wouldn’t mind if we did some changes. We thought you would like it if you didn’t have to move home, you see, and we were moving out things–”

“Unacceptable! You did all this, made plans, and I haven’t even gotten any hugs. It’s not fair!”

She stepped forwards and clutched Dexter in a hug as tight as she could. “I love you!” She shouted into his chest.

He started laughing and hugged her back. “I love you too.”

She moved onto the others, getting better hugs as she went down the maturity scale, leaving her finally with Snake. “I got you a present,” he declared and looked around. His grin was replaced with a frown. “I lost it.”

Stephanie laughed and left to get herself breakfast since all they were doing was moving boxes into the bedrooms next to hers. When her stomach was full, she went back up to find the place clear of almost everything and the big man was carving names into some of the doors expertly. They were really nice – Erskine, Saracen, Ghastly, Anton. “Whose Anton?”

“Me,” he grunted.

She grinned. “I like that name.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ve always called you Bear.”

“Why?”

She shrugged. “I gave you all nicknames. They’re fun, and I was little when I did it.”

He nodded and got back to his work so she left him and used the bathroom at the end of the hall – there was one on either end, luckily, and the rooms were large enough that they were not actually that close to each other. She’d have to really shout to get someone’s attention if they were at the other end of the hall. When she was ready, she went downstairs to the living room to find her friends sitting in there looking quite at home. It made her smile. They looked like a family.

Her smile faded.

She felt a little excluded with them looking so happy and close. They knew each other from every angle. She couldn’t compete with that type of friendship, couldn’t dominate that type of love. Where would she fit now Gordon wasn’t here to help her?

“Steph!” Dexter said, spotting her first. “What are you doing standing around? Come sit.”

There were no seats so Stephanie dragged the bean bag into the middle of the room and sat in the centre. Gordon said she if she was unsure, get right in the middle. She was probably misunderstanding but she was doing it, right?

“What are we doing today?” She asked them.

“Well,” Skulduggery, Crow, said, “I think a talk is necessary before we do anything.”

Ghastly, Panda, nodded. “Your uncle wanted to wait but this is different.”

Crow nodded. “Usually I would try to respect Gordon’s decisions even when he is not around but in this case our hands are simply being forced. Stephanie, do you believe in magic?”

And that was how she learned about magic. About skeletons and mages and fire and Elementals and Adepts and that her uncle had tried to keep her from such incredible things.

“Why didn’t Gordon want me to know about this?” She asked, feeling a little resentful.

“Your Uncle wanted you to understand the repercussions of making life decisions before you had to make one. I know that it may seem like he held you back from this, but he really just wanted to make you happy.”

Stephanie mulled it over in her mind. She supposed that was possible. It sounded like something he’d said once, so…

“Okay. So what are we doing today?” She asked again.

“Well, there is one more thing we need to tell you,” Panda said, scratching the back of his scared head. “Your uncle…”

“He was murdered,” Stephanie said. The others were incredibly quiet and looked almost guilty. “Yeah… I sort of got the impression when you started talking about that Serpine man, and how angry you are, and how much you all hate him, and how he keeps killing people. It was suspiciously stressed upon. I mean, it feels like you sort of wanted me to work it out. But Gordon told me you guys take down bad guys all the time. So you’re going to track him down, aren’t you?”

There was a long silence. “Fuck, this is going to be fun,” Wolf laughed, standing and pulling Stephanie into his arms. “Come along little brothers, we have a case to solve!”

Stephanie laughed and banged her head against the top of the door frame and laughed even more, falling over Wolf’s shoulder and just sort of hung there laughing. They were followed out to the cars. Panda’s van was there and so was Crow’s beautiful Bentley.

“So,” Wolf said when they were standing in front of their options. “Do you want to go with Skulduggery and visit China for information or do you want to go with Ghastly and help him make you some awesome new protective clothes?”

Stephanie pretended to think about it. “Crow. But I want to help afterwards.”

“That’s my girl,” and she was let down to get in the car. Wolf opened the door and pulled down the front seat for her. “In you get.”

Stephanie looked at the car. She looked at Wolf. “No.”

He hesitated. “Why?”

“I call shotgun.”

He grinned and she almost grinned back. “But I want shotgun.”

“I called it first,” she informed him. “Now get in.”

He sighed but did get in and Stephanie allowed herself to grin. It was a silly victory, but it was so fun to boss Wolf around.

Crow joined them and the three drove into the city to a residential area to park. Stephanie wasn’t worried about the car as she was too busy laughing with Wolf as he showed her his purple electricity magic.

“Aww, come on Crow,” she said, looking over her shoulder. He looked grumpy. “It’s not all that bad.”

He shook his head. “I promised Gordon I’d raise you into a respectable young woman with good prospects and without bias. Dexter is ruining that.”

“Are you saying Wolf is going to ruin me?”

“Yeah, don’t be so mean to my Cub!” Wolf defended her, putting an arm around her shoulder.

“I will not be ruined by anything. I am quite happy here. I’ve wanted to get to know you all since I was a little kid and go on adventures and solve cases and have fun. I’m doing that. Isn’t that exactly what Gordon would have wanted?”

He sighed. “Of course,” Crow admitted. “But not like this.”

Stephanie didn’t have an answer to that. She just asked Wolf if he could electrocute her if he used his magic with his other hand if he was holding her. He laughed but she felt like electricity would flow through him to her – it wasn’t that bad of a question.

Crow went ahead of them into the dingy old building and the two made a ruckus laughing and joking about falling through the stairs. “You two need to quieten down,” Crow told them. “China won’t be happy if you don’t stop.”

“Whose China?” Stephanie asked.

“China is a lady I often go to for information. She is the most beautiful lady in the world and people fall in love with her on sight. She abuses that love and makes them bring her things for her collection. She owns a library, you see.”

“Oh. She doesn’t sound the nicest.”

“She isn’t,” Wolf said, more serious than she’d seen that day. “China isn’t to ever be trusted, but she is a good ally, and very useful for getting information. People talk to her you see. And one more thing before we go in,” he said as they stood in front of a man with a bow tie. “Do not tell anyone your name. If you do they can control you, remember?”

She nodded. “Never.”

“That’s my Cub.”

They went silently through the aisles of the library in search of the beautiful lady. Stephanie had been worried she wouldn’t know it was her but as soon as the woman was in front of her she could do nothing but stare entranced by her. She wanted to fall to her knees, kiss her feet, do anything and everything for her.

“China,” Crow said, “stop it.”

The wonderful creature laughed, making Stephanie think of little crystal bells blowing in the breeze, and the feeling of absolute devotion lessened to a minor obsession. “I’m sorry, I forget what effect I can have on new people, especially the young. Allow me to introduce myself: I am China Sorrows. And you are?”

Stephanie almost told her but Wolf squeezed her shoulder, where his arm still lay, and she shut her mouth again.

Wolf rolled his eye. “She’s too smart to fall for that.”

China grinned, and Stephanie felt she was being mocked. It certainly let her shake off a little more of the overpowering emotions she was feeling.

“Don’t you have anything for me today Dexter? Not even a hug?” China asked.

“Naa, this is my only girl now.”

“I see I’ve been replaced then, and I don’t even get to hear her speak. So, tell me, why are you visiting me today?”

Crow took over. “We have reason to believe Gordon was murdered.”

“By who?”

He was silent.

“Oh, no,” China said with a gentle laugh. “Not Serpine again? Skulduggery, you think Serpine is guilty of every crime you stumble across.”

“That’s because he usually is.”

“Well I still can’t help you. I have heard nothing but nonsense rumours that don’t even deserve to be called rumours,” she said with a smirk. “I imagine it would make you laugh.”

“What is it then?” Stephanie asked, getting annoyed at the back and forth.

China laughed. “The word is that Serpine has begun believing in fairy tales. In the Sceptre of the Ancients.”

Crow was silent for a moment. “Has he found it?”

“Skulduggery, dear, the Sceptre is a legend and nothing more. There is nothing to find no matter how much he searches.”

“If he’s looking it has some value.”

“That doesn’t mean it exists though, only that he has become more insane.”

“He doesn’t sound like a stupid man,” Stephanie said quietly. “If he thinks it’s real, there has to be a reason, and you said he was looking right? So, he has an idea of where it was. Does that mean he killed Gordon for it? Did Gordon have it?”

The adults looked at each other. “I think you found a lead,” Skulduggery said after a moment of consideration.

They left quickly, trotting down the stairs and out to the car. Crow called the others and put it on speaker, letting Stephanie hold the phone up for him while he drove to Panda’s tailor shop.

“What did you find?” Panda asked when he picked up.

“He’s searching for the Sceptre,” Crow said.

“How did you figure that out?” Weasel, who was really Saracen Rue, asked confusedly. “I never would have thought up that.”

“I didn’t need you to,” Crow said. “My partner in crime did.”

There was a short silence. “Why does she get to be yourapprentice? I want a prodigy too.”

Stephanie grinned and tried not to start giggling as all six men started bickering over her. Eventually it was too much, and she started laughing uproariously at them, making them stop. She could feel them get embarrassed and probably defensive, but it just made her laugh more.

“Oh, please, stop!” She choked out between her laughs. “I’m gonna pee.”

“No! Ghastly, she’s yours,” Crow said in a panic.

She snorted. “I’m not really.”

“She’s mine.”

“You never said about what I thought.”

“Ah, yes. Stephanie realised that Gordon must have had it in his possession at some point, or else had information on where it must be. That’s why Serpine killed him,” Crow said, working it through. “Remember the legends. There can only be one owner of the Sceptre. If Gordon found it after centuries of it being lost, then he was the owner. Upon his death, the Sceptre became free for the taking again, making Serpine able to take the Sceptre with no problems.”

“That means it must be in the mansion,” Stephanie said. “There’s so many trap doors and spaces in the walls, and he never let me in the basement or loft or most of the third floor, or the fourth at all. It could be anywhere in there.”

Crow nodded. “Exactly.” He pulled the car to park on a dodgy looking street. Crow told them they were coming to the shop and they hung up, Stephanie letting Wolf out the back at which point his protective arm returned to her shoulders. It was fun having a big brother.

The shop was grey and a little run down, like the rest of the area, but when they entered it was bight, open and nice looking, if a little like a bachelor pad that had clashed badly with silk, chiffon, tweed and every imaginable button, thread, colour and material. It somehow was still masculine, made better by the muscles on Panda as he run a black as night material through his sewing machine with tender care. She couldn’t help but grin.

“Where in the mansion?” Snake, really Erskine, asked when they had locked the door. They were sprawled around the room, leaving Stephanie the only person standing. They had even taken the table space. She sat, instead, on the arm of the sofa next to Anton.

“Under the mansion is a cave system,” Crow admitted. “Gordon said when he was looking for his home that it was the only place with a magic history – he only wanted one steeped in as much magic as possible – that had only a negative history attached to its magic. Of course, he loved the scandal and bought it, and said once that it had a cave system beneath it. He found a journal from the owner a year later and was raving that he got in and there’re magic creatures. I agree he could have decided to hide the Sceptre anywhere, perhaps to trick someone into going into the caves, but it doesn’t seem his style.”

“If Gordon loved magic as much as you say, and he has a magical cave system with magic security, why wouldn’t he hide it there? It sort of makes sense he’d decide that.”

“Precisely. The Sceptre is free for taking so long as you can get into the caves, so long as you can get passed the monsters and whatever other traps have been set up, if you can get out afterwards. It can be done, but can he do it before us?”

“Nope,” Stephanie said. “We have the house, we can get it today.”

“How do we get in?” Bear asked.

“We need a key. I doubt Gordon would have left that around the house,” Crow said, rubbing his bone jaw.

“So the key is to find the key,” Snake said, smirking. “Any ideas.”

They were silent thinking it through.

Crow cleared his non-throat. “Gordon said what I searched for was right in front of me.”

“Oh fuck,” Stephanie said, sagging. She got looks of shock and scandal, and a few winks. “Fergus and Beryl have the key.”

[frizz22]

Prompt: what if there was a time Sabrina died (maybe when she was quite young?) and the aunties had to use the Cain pit to resurrect her?

It’s been a hot minute... okay, lots and lots of minutes, but I’m back and working on my one shots! 😜 hope you enjoy! Read on ao3

It was Sabrina’s second Solstice; her first without her parents. Not that the girl was aware, the sweet thing too young to know the difference.

Still, she and Hilda made an effort to keep the traditions the little family started the year before; roasted chestnuts, Ambrose reading aloud from The Christmas Carol—which had been done at Diana’s insistence… not that Zelda minded after the ghosts appeared.

After those traditions were observed though, there wasn’t much else to do or that they wanted to do. Neither she nor Hilda were in the mood for a boisterous holiday when they were experiencing their grief anew.

Firsts were always hard.

Thankfully, Ambrose seemed to be enjoying himself. He’d practically run from the room after they’d given him a new chemistry set for the holiday. And based on the sounds emanating from the attic it seemed their nephew was experimenting with how to blend the mortal science with magic.

A particularly loud bang had them jumping, first because of the noise and second because somehow the resulting combination snuffed out all the lights.

Grumbling good naturedly, Zelda made for the fuse box—which would likely see more use in the near future—while Hilda waved a hand to light some of the candles around the kitchen.

“Ambrose, love,” Hilda called as she picked up a candle and moved towards the stairs to check on their nephew. Just as Zelda flipped the switches and restored the electricity, though, Hilda shouted. “Zelda!”

Alarmed by her sister’s tone, Zelda rushed back through the house and found Hilda in the parlor, pointing to the fireplace.

The Yule log was out.

“Quickly!” Zelda exclaimed, rounding the armchairs and beginning the enchantment; Hilda joining her seconds later to add her strength.

Once the fire was relit, Hilda worried her lower lip. “Do you think anything got through? It was only out a minute.”

Frowning, Zelda shook her head. “With how close spirits roam to this realm during Solstice, a minute might be all they needed. Go get Ambrose, no more experimenting tonight. I’ll get Sabrina and check the house for malevolent presences.”

Her girl tucked firmly on her hip and the crook of her arm, Zelda moved through the house, tool in hand, praying to Satan it wouldn’t stop spinning.

It did.

Zelda squeezed her eyes shut and carefully backed out of the nursery where the device indicated the spirits were. She shut the door softly behind her though she knew it wouldn’t make a difference to the non-corporeal beings now haunting their house.

Hurrying back down the stairs, Zelda found the rest of her family huddled around the Yule log, making sure it remained lit.

“Auntie, I am a so sorry,” Ambrose began, rubbing the back of his neck ruefully. “I have no idea how I managed to extinguish all light, but I certainly didn’t intend—"

She cupped his cheek and managed a weak smile. “I know, sweetheart, you wouldn’t have risked the spell of you’d known.” Ambrose exhaled in relief and covered her hand with his and pressed his cheek into her palm.

“Did, did you find anything?” Hilda murmured, coming up behind Ambrose and wrapping a protective arm around him.

With a grim nod, Zelda’s eyes lifted to the ceiling where they could hear the beginnings of the spirits moving around. “In the nursery. I don’t know what, yet, but we do have spirits.” She switched Sabrina to her other hip as the sounds above continued.

Brow furrowing, Ambrose inclined his head, listening hard. “Are, are they playing with Sabrina’s toys?” He asked, eyes drifting upwards once more.

At the suggestion, all three of them fell silent and waited. Sure enough, the bells attached to the mobile hanging above Sabrina’s crib tinkled and a musical tune from another toy broke the quiet.

Sighing slowly, Zelda turned to Hilda and her sister nodded. “The Yule lads.” They stated in tandem.

“Yule lads?” Ambrose repeated, tucking his hands under his arms. “Wait, they’re, they’re poltergeists are they not? A simple banishing spell should do the trick.”

Zelda shook her head. “Poltergeists of a sort,” she corrected, wincing as something crashed to the floor above them. “They listen to no one but their,” her mouth twisted, “their ‘mother’.”

A grimace pulling her features, Hilda turned towards the kitchen. “I’ll get the offering ready.” She muttered, clearly unhappy about giving up even some of the food she’d prepared.

Her nephew frowned. “Offering? Who do the Yule lads listen to?”

Surprised there was something Ambrose didn’t know, Zelda bounced slightly to keep Sabrina pacified. “Gryla, a powerful hedge witch who is centuries older than Hilda and me. She,” Zelda shook her head in disgust, clutched Sabrina closer and then went on to explain who Gryla was; her horrendous act of eating her child, the betrayal she felt when the other witch broke the pact. And how, for the past thousand years, Gryla attempted to replace her lost child by taking others; specifically, orphans or those who weren’t with their biological family.

Blanching, Ambrose covered his mouth. “She, she ate—"

“Yes.” Zelda cut in, not wanting to dwell on Gryla’s grisly history. “And she replaces that child by taking others and turning them into spirits. Spirits that only listen to her. Which is why,” she moved to the kitchen to see how Hilda was coming along, “we must summon Gryla. So, she can collect her Yule lads before they do too much damage.”

A series of loud clatters sounded from upstairs followed by another loud crash of what sounded like one of the dressers in their bedrooms being knocked over.

Setting out another plate of cookies, Hilda huffed. “And to appease her, for the audacity of summoning her, we make an offering.” She gestured to the large amount of food spread out on the table with a scowl.

Ambrose spread his hands out, at a loss and still processing this newest piece of witching history. “How can I help?” He finally managed.

Carefully placing Sabrina in her highchair, with an extra protection spell, Zelda cupped Ambrose’s chin. “You, my dear felon, can hide.”

Confused, and not listening, Ambrose grabbed a plate and carried to the table. “Why would I hide? I came help.”

She shared a quick look with Hilda and then blurted it out. “Gryla was abandoned by her husband and she doesn’t like men.” Though if her spouse ate their only child Zelda knew for a fact she���d have abandoned them as well—if not killed them. Of course, Gryla didn’t see it that way.

Poorly suppressing a smile, Hilda added on. “She does like eating them.”

Appalled, Ambrose swallowed hard. “Oh,” he murmured faintly, setting the plate in his hands down with deliberate ease. “I suppose the basement or my room would be sufficient?”

Unable to help herself, Zelda chuckled softly at his reaction. “Yes, either will do. Though the basement may be safer, the lads seem to still be wreaking havoc upstairs.” The sound of breaking glass confirmed her thinking. “Make sure to cast silencing spells on the room, so we can’t hear you, but you can hear us.”

“Of course, Auntie, I might just go prepare now, why wait until she’s almost here?” With a slightly grey tinge to his skin, Ambrose scurried off.

Turning back to Hilda, Zelda arched a brow. “Are we ready?”

With a begrudging nod, Hilda handed Sabrina part of a cookie to keep her occupied, and then joined her hand with Zelda’s to summon Gryla.

~~~~

The witch arrived with a howl of winter wind that made the windows shudder in their frames.

She curtly knocked on the door, a smug smile on her face when it swung open for her. “Have you found my Yule lads?” She remarked, arching a knowing brow as more bangs sounded from above when she entered.

“They’ve made themselves quite at home,” Zelda noted dryly, shutting the door behind the witch.

Stepping forward, Hilda swept her hand to encompass their offering. “We’ve laid out some lovely meat pies, cookies, pastries, roasted—"

Sharply holding up a hand, Gryla shifted her attention and Hilda petered off, unsure. “This child is not yours.” She breathed, eyeing Sabrina where she was happily munching on the cookie Hilda gave her.

Baffled, Zelda blinked. “Yes she is.”

A malicious smile spreading on her lips, Gryla crooked her head. “She’s not your blood. I smell it.”

The two of them moved instinctively to stand behind Sabrina, Hilda gripping the back of Sabrina’s seat before answering. “Not directly no, but she’s our niece. We are her guardians.”

Power suddenly built up around Gryla and the Yule lads abruptly appeared in the kitchen with them, knives whirling through the air forcing Zelda and Hilda to deflect them.

“Stop this!” Zelda bellowed, a blast of energy emanating from her and sending the knives flying to embed themselves in the walls. “Sabrina is our girl and you won’t touch her.”

If anything, this seemed to motivate Gryla further, a cackle escaped her as she joined the fight along with her Yule lads, eyes bright with cruel intent.

Magic thickly filled the air as she and Hilda fought ferociously to try and keep Gryla at bay; all while dodging whatever lethal missiles the Yule lads launched in their direction. A flicker of relief went through Zelda when she felt Hilda seal the basement door to prevent Ambrose from joining them; Hell knew what Gryla would do to him.

And though the strain she felt from the fight made it seem as though hours had passed; Zelda knew only minutes had gone by. Despite this, sweat dripped down Zelda’s brow as she held a shield spell in place against Gryla’s onslaught, gritting her teeth at the effort. Hilda breathed heavily behind her, the burden of fighting invisible and numerous spirits surrounding them also taking its toll.

As if sensing her growing fatigue, Gryla increased the intensity of her spell; the effect of which physically slid Zelda’s feet back several inches across the floor. Laughing, the witch dropped the spell and then launched another at Zelda’s shield, making her stagger back at the impact; her spell held, barely.

It was then Zelda realized Gryla was toying with them.

She was centuries older and far more powerful. The hedge witch was enjoying her game, the fight; but dueling with them wasn’t even a challenge for her. Their desperate effort was a lost cause.

Despite this horrible realization, despite the fact that it was futile, and Hilda likely had discovered this as well, they kept fighting.

What else could they do?

Give up? Let Gryla take Sabrina and then search the house to take what she pleased as payment for resisting her? Ultimately leading the witch to Ambrose, who she’d kill out of hand?

No.

Zelda knew neither she nor Hilda would ever let anything happen to the kids. Never. With one last frantic attempt, Zelda dropped her shield completely, concentrated her remaining energy into a lethal blow and flung it at Gryla.

The witch was thrown back over the kitchen counter with a sickening crunch and, for a moment, Zelda dared to hope. Until magic crackled in the air above where Gryla had disappeared and then shot across the room to take Zelda in the chest.

Eyes going wide in pain and panic, Zelda clutched at her chest and tried to breathe; without success.

“Zelds!” Hilda shouted, loosing a billowing cloud of fire into the air to deter the Yule lads before dropping next to her. “Easy, just let me...” Muttering a Latin phrase, Hilda countered the spell.

Air suddenly flooded Zelda’s lungs and she gasped, eyes watering. Before either of them could recover further, Gryla was looming from behind the counter and firing spells with such speed and force they couldn’t possibly block them all.

Crashes and small explosions filled the room, joining Sabrina’s shrieks which had been going since the fight began.

Then, suddenly.... The screeches fell silent.

Bruised and bloody, Zelda and Hilda whipped around to find Sabrina’s small form slumped to the side.

Not missing the lack of noise from Sabrina either, Gryla slowed her attack and then stopped altogether. She harrumphed when she saw the result of her reckless casting. “Well, either with me or dead, at least she’s not where she doesn’t belong. With you.” With an arched brow and a self-righteous smile, Gryla whistled and turned away, her lads following, scavenging the fallen food as they went.

A raw, primal roar ripped itself from Zelda’s throat and she staggered upright and after the witch. Snorting in amusement, Gryla gave her an assessing look and then teleported away; leaving Zelda to crash into the wall behind where Gryla had been standing.

Sobs wrenched themselves from her and wracked her body as Zelda slid to the floor, barely able to breathe.

Hilda painfully leveraged herself off the floor as well and carefully extracted Sabrina from the damaged highchair to cradle the inert little girl against her chest. Pale as a ghost and utterly silent in shock, Hilda turned to Zelda, mouth working uselessly.

Another howl emanated from Zelda as Ambrose barreled into the room; Hilda’s spell containing him having dissipated in her grief.

“Aunties! What—” He stumbled on the sight that greeted him in the kitchen; the room a crater of destruction and grief. When Hilda curled herself around Sabrina, a wounded wail warbling out of her at least, Ambrose strode forward; eyes focused and fierce.

When he snatched Sabrina from Hilda, Zelda almost hexed him. For being so callous, for…. It was then Zelda realized that her nephew was sprinting out to the garden.

The Cain Pit.

Gasping at the realization, Zelda lurched outside as well, ignoring the pain ricocheting through her; Hilda whimpering as she followed. Hell bless their nephew, their brilliant, beautiful, strong nephew.

By the time they caught up, Ambrose had already covered Sabrina in the shallowest layer of dirt possible and still have it count as buried. He likely dared not place her deeper, the girl certainly not old enough to dig her way out once she woke.

She and Hilda dropped onto their knees beside him; huddling together in the snow as they waited for their girl to return.

At some point Ambrose started to heal them, his hands stiff with the cold. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, casting a spell to start a small fire to keep them warm. “I’m sorry, I am so, so very sorry, Aunties, I—” falling silent, Ambrose continued to heal them. “I’m sorry.” He finished, so softly Zelda almost didn’t hear him the last time.

After yet another apology fell from his lips, Zelda turned to him and smiled tremulously. “Your quick thinking is going to save your cousin, sweetheart, don’t apologize. And if your Aunt Hilda or I had eventually gotten our shit together and thought to use the Pit, we’d have either bled out from our injuries or frozen to death without you.”

“It wasn’t quick thinking.”

Perplexed, Hilda hummed and tried to take Ambrose’s hand, but he backed away from them both. “Darling—"

“It wasn’t quick thinking,” he repeated wretchedly. “All I could do while I was stuck in the basement, listening to you fight for your lives against Gryla and her lads, was think of what I’d see when I finally got out.” Spearing his hands through his hair, Ambrose shook his head. “I figured the Pit would see some use, I just never considered that it would be Sab-, Sabrina we put inside. And,” his voice cracked, “it’s my fault they were here in the first place. My fault she was hurt. That you were hurt.”

They both exhaled in realization and converged on Ambrose, engulfing him in their embraces and murmuring reassurances; for it certainly wasn’t his fault.

Before Zelda could be sure their words had truly sunk in, though, a thin cry sounded from the Pit. “Sabrina!” She gasped, hurriedly brushing the soil off her girl and wrapping her in her arms. “My darling, my sweet girl.” Tears flowed down Zelda’s cheeks as she shifted to let Hilda and Ambrose check on Sabrina as well.

Touching Zelda’s arm, Hilda stood. “Come, let’s get the dear inside. She needs a warm bath and a bottle.”

Their normal bedtime routine took much longer than usual. Though Sabrina seemed almost entirely unaffected by the night’s events, she and Hilda couldn’t seem to put the girl down. When they finally did lay Sabrina down in her crib, neither of them moved from its side.

“I don’t understand,” Zelda murmured, breaking the silence at last as she reached down and fixed the blanket Sabrina partially kicked off. “Gryla’s abilities allow her to sense when a child is not with family which is why she feels empowered to claim them as her own. Sabrina is our blood niece, easily traceable to the Spellman line through Edward... what caused her to say such things? To attack?”

Hilda didn’t quite meet her eye, hands twitching on the crib railing. “Maybe she’s losing her touch in her old age. She’s nearly a thousand years old, after all.”

Scoffing, Zelda conjured chairs for the two of them; full well knowing neither of them would be willing to leave Sabrina’s side that night. “She must be, who else would be Sabrina’s parents? Her family?”

Making a noncommittal sound, Hilda sank into the chair next to Zelda and they started their vigil.

[wigwurq]

WIG REVIEW: THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT

Yes it’s true - the only things I’ve been watching lately are prestige TV shows starring women with bad red wigs. I’ll get back to movies someday!! In the meantime, I finally watched all of this miniseries that has Netflix and the world aflame with love - and I am aflame too....WITH HATRED OF ALL OF THESE WIGS!!! I have so much to discuss with this show, y’all. A friend of mine (who hasn’t watched this show yet) probably said it best when he told me he thought the wigs in this show were supposed to be wigs WITHIN the narrative of the show (and therefore allowed to be bad): “wait I thought this was about a chess spy - that’s supposed to be her real hair? NO” INDEED!!! Let’s take it episode by episode (SPOILERS ABOUND) and DISCUSS.

Episode 1 - Openings

We begin in Paris, 1967. Beth Harmon, chess champion (?) awakens in a bath of ice (?) in the dark of her hotel room, clearly hung over or maybe still drunk. Her red ‘60s flip wig looks like HELL as does she, so...ok I guess this bad wig wurqs...for now. She sits herself down to play CHESS!! This whole show is about chess, obviously, and everyone is just mad about chess now! I am mad, too, because the show does not make chess seem interesting or sexy and I still hate it. 

Anyway, we rewind about 10 (?) years to a young Beth Harmon, who is suddenly orphaned after her mom definitely commits suicide via car accident. Her mom has super short bangs and cries a lot. We see some even further flashbacks to an even younger Beth IN THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS BABY WIG (MORE ON THAT LATER). We learn that her mom is very unhinged, but also probably brilliant, as Beth herself will become later. LET’S HOPE SHE NEVER GETS HER DRIVER’S LICENCE (note: she never does?)

Apparently the mid to late ‘50s were all about very VERY short bangs, and on this non-wigged little girl I guess that is fine.

BUT THEN! She is brought to an orphanage where they burn her old clothes (YES REALLY!) and cut her hair into a bob (the kid’s actual hair so again - ok!) and also give her and all the other girls constant drugs! The 1950s were really wild, amiright? If I have learned anything from movies set at orphanages in the 50s, drug abuse was the main issue (the only movie I’m referring to is obviously The Cider House Rules and the only thing I remember about that movie is that Michael Caine had an ether addiction). Anyway, the sedative drugs make her immediately put her hand on a hot radiator (safety first, orphanage!) 

She also makes friends with an older girl named Jolene (I LOVE THE NAME) who teachers her to save the sedative drugs for nighttime when they can help her sleep. Great advice, Jolene! Also: there is absolutely no way that African American Jolene would be in an integrated orphanage in mid-50s KENTUCKY but this is just the beginning of issues I have with this series......

Moving on! In avoiding the orphanage’s weird insistence on Jesusy choir practice, she discovers the basement realm of janitor Bill Camp, who never actually does any janitorial work (that I could see?) but definitely plays a lot of chess. And thus, her chess obsession begins! This is also helped by those sedatives she takes every night which give her really absurd chess hallucinations on the ceiling. This orphanage has it all!

Essentially, this miniseries is Valley of the Dolls if those characters got addicted to both pills and chess at the age of 9. Beth gets very VERY good at chess and some rando chess guy from the local high school comes and gives Beth a doll (BETH HATES THE DOLL BUT LOVES DOLLS DO YOU SEE WHAT I DID THERE). And she goes to the high school and plays a bunch of terrible high school boys at chess simultaneously and beats them all. Also: the orphanage suddenly gets in trouble for giving sedatives to small children for years and Beth is PISSED. She goes through withdrawal and years for the big ol’ jar o’ pills!!!

AND THEN! During a kind of Jesusy film presentation, Beth sneaks away to the orphanage pharmacy and just goes hog wild on the pills! TRULY: Valley of the Dolls has nothing on this sequence. 

Obviously, Beth is caught pill-handed and she also spills all the pills, breaks a giant glass jar, and then falls onto both of them. SHE IS 9. I THINK I LOVE THIS SHOW.

Episode 2: Exchanges

So after Beth’s completely insane pill odyssey, she is punished by being forbidden to play chess! Fast forward an indeterminate number of years, and we meet a slightly older Beth (now played by the bewigged Anya Taylor-Joy). AND THIS WIG, Y’ALL. WOOF. Completely dried out and bent, it really makes you appreciate the fact that they just cut the younger Beth’s hair. I realize that Anya is going to go through many 50s and 60s hairstyles to come but I really wish they had just done the same and used her real hair because we are about to take a bad wig odyssey that will last throughout this series. Also! I love that Jolene is played by the same actress! How old is too old to be in an orphanage?

Speaking of age! Beth is apparently now 15 but when a super weird couple expresses interest in adopting her, the orphanage director lady lies and says Beth is 13 and everyone just goes with it....FOR THE REST OF THE SERIES. Seriously, this age difference is never ever visited again or challenged. Beth is basically 15-17 for at least 5 years and no one gives a shit. OK? Anyway, Beth is adopted by Marielle friggin Heller (aka director of Can You Ever Forgive Me? and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood) who has a very Mamie Eisenhower wig which is just fine compared to the bent and dry-ass mess on Anya’s head.

It is later revealed that Marielle adopted Beth because her husband is mainly away on business and she needs an older gal pal around to fetch her....sedatives from the magazine store! I wonder if Beth will totally get addicted to them again! I’m no chess player but you can absolutely predict plot devices in this series about two pawns away (is that a chess term? I still don’t know or care!) 

So yes: as predicted Beth absolutely gets addicted to sedatives again (also the specific sedatives she gets addicted to are the exact same ones she was addicted to at the orphanage - WHAT A COINCIDENCE! - and also they are made up sedatives for the purposes of this show only in case we all want to get the same magical chess sedatives and see chess on the ceiling too). ALSO! Beth is still mainly addicted to chess despite the fact that she was permitted from playing it for the last 5-7 years (depending on what version of her age you’re going on?) but still is good at it? Most upsetting: she rips apart her lovely bed canopy in order to see her ceiling chess hallucinations! THE NERVE OF THIS KID!

Also nervy: bitch totally stole chess magazines from the pharmacy when she was also stealing sedatives from her adoptive mom! Kleptomania is Beth’s #3 addiction after chess and pills also comes into play when it is revealed that her new adoptive mom is kinda poor since her husband is away all the time and doesn’t give her enough money so Beth can’t enter those chess tournaments she read about in the magazines she stole. SO she writes to janitor Bill Camp and asks for $5 to enter the chess thing and if she wins she’ll send him $10. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PLOT POINT WHICH WILL COME INTO PLAY LATER. So Beth goes to the chess tournament where she meets some not handsome twin dudes and a very handsome other dude named Townes.

Basically all the chess dudes at this tourney suck in the same way? To be fair: if I saw Beth walking up in her ugly orphanage clothes and orphanage cut wig, I would think she sucked at chess too? Oh also - all the girls at her new high school also think her style sucks. I WONDER IF IN COMING EPISODES SHE WILL GAIN MORE STYLE AND CHESS FAME THAN ALL THESE GARBAGE PEOPLE. Spoiler: she does and also beats this dude named Harry and becomes the Kentucky chess champion. Also! Beth’s adoptive dad totally abandons her and Marielle Heller!  I still hate chess but will continue to watch this show because of its haunting wigs and lowgrade feminist vibe.

Episode 3: Doubled Pawns

This episode begins with a flashback to Beth’s shitty birth mother and her shitty banged wig and remember that time I said I was going to talk about the wig on the littlest girl who plays her? WELL HERE WE ARE. Baby Beth has the absolute WORST WIG ON THIS SHOW and given how terrible all the wigs are, that is saying a lot. This wig looks like it was ripped off an American Girl doll which had been mistreated for years and thrown of a jungle gym or something. IT IS THE ABSOLUTE WORST (as is her mom, who makes this poor kid believe she had drowned!!!) 

ANYWAY. We get a new wig in this episode!!! Beth manages to grow out her orphanage bangs and allow her hair to have a 50s wave bob. Do not be fooled by the higher quality of this cut, however - the quality of the WIG continues to very much suck! WHAT IS THIS HAIR PART! No hair underneath! And everything is still a dried out, bent mess! ALSO HER ROOTS ARE A NIGHTMARE. This is also the episode wherein Marielle Heller basically becomes Mama Rose to Beth and really gets into Beth supporting both of them via chess winnings and becomes her chess manager (ACTUAL JOB TITLE). Also Beth gets nicer clothing. Hilariously, Marielle tells Beth’s high school that Beth is just constantly sick so she can skip school to go to chess tournaments even though Beth is straight up on the cover of Life magazine?! I wonder if this will at all come to the attention of the high school - IT DOESN’T! PLOT HOLES BE DAMNED THIS SHOW IS ABOUT CHESS! She does go to high school long enough for the snobby girls who once made fun of her to invite her to the dumbest party ever where they just sit around and ask Beth dumb questions about Chess fame and then all have a sing-along to a song Beth doesn’t know because she has no idea what pop culture is: ONLY CHESS CULTURE. I watched this show with my mom and asked if ‘60s parties were like this and she laughed her head off and said NO. ALSO! Beth’s kleptomania comes into play at this party where she steals a bottle of gin and leaves without saying goodbye to anyone. WHAT A BITCH.

Speaking of bitches, Beth meets a new chess diva in the form of Love Actually’s resident child drum prodigy! He has a character name but whatever: Love Actually is his name and he has longish shaggy (non wigged) hair and dresses like Crocodile Dundee and is loved and feared in the chess community for being such a non-nerd (?) chess player. I asked my mom if anyone dressed like this in the ‘60s and she said “NO! But I guess I didn’t know everyone” WHICH IS A GREAT ANSWER BECAUSE MY MOM DIDN’T RUN IN WEIRD CHESS CIRCLES IN THE ‘60s. We are lead to believe the ‘60s chess community of weirdos consists of the same 5 rotating dudes who are all at the same chess tournaments always and also possible love interests for Beth and she’s better at chess than all of them.

The only weirdo chess dude that Beth cares about is Townes, who you may recall from the last episode in which he was the only attractive chess dude at that first chess tournament Beth went to with borrowed Bill Camp money. Anyway, she runs into him at some chess tournament (LIKE I REMEMBER WHICH ONE PLEASE) in Las Vegas where he is now a chess reporter (ACTUAL 1960s JOB, Y’ALL). He invites Beth back to his hotel boudoir where he takes some non-boudoir pictures of her playing chess and Beth is all aflutter with chess love but SUCK IT BETH, TOWNES IS GAY!!! I have to say that the only believable part of this show is that the only attractive chess dude would be homosexual. It still does not forgive any of the other plot nonsense.

SO! It’s still the big Vegas chess tournament which is super duper important-chess wise (though this show also makes it seem like every chess game IS THE MOST IMPORTANT so who is to say?) Anyway, Beth and her 50s wave wig (even though it is the 60s?) play Love Actually and....they both win? I didn’t know this was a chess pastability but ok? Beth is pissed that she didn’t beat Love Actually, I hope I never have to see him again (SPOILER HE’S IN MANY MORE EPISODES AND HAD I KNOWN THAT MAYBE I WOULD HAVE STOPPED WATCHING NOW BUT I DIDN’T!) 

Episode 4: Middle Game

We are still stuck with this weird ‘50s bob in this episode. IT STILL LOOKS BAD. New developments are: Beth is taking night classes at the local college (even though she is technically still in high school?) in order to learn Russian to better understand people who are more obsessed with chess than she is: Russians. Anyway, he ends up going to the most wild and stereotypical hippie party with a college dude after class and yep - loses her virginity to him. Ok? At least it wasn’t to a chess weirdo? She also stays behind and parties and drinks alone in the hippie apartment because of all her substance addiction and kleptomania. Also! She graduates from high school despite being 2 years too old for high school (a plot point never explained) and missing all that high school for chess tourneys (another plot point never explained!) OH WELL: CHESS! 

Beth and Marielle go to Mexico City for some chess tournament (AGAIN I COULDN’T TELL YOU WHICH ONE). Marielle is excited because she is pen pals (OMG THE 60s Y’ALL) with some Mexican weirdo who I definitely feared would steal all the chess winnings but then ultimately just sucks in the same way the adoptive dad did. Beth also runs into those chess twin weirdos because the chess community is comprised of only 5 dudes as I said. Their hair looks bad but not as bad as her wig. 

Beth doesn’t see much of Mexico City - nor do we unless you count a truly outrageous sequence in which Beth and Marielle go out on their hotel balcony and look into a green screen rendering of Mexico City that would have felt at home in CGI ghostmare, Bohemian Rhapsody. Anyway, Beth and her olde timey 1950s wig which is spending way too much time in the 60s even though she’s supposed to be stylish now, take a lot of chess baths while Marielle drinks a lot because that Mexican pen pal/boyfriend sucks so bad.

So Beth wins enough chess to play Borgov, who we are led to believe is the Russian white whale/Bond villain of the chess community and LOSES! She is pretty pissed about it but not as pissed as...

....coming back to the hotel room to discover Marielle Heller and her luscious Mamie Eisenhower wig DEAD. TWICE AN ORPHAN, Y’ALL. Mexican coroners tell Beth that her mom died of hepatitis (!!!) and Beth somehow implicates low quality tequila in this hepatitis death. I LEGITIMATELY GOOGLED ‘DOES TEQUILA GIVE YOU HEPATITIS’ IMMEDIATELY. I DON’T THINK IT DOES?!?!?! THIS SHOW IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS AND YES I WILL CONTINUE WATCHING IT DESPITE THE TERRIBLE WIGS AND MY HATRED OF CHESS.

Episode 5: Fork

Beth returns to Kentucky IN THE RAIN BECAUSE TV AND MOVIE DEATHS ARE ALWAYS ACCOMPANIED BY RAIN. She is about to be super lonely in the house she know owns (according to a super sketchy international phone call with her adoptive father which will definitely not hold up in court) and then...she gets a call from Harry! WHO THE EFF IS HARRY! Again, luckily, there are only 5 chess guys who need to remember and he is one of them (he is the one she beat for the Kentucky chess whatever in episode 2). She invites him over because she’s lonely!

Harry is definitely the saddest of the weirdo chess dudes because apparently he’s been harboring a secret love of Beth (who at the time of their first meeting was like 13-15 depending on what timeline you’re going on and he was...20? OK GROSS BUT OK). BITCH EVEN GOT HIS WEIRD TEETH FIXED SO HE COULD BE LOVED BY BETH AND HER BENT ASS WIG AND SERIOUSLY NO THANK YOU HARRY. Regardless, Beth lets Harry have sex with her a few times and live rent-free in her house and ultimately Harry gets enough self confidence to leave this effed up living situation since he will never be one of Beth’s obsessions (which are still: chess, pills/alcohol, stealing shit). 

So Beth goes to Ohio for some other chess tournament and reunites with UGH Love Actually. At this point in the show, Beth starts wearing long scarves as headbands and her wig has never looked better because most of it is covered by the scarf. THANK GOD. So Love Actually totally chess hustles Beth for a lot of coin playing speed chess (DEAR GOD WHY HAVE I BEEN FORCED TO LEARN WHAT SPEED CHESS IS) but in the end, she still beats him for the chess title. EFF YOU, Love Actually! May I never see you again! OH SHIT HE JUST INVITED HER TO  NEW YORK TO TRAIN HER FOR THE PARIS CHESS THING DEAR GOD WHY IS THERE SO MUCH LOVE ACTUALLY IN THIS SHOW OK FINE I’LL STILL WATCH IT.

Episode 6 - Adjournment

Ok so Beth and her ok wig that is mainly covered by a scarf go to Love Actually’s apartment in NYC which IS AN UNDERGROUND BUNKER AND SHE HAS TO SLEEP ON A BLOW UP MATTRESS. Again and for the millionth time: Love Actually is the worst! Especially the worst because he introduces her to all these rando bohemians he knows, including some French bitch who will definitely eff everything up when Beth is already teetering on her pill/alcohol obsession and should probably not meet any other enablers. Somehow, he does get her to quit the pills/alcohol long enough to have sex with him (UGH).

And so we are in Paris, 1967. Where we started the show with Beth’s awful 60s flip! AND WE MEET ANOTHER PLOTHOLE. Only a week before this, Beth was in NYC with hair about 3″ shorter and still wearing scarves in her hair. WHAT IN THE VERY HELL, SHOW! I realize that this show has a very vague sense of time or how old Beth is or whatever but truly: NOPE. 

Anyway, it’s the night before the big match against Borgov and Beth is on her very best behavior when who should ring her up but that French bitch Love Actually introduced her to! She is downstairs at the hotel bar and just come down and have one drink and don’t ruin your entire chess career, mmmkay? THIS ENABLING BITCH!!!! NEVER TRUST ANYONE WITH THIS CRYING GAME WIG UNLESS YOU WANT YOUR LIFE TO BE A CRYING GAME. Of course, Beth goes downstairs, drinks every drink in the bar, has sex with some rando French dude and...wakes up in the icebath we see at the beginning of the show and sweatily plays Borgov in her wig that has never looked frizzier, loses, and is shamed from the entire chess community. Also Love Actually wants Beth to come back to NYC but NO THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR BUNKER OF ENABLERS.

Back in Kentucky, Beth....is shown learning how to flip her hair. WAIT WHAT SHE ALREADY HAD A FLIP HAIRSTYLE THE ENTIRE TIME IN PARIS WHAT KIND OF WIG GASLIGHTING ARE YOU PLAYING, SHOW?!?!?!??!?!?!!

UGH anyway, with THE EXACT SAME FLIP WIG AS WE’VE SEEN HER IN, Beth tries to be a responsible young person of indeterminate age who owns a house in Kentucky and not drink or take pills or steal shit. EXCEPT remember that time her adoptive dad said she could just have the house if she paid the mortgage? WELL BITCH SHOWS UP AND J’ACCUSES HER OF STEALING THE HOUSE FROM HIM. Which is hilarious because of all the things she stolen in this show, the house wasn’t one of them. In any case, she buys the house! And takes herself out to dinner! And has a drink! AND UH OH.

At this point the show just goes completely off the rails in addictive nonsense. Beth just goes around the house in her terrible flip wig applying makeup and barfing in to chess trophies. It’s every stereotypical drug/alcohol scene from every biopic ever except this chick doesn’t really exist and this show is wearing on my nerves and Beth has to stop making so many terrible live decisions and this wig has BETTER GET BETTER.

And then magically - Jolene shows up in the most fabulous afro wig!! WHAT! OK I WILL WATCH THE BITTER CONCLUSION OF THIS SERIES BECAUSE I LOVE JOLENE.

Episode 7: End Game

Jolene...Jolene....Jolene. Jolene. I love Jolene. I don’t love that this show uses her by making her be the “magical negro” trope who helps Beth get her life back together. Predictable nonsense! So yes, Jolene looks around Beth’s ramshackle drug den and tells her to get her life back together. AND THEN BETH DOES. No AA or rehab required! WHAT! I really appreciate that Jolene also compares her to Susan Hayward (star of Valley of the Dolls!) which is the sick burn/comparison I needed. 

The other reason Jolene showed up was to bring Beth to janitor Bill Camp’s funeral. At the funeral, which is very poorly attended, Beth reveals THAT SHE NEVER PAID BILL CAMP THAT $5 HE LENT HER (AND $10 SHE PROMISED HIM) AT THE BEGINNING OF HER CHESS CAREER. WHAT A PIECE OF SHIT. It is at this point that I fully decided that I wanted Beth to fail at everything because she is a garbage person who never gave propers to Bill Camp for changing her life for the better. THIS BITCH!! She even goes back to the orphanage where she discovers Bill Camp’s CHESS SHRINE DEVOTED TO HER! SHE FEELS LIKE SHIT AS WELL SHE SHOULD! I FULLY HATE HER!!!!

Jolene is much more forgiving of Beth than me and also introduces Beth to a new obsession: squash! Ok? It does allow Beth to wear a headband which is great wig-wise (in that it hides all the seamwork). Beth also turns down these Jesusy people who want to fund her chess trip to Russia and so Jolene GIVES HER $3,000 TO GO TO RUSSIA. IF THERE IS ANYTHING I’VE LEARNED IN THE LAST 5 MINUTES OF THIS SHOW IT IS THAT BETH WILL NOT PAY THAT MONEY BACK AND JOLENE PLEASE DO NOT!!!!

Jolene does. Beth goes to Russia which is straight out of every Bond movie and gets her shit together and wins a lot of damn chess. 

Though her midweight coat game rivals that of Nicole Kidman in The Undoing, her wig game ALSO RIVALS THAT OF NICOLE KIDMAN IN THE UNDOING IN THAT IT IS ALSO A RED NIGHTMARE WIG. This show spent so much goddamned money on clothes, sets, and CGI greenscreens of Mexico City AND YET NO MONEY FOR WIGS. BOO.

I did enjoy this one chess opponent’s walrus hair but otherwise, Beth’s flip wig has absolutely overstayed its welcome and is a compete and utter bent nightmare. Also! Remember that one hot chess dude? He shows up and helps Beth with Chess!! HUH?

Also every single weirdo in the chess community somehow form a chess calming circle in Love Actually’s bunker apartment and call Beth internationally to help her win against Borgov at chess! WHAT IN THE DAMN HELL? It is sweet I guess, but also makes ABSOLUTELY NO FUCKING SENSE AS BETH WAS A TOTAL ASSHOLE TO ALL THESE PEOPLE AND DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE A PART OF THEIR WEIRD CHESS GANG.

Ultimately, Beth beats Borgov and wears THIS FUCKING HAT. I think we’re supposed to believe that she is now the white queen chess piece (I HATE THAT I NOW KNOW CHESS PIECES).

She is actually dressed in head to toe white and somehow convinces her American handler that she will just walk...to the airport? And despite being invited to the Johnson White House (girl go there!) would rather just wander the streets of Russia without any purse or luggage or way of getting home. THIS BITCH. She finds a new chess community of old men who play chess outside at folding tables and decides to join them WITHOUT GOING HOME TO PAY JOLENE ALL HER MONEY BACK WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY WHAT SHE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT AND ALSO MAYBE SETTING UP A BILL CAMP CHESS FOUNDATION BECAUSE YOU NEVER PAID HIM BACK YOU PIECE OF SHIT. No, she is no longer addicted to pills, alcohol, or stealing but is absolutely addicted to chess on a level that is probably lethal. I spent the last moments of the show demanding that the Russian chess hobos murder her and her immaculate white outfit because BETH IS A SELFISH ASSHOLE AND ALL HER WIGS ARE GARBAGE LIKE HER!!!!

VERDICT: DOESN’T WURQ

[smileybokuto]

| Spooky Story |

a/n: This is a story I wrote in creative writing when I was a senior in high school! I thought you guys would enjoy it. I just want to preface this I was also taking Criminal Psychology at college while taking this class. It only has original characters in it. 

Warning: Graphic, tw:blood, tw:torture, tw: killing, tw: stalking, dystopian society

wc: 2.9K

                                                        Ethereal

                                                     11.01-31.20XX

01.

The world in utter turmoil, violently crying against the classroom window. This room however, remained still not worried about the rain banging against the window. The bot at the front of the classroom unaware that all of the other students, who were engrossed by its lesson about old earth’s flora. Everything is as it normally is here in the Ethereal. 

Then it happened.

The bot stops writing and the room goes quiet. Then the lights go out and the room is engulfed by darkness. Everyone sits still, so still you could hear a pin drop, no one dared make a sound. Until we heard a blood curdling scream. People started to panic, saying ‘we were going to die’.

Chaos set in quickly. 

November 01, 20XX:

The world went dark. 

This was the end but also the beginning.

                                                                                                                        -Fox

19.

Our society is stuck in hopeless depravity ever since the power went out. 

“Fox,” Fleance yells, “Come on the others are waiting on us.” Fleance is my best friend, he found me when the world went dark. He dragged me out of the high school. When we got outside we saw a group of kids for our school terrified for their lives. I remember telling them it’s going to be okay and to follow us. They are Jett and Jace the twins, Wyatt and Keegan the lovers, Warren the go with the flow kind of guy, Abel and Hunter the inseparable best friends, and the girls Fora, Peyton and Thea. We all have our positions that helps us survive. 

“Fox!” Fleance snaps in my face.

“Yes, what’s up?” I ask.

“Come on the others are waiting for us,” He rolls his eyes. 

“Oh sorry,” I laugh.

“Such an airhead,”He shakes his head. We walk back into the camp to see that the fire pit is burning and Jace the hunter was back with an Gerenuk corpse. 

“Dinner’s here,” Abel screams, “It’s about damn time too.”

“Sorry man, I got my foot stuck on a tree branch and fell,” Jace laughs. This is how it is everyday here for our small family. 

26.

“Wyatt and Keegan it’s game time, stop making out,” I whine. 

“Sorry Alpha,” Keegan teases, “We’re making you uncomfortable aren’t we.” 

“I told you not to call me that. I’m the leader not an Alpha.” I chuckle. “Anyways we need Wyatt our raid organizer to organize a raid; and stop doing your mental tricks on me.”

“Fine. Also it’s not a mental trick. I am simply a Mentalist. By the way the Scientist, Herbalist, the brains and the genius want to see you.” Keegan says.

“Can’t you just call people by there names,” I groan and walk off. I walk over to the ‘Scientist’ more commonly known as Peyton who specializes in Science back in school. 

“Oh, Fox just who I was looking for, I made a new drug. I call it, ‘drink this or you’ll die.’ Not very original but it works, it makes you puke up any poison from poisonous berries.” Peyton squeals.

“Sounds good Peyton glad to hear,”I say patting her on the back. “Oh if you need anything tell Wyatt and Fleance so they can do the raids.” She nods and I walk over to Fora our Herbalist, she’s basically our doctor. 

“Hey, Fora, I heard you were looking for me.” 

“Yes, the boy who wandered in…he died. However before he passed he kept saying watch out for Cain. He said it over and over until he died.” She says with a look of concern. 

“This is the third one this month right?” she nods yes. “Okay then we’re going to keep this between us and don’t worry this Cain person hasn’t made any attempt to hurt us.” She nods, “Ok, I have to go see Jace and Hunter. One more death and we’ll move again.”

“Ok, I trust you. The boys are at the lake trying to test as the boys say ‘alkalinity’ of the drinking water. Which is just a fancy way of checking to see if the water has any neutralizing components to acid.” She rolls her eyes with a bright smile. I chuckled and walked down to the lake to see the boys in the lake.

“Fox!” Hunter says walking out of the Lake to greet me. 

“Why hello there ‘Genius’,” I smile and he gave me a puzzled look, “don’t worry about it. So what did you guys need to talk to me about?”

“Oh, so the water is neutralizing itself…hey you okay, you look a little down,” He says looking directly into my eyes.

“I’m fine, I just have a lot on my mind.”

“Yeah you are our leader seems like a hard job. If you ever need anyone to talk to I’m all ears.”

I smile, “Hey, I’m the therapist that’s my job.” He laughs when I finish, “Anyways I have to go find Fleance.” 

                                                                                                                         -Fox

                                                     01.01-31.20XX

08.

“I’m Cain, and I love the way your heart beats can I see it?” A sinister laugh resonated around the tent.  I sit up screaming and Hunter runs in.

“Hey,hey, hey. It’s okay. What’s wrong?”He says in a soothing voice while hugging and rubbing my back. 

“I…I…I just had a bad dream I’m fine,” I stutter.

“You’re not fine, you are far from fine.” He looks into my mind. “What’s the problem? I’m a genius so I can solve it.” I laugh and it calms my nerves.

“Thanks,” I hug him a little tighter, “ Sometimes I feel so ordinary and I don’t understand why everyone picked me to be their leader.”

“I’m a man of science but listen to me when I say you’re everything but ordinary, far from typical. The way you dress, the way you think it so unpredictable. I look into your eyes and I believe in miracles.” Hunter finishes. 

“I didn’t know you felt that way. Is that why you voted for me?” I ask

“That and you inspire us to keep living. I remember the day you found Abel and I. You told us ‘everything you want is on the other side of fear.’ This made me join your group, but it isn’t what made Abel join, he joined because he told you he didn’t know what to do. You responded with ‘I just wanna go on more adventures.Be around good energy.Connect with people. Learn new things. And grow.’ You know exactly what to say and when to say it to put people at easy.” 

“Wow your edenic memory serves you well.” I chuckle. “Hey, if I tell you something will you keep it a secret even from Abel?” 

“Yeah,” he stared into my eyes waiting for me to speak.

“I think someone is hunting us. I think it’s someone named Cain. I keep hearing a voice saying they like my heart and they want to see it. It’s a malicious voice. I think that Cain is one of the psychopaths trying to kill people like us. I think he wants to destroy the Ethereals peace. We are the last surviving peaceful group.”

“ Maybe, I’ll create a way to protect this base. That’s why you’ve moved us so much. Makes sense.” He shakes his head. “Don’t worry I’ll figure out a way to make this place safe.” With that he left my tent.

12.

“Fox!” Hunter runs over with the biggest smile. It was like an adult getting socks for christmas.  “Guess what,” he whispers.

“What?” I ask curious about why he was so excited. 

“I figured it out. We can use the new drug, we’ll have to do a raid for it but, we can do it. We have to get Fillory.” He says

“You mean the drug that glows when touched by skin or anything that human made?” I ask.

“Exactly, we will be able to see whenever someone enters here. We’ll be able to leave.” 

“That’s brilliant,” I hug him.

“Are you two a thing now?” Fleance asks pointing between us.

“No,” I say lightly patting his arms.

“Good, cause I’m the only one you can have.” Fleance says faking betrayal.

“ Oh you’ll always be my best friend. No matter what.”

“Of course I will, there was no way I would let you leave me.” He laughs. He’s such a chuckle head. 

                                                                                                                         -Fox

20. 

“Fox, we’re ready for the raid. Get everyone ready. I saw two Psychopaths, one being Sam, and the other name I could not read.” Wyatt tells me. Damn two psychos, they have their names branded on there backs to let us know they are coming. This is a tactic they use to instill fear in us but I won’t let that happen. 

“Ok we can deal with it, we need to get the chemical and get out without any of them seeing us. Is that understood?” I tell him sternly.

“Yes, I’ll get Fleance, Jace and Hunter,” I nod to him and he walks off. I wonder who the other Psychopath is. What kind of ink do they have? Why do they have tattoos of there names on there backs.  

“Hey, ready?” Fleance asks and I nod in response. 

“Okay, we are heading in from the west ward. It is the quickest route to the pharmaceuticals. To leave we’ll take the front entrance since it’s the closest to our base. Everyone got it?” We all nod. “Let’s head out Fleance and Jace be on the lookout, Hunter there's a code to the vault we’ll need you to break. Fox, I need you to use your bow to defend the back and i’ll defend the front while to boys defend the sides.” 

“Let’s move out,” I say as we all take our positions. We get into the hospital without a single altercation. We quickly made it to the vault with all the drugs and Hunter takes about three minutes to figure out the code. But he cracks it, then I hear a squeak. “Guys,” I whisper to silence them. I put my index finger to my mouth, and they all look confused. Then another I hear another squeak. I felt chills run down my spine. Then I saw the ink, it was a thick and violent print. The tattoo almost took up his entire back and it read ‘CAIN’. I turned around and Hunter grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the back where we came from. 

“That’s him,” I say recalling his shoulder length blonde hair and his grey stormy eyes. His smile also held something sinister. 

“I’ll find you,” Cain screams after us, but he doesn’t pursue us. He simply stands at the exit and watches us as we run away. 

“We’ve got it. We got Fillory.” Hunter skips. 

                                                                                                                         -Fox

                                                    04.01-31.20XX

01.

It all started on a cold day, specifically June 11 2018, the day I turned ten. My ‘mother’ told me I was a monster after I cut off an infant's head. This to me was exciting, it gave a sense of thrill. The reason that I cut off the infant's head is due to the fact that it would not stop crying. This lead my mom to think I was a psychopath, telling me I was not her son, that I was adopted and probably from a family of killers. I thought she was joking until she pulled out the adoption papers. I looked at it and it read:

‘Adoption of Cain Lillian by Samantha Lillian and Charles Lillian. The biological  son of Lily Ford and James Ford brother to Abel Ford still in custody of biological parents.’ I was outraged and in that time of outraged I searched for them. All of them, I wanted to know why was I not good enough for them. When I finally found them they were at a park sitting having a nice picnic. However sadly I was detained before I could gut them…I mean talk to them. They strapped me down to a table and stabbed me with a small needle over and over again until they were done carving my name into my back so that everyone would know I was a psychopath or so they put it. They then put me in a cell with a food bot. No human interaction and I felt my anger bubbling and bubbling until it happened. 

On that fateful day when the power went out. I was free the bot was down and the cells let up and I could exact my revenge.

                                                                                                                       -Cain

12.

November 01 20XX, I killed them. To be more specific I skinned them alive. I started with my father, James Ford. I tied them both to chairs across from each other they sat there struggling but I drugged them before hand. I sat in between them sharpening my knife, smiling and laughing at them.

“Why are you doing this to us?” She cried.

“Mother dearest are you so vain you don’t even remember your son,” I chuckled.

“C-Cain,” she recalled. “How did you find out about us? I thought you were happy with your new family.”

“Well if you’re conscious enough to make coherent sentences, it’s time to start.” I laughed.

“Start whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!” She screamed as I cut a chunk of her thigh off. 

“I love hearing you scream!” I shouted enthusiastically jumping for joy like a little kid high off candy. “Can I take out your kidney? Or your tongue? I promise I’ll show it to you.”

“My K-”

“Too long, Tongue it is,” I say grabbing her tongue and slicing it out. I wiggled it in front of her face. “I told you i’d show you.”

“You monster, kill me! Leave her alone! Kill me!” My ‘father’ cried.

“Oh are we going to have a hero here. Fine, I guess I have no choice. I’ll take your heart out,” as I finished my thought I lunged at his chest and carved out his heart making sure that I didn’t cut any vital organs so it continued to beat. 

“ If you're going to kill me just do it.” He groaned with pain shining in his eyes. I loved it. 

“On the contrary I will kill you but I want to skin you first.” I laughed starting to carve away at his skin until all you could see was muscle. “Now you look beautiful don’t you think?” I kicked his foot. “Did you die on me, Awe that sucks oh well. On to the next one.” I turned around and did the same thing to my mother. 

                                                                                                                       -Cain

15.

After a couple days I found there first hideout. My targets and the last of my family. I however was bored so I wanted blood and lucky for me there was kid passing by. I captured him and tortured him but he didn’t satisfy me the way my parents did. So I told him to head into the camp and tell them Cain is coming. I did that three times and I will keep doing it until the day comes. 

Then one day they went to get Fillory. I’m sure they didn’t know this but Fillory was a drug created to react to the psychopathic gene in people so that the government could find us easier. Now they have spread it across the whole entire perimeter of their base but it’s okay. They’ll have to come out soon enough.

-Cain

                                                         06-11-20XX

11.

“Teams?” Hunter asks tilting his head slightly.

“Abel and I, You and Fleance.” I laughed, “Wyatt and Jett, Jace and Keegan, Fora and Thea, Peyton and Warren.”

“Ok, who’s going first?” Warren sighs not wanting to play hide and seek in the woods.

“Hunter and Fleance,” I declare. 

“Ok, we're counting to thirty, go and hide,” He says as he covers his eyes. Abel and I run deeply into the forest. We run until we find a cave and duck into it. We muffle our laughter with our hands, when we finally stopped laughing it was silent, it was so silent it reminded me of that day. The day the world went dark but now I feel safe because I found them. I found all of them. 

Then I heard something. 

A snap I think, it is probably an animal…but where is the scurrying noise. 

“Fox,” Abel whispers, I turn my head to see Cain holding a knife to Abels throat. He sees the panic on my face and smiled, “It’s ok.” 

Then I saw Cain smile and I knew, “Say goodbye,” he laughs. As soon as I start to say goodbye, my vision instantly turns red and the smell of sulfur engulfed my senses as Cain drops Abels lifeless body in front of me. 

“Why,” I sob, “Why did you kill him, you monster!” I threw a rock at him and he dodged it with ease. 

“I’m the monster! Ha, he had everything. He lived in my bed, he was loved by my parents, he was loved by all of you, and I wanted it all for myself.” He sneers, clearly outraged. 

“What are you talking about? Abel had no siblings,” I cry, I couldn’t stop.

“None that he knew of. They gave me up and now, I killed the son they wanted.” Cain looks down at his brother and smiles. I sat there sobbing cradling Abel’s head in my lap as Cain says 

“Goodbye brother.” 

[rebelminxy]

Blessed to Love You

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader

Word Count:3523

Warnings: Romance and fluff and all you need for Valentine's Day!

A/N: Since season 15 isn’t over, and we still don’t know how it’s going to end, take this as an ending I wish for. That after everything, the brothers get their happy endings. I wrote this inspired by the song God Gave Me You by Blake Shelton so give it a listen (on repeat if you will) while reading this. Hope you enjoy it and please like, comment and/or repost.

Masterlist

You stood there in front of the mirror examining yourself one last time. You took in a deep breath, your nerves getting the best of you when you heard someone knocking at your door. You welcomed them in without turning, noticing your lipstick already disappearing from you constantly licking your lips. 

The tap on your shoulder made you turn to see Eileen standing there, a bright smile on her face. She wore a simple sweetheart chiffon floor-length dress in mauve and underneath, a pair of three-inch heels in the same color. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, the loose hair curled in waves with side-swept bangs. The only makeup she wore was mascara and a touch of pink on her lips. And for jewelry, she wore a pair of hanging pearl earrings Sam got her on their second anniversary and her wedding ring.

"Are you ready?" she asked as she signed her words. "Everyone is here and waiting outside."

"I think I'm ready," you said back, quickly signing your response. "But I'm nervous, what if something happens, or a sudden emergency…"

"Sam and I made sure everything would go perfect. We've had a year to plan this out and Garth made sure that no one here would have to leave for a hunt. Today is your day, and no one will change that."

"Yeah, tell that to all the incidents that happened every time Dean and I tried to have a happy moment," you scoffed, rolling your eyes.

Eileen grabbed your hands, stopping them as you raised them to your mouth to nibble at your nails. It was a habit you broke in the past year, wanting to have long, beautiful nails for today.

"Everything will go fine," Eileen promised, her smile never breaking, causing you to calm down a bit. 

"Sorry, I'm just scared. Now that we finally decided to take this step… I just don't want anything to go wrong."

"And it won't, or Sam and I will throw hell if it does."

You both giggled at her words, Eileen pulling you into a hug. As she let you go, she turned you, allowing you to look at yourself one last time. You heard her whisper 'beautiful' as she examined you.

You wore an off white tulle ball gown dress with a sweetheart cut bodice made of lace, decorative beading sewn into it in intricate designs. Your shoulders were covered with the same lace from your bodice, but they were sheer and short, just covering your shoulders. Your anti possession tattoo barely peaked out your bodice, not wanting to cover it with makeup in fear of ruining your dress. You wore open-toed, three-inch strap heels that Jody got for you since you were never one to wear heels. Took you about a month to get used to walking in them! You wore the small silver necklace that held a small diamond stud Dean had gotten you after your first year together, one you never took off unless on hunts. 

Your makeup was based on a soft glam look you found in a magazine once. A light brown shadowed your crease while a soft pink shimmer caressed your lids, with a sharp black cat line to finish the eye look before placing a pair of fake lashes that enhanced your real ones. After a bit of foundation, soft blush, and shiny highlighter, you painted your lips with a soft mauve color. Your hair hung down in heavy curls, a bit of the front pinned back with a small silver clip so only a few thin tendrils would fall along with the shape of your face. Lastly, you wore a silver thin crown with small flowers on the top of your head, one you found with Eileen in a thrift store, meant for her to wear on her wedding day. But instead, she saved it for you. 

Eileen reached behind you for the last missing piece, the tulle veil that reached the middle of your back. She pinned it to the back of your head, right over the back of the crown and made sure it was properly situated. She patted your shoulder once she was done, her smile growing wider.

“Now, I’m ready,” you said as you took in a deep breath as she handed you the bouquet of white roses that were on your dresser. 

Eileen guided you out of the room and down the hall to the garage where the bridal party was waiting. Patience and Alex were fussing with Claire’s dress while Jody and Cas were talking to Jack. Sam had entered the open garage when he noticed you standing there with his wife, a huge grin decorating his face.

“You look beautiful, (Y/N)!” he exclaimed as he made his way towards you.

At his words, everyone looked up and they all smiled as they watched as Sam pulled you into a hug.

“Thank you so much, Sam, is everything ready outside?”

“Yeah, everyone else is waiting, and someone sent me here to make sure you didn’t get cold feet,” he teased as he pulled Eileen beside him.

“Gosh, after all these years and to NOW get cold feet?” you chuckled. “I think it’s a bit too late to run.”

“I told him the same thing, but you know how Dean is,” Sam replied. “Alright, ready to get this over with?”

“Yes, please! I’ve been in this dress for an hour already and I am starving!” you huffed with laughter.

Sam laughed as he made his way back out to where everyone else waited. Jody helped Eileen to make sure everyone was in their right spot and they remembered exactly how the procession went. Cas went to stand next to you once everyone was in line. You wrapped your arm in his, gripping his forearm tightly as the music began. Jody went first, then Claire, Alex following right behind her. When it was Patience’s turn to walk, you gripped Cas tighter, breathing heavily.

“Are you ok, (Y/N)?” he asked softly as Jack made his way out. “Do you need another minute?”

“No, no, I’m fine. Just nervous. Big step today that honestly, I never thought would happen.”

Cas looked down at you in confusion.

“What I mean is, after everything we’ve been through, I never thought we would survive to see this day.”

“Your love is one to admire,” Cas stated as Eileen made her way out. “You and Dean have been together through it all. You were his saving grace after the Mark of Cain and ever since then, he has felt a peace he never thought he would have. I can’t even count on how many times he has told me that he owes you his life.”

“I owe him just the same, probably more,” you whispered as you both finally reached the exit of the garage.

“Just know that even in Heaven, your love for each other was and still is admired. You were both meant to be and nothing would have torn you apart.”

You wanted to cry at Cas’s words, but you held them back, thanking the angel softly for them.

“And thank you for allowing me to hand you over for your wedding. This honor has always been for the bride’s father, and I am grateful you chose me for this.”

“Thank you for accepting,” you whispered as the music changed to something slower and softer.

That was your cue that it was your turn. Cas whispered to you that he wouldn’t let you fall no matter what and guided you out the garage. You both walked along with the white cloth-covered path into the woods into a nearby clearing where the wedding was being held. Sam and Dean had taken the last few months to clear the trees out in an area near the bunker for today’s set up. Everyone was seated in chairs they had found in the bunker for Sam and Eileen’s wedding, the chairs decorated with white tulle bows on the back. Right above everyone hung fairy lights from the trees, and the trees themselves had smaller tulle bows tied to their trunks.

You gave everyone a weak smile, your nerves getting the best of you. But as you looked forward, your eyes landed onto Dean’s soft green eyes. They shined so much as he looked at you, that wickedly childish grin that won you over all those years ago plastered along his face. Your nerves vanished at the sight of him in his tux, so handsome dressed so. Seeing him made it feel like everyone else was gone, and it was only you walking up to him As you reached the end of the aisle, Cas took your hand and gave it to Dean, who took it gently and guided you to stand in front of him.

“You look, beautiful sweetheart,” he whispered.

‘You don’t look too shabby yourself, mister,” you whispered back with a wink, causing him to chuckle.

“Alrighty kids,” Jody whispered to them. “You ready to get the show on the road?”

You both nodded quickly, receiving a wink from her before she began to officiate your wedding. It was the same “We are gathered here today,” speech that was given at every wedding. When it finally came time for the vows, your nerves came right back.

“Today, the bride and the groom have decided to say their own vows for their wedding. Who would like to go first?” Jody asked.

“I will,” you squeaked up, turning quickly to grab the sheet of paper Eileen handed to you.

“Dean mother fucking Winchester,” you began, receiving a chuckle from everyone. “I can still remember that first night you tried flirting with me at that run-down bar, not knowing I was the hunter you were meeting up with. You were such a playboy that night, and stuttering fool the next day once we met up for that hunt. But, it wasn’t the one-liners or the silly pick up lines that won me over, it was your heart. I got to see the real Dean Winchester after that hunt. To see the big brother and father you are to Sam, to see the passion that big heart of yours truly holds for those in pain. I got to see the sweet side of you, the side that cares so much.”

You felt the tears start to breakthrough.

“I got to see you at your best and your worst, and not a day goes by that I thank whatever motivated me to go into that bar in the first place. I am so grateful to have you in my life because you showed me what it’s truly like to love, and you gave me a family in the process. I hope one day, we can start a family of our own. I love you Dean Winchester and I hope I can show you how much I do every single day for the rest of our lives.”

You looked up to see Dean wipe away the small tear that broke free, slipping along his cheek. He cleared his throat and looked over at Jody, receiving a nod. Sam handed him a paper over his shoulder, Dean taking it and began his vows.

“(Y/N) (Y/L/N), I just want to apologize right now for the fool I made myself the first night we met. But I sincerely hope I made up for it up until today. Sweetheart, I want to say thank you for saving me, for giving me the hope I needed to realize that happiness was real. You are my happiness and my home. You stood by my side through the best and through the worst, and today, I give you my all, my love, my being as only the start.”

The tears you held back began to fall at his words.

“You pulled me out of the darkness and showed me the light in life. You gave me another reason to live and I am grateful to have been blessed with a wonderful woman like you. You made my apple pie life dream a reality, and I love you, truly. I promise to be the man you deserve and more. To always make you happy and smile, to cherish you and your beautiful heart, and to protect you even though you have a mean right hook.”

Everyone laughed and agreed with Dean, causing you both to laugh along.

“I love you (Y/N), and I will always fight for us, to never give up on us. I love you and I will repeat those words every single day as many times I need to remind you that you are the one for me. You are my soulmate, my other half, my love, and no one will ever destroy us. I love you (Y/N) (Y/L/N).”

You were careful not to ruin your makeup as you wiped the tears away that fell as he made his vows. His words meant so much to you, felt as they carved themselves into your heart. Once you were both settled and not crying, you grabbed each others hands and stood ready to continue.

“Now, I gotta ask this question, but doubt anyone will answer, so if there is anyone that objects to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace. And if you do speak, I will have my girls silence you in a heartbeat!”

The crowd burst into laughter as Patience, Claire and Alex stood forward with menacing faces, but no one spoke out. With one last glare, Jody continued.

“Now, we will exchange the rings. Dean, you first,” Jody said as Sam handed Dean the gold ring. He took your hand as Jody continued. “Repeat after me.” As Jody spoke, Dean repeated after her as he placed the ring on your finger.

“(Y/N), I love you. My heart is in this ring, my love is in this ring. I give you this ring as a symbol of my love. I promise to be your faithful husband, to love you when the sun shines and when the rain falls, in sickness and in health. When you look at this ring, think of me and remember that I love you always.”

Dean finally placed the ring fully on your hand, the gold band permanently placed there. Jody then turned to you for the same, Eileen handing you the gold ring for Dean. She had you repeat the same words as you slipped the ring on Dean's finger.

“Dean, I love you. My heart is in this ring, my love is in this ring. I give you this ring as a symbol of my love. I promise to be your faithful wife, to love you when the sun shines and when the rain falls, in sickness and in health. When you look at this ring, think of me and remember that I love you always.”

Once the ring was fully on his finger, Jody continued.

“Today, on sappy Valentine’s Day, we came to celebrate the union of these two and have witnessed their vows and promise to love and cherish each other for the rest of their days. Now, I present to everyone Mr. and Mrs. Dean Winchester! Dean, you may kiss your wife!”

The small crowd cheered as they watched Dean pull you into his arms and give you a deep and passionate kiss. You got lost in his lush lips, his tongue wrapping around yours once you opened your mouth to him. Your first kiss as a married couple, the first of many.

=======

You giggled as Dean lifted you into his arms, bridal style, before continuing the hike up the hill. Everyone else was already ahead of you both, your skirt causing you trouble to walk. But it was worth it! 

After the ceremony, everyone moved over to the tables nearby to have dinner. It was a simple meal, chicken with a few side items like green beans and mac and cheese, but everyone enjoyed it. After the meal, you and Dean had your first dance under strings of lightbulbs and fairy lights, wooden panels from a hardware store creating a dance floor in the middle of the table placement. Dean whispered sweet nothings in your ear as you swayed back and forth, his bow legs guiding you both before the next dance he had with Jody for the mother and son dance. You watched, holding back the tears, as Dean danced with Jody. You could tell how proud she was of him, the one to show the most excitement when you shared the news of your engagement with her. Once they were done, it was time for you to have your dance. But instead of Cas, Sam guided you onto the dancefloor. Since Sam was the obvious choice for Dean’s best man, you had asked Cas to walk you down the aisle. But for the dance, you asked Sam to be the one.

“Thank you for making my brother happy,” he whispered as you swayed together along with the music.

“He deserves to be happy,” you replied sweetly.

“You both deserve happiness and I am glad you found it in each other.”

For the rest of the dance, you both stayed silent, your smiles letting each other know that you loved each other and were now happy to officially be siblings, even though Sam had always considered you as one. 

And here you were, arms around Dean's neck as he carried you to the top of the hill, ready to do the final part of the celebration before you both rode off in Baby down to Florida for your honeymoon. Your crown and veil off and back down by the dining area, your hair was out of its clip, the curls falling loose. Once Dean reached the top, he placed you on the ground safely. You looked up at him and placed a chaste kiss on his lips, already losing count how many you had given him so far since your wedding kiss. 

“Are you going to do a lantern?” he asked.

“Maybe in a bit, want to watch everyone else light one.”

Dean pulled you against him, his hands on your hips as you both stood back and watched everyone taking a paper lantern. You and Eileen had worked on them with the rest of the girls, making sure there were various sizes and shapes. They all shared the few lighters that were purchased for this, lighting the small wick. Slowly, one after another lantern began to fly high into the sky, decorating the now night sky with bright lights. You both watched in awe as each lantern flew up, everyone laughing and chattering about the sight before them. 

“This spot is forever changed now,” you whispered as you leaned against Dean, your head resting on his shoulder.

“It’s a great change, we will forever remember this place as the most romantic spot in the entire world,” Dean responded.

“I doubt it's the most romantic in the world,” you giggled back, turning to face him.

“It is to me because you are my world.”

“Ok, Mr. Not So Subtle! We are already being sappy by making our wedding day on Valentine’s Day. You put a ring on it, don’t need to keep kissing butt with the cheesy pick up lines.”

“I will always use my cheesy pickup lines because you love them!”

You giggled before pulling Dean down into a passionate kiss. You were both lost in your own world when you heard a grunt behind you. You let Dean go and turned to find Sam and Eileen there, holding a lantern.

“Ready to send off your lantern?” Eileen signed to you, holding the lantern that had your’s and Dean’s name written on it. “The girls are waiting to see you both send it up.”

“Yeah, we are,” you signed back with a smile. “Let’s send this off,” you told Dean as he took the lantern in Eileen’s hand.

You both walked forwards through the crowd, everyone congratulating you both and wishing the best for each other. Once you reached the front of the crowd, you took the lighter Eileen offered and fired up the wick in the lantern. You looked up at Dean as you both held the lantern and pushed it up, watching as it joined the rest of the lanterns up into the sky. 

As you watched the lantern fly up, you thought back on the years you and Dean shared, from the troubles of hunting to the fun and sappy moments you both enjoyed. Losing loved ones hurt, but you were there for each other, through thick and thin. And finally, you were blessed to marry the man you loved truly. Valentine’s day will forever be remembered as your wedding anniversary, and you wouldn’t want to change it, ever. 

“I love you, (Y/N),” Dean whispered, pulling your full attention to him.

“I love you too, Dean,” you whispered back, giving him a sweet and soft kiss.

[platypan]

Strangest 7:

Steve jerked awake to a loud thud, and Billy’s voice from the floor next to the bed.

“Fucking minute, I’m on it.”

Steve groaned and rolled away, pulling the pillow over his face, and trying to breath slowly so his heart would stop pounding.

“Just--just wait, I have to--” Billy’s voice was quieter. “Shit, wait. Is--Harrington?”

Steve swallowed. His mouth was dry, and he licked the inside of it, grimacing. “...sleeping.”

“Did you wake me up?” Billy sounded entirely too alert, his voice coming from somewhere below the edge of the bed.

Steve slapped his hands to his cheeks a few times, and sat up. “Eugh. Why are you awake,” he rubbed his face.

“...thought I was home.” The springs squeaked as the mattress shifted. “Needed me to make a cake. Like the pink and blue one. With the mice.”

“What?!” Steve lifted the blankets, flailing a hand in the dark to grab Billy’s arm and pull him back in the bed. “You dreamed your dad woke you up to make a birthday cake?”

“Might have been Cinderella at the time,” Billy mumbled, letting himself collapse across Steve’s stomach.

“You spend too damn much time weightlifting,” he wheezed, falling back on his pillows. “God. Ow. Did you have mouse friends?” He tapped at Billy’s butt like it was a set of bongos.

“Shut up, Billy muttered, kicking his feet up, which put more weight over Steve’s lungs.

“You woke me up,” Steve moaned. “CinderBilly.”

“Want me to make you a cake?”

Steve laughed, shoving at Billy’s ribs until he rolled just enough to allow him to breathe. “Right now? Fuck yeah.”

“Fuck you,” Billy groaned into an armload of covers.

“Cake,” Steve bent his knees, straining his abs but rolling Billy a few inches the other way.

“You don’t want my cake,” Billy squirmed around to snicker against his shoulder. “S’why my dad started dating again. Sick of my shitty cooking.”

Steve’s mouth fell open. “...what an asshole.” His stomach growled, and Billy snorted into his shoulder, but didn’t budge. “...he really do that shit? Wake you up in the dead of night to cook?”

“Nah,” Billy mumbled, breathing against his collarbones. “Just if he needed to. Found out about something I did. ‘FI forgot to clean something. Did my homework wrong.”

“He couldn’t talk about it when you were awake?” Against his chest, Steve could feel Billy’s heart slowing from the same thudding hoofbeats as his own. “Jesus. You just...never knew what he was gonna do, did you.” He slid his fingers up through the silky heat at the back of Billy’s head, and Billy curled closer. “...if you’re CinderBilly, am I the prince,” Steve narrowed his eyes up through the darkness, and Billy laughed, punching his arm. “Whoa there.” Steve grabbed both of Billy’s fists and held them, awake enough to process the danger that was Billy feeling feelings. “Go back to sleep.”

“Mmm,” Billy yanked at his arm, and Steve shifted to hold his hand.

“Sleep, dude, you don’t have to sing and scrub the floors here.”

“That almost made sense,” Billy growled into his neck, twitching so his elbow brushed Steve’s ribs. “I know too much about your goddamn mice, Harrington--”

“Not really, the cake’s in the other one,” Steve started giggling. “That’s the fairies, not the mice.”

“Fuck you,” he yanked his fist out of Steve’s hand, gripping his shirt instead. “So much wrong with you.”

His warm weight felt like it was directly affecting Steve’s eyelids. “Yeah, Nancy hates ‘em.” Steve could feel Billy’s laughter warming his neck, the ribs against him shaking with it. “She yells at them too, she said if the fairy couldn’t turn the evil stepmom into a mouse, she wasn’t very good at her job.”

The next morning, Steve swore again to stop sleeping in his clothes--the down comforter was like a cloud around them, but his jeans had sandpapered a line around his waist and down his inner thighs, and his crotch felt like a crumpled brown paper bag--but Billy’s back was warm against his chest, so he squeezed tighter, his face heating at the startled “Oof.”

“How you doin’?” he asked, nuzzling the sweaty curls, and Billy squirmed against him.

“Shit, for somebody who doesn’t want my dick, you sure spend a lot of time waking it up,” he groaned.

Steve narrowed his eyes, checking the time, then sighed. “We better get up, though, I need a shower.”

“Fuck you,” Billy mumbled, rolling onto his face. “Shit. God. Bet you don’t even have food.”

“I’ve got Eggos,” Steve folded his arms behind his head instead of sliding one up between Billy’s shirt and his side, and smoothing it along his ribs. He cleared his throat, and swung his legs out of bed, standing to stretch.

“Eggos aren’t food, Harrington,” Billy groaned again, into the comforter. “Have you got eggs. Fucking...cereal, even?”

“Did you buy any cereal? I have no idea what goes in bread,” Steve asked in innocent tones, and Billy sat up with an open-mouthed glower, before he saw Steve’s grin and growled. Steve wandered to the door, planning to at least change into pants that weren’t trying to replace his flesh. “Look, we can get McMuffins.”

“Also not food,” Billy rubbed his face.

“I think there’s Kraft dinner,” Steve waggled his eyebrows, and Billy started hucking pillows as he closed the door.

He kept his shower brief, imagining Billy slamming around his kitchen, ripping the cabinet doors off in a rage and biting them in half. I’ve seen too many monster movies, he reflected, working in his shampoo. When he wandered out in a towel to rummage through his drawers--the slacks he’d worn to try and look classy for Nancy were softer than his jeans, he thought, probably, crouching to run his hands over a row of folded pants, all scientifically--he could smell the beginnings of food again. He almost slid down the stairs in his stocking feet, yanking the slacks on, t-shirt in hand, to stick his face in whatever Billy was doing.

“I’ll clean up,” Billy called up as the stairs creaked, and Steve vaulted the last four stairs, sliding up next to him at the stove. “After we eat, so it doesn’t get cold. If your gleaming counters can handle my filth that long--all you have are eggs. The eggs you bought for bread.”

Steve leaned his chin on Billy’s shoulder, whispering “Hey, little woman, can I get a sandwich,” and Billy hipchecked him away to lean against the counter. “That smells good. Why don’t you leave the dishes, and I’ll get ‘em tonight?”

“...if you really don’t care,” Billy eyeballed him, then, inexplicably, reddened again. “Shit,” he rubbed his face, turning away.

Steve blinked, then pulled his shirt on, grinning. “Need any help?”

“Get some plates,” Billy muttered, “Get some more bread on ‘em.”

“Yep,” Steve busied himself finding a bread knife, then settled for a steak one--Billy groaned--and rummaged for a cutting board. “...you don’t have to watch me the whole time, I’m old enough to play with scissors,” he shot over his shoulder after catching yet another glance from Billy.

“You’re fucking not,” Billy stepped over to slide both arms around him, pulling the steak knife away. He was warm and solid against Steve’s back, and Steve grinned, letting his head loll back against Billy’s shoulder as he listened to everything in the drawer banging together.

“Why do you keep knives in your kitchen drawer...you aren’t even paying attention,” Billy huffed into his hair, and Steve laughed, feeling his cheeks heat.

He lifted his head to see a longer, scarier-looking knife. “Okay, okay, why do I need a huge--saw.”

“It won’t squish the bread,” Billy whispered against his ear, and Steve rolled his eyes, sliding his arms back around Billy’s waist, and leaning forward to lift his toes off the ground. Billy laughed, grabbing him around the shoulders, and leaned to lick his ear. “You want me to ride you, cowboy?”

“Fuck no,” Steve lowered him back down, his whole face hot as he felt Billy’s dick hard against his ass.

Billy shoved away, opening the fridge and staring into it.

“Uh,” Steve swallowed, rubbing his face. “Sorry.”

“Eggs are almost done,” Billy just stood there with the fridge open.

“No, really, sorry I keep--I don’t wanna fuck with you.”

“Yeah, I got that,” he slammed the fridge, keeping his back to Steve as he slid back over to the stove.

Steve cringed, and started sawing at the bread, stuffing the crooked bits in his mouth. It was just as good as it’d been the night before, fluffy and sweet against his tongue, yellow with eggs and butter. He placed the nicest slices on Billy’s plate.

“Sorry,” Billy grunted, turning to grab a plate and shuffle two sunny-side-up eggs onto it.

“No, it’s--”

“I don’t--I don’t know what you want, you keep--” he sighed, handing over the plate. “Shit.”

“It’s my fault too, I keep grab--”

“This egg’s all squished up,” Billy stood holding the other plate. “Look, it’s like me, completely fucking unappealing.”

“What,” Steve tried to say, around his mouthful.

“Did you finally notice,” the drawer rattled as Billy slammed it open, grabbing a fork.

“Notiff wha,” Steve asked, chewing the egg off the edge of his plate, and waving his hand for a fork.

Billy rolled his eyes, sliding one across the table. “Fuck if I know,” he poked at his plate. “Fucking...Mark of Cain, I don’t know, whatever the fuck everyone sees about Billy Fucking Hargrove.”

Steve swallowed, leaning his chair back on two legs to frown at the clock. “Wait, what?” He slurped down the rest of the eggs, tipping his chair upright, and got up to slide the plate in the sink with one hand, and pull Billy against him with the other. “C’mere, no.”

“Stop petting me, I’m not a goddamn dog,” Billy let himself tip against Steve’s shoulder, and Steve raised his eyebrows, bracing his feet.

“You’re hot as hell,” he said against Billy’s hair, trying to keep his tone businesslike. “Can--can I kiss you, if I don’t wanna fuck you.”

“Fuck yes,” Billy yanked him against the sink, sliding his arms around Steve’s neck, and laughing so his breath warmed Steve’s lips. His gaze flicked from Steve’s mouth to his eyes, then dropped again. “Do it. Maybe you’ll change your--”

“No. Dude.” Steve leaned his head away. “Shit. Come on, we’re gonna be late. Can I just kiss you.”

“You can do whatever the fuck you want,” Billy muttered, but leaned in to Steve’s press of lips with a soft noise in the back of his throat. His grip on Steve’s shoulder and in his hair was nearly painful, and Steve wrapped both arms around him and leaned back a bit, lifting him off the floor again. Billy laughed against his mouth, hot and eager, and Steve lost himself in the weight of Billy’s muscled body against him, the lingering taste of cigarettes and tequila behind the toothpaste, and the zing down his spine towards his dick.

“Crap, we’ll be late,” he got one more kiss in, pulled away from the slight stickiness of Billy’s fruity chapstick, ran to grab his bag, and then dashed back into the kitchen to find Billy with his head on the counter, wrapped in his arms. “...you okay there, Hargrove?”

“Fantastic,” Billy pushed off the counter and grabbed Steve’s jacket, grinning as he linked their arms like Steve was escorting him to the ballroom.

Steve hauled him in close to get through the door to the garage, and ended up pressed to the doorframe, with Billy’s mouth on his again. He didn’t comment on the tequila flavor. “...don’t think I’ve ever seen you in such a good mood,” Steve mumbled around the soft kisses, and Billy laughed against his jaw, kissing along the patchy stubble he’d intended to shave.

“You like me so much better with my mouth on you,” he went to lick into Steve’s mouth again, and Steve pushed him back.

“What--no I fucking don’t.”

Billy jerked away and walked over to the car. “You fucking do, just let me--” he rubbed his face, leaning against the door as Steve clicked the garage door opener and climbed in his car, then slid in the passenger side. “Come on, Harrington, just--you know it’d put you in a better mood--”

“You think I’m in a bad mood,” Steve started the engine and pressed the gas harder than he intended, rocking them both forward as they shot back into the driveway. Billy’s hands clenched white on his knees. Steve clicked the garage door closed, and took a deep breath. “I’m not in a bad mood, I’m fucking pissed off. I’m not going to like you more if we’re fucking. Or kissing. Hargrove.”

“Yeah,” Billy’s voice croaked.

Yes, sir, Steve heard, and bit his lips together, turning on to the road. He slid his hand over to squeeze Billy’s. The fuck do I say. He ran his thumb over the side of Billy’s hand. “I’m not any more mad at you...” he tried, and Billy snorted. “Okay, I kinda am,” he groaned, and Billy huffed a laugh. “--but it’s just--it’s not--I’m mad you think I--you--” he growled in frustration, leaning to see around the turn onto the bigger street.

“That was clear as mud,” Billy cocked his head at their hands, and turned his palm up, and Steve flashed a grin at him.

“I don’t like you more when we hold hands, either--” Billy snatched his hand back, looking away, but Steve kept his where it was. “But maybe it--makes you feel better, kinda, if we--if I still like you enough to hold hands? When I’m mad?”

“You’re making no sense again,” Billy smacked his hand back over Steve’s. “You fucking--you want to touch me or don’t you.”

“I want to, jesus,” The heater hadn’t really engaged, and Billy’s fingers were cold. Steve squeezed them. “I just--I don’t want to fuck you, and--and have you think that’s--that that’s why you didn’t get hit.”

Billy laughed, ducking his head. “The hell does that mean. I’m not--I’m not brainwashing you with my cock, I’m just--”

“No, listen,” Steve squeezed his hand. “You want me to let you keep staying with me. You want me to like you, so that--so I keep being nice to you. Right?”

“Not rocket science,” Billy frowned at his face, then returned to studying their hands.

“But I don’t--I don’t have to like you. You can stay as long as you--”

“Fuck you, Harrington,” Billy yanked his hand away again, folding his arms. “You were the one all ‘I thought we were friends’--fine. I’ll stay in my goddamn lane.”

“No, shit, wait, that’s not--”

“Goodie, we’re here,” Billy opened the door just as Steve turned into the parking lot. Steve slammed the brakes as the door swung wide, and Billy grabbed his bag, and climbed out. “See you.”

Steve found a parking spot and groaned with his face against the wheel. He looked up at a knock on his window to see Nancy, eyebrows drawn inquiringly, and opened his door. “Nancy,” he flapped a hand behind his seat for his bag. “Morning. You remember that time I was sick and we watched soaps for a week,” he felt the strap slide between his fingers, and yanked, letting the force propel him onto his feet out of the car.

She wrinkled her nose.

“I’m living in one.”

She bit her lips together, suppressing a snort. “Oh no, Steve,” she waved her hands, and he huffed at her obvious insincerity, “Were you kidnapped and replaced by a clone, who was murdered and disguised as a pinata for a child’s birthday party?”

“Uh, ha, no.”

“Did you try to frame your crush for murder by poisoning fish fingers with WD-40, before being locked in the walk-in freezer where you set your deadly trap?” she asked, wide-eyed, and he snickered.

“Shut up, no!”

“Was your entire life dreamed up by your dog?” she rolled her eyes. “The dog you don’t have, probably, maybe, maybe you got amnesia when your foot slipped in spilled milk and you forgot your dog--”

“I’m sorry,” he gasped. “I’m so sorry I made you watch them. Why did you listen to me? I was so high off Dimetapp--”

"I wasn't leaving you with your parents gone," she rolled her eyes. "All alone, while you kept thinking I was Purdue Pete?"

He blinked. "The...mascot for the Boilermakers?" She nodded, eyebrows raised, and he moaned into his hand. "Jesus christ, no wonder you dumped me."

"I got a real education that week," She covered her mouth in simulated horror, walking backwards ahead of him. “Did you find out Billy is not, in fact, your possessed brother after all, but your mother, visiting from the past?” She made jazz hands. “Is the moustache her disguise? Noooooo!”

“Oh my god,” he cackled, leaning against the classroom doorway, in an attempt to breathe. “No.”

There was a substitute teacher, so Nancy sat next to him in the back, edging their desks together as the sub struggled with the reel-to-reel film projector.

She leaned in again. “Did the orangutan you hired to nurse your secretly insane and captive mother fall in love with you, and throw the pictures of you she’d cherished off the train as she journeyed to forget her love for you that was never meant to be,” she whispered, and he buried his face in his bag, wheezing.

“Did he leave you tied to a motorcycle, covered in honey, hoping you’d get killed by a bear?”

“No! He might. But no!” He grinned over at her, watching her tap her notebooks straight on the desk before sitting them in a tidy stack, and check her pencils for lead. Once the movie started up, she leaned closer.

“Okay, spill.”

“Now?!” he frowned around. The closest person was asleep three seats away, the kids closest to the teacher’s desk were playing poker for Skittles, and the sub was flat on the desk with her parka over her head. “Oh. Uh.” He cleared his throat, swallowing. “So. Mr. Hargrove. He’s--worse than I thought--”

Her eyes widened. “How could he be worse,” she hissed back.

“I know! He’s a fucking asshole, he called me up and told me if I hung out with his son I’d die in jail, basically, Billy’s all bruised up, he’s got, like, fingermarks--” he wrapped his hand around his face, pressing in, and she grimaced. “--he’s not letting him get a job, or--or sleep, or use the phone, or leave town--if he drives anywhere that isn’t school his dad calls the cops on him--he won’t let him get his car fixed, so he’s stuck there all the time--”

“Jesus, Steve.”

“--but Billy’s a mess over it, he thought I was mad yesterday, he and Max, they--they really thought I was gonna kill him, not like--” he waved his hand, “--you and I mean it, ‘he’s gonna kill me’, y’know--” she nodded. “He--he tried to start a fight last night and I got mad and threw him in the garage--”

She leaned to look him over. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine!” he whispered back, “--now, I mean. But I did my--I kind of--freaked out, y’know, and went and stared in the bathroom mirror for a while and sat on the floor in there--”

A muscle worked in her jaw as she gripped her pencil.

“And when I came out Max said Billy’d gone home--”

“Nooo,” she said again, sincerely this time, and he nodded, covering a laugh.

“Yes! Right, thank you!” he whispered back. “Noooo!”

“Is--is he at school today? Did you talk to him? Is he--”

“I, uh,” he dropped his face in his hands.

“Steve,” she bumped his shoulder with hers.

“Y’know how you need to murder me because I’m stupid,” he mumbled through his fingers.

“You didn’t go yell at his dad,” she grabbed his arm, and he shook his head.

“Not that kinda stupid. I...went to his house...and told him to pack and come back with me?” He cringed over, as she cocked her head. “I crept around the back of his house and threw snowballs at his window.”

She clapped her hand over a squeak, glancing up towards the front of the class. “You did the balcony scene.”

“No, it wasn’t funny, he kept asking if I brought my nail bat,” he ran his hands through his hair, slumping. “He only came because he thought Max was gonna tell and get him in trouble if he stayed. It’s so shitty. He keeps trying to figure out what pisses me off.”

Her lips thinned. “That sounds awful for both of you.”

“It’s so bad! He kissed me this morning and then said he wanted to keep kissing me because I like him better that way!”

She frowned, cocking her head. “Don’t you?”

“No!” he said, too loud, and the parka over the teacher twitched. “No,” he whispered. “I don’t want him--he’s trying--he thinks if he keeps me happy, I won’t hurt him, imagine if--if Mike--or Will, or El said they’d do whatever we wanted to keep us happy, kept trying to--to do stuff for us because they were scared--”

“Eugh,” she sat back in her seat, eyes wide. “Do you even know if he...didn’t he start coming over because of his dad? Does he even want to--”

“See! You get it!” he hissed back, leaning his head on his hand. “I think he’s into it, but Max said--” Wait, none of her business, really-- “Uh, Max kinda said he’s done it before, had a relationship with somebody to get himself out of the house. Not--romantic,” he made a face at the implications behind Billy and his “deliveries.”

She covered a grimace, leaning her face on her hand. “Is this even...I mean, do you even...like him? Does it matter? I mean it matters that he’s out of his dad’s house, don’t get me wrong, but--” she spread her hands. “Can’t he just...get a job now, or go back to California--can’t you just --not kiss him, ever again?”

“I.” he frowned at the screen, folding his arms.

“Steve.” Her eyes narrowed.

“Uh. Yeah, of course,” he ran his fingers through his hair, swallowing. “Obviously. I mean, it’s Billy Hargrove, I shouldn’t be kissing him. Ever. In the first place.”

“So why did you?” she cocked her head. “I’ve got soap operas on the brain, now, tell me it wasn’t for undercover work. Did you think he was your long lost--”

“Ha, uh," he cut her off. "No.” He turned face-front to watch the film, clearing his throat. “He, uh, he kissed me. In--first. He kissed me first.”

“...that was pretty obvious, I thought,” she leaned forward to see his face. “--but you didn’t...stop him.”

“Shut up,” Steve leaned his chin on his bag.

“...annnnnnd you don’t want to date anyone else.”

“No, it’s just--this whole monster thing,” Steve rolled his eyes, dropping back in the seat and crossing his arms.

“That is a problem, but Steve. Billy Hargrove doesn’t know either.”

“...no, I, uh, I actually--I told him. Everything. Most things. I didn’t tell him about Eleven, I didn’t know if she’d want him to--”

“Steve,” she hissed.

“I had to get him to climb out the window! He wanted to know what I’d been hitting with a nailbat!” The dude two rows up with the heart sunglasses, who’d been snoring when they started talking, lifted his head and gave them a long look. Steve dropped his voice. “It got him out the window. Sort of. He still thinks--ugh. He thinks a lot of--bullshit.”

“Well, that’s a given,” she wrinkled her nose. “Your parents are out of town again?”

“Yeah,” he shrugged.

“So you don’t even have to see him, he can stay in the other room--”

“Yeah, uh.”

“...wha--”

“He keeps cooking me breakfast,” he let his head loll back, sliding down in his seat. “He watches stupid cartoons with me. We’re--” he swallowed his sentence, deciding on the fly that we’re sleeping in the same bed, and I like it, was more than Nancy needed to know. “I don’t...hate it.”

“...yeah, that’s what I’m hearing,” she was squinting at him, mouth quirked.

“I don’t want him to think I stopped making out with him because he…” he opened his mouth, closed it, steepled his hands, and blew through his fingers. “He’s a fucking mess, I just…”

“So don’t, then.” She waved her hands. “Or do? Can you like--tell him what you’re telling me?”

“‘Can’t kiss you, you’re a fucking mess?’”

“That’s perfect,” she rolled her eyes. “‘I don’t hate it’ was great too, write that down, I’m sure we saw that in some really heart-rending proposals. It’s definitely in Romeo and Juliet.”

His cheeks flamed. “What does Romeo and Juliet have to do with anything.”

“Sorry,” she rolled her eyes, hissing back. “Mercutio and Tybalt, then.”

“What?!” he mouthed.

“Is this the soap opera part? He’s gonna drive off and you’ll like. Lasso a horse. ‘Billy! I don’t hate you! Come back!’”

Steve muffled a snort. “Shut up! I’m not gonna say anything!”

“You sure? Even though you want to kiss him? For some reason?”

“...he doesn’t get it. He thinks I’m just…” he wrinkled his nose. “He thinks I’m pretending he’s you. Jesus. The whole time. I mean, my own hand would be better than a dude with a moustache to--”

“Yeah, stop there,” she held up a hand. “Gross. Ew. Steve.”

He smirked. “You asked.”

“I did not. Eugh. Do you care what he thinks?”

“No,” he folded his arms. “I don’t give a shit. Come on, Nancy.”

“So you definitely shouldn’t talk to him,” she sighed gustily, the noise covered by the slightly off-center clacking of the film projector, and the narrator mispronouncing ‘dude’ as ‘dooday’. The two people watching snickered.

“Talk to him about what,” Steve muttered. “Thought you wanted him gone.”

“Yeah, I’d love to see him shoved in a post office bin marked ‘return to sender’,” she snorted. “And shit, I’m trying real hard to be patient, Steve, with my ex going ‘Oh no, he misunderstands when I kiss him, he makes me breakfast, I sleep better beside him, he watches my dumb cartoons--’”

“...that doesn’t sound like me,” Steve said on autopilot, eyes wide as his brain furnished evidence otherwise. “I--I didn’t say all that. Exactly.”

“Why are you having this conversation with me,” she groaned. “Why do you even want him?”

You’ve never seen him happy, he didn’t say. “That--the--with Will. He’s--he’s good with him. And it’s not just--” He sleeps on me, and it’s just--sleeping, it’s just--I’ve never done that. “Um.” I flipped my shit and he tried to make me hot chocolate and show me cartoons. “He--uh, he makes bread.” I think...he wants to be friends, maybe.

She turned to squint at him for a long second, then bit her lips, reached over, and patted his hand. “Did you tell Hopper about...everything?”

“I did!” he sighed, leaning back to join her in staring past the screen. Now that his brain had got rolling, it was hard to get it to stop. Makes sense he’d want me happy, he just doesn’t want me throwing him out. “I mean, not the--I didn’t tell him about the kissing.”

She shook her head. “Yeah, no.”

“But he’s keeping an eye on Max, and they won’t pick Billy up and take him home all the time anymore.”

The PSA on the Radical Unhipness Of Smoking carried on, and Nancy sighed. “How’s this gonna work, Steve? He’s just gonna live with you? You said you fought again?”

“Yeah, I mean, he didn’t swing at me or anything,” he hugged his bag. “I...kinda told him I’d give him some money. To get out of town.” I mean, it’s not like I’m using my college fund.

“Steve,” she stared over. “Money from...your parents? That seems like such a bad idea.”

“It’s that or he lives in my house!” he dropped his face against his school bag, smacking the bridge of his nose into the edge of a textbook, and swore loudly enough that the substitute raised up under her coat like a monster from the deep. Steve pressed both hands to his face as his eyes teared up. “Nancy, help, I’m so stupid my backpack just punched me in the face.”

“Oh, Steve.” She patted his shoulder, and he groaned. “Let me know if--if there’s anything I can do. I could run his dad over, maybe,” she leaned her chin on her elbow, gazing into the distance between her and the screen.

“Might end up taking you up on that.” Steve touched his nose, grimacing.

After second period, Steve’s teacher pulled him aside, congratulating him on paying attention in class--Wow, he nearly laughed, their expectations are so low--and asked if he could stay after school. So did his third period teacher. And fourth. When Max and Eleven ambushed him as he ate lunch, and asked for a ride to the arcade and then home after school, he winced. “Uh. I gotta stay after.” They frowned at each other.

“We can’t really get a ride from Jonathan and not invite Will,” Max shrugged.

“We could walk,” Eleven clenched her fists and bounced like she was going to shoot off from the ground.

“What if,” Steve grimaced, “This is probably too stupid.”

“Probably. Go on,” Max raised her eyebrows.

“What if I give Billy my keys? Eleven can keep him in line.”

“What, really, Steve, already,” Max smacked his arm.

“I think he would do it,” Eleven nodded. “He takes me for waffles.”

“What,” Max stared at her. “Wait, he did?! When--”

“We could get waffles,” Eleven nodded. “And then the arcade.”

Steve was trying not to giggle. His eyes stung. “Yeah, here, take my keys, ask him. If he says no, you can always walk to the arcade and I’ll pick you up tonight.”

“Why the hell--why don’t we just do that, you can pick us up later --” Max sighed. “He just doesn’t want me walking home in the snow in the dark.”

“They have strawberry syrup,” Eleven coaxed, and Max glanced between her and Steve.

“He’s been a real sack of shit lately, El,” Steve went to tuck his keys back in his pocket, but Max held her hand out for them, sighing. He frowned at her. “Don’t steal my car yourself.”

“We can ask. If he’s a shitbird about it, we’ll wait for you.”

El frowned, crossing her arms, but listened.

Steve dug out his wallet, and some fives. “Here, take some--”

Max laughed, stuffing it in the pocket of her plaid shirt. “Thanks, Dad.”

He raised his eyebrows. “You were gonna try and make Billy treat?”

“I get an allowance,” she linked elbows with El, but winked at him as they ran off.

Billy must not have been more than usually obnoxious, because when Steve made it out to the parking lot--finally--his car wasn’t there. Dustin was, flat on his back across a picnic table, with a pen in his mouth, analyzing a textbook. Steve dropped to sit on the bench, and Dustin grinned, stuffing his homework away. “Gimme a ride to the game tonight?”

Steve glanced around. “Assuming my car comes back, yeah.”

“Your car,” Dustin raised his eyebrows. “You let it wander off? You got a fucking...migratory car, Steve?” He beamed over. “Where’d it go?”

“Uh,” Steve leaned back against the table, looking at the sky. At least it stopped snowing. “Billy’s got it. Probably taking Max home.” Unless Max stole it. Also likely.

“...like, hours ago,” Dustin rolled onto his stomach, leaning off the table to frown at his face. “...sooooo. Billy.”

“What?” Steve sighed, rubbing his face.

“Billy Hargrove,” Dustin prodded his shoulder. “You’re what...friends now? He knows I’m your best bestie, right. He better not fuck with that. I’ll bite him. Pin him to the ground like a K-9 cop.” He gnashed his teeth, giggling. “I can do that now.”

Steve snorted, coughing. “Don’t fight over the friendship bracelets.”

“So?”

“So what,” Steve turned to look at him, and sighed at the slight grin and raised eyebrows.

“He’s what, okay now? I don’t see any bruises.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Not gonna hang out with…” Wait, no, that’s exactly what I’ve been doing, he pinched the bridge of his nose. Hanging out with somebody who beat me until I couldn’t say words.

“Steve,” Dustin slapped his bookbag. “Planet Earth, calling Steve Harrington. Come in, Steve Ha--”

“This is Planet Harrington, detecting alien life form. Aiming lasers.” He grabbed Dustin’s notepad, rolled it, and made machiney noises, staring through, and Dustin wailed in anguish.

“No! No! This alien comes in peace! PEACE! AUUUGH!” From the parking lot, a guitar riff wailed, backing up their action scene, and switched off.

“Vrrrrt!” Steve waggled his fingers at him, and Dustin went into death throes, and then stopped, grinning past Steve’s elbow.

Steve swung around to see Billy standing there with his eyebrows raised. He tossed the keys, and Steve caught them, frowning back up to see him hunching into his sweatshirt and stalking away. “Wait. Hargrove.” He waved at Dustin to sit back down, and trotted after Billy.

“What, Harrington,” he rubbed his face, shivering.

“Where you going?”

“Jumped my car. Do you...are you still...”

“Oh, good,” Steve rubbed his arms. “Call around and figure out where you can take it, I’ve got a credit card I can give them--” Billy nodded, closing his eyes for a second, and Steve folded his arms to keep himself from pulling him in by the sweatshirt. “Want a ride?”

“Don’t think I’ve got any pretending to be a person left in me tonight,” Billy snorted.

Steve blew in his cupped hands. “Oh, okay, right. I can drop Dustin home.”

“...what?” Billy frowned behind them--a little vaguely, and Steve resisted the urge to grab his shoulder.

“You been drinking?”

“No,” Billy ducked his head, folding his arms, and leaned against a tiny beige VW Rabbit. “Just tired, shit. Lemme go.”

“I’ll pick you up some dinner, okay?” Steve took a step back, trying not to block him in.

“...what?”

“God, you’re wrecked, you should sack out when you get back. Come on, you can just hide in the back seat--Mike’s game’s tonight, put up with me for a few hours and you’ll have the whole night to yourself.”

A brown van swerved up next to them and braked in a shower of silt and slush, not even bothering to find a parking space, and Billy grunted, shielding his face. “Not really in a hurry to get home, Harrington.”

“Jesus, Hargrove, you’re soaked.” Steve reached out, saw Billy’s expression, and held his hands open and away. “Lemme be backup at your dad’s, come on. We can hit the drive-through, or did you get waffles?” Steve wished he’d hauled Billy somewhere more private, away from Dustin’s curious stare--where he could yank him close--then remembered about ninety reasons that wasn’t a good idea. It was hard to keep track, though, of why he shouldn’t kiss Billy, when he was dripping snowmelt and gravel, and his shoulders shivered up around his ears. The dry bits of his sweatshirt looked soft, and Steve’s fingers itched to clench in it and yank him close. “I really don’t want you freezing solid, or getting your head caved in, come on, let me give you a ride, okay?”

“...you’re hanging out with one of your...your hatchlings,” Billy growled, pushing himself off the car, and brushing the snow off his butt. His jeans were dark and wet from the knees down, and now most of his seat.

“Yeah, but you being safe is more important,” Steve said slowly, watching his face, which went blank, like when he was furious, or when he was listening to his dad. “Hargrove. Will you come back to the car?”

Billy turned to face the other way, taking a long breath, then turned back. “...he’s not even home--and I need a fucking walk. Or something. Smoke.”

“I’ll see you at my house, though?”

“Yeah, later.” Billy bit his lips, frowning at his shoes, glanced up, and then down again, kicking his feet in the slush. “Am I dismissed, or what. Do I need to report in.” He shoved by, splashing in the half-melted snow.

“Hargrove!” Steve caught up, trying to lean and see Billy’s face. “What the fuck. What’s got you all--did something happen?”

Billy laughed, breathing into his hands. “I’m just--I’m such a dumb fuck,” he whispered. “Send me out with the kids. How’d I do on the test, Harrington? You call your girlfriend at IHOP to make sure I didn’t murder everyone?”

It’s so hard not to just grab him when he’s like this--“What? No--”

Billy’s hands shook as he wiped his face on his sleeves. “I’m not fucking--forgiveable, fine, I knew you wouldn’t decide to--or did--did I fuck up somehow? What’d I do, Harrington, they fucking thanked me--”

“No! No, jesus, thank you, by the way. Again. Thanks for taking them.” Steve tried not to feel too guilty--it had been a test, of sorts, after all, and if Eleven hadn’t felt the need to break Billy’s fingers, he’d probably passed just fine. “I just couldn’t take them, and they wanted to go. Don’t freak out, they just wanted waffles. Thank you.”

“Yeah. Sure.” Billy turned away again, and Steve elected to let him stalk off rather than chase him down again and pressure him about meals. He brushed the van-silt off his jacket as he wandered back to Dustin, who swung his legs around and sat up.

“What was he doing with your car, Steve. What if there’s a body in the trunk. What if he used it in a hold-up. What if somebody dropped ice cream on his shoe, and he beat them to death with your tire jack. Steve.” He grabbed the keys from Steve’s hand, running around the car to press his face against the back windows, and open the trunk, then slid in the driver’s seat while Steve was still frowning at the ground, thinking about dumb Billy Hargrove. “Hey. Earth to Steve. I’m driving.”

“No,” Steve shook his head, rubbed his face, and wandered over. “Get out. No bodies?”

“He left some music in here,” Dustin held up a handful of cassettes, climbed out, and peered after Billy, who was just turning out of sight down the snowy sidewalk. “Must have dumped the bodies and cocaine somewhere else. Think he stole your sweatshirt to cover the blood?”

“Shit, that was my sweatshirt,” Steve glared. “It was still fuzzy inside, too.”

“Welp,” Dustin shrugged, sliding in the backseat and reclining with a long sigh, “A wolverine stole it, he’s gonna nest in it--”

“I actually threw it at his face earlier--”

“Well, you don’t want it back now, it’ll smell like a drunk barfed up cigarette butts.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Oh come on, he smells good. Ish. Usually.”

“...Billy Hargrove smells good,” Dustin repeated in a flat voice. “Steve. Your nose is broke. He smells like an alley behind four neighboring bars.”

“Not after a shower,” Steve started the engine, and paused, frowning over his shoulder at the parked brown van filling most of his rearview mirror. He slowly eased the car a few inches back, turning to shove Dustin’s head down. “I mean, he wears cologne, he’s got nice shaving cream. Fancy curl shampoo. Leather jacket. Y’know what, he washes, maybe it’s a California thing, you wouldn’t know about it. What the hell is with this van. Asshole.”

“...uh-huh,” Dustin leaned between the seats to squint at him, then smacked the back of his seat. “After a shower. Why were you--”

“I thought starting with hair-stylin’ tips was enough, didn’t know I needed to explain showers,” Steve snickered, backing a few inches, spinning the wheel, and pulling forward a couple as Dustin kicked his seat, laughing. “Get down so I can see, this asshole behind us just abandoned a van--”

“Shut the hell up, I shower! So. Uh. Steve, um, what’s...Tommy smell like?”

“How the hell should I know, probably…” Steve adjusted the side mirror, his tongue sticking out in concentration and distaste. “Uh, sweaty basketball jerseys, I guess, and whatever Carol smells like, maybe...Juicy Fruit gum,” he cranked the wheel around, grimaced into the mirror, and pulled forward again.

“Whatever, huh? What about Barb.”

“Barb,” Steve reversed again, leaning around to look out the back, but stopped to frown at him. “I never got close enough to smell Barb.” His now several-point turn slid them silently past the bumper of the van, and he threw his arms in the air and whooped. “He shoots, he scores!”

“Mmmhm. Nerd.” Dustin reached around to poke his shoulder. “Annnnnnd what’s Nancy smell like?”

“Don’t be gross,” Steve rolled his eyes, and on out of the parking lot. “Why the hell do you care.”

“It’s for science, Steve, go on.”

“You know, those awful candles her mom burns, clean laundry, strawberry lipgloss--this is nasty, shut up, I’m not telling you what my ex-girlfriend smells like.”

Dustin leaned forward between the seats, beaming, and Steve eyed him warily in the rearview mirror. “I think I reeeeeealized somethiiiiing,” he sang, dragging out the words, and digging his chin into Steve’s shoulder.

“What!? Put a seatbelt on, you fucking gremlin.”

“Holy jesus, are you listening to yourself right now, lordy. Steve Harrington has gone where no man has gone before,” Dustin shuddered, then surged up alongside Steve’s face again. “What’s Nancy think of--oh my god, she totally knows,” he collapsed back on the seat with a thump, his legs kicking up.

“The fuck is wrong with you today,” Steve had been considering drive-through burgers, but a straightjacket was sounding more useful.

“Oh my god, D&D, I just--I just--” Dustin shrieked, voice muffled, then punched Steve’s seat. “That’s what was going on--you asshole fuckhead. I’m supposed to be your best friend.”

“What,” Steve sighed, pulling in to McDonald’s, and taking satisfaction in ordering cheeseburgers when Dustin was yelling for quarter-pounders, and a black coffee when he wanted a chocolate shake.

“You’re such a dick,” Dustin settled back, betrayed. “Fired me as a best friend without so much as a pink slip, and now you’re making me punch you in the face to steal your dinner.”

“I never know what the fuck people are mad at me about,” Steve sighed, tucking the bag of food on the floor behind his feet, and smacking Dustin’s hands when he tried to get at it.

“Who else did you piss off?” Dustin made grabby hands. “Surrender the fucking fries, man.”

“Start making sense-- oh, wait,” Steve pulled off abruptly at the hardware store and climbed out, engine still running, and Dustin swore after him. He jumped back in the car in short order, and avoided Dustin’s quizzical stare--he’d climbed over into the passenger seat to get at the food stash.

“Steve Harrington,” Dustin hissed. “What the hell did you need in the hardware store.”

“I dunno,” Steve rolled his eyes, flushing, as he pulled out into the road, and Dustin poked his face with a french fry, then gasped.

“Oh shit, is it a weird sex thing?”

The car swerved, and Steve grappled with the wheel. “What?!”

“I thought I knew you, man,” Dustin groaned, flopping across the back seat like it was a fainting couch, and answering every one of Steve’s increasingly bewildered questions with a long sigh. Finally, Steve trailed off, staring at the road, and Dustin elbowed him. “...what is up with you, seriously.”

“...Uh, if,” Steve bit his lips together, squinting at the road. “What if...every time you were mad about anything, I said we could watch Ghostbusters. Like, over any--”

“That’s random. You’d be awesome. I like this Steve. Fuck yeah,” Dustin munched a french fry. “Finally some good taste.”

“No, not like--okay, Will then. What if every time you like--slammed a door or--bitched about homework, he stepped back and said ‘Okay, let’s watch--’”

Dustin had his head cocked. “Will likes Ghostbusters.”

Steve sighed, turning onto his street. “Shit. Never mind.”

“What are you even--” When they passed Billy sitting in his Camaro in the driveway to pull into the garage, Dustin dropped his face in his hands, groaning. “I hoped I was wrong. Son, make better choices.”

“What?! Seriously, the fuck is up with you today,” Steve snorted, feeling his face heat further. He grabbed the bag of burgers back, and the coffees, and let Dustin get the door into the house.

“Here, go on in,” Steve handed over one of the burgers, and some of the fries, ignoring Dustin’s face journey from disbelief through disapproval to eyebrow-waggling conspiracy, and opened the front door to tromp over and crouch next to Billy’s window. “Hey--” he caught a glimpse of Dustin’s sneakers lingering in the doorway, and stood to glower.

“Hurry up, Steve, you’re gonna freeze to death,” Dustin yelled, leaning down to wave at Billy before closing the door.

“...what was that?” Billy was frowning after Dustin, and Steve crouched again.

“Here--” he turned Billy’s cigarette hand to place two keys in it.

“...what,” Billy turned his glare on the keys, then Steve.

“My car,” Steve pointed, “and my house. Do you need to park in the garage? Because there’s the other car in--”

“The road’s fine,” Billy’s voice sounded husky, and he cleared his throat. “...this is still you being pissed at me, huh?”

Steve’s lips thinned. “Yeah. I am. I’m gonna be for a while.”

“Yeah,” Billy laughed hoarsely. “...what else you gonna do?”

Steve handed over one of the coffees. “I’m gonna ask if you have any money for food. Do you? We got burgers if you want one.” Billy was looking at the coffee cup, mouth slightly open, and instead of kissing it, Steve cleared his throat. “You looked like you could use some caffeine. Want a burger and fries?”

“...okay,” he frowned over. “Am I allowed inside? I know you’ve got--”

“Jesus, yeah, it’s cold out here,” Steve stepped back, yanking the door open. “Come on, Hargrove, come dry off. The hell happened to your jacket? My sweatshirts aren’t that warm.”

“Sorry,” Billy laughed, sounding like something was stuck in his throat. “Didn’t get a lot of chance to pack.”

“We can ask Max to grab it. Come on, dude, or are you frozen there.” Billy swung his legs out, and Steve grabbed his hand and pulled him upright--slowly, so as not to spill the coffee. “Do you have any money? Seriously. I know you don’t have a job.”

Billy opened his mouth, then shook his head, sipping the coffee and wrinkling his nose.

“Okay,” Steve ran his hand up and down the spine of his own sweatshirt, on Billy’s back, nudging him towards the door. “What if you go shopping tonight. Get some food. I’ll pick you up and pay.”

“I don’t fucking know what you want,” Billy hunched his shoulders, but didn’t lean away.

“Get shit you’ll eat,” Steve shrugged. “I’ll eat anything.”

“I can’t--”

“Seriously,” Steve held the door for him. “Anything. Whatever you want.”

Dustin was at the kitchen table when they came in, biting a french fry in sliver-sized increments with his new front teeth. Steve yanked his hand from around Billy’s waist, pressing the bag of food into his hand. He escaped Dustin’s narrowed eyes by trotting up the stairs to his room, and dropped his bag in front of his desk so he could trip over it later. When he wandered back down, Billy was curled up in their favorite couch corner, and Dustin’s feet were kicking from under the couch.

“I think he likes it down there,” Billy muttered, and stuffed his burger back in his face. Dustin let out a long, wavering gasp, and the laserdisc for Ghostbusters spun out and across the floor to hit Steve’s foot. Steve kicked it back.

“How dare you,” Dustin scrambled back out from under the couch. “I go looking for my favorite movie, because somebody kept talking about it, and this interloper has to tell me it’s under the couch? Steve. Why. Why are you lashing out at the only people who love you. Steve. Is it puberty?”

Billy pressed a napkin over his mouth, but his shoulders were shaking.

“...fine, go for it, I see you two are against me--” Steve walked over and flopped in the other corner of the couch, grabbing the McDonald’s bag and yanking out another burger. He jerked his head towards Billy. “He’s fresh meat. I made a Stay-Puff Man joke and he didn’t know what the hell I was talking about.”

“Yusssssss,” Dustin whispered, scuttling over to the TV. When it came on, he paused it, stood, and frowned at the couch cushion between them, before smacking his hand over his face. He stalked over and wedged his butt between Steve and the arm of the couch--Steve called him a fucking gremlin shithead--and shoved him bodily until Dustin had a good three feet at one end of the couch, and Steve was only keeping himself out of Billy’s lap by bracing his arms to either side of his shoulders.

“What in the shit-- there are chairs--” Steve punched his shoulder, and settled in against Billy, who frowned between them, then dropped his gaze to his burger.

“Shut up and let me ignore you, I’m trying to eat, god,” Dustin shuddered.

When they’d finished eating, and Steve was trying to decide what to do with the hand brushing Billy’s, Dustin made a gagging noise and tossed a blanket over them, and in about thirty seconds Steve was dozing off in the warmth, his and Billy’s fingers interlocked. He jostled awake a couple times, when Billy’s shoulder under his head shook with laughter, but kept his eyes shut, and let himself drift.

Steve woke to his face pressed between Billy’s back and the back of the couch, Dustin and Billy’s low voices, and Dustin kicking his leg. He snorted, shoving around with his elbows and smacking the couch until he extricated himself.

“...yeah, I see what you mean,” Dustin sounded like he was barely restraining laughter, and Steve rubbed his face, letting himself drop back against Billy’s lap.

“You both suck.”

“You drool in your sleep,” Billy informed him, grinning down, and Steve groaned, pulling the blanket over his head.

“So I actually came over for a reason,” Dustin announced, and Steve raised his head, listening through the blanket. “Besides showing a--an Imperial spy the best movie on earth. Yeah. So pay attention, it’s already a short session for you padawans, Mike’ll kill us if we’re late from watching Ghostbusters,” Dustin nudged Steve’s leg. “Again.”

“‘M listening very carefully,” Steve mumbled, feeling Billy’s legs shake with laughter under his head.

“Steve,” Dustin moaned. “Get up. I got you a walkie-talkie.”

“No,” Steve heaved himself upright, batting the blanket away. “Why.”

“So if we need you, we can talk to you somewhere that doesn’t have a phone,” Dustin was rolling his eyes, rifling the backpack he’d leaned against the couch. He pulled out two walkie-talkies, flourishing one at Steve. “Here. The batteries last a long time--”

Steve leaned close, rubbing his face, but listening, partially propped upright by Billy’s splayed hand on his back. Midway through his lecture, Dustin leaned around Steve and threw the other one into Billy’s lap.

“Fuck! Jesus,” Billy tried to protect his crotch with the hand he had supporting Steve, then smacked it back between Steve’s shoulder blades before Steve finished flailing for the back of the couch. “The hell everybody got against my cock, christ.”

Dustin grinned. “I’ve got a spare anyway, they come in pairs--”

“Fuck you and your spare cock,” Billy muttered. “Fuck you with both. The hell does this thing even work.”

“Oh, here,” Steve swung his legs around to lean into Billy again, ignoring Dustin’s grimace. “You want me to show you how to handle--”

“Oh my god,” Dustin gagged. “Do not finish that sentence.”

The two of them leaned over the walkie-talkies, head to head, and Dustin had to yank Steve back around by the shoulder, then surrender and sit crosslegged on the coffee table to explain channels. After explaining their party channel, and Mike and El’s channel--at this, he waggled his eyebrows--Steve held his hand up. “That. I want that, get me and him a channel.”

“...ooookay.” Dustin raised his eyebrows, nose wrinkled.

“I don’t wanna hear all your guys’ bullshit,” Steve reached out and messed up Dustin’s hair, and got his hand smacked. “If you need somebody to come over with a bat, you can use our channel.”

Billy nodded, clicking buttons.

“We’ll just leave them on, and if you need anything--” Steve took a deep breath, feeling some bone-deep part of his shoulders unclench for the first time in months. “If you idiots need help, we’ll know.”

As they tried to leave, Billy followed Steve around with a grocery list, suggesting foods, and broke his pencil when Steve insisted he didn’t care. “Seriously, just buy whatever. I’ll just call when we’re wrapping up, if you want, so you don’t have to wait, and meet you there--oh!” Billy was trying to show Steve roast beef and potatoes on the list, and he pushed it down, frowning. “Probably don’t answer the phone, since he knows the number. If I need to call, I’ll--I’ll yell into the message machine, turn it on. Oh, and you should probably pull into the garage.” Dustin’s eyes were darting between them, head cocked. “And I’ll keep the walkie-talkie on, if--if anything happens.”

Billy took a shaky breath, following him to the hook where he kept his keys. “You gotta give me something, Harrington. Burgers?”

Steve blinked. “You’re gonna make burgers? Jesus, you can stay as long as you want.” Billy froze for a second, before huffing a laugh, turning on his heel, and tromping upstairs.

Dustin cleared his throat, but waited until they got in the garage. “...soooo. Max is staying with Lucas this week. Hopper agreed to lie and say she was with them, but they’re going to visit El’s mom this weekend. So even though it’s a school week, Hopper talked to Lucas’ mom, and Max Hargrove is staying with them the whole week.” Dustin drummed his fingertips at the window as Steve unlocked the car.

“Good,” Steve nodded, taking another deep breath of relief.

“Annnnd Billy Hargrove’s staying in your house.”

“...uh.” Steve glanced over to meet Dustin’s gaze, and scrabbled at his hair. “I know it’s a shitty idea, but their dad is--he’s the fucking Fuhrer.”

“Huh.” As they pulled away, Dustin was watching the door to the kitchen.

The first post-Billy D&D night started smoothly, with Max and Eleven’s heads together--Steve grinned, reminding himself to ask Billy about that. He pulled Will aside. “I didn’t want to tell your mom you hadn’t asked,” he tried to channel Hopper’s no-nonsense voice, and Will bounced on his toes. “Will. I--you can’t. Some--Hargrove’s--he’s staying. For a while. I’m full up.”

“I can sleep on the couch,” Will beamed. “I’ll bring my Nintendo.”

“No,” Steve held his hands up, and Dustin frowned over. Steve stuck his hands in his pockets. “Stay with Mike or somebody. Can’t do it. Maybe some other time.” he turned and walked back to the table, unable to look into Will’s wide disappointed eyes, or risk Billy and Will staying in the same house.

Dustin was muttering with Mike over in the corner, making notes on his pages, and Mike was trying to yank them back. Nancy crouched down with them, and they all started whispering and scribbling, so Steve leaned down between Max and El.

“...how were waffles?”

They exchanged a long glance, and then El stared at Steve, chewing her lip.

“...fine?” Max grimaced.

“...shit, what happened,” Steve yanked a chair over to sit between them, and they both bit their lips.

“Nothing,” El prodded her dice.

“It was fine. Billy was fine, it was weird, actually,” Max frowned, like she’d just remembered Billy, and Steve opened his mouth to ask what the hell he was missing, when Mike looked up, saw Will and Steve sitting down, and clapped over his head for attention.

“Go siddown,” Max hissed, and Steve raised his eyebrows, but moved around between El and Dustin.

“So!” Mike thumped his notes against the table, eyes narrowed at Dustin. “The, uh, that little girl that made those pies you liked,” Mike said, to general nods, “She starts crying!” He raised his eyebrows at El, and she nodded, leaning in. “Just, like, bawling. She runs away from you to her mom, yelling ‘They’re scary too!’” Mike spoke as the little girl, in a very high voice, and Lucas cackled into his arms.

“We’re not scary!” El bit her lips. “I...I get down so I’m smaller.”

“I tell her we’re here to protect her,” Lucas rolled a die, and snickered. “Uh, damn, she will not believe me, I must’ve dropped a huge knife out of my sleeve, or--”

“Oh no,” Will leaned to look at his rolled die. “I say ‘Oh, ignore him, he’s harmless--” he rolled his own. “...ugh, crap. I...just...set myself on fire or something, give me a different die, this one’s broken--”

“The little girl’s still scared,” Mike passed one over, raising his eyebrows. “Moreso, now, actually--”

“Uh, I’ll try telling her we’re just passing through,” Steve leaned to see what El had rolled, waggled his fingers, frowning over his dice, and then checked over his character sheet with his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth. “...I...pass? I think?” El leaned over to check, and nodded.

“Okay,” Mike nodded. “She says ‘If I make you more pie, will you promise not to hurt us?’”

“Augh,” Steve thudded back in his chair, and Dustin shot a grin at him. El, Lucas, and Will leaned in, talking over each other.

“I will tell her we do not need pie!” El waved. “We are here to protect her--”

“Wait, we shouldn’t all shout at her--” Lucas held his hands up quellingly.

“I’ll teach her how to use a fucking axe so she doesn’t have to bribe adventurers with pie,” Max rolled her eyes. “But I’ll stand over, uh,” she pointed to the map. “Out of the way, while you all calm her down.”

“...I’m gonna ask if other adventurers have hurt them,” Dustin rolled, and Steve glared at him, feeling his cheeks heat.

Mike cleared his throat. “She says yeah, they come in with big swords, and they break things, and she asks if you want a pie.”

“I’m going to put my weapon down on this crate,” Lucas says, steepling his fingers. “And I’ll say her pie is really, really good, but we won’t hurt her whether she decides to make us any or not.” He rolled it, and he and Mike exchanged nods. Dustin kicked Steve’s leg, waggling his eyebrows significantly toward Lucas, and Steve kicked him back.

Mike threw an eraser. “Dustin! Hello!”

“Sorry!” Dustin pursed his lips, eyes narrowed. “I’ll toss mine over there too. And--I’m gonna try introducing her to everyone?” He pointed to Max, and Mike mimed rolling a die, so he did, and stuck his tongue out at the interruption. “‘That’s our Zoomer, Maxamelia--”

“Do not call me that ever again,” Max pointed her pencil.

The corner of Dustin’s mouth quirked. “Maxamelia can be scary, but she’s mad because people scared you.”

“Shut up. I guess, I mean, basically,” Max wrinkled her nose. “What is she, like, a toddler? What asshole scares little kids.”

Steve winced.

“Okay, yeah, I’ll introduce myself too,” Will rolled it. “...I will not introduce myself. I think I. I must have…fallen over? Maybe I just slid.”

Lucas leaned to look at his roll. “...how are you failing so hard? What’d you do, threaten her? Flash her? Did you slip on a banana peel?”

“No!” Will shouted, eyes huge.

Mike squinted at them, and rolled what sounded like a handful of dice. “Okay, she thinks he’s funny,” he pointed at Will, then Max, “--she’s probably gonna dress like you for Halloween, and she thinks maybe the rest of you are...okay?”

“I’m going to ask if she’d like a hug,” El rolled her die, frowned at it, and it lopped over one additional time. “And I pass my check!”

“...you cheated,” Lucas stared at her.

“Good for her,” Max snorted, and Will giggled.

El held her hand over her nose, and Lucas rolled his eyes, and handed her a napkin to wipe away the evidence of her telekinesis. “I hug her and tell her we’re here to help, and not for her pies.” She blew her nose. “We’re happy to meet her and her pies, but she’s--she’s surprise awesome.”

After several minutes of the entire party--including, eventually, Max--reassuring the little girl, she threw her arms around El, and told them the story of a long-ago hero who had fought the vampire with a huge wooden stake, or bat, that had been destroyed--its nails yanked out and melted, and the wood itself burned.

Dustin kicked Steve’s leg, and grinned when he looked over. “I got you that advice,” he whispered.

“Shut up,” Steve whispered back.

“My mom knows more about the weapon,” Mike clutched his rolled notes worriedly, in character, and Max grilled him on the village’s legend that it hadn’t really burned up, though it still burned like the sun.

“It was one of a kind,” Mike narrated, as the mom, in a slightly lower falsetto. “It was once possessed by the vampire’s brother, Sergei von Zarovich, the--” Mike paused, stared at the line, and glared over his shoulder at the door to the rest of the house. “My dumb sister made him a baseball player. The vampire’s brother--” Dustin cracked up, falling into Lucas, who tried to keep a straight face until he looked at Mike’s disgusted grimace.

“The vampire’s brother is a baseball player,” Mike repeated, as Max beamed, and El listened to Will explaining why it was funny. “This is Nancy’s fault, she’s being--stupid. It’s--augh.”

“Does he play for the Hoosiers?” Will giggled, and Lucas cackled, leaning his face on the table.

“It’s hilarious, keep going,” Max leaned her chin on her hands, grin wide.

“Ugh,” Mike groaned. “--the vampire’s baseball playing brother--”

“Does he turn into a bat at night?” Dustin asked, snickering, and Mike groaned, folding his arms over his head and hiding behind his notes.

“This is so dumb, I hate my sister, she’s such an asshole--”

“Did they make him play batboy?” Steve asked, leaning back to fold his hands behind his head, and Max snorted.

“You all suck,” Mike threw an eraser at Dustin, who was laughing the hardest. “In its original form, it had silver nails pounded throughout, and it was soaked in holy water. Strahd--”

“Who the hell is Strahd?” Max frowned around.

“The vampire in love with Steve,” El whispered.

“Strahd,” Mike smacked his hand on the table, “--employed a powerful wizard named Khazan to destroy the weapon after his brother died.”

“No!” Dustin gasped. “He died?! My baseball-playing vampire hero! We barely met!”

“Steve’s true love!” Will suggested, and Steve snickered.

“The first part of the process,” Mike shouted over the commentary, “--required the nails be pulled from the bat, which Khazan accomplished. He melted them down, but in the meantime, his apprentice stole the bat and fled! He later located his apprentice’s mutilated corpse in the Svalich Woods, but the bat was nowhere to be found. To avoid the vampire’s wrath, Khazan told Strahd that the entire weapon had been destroyed --but,” Mike whispered, “The apprentice was secretly a member of the resistance! She was delivering the bat to be protected, for when the time of our revolution is nigh! It is currently wielded by--Nancy!” he bellowed up the stairs. “Nancy, what is this shit!”

“Shoulda checked first,” Max sat her chin on her hands, grinning, and Lucas dodged as Mike leaned around and punched Dustin in the shoulder.

“Ow!”

“Everybody needs to stop fucking up my game--”

“Come on,” Max’ grin was ever more feral. She threw an arm around Eleven, who giggled. “Out with it.”

“Euuuuugh,” Mike groaned. “It’s currently wielded by the pirate revolutionary, Nan Wheeler--”

Max cackled, dropping her head to Eleven’s shoulder, and Eleven’s eyes narrowed.

“You can put yourself in the game?” she asked, eyes widening, as her smile grew.

“No, okay, no,” Mike flapped his notes at her. “No. Nancy's an asshole. Anyway, I guess if you want the Illustrious Sun Bat, you have to trace her ship and challenge her to--”

“I’m doing it!” Max’s hand shot into the air. “Lucas! El! I wanna famous...bat. I guess.” She cracked her knuckles. “Come with me.”

Lucas and El punched the air in unison, without looking at each other, and Steve wondered when that friendship had gotten close.

Mike waggled his eyebrows, now committed. “--thus proving to her that you are worthy. Her true weapon is a pirate revolver, but she guards the sacred Sun Bat until the time has come to--jesus, Nancy, nobody cares--”

“Read it!” Dustin yelled, and Max, Lucas, and El punched the air again.

Mike groaned. “Eugh. Okay, the wood, which is sapient, knows it can never be reunited with its original bless’d nails, but when the wizard attempted to burn it, and the apprentice sacrificed herself to save it, it attained magic properties--” He passed around a sheet of numbers, and Lucas held it against the description of his own weapon and said “Ohhhh.”

When Mike started winding up for the evening, Steve snuck out and called home, leaving a message for Billy. He returned to find Max, El, and Lucas planning a sleepover. Dustin was getting a ride home with Hopper. Will trailed after Steve as he booked it to his car, and he ducked in and locked the doors, pretty certain he wouldn’t be able to resist the pleading eyes twice.

When he pulled up to the grocery store, there were no other cars. Billy was standing next to a heaped cart, hands in the pockets of Steve’s sweatshirt.

“Hey, you,” Steve wandered up. “You’re ready?”

“...you didn’t even look,” Billy squinted at him, waving at the cart.

Steve looked. “...you know how to cook a lot of things. Wow. None of this shit has microwave instructions. Y’know last time I got invited for home cooking, they--”

“Why the hell would you microwave an orange,” Billy snatched it away.

“You’re buying fruit,” Steve observed, trying to have an opinion on the groceries.

Billy side-eyed him. “Yeah, I’m afraid you’re gonna get scurvy.”

Steve bumped shoulders with him, wishing they could hold hands. “Nah, I’ve got you, Hargro--”

“It’s gonna be expensive,” Billy smirked, cracking his neck.

“...not as expensive as delivery,” Steve spun on his heel around Billy, dropping both hands to the cart, and headed for the checkout while Billy was still spinning to face him.

He ran to catch up. “What the fuck, Harrington, you can’t just buy all this shit--put back the stuff you--”

“Enh, I trust you,” Steve got to the checkout, started unloading the cart, and frowned around for Billy, who was still back glaring at him from next to a display of canned corn.

When they pulled up to the house, Will was sitting on the doorstep, surrounded by assorted totes and three trash bags, and hugging his backpack.

“Shit, he’s probably got broken glass in his ass,” Billy scrambled out. “Kid. Don’t sit there--”

Steve let himself fall forward against the steering wheel, then scrambled back as the car honked. After a long groan, he got out, stalking over to face the guilty yet stubborn faces of two Williams. “I, uh, I got your mail,” Will held out a coupon booklet, and a box from the movie club.

“Should probably get inside,” Billy bit his lips, grabbing some bags from the ground. Steve rubbed his face, and unlocked the door. They dumped the pile just inside, joined by their groceries.

“Hi,” Will ducked his head, swallowing.

“Hullo, Will,” Steve raised his eyebrows. “What’re you doing here?”

“So, um,” Will laughed nervously, sidling towards the kitchen. “Uh, Jonathan and Nancy are going to check out some colleges this weekend--Nancy’s dad paid for them to stay and Mom and Jonathan got enough together for a plane ticket, but they can’t afford me, so they’ll be gone and my mom has to work overtime and can’t check on me and, um--”

Billy leaned against the wall between the front room and the kitchen, and Steve raised his eyebrows.

“I, uh,” Will took a shaky breath. “Hopper’s taking Eleven and Mike to see her mom, and Lucas has Max, so his mom said no. Dustin’s mom has bronchitis. ”

Billy pushed off the wall and wandered closer, prodding Steve’s shoulder with two fingers.

Will sniffled. “Mom said I could stay with Dustin, or Mike, or Lucas, but if I couldn’t stay somewhere she didn’t want me alone, she wasn’t gonna let Jonathan go with Nancy if I can’t--”

“So you talked her into Steve,” Billy cut him off, and Will flinched.

“Okay, okay, we just--” Steve smoothed his hair, then staggered as Billy grabbed his elbow, hauled him into the garage, and slammed the door. Steve ended up shoved against it, Billy’s whispering face within kissing distance.

“I can do this,” Billy licked his lips. “I can. I won’t--I promise, Harrington, shit. Fuck.” He smacked his hand against the door next to Steve’s head, closing his eyes. “I can stay in the upstairs room--”

“I don’t know,” Steve let his head fall against the door. “Maybe I should go...stay at their house?”

Billy’s head jerked up, eyes fixed on his face.

“At least go over and make him breakfast, make sure he gets home from school--”

The step creaked as Billy dropped to sit on it, taking long shaky breaths. Steve slid down to lean against him.

“...christ, Bil--Hargrove. I wasn’t gonna make you leave. He’s gonna be even more pissed off, isn’t--” He cut off as Billy grabbed his shirt, hauling him in to a kiss with trembling hands. Billy’s lips were soft, but he tasted salty, and his eyelashes were wet. Steve turned his face away. He yanked Idiot Hargrove against his shoulder, squeezing him with intent to make his bones creak.

“Fuck,” Billy whispered into his neck, laughing wetly. “...shit. Sorry. I keep fucking up this ‘we’re done’ thing.”

“I do too,” Steve didn’t kiss the soft curls above Billy’s ear, or kiss down his neck with his whole mouth. “But you--I don’t--” he hugged him tighter as he tried to organize his thoughts, remembering Eleven’s character’s caution with the little pie girl. “You were so good with Will. I wouldn’t have thought of half that shit. And you were worried about me, you get mad they left me with the kids and the bat. Every time.”

“What?” Billy slid an arm around to grab the back of Steve’s collar. “You never make sense--”

“I--I do like you,” Steve felt his face heating, and barreled through the intense feeling of idiocy. “I wouldn’t--you don’t have to kiss me. I like you.”

“What,” Billy laughed. “What. What are you--no you don’t.”

“I do, actually,” Steve buried his face against Billy’s neck, breathing traces of cologne. “Even if I didn’t, I’d want you here--”

“Because I’m a person,” Billy snickered into his neck. His voice was shaky, and Steve recognized nervous giggles. He slid a hand up the back of Billy’s neck, and didn’t kiss him.

“Yeah. You’re a fucking person, I’ll do anything I can to help you get out of there. But if somebody’s--if I gotta have somebody staying here--” he took a deep breath, feeling Billy tense in his arms. “I’m--I’m glad it’s you.”

“Jesus christ,” Billy moaned into his shoulder. “Shit. Harrington.” He smacked Steve’s shoulder. “Fuck.”

Steve opened his mouth, grinning, as a quick, soft knock came at the door to the kitchen. “--shit. Will. He’s probably freaking out in there.”

Billy jerked his head up, wiping his eyes. “I meant it, I can--I can manage. I know I...I don’t need to make you--”

“No, fuck you,” Steve leaned to yell through the door. “It’s okay, Will, we’ll be out in a minute!” He turned back. “You threatened to burn Max, man, that doesn’t just--”

“But I didn’t!” Billy narrowed his eyes. “Even if she had backed up, I’d have burned my own fucking fingers off--”

“Yeah, and what if I hadn’t done what you wanted? Then what?”

“...thought maybe I’d throw something,” Billy shrugged, looking off to the side. “Break your mugs.”

“Break my mugs,” Steve repeated.

“They weren’t on the list. Don’t hurt your kids, don’t hurt you--I don’t fucking know, pretending I’d burn Max worked--”

“What the fuck,” Steve breathed, and Billy’s jaw worked.

“I didn’t hurt her. I knew you didn’t trust me, you’d react if I acted like--”

“It’s--it’s not--I can’t--”

“Here we go,” Billy snorted, wiping his eyes.

“Fuckhead. You--you held a fucking--you can’t--that’s--” Steve scrabbled at his hair, gritted his teeth, and wished Dustin had covered more in his How To Speak To Humans D&D class. “You don’t--you can’t--just--point a weapon at someone unless you wanna use it.”

“Pointed that bat at me earlier,” Billy raised his eyebrows.

“Yeees,” Steve sighed, letting himself slump back against the door. “I just--I was pointing with the thing in my hand. I forgot, all right, you didn’t--you weren’t forgetting--and then,” he clenched his fingers, and didn’t punch Billy in the leg. “Then I saw you go ‘oh shit, he’s mad, he’s got the bat--’”

“That’s not what I sound like. At all,” Billy leaned against the door, and Steve’s shoulder, grinning.

“--and I remembered and I stopped pointing a weapon at you and I walked the fuck out--”

“And tossed it in the garage so I wouldn’t see it while we talked, yeah.” Billy’s head thumped softly against his, and Steve elbowed him.

“Augh. I’m still pissed, stop--fucking--nuzzling me.”

“I wasn’t gonna hurt Max, I had a plan,” Billy pulled away, rolling his eyes. “I was--”

“You were losing your shit,” Steve rubbed his face, groaning. “You shitface. Fuckhead. Asshole.”

“...sorry I--lost my shit. Made you lose your shit.”

“You fucking better be,” Steve muttered into his hands. “Thought I was gonna puke.”

Billy took a deep breath, and blew it back out. “Okay, yeah, I know I’m--crazy.”

“That’s not what I--”

“But I stuck to the deal. I didn’t aim the fucking bottle at you. I punched the wall--”

“Jesus, I forgot you hucked a bottle at me, you--you fucking--”

Billy raised his eyebrows, waiting, but when Steve just growled through his teeth, he continued. “Just about broke my goddamn hand, by the way, but I wasn’t--I knew what I was doing, I wasn’t gonna hurt you. Or Max.”

“I’m supposed to trust you with Will when you lose your shit and punch walls. You threw a bottle at me!”

“It missed you by a fucking mile! It’s--just--shit.” Billy leaned his face in his hands, echoing Steve’s pose. They probably looked like matched salt and pepper shakers. “Just--try and--trust me to follow the rules. I did. I’ve been--I’ve been fucking following them.”

Steve stared at him. “...jesus, you are crazy.”

Billy flinched. “Fuck you. I did what you wanted--”

“No, you’re fucking nuts. You think that makes sense? No wonder I don’t make any fucking sense to you.” Steve watched Billy close his eyes, jaw clenching. “So you could--you could do--any fucked up shit--if I’m not bleeding out after--”

Billy took a sobbing breath against the sleeves on his forearms. “You made the fucking rules, Harrington, I followed them, I--I fucking followed your rules--”

“Shit fuck,” Steve yanked him close. “The fuck are you crying. You’re so fucking crazy, christ. We need--we need more rules.”

“More rules,” Billy nodded, swallowing against his shoulder.

“Don’t scare the shit out of kids. Don’t scare me. Don’t--” he took a deep breath, feeling like he needed a lawyer. “If anybody’s afraid, stop what the fuck you’re doing.”

“Yeah.”

“I fucking mean anybody.”

“Yes--yeah. I get it. I’ll be better,” he laughed. It didn’t sound happy. “Keep it simple, I’m stupid and crazy.”

“Shit.” Steve for once didn’t want to kiss him. “You’re...you know it’s wrong. To scare people.”

“Never hurt me,” Billy muttered, and Steve crushed him to his side again.

“Fuck. Okay. You--sorry I--sorry I called you crazy. You’re--you’re just--treating people like your dad does.”

“I didn’t fucking hurt Max.”

“No, I--I know. But you--you’re scary as hell sometimes, man. You can’t--Hargrove.”

“I’m listening,” Billy sniffled.

“You can’t do that shit. You can’t.”

“New rule,” Billy huffed a laugh.

“What?”

“When I fuck up. He shoves me against--against the shelves and says ‘new rule, Billy, be respectful in the hallway. Didn’t know I had to be so goddamn specific.’”

Steve didn’t want to try and figure out his thoughts on Billy’s dad, since most of them involved Wile E. Coyote dropping an anvil on his head so hard he shot out of the ground in Australia. “...you got any more rules, ba--uh, bastard?”

“What? ‘S your fuckin’ house, Harrington, I haven’t got rules--”

“Like ‘call you Hargrove.’”

“...call me Billy then, I’d get used to it.”

“I thought you liked it, I mean. That time.”

“Big difference between you breathing it in my ear when I’ve got my hand on my cock, and when I’m getting bawled out,” Billy rolled his eyes. “I thought you were pretending I was Nancy Wheeler--”

“She does not have a moustache, though, I don’t get how you--okay, anyway, it’s what your dad calls you, right, so if I don’t sound, uh, horny--”

“It doesn’t matter, I don’t give a shit,” Billy leaned into him, interlocking their fingers.

Steve squeezed back, leaning into the smell of Billy’s aftershave. “I won’t yell it. I could yell ‘William Whatever Hargrove’ again.”

“William Something-or-Other Hargrove,” Billy snickered. “William the Vaguely Unmemorable--”

“Oh, you’re memorable,” Steve sighed, listening to the floor creak in the kitchen. He felt bad letting Will stew, but this also seemed like the kind of conversation it’d be hard to get into again. “Okay. Rules. We don’t hurt anyone. Or scare anyone.”

“‘We,’” Billy side-eyed him, grinning.

“Me too. I mean, I might, by accident. Okay, we don’t hurt or scare anyone on purpose.”

Billy slumped against him. “How d’you know whether it was on purpose, though.”

“...I...ask...you?” Steve narrowed his eyes. “Wait. What?”

“So I’m supposed to...what. Just tell you. Don’t fucking--grab me in the shower, if I’ve got my eyes closed.”

“Christ. Yeah. Tell me. I won’t do that anymore.”

“Fine.” Billy drew a long breath.

“Fine.” They both frowned at the cars for a long second, before Steve felt Billy’s shoulders shaking with giggles, and cracked up himself. “You can just tell me stuff as you think of it. Oh. Shit. Wake me up if you’re going out to have a smoke.”

“Jesus, yeah,” Billy snorted. “You fucking barbarian. Wandering around with your club.”

“Sorry,” Steve leaned their heads together, snickering. “Uh, if that--if I--you can just tell me to stop. Whatever I’m doing.”

“Stop it,” Billy whined, rolling his eyes, then took another slow breath, closing them. “You have to--you should--just--fucking tell me why you’re pissed.”

“What? Now?”

“Whenever.” He half stood, and Steve yanked him back down by their intertwined hands.

“Shit, okay, uh, I’m really fucking pissed at your dad. Just--what a fucking asshole. I want him disappeared by, like, secret police, so you and Max are safe.” Billy shook his head, smiling. “Seriously, Hargrove. Some of this shit you do, it’s not on you, it’s his--his fucking bullshit he did. He’s gonna keep hurting people. When I said don’t hurt anybody--”

“Yeah, I got it,” Billy rolled his eyes.

“No, shut up. If he has you, do whatever you need to, christ. Elbow him in the fucking face. Run him over.”

“Jesus,” Billy leaned away. “You can stop now.”

“You don’t get hurt either, okay. He tries to fuck with you and I’ll get my fucking bat.”

“I--we should go talk to Will,” Billy scrambled back up, opening the kitchen door.

Will was perched on the arm of the couch, but he slid off, standing at attention. His gaze flicked from Steve, to Billy wiping his eyes, and down to their interlocked hands.

“He’s got allergies,” Steve blurted, and Billy started snickering again, leaning against his shoulder. “Um. Sorry, we had--other shit to talk about. We’ll--we’ll figure it out--”

“I heard you calling him a fuckhead shitface,” Will said solemnly.

“Uh,” Steve stalled out, and Billy laughed harder.

“It was pretty fair,” he dragged Steve over to the couch. “He’s not throwing me out, or anything.”

“I’m not fucking throwing you out, christ,” Steve yanked him down. “I will not ever throw you out, jesus. God.”

“He’s forgiving me because of our true gay love,” Billy turned his half-lidded smirk on Will, and Steve didn’t react for a long second, feeling his face heat, then grabbed Billy’s shoulder and tugged him back to start dropping kisses all over his face.

“Damn straight--” he grinned. “I kinda like him.” Will was giggling, wide-eyed.

“Jesus fuck what are you doing--” Billy flailed against Steve’s arms, trying to hide his face, before he shifted over to kicking his feet. Gotta make it look like he’s struggling, even if he’s not.

“Huge gay love,” Steve whispered across his ear, and Billy yelped, flailing in earnest, as Steve rocked him, and started singing. In a Disney mouse voice. “So this is love, mm-mm, mm-mm--”

“That’s not a song!” Billy kicked in the air, cackling, and trying to bat away the continuing kisses.

Will vanished to the kitchen, then slowly popped up behind the arm of the couch like a groundhog, holding a Polaroid camera. “Can I take your picture?”

Billy nearly kicked himself off the couch. “Holy fuck! Harrington!”

“I'm all aglow and now I know,” Steve warbled, kissing his eyelids, and Billy held bruisingly tight to his arms, laughing. His face was hot against Steve’s lips, and his eyelashes still wet. “The key to our heaven is mine~” Steve kissed the end of his nose. “I did get you out of your tower.”

“Haven’t stole my fucking shoe yet, Charming,” Billy mumbled, eyes fixed on Steve’s lips as he used Steve’s arms to pull himself upwards.

Will put his hand over his eyes. “Guys! Can I take your picture? I brought my camera!”

Steve leaned in to press kisses against Billy’s eyelashes and ear, breathing in. He smelled like the woods, somehow, kinda--we could shop for cologne. It’d be fun, trying the--no, wait, I think we’d get arrested for public nudity. “Can he take our picture?”

“The fuck would he want to,” Billy squirmed so his shirt rode up, and Steve snorted, raising his eyebrows. “Sure, go ahead.”

Will clicked five photos, and Billy started kicking again.

Steve let go, still humming, and Billy turned around to yank at Steve’s sweatshirt zipper, press warm lips to Steve’s lower belly, and blow as hard as he could, and Steve smacked a hand over the noise that tried to come out of his mouth.

Billy sat up, yanking his shirt straight, and ignoring Steve leaning in to keep humming princess tunes in his ear. “What’s in all the bags?”

Will bounced on his heels, flapping a Polaroid in each hand. “I brought the VHS of Wrath of Khan. And Lord of the Rings.”

Billy looked over at Steve, mouth twitching. “He brought Lord of the Rings.”

“Eugh, I have those,” Steve rolled his eyes. “You watched them here.”

“I brought the fancy editions,” Will dropped to rummage in his bag, and pulled out two massive hardcovers with runes all over their metallic surfaces.

“...you brought the books,” Steve cocked his head, then squinted at Billy, who was covering a grin. “To...read aloud?”

“Jonathan and mom and I read different characters,” he bounced on his toes, rummaging some more, and Steve took the opportunity to look at Billy and pretend to shove his finger down his throat and puke.

Billy shook his head, raising his eyebrows. “What’d you tell your mom?”

“I left a note,” Will’s shoulders hunched, then looked up hopefully. “I brought my old Halloween candy! And mom got some Valentine’s candy, I didn’t, um--” he glanced between them, flushing. “I didn’t tell her! I’m sorry! The box is shaped like a heart!”

“I can feed it to Steve later,” Billy grinned over his shoulder, and Steve leaned into him, laughing into his neck. “Shoulda used a condom, Your Majesty,” Billy whispered, “if you didn’t wanna be a dad.”

“I brought my Nintendo, too,” Will ran and got another bag. “And--”

“I’ve got an Atari,” Billy leaned to look, and Steve groaned, laughing.

“...so you just had your mom drop you off,” he leaned his chin against Billy’s shoulder.

“I told her I wanted to pack some more things and you had to get groceries,” Will lowered his head, hiding behind a polaroid.

“...lemme see it,” Steve sighed, and slid his arms around Billy’s shoulders, waving a hand for the photo. “Hand ‘em over. Your payment.”

“He can stay?” Billy leaned back into him.

“I can stay?” Will crawled over the arm of the couch, nearly into Billy’s lap, grinning, and held out one picture. It was blurry. “What do I get for picture number two?”

“All of them, you fucking--”

“Fork ‘em over, you tiny goddamn scammer,” Billy grabbed two, and Will giggled, flailing the last two out of reach.

“Shit, you’re cute here,” Steve poked at the top one, where Billy’s grin had gone small and soft. Billy tried to stuff it in his mouth, and Steve yanked him backwards. “No! Will! Grab it!”

Will climbed over their knees, grabbing for it, and held it over his head. “Ha!”

“Little grifter’s not gonna give that back,” Billy leaned his head back against Steve’s neck, and Steve squeezed him tighter.

“Good, since you don’t know what food is either, Hargrove. I’m not gonna put it in my locker, calm the fuck down.”

“That’s not even the cutest one,” Will huddled at the other end of the couch, beaming. He slid them in his pocket, after exchanging slow nods over Billy’s shoulder.

Once Billy squirmed away, Steve followed to help with the groceries. Billy grabbed things out of his hands and put them in the fridge instead of the cupboard, or the cupboard instead of the fridge, and Will wandered in with his arms around another tied-off trash bag.

“Uh,” he cleared his throat, dropping into a chair, and Billy stopped hissing at Steve about rancid oils, mealy tomatoes, and food poisoning to lean against the counter, rubbing his face.

“Whatcha got?” Steve grinned, stepping toward the fridge, but letting Billy yank the bread out of his hand and smack it on the counter.

“Um.” Will untied the bag. “A lot of, uh, Christmas lights. Mom didn’t want them. I thought we could make a fort?”

Steve blinked. “A--like a blanket fort?”

“What have you got? Are there more pillows somewhere?” Will’s eyes narrowed. “I really like forts.” Billy raised his eyebrows at Steve, who quirked his mouth, cocking his head in an almost-shrug.

Billy stopped Steve from dropping a bag of apples into a drawer in the fridge from waist high, and turned away to toss the bread in a cupboard. “Sounds like it’s a good thing somebody knows what he’s doing.”

“Oy,” Steve held his hands up, grinning as Billy shoved him out of the kitchen.

“We could tie blankets to your track lighting,” Will whispered, hugging the bag, then blinked down, and dropped it on the chair. Billy shook his head.

“Okay,” Steve led him to the closet with the itchy ribbon-edged blankets. “Tell me the plan, and I’ll tell you what we’ve got.”

“...we can spread these underneath,” Will pursed his lips, and reached in to yank out a few pillows. “And my sleeping bag. Can we take anything from your parent’s bed? Are they home?”

“Uh, there aren’t really any blankets somebody isn’t using--”

“I get to meet your parents?” Will blinked around. “Are they upstairs? I rang the doorbell--”

“Shit, no. No, there’s--” Steve bit his lips. We sleep together anyway, not like he won’t notice. “You mind if we ransack your bed, Hargrove?” Steve yelled, and Billy shouted back a no. When Steve threw the door open, Will stopped and stared around. Billy’d unpacked from his car--probably while Steve was at D&D--and had plenty of his own shirts, Steve noticed, no need to keep filching sweatshirts. He stripped the bed, tossing the ruffled chintz pillows to Will, and bundling up the comforter to toss over the railing and down the stairs. “That enough?”

“...wait.” Will frowned up. “That was Billy’s bed--”

“Uh,” Steve’s brain stumbled between explaining where Billy would sleep, and suggesting Will use the name ‘Hargrove’ instead.

“You’re both sleeping...up here?” He blinked, and his cheeks flushed. “Oh! Together! I mean, okay! Sorry! I didn’t mean to--of course you wouldn’t want to--”

“...you...wanted us down there?” Steve raised his eyebrows, leaning to look at Will’s face.

“No, I mean. Whatever--you probably don’t want to--”

Steve opened his mouth, closed it, and leaned over the railing, calling down. “This is supposed to be a slumber party, cupcake-pie, wanna...party in the pillow fort with us?”

After a short pause, Billy leaned around the stairwell. “What?”

“We’re sleeping in the fort in the living room, you’ll come next to me, right?”

“Word choices,” Billy stared up. “Sure, yeah, whatever. Wear something slinky, Harrington.” He started balling up the comforter Steve had thrown down, dodging as Steve hucked a pillow at his head.

Will had a little bounce in his step, grinning as he paced off in a weird diagonal pattern towards Steve’s room for the other set of bedding. “Dustin said,” he raised his eyebrows, “If I wanna be the Invisible Man, I should wear plaid in your room.”

Steve drew his eyes away from the stairwell, and snorted. “Yeah, that’s about right.” He reached out and ruffled Will’s hair, and got batted away, and a grin.

[piratekane]

missing scene, January 22 (vanessa/charity, debbie)

An absolute waste of a scene between Debbie having a brew with her two mums and Chas, and Debbie and her two mums having a drink in the pub. (On another note, their poor bladders.)

“So this is where you’ve run off to,” Debbie says as she moves into the corridor, peering into the dark corner Vanessa’s seated in.

Vanessa huffs, blowing her hair out of her face. “I just needed a moment.” Her eyes widen. “Don’t tell your mum I’m-”

Debbie holds up a hand quickly, cutting Vanessa off. “I won’t.” She pushes hesitantly at an unsteady box of bottles, leaning against the shelving instead. “She still hovering?”

“She comes and goes,” Vanessa sighs. “Practically suffocating me now, what with throwing threatening your Dad. Thinks I’m irresistible for it one minute, whispering all sorts of things into my-” She winces at the look on Debbie’s face and her mouth sours. “Then she thinks incapacitated the next.”

“I didn’t need to know that.” Debbie crosses her arms over her chest, watching the way Vanessa twists her fingers into the sleeves of her jumper. Her ring catches the light. “So you’re getting married, then. That’s great.”

Vanessa stares at her for a long moment, tipping her head to the side. “Is it?”

“Why wouldn’t it be.” Debbie looks away and then back at Vanessa.

Her eyes are cloudy, but it’s something Vanessa can’t put a name to. Secrets, she finally thinks. She looks like the Charity Vanessa first met; it’s been so long since she’s seen it that she hardly remembered.

“I’m chuffed for the pair of you,” Debbie continues.

“Your mum worries you’re not,” Vanessa says carefully. She’s walking a wire now, pushing a Dingle to have a feeling.

Debbie’s shoulders lift. “Well I am.”

Vanessa continues to look at her, searching. “Okay,” she finally says. She watches Debbie pick at the top of a bottle, peeling a piece of the cork off.

Debbie sighs loudly. “You know Mum would never-”

“I know.”

Debbie narrows her eyes, watching Vanessa carefully. “She loves you.”

Vanessa smiles suddenly, her cheeks flushing. “I know,” she says again, softer now.

Debbie looks back at the stack of bottles, almost as if she’s studying each word on the label. “When I was younger, I wanted…” She shakes her head, pressing her lips into a thin line. “They’re not good for each other. I know that now.”

Vanessa sighs, frustrated at the Cain she saw today. He’s nothing like the Cain she saw in court, standing steady at Charity’s side, the two of them supporting her. “They can be,” she tells Debbie, believing it. “In the right way, at the right time.”

“Not like that,” Debbie says, voice firm. “Not together.” She scoffs, her arms tightening over her chest. “He’s at the root of nearly every bad decision she’s made.”

Vanessa bites her bottom lip. “You know you’re one of those decisions.”

The noise that leaves Debbie’s throat is something between a laugh and a cough. “Oh, I’ve mucked it up loads of times.”

Vanessa wonders, for a moment, how she ended up here: talking Dingles off emotional ledges. Then the moment is gone and she’s looking at the daughter of the woman she loves, still a little girl in so many ways. “She still loves you, Debbie.”

Debbie’s lips twitch. “You an’ all.”

Something flutters in Vanessa’s chest, the truth warm in the pit of her stomach. Charity loves her. Charity proposed. Charity wants to spend the rest of her life with Vanessa; she wants Vanessa to be her wife. It still feels like she’s in a long dream and she’s going to wake up any minute in a hospital bed and a morphine drip at her side.

Debbie breaks her from her thoughts. “What would you have done if Mum hadn’t shuttled you away?”

Vanessa shrugs casually, refusing to give into the fear slowly creeping up her spine. “Die defending her honor,” she jokes, the words a bit forced.

“Mum would have been in a right state,” Debbie mumbles.

“Bit romantic, though, innit?” Vanessa leans forward, careful to shift to one side more than the other. “Defending the woman you love until your last breath.”

“Not if you know what she’s like when you’re not around.”

Vanessa sighs heavily. “Debbie…”

Debbie’s staring at her clearly now, head on. “Noah, Tracy. Chas. Moira and Nan.” She counts them all on her fingers. “They all said she was a right mess. Banging on about the doctors keeping her away from you.” She snorts. “Noah said he thought she was going to take one out when he told her family only.”

Vanessa shudders. A guilty, angry, frightened Charity isn’t something most people can handle.

“Kept talking about how it was all her fault,” Debbie continues.

“It wasn’t her fault.” Vanessa’s voice is sharp, cutting off the words forming on the tip of Debbie’s tongue.

Debbie looks down again. “Someday she’ll think it wasn’t.” She sighs. “She thinks a lot of things are her fault.”

The truth of it makes Vanessa see red at the edges of her vision. Not the red she saw when Cain stumbled through the village with Charity in his sights or the one she saw every time she looked at Bails. It’s a softer red, muted now, and it doesn’t flare up. It sinks in and sticks to her ribs. “It’s what everyone’s been telling her,” she says, lips pulling back.

“You haven’t.” Debbie straightens up, her arms loosening some. “Personally, I think you gave Dad a proper what for. He deserved more, but...” She smiles at Vanessa like there’s a joke only the two of them know. “And if he’d laid a finger on you, Mum would have done the same.”

“Vanessa!” Charity yells from the living room.

Vanessa sighs, but there’s a smile on her face. “There’ll be Nurse Ratched now, come to lock me up again.” She drops her voice to an exaggerated whisper. “I’ve stayed up past my bedtime, me.”

Debbie matches her smile. “She’s worried about you.”

“I know,” Vanessa agrees.

“She really loves you.”

Vanessa’s smile widens and her vision clears and her stomach stops churning. “I hope so. Would make me swanning about the village showing off my ring a bit naff, wouldn’t it?”

Debbie snorts loudly as Charity rounds the corner, stopping with her hands on her hips. “There you are, babe. I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

Debbie lifts a hand guiltily. “My fault.”

Vanessa reaches forward, curling a finger into the silk of Charity’s blouse, watching in wonder as the soft wrinkles on Charity’s forehead fades. “Yeah, I was talking to Debbie.”

Charity looks between them for a minute. “About what?” she finally asks.

Vanessa tugs a bit harder, her mouth twitching when Charity stumbles. “About how you can’t keep your hands to yourself.”

Debbie rolls her eyes. “Or your gob.”

“Oi, we’re getting married!” Charity looks away, shaking her head as her hand drops her cover Vanessa’s. “She deserved to know.” I needed to tell her, Vanessa can hear from the breaths in between.

“I’m happy you told me,” she tells Charity softly. “I’d hate to have to hear it from someone else.” Her eyes widen. “Or worse, seen a video of it.”

Charity wiggles her eyebrows, smiling widely. “Though, if I had known, babe, that it would have turned you into the hulk, I’d…”

“You what?” Vanessa prompts.

Charity leans down over her, her hands on either side of Vanessa’s shoulders as Vanessa’s hand sticks between them. “I’d have told you a lot sooner, yeah? Little ol’ you, defending me from the big bad Cains of the world.”

Vanessa sighs softly, feeling Charity’s breath against her cheek. “A wonder I did, really. My side is screaming at me now.”

Charity straightens up suddenly. “Let me go get-”

“No,” Vanessa says quickly, grabbing at Charity’s hips to keep her close. “Just help me into the bar, would you? In case he comes back for round 2 or summat.”

Charity scoffs but doesn’t move away. “And you’ll what, babe? Glare at him from across the room. Where you’ll be,” she adds quickly. “Strapped to your chair if that’s what I have to do.” She tucks a loose strand of hair behind Vanessa’s ear.

Debbie makes a face over Charity’s shoulder.

“I thought you liked me defending you,” Vanessa says, voice low.

“Well maybe I do.” Charity’s cheeks go red at the point, eyes darting quickly to where she thinks Debbie is standing before she lowers her voice. “Maybe I like a lady in shining… boots.”

“Gross,” Debbie says.

Charity looks back over her shoulder with a smile. “Go on, then,” she says, jutting her chin towards the living room. “My fiancée and I have some… planning to do.”

Debbie groans and takes a quick step back. “Mum!”

Charity opens her mouth to fire back, but Vanessa laugh and tugs and Charity moves a little closer. Glaring at Cain Dingle can wait another few minutes.