#can't believe we're already halfway there!

[misssassylover]

꧁𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐲꧂

You know you love me (Yo), I know you care (Uh-huh)

Just shout whenever (Yo), and I'll be there (Uh-huh)

You are my love (Yo), you are my heart (Uh-huh)

And we will never, ever, ever be apart (Yo, uh-huh)

She texts me “I’m bored. Entertain me.” That’s it. No greeting. No emoji. Like she knows I’ll drop everything for her, and the worst part is, she’s right.

I’m already halfway out the door before I even realize it, hoodie tugged on, car keys swinging from my fingers. She does this all the time. Pulls me in like gravity, effortless. No matter what I’m doing, she becomes the center of my world.

Y/N’s waiting on her front porch with that look she always gives me when she knows she’s won. Her knees are drawn up to her chest, hoodie sleeves covering her hands. It’s one of mine. Blue, oversized, worn-in. And it makes something in my chest twist.

“I was serious about the entertaining,” she says, grinning as she walks up to my car. “You’re on call, you know.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “Like I’d ever say no.”

She doesn’t answer, just slides into the passenger seat and kicks her feet up on the dash like it’s her car, like this is us and not some weird purgatory of almost-something. She leans her head against the window and hums low under her breath.

This isn’t new. This has been our rhythm for years now. Her calling, me coming. No hesitation. No questions. Because she’s my heart, and I don’t even try to hide that anymore. Not from her. Not from anyone.

And she knows it. God, she knows it.

Are we an item? (Yo) Girl, quit playin' (Uh-huh)

We're just friends (Yo), what are you sayin'? (Uh-huh)

Said, "There's another" (Yo), and looked right in my eyes (Uh-huh)

My first love broke my heart for the first time, and I was like (Yo, uh-huh)

“You know,” I say casually, pretending my hands aren’t gripping the steering wheel too tight. “People always ask if we’re dating.”

She smirks. Doesn’t look at me. “What do you tell them?”

I glance sideways, gauging. “I say, ‘Not yet.’”

Y/N finally turns, eyebrows raised, eyes glinting. “Not yet, huh?”

“You saying I’m wrong?”

She leans back, lets her head loll to the side. “I’m saying you’re delusional.”

It’s a joke. But it stings. Not because she doesn’t feel anything, but because she knows I do. And she toys with it like it’s a game.

“You talking to anyone else?” I ask, voice low, like maybe if I say it soft enough, it won’t matter.

She’s quiet. Then, too quiet, says, “There’s someone.”

The air leaves my lungs like a punch. She says it like it’s nothing, like it’s just an answer. But her eyes flick to me fast, waiting for the reaction.

I try to laugh. It cracks halfway. “Damn. Guess I really am delusional.”

She bites her bottom lip. Doesn’t deny it. Doesn’t confirm it. Just looks out the window again and lets the silence between us bloom wide and unbearable.

My first heartbreak isn’t a big dramatic explosion. It’s this. A casual Tuesday night. Her voice soft. And me wishing I hadn’t asked.

Baby, baby, baby, oh

Like baby, baby, baby, no

Like baby, baby, baby, oh

I thought you'd always be mine, mine

I tell myself it’s fine. That this happens. That sometimes people don’t feel the same way.

But she laughs at my jokes like I’m the only one in the room. She remembers every detail I ever told her. Like I can’t sleep with socks on. She texts me first. Wears my clothes. Teases me like she wants me to crack.

So how do I not believe it?

How do I not believe she’s already mine?

“Chris,” she says, voice cutting through the haze in my head, “You’re overthinking again.”

I blink. She’s watching me. Her head tilted, lips curved like she’s daring me to say something stupid.

“What if I told you I wasn’t joking earlier?” I ask.

Her smile falters just a bit. But she recovers fast, standing up straighter. “Then I’d ask what you’re gonna do about it.”

God, she’s infuriating.

And I’m so, so in love with her.

Oh, for you, I would've done whatever (Uh-huh)

And I just can't believe we ain't together (Yo, uh-huh)

And I wanna play it cool (Yo), but I'm losin' you (Uh-huh)

I'll buy you anything (Yo), I'll buy you any ring (Uh-huh)

I used to think there was a timeline to all this. Like we were meant to end up together, but it had to happen in its own time. High school was too early. Maybe after. Maybe once life slowed down.

But now, I’m watching her drift.

Her replies take longer. Her teasing has more edge. There’s someone else’s name slipped into conversations like it doesn’t matter. It does. To me, it does.

And I don’t know how to stop it. I don’t know how to stop losing her.

“I’d do anything for you, you know,” I say one night, staring at the ceiling of her room while she lies next to me on the floor.

She doesn’t answer right away. Just picks at the thread of the rug beneath her fingers.

“I know,” she says finally. “That’s what makes this so hard.”

I turn to look at her. Her eyes are glassy, but she won’t meet mine.

“Then why are you pulling away?” I ask.

She doesn’t answer.

And I can’t help thinking, I’d give her a damn ring if she asked. But it wouldn’t make a difference.

And I'm in pieces (Yo), baby, fix me (Uh-huh)

And just shake me till you wake me from this bad dream (Yo, uh-huh)

I'm goin' down (Yo), down, down, down (Uh-huh)

And I just can't believe my first love won't be around, and I'm like

The silence between us used to be comfortable. Now it feels like quicksand.

She laughs at something her phone. Someone else’s text, and I flinch.

I’m in pieces. And she sees it.

“Chris…” she says softly, like she already knows what I’m going to say.

“I need you to tell me if there’s still something here,” I interrupt.

She blinks, lips parted. “Why?”

“Because I’m drowning in this,” I say. “And you’re just…watching.”

Her fingers twitch like she wants to reach for me. She doesn’t.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she whispers.

“You didn’t even try not to.”

I leave before she can say more. And in the car, parked outside her house, I let the tears fall.

She was my first love.

And I can’t believe she might be my first heartbreak, too.

Flashbacks

When I was thirteen, I had my first love

There was nobody that compared to my baby, and nobody came between us nor could ever come above

She had me goin' crazy, oh, I was starstruck

She woke me up daily, don't need no Starbucks (Woo)

I was thirteen. She moved into the house across the street with a backpack twice her size and eyes like trouble.

She beat me at Mario Kart the first time we hung out and called me a sore loser.

I told her I wasn’t. (I was.)

We spent summers on bikes, winters building snow forts, and every day in between talking about nothing and everything. I was in love with her before I even knew what that meant.

She was the reason I stopped setting alarms. Because she always knocked on my window before school.

I used to write her name on my sneakers in Sharpie. She pretended not to notice.

But once, she drew a little heart on my wrist and said, “Don’t wash it off.”

I didn’t. Not for three days.

She made my heart pound, and skip a beat when I see her in the street and

At school on the playground, but I really wanna see her on the weekend

She knows she got me dazing 'cause she was so amazing

And now my heart is breakin', but I just keep on sayin'

Freshman year, she cut her hair and suddenly everyone noticed her.

I hated it. Not because she wasn’t beautiful before. Because now I had to compete with half the school just to make her laugh.

But she always came back to me.

Even when people flirted. Even when she could’ve left me behind.

“Don’t look so jealous,” she’d say, nudging me with her knee. “You’re my favorite.”

I’d pretend it was a joke. But I replayed those words a hundred times that night.

She made my heart race just by walking into a room. My hands would go clammy. Voice would catch.

But I never said it. Never told her I loved her.

Because I thought we had time.

Baby, baby, baby, oh

Like baby, baby, baby, no

Like baby, baby, baby, oh

I thought you'd always be mine, mine

I see her again today.

Weeks since we talked. Since the fight. Since I let myself admit that maybe we weren’t meant to be.

She walks toward me at the park, slow, uncertain. Same old hoodie. Same old soft eyes.

“Hey,” she says. “Missed you.”

“Did you?” I ask, because I can’t pretend anymore.

She nods. Steps closer. Reaches for my hand. But this time, it’s not teasing. It’s real.

“I didn’t know how to love you right,” she says. “But I want to try.”

I look at her. Really look at her.

And all the versions of us. Kids, teens, almost-lovers. Fold into this one moment.

“I’m still your favorite?” I ask.

She grins. “Always.”

And maybe, just maybe, she’s still mine.

[carolperkinsexgirlfriend]

can you see the stars in your dreams (and do they have a lot to say about me) - Part 12

Or: a secret Admirer AU

PART 1 || PART 2 || PART 3 || PART 4 || PART 5 || PART 6 || PART 7 || PART 8 || PART 9 || PART 10 || PART 11

He’s got to be heading to the quarry, right? That’s where he goes on Wednesday’s after school to sell his stash, he’d told Steve so umpteen notes back. Steve’s poured over each one enough times to damn-near have the things memorized.

He’s in his car, speeding fast enough that if Hopper catches his ass, he’ll be hauled into a jail cell before he can even make it. Steve pushes his foot down on the pedal harder, trying to eke out any last bit of speed.

When he reaches his destination, Carver’s car is parked sideways across the dirt road that leads off to the quarry, blocking anyone else from entering. Steve slams on his breaks, kicking up dirt all around him, obscuring his view of the windshield.

He steps out into it, dust gritting up his eyes. The only way out is through, so he heads toward the sound of raised voices, stumbling over a raised root as he goes.

He can just barely make out the words now.

“—leave her alone, or you’re dead, do you hear me?” Carver’s not yelling, but when he comes into view, his eyes are hard, and he’s clutching at Eddie’s t-shirt with enough force that he’s holding his knees off the ground.

There’s blood on Eddie’s face, dripping down off it and staining the dirt beneath him.

Steve doesn’t think. “Hey!” he calls, rushing forward to insert himself between them, but before he can, Carver drops Eddie into an ungainly heap on the ground and spins around to face Steve.

Steve lets him; if his eyes are on him, then he’s not looking at Eddie.

“Harrington?” Carver asks, shoulders slumping like Steve’s a friendly, not one wrong move from popping him one in the nose. “What are you—”

“Why don’t you get the hell out of here before the cops show?” Steve asks, using his Team Captain voice.

Steve watches it land. Carver’s shoulder slump, and he looks over Steve’s shoulder at where he’d abandoned his car. But then Eddie spits a glob of blood onto the ground, and Carver’s face shores up into something vicious.

“He was going to ask your girlfriend out, I heard all about it from his little friend!” Carver spits, like the words hurt as they come out of his mouth. “You should thank me on hands and knees!”

“I bet you’d love him on his knees,” Eddie cuts in, words slurring worryingly together.

Carver turns back toward Eddie, face gone almost translucent in the light of the afternoon sun. “Why, you—“

“Shut up, man,” Steve says, finally looking away from Carver to where Eddie’s on his knees, partially obscured by Carver’s body.

Eddie looks up at Steve, defiant as he spits a glob of saliva and blood into the dirt again then wipes his mouth with a shaking hand.

Steve stares down at him, stomach twisting in on itself as Eddie’s glare only intensifies. There hadn’t been much in his eyes when he’d been looking at Carver, but when he’s looking at Steve? That’s rage, barely banked by what must be a killer concussion. Steve turns away from it, unable to bear it a moment longer.

“What’s the point of this?” Steve asks Carver, the exhaustion he’s starting to feel leaking into his voice.

“Chrissy doesn’t need—”

“Chrissy is an adult who doesn’t need either of us fighting her battles for her,” Steve cuts in. “Besides, they’re friends.”

Carver’s mouth curls in on itself. “She would never be friends with this f—”

“She’d kick your ass herself if she heard you talking about Munson like that.”

Carver turns his back on Eddie entirely, glaring at Steve like they’re in some sort of quick-draw stand-off in a stupid Western. Steve’s tired of this guy and all his hate, he’s tired of people he loves being hurt, tired of having to be Chrissy’s shield against the asshole in front of him, and Robin’s shoulder to cry on, and going home to an empty fucking house.

He’s just tired.

It’s a relief when Eddie stands on his own two feet, legs visibly shaking but holding his weight. Because nothing will ever stop Eddie from being Eddie, he claps like Steve and Jason are kindergartners and he’s their beleaguered teacher sent to corral them.

“Well, this has been fun,” Eddie says, grinning around the blood in his teeth. “But there’s only so much jock on jock violence I can take before I break out in hives. So, can I go?”

He throws a taunting thumb over his shoulder where his van’s parked closer to the cliff’s edge, turning to stumble toward it without another word. Carver and Steve both rush to stop him for opposing reasons.

“I’m not done with you,” Carver hisses.

Steve grabs his shoulder, yanking him hard enough to send him stumbling back a few steps. “Leave it, Carver, or I’ll ruin you.”

“What the hell could you even do?” Carver demands.

Steve stares him down, dead-eyed and entirely fed up. “I can tell Chrissy what you did, and she’ll lose what little respect she had for you. Then? I’ll have a meeting with Coach and get you kicked off the team. Then, who knows, maybe I’ll plant drugs in your locker, shave your head while you’re sleeping, vandalize school property in your name. Do you really want to stick around and find out what else I can think of?”

Carver holds his gaze for another, endless second before turning away and slinking back the way he came. Steve watches until Carver starts his own car, swerved recklessly close to Steve’s own parked car, and sped away.

When he turns back, Eddie’s nowhere to be seen. He slinks toward his van, unwilling to spook the guy further if he doesn’t need to.

He’s in the driver’s seat of his van, cursing as his shaking hands fumble with the keys, missing again and again as he tries to jam it into the keyhole.

“You can’t drive,” Steve says quietly.

Eddie still jumps, dropping the keys into the well beneath his feet as he snaps his head up, eyes wide and pupils eating up his face. There’s a bruise already swelling up his eyes, and blood caked beneath his nose. He looks a downright mess.

“Here to finish what your buddy started?” Eddie asks, showing off his bloody teeth again in a grin, as if Steve can’t see him shaking.

Steve shakes his head, throat clogged with too many words to name. What comes out is, “you’re not supposed to drive with a concussion.”

Eddie, tellingly, does not argue the concussion, but his bared teeth are starting to look more like a snarl as he replies, “I’m not leaving my van here.”

Steve stares at him. He’s sweating, with injury or panic, Steve’s not sure. There’s dirt in his hair, like before Steve had arrived, Jason had him on the ground, glossy curls pressed into the dirt. Steve clenches his hands into fists the more he sees. His t-shirt is black, but there’s a rip at its hem that Steve doesn’t think was there before.

He aches to reach through the open window and touch that busted face, find the split in his lip, clear the blood from beneath his nose.

Instead, he opens the driver’s side door, feeling like absolute scum as Eddie shuffles away, eyes wide as he presses himself as far away as possible as Steve climbs in.

“What are you doing?” Eddie asks, voice all wobbly.

Steve bends down to pick up the keys where Eddie had dropped them. He slides the key home and Eddie’s van tick tick ticks itself to life. When Eddie’s music blares, Steve reaches across to turn the dial down, ignoring Eddie’s flinch at his movement.

“Taking you home.”

Eddie’s van is bigger then he’s used to driving, the ride bumpier as he turns around and slides carefully past his own car, his keys probably still abandoned in the driver’s seat somewhere.

Hopefully it’ll still be there when he comes back for it.

*** 

“Did Chrissy put you up to this?” Eddie asks, voice small, small, small.

Harrington’s shoulders slump, clenched fingers loosening on the steering wheel. He sighs, long and loud, perfect hair rustling with the movement.

“Robin, actually,” he replies, lips tucked up into a facsimile of a smile.

Robin, Robin, Robin, does he know a Robin? His brain’s not working, too scrambled up inside. Eddie’s entire face aches as he scrunches it up in thought before cutting that shit out. No thinking for him until some of this heals. Still, he worries against the name, until, “Buckley?” comes out of his mouth.

Harrington smiles, warmer this time. “Yeah, she saw Carver following you.”

“And went to you?” Eddie asks, voice squeaking embarrassingly on the last word.

Harrington doesn’t answer, but his hands clench tight enough against the steering wheel that his knuckles turn white.

Eddie resolves himself to shutting the fuck up for the rest of the drive.

“How do you know where I live?”

“You’re…loud, dude,” Harrington says, pulling into Eddie’s empty driveway. Harrington’s right, he is loud. It still sounds like a lie. “Is your uncle home?”

Eddie squints, busted eye bursting with pain as he asks, “how do you know I live with my uncle?”

Harrington raises his eyebrow, clearly saying “you’re loud, dude,” again without even needing to open his mouth. Eddie kind of hates him for it.

“He’s on a fishing trip,” Eddie sighs.

Without another word, Harrington turns off the engine and slides out of the van, shutting the door gently behind himself. He rounds the front of the van and Eddie sits, stupefied in his seat as Harrington pulls open the passenger side door and holds his hand out like Eddie’s some swooning maiden. Feeling flustered and frustrated in turns, Eddie slaps his hand away and steps out of his van on his own two feet, slamming the door closed behind him.

Harrington doesn’t move out of the way as Eddie storms past, their shoulders banging into each other makes Eddie’s teeth rattle painfully in his bruised skull. He only remembers he doesn’t have his keys when he’s standing in front of his front door, hand empty.

He stares down at it, betrayed.

His house keys jingle in Harrington’s hand as he steps up beside him. Without even a by your leave, he inserts the key into the hole and twists, inexplicably choosing the right key on the first try. Is Steve Harrington a mind reader?

Harrington pushes the door open and holds it open for Eddie, as if it’s not his house they’re walking into.

“What the hell are you doing?” Eddie demands, standing on his own front porch like a loser as Harrington bends down and takes his sneakers off.

He lines them up neatly by the wall like he’s staying in The Ritz or something and doesn’t want to stain the dingy carpet.

“Taking my shoes off?”

“No!” Eddie wails, clutching handfuls of his hair, beyond frustration and into something that feels a lot like hysteria. “What are you doing here?”

Straightening up, Harrington stares down at Eddie where he’s still standing on his own porch. He looks incredulous, as if Eddie’s the one who’d saved him from getting killed by some jock, and Eddie’s the one who followed him home after like a lost puppy.

Like Eddie’s the one that doesn’t quite fit in the trailer park, and not Steve Harrington with his squeaky white shoes and ironed polo, and luscious hair, and skin that’s all sun-kissed even as summer’s barely a memory in a little girl’s eye.

“Your uncle’s not home.”

Eddie stares, gobsmacked. What the fuck are they putting in the water in Loch Nora, Jesus Christ! “So?!”

Harrington squints at him again, his aloof cool-guy shtick finally breaking to show the judgmental mean girl barely hidden beneath. “You’re totally concussed, dude,” Steve replies, a King handing down a decree to his loyal subjects. “Someone’s gotta make sure you don’t like, die.”

Eddie, never one to follow anyone’s decrees but his own, immediately starts bitching. “So, what? You’re playing home invader until someone comes to relieve you?”

He nods, smiling down at Eddie like he’s a puppy who finally learned not to piss on the carpet. Fed up with being a rung lower, Eddie takes that last step up onto the stoop and brushes past Harrington into his own goddamn house.

Harrington shuts and locks the door behind him.

Deciding that discretion is the better part of valor for the first time in his life, Eddie continues further into the trailer without turning around, not stopping until he’s got the bathroom door as a barrier between his vulnerable back and the latest interloper.

The light hurts his eyes as he flicks it on. His face hurts worse, and he can see why, now. One of his eyes is well on its way to swelling shut, a deep red bleeding into purples the farther out it goes. There’s blood beneath his nose, and it’s ballooning out making him look like some old lady’s prized pug. There’s a split going straight through his lip from Carver’s class ring.

He looks like an extra in a horror movie; the guy who’s about to make the sacrifice play because he’s not going to make it. And yeah, maybe there’s a little melodrama in the thought, but Eddie’s pretty sure he deserves it at this point.

God, what a day.

As punctuation to his own thoughts, someone knocks quietly on the door. Eddie’s ribs ache as his shoulders slump, head hanging damn-near into the dirty sink.

“Eddie?” There’s a moment of silence where Eddie’s response is supposed to be. He doesn’t heed it. “Can I come in?”

Eddie groans, loud enough that it’s gotta be audible through the tissue-paper door between them. “Why?” he says–whines pitifully, really.

“I want to check your injuries.”

Eddie, against his better judgment, cracks the door open wide enough to peer through. “What’s it to you, Dr. Harrington?” he asks, that same question wrapped up in a new package. Why are you here, why do you care, what do you want from me?

Harrington just smiles, and pushes at the door with just enough force that Eddie has no choice but to back up and let his unwanted guest in.

He takes Eddie’s face in his hands, rubbing gentle fingers against each wound, murmuring soothing placations. It works enough that Eddie stands still as Harrington sanitizes and bandages each of his wounds.

“You should ice them after this, okay?”

Eddie nods dumbly because Harrington’s moved on from painfully prodding his face to running his fingers through his hair, checking every inch of his skull for bumps and bruises.

“Does it hurt anywhere else?” he asks.

Eddie hums, relaxing against his will, body slumping into the cupboard behind him as those nimble fingers have their way with him.

“My ribs, maybe,” Eddie murmurs, eyes closing as Harrington’s fingernails scrape against his scalp before he withdraws his fingers.

His eyes snap back open a second later when those same fingers yank his shirt up without asking, warm palms chasing away the chill on his skin as they skirt over his ribcage, applying gentle pressure to whatever Harrington finds. Eddie shivers involuntarily as Harrington bends down, breath puffing against his stomach.

“Wh—what are you doing?” Eddie asks, stuttering over every other word.

He’s clenched up tight enough that his whole body aches with it—spine, jaw, wrists. But then Harrington looks up at him, usually impeccable hair softened by the day and flopping gently into his face. Eddie always assumed his eyes were brown, but they look sort of gold in the shitty fluorescent light of the bathroom.

He’s never been this close to Harrington before.

“Checking your ribs,” he replies, breath puffing against Eddie’s uncovered skin with every word. “Does that hurt?”

And then he just dismisses Eddie in favor of palpitating what must be a nasty bruise. Eddie whines, inexplicably, embarrassingly, before squeaking out a tiny, “no,” when Harrington looks back up at him with his big, worried, puppy-dog eyes.

Eddie’s own words to Carver make a reappearance, flashing red in neon lights inside his empty skull—I bet you’d love him on his knees. He’s on them now, between Eddie’s spread thighs, looking at Eddie’s body with an intensity that’s skinning him alive.

His skull’s not empty now; it’s bursting with half-formed thoughts, and panicked wheezing he hopes is just internal, and through it all, the words run rampant—on his knees, on his knees, on his knees.

Steve Harrington stands up, takes a step back, and smiles at Eddie. “I think they’re just bruised,” he says, seeming not to notice Eddie’s ragged breathing. “We should ice them, too.”

And then he just…walks out of the bathroom like Eddie’s not full to bursting with thoughts and feelings he doesn’t understand. Like it wasn’t Harrington that had dropped them at his feet—on his knees.

*** 

Steve sticks his head into Eddie’s freezer and resists the urge to scream. It’s just—Eddie had been blushing when Steve had looked up from checking his ribs for cracks. Steve’s never seen him blush before, and it’s seared into his brain (the way it’d started from his ears and meandered across his cheeks before slowly spreading its splotchy hue down his neck).

For a second, it was almost like Eddie didn’t hate him.

Steve suppresses the thought. Boys shouldn’t have crushes on straight boys who hate their guts, and letting even the tiniest flutter of hope touch his heart would be stupider still. There’s his silly little notes, and there’s his pining little glances.

He doesn’t need anything else.

“Are…you okay?” Eddie’s hesitant voice comes from behind him.

Abruptly remembering his position, Steve pulls his head out of the freezer and grabs the first bag he sees: a half-full package of frozen peas. He turns to Eddie with the best smile he can manage, holding them up as explanation for the unasked What the hell are you doing? hidden beneath the bemused smile on Eddie’s lips.

“Just finding you some ice, dude,” Steve replies breezily, walking over to drop the bag into Eddie’s hand.

“Uh, thanks?” he replies, walking past Steve to close the freezer he’d left open. Steve winces. “You can like, go now.”

It’s a demand hidden beneath a polite question. Steve’s feet start moving toward the door before he remembers the lump he’d felt on the back of Eddie’s head, and the way his eyes had gone all glassy and dazed in the bathroom as Steve had patched him up.

“Unless you want to call someone else, you’re stuck with me until your uncle gets here.” Eddie opens his mouth to protest, but Steve holds up his hands palm out, forestalling his complaints. “Possible concussion, dude.”

Eddie whines, actually stamping his foot squeakily against the linoleum of the kitchen floor. Steve smiles, helplessly endeared, and hates himself for it.

“Why is it your problem if I nod off in my sleep, you don’t even like me.”

The warm feelings flee like they’d never been there at all.

Steve turns his back on Eddie’s petulant frown and stomping feet, unwilling to look him in the eye as the emotions crash through him. Just for a second, he lets his face drop.

“I like you, just fine,” Steve replies, ignoring the little scoff from Eddie in reply.

The trailer’s small and crowded with things on damn-near every surface, but it’s cozy. Steve’s imagined this moment—getting through the Munson’s front door and finally seeing what’s inside. It’s warm, a hot cup of tea, a blanket on a cold night, somewhere to feel safe in.

All Steve feels is cold.

Instead of answering Eddie’s scoff, Steve lets his own little tantrum stomps lead him over to the ratty couch. He sinks down, crossing his legs as he leans back into the cushions, and finally, finally looks at Eddie. He’s still pouting, bottom lip having split open against the pressure of his frown. Steve raises a pointed eyebrow before turning back around to stare at the black of the TV screen.

Eddie groans again, and it takes all his willpower not to turn around, not to let his shoulders curl in as he hears footsteps coming closer. But, all Eddie does is settle onto the other side of the couch and grab the remote.

It’s going to be a long night. 

PART 13

[johnnyshrine]

★ 125 // “Licorice”

[kazz-brekker]

it's true that wheel of time actually releases early on thursdays but i still participate in "wheel of time wednesday" by getting extremely hyped for each episode during the day beforehand

[catboy-cabin]

sleeptober day 15 - fury

fury too damn late / reason dislocates / and you'll never have to talk about it / never wanna talk about it

i just think that ii & blunt force weapons

also granite my love,,,,,

no text version + reference pic (by aquesartt on tiktok*)

*i yoinked this from pinterest & there's a bunch of pics of this same person reposted there with two different usernames attached for op (aquesartt & notaquesart); i don't know which is more recent/their main account so i went with the one on the pic i used

[mayasdeluca]

That episode was a lot and had so much but overall I thought it was pretty good. That last Marina scene was so many mixed emotions and feelings but we got so much from it. 😭 We FINALLY heard Maya speak Italian and Carina was wearing Maya's SFD shirt!!! I'm so bummed that they did Carina dirty yet again for no good reason and felt it was necessary to have her find out that she can't get pregnant but the idea of using Maya's eggs is definitely intriguing and I do hope they continue that story until the end of the season now and we get to at least see some progress made. I do wonder if any of it will be touched on in a big way in episode 7 now.

The FaceTime scene was adorable too. Maya calling Liam probie and Danielle adding in a 'babe' (bless her) was perfect. The only thing missing was a reaction from Carina to Maya wearing her Class A's. But Maya loves her family so much and it's the cutest thing.

As for the other stuff...the audacity of the writers Emily to write Maya apologizing to Beckett for her part in what she did and then to not have Beckett apologize for literally torturing and bullying her for 6 months??? For dumping fake blood on her in a Halloween episode??? So Beckett's actions are excused and fine but Maya apologizes and this dumbass still doesn't trust her and acts like an absolute fool on the call and then Maya has to DOUBLE DOWN and own up to her part again and he says nothing again for the way he treated her?? That was such a slap in the face it's ridiculous.

I did like how they had Andy acknowledge that Maya is always there for her and the call back to them in the academy but they definitely could have done more with that. I guess it's impossible for Maya to ever get any kind of remorse or apology in return though.

Carina mentioning Andrew was too much for me 😭 Liam deserved to have his Zio Andrea in his life and I'll forever be sad that he doesn't have him.

The obsession the writers have with Ross and Sullivan truly needs to be studied. They will never be the epic love story romance that they continue to try and force on us.

But anyway...

“I didn't want to have a family until you showed me...what a family was.”

[wings-0f-sorrow]

guys we have the opportunity to do something so funny here.

so, like, bc of how unpopular of a character pyrrha is in the grand scheme of things (like, compared to other characters from prior games/6), and with how few options there are for shipping outside of crackships, could you imagine if her most popular ship was a self-ship??? like, omg. just.. imagine it for a sec.

[coldshrugs]

two weeks til my birthday wow

[aprilblossomgirl]

-- p'aof said on twitter that tonight's episode should not be missed. ok i'm seated.

[szfiction]

Maybe he’d been naïve, thinking that once he finally left Dawn Island, he’d run into Sabo in no time. He’d figured everything would just… work out for them. That destiny or whatever would step in and offer them a handout of some kind. He’d stumble across Sabo on his way to achieving his own dreams, and together, they’d finish them off.

Every day, he searches crowds for Sabo’s face, listens intently to catch onto any rumours, uncovers more about slaves that are hidden away in foreign countries and he wonders. Every day, his own desires feel a little emptier, because if Sabo is out there suffering somewhere, then how can he allow himself to grasp at the happiness he’s been searching for?

Hell, even if Sabo’s okay and gleefully travelling with his own crew, knowing that would be enough to make things a whole lot better than they are. He just needs answers.

-

New chapter of Kaleidoscope is now out! Hope you guys enjoy this one, this is the game-changer~ <3

[seronefada]

Harley found some kids.

Ivy looked up from her book and asked:"Harley, babe I love you. But, who's fucking kids are these, where did you get them?"

Harley: "I found them outside, I thought we could keep them. "

Said kids where actually Teenager's. The older sister with long red hair looked at her, while her younger brother was busy eating all the fruits from the bowl on the table, like some sort of starving bunny.

The older of the two said:" We're sorry miss. My little brother and I where just looking for a place to spent the night. And Dr. Harley offered us a room."

Ivy looked at the two, they looked hunted, chased, sleepless and burned out. The younger was definitely hurt.

Ivy:"curse my soft heart. You can stay. What are your names."

"I'm Jazz and this is my baby brother Danny."

Ivy asked:"what are you doing in Gotham, where are your parents?"

Jazz:" they are busy, we came here on our own."

Harley was at the oven making the kids some hot chocolate and said :" So runaways, why did you run."

Danny looked up and was lying really bad:" We, didn't want, to go to school anymore. So we run away, to open a, food truck."

Ivy:"kid next time just say you're gay. People will believe that way easier."

Jazz:"our parents are kinda mad, there scientists. But it got worse with the years. So I had to get Danny out of there."

Danny offered her an Apple, but he didn't say anything.

Harley came and gave the the hot chocolate:"after hot choco, a shower and some sleep. The world will look better already."

Both took the chocolate, but Ivy saw that Danny was just blowing one time in it and it was cold. Of course Harley had to find them a meta teen on the run.

After the two teens where gone to sleep Ivy looked at her girlfriend:"Harley what are your plans for the kids, should I contact Batman to get them?"

Harley was playing with her blond hair as she smiled charming at her loved:" I thought we could keep them."

Ivy looked at her:"you can't be serious. Danny is an ice meta. He could freeze my plants."

"yeah but what if we don't help them? Batman could make them to Robin's. And Jazz hair is red we just tell people they are your biological kids." explained Harley.

Ivy stared at her:" even if I would say yes, we don't know what would come at us.

The Question was answered halfway, as they where checking on the kids and Danny woke up alarmed with the words:" I'm not a Ghost."

Then he get back to sleep and flew around in the room.

Harley smiled :"Come on Pam you where also thinking about having kids."

Ivy just said:" fine, let's try this they can stay as long as they want. But I'm still not sure about this cover story. Why do they have to be my kids?"

[whoredyceps]

"OH LOVER BOY!" || 28 Days of Love: A Valentine's Challenge + Series

day fourteen: "i love you."

ᰔ pairing: javier peña x reader

ᰔ summary: when the party's over, who do you call for a ride home? your good old fashioned lover boy.

ᰔ author's note: happy valentine's day! much love to you all 🥹💙 i can't believe this series is already halfway through. i'm thinking about making a din or oberyn series, along with some one-off ficlets. tbd, but until then, fourteen more days left to find love

ᰔ content warning: f!reader, fluff, mention of alcohol consumption, mention of bar setting

"Babe, are you sure you wanna leave so soon? We still have three more places to hit, then we're going dancing!" One of your girlfriends pouted as you nodded. It was hard to hear her over the loud noise of the bar.

Your girlfriends celebrated Galentine's Day every year with a bar crawl. Sometimes there was clubbing afterwards, which you rarely ever missed out on.

"I think the drink from that last place really did me in," you admitted. "I'm gonna call for a ride, but I'll text you when I get home."

As much as you loved the themed drinks and free covers to get in, tonight just wasn't the same. It wasn't anything specific. Your friends had made the whole night fun with conversation and company. Work had been getting to you, but the drinks made the sharp sting in the back of your mind ebb away with every sip of some hot pink concoction.

"Alright, baby. Be careful, okay? We love you!" Your friend kissed your cheek before she scampered back to the bar. From where you stood, you were in viewing distance of your friends for your safety. They watched as you stood at a nearby payphone and slipped a few quarters in.

You dialed the number you knew like the back of your hand. It rang twice before the other line picked up.

"Peña."

With a small sigh of relief, you hugged yourself.

"Hey, baby. The offer to pick me up still on the table?" You asked. You already knew the answer, which was confirmed by the sound of keys jangling in the background.

"I'll be there soon, cariño. Where are you?"

You turned back towards the bar and read the name, followed by the street he needed to turn down. Javier promised he would be there in no time.

True to his word, Javier's white mustang pulled up to the curb you stood on after fifteen minutes. You waved to your friends at the bar and blew a few kisses before you turned back to the car.

Javier hopped out of the car and slipped his jacket around your shoulders. Without missing a beat, he opened your car door for you before he helped you in.

You weren't sure if it was the drinks or Javier, but your head felt as if it was swimming. The two of you had been dating for a few months, and he had gone above your expectations, or at least what you had expected after the last few men you had dated. He was always the one to hold the door open, or keep you tucked at his side when places got too crowded.

As soon as Javier sat in the driver's seat, you leaned over to kiss him. He was a bit surprised, but he didn't miss a beat as he kissed you back. His hand cradled the side of your face, and you leaned into his warm touch.

"Thanks for picking me up," you murmured as you pulled away. Javier's hand lingered, his thumb brushed against the curve of your cheek.

"Of course, mi vida. I thought you would have called later," Javier admitted. He pulled his hand away to grab the steering wheel as he guided his car back onto the road. Once down the road, his hand found your skin again, this time on your inner thigh. It had been the spot he always rested his hand, but the tequila haze made your skin prickle where there was contact.

"I tried to stick it out. I really did," you sighed. "The drinks were good and I had so much fun with the girls. I just, I was ready to go home." You tried to pick up when had played through the radio. No doubt, it was some cassette tape of the four bands Javier actually listened to, but the music was too low for you to pick it up.

"No need to explain yourself. You know I'd rather keep you all to myself." Javier squeezed your thigh as his sentence finished. He looked to you while stopped at a red light.

You felt your heart hammer in your chest, the sight before too good to look away from. Javier was bathed in the glow of the red light, an earnest expression on his prominent features. Before the light had changed, you leaned over and kissed him quickly.

"I love you, Javi," you whispered before you pulled away.

"I love you too," Javier returned. He admired you, the soft look in your eyes and sweet smile on your lips. He was so distracted, he almost didn't notice the light change.

The trip back to his home took no time, which you were thankful for. As he had before, Javier opened your door for you and took your hand to help you out of the car. He escorted you inside with his hand on your back. He always had a hand on you in some way, and it meant more to you than you had realized.

You shedded Javier's jacket off and hung it by the door, followed by your heels being kicked off. A sigh of relief slipped from your lips once both feet were firmly planted on the ground.

"I'm going to shower, if that's alright." You turned to Javier, who had lit a cigarette. He took the first puff and nodded.

"I'll get it started, mi vida. Get your clothes," he told you. When you started to shake your head, to argue that you could do it yourself, he began to walk out of the room.

"Javi—"

"Go get your pajamas." It wasn't harsh– instead an endearing command. You watched as he stalked towards the bathroom, determination written all over him.

Instead of protesting, you concede and gather your clothes. Sure enough, the shower is ready for you by the time you stepped into the bathroom. You thanked Javier with a kiss before you stripped down and stepped into the shower.

Once you were cleaned and curled up with Javier in bed, you closed your eyes. It had been a fun day, but you knew why you wanted to go home. Out of everything you had experienced in life, nothing beat this. Wrapped in Javier's arms, surrounded by warm blankets and a content feeling in your chest.

"Happy Valentine's Day," Javier broke the quiet. You looked to the clock and read that it was just past midnight. You leaned over and kissed him softly.

"Happy Valentine's Day."

[woso-dreamzzz]

Hammarby

Hardersson x Child!Reader

Georgia Stanway x Child!Reader

Part of The Big Adventures Universe

Summary: Georgia's new shirt is horrifying

You stare at her, eyes wide.

Georgia isn't quite sure why you're staring but you are.

You'd come into the locker room this morning with Magda and Pernille and sat in Pernille's cubby like usual.

Unlike the team, you come into the locker room already wearing your training shirt and boots. Pernille had once said that it's easier to get you ready at home then let you change with everyone else.

Georgia's frown deepens the longer you stare at her.

At some point during the time Georgia's been here and the time you've been here, you've slipped away from Pernille's cubby to stand in front of her.

"You feeling okay?" Georgia asks, confusion still seeping into her bones the longer you stare up at her," Is something wrong?"

You bite your lip and point at the shirt she was just folding up.

"Is that an AIK shirt?" You ask.

"Er...yeah?"

You wrinkle your nose up in disgust and turn away, hurrying off like Georgia's just murdered a kitten or something. You duck behind Magda, clinging to her tightly.

"Morsa!" You say, looking halfway to tears," I don't like Georgia anymore!"

"Hey!" Georgia exclaims," What?! I haven't done anything!"

"You have!"

"I haven't!"

"You have!"

"I haven't!"

"Georgia," Pernille pipes up," You're arguing with a child."

"We're not arguing!"

You scoff. "Yes we are!"

"We're not!"

"We are!"

Magda sighs, lifting you up onto her hip. You're getting a bit too old for her to be doing this but she doesn't really care.

"Why don't you like Georgia anymore?"

You shake your head. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, you can't just say you don't like Georgia and then not give a reason."

You take a deep breath before pointing accusingly at Georgia. "She came in wearing an AIK shirt!"

Pernille buries her face in her hands. "Oh no."

Magda whirls around. The fond smile she had previously been wearing was contorted into a look of pure horror.

"An AIK shirt?!" She demands and Georgia gets the feeling that she's done something egregious.

"Yeah? What's wrong with that?"

"What's wrong-? What's wrong with that?! Are you serious?!"

If Georgia wasn't currently terrified for her life, she'd make a joke about how similar you and Magda clearly are because you've get matching looks of outrage on your faces.

"Now you've set her off," Pernille mutters.

"AIK are shit!"

"Princesse! We don't use that language!"

You give Pernille a petulant look. "Morsa says that I can call AIK shit because they are! She said it's the only time I can use that word."

"She's right!" Magda declares decisively," AIK are shit and I can't believe you've done this! In front of my child?!"

"It's just a shirt!" Georgia sputters," What is going on?!"

"Magda is a Hammarby fan," Pernille explains," And so is Princesse. Both clubs play in Stockholm so..."

Georgia nods. "A City and United situation."

"A little bit."

"I can't believe you've done this!" Magda continues," This is meant to be a safe space! Look at her!"

You're sobbing now and Georgia's ninety percent sure they're crocodile tears but still, they make her feel awful.

"AIK is shit!" You repeat through your tears," Hammarby is better!"

"Hammarby is the best!" Magda says," It's okay, princesse, Georgia didn't mean it. She doesn't understand because she isn't Swedish. We'll help her learn from this."

"You're both so dramatic!" Pernille rolls her eyes, pushing you both out through the door before turning to look at Georgia again. "Don't mind them. This always happens when they find out something related to AIK."

"And the-?" Georgia gestures over her eyes.

"The tears? Yeah, a hundred percent fake. Magda told her it would make more people change their allegiance to Hammarby."

"They have...strong opinions."

Pernille stares at the closed door. "Yeah, Princesse inherited the flair for the dramatic."

Georgia chuckles. "How do you put up with them?"

Pernille gives her a sly smile. "I just don't mention AIK."

[b0y---t0y]

The boy in the laundromat♡

teen!Gojo x Male reader

“I don't see why you have to bring us along”

“He's a scaredy cat”

“I am not!” Gojo yelled back defending himself, Shoko smirked, “Then you should be able to talk to him yourself.” Suguru joined in “You made us haul all this clothes here. Clean clothes.” Gojo pouted “We won't be here long enough if I’m the only one doing my laundry” “You don't even need to do your laundry Satoru. Why are you dragging us to a laundromat. I want to enjoy my summer”

“He’s got a little crush.” Shoko teased.

“Do not!” Gojo Defended

“Do to!”

“Do not!”

“Do to!”

“Do NOT”

“Do to” Shoko said with Geto joining in

Gojo pouted feeling betrayed “Suguru wha-?!”

Geto shrugged and continued on with his laundry.

“A boring old laundromat…” Geto said unamused, he knew where they were going when Gojo burst into their dorms screaming at them to pack laundry baskets and when he told them halfway there. But he was still unamused and bored. “Does anyone even come here? This place looks dead. ” Shoko asked. Gojo’s face went red “Yes! People come here!”

“Like who?”

“W-well..Sometimes i see some elderly people come.”

“Well obviously it's a laundromat.”

Geto said walking past Gojo into the small building Shoko followed suit with Gojo following soon after.

“Hello..Welcome Sasaki coin laundry..We know it’s hot, but please do not sit in front of the AC. It's not producing a lot of air right now” An uninterested voice says, greeting the trio.

Gojo looked up, his mouth suddenly dry as he stared at him (Name) Sasaki. (Name) was everything Gojo loved. Beautiful, sweet, funny, smart, charming he was likes Gojos prince and he was the princess like a fairy tail. Even if Gojo didn't know him that well. Gojo let out a grunt, shoko hit his stomach with her shoulder “Stop staring and try moving your mouth.”

“Go talk to him” Suguru encouraged. The pair pushed him towards the boy at the counter. He looked down at (Name) flushed unsure of what to say until the boy looked up from his magazine and at him.

“Oh! Hello again.”

“You remember me?..”

“Yeah? You're the guy who spends way too much money to just wash his clothes but you always run off before I can give you your change”

Gojo flushed, the way you remembered him was enough to make him feel warm.

“So are you here to collect your money? Because unfortunately it's probably being spent right now.”

“Oh, no you can keep it..” He says awkwardly he couldn't believe he was actually talking to you

“I’m Satoru Gojo..”

“(Name) Sasaki”

He sighed internally he loved the way you said your last name. Suddenly he wanted it to.

Gojo hears laughing and turns to see Shoko and Geto trying to keep quiet laughing at his attempts to talk to you.

“Oh I see what's going on” You said spotting his friends laughing

“You do?!” Gojo asked surprised, he thought he wasn't being too obvious.

“Yeah, You guys are here to play a prank.”

“What? N-no we're just..”

“I already know the routine it's happened before. You guys send someone to the counter, but a few of you can't keep your giggles in and before I know it I’m doused in water or one of the washing machines is filled with bubbles and I’m left to clean it all up.”

He was worried now. You would hate him before you guys even got to your first date.

“No we're not..they're just laughing at nothing.”

“They were laughing at us.”

You were dead set on your assumption, he had to make you believe they were innocent or you would hate him for the rest of your life.

“No they weren't.”

“There's nothing else funny around here.”

“They're just idiots..We're not gonna prank you. I promise.”

He started at Gojo and a still snickering Shoko and Geto looking them up and down. But the look in Gojo’s eyes made you feel like he was telling the truth, so you sighed and looked up at him.

“Fine, but if I find a washing machine full of soap you're all banned. For life.”

Gojo straightened up “I hear you loud and clear.”

“So are you all washing..that looks like a lot of laundry…”

“Uh yeah..Y’know summer break can definitely get in the way”

You stared at him an eyebrow going up

“That's..definitely something. You and your friends can use those three over there”

Gojo smiled giddily

“Okay”

“If I see soap spilling out remember your all gonna be banned for life”

“Aye aye captain”

He slid a few yen over the counter to you and turned to go to the washing machine

The three huddled at the washing machines

“I knew you weren't gonna do it”

“Well you guys made him feel like we were gonna prank him”

“Watching you talk to him is like free entertainment. Get better at it and it won't be as funny”

“No, don't get better. I love watching you struggle”

“You're the worst”

Gojo glares and turns to the washing machine looking back at (name) and sighing. If he couldn't talk to him at least he could look at him, it was better than nothing.

The trio sat in the laundromat for an hour at most with Gojo trying to prolong their stay to look at (name) more. At this point his friends were bored and hoped he would come to his senses and decide to leave. The pair looked around and noticed the only other patrons were an elderly woman and her grandson who seemed to be talking (name)’s ear off at the counter and a group of teen boys huddled at a washing machine giggling.

“Satoru.” Suguru said pulling the blue eyed boy out of his trance

“Huh?”

“Look.” Shoko said, pointing at the group of boys.

“What are they doing?”

“Why don't you go check it out?”

“Why do I have to?”

“They look shady, they're probably doing something stupid and if you stop it your prince charming will be so grateful and fall in love with you” She snickers and makes fake kissing noises

“Shut up!”

She laughs at his embarrassment.

Gojo rolled his eyes and looked over at the group eyeing them suspiciously before deciding and he got up to walk over to the boys.

He appeared in between two of them placing his arms around their neck

“Hey fellas, what's going on over here?”

the group turned back at him, surprised.

He caught a glimpse of what they were doing before he was pushed back

“It's none of your damn business.”

“Who the hell are you”

He caught his footing and smiled at the group. “Sorry I confused you for someone else sorry”

The boys scowled at him and went back to what they were doing and Gojo walked back over to Geto and Shoko.

“They're planning to play a prank on (name)”

He revealed to his friends “What?” “They're filling the machine with soap and some weird green drink”

“Well go tell your prince charming”

“What?”

“Go tell him he's about to be pranked”

“Why me?”

“You can talk to him again and save the laundromat in the process possibly earning a date”

“Shoko be serious!” He flushed

“I am.”

“We don't think your boyfriend trusts us very much. It has to be you, Satoru. Go”

Geto turned him in the direction of the counter and Shoko pushed him forward, almost causing him to fall.

He walked over to you stiffly and nervously. You were interacting with a small kid. He mustered up all his courage and placed him arm on the counter sliding towards the pair

“Hello again”

“Hey”

“Need help with the washing machine?”

“No.”

“So you just wanna chat?”

“Uhm no..well yeah kinda. I think those guys over there are planning to play a prank”

“What? How are you so sure..?”

“I just saw a glimpse of them messing with the settings using a lot of soap and one of them holding a weird green drink” Gojo explains desperately hoping you’ll believe him.

“It's those guys?”

He smiles, “Yeah”

You sigh and move from the desk walking over to the group.

“Do you boys need help with the machine?”

The group seems to jump at your sudden appearance.

“Nah. We're good” One of the boys says dismissing you. “You haven't paid, and if you aren't get out”

They glared at you before one of the washing machines they were using beeped, the boys snickered and opened one a bunch of soap suds spilling out.

You groaned and opened the other one before the cycle could finish and a bunch of green stuff spilled out all of it getting in your clothes. They boys laughed and ran out of the store. Leaving you with a huge mess to clean up.

Gojo appeared by your side“Oh..sorry”

“It was going to happen anyway.”

“Still sucks”

“You're not wrong about that.”

You walk over to the counter and pull the mop and bucket to start cleaning up the green stuff.

“Do you want any help?”

“No. You and your friends should go. I gotta close the store to clean this up..”

“Oh. Okay”

He walked over to his friends a bit dejected he couldn't help how he planned to

“That didn't go as planned..”

“Yeah. He’s closing we kinda have to go”

“With pleasure If I have to stare at—whatever that is I might throw up” Geto said grabbing his clothes and basket without hesitation.

Shoko followed soon after with Gojo in tow.

He sighed again as they walked out.

“You’ll get him next time” Shoko encouraged

“Gojo!” He turned at the sound of your voice

“Do you wanna go out sometime?” You called and his breath hitched. He smiled wide and answered.

“Yeah.”

“Next Friday?”

“Yeah..”

I'm finally finished THANK GOD! I wanted to contribute to the male reader x gojo community. I know it's shit and I'm sorry but I have EOC's next week and so many projects. But I wanted to get this out I hope a few people enjoy it.

[audliminal]

It's Just a game, Right? Pt 7

Masterpost

It's just a game, right?

Tim turns his head at the soft their of a grappling hook, and a moment later Steph has joined him on the roof of the building.

"Not much happening tonight, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess," Tim responds as he watches traffic pass on the street below. She is right; the night so far has been unusually calm. It's a distinct contrast to last week- it seemed like every night some big villain was pulling out some ridiculous plan or other, but somehow they had all been stopped without serious harm. Of course, there are still plenty of rogues still scurrying around Gotham but there's no murmurs of anything coming from any of the big hitters for the moment.

"You don't sound very sure about that," Steph says, stepping up beside Tim and elbowing him lightly.

"Yeah," Tim answers. A flashy silver car cuts someone off and the resultant horn echoes harshly.

"Okay, you're being weird. What's up?"

Tim shrugs.

"Guess I'm just used to emergencies," Tim shrugs. He knows Steph wouldn't be weird about him bringing up Bernard, but he really doesn't need any of his fellow bats thinking he's compromised or overstressed. God knows he doesn't need anyone else pestering him about getting enough sleep, like he's staying up on purpose.

"Okay..." Steph trails off. "I mean I guess it has been pretty hectic for a while. Takes a bit of time to come down from all that?"

Tim is saved from having to respond by the sound of Oracle cutting into comms.

"Red Robin, Spoiler, looks like a store robbery in progress and you're the closest. Head for the intersection of 25th and Oak."

"Got it," Tim answers and doesn't wait for Steph's response, already halfway through the motion of taking off for the next building.

Pretty soon they're both dropping in on a pair of goons. One of them is aiming their gun directly at a frazzled-looking employee, who doesn't seem interested in putting up a fight.

Two-on-two makes it an incredibly easy fight though, and it's almost over before it begins, with both of them able to sneak up on the distracted thugs as the cashier hurriedly pulls money out of the cash register. Once they're both in position, it's easy enough to grapple, disarm, and restrain them in a flurry of movement, and the criminals never get a chance to even process the arrival of the bats.

"Not today, I think," Steph says as she handcuffs her guy. "Threatening people with guns is a real dick move, y'know?" Tim gets his guy handcuffed and turns to the startled employee.

"Cops on the way yet?" He gets a frantic nod, and Tim surveys the shop as he waits for the sirens. They'll bounce just before the cops get here, but until then, he wants to look around for any signs of something bigger. The two would-be thieves seem too shocked and terrified at the appearance of bats to be proper goons, but they could still be bait, or a distraction of some kind. And the shop itself could theoretically have been targeted. But by the time the sirens are closing in outside, he's not spotted signs of anything sinister.

"Right, the police are almost here, so we're gonna bounce!" Steph announces as Tim walks back towards her. "Tell your boss I said he should give you hazard pay for the night, 'kay?" and then she bounces out the same way they came in. Tim nods once at the employee and then follows.

He changes directions once he's on the rooftops again, though. His phone had buzzed about six times in a row while they were waiting, and that means it's probably Bernard. And he really doesn't want to explain the arg thing to anyone yet.

Once he's far enough away from anyone, he pulls his phone out, and sure enough, he's got six text messages from Bernard.

Dude

Babe, holy shit

Like seriously

This is fucking crazy

Like I cannot believe they replied to us

Us!!!

Attached to the series of texts is a screenshot, and Tim feels the anxiety coalesce into something abruptly solid in his chest.

At first glance, he can't tell what language it's supposed to be. It looks like it might be Romantic in origin, but a couple spellings look almost Slavic in nature, and there's only two and a half lines, which really isn't much to go off of.

It's certainly an interesting development, to say the least. He should be excited. This is a new clue for the mystery, after all.

No way! Tim sends back.

Yeah! U busy? Comes the immediate response. And like, technically the answer is yes, Tim supposed. But Steph literally just pointed out how calm things are tonight, and he can already tell he won't be able to focus, with this news.

"Um," Tim clicks on his comm. "I think I'm gonna call it for tonight."

"Something wrong?" Bruce asks immediately, all gruff-batman-voice.

"No, just- it's slow tonight, and Bernard wants my help with something so I thought, um. If you want me to finish my patrol, I can." He can't help it. Even now, he always kind of feels like he isn't doing enough to be a good vigilante.

"Nah, kid. I think we'll be fine without you." Hood answers, unsurprisingly.

"You're sure?"

"Yeah go make out with your boyfriend or whatever."

Tim smiles at Hood's usual ribbing. He's almost gotten used to it; mostly he can keep himself from blushing too violently when anyone teases him about Bernard.

"Okay. I'll make sure to get my report submitted by eight, promise." Tim is already en route to the nearest safehouse where he can change out of the suit, when he remembers he hasn't responded to Bernard yet.

Heading home rn. My place or yours? He hits send and then takes off once more. Excited to see his boyfriend, and determined to work through the newest puzzle.

[peachhcs]

halfway through! → social media post

samy + will universe (hughes!sister x will smith au)

lowkey crazy that everyone is halfway through college already!!! here's the group's instagram dumps from the 4th semester as promised

i've also lowkey realized that these social media posts aren't usually just samy + will anymore so they're now being classified as the samy + will universe but still under their au masterlist to find and i'll be hyperlinking their masterlist still. enjoy :)

au masterlist

samyhughes how fun to be halfway done! 🌝

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hannahduke EVERYONE WAKE UP I MADE FRONT PAGE

hannahduke mom i made it 🥹

hannahduke it's been so fun getting to spend these 2 years with u

hannahduke kiss me

| samyhughes girlll i love u sm can't wait for 2 more

| samyhughes my girl foreverrrrr how'd we get this far together??

| hannahduke let's compare us from end of sophomore year of hs

julianne_gelinas aww wait there's me!!!! ur my icon i love u

| samyhughes i love u more my julie

ryan.leno_4 wait i really enjoyed all of these photos

| samyhughs wait thanks ry that means a lot

user1 why does she look so hot in all of these???

user2 whichever camera they're using pls tell me they look soo good

user3 that pic of will is so good wow

gabeperreault44 can't believe we're so old

| samyhughes tell me about it..

drewf2 when do i get a feature in these?

| samyhughes uhhh great question

lhughes_06 aw wait ur on roll with these appropriate pics

| samyhughes why don't u hop off my back

jackhughes they grow up so fast 💔

| samyhughes don't cry yet i'm only a junior now

aram_minnetian yuhhhh wow will u look good in that one pic..

| _willsmith2 wow thanks aram

jacob_fowler24 what are they feeding u over there??

| samyhughes overpriced mac and cheese

zeevbuium28 veteran gf

| samyhughes wow i made it to veteran status

user4 she's sooo pretty

user5 i want all of them tbh

_willvote 4th summer?

| samyhughes you know it

teddystiga_ this is a really good selection of photos

| samyhughes ryan said the same thing i feel so honored

jameshagens_4 @hannahduke u look pretty in these

| hannahduke i love u

| samyhughes end of brainrot finally???

_quinnhughes baby sister not so baby anymore

| samyhughes this was u 5 years ago?

| _quinnhughes not too much now

tyler___duke5 ew what's hannah doing there

| hannahduke ill kill u

tj_hughes13 good stuff hughesy

| samyhughes back at ya tj

nick_moldenhauer year 3 soon

| samyhughes got me feeling so old

markestapa wait this is making me bitter and sad..

| samyhughes don't start w me mark...we have summer still

edwards.73 more like favorite seniors send off 🥲

| samyhughes i'm actually crying

user6 her and this school >>>

user7 what are we gonna do when no more hughes go to umich???

marcieevans11 babee ur gorg

| samyhughes no that's literally u

blairestevenson wow ur gorg omg

| samyhughes my bby i love u

rutgermcgroarty good stuff samy

| samyhughes come home kay misses u

kayleighdocherty_ ur so pretty sam!

| samyhughes i loveee u kay

samanthaminnetian can't wait to see u this summer

| samyhughes literally counting down the days

danielleminnetian beautiful beautiful

| samyhughes u flatter me

mackcelebrini how do u not run out of replies for everyone??

| samyhughes idk tbh i kind of am

beckettsennecke_ cali trip??

| samyhughes omw

thombordeleau_ obligatory gf post comment

| samyhughes hey bordeleau

eklund_72 wow u got pup looking good there

| samyhughes honestly one of my best pics of him

graceccsmith ur adorable samy see u so soon

| samyhughes cannot wait for this reunion

emmagcooper hot stufff

| samyhughes no u

dylanduke25 HALFWAY THROUGH?!?!?!

| lhughes_06 feeling old yet??

colecaufield have never felt more old

| samyhughes u and me both

_willsmith2 wow you're stunning

_willsmith2 fuck i miss u

_willsmith2 how'd u make me look that good??

| samyhughes u look that good in general babe

| samyhughes i miss u sm pls come home i love u

hannahduke uhh so how'd we get here??

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samyhughes babe ur so gorg i love u

samyhughes my super awesome best friend roommate

samyhughes wow we look great in 5th pic

| hannahdule i know that's why i posted it 😉

julianne_gelinas i been waitinggg for this one u loook sooo good wow

| hannhduke ur making me blush

blairestevenson i gyattt to see closer

| hannahduke HAHAH PLEASE so funny

farahlipetz sooo cutie hannah

| hannahduke such a good semester w u farah

user1 these posts get better every semester

user2 soo cutie aww

user3 i love them smmm

ryan.leno_4 haggy made it twice!

| hannahduke new record i think?

gabeperreault44 so far ur beating samy by 2 bc u included 2 pics of haggy and she only got one pic of smitty

| samyhughes i didn't know it was a competition...

| hannahduke helll yeah

drewf2 omg 2 posts from hannah in two weeks??

| hannahduke i know so rare of me

dylanduke25 ur so old now

| hannahduke yeah tell me about it

tyler___duke5 yeah good sem i guess

| hannahduke u guess???

tj_hughes13 hannah supporter

| hannahduke thanks tj means a lot

nick_moldenhauer can't wait to do it all again

| hannahduke for sureee

user4 i still haven't figured out how to be their friends

user5 to be a fly on the wall in their summer lake house

emmagcooper aww love

| hannahduke 🥰

michaelhagens_11 wow i spy j 2 times

| hannahduke he'll be so happy to see himself here

zeevbuium28 i can see why u and samy are roommates

| hannahduke is that a good thing??

| zeevbuium28 yes

aram_minnetian big recap

| hannahduke totally

jacob_fowler24 how many years have i been friends w u all and i still haven't gotten a feature in any of these???

| hannahduke fowler 😭😭

_willvote hannah truther ☝️

| hannahduke yuhhh

_willsmith2 @samyhughes damn u look hot

| samyhughes 🥰😏

samanthaminnetian adorable hannah

| hannahduke i love u

danielleminnetian ur posts always eat

| hannahduke 😊

jameshagens_11 woah i love u

jameshagens_11 omg me twice!

jameshagens_11 tbh i looked respectfully

| hannahduke LMAO please

| hannahduke i love u can't wait to see u

gabeperreault44 got it done, gonna miss it

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ryan.leno_4 what a sentimental post

ryan.leno_4 good shit gp

| gabeperreault44 i try i try

drewf2 omg i made it on

| gabeperreault44 glad to make u feel honored

aram_minnetian got it done alright

| gabeperreault44 🤫🤫

jacob_fowler24 maybe i'll be featured one day..

| gabeperreault44 i love u man

user1 so much hockey in one post

user2 this is so hockey post core

user3 no emma??

_willvote good to have ya

| gabeperreault44 gonna miss it fr

teddystiga_ blessing to play w u for 2 years

| gabeperreault44 keep it up stiggy

samyhughes wow it's like we didn't know u even played??

| gabeperreault44 shut up

hannahduke the landscape pics is like calm in the storm

| gabeperreault44 what does that mean??

jameshagens_4 best thing to ever come out of bc

| gabeperreault44 ur next

user4 wait did him and emma break up??

user5 i'm sensing a breakup..

_willsmith2 proud of u man

| gabeperreault44 see u on the big stage

mackcelebrini tuffff

| gabeperreault44 😉

lhughes_06 good to see u off man good luck in ny

| gabeperreault appreciate it hughes

tyler___duke5 and he's off to the races

| gabeperreault44 never felt soo good

tj_hughes13 been a pleasure gp

| gabeperreault44 back at ya tj

user6 the hockey lingo always goes crazy

julianne_gelinas this is such a man post

| gabeperreault44 is that an insult??

nick_moldenhauer been a real pleasure

| gabeperreault44 see u out there

rutgermcgroarty proud of u big boy

| gabeperreault44 gotta hand it to u rut

michaelhagens_11 bitter

| gabeperreault44 clinch em next time for me

will.skahan yeahhhh fire

| gabeperreault44 🔥🔥

colecaufield onto the next

| gabeperreault44 good things ahead

zeevbuium28 freshhh pics

| gabeperreault44 thanks zeev

marcieevans11 proud is an understatement

| gabeperreault44 thanks mar ☝️

ryan.leno_4 all for them thanks for the 2 boston 🦅

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gabeperreault44 did it for them

gabeperreault44 good 4 with u lean

gabeperreault44 i see ur taking tips from will

| ryan.leno_4 gonna miss it

| ryan.leno_4 felt inspired

aram_minnetian dude ur crazy

| ryan.leno_4 i think that's a good thing

drewf2 what a long 4 with u

| ryan.leno_4 wouldn't have wanted it any other way

jameshagens_4 always gonna remember u

| ryan.leno_4 can't wait to play u again

user1 these hockey boys are something else i swear..

user2 the friend group makes so much sense tho

user3 yeah i'd show it all off too tbh

_willvote tuff shit

| ryan.leno_4 real tuff

jacob_fowler24 trip to washington?

| ryan.leno_4 i'll have a bed open for u

teddystiga_ my mentor

| ryan.leno_4 ❤️

julianne_gelinas wow what a photo choice

julianne_gelinas at least i'm included

| ryan.leno_4 u love it don't deny it

user4 they're so funny

user5 we're only gonna get these from samy and hannah now 💔

hannahduke if i had to choose who was more hockey between u and gabe i'd choose u

| ryan.leno_4 is that a compliment??

mackcelebrini washingtons got a good one

| ryan.leno_4 see u and smitty out there

_willsmith2 my boy

| ryan.leno_4 i learned from u

| _willsmith2 glad to see i'm rubbing off on the trends

samyhughes giving julie the love she deserves i see

| ryan.leno_4 thanks for the pic

mariceevans11 congrats ryan

| ryan.leno_4 thanks mar see u soon

rutgermcgroarty my man my man looking good

| ryan.leno_4 reunion soon?

eamonpowell_ good work this season lean

| ryan.leno_4 thanks pow

will.skahan tore it up out there

| ryan.leno_4 all u man

zeevbuium28 mhmm yeah

| ryan.leno_4 lake house soon

lhughes_06 good shit man

| ryan.leno_4 thanks hughes

_willsmith2 second..half?

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ryan.leno_4 realizing i'll prob never be featured in these again..

| _willsmith2 ok don't say that

| _willsmith2 this summer for sure

gabeperreault44 damn i feel single??

gabeperreault44 got em good

| _willsmith2 what can i sayyy

| user1 gabe and emma breakup confirmed???

user2 god they're so hot

user3 pic 3 and 4..wow

user4 i love how in love samy and will are

drewf2 bestttt time

| _willsmith2 see u this summer man

aram_minnetian the master himself provides always

| _willsmith2 🤫😏

_willvote congrats on ur first season!

| _willsmith2 thanks vote!

zeevbuium28 damn u don't play

| _willsmith2 gotta show off my girl

jacob_fowler24 how u get these??

| mackcelebrini me :/

| blairestevenson mostly me tbh

user5 oh i know he doesn't play about her

user6 i love seeing pretty people together

blairestevenson cuties

| samyhughes mwah mwah

edwards.73 i forget it's like summer in cali all the time

| _willsmith2 the besttt thing ever

markestapa they grow up so fast

| _willsmith2 see ya out there??

rutgermcgroarty hypeeee smitty

| _willsmith2 thanks rut

lhughes_06 it's never both of u posting appropriate pics..

| _willsmith2 what's inappropriate about these??

tofff73 these are getting better

| _willsmith2 i try

thombordeleau_ gfff alert

| _willsmith2 back to back

eklund_72 u always post crazy pics

| _willsmith2 is that a bad thing?

nick_moldenhauer sj treating u real good

| _willsmith2 i love it here

mackcelebrini my parents

| _willsmith2 my child

graceccsmith so adorable will

| _willsmith2 thanks gracie see u soon ❤️

user7 hottt couple

user8 i loveee how he always posts her every time

user9 they BETTER not break up again

julianne_gelinas shitttt @samyhughes looks hottt

| samyhughes i'm blushing

| _willsmith2 i agree

hannahduke my roomie

| samyhughes my roomie

jameshagens_4 bagged that shit

| _willsmith2 only took me all my life

michaelhagens_11 come back to boston? | _willsmith2 soon!

teddystiga_ mind u this is what i open the app to

| _willsmith2 the first pic is literally me u can't complain

colecaufield u totally fall asleep to these

| _willsmith2 i mean...

| samyhughes COLE

jackhughes congrats on a good first year smitty

| _willsmith2 thanks j!

_quinnhughes celebratory drinks when ur back in town?

| _willsmith2 obviously yeah

beckettsennecke_ gooo sharks

| _willsmith2 roll sharks

tyler___duke5 these people hating but i'd soo show it off if i had it

| _willsmith2 u get it

tj_hughes13 mhmmmm i see i see

| _willsmith2 see what?

samyhughes i am so in love with you

samyhughes i wanna kiss you

samyhughes my favorite boyyy

| _willsmith2 i'm so in love with you all the time

| _willsmith2 prettyyyy prettyyyy girl come kiss me pls