#chicago wedding studio

[thatone-brightstar]

More than all the stars (Carmy Berzatto x Fem!Reader) (The Bear & The Fox Series)

Chapter 1: Peelers, pears & 'I'll be there's

Words: 3.8k

summary: Packing up the old, to bring in the new.

a/n: Hi, hope you enjoy! Remember comments, likes and reposts are truly appreciated even in old chapters. Also a lot of fluff cuz i think these two are missing it lol

Prologue.

Carmy had left a few hours ago, before sunlight could even break through the frosted windows and with you almost not noticing it. He made it past your bed and to the opened door on soft steps, but the heel of his boot scraped the wood unnecessarily hard; and a light shuffle from the bed followed the noise instantly.

“Carmy?” You asked quietly, voice muffled by the thickness of the comforter. 

You shuffled again to push yourself up as Carmy made his way to your side, leaning over you.

“Hey, yeah sorry- I didn’t wanna wake you…” He gently pushed your shoulder back to the mattress and watched you tuck both palms between the pillow and your cheek. “I gotta go in early, but you get some sleep, okay?” 

He leaned down to place a soft kiss over your temple, making you smile and move closer to the hand coming over your hair.

“Okay…” You mumbled back without bothering to open your eyes. “I’ll go visit later.”

“Yeah, sure. Get some rest.”

Carmy gave you a final kiss and before he could pull his hand away from your face, yours reached for it, giving it a light kiss on the discolored ‘S’ under his knuckles.

“Love you, Bear.” You said letting him go and pulled the covers over you once more.

“Love you, Bear.” He repeated without a thought.

His boot scraped the wood again once he noticed the naturality of the words and a sudden wave of cold anxiety washed over him in fear that you might have heard them. He turned his head to the cocoon of blankets you were buried under- undisturbed- and let out a breath of relief. He quickly made his way out the bedroom and past the apartment door into the hall, pushing back the crazy thought that has haunted him for later.

The freezing Chicago weather had kept you in bed for as long as possible, afraid of the chill that would seep through your socks once your feet stepped on the wooden floors. Still, you couldn’t stay more than usual once awake and instead forced yourself up and out to make something of your only day off. With a cup of fresh coffee in your hands and your hair still wet from the warm shower, you took a seat in front of your recently arranged studio in Carmy’s living room- your shared living room.

It still felt strange to call it that, because despite the fact that you had been sleeping at his place for a while now, living together was a whole different situation. You felt like so much had happened in a short period of time that there was still a lot you tried to wrap your head around. From the money, to Joyce’s wedding, to moving in with Carmy, all in under a month.

As your mind wanders away in all the ways your life has changed, your attention is swept away by swirls of light yellows, greens and reds that bounce bright over a shimmering lake. Carmy’s stereo plays one of the usual acoustic songs you use to fill the room while you work on the details, back hunched over in concentration. A few vertebrae pop in protest once you finally straighten your posture and move to rinse your hands of the paint.

Twenty minutes later and despite the cold, you shut the main door to the building and turn in direction to the one coffee shop Carmy likes, the one he always boasted about having the best hash browns in the city, and wait your turn in line to order.

You hadn’t been able to help as much at The Beef, the gallery had been buzzing with patrons since the charity event, that you rarely got a chance to leave the building before sundown. Many times you thought you’d reach the restaurant in time, but as everyone was leaving, covered in grime from head to toe, a part of you grew guilty for not being able to help as much as you’d like. So your contribution would come today in the form of coffee and lunch, because knowing Syd and your boyfriend, eating was probably the last thing on their mind.

Once your order is done and you have to juggle the sandwiches and steaming cups in your arms, the idea to go back for the car pops into your head. But you haven’t tried driving on your own yet and it doesn’t sound so appealing the more you think about it. Instead, you rearrange the paper bags and cup holders into a more comfortable grip and walk the twelve minutes it takes you to reach The Beef- ‘The Bear’ you correct in your head.

By the time you get there, your nose has grown red from the cold and your gloved hands almost lose their grip on the flimsy cup holders.

“G’mornin, hands please!” You yell once you manage to pry the front door open, in hopes that anyone is close enough to hear you.

“Me! I got hands, I’m comin’!” You hear Neil shout from where the steward section used to be, then you hear his shoes and the jingle of his keys move quickly towards you. “Ooh, is that chorizo!?” He asks sniffing around, taking the bags from your hands.

“Yeah- dude you got a good nose…”

“Thanks, my bro says I’m like a Bloodhound when it comes to food- can I?”

“Yeah, go ‘head.”

“Sweet…”

“Hey-” Syd greets you as she enters the room and offers you a quick side hug. “How’s apartment hunting?”

“Fuckin’ nightmare…” You grumble and carefully hand her the Chai with her name scribbled on it, then yell “I brought family! Come get it before Fak eats it all!”.

Ignoring the small ‘I’m not gonna eat it all’ from the man beside you, you begin pulling the aluminum wrappers and gently stack them over a paper bag to avoid the dust. One by one, the guys come littering in, with tired expressions over their faces, greeting you and grabbing a cup.

“Why don’t you just stay where you are now?” She asks, unwrapping her sandwich.

“Cause Carmy’s landlord’s an asshole.” 

“Carmy’s an asshole?” Marcus jokes, walking past you with a smile and ruffling your hair the way an older brother would.

You roll your eyes and swat his hand away. “Y’know, I’m really lovin’ all this contribution to the conversation.”

“Why’s your landlord an asshole?”

You sigh deep and take a sip of your cup. “Since it states in the contract that it’s only being rented for one person, a.k.a. Carmy, me being there is a violation, which breaks the contract, which means he can raise the rent cause he’s an-”

“Asshole.” Marcus finishes up for you and you point towards him in agreement. “Got it.”

“Wait, he can’t do that, can he?” Syd asks through a frown.

“I guess, I don’t know, I don’t know any lawyers.”

Her head immediately turns to Gary, whose attention is fully involved in the blueberry muffin in his hands. He raises his head at the sensation of your stares and after a few seconds asks;

“Is it rent controlled?”

“No.”

“Carmy bother to ask for a copy of the contract?”

“...no.”

“Then no. Sorry.” He answers with a shrug and digs back into his muffin. “...man I love these things…”

You sigh and look at Syd again, your eyes travel down to the familiar shade of blue, recognition cocking your head lightly to the side. “Is that my sweater?”

She looks down from her sandwich and shakes her head, stretching out her arm so you can see the little embroidered name on the sleeve. “Matching one’s , remember?”

“Oh, yeah…” You say with a head, remembering the day you bought the matching sweaters, along with the dress for Joyce’s wedding. “I like the little pattern.”

She swallows her bite and gives you a proud smile, posing from side to side so you can see the design better. You snigger at her little movements while everyone falls into a soft hum of conversation, mostly discussing the things that they still have to finish. You’re half way through your coffee when Carmy and Natalie finally walk into the room, immersed in a heated discussion over not having enough budget to cover the cost of ‘some stupidly ridiculous door knobs that no one’s even gonna notice, Carmen.’ 

“I’m gonna notice, okay?” 

“Yeah, well if you’ve got six grand to spare, go pick ‘em up from Italy yourself, they’re a no Carm- hey hun.” Natalie cuts off the conversation by greeting you, leaning in to give you a hug and missing the frown over her brother’s face. 

She sighs into the hug, holding on to you longer than usual. You don’t make an effort to move away, instead you rub your palms lightly over her back and ask a quiet ‘Everything okay Nat?’ into her hair.

“Yeah-” She says, pulling away and clearing her throat. “-yeah. Just that time of the month, y’know.” 

Natalie brushes your worry away with a thin smile and turns to grab her lunch. Your eyes follow her through the room until she disappears into the kitchen, then you look back to the untouched cup of coffee with her name wrapped around the middle. 

You can feel Carmy’s presence lingering beside you and the warmth of his hand on your center back sparks a smile over your lips. “Hey.”

“Hi.” He repeats, bright eyes darting around your soft features as his palm rubs timid circles between your shoulder blades. 

Carmy isn’t one for a public display of affection, instead he enjoys the quiet touches. The lingering looks across a crowded room and wrapping his fingers over your soft hand when he thinks no one is looking.

“I brought you hashbrowns.” You say and push a grease stained paper bag in his direction.

“Oh. thanks.” He says only letting you go once the savory scent reaches his nose. You notice the familiar chase of blue again, except now keeping your boyfriend warm and you smile to yourself. “Kasama?” He asks.

“No- I wish, but they’re closed today. It’s Minelli’s from down the street. Second best…”

“Yeah-” He chuckles lightly. “-second best. Thank you.” 

Your grin grows to your tinted cheeks, blue irises drawing you in and you look away in fear that your cheeks might burst from cuteness. 

“Yo, everyone say thank you for the food?” Carmy asks loudly around the room.

A chorus of jumbled up yes dad’s and thank you’s echoes back and makes you laugh. “It’s no problem. I was planning on helping out today anyway-”

Carmy shakes his head and chews faster, wiping the crumbs of the hashbrown off his hands and onto the sides of his jeans.

“Thank you, but no- you’ve already done enough-” He tries to dismiss before Syd cuts him off.

“That’s perfect actually- I need someone to finish packing dishware.”

“Yeah, I can do that-”

“-No…”

“-Carmy-”

“-Syd-”

“-Carmy.” You interrupt in an overly sweet tone that has his eyes darting in your direction. There’s a shuffle of movement as the staff take their food and slowly begin to shuffle away, leaving only you two. “Why not?” 

“It’s your day off. I don’t want you spending it stuck in here…” He answers with a sigh. 

“It’s just dishware…” You shrug and tilt your head slightly, hoping that he gives in with the look you’re giving him.

Carmy searches around your face for a few seconds then pinches the bridge of his nose and nods. “...okay fine, just- don’t hurt yourself… everything’s fuckin’ gross right now.” He runs a hand through his hair and watches you agree happily. “Alright, I gotta go talk to Nat ‘bout some stuff, but I’ll check on you later.”

Carmy reaches out a hand to gently knead your forearm, then quickly turns around. 

”Hey-wait-” You call out to him, lowering your voice to a whisper. “Don’t you see somethin’ weird about your sister?” You ask, eying her suspiciously through the little window that peeks into the kitchen.  

“What? What d'you mean?” Carmy answers. 

“I dunno. She just seems… off.”

“Stress… I guess- I dunno. Probably nothin’.” He brushes off, but you eye her for a few seconds longer as he moves again towards the back.

**********

There isn’t a part of you that’s not covered in a thin layer of dust or sweat since you got to The Beef- The Bear- 'Dammit.’ It’s a strange situation to see, you had never known the place could be so quiet, gloomy or empty. 

The walls had been stripped of any trace of personality, leaving only the dusty shadows of frames marking the white paint. The front windows were patched with old newspapers, blocking out the light and giving the space a more depressing feel each time you climbed back up the basement stairs. 

You have spent all afternoon packing up utensils and throwing out silverware that had known better days. Carmy had passed by a few times and insisted you should save yourself before the place swallowed you up, but all he got was a snigger and a soft pat on the cheek. ‘It already has.’ You say with a smile, before moving to tape up one of the boxes. 

Between scrolling through apartment listings and packing most of the dishware up, you hadn’t noticed you were almost working in the dark until Richie flicked the switch and you were startled by the change in lighting.

“Thanks.” You say with a head nod that he reciprocates. “You good?”

He nods again, though mostly by inertia. “Yeah- yeah I’m good. Just, um, dropped off Ava at her mom’s.”

“How is she?”

“Oh I dunno- I didn’t see her-”

“-I meant Ava.”

“Oh, she’s great!” He answers with a new found glow over his face. “Yeah- she’s been really getting into painting recently. Oh, you should see her- she’s so good! I’ve been thinking about signing her up for classes, but they’re fuckin’ expensive, y’know?”

“Why don’t you just put her in mine?” You state like it’s obvious and shrug, sorting out the last pile of forks. 

“Yo-wait, seriously?” Richie asks in a perplexed tone.

“Sure, I can talk Marge into a family discount or somethin’, if you want.” 

“Yeah- no that’d be great, I’ma go tell her the good news… thanks.” You shrug again and offer him a smile before he turns back around. Then you hear his familiar voice from inside the kitchen shout “Yo cuz, your girl’s The O.G.!”

His excitement causes you to shake your head and a small chuckle to escape through your nose as your attention falls back into the silverware. The repetitive action keeps you busy enough in your head that you don’t notice Carmy’s steps moving in your direction.

“Here.” He says, placing a glass of water by the pile of stained forks and quickly leaning down to peck your hair.

“Oh, thanks.” You say back with a small smile and crack your strained knuckles before holding the glass up and taking a sip.

“I think I’ll be a bit longer, Syd wants to talk menu. You don’t mind?” 

You nod and swallow the fresh liquid. “No, don’t mind.”

“Y’sure? It’s pretty late and I don’t know how long it’ll take.” He asks again, one hand pushing back the stray hairs that have fallen out of your ponytail throughout the day. “I know you’re probably tired, sorry.”

You shake your head and reach a hand up to rub the stubble on his cheek. “ Carm, you’re good. Go take care of the menu. I’ll finish here and you can look for me in the office once you’re done.” You smile up at him and give him a gentle pat.

Carmy wraps his hand carefully around your wrist and turns his head to kiss the heart of your palm. There’s still a faint scar of your accident with the pears and the peeler, but he tries not to mention it. He lets go of your hand with a shy smile and a sigh and moves back into the kitchen, where he’s spent most of the afternoon.

The rest of the silverware doesn’t take you more than fifteen minutes to finish and you only notice the slight protesting ache coming from your knees while dropping off the last box downstairs. Rolling out the tension on your neck, you move into the empty office and slouch over the old chair that you hope they replace in the future.

With only the dim yellow desk lamp illuminating the room and the sudden fatigue falling on your shoulders, the corners of your vision begin to blur. You fold your arms over the desk and rest your head above it with eyes closed, getting ready for a short nap. Carmy would wake you up in a few minutes anyway and you’d finally get to go home.

**********

A sense of guilt deepened the frown over his face when he saw the uncomfortable position you were sitting in, one outstretched arm holding your head while the other hand curled under your chin. He didn’t expect for the first ideas of the menu to take that long- half an hour at most- but when he pulled his phone out to show Syd a reference photo, the clock read ten minutes to midnight and his brows raised in shock. He called it a day and promised Syd they’d continue tomorrow, then scrambled to the office where he found you heavily asleep.

He moves towards your slump body and crouches down to your side, hand moving away the pieces of hair that have fallen over your face.

“Honey...” You grumble softly and hide your face deeper into your arm. “Baby, c’mon let’s go home.” 

Carmy tries to stifle the smile that forms from his words and from the cute noise you make in protest.

“What time is it…?” You ask, finally opening your eyes and stretching out your numb arms.

“Almost midnight- m’sorry, I didn’t notice the time.”

You blink your eyes several times to try and refocus your gaze, then smile lightly when you catch his stare. “What’s wrong?”

His grin turns slightly down in confusion. “Why, uhm, why would- why would you think that?” He asks in a low voice.

Pushing yourself off the desk, you prop up your elbow and rest your head over your palm, sleepy eyes set on him. “You’re over apologizing again.”

Carmy's eyes widen lightly then shrink with a grin, turning to the floor. He looks back up to your amused smile and points a finger to your nose. “wow…” He whispers and leans his forehead against yours.

After a few silent seconds, Carmy takes in a deep breath and pulls away after kissing the space between your eyes.

“So what is it?” You ask again and watch him straighten his knees and lean beside you on the desk.

“Turns out we might be over budget…”

“Over the whole 300k?” You repeat in slight surprise as he nods. “How much?”

“‘Bout 130k and counting.”

“...shit.” Is the only appropriate response that comes to mind.

“Yeah…” He agrees absentmindedly. 

“So… Jimmy?” You say after a while. knowing the answer before he even finishes pinching the bridge of his nose.

“...yeah. He’s comin’ in tomorrow mornin’.”

You slowly nod back in acknowledgment, then push away from the desk to stand beside him. Your head drops to his shoulder and his’ immediately follows yours. “You’re gonna need a killer pitch.” You mumble and he responds with a short laugh.

Carmy wraps an arm around you and guides you both out the office, switching off the light and closing the door. 

“Before I forget, I have some places for us to check out next week, you’re sure you can make it?” You ask him once outside the warm building, wrapping your jacket tighter around you before your teeth begin to chatter.

“Yeah, I’ll probably have to meet you there, though.” He answers as he finishes locking the side door.

“That’s fine- I just wanna make sure you’re there… I don’t wanna choose somethin’ you’re not gonna like.”

“I’ll be there.” He assures with an insistent nod.

Carmy notices how the peaks of your face begin to dust with a slight pink and he leans closer, putting an arm around your shoulders, for warmth. You look up at his face with a soft smile, eyes tracing over his features- mostly hidden under the shade of his baseball hat- and your hand holding onto his arm. As simple as that, you believe him.

**********

Taglist: @pearlstiare @teteminne, @beebslebobs, @harrysmatcha, @yum-yahgurt, @pussy-f41ry, @kirakombat, @redsakura101 , @hobisunshine13 and that’s it lmao

[sidekick-hero]

(steddie | mature | 2.1k | tags: mutual pining, Eddie/OMC (nothing explicit), memory of the past | second part to are you still mine? where Steve remembers another moment from their shared past | @steddielovemonth prompts Love is keeping a spare sweater/blanket in the car because they always get cold by @steddieasitgoes and Love is showing up when someone doesn’t ask ❤️by @steddieas-shegoes | AO3)

Steve thinks that making out with Eddie on the dance floor at Dustin and El's wedding is probably not the most polite thing to do. Especially as the best man.

But boy, is it hard to stop once they start kissing, twenty years of longing and dreaming all flowing into an almost desperate need to get closer and closer. Eddie kisses Steve like he wants to crawl inside him so he'll never have to leave again, and by God, Steve wants him to. Now that he's finally feeling Eddie, tasting him, he's not sure he can ever give it up.

It reminds him of Christmas Eve '93.

He was in Hawkins for the holidays, staying with Claudia and Dustin, as he had done every year since he and Robin had moved to Chicago in '87. His parents usually spent the holidays in Florida anyway, claiming the weather was more to their liking. He had a standing invitation to join them there, but Steve never took them up on it.

He'd rather spend Christmas with his real family.

So every year, on the day before Christmas, their little close-knit group would come over to Joyce and Hopper's house and gather for a family dinner. It was a tradition, almost an unspoken rule. Christmas Eve was spent at the Byers-Hopper residence.

Even Eddie would come, come hell or high water. In fact, he once told Steve that it was part of every contract he had signed since their first record deal in '88. Eddie would have time off between December 23rd and New Year's. The rest of the year was pretty unpredictable; they never knew when they would get a chance to talk to Eddie on the phone or even see him in person, but Christmas Eve was set in stone.

The last time Steve had seen Eddie in person had been at Dustin's graduation in May. Eddie had come all the way from LA just to see Dustin graduate, and Steve had been so excited to see him. More so than usual, since Steve had just graduated from teaching after drifting aimlessly for a while before deciding to go to community college to become a teacher.

He was also single for the first time in a long time. And he had thought that maybe this could be their chance. For a future together. Because Steve could teach in LA just as well as he could in Chicago. Or maybe Eddie could make music while living in Chicago; the city had a great music scene and recording studios as well. It wouldn't matter where, just that it was them.

Steve had never stopped hoping.

That's why he'd wanted to ask Eddie out while they watched the kid they kinda co-parented graduate. Only the words had died in his mouth the second he realized that Eddie hadn't come alone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is Tom. Tom, these are my friends, Dustin, Mike, Will, Lucas, Max, El, Robin and Steve."

"You're a friend of Eddie's too?" Dustin had asked the guy, and Steve marveled at how dense their token genius could be sometimes.

Tom had smiled at Dustin and taken Eddie's hand. "His boyfriend, actually. Is that okay with you guys?"

No, Steve had wanted to say, piss off.

But he hadn't. Instead, he had avoided Eddie and Tom altogether, barely exchanging more than a few words with Eddie and ignoring the hurt look Eddie gave him whenever Steve pretended to be too busy to talk to him. It was for the best, really.

Their Christmas Eve gathering was a family affair, no outsiders allowed. It meant that Steve would at least not have to deal with watching Tom all night, enjoying what Steve himself had hoped to have one day: Eddie's love.

But even without Tom physically being there, he was like a ghost haunting him. It wasn't even that Eddie talked much about him or anything like that. In fact, he was too busy asking Steve questions about his new job as a middle school teacher and about the cat he and Robin had adopted and how their crazy neighbor was doing.

It made it easier to forget about Tom. The eggnog helped, too, and by the time he had finished his fourth glass, he was leaning heavily against Eddie's side, warm and cozy and surrounded by his still familiar smell. It almost felt like back in '86, before LA. When they drove Eddie's van to the quarry and lay on a mattress in the back with the doors open, looking at the night sky.

Eddie always kept a spare blanket in the van, just for Steve, because Steve always, always forgot his jacket. By the end of September, when Eddie had left, the blanket had begun to smell of them both.

"This is nice," Steve said, his tongue loose and his inhibitions low. "Just like the van, remember?"

Eddie's arm was on the back of the couch behind Steve, and he used it to pull Steve even closer. "Yeah."

And then, in a lower voice, "I missed you, Stevie."

When Tom stood in the doorway to pick up Eddie, reality came crashing down on him.

Everything went downhill after that.

Because after Eddie and Tom left, Steve decided he couldn't stay a minute longer either. He couldn't handle the laughter and joy, and especially the worried looks Robin was sending his way. So he told everyone that he was walking home to get some fresh air and to clear his head of the eggnog.

"Are you sure? I can drive you. Or you can stay with me at my parents'; you know they wouldn't mind."

"Thanks, Robbie, but I want to be alone for a little while, okay? Just for tonight. We'll talk tomorrow, I promise."

She gave him a long, searching look before nodding and pulling him into a tight hug. "Take care of yourself, okay? I need my best friend."

His downfall was the bar on the way to the Henderson house, because he had just enough money in his pocket to get sufficiently shitfaced.

And just enough spare change to call Eddie from the pay phone outside.

It rang for several long minutes, and Steve was almost ready to hang up and try again when a sleepy voice on the other end grumbled, "This better be important."

"Eddiiieee," Steve cheered, "thought you wouldn't pick up. Thought maybe you were too busy screwing Tom to answer the phone." Steve slurred his words badly and wondered if Eddie could even understand what he was saying.

"Jesus, Stevie, you're drunk as a skunk! What happened?"

"You," Steve whispered, and then louder. "'Nothin'. Just, y'know, spending Christmas Eve alone and drunk. Got to get used to that, I guess."

There was a long silence on the other end, and Steve would have thought Eddie had hung up if not for the sound of his breathing.

"Eddie?" Steve had to ask, the silence between them worse than anything he could imagine.

"Where are you?" Eddie had asked suddenly, and Steve had just enough time to tell him before the line went truly silent and the dial tone rang through the speaker, the phone demanding more coins Steve didn't have.

Cursing under his breath, he leaned his head against the glass of the phone booth and pinched his nose to keep the tears at bay.

He must have fallen asleep, because the next thing he knew, Eddie's hand was on his shoulder, shaking him gently. "Steve, hey. Stevie, come on, wake up. Time to get you home."

Blinking up at Eddie, Steve was sure he must be dreaming. "Eddie? What -?"

"You sounded like you needed someone, so I came. Come on, you must be freezing, man, you're shaking."

"Am I?" Steve asked, his voice sounding dazed, and Eddie sighed. With an arm around Steve's waist, he led him over to his old van. The one he'd left behind after his first visit to Hawkins after moving west, realizing it wouldn't survive the trip back. Wayne was taking care of it so that it would still be able to drive short distances in and around Hawkins, ensuring that Eddie would always have a ride when he visited.

"Your chariot awaits, my prince," Eddie said, helping Steve inside. It still smelled like it did back then. The inside of the old van had a distinct aroma that mixed the musty scent of the worn upholstery with the lingering hints of herbal sweetness and Eddie's cologne. It felt like a snapshot from his memory, as if no time had passed since he had last sat here.

God, Steve had missed this car.

He patted the dashboard clumsily but lovingly. "I missed you, baby."

"Did you just tell my car you missed her?" Eddie asked incredulously.

Steve pouted at him as Eddie turned the ignition and the engine roared to life. "She's a lady, Eds. You said so yourself. And she was always there for us."

Eddie's eyes were soft as he looked over at Steve.

"You're right, Stevie. She was." And then he leaned to the side and turned in his seat to rummage in the back until he emerged with a burgundy blanket. He draped it over Steve with gentle hands until only Steve's head was sticking out. "You're still shaking."

Steve was too stunned for words, and maybe that was better, because Eddie had shifted into drive and pulled onto the blissfully empty streets of Hawkins.

It was Steve's blanket. The one Eddie had put in the van for him.

The drive over to the Henderson's was a quiet one, both men lost in their thoughts. It was only when Eddie pulled up to the curb in front of the house that Steve spoke again, his brain a little more alert than when he had called Eddie.

"Thanks, Eds. You didn't have to do that," he told Eddie as earnestly as he could while feeling like the car was still moving underneath him.

"I know. I wanted to, though. I'll always want to, you don't have to ask."

"Why?"

"'Cause it's you." He said it so simply, as if it were just another fact. The sun rises in the east, monsters exist, and Eddie would always be there when Steve needed him, even when he didn't ask.

"Kiss me," Steve begged, suddenly desperate in a way he couldn't understand. All he knew was that if he let Eddie go right now, this moment between them would be over and he would have lost Eddie.

Again.

"Please, Eddie." His voice broke at Eddie's name.

A soft touch on his cheek, feather light as calloused fingers caressed his skin before a warm hand cupped his cold face.

"I can't," Eddie whispered even as he leaned in, his eyes so dark they looked almost black.

Steve leaned forward as well, willing to meet Eddie halfway, something he wished he'd done so much sooner.

"Why?" Almost inaudibly.

"Because I don't think I could stop if I kissed you now," Eddie replied, pressing a tender kiss to Steve's forehead, right between his eyebrows. "Go inside, Stevie. Sleep it off. You'll feel better in the morning."

And Steve went, if only to hide the tears on his face.

He didn't feel better the next day. Or the day after that.

It was a year before he spoke to Eddie again.

"Remember Christmas Eve '93?" Steve asks Eddie after they finally break apart.

Eddie's eyes are glazed and it takes him a second to get his bearings. He makes a questioning sound, clearly trying to catch up with where Steve's mind had gone, but then his face clears.

"Of course. God, you have no idea how much I wanted to kiss you that night. It took everything in me to let you go."

"I wish you had. I wanted you to."

"I know, sweetheart. But you were also really drunk and upset, and I had a boyfriend. And even though he wasn't you, I didn't want to hurt him. He didn't deserve that. But most of all, I didn't want to make you the other guy. I remember how much you hated your dad cheating on your mom, and I couldn't make you a part of something like that."

Steve kisses him again to show Eddie that he understands and that he's grateful. Because it's true, he wanted Eddie to choose him, but not like that. Not by hurting someone else like that.

"But I loved you then. Which I guess wasn't fair to Tom either, but I just didn't know how not to."

"I know. I think a part of me knew then, too. Which made it hurt even more."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. What did you say in your toast? 'If you're willing to take the long and winding road, you know that whatever's at the other end is worth it.' You are worth it."

Later, in Steve's hotel room, sweaty and sticky and still catching his breath, Eddie vows to show Steve every day that he's worth it. That they're worth it.

[blogger360ncislarules]

THE CHOSEN creator Dallas Jenkins recently opened up about the success of the crowd-funded TV show during a recent interview with Chicago WGN Radio.

Jenkins explained what makes it stand out from other biblical shows.

“The thing that makes it different…you see Jesus laughing with his friends, you see him dancing with his friends at a wedding.  You see the disciples and even the enemies of Jesus as real human beings with lives and struggles and questions and doubts, dealing with the same issues that we’re dealing with today,” he said.

When asked what about the show connects with viewers, Jenkins responded, “I think the biggest thing is…the humanity of it, I think I hear that term more than anything, it’s like ‘wow these people feel real.’”

Movieguide® previously described why THE CHOSEN is so different from other retellings of Jesus’ life.

While the Gospel tells us Who Jesus is, THE CHOSEN shows Him having life-changing conversations and interactions. The actor speaks Scripture, but is far from the stoic, flat Jesus of movies past. He cracks jokes, He empathizes, He builds friendships, and, yes, He’s sassy. Roumie’s performances induce sobs. He adds depth to the stories many people have heard since childhood. Deliverance takes on a new meaning as viewers watch him cast demons out of friends. Freedom bubbles over as characters embrace the Master. Doubt fades as Scripture comes alive.

“This is the first multi-season show in history about the life of Christ,” Jenkins added. “This is a show that feels like a normal TV show. It just happens to be about the people of first-century Galilee.”

CBN recently reported on the major impact THE CHOSEN has had across the world.

“The Chosen has been streamed more than 500 million times and has now been seen by more than 108 million people since Season 1 premiered,” CBN shared. “The series is available to watch for free on The Chosen App or the Angel Studios App. It’s also available on popular streaming services including Peacock, Apple TV, fubo TV, Google Play, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.”

[markonpark]

Bride and groom resemblance. Undated wedding portrait by Ray Studios of Chicago. https://markonpark.etsy.com/listing/1699016360

[gacmediadaily]

Great American Family is rolling out the red carpet for Danica McKellar's new royal-themed Christmas movie, A Royal Christmas Ball!

This movie is the latest to be filmed and promoted on their channel for the upcoming 2024 Great American Christmas movie season. See the promo for this movie below.

Here's what we know, so far, about this movie:

A Royal Christmas Ball will include waltzes choreographed by “Dancing With the Stars” professional dancer Gleb Savchencko. It is currently set to premiere this November on Great American Family.

Story synopsis via Great American Media: "In A Royal Christmas Ball, Chelsea Jones (Danica McKellar) is a dance instructor and studio owner in Chicago who inspires kids to find themselves through dance. Just before Christmas, Chelsea discovers a photo she’s never seen before. Chelsea thinks the young woman is her birth mother who passed away when she was only five years old. The woman is in a wedding dress tugging on the hand of a man wearing a wedding ring, but that is all that can be seen of the man Chelsea believes may be her father. The photo’s handwritten inscription reads, “Our place, Havenshire, December 23, 1984.” With only the internet, a plane ticket, and lifelong determination to go on, Chelsea now has four days in Havenshire to solve the mystery of her birth family. Along the way, she’ll have to sneak into a castle, teach a stubborn Prince how to dance, and be in just the right place on Christmas Eve when the bells toll."

A Royal Christmas Ball Promo:

Great American Family is currently using the title A Royal Christmas Ball to promote this film; however, there is a previous ION Christmas movie with the same title from 2017. Danica has said the title may change to A Cinderella Christmas Ball or something similar, so be sure to stay tuned IF there are any title changes or updates.

Of course, Danica McKellar is well-known for a number of TV and Christmas movies; notably, A Crown for Christmas is her most popular royal-themed Christmas movie to date. A Royal Christmas Ball will be her third royal film for Great American Family. The Winter Palace aired in 2022, and A Royal Date for Christmas aired in 2023.

More Great American Family News - In Case You Missed It:

Christmas in July is coming to Great American Family! Great American Media CEO Bill Abbott shared this exciting news in his latest insider email with this statement, "Movie enthusiasts can rest assured that we will go back to movies with Christmas in July, and then we will have a very strong slate of new, original movies through the end of 2024!"

Further information has not been released yet about when Christmas in July will begin, so please be sure to stay tuned for additional details. Last year, Great American Family ran Christmas movies 24/7 from July 1st to July 17th, and then from July 18th to July 30th, the channel aired three Christmas movies each night, from 6pm to 12am (EST). We will have to wait and see if the network plans to run a similar programming slate for Christmas in July this year.

At the end of July, Bill shared with his followers that we can expect to see the return of Great American Pure Flix films on Monday nights, beginning with GOD’S COUNTRY SONG on Monday, July 29th, and HEAVEN SENT on Monday, August 6th. MR. MANHATTAN, starring Alexa and Carlos PenaVega, will premiere May 23rd on the streaming source Great American Pure Flix and is projected to premiere on Great American Family in September.

Bill also promises, "There be much more to come in August, September and certainly at Christmas, including a mystery featuring Candace..." The Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Winemaker, starring Candace Cameron Bure, is set to premiere sometime later this year.

At this point, I know some viewers are disappointed with the reruns of classic programming airing on Great American Family. Hopefully, this explanation from Bill Abbott will help explain, "The reason we have been airing older series content is the number of people who watch these shows is double, and sometimes triple, the number who watch movies according to Nielsen. While we also love our movies and would much prefer to offer these rather than old series, we need to reach the biggest audience possible to be viable to advertisers."

So, if you want to support Great American Family and the content they are building on their network, we will all have to wait a little longer as the network continues to grow its library of films and expands its viewership. When Christmas in July or the movies begin again, be sure to tell your family and friends to tune in.

[sunflower-chai]

8, 13, 29 and 30!!

(this is for the "three songs" ask game)

finally getting around to answering this!

8. three songs that remind you most of summer and vacation

summer belongs to you - phineas and ferb - you know i had to include at least one pnf song and this one really embodies the spirit of summer

saturday in the park - chicago - this is one my parents introduced me to as a kid and we listen to it on our boat during the summer. it also talks about the fourth of july in the song

as it was - harry styles - during the summer of '22 i listened to the album on loop it's just so fun

13. three songs you want at your funeral

great is thy faithfulness - traditional hymn - my best friend played this at her wedding ceremony and i think it would also work well for a funeral

the old rugged cross - traditional hymn - my brother plays this on flugelhorn/trumpet at church and it's so beautiful it makes me cry

it is well with my soul - traditional hymn - i mean just look at these lyrics: "no pang shall be mine, for in death as in life / Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul"

29. three songs that influenced you most

no longer slaves - bethel music - i heard this song for the first time when i was 15 and going through a period of doubting the Lord. it helped me to put my trust back in Him

one short day - wicked - this was the song that got me into musical theatre! my dance studio did wicked for our recital one year and we did a dance to this song

waltz of the flowers - the nutcracker - this was the role i performed the most in the nutcracker (5 years in a row!). i've grown very attached to the music because of this and watching this part of the ballet from the audience makes me tear up every year because i miss it so much

30. three songs you really want your followers to know

thus always to tyrants - the oh hellos - i HAD to include the oh hellos because they're my favorite band, and this is one of my favorite songs. it's so upbeat and fun and it literally references the second coming of Christ, what's not to love?

ceilings - lizzy mcalpine - i went through a phase where i would just loop this song while laying on my bed because it's just so darn beautiful

weep with me - rend collective - one of my favorite worship songs because it reminds me that the Lord is with me in my suffering and He literally weeps with me. but also reminds me that He is still good even when I cannot see it. i can choose to worship through the darkness

[projazznet]

Penny Goodwin – Portrait Of A Gemini

Penny Goodwin grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin singing in church with Al Jarreau, doing weddings, talent competitions and bar mitzvahs. When she left school she started singing in popular mob run clubs such as Alfie’s, Sardino’s, and King’s Four graduating to clubs in Chicago and Caesar’s Palace in Vegas. Despite her huge talent only this one studio LP exists, a mix of covers by Marvin Gaye, Gill Scott Heron plus original songs by herself and manager Sy Lefco. The LP also featuring strings by members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and jazz guitar legend Phil Upchurch. One of the great american jazz vocal LP’s by Milwaukee’s unsung queen of jazz. Penny Goodwin - vocals

[tarjaturunenfansource]

#Repost @tarjaofficial via social medias

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USA 2023 LIVING THE DREAM TOUR

Today, award-winning Finnish heavy metal artist TARJA announced her upcoming 2023 Living the Dream Tour. Produced by Live Nation, the 12-city run kicks off on Wednesday, June 14th in Philadelphia, PA at Theatre of The Living Arts, with stops across the U.S. in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and more before wrapping up on Friday, June 30th in Berkeley, CA at The UC Theater.

The tour will support her most recent album Best Of: Living The Dream, which was released December 2nd, 2022 via earMUSIC. The album reflects back on the past 15 years of the singer’s solo career, featuring TARJA’s most well-known tracks, as well as her personal favorites from all six studio albums – ‘My Winter Storm,’‘What Lies Beneath,’ ‘Colours in the Dark,’ ‘The Brightest Void,’ ‘The Shadow Self’ and ‘In the Raw’ – as well as her new single ‘Eye Of The Storm.’

TICKETS: Tickets go on sale starting Friday, February 3rd at 10am local time on Ticketmaster.com.

2023 LIVING THE DREAM TOUR DATES:

Wed Jun 14 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of The Living Arts

Fri Jun 16 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage

Sat Jun 17 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza

Sun Jun 18 – Boston, MA – Big Night Live

Tue Jun 20 – Detroit, MI – Saint Andrew's Hall

Wed Jun 21 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues Chicago

Thu Jun 22 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater

Sat Jun 24 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theater

Mon Jun 26 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren

Tue Jun 27 – Los Angeles, CA – The Belasco

Wed Jun 28 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues Las Vegas

Fri Jun 30 – Berkeley, CA – The UC Theater

[drkcnry67]

That was the best night of my life...

Title: that was the best night of my life

Pairing: Jensen x reader

Spn kink sq: wedding night

Rating: 18+

Tags: loss of virginity, cock in pussy, screaming in pleasure, cum in pussy, laying in newly wedded bliss for hours, guy not pulling out after release, maybe more not sure but along those lines!

Summery: not telling

Created for @spnkinkevents

Announcer: and now if everyone will please line up its time to send our lovely newlyweds off to their honeymoon!

You and jensen were waiting for the people to line up before coming out to all your friends and family. The ceremony done, the reception done, now your wedding night!

Yn: I cant believe this happened!

Jensen: how did I get to be so lucky?

Yn: well lets see was it the night in the club or me showing up at the studio the next day to be your hair and makeup artist!

Jensen laughs as he slither his arms around your waist!

Jensen: both... now I think they are ready! Shall we?

You take his hand and you both run out the doors... your dress flowing behind you as you both kiss and hug your best friends and make sure to wave at everyone before getting into the limo.

Jensen: driver airport please!

Yn: Jay, we are going to live happily ever after right?

Jensen: of course! But first we get to the resort then we can get out of these wedding clothes! Your amazing body is alluring and that dress is sexy and delectable!

Yn: we are taking the private jet right?

Jensen laughs pulling your chin so you and he lock eyes!

Jensen: yes and we are going to have the perfect start to our honeymoon!

You both watch the lights go by then you guys were at the tarmac... the limo driver got out and opened your door...

Jensen: have the attendants bring the luggage onto the plane. My wife and I need a few minutes.

Driver: of course sir, right away...

The driver leaves the doorway and jensen gets out first to help you out of the car... once your out of the car he dips and kisses you right on the tarmac...

Giggles and laughter slip from your lips. As you both walk to the plane Jensen let's you go first so there would be no chance of chickening out.

Jensen: pilot give us 2 minutes and then take off...

Pilot: sure thing Jay! Always happy to be at your service!

You and jensen were getting settled into your seat, it was a conjoined couch seat where you and Jensen would be comfortable.

Jensen: attendant please bring us some sodas and tell the pilot we are ready to go...

Attendant: right away sir.

After buckling up you clung to jensen as the jet began moving, jensen knew of your fear of flying but also knew you were at peace when he was there.

Jensen: i know this day is magical and to make things even better you and I are staying at the same resort where I had proposed to you, where our friends threw us our own incredible engagement celebration.

Yn: are you saying we are going to be staying once more at Margheritaville?

Jensen: yes my love... now relax it is just a few hours before we get there...

Yn: I'm so adrenalized right now tho... I can't relax, the only thing relaxing me right now is you..

Jensen leaned into your neck trailing soft kisses along your neckline, down your shoulder, sliding his fingers along your forearm...

This earned soft moans from you... as his hands roam your body...

Jensen: babe, I love you so much and umm don't plan on sleeping tonight we will have our wedding night properly.

Yn: so naughty, we haven't even gotten there yet...

Jensen kept kissing your neckline not yielding eliciting soft moans from you... it was a while later when the pilots voice came through the speakers...

Pilot: Jensen, yn I'm so sorry but it seems we have an engine leak we are making an emergency landing in Chicago airstrip... I'm so sorry about this guys!

You and jensen look at eachother and then Jensen presses the button for the intercom..

Jensen: it's fine it happens... I guess we will get into something less wedding more touristy...

You go into your duffle and pull out a casual dress and runners while Jensen pulls out a pair of jeans a tee shirt and his Jean jacket and his runners...

Both of you in seperate bathrooms changing and returning to face eachother like you hadn't been seperated..

Yn: husband this could be like an adventure of sorts.... right

Jensen: ya of course... and yes we can shop while here too... we could also get some food if you want...

You shake your head!

Yn: husband have I taught you nothing you need to be smart, never shop on an empty stomach... food first then we shop...

After the landing happened, you and Jensen shopped ate and were back in the air on the way to Disney in 3 hours.

After 1 very quick taxi ride to the resort you guys were in the room and getting settled but jensen locked the door and came over to pick you up as he started kissing you, he tore at your dress eliciting giggles from you.

Jensen broke the kiss only to remove his own clothing. As he sat you on the kitchen table, he traced your breasts slowly and seductively.

Jensen: so beautiful... I'm glad we waited... now I get you all to my self..

Jensen pinched your nipples and lined himself to your dripping wet pussy, he rubbed against you a bit before thrusting into your dripping wet core.

Jensen: mmmm so tight baby, we are gonna christen this entire house by the time we leave here, multiple times.

Jensen picks up the pace, his thrusts becoming faster and faster his hands holding you to the bed, he was becoming more unstable as he shot a load into you before Pounding into you again.

after another 4 loads and a few hours later, You both found your releases at the same time. your body trembling Slightly at the feeling of this last release.

Yn: oh my gods, that was amazing!

Jensen nuzzles his nose against your own...

Jensen: I hope your pregnant by the end of our honeymoon. Cause that will make me even more happy than I already am if that's even possible.

Yn: well at least we would have a head start on the family part..

Jensen: ya but let's rest, recharge and we can go for round 2 in the morning.

With that you both passed out... bliss and all.

~that's all for now...~

[hallmark-movie-fanatics]

AUTUMN REESER, PAOLO BERNARDINI, ALISON SWEENEY AND LACEY CHABERT ARE JOINED BY KACEY ROHL AND CARLO MARKS IN ‘THE WEDDING VEIL INSPIRATION,’ A NEW, ORIGINAL MOVIE PREMIERING JANUARY 14, ON HALLMARK CHANNEL

Part of the Network’s “New Year New Movies” Programming Event

STUDIO CITY, CA – January 10, 2023 – Autumn Reeser (“Entourage,” “The O.C.”), Paolo Bernardini (“Lost and Found in Rome”), Alison Sweeney (“Days of our Lives”) and Lacey Chabert (Mean Girls) return in “The Wedding Veil Inspiration,” a new, original movie premiering January 14, 2023 (8 p.m. ET/PT) on Hallmark Channel, as part of the network’s “New Year, New Movies” programming event. Kacey Rohl (“The Magicians”) and Carlo Marks (“Chesapeake Shores”) also star.

In the second movie of this sequel trilogy, Emma (Reeser) is sticking to her five year plan, as Paolo (Bernardini) prepares to open a lace shop in Chicago with his cousin Matteo (Marks). On track to assume a promotion to department chair, Emma feels strongly that things fall into place before she and Paolo can consider growing their family. However, Paolo worries that that day may never come. When a crisis at home calls Paolo back to Italy, the couple must navigate busy schedules to make time for each other from afar. Missing Paolo, Emma bumps heads with Nancy (Lynda Boyd, “Virgin River”), the current chair of her department and begins to question her life choices. Thankfully, she has frequent calls, texts and visits with Tracy (Sweeney) and Avery (Chabert), who seem to know her better than she knows herself. She also has a friend in her smart and quirky teacher’s aide, Lily (Rohl), who provides Emma with a novel opportunity to get people excited about art, but it might mean giving up everything she’s worked for. Meanwhile, Emma cannot help but notice a spark between Lily and Matteo – who both happened to be touching the veil when they met. As Emma tries to get Lily to trust her heart, she must find the courage to stop planning her own dream life and start living it.

“The Wedding Veil Inspiration” is from Veil Road V Productions and Front Street Pictures. Beth Grossbard, Lisa Demberg, Autumn Reeser and Harvey Kahn are executive producers. Allen Lewis is supervising producer and Charles Cooper is producer. Terry Ingram directed from a script by Betsy Morris, inspired by the book There Goes the Bride by Lori Wilde.

[marsdenlee]

A MEMORY: THEY'RE NOT EVEN LISTENING Synopsis: Mars, age 22 and living in a 1 bedroom apartment in the North Side of Chicago, tells his wife that he's quitting ballet. Soundtrack: Inside Voices by Too Close To Touch (tw argument, tw alcohol mention, tw implied assault, tw non-consensual acts)

"I did it. I can't believe I did it," he let out, half a laugh bubbling within his throat and escaping in a breath. His wife sat at the kitchen counter with a glass of red wine in one hand and her laptop open in the other. She often drank while studying, claimed it helped her focus and made her feel more mature, manifesting the lifestyle that she wanted where she was older in a nice house and reviewing legal notes for her actual case load instead of pretend ones for her classes.

"Did what?" She asked, sipping her wine, setting it down carefully so the glass didn't clink too loudly against the faux granite countertop. She couldn't help but start to mirror his smile, it had been a while since she'd seen it that big, the last few days and even weeks he'd been so serious, focusing on his interview and performance for the new ballet company he had been applying for. "Did you get in?" Anticipated excitement rising.

Mars blinked, "Well. Yes, but--"

"That's great, honey!" She cheered and stood up, moving around the kitchen counter island to grab him a wine glass from the cabinet, "We should celebrate!"

"No," Mars stepped forward, stopped her hands from opening the cabinet doors and held them within his own, long slender fingers decorated only by a silver wedding band on his left hand, "No, that's not it. I quit," and he smiled, broad and wide as if it was something to be proud of but she didn't understand and her brows furrowed.

"What do you mean you quit? You just said you got in?"

Mars squeezed her hands, "I did but I'm done. I don't want to do it anymore. I told you I was thinking about quitting and I did it. Starting tomorrow I'm a free man." Finally, finally, after years, he could be free and he waited, searching her face for a positive reaction but all she did was pull her hands out from his.

"I don't understand. I thought you wanted to work for this new company. I mean, why even apply if you weren't going to do it?" She questioned, confused and agitated. "What happened?"

"Nothing happened," he responded a bit too quickly, too defensively, body stiffening in response. "I told you already. Weren't you listening?" And he repeated it again though he'd told her countless times before though with a bit more ice and pent up malice in his tone, "I don't want to do ballet anymore."

She exhaled harshly, "Why not? Did something happen? Whatever it is you can just apologize--" Mars scoffed "--What?" She snapped at him.

"Why do you automatically assume it's something I did?" Mars questioned her sharply, moving around her to put some space between them but she followed.

"Because you've been so weird lately. Talking about quitting, saying you hate ballet when you love it. You've worked towards this your entire life and you're just going to let it all go to waste? Are you really going to be that petty that you'd purposefully ruin the rest of your life?"

"I'm not being petty," Mars replied, jaw tense, muscles flexing as he pulled open the fridge and peered inside though he wasn't looking at anything in particular and reached in on impulse to grab a beer can. "And I don't love ballet. I hate it," he slammed the door and cracked open the beer can, alcohol fizzing and foaming out the opening at the top, "I hate da fucking hours. I hate da fucking outfits. I hate da fucking wood floors and da goddamn mirror. Da stupid fucking mirror. If I never step foot into another studio again for da rest of my life I'd die happy." If he never saw his reflection again either he'd be even happier.

"What the fuck wrong with you?" She questioned, voice inevitably rising to match his volume.

"Da fuck is wrong with me?" He shouted her words back at her, anger rising like battery acid, sour at the back of his throat, throwing the beer can into the sink where it exploded in a spray of bitter alcohol, "Da fuck is wrong with you? Why can't you just fuckin' support me? Why isn't anyone listenin' to me? Why doesn't anyone fucking believe me when I say I'm done?" Everything coming out like a tidal wave, "I hate this. I hate myself. I'm fucking suffocating. How come when I say no it doesn't mean anythin'? Why ain't my no good enough? Why can't I say no? It's supposed to mean somethin' but it-- an' ya ain't listenin' to me. I keep sayin' I want to stop. I don't wanna do dis anymore, I don't--" his hands scrambled over his body, tearing off his jacket and throwing it across the room as sobs erupted out from somewhere deep within his belly, he'd shoved down his feelings for so many years and kept them locked up inside of a chest within himself but it was overflowing and the hinges were breaking, emotion leaking out from between the seams and into his daily life until now where it reached a point where it could no longer be contained and it all came rushing out and he was powerless and weak from fighting it that he could do nothing against the onslaught now but let it out not even capable of holding himself upright so he slumped to the floor, collapsing like all the air and life was sucked out from his body as his lungs and shoulders heaved with a tidal wave of unfelt feelings that now demanded to be felt.

His wife stood by, not knowing what to do. She'd never ever seen him break down like this before in their entire life of knowing each other, had never seen him cry this deeply. It was terrifying, watching someone she had always known to be her rock suddenly fall into pieces in front of her eyes, like he was shattering and all she felt capable of doing was to stand there and watch as the man she loved fell apart, unable to pick the pieces up and glue them back together. She tried but the movements felt awkwardly mechanical and without feeling, kneeling down to his level where she reached out, trying to wrap her arms around him but he flinched away from her touch.

"Don't touch me," he cried out in between whimpering sobs, "Don't touch me."

So she didn't and held her knees instead, fingers squeezing against bare skin, "I don't know what you want me to do," she said quietly and he couldn't answer her.

[starstruckunknown-princess]

Unexpected

Summary: You’re at Steve and Nancy’s wedding when you are completely blindsided when Corroded Coffin -- and your ex, Eddie Munson -- makes a surprise appearance. 

Pairing: Rockstar!Eddie Munson x Reader

Warnings: Drug use, Alcohol use, Eddie being a rockstar, past heartbreak

Word Count: 3154

A/N: Second time writing for Eddie. This is an idea I’ve been kicking around for a bit and has been hanging out in my Drafts so I figured I’d go ahead and put it up. Let me know what you think!

Follows/Likes/Reblogs/Comments are always always always appreciated!

April 25, 1992

Indianapolis was not your idea of a good time, but for Steve and Nancy and all the shit you’d all gone through you would suck it up. They were getting married, you could take a long weekend and make the trek back to your reluctant home state.

What you hadn’t counted on was how fucking fixated everyone was on you coming without a date. Your invitation didn’t have a plus one, so you hadn’t brought one. (Not that you could’ve found one…the Chicago dating scene had not been kind for the last two years.) But every person you’d talked to so far had noticed your lack of date, from Nancy’s mom to Steve’s grandma, even the ring bearer had asked his mom “Why is that lady alone?”

You’d never wanted to slap a child so badly. But you refrained.

So you found yourself outside between cocktail hour and dinner, leaning against the side of the hotel and smoking a cigarette. You’d tried to quit, but then the flashbacks would start or work would get stressful or you wouldn’t have a date to your high school best friend’s wedding.

Just as you lit up your next cigarette, you heard an almighty ruckus coming from inside the hotel ballroom. 

“Hello Indiana! We are Corroded Coffin here to celebrate Steve and Nancy’s wedding. Lovebirds, this is for you.”

“No…No fucking way,” you said, stubbing out the cigarette under your heel and heading back inside.

Sure enough, Hawkins’ only claim to fame, Corroded Coffin, was on the diminutive stage set up near the dance floor. Every wedding attendee under the age of thirty-five had flocked to the dance floor and were cheering so loudly you couldn’t hear yourself think. 

All you could hear was your blood rushing past your ears. Gareth pounded out a “One, two, one-two-three-four!” and you couldn’t help but remember all those Tuesday nights at The Hideout, cheering on the band and scoring beers with your fake ID. 

A server passed by with a tray full of champagne flutes and you grabbed two of them. 

Your eyes glanced over each member of the band — Grant had shot up about six inches and slimmed down, Jeff had sick dreadlocks and a wicked gold nose ring, Gareth’s face had lost the boyish quality but you could barely see it behind all the hair. But the band member who caught your attention most was the one you wanted to look at the least. 

Eddie Munson, lead singer and guitarist.

The boy who had broken your heart six years ago when he’d dropped you off at your dorm at Columbia College Chicago, then immediately announced that he was continuing west to chase his dream of being a rockstar.

You’d seen him since then, but mostly on magazine covers or posters in record store windows. Corroded Coffin’s rise to fame was fuckin’ astronomical, especially when they leaned into the Grunge sound. 

You desperately wanted to pretend you didn’t know every chord, every lyric to the love song they were playing right now. That you didn’t know that it was Track 5 on their third studio album, Freak Flag. 

Eddie looked good. He’d chopped his long locks to just above his ears and leaned into his natural curls. The scruff along his jawline was downright unfair and his plain white t-shirt was tighter around his chest and arms than you remembered. And ugh, his smile was so damn genuine and his big brown eyes soaked up all the light shining on him like two perfect black holes. Somehow, he gave off the same shaggy-sexy-chic thing as Kurt Cobain did. 

You downed one flute of champagne as you noticed him scanning the crowd, not nearly drunk enough to think he was looking for you. 

The love song, “Bed of Roses” ended and Steve and Nancy shared a sweet kiss in the spotlight. Everyone ‘awww’-ed, including you. Then Corroded Coffin launched into their big hit song that you heard every day on the radio, “Crime of the Century” and you couldn’t take it anymore.

You downed the second flute of champagne and made your way toward the door, stopping at your assigned seat to grab your purse and shawl, but when you turned to leave a familiar face stopped you. 

“Robin, hey!” you exclaimed. 

She furrowed her brow at you and crossed her arms. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Uhh,” you stammered, “I was going back to my hotel, it’s getting kinda late.” 

“It’s not even seven; we haven’t eaten dinner yet. I can’t let you leave.” 

“Let me? You okay there, Rob?” you asked. 

Jonathan appeared out of nowhere, making you jump out of your skin. 

“Steve and Nancy wanted us to keep you here until they’re done,” he explained, nodding toward the band and the cheering crowd. 

You shifted your weight and popped out your hip indignantly, “Seriously?”

Robin and Jonathan nodded. Knowing that they took their sacred duty to the newlyweds seriously, you pulled out your chair and sat down. They each sat on either side of you and the three of you made small talk until the band finished their mini-set and let the wedding band take over. 

“Shit, he’s coming over,” you said, clenching your fists to hide the shaking in your hands. Luckily he was swarmed the moment he stepped off stage, signing autographs on cloth napkins and pocket squares.

“Just be cool,” Robin said, putting a hand on your shoulder. You shrugged it off and stood up, nearly knocking your chair over. 

“Rob, I haven’t seen him in six years! Not since he ditched me and went to live his dream life in LA and broke my damn heart, what the fuck is he doing here?”

“Okay, well, we had this idea…” Robin’s eyes widened to the size of saucers, a dead giveaway that she was lying.

“It was my idea, Em,” Steve interjected, appearing behind Robin.

“Why, Harrington?” 

He rolled his eyes, “Oh come on, you haven’t dated anyone since you and I broke up.” 

“I’ve dated!” 

“It’s been two years since you’ve had anything close to a relationship,” Steve countered. 

“And, what, you think the guy who broke my heart and left me to pick up the pieces is how we fix this problem?” You crossed your arms and inclined your head toward where Eddie was chatting with Mike and Dustin, exchanging hugs and smiles. 

“Okay, come on,” Steve said, trying to cajole you. Robin and Jonathan exchanged nervous looks as they watched your metaphorical hackles raise. 

You stepped closer to him so you didn’t make a scene by shouting at him. “No you come on! Where do you get off manipulating me like this?” 

“We’re just concerned about you! All you do is work or sit alone in your apartment which, you know, isn’t the worst thing in the world but you seem really lonely and you have maybe one too many cats to be considered normal-” Steve insisted, putting his hands on your shoulders. 

“Well, well well, if it isn’t the old Family Video crew.” Eddie interrupted. You stepped back and away from Steve as he approached. “Steve, congratulations!” 

They hugged, Eddie pounding Steve on the back a few times. They broke apart and Eddie greeted Robin and Jonathan, his deep brown eyes finally landing on you.

“You look…incredible,” he said, and you watched him check you out. You thanked your past-self for wearing the dress that made your tits look incredible rather than the one that your friend Macy had helped you pick out. 

“You look good yourself, Munson. LA seems to agree with you.” You poked at the elephant in the room, seeing if he would take the bait.

His feet shifted uncomfortably and he rubbed the back of his neck, “We’re on tour actually, just happened to be swinging through-” 

“Yeah, you can drop the act, Munson, she knows we invited you,” Steve interrupted him, taking full credit for the bamboozle they’d pulled. 

“Gotcha. We are actually on tour, though, we pick up in Vancouver in a few days.” 

Robin’s face lit up with excitement, “Touring with Nirvana, right?”

Eddie smiled, “Of course you like Nirvana, Buckley.” 

“You’re the one who introduced us to them, right?” Steve said your name and pointedly looked at you. You rolled your eyes. 

“Yeah?” His smile turned toward you and you were absolutely not ready for it. Your knees turned to jelly and you looked away.

“Yeah. I did. Excuse me,” you said, making a beeline for the bathroom. Once safely inside, you braced yourself on the counter and let your head drop with a long sigh. Putting one clammy hand over your heart you could feel your racing pulse. You closed your eyes and focused on your breathing, the champagne finally hitting your system and helping to calm your nerves. 

Once you were well-settled, you splashed some cool water on your face and neck. You still had dinner to get through. Hopefully the newly wedded couple would be distracted enough to let you slip out before cake. You’d go back to your hotel, crash into the plush bed, and pretend that today had never happened. 

You exited the bathroom just in time for the servers to start presenting dishes. Luckily, Eddie was seated a few tables over with the Hellfire crew minus Mike, since he was a groomsman and sat with the wedding party.

Dinner was delicious, and you actually managed to relax a bit in the company of your tablemates. 

Robin babbled about how she didn’t mind that Steve was made District Manager of Family Video over her, she liked working at the district office anyway and didn’t involve her driving all over the damn state every week. 

Argyle and Eden were expecting their third kid, which is why Eden wasn’t drinking. They showed you pictures of their existing kids — each one with long dark hair and their mom’s bright eyes and their dad’s tawny skin tone. 

Jonathan had started dating a model and told you about his recent photography jobs that had taken him out to Los Angeles. Coincidentally, he had been hired to photograph Corroded Coffin for Rolling Stone a few months back. 

What fortuitous and suspicious timing, you thought. The puzzle pieces were falling into place. 

When the dinner plates had been whisked away, you turned to Argyle, “Hey, Argyle, are you holding?” 

He smiled dopily at you, “Holding your heart with my hands, babe.” 

“And what would Eden have to say about that?” His wife had excused herself to the bathroom. 

He chuckled and shrugged, then reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket. He produced a pre-rolled joint and discreetly passed it to you. “Purple palm tree delight for the beautiful lady.” 

“Thanks, Argyle.” You slipped him a five dollar bill before slipping out the same door you’d exited earlier. 

You lit up and inhaled, almost instantly feeling the effects of the weed. Your body relaxed against the wall and you looked up at the night sky. Only a few more stars were visible here than at home in Chicago.

“Hey there you,” Eddie’s voice interrupted your calm and you scowled at him. He held up his hands in surrender, “Look, I know you have every right to hate me, but just hear me out, ok?” 

“You know, I have imagined a million different scenarios like this. What would Eddie say to me if I ever saw him again? I’m curious to see where this goes, so the floor is yours.” You swept your arm in front of you, inviting him to continue. A part of you was indeed curious as to what he had to say in his own defense.

He took a deep breath and started pacing in front of you. “Right, okay, um…I…I’m sorry that I hurt you. I didn’t want to hurt you back then. I hurt me too, and I…fuck, I’m living my dream right now and it all feels wrong.” 

You took another hit, “Aren’t there any number of drugs available to you to help with that feeling?” 

“Who do I look like, Nicky Sixx?” 

You couldn’t help but laugh at that. “No, thank god. I’m glad you avoided becoming a hair metal band. Grunge suits you better.” You offered him the joint and he took it, your fingers brushing momentarily. 

“I agree,” he said, taking a hit and exhaling slowly before continuing, “You wanna know why I’m so successful? All I do is work,” another hit, “I get up in the morning, chug coffee, and then I get to work. I don’t party much, I don’t date. I work. I have notebooks full of shit that’ll last me into my eighties. I’m set for the rest of my life career-wise.” 

“Well, that’s…good for you. Why are you telling me this?” Maybe the weed and champagne was getting to you because you couldn’t connect the dots. He passed the joint back to you, then rested his back against the wall next to you. 

“It’s all empty. Because I don’t have someone in my life who loves me, really loves me. I wake up in my bed all alone, day after day.” 

You exhaled the smoke from your nostrils, “Should be an easy fix, you’re a rockstar! Aren’t you drowning in pussy?” 

“Nah, I leave all that groupie shit to Jeff and Gareth.” Waving a hand in front of himself as if fending off a horde of horny groupies. 

You shrugged, offering him the last hit, “I’m sure there are plenty of girls in LA who aren’t groupies.” 

Eddie nodded, “There are, but I need the right person to share it with,” he took the last hit, then tossed the remnants of the joint away, “The person I haven’t been able to get over since I left her at her dorm in Chicago.” 

The air left your lungs like you’d been punched in the diaphragm. What? He was…what was he saying? He still wanted you? After all this time? After all that had happened in your life since then? When you were able to take in a breath again, you shook your head to clear your muddled thoughts.

“Eddie, that was six years ago! I’m not the same person I was back then,” you insist.

“I know, but-” 

“No, no, you don’t get to do this. You don’t get to blindside me at my ex-boyfriend and dear friend’s wedding six years after you broke my heart! And you’re really standing here telling me that you aren’t reaping the benefits of being a rockstar? I know you did, I saw you!” you accused, jabbing a finger in his direction.

“What?” 

You didn’t particularly want to drag up this particular memory, but you had to in order to make your point. With a hand through your hair, you sighed, “December 23rd, 1987. Corroded Coffin’s first album exploded, I had just been broken up with and you guys were playing the House of Blues in LA. I thought I would surprise you for Christmas. I went to the show and…god, you were magnificent up there. I couldn’t keep my eyes off you. That was the moment I realized…you were right to leave. You…you belonged up there and if you had stayed with me in Chicago, you wouldn’t have even gotten the chance.” 

“You were there?” 

“I even got backstage,” you laughed bitterly.  

“You got backstage?” 

“You came bouncing off after the encore, buzzing with energy and just…the happiest I’ve ever seen you. And then you bounced right into the arms of some dolled-up bottle blonde wearing little more than a bikini.” 

“Oh, shit.” 

“Then I knew -- I knew that if I approached you it would all go away and you would lose out on your dream. So I left. And five years later, here you are. Somehow back in my life.” 

“You don’t think this will work.” 

“You’re a rockstar! The lead singer and guitarist for one of the biggest bands in the world right now, and I’m a dance teacher from Chicago. Our lives are just…too different.” 

“You don’t even want to try?” 

“I don’t know, Eddie.” You truly didn’t. How could you be together when he was on tour and you had to work? There were phones but you had no idea if you could even afford a call from Minneapolis, let alone Seattle or Shanghai or Budapest. Did he expect you to quit your job and follow him? No way, he knew how much you loved your job. 

“Listen to me,” he said your name, gripping your hands in his and locking his big brown eyes onto yours, “I have been in love with you since you snuck ‘Heart of Glass’ onto the first mixtape you made me. I filled notebooks and four albums with songs about how fuckin’ badly I’ve missed you. I’ve been on six international tours, and every time I step on stage I search for you in the crowd and my soul aches when I don’t see you. I know you’ve grown and changed since I last saw you, but I have too. Let me show you what we could have. Please.” 

His pleas obliterated the walls around your heart that you had unknowingly built the day he left you at your dorm. Everything he’d done in LA had been about you, for you. He was begging you for another chance and you wanted to hand it to him on a silver platter. 

You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him closer until you rested your head on his shoulder. He smelled like leather and expensive cologne and a small hint of the weed you’d shared. “You’re a lot more eloquent, I’ll give you that.” 

He chuckled into your hair, “It’s all the writing. Spent most of ‘87 with my nose in a thesaurus.” 

You let your mind wander a bit, imagining him strumming a guitar with a pencil behind his ear or clutched in his teeth, scribbling down chord progressions or lyrics or doodling in the margins. 

You leaned back to look him in the face, knowing your answer. You’d known it since he’d approached you that night. You were ready to give it a go, for real, like adults this time.

“So how do you propose we do this?” 

Eddie ducked his head, brown curls brushing against your nose, hiding his beaming smile. “I have to be in Vancouver on Wednesday. When are you going back to Chicago?” 

“I have to check out of my hotel tomorrow by 11, but the wedding party is having brunch at 10:30.” 

“I’ll pick you up after? Drive you home?” 

“Yeah, okay.” 

“Can I kiss you?”

“You fucking better.” 

The kiss was absolutely electric. Six years of pent-up emotion releasing the moment your warm lips met. And in that moment you knew that this was the last first kiss you’d ever have.

Masterlist

[leopoldogout]

•

@povosgallery Last week for 𝘌𝘓𝘌𝘍𝘈𝘕𝘛𝘌!

Pigeon Dreams of Stag

Ballpoint pen, charcoal on dropcloth

118" x 110"

2018-2024

Leopoldo Goût

This iconic ballpoint pen drawing began 5+ years ago, lived on the artists studio wall the entire time, and is on view for the first time publicly in 𝘌𝘓𝘌𝘍𝘈𝘕𝘛𝘌

Come see this exhibition before the end of the year! *Closed Christmas Day*

•••

📍Povos West Town - 1541 W Chicago ave

Wed-Sat: 11-6 and by appointment

[gacmediadaily]

 Danica McKellar (A Royal Date for Christmas, Swing Into Romance) and Oliver Rice (Firefly Lane, Magic In Mistletoe) have booked their next flick for Great American Family. The duo will star in A Royal Christmas Ball, with waltzes choreographed by Dancing With the Stars pro Gleb Savchenko.

Production begins this week on the movie that will premiere this November as part of Great American Christmas 2024.

In A Royal Christmas Ball, Chelsea Jones (McKellar) is a dance instructor and studio owner in Chicago who inspires kids to find themselves through dance. Just before Christmas, Chelsea discovers a photo she’s never seen before. Chelsea thinks the young woman is her birth mother who passed away when she was only five years old. The woman is in a wedding dress tugging on the hand of a man wearing a wedding ring, but that is all that can be seen of the man Chelsea believes may be her father.

The photo’s handwritten inscription reads, “Our place, Havenshire, December 23, 1984.” With only the internet, a plane ticket, and lifelong determination to go on, Chelsea now has four days in Havenshire to solve the mystery of her birth family. Along the way, she’ll have to sneak into a castle, teach a stubborn Prince how to dance, and be in just the right place on Christmas Eve when the bells toll.

“Royal movies are among our viewers’ favorites,” said Bill Abbott, President & CEO, Great American Media. “Finding love when and where you least expect it is the heart of royal fan fiction and Danica and Oliver do a brilliant job of making heartfelt wishes come true.”

“Oliver Rice exudes a dashing Cary Elwes-vibe,” added McKellar. “Oliver grew up in London and graduated from Oxford School of Drama and brings genuine nobility to the role of Prince Phillip. I cannot wait for fans to see him in the film.”

A Royal Christmas Ball is executive produced by Brad Krevoy, Amy Krell, Vince Balzano, McKellar, Jimmy Townsend, Susie Belzberg Krevoy, and Don McBrearty. Producer is David Anselmo. Supervising producers are Kelly Martin, Michael Shepard, Michael Beard, and James Mou.

A Royal Christmas Ball is written by Marcy Holland. Story is from McKellar and Marcy Holland.