#covered in hotdog water and mad as hell

[roach-works]

me, struggling to summarize my wip novel: it's about yearning, it's about queer love, it's about growing up as a monster and becoming a hero and still not being the kind of guy everyone means when they say good guy and it's about who gets to define what and how do you cope when there's no words for what you are or how you feel or the ways you're broken, it's about being an alien and loving humanity anyway, it's about finding out who you are and doing it on purpose while everyone else around you really wishes you'd knock it the fuck off already, it's about how much love hurts even though love is the only thing strong enough to carry you through the pain and fear and, me: that's too much. that's incoherent. that's nothing. me: oh shit right, i forgot. me: it's about how cool it would be if turning into an alligator solved all your problems.

[threeletterslife]

Don’t Look Back [Request]

→ summary: It’s friends with benefits and no strings attached—the strings are burned and the ashes are swept and hurled into the sea where all evidence of love drowns in the depth of the waters.

→ pairing/rating: seokjin x reader | PG-15

→ genre: angst | mafia!au

→ warnings: gun usage, gunshot wounds, blood, pain, mentions of sex and multiple partners, profanity

→ wordcount: 2k

→ a/n: my first request! i may or may not have cried writing this fsdfsdl let’s see if i’m just an emotional bitch or if this is aCTUALLY tear-worthy

♫: Once Again by Mad Clown & Kim Na Young

cr.

This, this is your end. Though you would never admit it out loud. Nor would Seokjin as he, with trembling hands, struggles to locate where the bullet had penetrated your skin and lodged itself painfully into your leg. You hiss sharply when he grazes over the gushing wound. It's impossible to see the scarlet-red blood gushing out—it's too dark out at night. But you can feel the viscous wetness of it pour out of the gash, continuously. There is no promise of it stopping any time soon.

The harsh sound of gunshots ricochets off the suffocating night air behind you and Seokjin. He's scared too, but he would never admit it. You're struggling to breathe; to you, your panting is louder than the thunderous bullets flying through the air.

"You'll be alright," Seokjin whispers so quietly that you barely hear him over the guns in the distance. "I'll get you out of here." He presses his hand against your bullet-wound on your thigh, attempting to stop the steady flow of blood. But it's no use. And when you start to whimper, clawing at his hands to stop him, he's left with no other choice but to pull away.

"You can't do this, Jin..." you whisper. "You have to go... You have to leave me."

"Seokjin! Get the hell over here!" Jimin yells. He's ahead of the two of you, already running off from the murderous scene. "Come on!"

It had been an unexpected ambush. A mission failure before the mission even really began.

"I'm hurt like you, Y/N," Seokjin says urgently. "I have to stay. I'm not leaving you."

Tears sting your eyes as you bite your lip to transfer the pain in your leg to somewhere else. "You got nicked on the arm, Jin," you say as your hand reaches up to touch the sleeve of his jacket—a bullet had scathed his skin just barely, but it had left a hole in the cloth. Your hand falls limply to your side as you cast your head down, watching the black blood ooze out of your wound. The puddle underneath you begins to creep down towards the rest of your leg, soaking your jeans with blood. "Seokjin... I can't even walk."

"No..." Seokjin whispers. "No, Y/N..."

He watches as your eyes flutter as if you would slip from consciousness at any moment—as if you were fighting to hold in the torturous agony.

It's nearly midnight and it's pitch black outside, the darkness had made it easier for the enemies to attack. And now the dark tenebrosity was the only thing keeping you and Seokjin from being shot. They couldn't see you now.

But you've always been afraid of the dark. Even when Seokjin first met you. It was strange. You were a fierce and independent woman—the only woman to enlist a career as a hitman. You did not demand respect but you earned it from every male in the hitman crew the moment you walked in and bulls-eyed every single target in your path. You were the type of woman who didn't need any man to hold open the door for you. You'd be the one to open the door yourself and slam it shut in their faces. You didn't flinch at the sight of bloodbaths, either—after all, it was part of your job to make others shed blood before your eyes. It was a part of you to watch people die.

Yet behind that serious façade was a girl who was still afraid of the dark. The girl who insisted on having the lights on during sex because the gloom of a black room scared her. The girl who would grit her teeth and momentarily ignore her intense phobia when she was forced by her Boss to take on missions at the devil's hour—the tense dead of the night. You were a girl who liked soft kisses over heavy making out; a girl who loved making love over fucking; a girl who loved praise and whispers of sweet endearments rather than name-calling and degradation. A girl who would never leave anyone behind because—even though you never admitted it—the hitmen were like a family to you. You were—are—a girl who would fight to your last breath to keep everyone on the same page.

Seokjin's heart shatters into pieces when he sees your exterior had broken down. You're crying, sweating, hair in a frenzied mess and bloodstains on your face. You shake so hard in his arms that he feels cold.

"G-Go," you keep pleading at him. "Leave."

Again and again, he shakes his head, refusing to leave you. The others are yelling at him too, but Seokjin can hear nothing but you. He wishes it weren't night. He wishes he could see your face. He wishes it were morning so you had one less thing to be afraid of. Most of all, he wishes he had more time. After all, he never even got to tell you that he loves you.

Love is never good in this type of business. It's always friends with benefits and no strings attached—the strings are burned and the ashes are swept and hurled into the sea where all evidence of love and care drown in the depth of the waters. You've probably fucked every single damn hitman under your current Boss. But Seokjin's the one you keep coming back to. Because with him, you feel appreciated, welcomed, cared for, loved. And not used.

He's loved you for five years, but he couldn't tell you. Nothing was worth ruining your friendship and maintaining a business-like exterior. You were his closest friend out of the hitmen. Though his loyalties shifted every time he worked for a new boss, his loyalty stayed with you. Seokjin knows everything about you.

You love reading cheesy romance novels in the morning while consuming too-salty hotdog sausages and drinking mixed berry smoothies with extra sugar and ice. You love having your lamp on by your bedside before you turn off the lights in your room to go to sleep—so it wouldn't be completely dark when you snuggle under your covers. You love, absolutely love cats and you've always wanted one. Seokjin was going to buy a kitten for you too, but that's all in the past now...

"Jin..." you breathe shakily. "You have to go."

"I can't leave you."

You push him away, gritting your teeth when your leg shifts position. "Yes, you fucking can, you bastard. I'm fine!" you yell over the shooting in the background. "Move before I make you." You're trying to sound intimidating, but there's a tremor to your voice that Seokjin can't ignore; your eyes are watery from the pain, the fear—Seokjin doesn't know—and there are wet streaks running down your cheeks.

"You can barely walk," he answers. "Get on my back. I'll carry you, then."

"What the fuck, Kim! Hurry up before we all get killed!" Jimin yells at him again.

Seokjin ignores him, peering into your eyes to convince you, somehow, not to give up.

"Get over here!" Namjoon shouts. "Seokjin!"

You shake your head. "Every moment that you're spending with me, you're wasting time. If you take me with you, I’ll slow you down. Jin, I'm not worth saving. Not when the risk is so high." On cue, a bullet flies past your heads, almost grazing Seokjin's ear.

"N-No," he stutters. "No, Y/N. They're gonna get you. They're gonna torture you."

You force out a mischievous grin, clenching your fists tight against your body as you keep your pain to yourself. "I'm a good liar. I'll say I'm not part of the gang. Here," you say, handing Seokjin your handgun and dagger from your boot. "Take my weapons so they don't suspect me."

"Y/N... You'll be defenseless."

"Maybe it'll make my lie sound more convincing," you argue, biting your lip. "I'm serious, Kim Seokjin. Leave." You try to push him away again. But tears spring to your eyes when your leg shifts once more. "Please..." you beg him. "Leave."

"FUCKING LEAVE HER, MAN!" someone screams in the back.

"YOU'RE GONNA FUCKING DIE!"

Seokjin turns around to see the others frantically waving at him to go. He lets out a deep breath and gives you one last look before he stands.

You smile. "That's it... Just, leave me..."

But your voice is so quiet, he can't hear you over the gunshots that are heightening in volume as the seconds fly past.

You mouth something to him—so softly, so delicately that he misses it.

"What?" he says.

Your lips repeat the motion, but the sound does not come out. Your eyes are bloodshot, and your head begins to lull to the side. Still, you repeat the inaudible phrase over and over again until the motion of your lips is ingrained in Seokjin's mind. He will never be able to kiss them again.

"W-What?" he tries again, but it's no use. Someone's got a strong grip on his arm, and Seokjin feels himself being tugged away from you.

He never breaks eye contact. It's so dark that even though he's only a few feet away from you, he can't see your face; but he can hear you cry loudly.

"GO!" you suddenly shriek. Your voice sounds ragged in the edges, stern but so full of misery and pain. "DON'T YOU DARE FUCKING LOOK BACK!"

Seokjin nods. He nods at the barely-visible figure that you've become. His hands, clothes are drenched in your blood. He can't remember the last time he's seen your face in the light. When was the last time you'd kissed him during sex? When was the last time Seokjin dreamed that one day, you and he would break the oath and leave the mafia for good? When was the last time he fantasized that he'd confess his love for you and then you would scream happily and tell him you love him too? He can't remember anything except for the last movements of your thin, cracked lips, whispering the same phrase over and over again.

After hesitating and Jimin urgently dragging him away, Seokjin finally turns his back to you, letting out a shaky breath. He was never supposed to abandon you. He feels the urge to look back—at least see your face one last time. But it's no use. It's too dark.

He closes his eyes, his legs moving against his will as he lets his friend take him away from the scene.

You would've stayed with him if it were Seokjin who was bleeding to death. But he's selfish because he'd listened to you—it's too late now. If he turns back at this moment, he'll be shot dead before he can even get near you.

His eyes sting from tears, but he keeps them shut. In the pitch-black darkness beneath his eyelids, he can visualize your face—though blurry in the dark. He can see your lips; he watches as they move, repeating the inaudible phrase over and over again.

Suddenly, it clicks.

He almost chokes on the night air; being alive has never felt more torturous.

You'd told him you love him.

I love you, you'd said over and over again. I love you. I love you. I love you.

You love him.

And he was never able to give you the relief you deserved by saying it back. Seokjin bites his lips so hard he can taste blood. The wound in his arm hurts less than the pain in his heart. You're going to leave this world without knowing that he loves you.

That all the times he'd kissed you in bed, he'd meant it. That he wasn't just being nice when he checked up on your health in the middle of the night and helped you with target practice at the break of dawn. That he was supposed to confess to you.

But you'd done it first.

Tears flood down his face as he sobs. But no matter how urgently his heart tells him to turn around, he can't. He won't look back.

He can't. Not when guilt consumes his body and eats away at his mind.

He loves you, and you had loved him back. But it's too late now. You're dead. And Seokjin won’t look back.

masterlist

[iamvegorott]

Family fluff please these goofs are the best together

Here’s your bribe!

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

The sky was clear, the sun was out and everyone was on the Iplier Manor’s large grass yard. Wilford was manning one grill while Dark was at the other. Wilford was making some jokes at JJ since he was grilling hotdogs and JJ just rolled his eyes and slapped at his arm. 

“Have you seen Anti?” Dark asked, flipping a burger. 

“He said he had to pee, but that was a good while ago,” Wilford said. “Hell, I haven’t seen Robbie or Blank as well.” 

“I thought Blank and Robbie were coloring at the table?” Dark looked over and saw that the table was empty. 

“Have you three seen Chase?” Marvin asked as he, Mad, and Mare joined them at the grills. 

“Phantom’s been missing for a bit too,” Mare said. 

“I can pop into the Manor and see if they got lost.” Wilford offered. 

“Have any of you seen Jackie?” Henrik and Edward had joined them as well. 

“Where’s Bing?” Google asked. Bim and Yandere were with him, both looking curious.

“Yancy and Illinois are running,” Mad said with a point. “Is that a kiddy pool?” Mad squinted. “Oh shit.” 

“Attack!” Anti shouted before chucking a water balloon towards the group. Robbie and Blank rushed over with squirt guns. Jackie had a large armful of water balloons as well as Phantom. Chase had a large water gun he was pumping and Bing had one too.

“Watch the grills!” Dark shouted when they were fully ambushed. Anti hitting him square in the chest with a water balloon.

“I got you!” Wilford scooped up JJ and ran off. 

“Bing, I swear!” Google yelped when Bing was hosing him down. 

“Not the hair!” Marvin squeaked when Chase got to him. 

“I’ve been hit.” Mare leaned against Mad when Blank sprayed him with some water. Mad just rolled his eyes and ‘accidentally’ had Mare fall over. Robbie giggled as Bim and Yandere squeaked at him as he sprayed them.

“Jackie, Jackie no!” Henrik used his arms to cover his face as Jackie started throwing balloons at him and Edward. Edward managed to catch on but didn’t get to throw it back before getting pummeled with several balloons at once. Phantom was chasing Illinois and Yancy with balloons and wasn’t expecting for Illinois to suddenly stop, turn around and catch him. 

“This is why we can’t have gatherings,” Dark said when Anti skipped up to him, a balloon in hand. 

“Have a little fun, Darky~” Anti giggled, wiggling the balloon in his hand. He gaped when Dark used his hand to pop the balloon and got the water all over Anti. “You little shit!”

“You said to have fun.”

“Oh, it’s on now.” 

[noradarhkpalmer]

Domestic bliss prompt for Darhkatom (and Constangreen and Avalance)

To absolutely no one’s surprise, the couple with the largest back yard was Ray and Nora. Ray had been all too excited, dragging a heavily pregnant Nora to the house he felt he had found at “just the right time” before the October 23rd arrival of their Tori-Bear. Nora wanted to be mad, simply preferring to lounge around on the Waverider, huge headphones on her expanding belly blasting musical soundtracks, but Ray promised it would be worth it.

When Ray had uttered the words “welcome home”, Nora took in the house and everything felt right. She had tucked herself into Ray’s side and started crying. She knew they would raise their family here.

That was four kids ago. Now a family of six, the Palmer’s hosted an annual end of summer bash with all of their friends. Their lives had changed so much in the last nearly decade, Tori was almost ten, Sydney almost nine, Danny almost eight, and Penny almost seven. They had a big goldendoodle named Chewie that Penny loved to wrestle with and a full house full of the love and warmth Ray and Nora always wanted to fill their house and home with. 

Soon their house would be even more full with their extended family. Ava and Sara with their daughter Laurel would probably arrive first, Ava never wanting to be late for anything in her life. Nate and his wife, Zatanna, and their daughters Sabrina and Amelia would probably arrive next. Zari, Charlie and their adopted son Behrad would file in eventually, and last but certainly not least, the Constantine-Green family would probably stumble in just as the food was ready.

Nora was busy putting together their homemade ice cream maker, a sweet treat for all of the kiddos (they also had a separate one to make dairy free ice cream for Ray and Penny) when she felt a tug on her sundress.

She smiled at her seven year old and turned her attention to Penny. “Yeah baby?”

“Is Cassie coming?” Penny asked, referring to John and Gary’s daughter nineteen year old.

Nora thought about it, Cassie didn’t need to head back to school until next week. “I think so, baby. I’m sure if she wasn’t she would’ve told you.”

Penny nodded and Nora could see the worry in her eyes still. Penny had become quite attached to Cassie as Penny grew up. She loved all her aunts and uncles and even cousins fairly equally but Penny had attached herself to her cousin Cassie a little extra.

“How about this, why don’t you go use my phone and you call her and you see if she’s coming?”

Penny nodded eagerly and dashed off to use Nora’s phone to call Cassie. Nora could overhear Penny animatedly talking to Cassie, asking her probably too loudly if she was coming, and Cassie (on speakerphone) let out a HELL YES and that she wouldn’t miss time with her favorite cousin before heading back to school. Nora continued to listen to her daughter talk animatedly about her latest interests with Cassie and resumed putting together the ice cream maker.

xxxx

When Nora began organizing the barbecue, she told everyone 12ish. That way kids and adults alike could utilize the pool and then still have time for lunch and plenty of hang out time after.

To her surprise, Nate and his family arrived first, Penny excitedly dashed down the stairs to greet her best friend from the womb (Nora and Zatanna being pregnant at the same time, due dates within a week of each other), Sabrina and the two dashed back up the stairs to Penny and Tori’s room to get into their swimsuits. 

Tori came flying down the stairs, irritated. “MOM! Penny said I look ugly in my bathing suit!”

Nora blinked, it wasn’t like that for her daughter to be that mean unprovoked to her siblings.

“NO TORI I SAID YOUR SWIMSUIT IS UGLY. CAUSE IT IS. NO ONE HAS WORN THAT SHADE OF GREEN SINCE 1979,” Nora could hear Penny shout from her room upstairs.

Nora couldn’t help but chuckle at her youngest and oldest’s squabble and put and arm around her oldest. “I think you look great, don’t listen to her.” Nora dropped a kiss to Tori’s head. “Go help your dad with the grill.”

Tori greeted the extended family that had showed up before dashing out the back, leaving their sliding door open.

“Tori! The door! You’ll let in bugs!” Nora rolled her eyes and walked over to slide the door shut. She turned to Nate, Zatanna, and Amelia. “Alright, lemonade anyone?”

xxxx

The Lance-Sharpe family arrived next, all four Palmer kids plus Nate’s kids were already in the pool. Laurel ran straight to the backyard and threw off her coverup, jumping straight in and swimming over to her best friends Penny and Sabrina.

“LAUREL! YOU SHOULD’VE LET ME TIE YOUR HAIR UP!” Ava facepalmed. “She gets that impulsiveness from you, you know.” Ava pointed a finger at her wife. 

Sara shrugged. “That impulsiveness is not only part of why we got together but has saved our butts many many times.” 

Ava wrapped Sara up in her arms and grabbed her wife’s ass. “I guess it is a good thing because I do like your butt.”

“Yeah?” Sara smirked and smiled into a kiss.

“Mmhmm oh yeah.”

Groans of disgust from the seven kids in the pool broke the two apart and they walked over to see if they could help Nora set anything up outside.

Before long nearly everyone was there. Mick showed up with armfuls of beer, Mona popped in with a totebag full of books, Zari and Charlie showed up with Behrad as well. Tori and her best friend took to the treehouse with what suspiciously looked like supersoakers.

To no one’s surprise, the only family that had yet to show up was of course John, Gary, and Cassie.

Just as Nora was about to call everyone to start eating, Cassie bursted through the gate of their privacy fence, throwing her arms in the air, wearing a cover up that actually covered very little up and grinned. “THE PARTY HAS ARRIVED!”

“CASSIE!!!!!” Penny jumped out of the pool and made a beeline for her favorite cousin. Cassie picked Penny up, despite the seven year old being soaking wet from the pool, and hugged her tight. 

“MY FAVORITE MUNCHKIN!” Cassie spun her around. “Don’t tell anyone you’re my favorite, okay?” Cassie winked at her.

Nora rolled her eyes at her niece. “We all heard you.”

Cassie shrugged and settled Penny on her hip. John and Gary filed in behind Cassie and Gary shut the gate back.

“Is the food ready?” John asked.

“I just called everyone to come eat.”

“Perfect timing then, love,” John replied with a cigarette between his lips.

Nora plucked the cigarette from his mouth. “How many times am I going to fucking tell you to not smoke around my kids?”

John shrugged. “Guess I do need the mouth free so I can eat.”

All Legends past and present sat around in Ray and Nora’s backyard as they ate. Penny was in Cassie’s lap, most of the kids sat around Cassie, being the oldest of the Legends kids she was a natural leader (which was a good thing sometimes and definitely a bad thing a lot of the times). 

Two kids were suspiciously still missing from the group. Nora looked up at Zari and looked around. “Do you know where my kid went? She was with your kid.”

Zari nudged her wife who was trying to shove two hot dogs in her face at once after accepting a challenge with John because he “did this all the time at home anyways” which earned a suggestive look from Charlie and a bashful look from Gary.

“Treehouse!” Charlie pointed upwards, the word muffled in her mouthful of hotdogs.

And then, despite the clear blue skies, the crowd was rained on.

Nora felt it first, a cold spray of water on her back, she yelped from her place sitting sideways in Ray’s lap. She looked up, wondering how in the world this could happen, then she saw the distinct dark brown curly mop of her ten year old, piled high in a messy bun, disappear beneath the windowsill of the treehouse.

Nora very calmly put her plate down on an endtable. “I think we’re about to be under attack.”

Behrad and Tori came rushing down the treehouse with their supersoakers, attacking their respective parents first and then going for cousins and siblings next, then aunts and uncles.

Cassie wagged her finger. “You plot this and don’t ask me to join in? Big mistake, little Palmer.” Cassie used her magic to start a wave coming from the pool towards Tori and Behrad but it quickly flattened and only splashed some.

Nora held the water at bay and tossed a supersoaker to Cassie instead. “No drowning my kid! Use one of these instead.”

Cassie cocked the supersoaker like a rifle with a mischievous grin on her fast. “Yes, Aunt Nora,” she replied before soaking her aunt then moving onto Behrad and Tori.

Everyone, despite some (Mick) not wanting to be drenched from the supersoakers, thoroughly were. Regardless, everyone’s hearts were incredibly full by the time the supersoakers were empty and the sun had set that day.

[michael-hearteyes-wheeler]

As Strange As it Seems

[1] [2]

Chapter 3: Saddle up, Partner!

Read on (AO3) or (FF.net)

[A/N] So, fun fact, I made three moodboards for this fic, and I wanted to find a way to use each of them. Im calling this phase of the fic ‘Act II’, and this moodboard fits the tone better than the original one. I hope its not too confusing lol! And I hope you enjoy chapter three.

The week that followed, went on much the same as opening day. Hot, humid, big crowds, 'Saddle up, Partner', a lunch break that was really just a mad dash to shove something into your face, and then it was off to the rides with Max.

Mostly it was fine. And getting that first paycheck, that was pretty great too, but by far the best part of everyday was right before closing. When the sky turned pink and orange, and the sounds of laughing crowds faded, leaving only the constant calliope jingles to be heard. By Wednesday Max didn't even have to ask for Lucas to join. He would just hop over the counter and they would cross different things off of her checklist. By Friday they had ridden the Scrambler 8 times, and all of the kiddy rides at least a dozen times each.

Still, he was unsure of what to call their relationship. Were they friends? Was she only spending time with him because no one else would agree? Was he overthinking everything? (Probably, yes to the last one, for sure).

The answer, to at least some of his questions, came in an odd form on the last day of the first week.

Saturday had been essentially a repeat of each day before, the only difference was that there was a live performance of some magician happening in the evening. 'Great Value brand Mind-Freak' as Dustin had referred to him. Which was, all things considered, pretty accurate. But it also meant that most of the rides, as well as the midway would be closing early, and that during the 'pre-show' show, Lucas's lunch break was extended to a full hour. A gift from god himself.

Lucas decided that a milkshake sounded pretty good. But, then again, so did the idea of a bucket of ice getting dumped on his head. He made his was towards the cart he had come to frequent over the last several days.

"Aw hey, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Dustin grinned toothily from behind the food stands sliding glass window. He had his curly mop of hair pulled back in a messy ponytail to help keep off some of the heat. He wore a little paper hat with the fairs logo, and a striped polo that reminded Lucas of something an old timey barber might wear.

"It's my break, I just came to beat the heat." Lucas looked past his friend into the little booth, wear a row of slushie machines sat churning their sweet treats.

"Well come on in then!" Dustin disappeared from his place behind the window, and popped out of a small door a moment later, gesturing for Lucas to follow.

The space inside the cart was small, and what little floor space there was was covering in shipment boxes of food. A giant fan sat on the back wall above a small window, and a cooling breeze pushed its way through the space. There was a bubbling deep fryer for elephant ears, and another one for curly fries. There was a big class cooler with buckets of ice cream inside, and a long counter covered in sprinkles that didn't quite hit their target.

Lucas found a place to sit on top of a couple of sturdier boxes, and Dustin busted around the cart, like a well tuned machine, making them both milkshakes all without breaking conversation.

"I swear, some of these people have to be millionaires. $5 for a large fry!? You have to be kidding me! That's really the only perk though, that I get to eat for free." Dustin handed Lucas his shake before leaning against the counter opposite him.

"At least your job has a perk. I just have to stand there all day and press a button a thousand times." Lucas leaned back against the cool metal walls of the cart. He only then realized how sore his feet were.

"Don't sweat it, you get to close up early and run around while i'm still in here slaving away." Dustin paused to take a sip from his shake. "And besides, I can't think of a pretty good perk that you have."

Lucas furrowed his brows. "And what might that be?"

"You work directly across from Max! I'll bet you anything that the two of you fall in love before the end of the summer." Dustin winked and Lucas groaned.

"First of all, that's ridiculous. Second of all, we both just like rides. It's not like we get to just hang out all day, unless I yelled across the walkway, and that would just be weird."

"Look, ill i'm saying is that on your break you could have gone and chatted up a cool girl, but instead you came and talked to me." Lucas could feel a headache coming on from the amount of eye rolling he was doing. Why had he come here in the first place?

"Alright, Henderson, time for our switch." A voice called gruffy from the back of the cart. The boys turned to look at the woman who was clambering through the cramped space. She was older, with grey blonde hair pulled up into a hair net, and the face of a bulldog. An unlit cigarette dangled from her lips.

"Thanks Susan!" Dustin said as he hurriedly grabbed his things, and motioned for Lucas to follow. Lucas watched Susan give him an uneasy look up and down before turning to the window.

As soon as they were outside, Dustin untucked his polo shirt, and tossed his already finished shake into the trash.

"Thats Susan. She's one tough nut to crack. I used some of my best food puns on her, and nothing! Not even a chuckle!"

"Well yeah, if they were your food puns then im sure not." Lucas joked, elbowing his friend in the ribs as they walked.

"Haha very funny. You wanna go see Will? I think the backstage has AC."

"Hell yeah!"

They backstage did have AC. It hit them both like a wall, stepping into utter paradise. It looked a lot different than it did the first time they had walked through. The cavernous room was filled with people rushing back and forth across its cement floor. People yelling things at one another, people hoisting things up on ropes, and Will himself painting lazily in the corner, looking bored out of his mind, across from a wildly gesticulating Mike.

"Will Byers!" Lucas hollered, cupping his hands around his mouth to make his voice boom through the space. Nearly everyone turned and scowled at him before continuing about their business.

"Oh! Hey guys, what's going on?" Will set down his paintbrush, and wiped his hands on his apron. Mike stopped whatever he had been going on about and turned to wave at them.

"We were hot," Dustin plopped down on the cool ground at Will's feet. "And Susan scares me, so we came here to bother you."

"Well, there isn't anything interesting going on here." Will shrugged. He looked... off. Sad Maybe? Disappointed? Lucas couldn't quite place it. He made a mental note to ask him later. "But you could probably hide out here all day. I'm still not even sure who is in charge back here."

"William, I might just take you up on that." Dustin leaned against a large wooden crate, arms tucked behind his head and legs outstretched.

They all sat and talked for the rest of Lucas's break. It was nice, catching up, and it affirmed what he already knew to be true. That it really was more fun that they had agreed to join him. If it weren't for his friends being there to hang out with, he would probably have just been standing around the Midway like an idiot. That, or be off spending his entire paycheck at the arcade.

"And then, he got off the ride and basically fell over the edge! He was passed out for like five minutes! I thought we were going to have to call the paramedics." Mike was telling them a story about one of their old Middle School bullies, who handled the Tilt-A-Whirl with the grace of a dying whale. They were all howling with laughter. "The best part is that his date didn't even wait for him! She just went home!"

"Serves him right!" Dustin chuckled, wiping a tear from his eye. "God I wish I could have seen that."

"It was pretty great. Definitely blows the Hotdog Incident out of the water." He finger quoted the words and Will smirked up at him.

Just then, Lucas's watch beeped. He sighed, and stood up, dusting his jeans off. "Alright guys, I gotta get back out there. Are you all going to watch the show?"

"Yeah, may as well." Mike shrugged and Dustin nodded. Will looked like he wanted to say something, but he didnt.

"Cool, i'll find you guys later then."

Lucas made his way back through the fairgrounds, passing happy families and rambunctious teenagers, towards the shooting gallery. He made the trek take as long as possible, shuffling his feet slowly across the dirt pathways. By the time he got back to the midway, the crowds had mostly cleared out. People were already flocking to the stage, wanting to find the best places to stand to watch whatever bogus tricks would be performed. Lucas imagined a lot of smoke and mirrors and sequins. As he neared the game booths, he couldn't help but look up as he passed by Max's stand. His heart dropped momentarily when he saw that she wasn't behind the sunbleached counter, and instead some other bored looking teenager stood in her place.

It wasn't until he turned the corner to his own booth that he saw where exactly she had run off too.

Max was sitting on the shooting gallery counter, swinging her tanned legs casually and drinking from a bottle of orange soda that almost matched her hair in color. When she saw Lucas in the corner of her eye, she turned and smirked.

"Your break ended ten minutes ago." She scolded playfully, hopping from the counter.

"Uh yeah I know I... Had to wait in a long line for the bathrooms." Lucas winced at his own lame excuse. Smooth, Sinclair, really smooth. He didn't think that taking his sweet time on the walk back would affect anyone he actually cared about. Not that he cared about Max, no not at all (aside from the fact that he cared a lot).

"Shame on you, Lucas, look at all of these customers just begging to shoot something!" Max gestured out at the completely empty space around the booth mockingly. "You have deprived them of a good time, and now their entire trip is ruined all because of your small bladder."

Lucas felt himself smile as her condescending facade faded into a giggle. "Sorry Miss Mayfield, i'll make sure to keep my bladder in check next time."

Max laughed hard at that, and it was a sound that made Lucas's face feel hot. "See that you do. You wanna make it up to me?"

"Sure, how?"

"Let me kick your ass in a shooting contest." She patted the top of one of the plastic guns.

"You can try, but I hate to break it to you, i'm the best sharp shooter in Roane County." Lucas crossed his arms in defiance. He really was good, if not on his credentials shooting tin cans with his wrist rocket as a kid, then the week of practice he had amassed working here would surely secure his victory.

"We'll see about that, wont we?" Max flipped her hair over her shoulder as she took her place behind the player 2 shotgun. Lucas smiled and followed suit. After they were both in position, Lucas leaned over the counter and pressed the little red start button hidden underneath.

"Saddle up, Partner." Max and Lucas both spoke along with the games droning prerecording, having heard it a million times before. It made them both laugh before they fixed their rifles in their hands. Then, a western themed song played, and it was off to the races.

Little cardboard cutouts of sharp shooters and bandits would flip up with a number telling you how many points each hit was worth. Some moved slowly and were easy to hit, others flipped up for only a few seconds before flipping back down again. However, it's not exactly that simple, because hitting the cowboy, his horse, or a barmaid will deduct points.

Max and Lucas were firing at full speed. Each turning and aiming, the barrel of their guns crossing on a couple of occasion as Lucas went for a 10 point bandit, and Max went for a 15 point burglar.

"Stay on your side, Stalker!" Max hissed, determination and excitement in her voice.

"I will if you-" Bang "Do!" Lucas taunted back.

Lucas felt pretty confident, there weren't many targets he was missing, and he only hit the Cowboy once. It was probably his best game so far. Max was doing pretty well too. Aiming low and high, getting heavily invested and cheering after she caught the big 50 pointer that flashes up only for a split second. They were both laughing and bumping into one another before;

"That's some sharp shooting, buckaroo!" The game signaled that the round was over. Each cutout lowered back into place, and they returned their guns to the stands on the counter. They were both panting slightly, grinning from ear to ear. At least until Lucas looked up at the scoreboard.

Player 1: 445 - Player 2: 560

"Holy shit!" Max cheered, "I totally owned you!" She threw her arms up and spun in a small circle. Lucas's mouth just hung open. "Oh man, like I mean, I knew I was going too, but you weren't even close!" She punched his arm.

"Jeez, someone is really a sore winner." Lucas chastised and Max threw her head back in a loud cackling laugh. The same laugh that she always had when they were whirling together on rides.

"I can't help it!" She giggled, "You are just so fun to beat. Your face gets all confused and then you scrunch your eyebrows together."

Lucas felt his eyebrows, involuntarily, press together.

"Yeah, like that!" She laughed again and flicked his forehead. If it had been anyone else, he probably would have smacked their hand away.

"Yeah yeah yeah, congratulations or whatever, are we even now?" Lucas crossed his arms, watching her dance in place celebratorily.

"Totally even, I mean, i'm still going to gloat about this for the rest of today, and maybe forever, but we are even." She lifted her chin, looking proud.

"Until I find something I can beat you at."

"Is that a threat, Stalker? Video games are kind of the only thing i'm good at, and i'm really good."

Something really honest past through her eyes at this last rib. He realized that he had never heard Max say anything even remotely self-deprecating before. Not even to be funny. It was strange. It felt off.

"Hey, that's not even fair, you are good at lots of things, maybe just... extra good at video games."

Max looked at him puzzled for a moment. She was still smiling, but her eyes peered deeply into his own, shifting back and forth, almost like she was reading him.

"Okay. Maybe just extra good." She grimaced, her mouth turning downward crookedly.

He felt as though he had stepped into some sort of weird, uncomfortable, territory.

"I will find something to beat you at though. One day." He smiled as earnestly as possible, and let himself slouch against the counter, wanting to change the energy of the situation.

"Well," She slouched beside him, her face shifting back to a more normal, playful one, "If that day ever comes, then i'll owe you big time."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

Her face shifted yet again. She was closer to him now, looking up at him. He could see the small flecks of green that framed her brilliant, blue eyes. How had he never noticed that before? She was looking... Mischievous. Like she had a secret she was just dying to tell.

"I will tell you when and if that day comes, Stalker, but for now, you have made me miss some of my lunch break." She punched his arm, again, and pushed herself off of the counter.

"Hey, you were the one who wanted to play!" He hollered as she began walking back towards the main part of the fair.

She didn't respond, or if she did, he didnt hear it, but his heart buzzed in his ears. That small exchange had told him... well, nothing really. If anything it just gave him more questions. Max was always making him second guess and over think things. Which was, admittedly, really out of character for him. He was always the 'level-headed' friend. The one who said 'No, Dustin, you shouldn't try to eat a burger in one bite.' and 'No, Mike, you shouldn't spend all weekend trapped in the basement, come have fun.' It kind of alarmed him, actually, the fact that she could waltz over to him, flash a smile, and his brain would turn into mush. He sighed, and hopped over the counter back into his station.

The midway closed soon after that. There were just no crowds to try to sell too, and the entire carnival was basically empty save for the Main Stage. Lucas walked off after being relieved for the night, and he met up with Dustin as soon as the food cart closed. Together they found Mike, and then Mike found El and Max. Soon the entire group was on a mission, searching high (and mostly low) for Will. If he was somewhere deeper in the crowd, the thought of finding him would have to be dashed, but he made himself be found in a way that left the entire group reeling.

Will Byers. On stage, dressed in some ridiculous, blue velvet suit, being locked inside of a gaudy box by the magician.

The group was at a loss, silent and in awe, just like the rest of the crowd, but for very different reasons. Will had always been shy. More a behind the scenes sort of personality. It was immediately agreed upon that he had either been bribed, blackmailed, or hypnotized.

Will stepped out from behind a curtain. The Magician introduced him to the crowd as 'The Invisible boy!' He was asked to step inside of a huge rectangular box in the middle of the stage. Everything about Will, the Magician, and the box shimmered in the dusk lighting. Lucas had been right about the sequins, there was no denying that. Will did as he was asked, looking less 'mystified', and more just terrified.

The Magician tapped on the box several times, spinning it around, then spinning it again to show it was a solid structure. Then, he said some sort of magical word gibberish, and swung the door open. Only Will, and his very horrible suit, were gone. In his place was a beautiful and busty woman wearing a swimsuit version of that blue velvet ensemble.

The crowd went nuts, and so did the Party, but again, for very different reasons. Max and Dustin both cupped their hands around their mouths to let out loud and ear piercing applause, before Max grabbed Lucas by the hand, and pulled him towards the backstage area. He could feel the others behind him, but mostly he could just feel Max holding his hand tightly.

They found Will in the dressing room, hanging his suit delicately onto a hanger. He looked green with nausea, and pink with embarrassment all at the same time.

"William Byers!" Dustin gasped.

"Please, please for the love of god, tell me you weren't watching the show." Will groaned somberly.

"Oh, we watched buddy, and you killed it! Who knew royal blue was your color!"

"I didn't kill anything. I just looked like an idiot and walked into a box." Will rolled his eyes.

"You didn't look like an idiot," Mike placed a hand on Will's shoulder. "It was... surprising, but cool. Why did you go out there?"

"I guess the normal assistant for that part never showed up, and i'm the only person small enough to fit through the trap door." He shrugged.

"Trap doors!? Thats awesome! You have to give me a secret tour." Max winked at him and mussed his hair like a mom. That made him smile as he smoothed his hair back into place. Max speaking made Lucas realize that she was still holding his hand tightly. She must have noticed too, because she dropped it, and stuck her hand in her pocket.

"Yeah, sure, maybe. Can we just go? It's going to be crazy getting out of here." Will sometimes did this thing where he would anxiously bounce in place. It was nowhere near the level of twitching and bouncing that Mike often demonstrated, but it was his own version of it. And that's how he looked now, his flush face, and hair bouncing as his eyes flickered to the exit.

It made Lucas remember that sad expression he had worn when they saw him backstage. Was this the reason? Being forced out of his comfort zone? Either way, they all nodded and followed him outside.

"Sure, whatever you say, Invisible boy."

Will just groaned.

The group made their way out into the parking lot. It was basically silent. The only sounds were the 'oo's' and 'aa's' coming from the crowd still inside the gates. It had become a routine for the girls to walk with them to the van, before deciding it was really time to go home, and walking to Max's own car. It was nice, and the conversations they all shared before splitting lasted longer and longer each day.

El was talking about someone who came through the ticket line and had made a big fuss about the price. They all commiserate with her and laughed at her jokes. She was surprisingly really funny, in an understated sort of way. Unlike Dustin, who told a story about some kid who wanted sour apple sherbet and vanilla ice cream, and they all laughed about that too. It felt so... natural. Like they all got along, and the conversation never fell into awkward silence or a dead lull. Not with personalities like Dustin and Max, who bickered over basically everything as if they were old chums. Somewhere the path of the conversation had become skewed to comic's, and it was all downhill from there.

"Dustin, shut up, seriously, if I hear you say one more thing about the MCU im going to kick you." Max rolled her eyes and laughed.

"I'm just saying! It's an objectively better franchise with objectively better narratives!"

"Yeah, I think we all caught that. I even like Marvel movies, and you are making me want to pull my hair out." She flipped her hair back over her shoulder, as if to prove a point, and turned away from him to Lucas. They were sitting on the floor of the van through the open sliding door. "Anyway, Stalker, I have to go before I kill your friend."

"Hey, it's your life, you can kill whoever you want."

"You promise you would still be my friend after?" She put a hand in front of her mouth, as if to keep it a secret, although she still talked loud enough for anyone to hear. Mike chuckled and Dustin sighed.

"Max, if you did something to shut Dustin up? I might be your best friend."

"Alright, it's settled then," She clapped her hands together. "Dustin your days are numbered, El you have been replaced."

"Oh get bent, Maxine." El teased back. El was currently leaning into Mike, who had one arm wrapped around her shoulders, and one arm wrapped around Will's shoulders.

Max popped up from her seat next to Lucas with a smirk, pinching El on the arm. "Let's get out of here, lover girl, I can feel them destroying my last good brain cells." And then she sauntered off, her hair swishing back and forth.

"You know," El began as she stepped out from under Mike's arm, "She only insults people that she likes." And then El was off too, waving goodbye and following her friend to their car.

"Jeez, Dustin, then you must be her favorite." Will said with a grin.

"Hey now, I like Max as much as the next guy, but I think we all know who her favorite is." Dustin gave Lucas a shove as he moved past him into the van.

He didn't respond, not being able to think of a good enough comeback, and he let himself smile. Everyone took their normal seats, and they set off just as the sun dipped below the horizon.

The drive back to Hawkins each day felt as though it was getting faster and faster. Maybe it was because of Will's expertly made playlists, or maybe it was just that they had now made the drive seven times. Either way, it was a nice and fulfilling experience to watch the sky get darker, as the long stretches of farmland faded into quiet suburban neighborhoods.

Before he knew it, Dustin was pulling onto Maple Street, and he and Mike were jumping out of the car.

It was now their first official weekend off of work. The fair was closed on Sundays and Mondays, and the group was looking forward to not doing much of anything. They had talked passively somewhere around Thursday at having a movie night, but if those plans fell through, Lucas probably wouldn't complain. He was looking forward to just sleeping in, and maybe using his paycheck to buy some better shoes for standing in.

When he walked inside, His dad was sitting in the easy chair in the living room watching some History channel documentary. His mom was in the kitchen washing up from supper. He heard the TV go silent and took a seat at the breakfast table in front of a plate of leftovers.

"Hey, son, how was work?" His dad bellowed.

"It was good!" He replied through a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

"Oh! I saved you a plate from din-" His mom turned around from the sink, "Oh well look at you, are you eating enough at work? Do I need to start sending you with a lunch?" His mom was always the type to fus about whether or not he was eating enough. She was a great cook, so the answer was almost always yes.

"Im fine, Ma, dont worry about it."

"Okay, well you just let me know." She turned back to the sink. "Work is going well? You and your friends are having a good time?"

"And what about you girlfriend?" Lucas eyes shot up to where his little sister, Erica, was spying on him from the stairs.

"Shut up, Erica! You- You don't even... That's not!" He stuttered, dropping his fork back onto his plate. "Why do you-"

"You should know by now that I hear everything." Erica walked into the kitchen and stole one of his diner rolls.

"Erica! Leave your brother alone, and I think you have had enough bread today." His mom scolded, ringing her hands on a rag.

"It's not my fault he talks so loud!" She shrugged, and turned to stomp back upstairs. He liked his little sister a lot, but she was probably the nosiest person he had ever met.

"I- I don't have a girlfriend." Lucas crossed his arms, suddenly feeling not hungry at all.

"Mmmhmm." His mom hummed.

"Mom! I don't!"

"That's fine, I didn't say anything. Now you wash up before bed, you smell like a churro." She pinched his check and walked into the living room.

Lucas sighed, but he smiled to himself. He finished his food and washed his plate, and all the while he thought about Max. He realized that she had said they were friends, and that made him want to dance in place the same way she had after beating him at the Shooting Gallery. It was an affirmation to at least one of the dozens of questions he had about her.

That at the very least, they were friends. And that was good enough for him, figuring that was as far as he was ever going to get.

At least for now.

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