#cyndi hawkins

[deecio]

Who has to know? It’s not even their last slice...

Cyndi gets a little stealy when she’s drunk.

[hardboiledleggs]

Hawkins High Prom, 1985

Howdy gang, it's been a minute. This is a quick little oneshot I whipped up for the lovely @imnotokayhru based on this post of theirs. TW for a tiny bit of internalized homophobia and bad teenage dancing lol

The Munson Doctrine does not allow for attending high school prom, especially without a date. Jeff had just begged so hard, and Eddie Munson was, at his core, a weak man. Secretly, he’d been hoping to see what prom was like, and it turned out that it sucked hard. So now he was here, surrounded by crepe paper and sweaty teenagers, and listening to Cyndi Lauper and Blondie.

Jeff’s date, a quiet girl from his biology class, had dragged him onto the dance floor almost an hour ago. Gareth had been too young to go to prom, and Grant had flat-out refused, so now Eddie was stuck here by himself watching the teenage population of Hawkins try to moonwalk. Hello, therapy.

A third glare from the chaperoning Mrs. Click forced Eddie to move from his hiding place near the wrestling mat. He had been slowly revolving around the room, doing his best to keep away from Higgins, but apparently his tactic of standing completely still and looking bored was suspicious to the teachers for some reason.

Just then, Mr. Mundy abandoned his post by the door to the boys’ locker room, yelling “Hands, Hagan! Let me see your hands!” as he went.

Spotting his chance, Eddie dodged a decidedly drunk Tammy Thompson and hurried into the locker room. He breathed out a sigh of relief as the door shut behind him and muffled the DJ.

He checked his watch. Still too early for the damn thing to be over. He debated trying to escape through the vents briefly before realizing that he wouldn’t know which direction to crawl in and might die up there. It would be really funny if his corpse fell out of the ceiling during O’Donnell’s class, though.

Eddie gazed at the lockers for another moment before inspiration struck. Hadn’t he sold to all these asshole jocks one hundred times? Surely, at least one of them kept their stash in their gym locker.

He hurried over to the first locker and pinched his nose, anticipating the smell of sweaty jock straps and unwashed ass to assault him. His senses were pleasantly surprised when the locker betrayed only a faint floral scent that vaguely reminded him of his mom.

Eddie rifled through the contents. Extra socks, a basketball uniform, and a pair of Adidas sat at the bottom. The top shelf had deodorant, hair gel, a tin of moisturizer, and a can of Farrah Fawcett hair spray. Eddie snorted. No weed, just the sports paraphernalia of a very fussy member of the basketball team.

“Uh, hey. That’s my locker you’re stealing from.”

Eddie swore loudly and straightened up, smacking his head against the shelf of the locker. Tears sprang to his eyes and he staggered backward, clutching the top of his head. His would-be thievery victim started to apologize, and that was when Eddie looked up and recognized the very famous head of hair.

“Is it still stealing if I was doing my civic duty and just planning on removing any illegal substances I found during my snooping?” Eddie muttered as he rubbed the spot where a bruise was already forming.

“Unless you became a cop and didn’t tell anyone, I’m pretty sure theft is still theft,” Harrington snorted.

“I’m no pig, Steve-O. Just a guy looking for weed.”

“In that case, let’s try Hagan’s locker,” Harrington said as he crossed to the other side of the locker room. He let out a little “Aha!” of triumph and tossed a bag across the room that Eddie caught with one hand.

He slumped down with his back against Harrington’s locker and stuck his feet out in front of him, trying to ignore the way the tiles looked. Harrington crossed the room, hesitating for only a second before he flopped down next to Eddie, not quite touching, but sitting close enough that it would be easy to pass the joint Eddie was carefully rolling between the two of them.

“I’m assuming you’re planning on sharing?” Harrington quirked an eyebrow at him. He didn’t seem to notice that his very nice black suit was in contact with the biohazard that was the Hawkins High boys’ locker room floor.

“Of course, my liege. I always share the spoils of war with my fellow countrymen,” Eddie quipped. He passed the joint to Steve for the first hit, digging in his pocket for his lighter.

His companion took a deep breath, letting the smoke sit in his lungs before breathing out and passing the joint to Eddie. Eddie tried not to notice the way the wisps of smoke curled from between his lips and took a drag.

“Would’ve thought you would have your own weed for this thing, Munson. Isn’t this kinda your territory?”

Eddie scoffed. “I may be repeating my senior year but I’m not an idiot. Higgins would lose his mind if he caught me dealing at prom.”

Steve threw his head back and laughed. His already-nice face was so much nicer when he laughed. It made him look younger, much less like the haggard boy who sometimes showed up to their shared history class with dark circles under his eyes.

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, swapping the joint back and forth. Eddie picked at a hole in the leg of the dress pants Wayne had lent him, wondering why Harrington was being so nice to him and if he could push his luck.

“So, Farrah Fawcett, huh?” he said with a wry grin. Steve’s cheeks flamed with color.

“Hey, I’m swearing you to secrecy here. All of this-” he gestured at his ridiculous poofy hair, “-is only achieved with a very specific routine, okay? This stuff is the real deal.”

“Your secret is safe with me,” Eddie grinned. “Speaking of secrets, why are you hiding in the locker room when you should be out there, in your element?”

Steve frowned. He actually looked uncomfortable.

“Well, my date started dancing with Hargrove when I went to piss, so…” he trailed off. “Guess I figured I’d wait out the dance in here while she had fun. This really isn’t my element anymore, anyway.”

Eddie raised his eyebrows. “How did you pick a girl stupid enough to ditch you, Harrington? Did you ask your cousin or something?”

Steve pressed his lips together, suppressing a smile.

“No, jackass. I think she just thought it would make her look cooler to come with a date and I was available. Whatever, it’s fine, I didn’t even like her that much. She wore this ridiculous dress that pushes her boobs together so hard it looks like they’re going to pop out.”

Eddie cackled at that. He could already feel the contented stupor from the weed seeping into his system.

“If it makes you feel better, I came alone. Or, I guess I came as the third wheel who can’t dance so he got left by the snack table,” he shrugged.

Steve glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.

“What do you mean, you can’t dance?” he asked. “Everyone can dance. You just have to sway around in a circle with your arms around somebody. Have you never slow-danced at a school dance before?”

Eddie shook his head. “C’mon, Harrington. Nobody wants to dance with the freak.”

Steve slapped his knee and stood up abruptly. He held his hand out to Eddie, who stared up at him from the ground.

“Would you like to dance with me?”

Eddie gaped up at him. Harrington actually looked nervous.

“Be serious. You don’t want to dance with me. What, is Hagan hiding in the showers, ready to punch me for agreeing to this like some queer?” Eddie snapped.

Steve’s face fell a bit, but he still grabbed Eddie’s hand and hauled him to his feet.

“I’m not even friends with Tommy Hagan anymore, Munson. Come on, I like this song.”

The intro to George Michael’s Careless Whisper filters through the door to the locker room. Eddie hesitantly wraps his hands around Steve’s neck and shivers when a large pair of hands settle at his waist.

They swayed together slowly. Eddie couldn’t bring himself to look Steve in the eyes, so he busied himself with counting the moles on his neck. George Michael crooned about his guilty feet as they revolved around the locker room.

“See. This isn’t so bad, is it?” Steve whispered into his hair. They had drifted unconsciously closer as they danced, and now they were only a few inches apart.

He pulled back a bit to force Eddie to make eye contact with him. Eddie forced the blush that was fighting to rise to his cheeks back down and smiled.

“I would say it’s the best dance I’ve ever had, but I don’t have anything to compare it to,” he admitted.

“Well, I do, and I agree,” Steve said. “Don’t sell yourself short, you’re a very good dancer.”

Eddie grinned.

“Don’t let me get too cocky, Stevie. I might think you actually like me.”

“And if I said I did?” Steve asked seriously.

“I-I’d tell you that you probably don’t know what you’re talking about,” Eddie stammered.

Their eyes met again. Steve had a worried little crease between his eyebrows that Eddie registered as very cute in the back of his mind. They continued to sway even as Eddie’s hands began to sweat. Steve’s expression cleared suddenly, as if he had made up his mind about something.

“Stop me if this is, I mean, if I’m doing the wrong thing, okay?” he murmured.

He lifted the hand that had been on Eddie’s waist and cupped his cheek. Eddie felt his heart fall out of his chest and settle somewhere near his stomach. Steve’s eyes fluttered shut and he started to lean forward.

Tonight the music seems so loud, I wish that we could lose this crowd.

Eddie’s lips parted in a hastily stifled gasp as Steve Harrington kissed him. His own eyes slid shut as their lips met. Everything melted away: the smell of the locker room, the harshness of the fluorescent overhead lights behind his eyelids, even his own nerves squirming in his stomach. There was nothing but the press of Steve’s soft lips against his own and the pressure of his hand against Eddie’s face.

Far too quickly, Steve pulled back. Eddie stared at him, wide-eyed with shock.

“That was okay, right? That I did that?” Steve asked softly.

“Uh, um, yes yeah definitely. Definitely okay.”

Steve grinned at him. It was so infectious that Eddie couldn’t help smiling back. He was still cradling Eddie’s face gently in his warm hand.

“Then would it be weird if I asked you if you wanted to sneak out of here with me and drive around for a bit? I don’t really feel like going back to prom,” Steve said.

“I’m all yours, big boy,” Eddie replied breathlessly.

Steve twined their fingers together and leaned in to press a chaste kiss to his lips. Then he tugged Eddie toward the door, laughing. It was the most beautiful thing Eddie had ever seen.

~~~

They're so cute I love them so much. After this they drove around Hawkins for hours, singing along to the radio and holding hands and other sappy things. Anywhosies as always let me know if you want to be added to (or removed from) my permanent Steddie tag list where I bother you anytime I write anything about these two boys <3

Steddie tag list

Tag list: @brassreign @inmoonywetrust @kyoxyukiforever @spectrum-spectre @vampireinthesun @awkwardgravity1 @obsessivlyme  @steddieassheg0es @tell-me-a-secret-a-nice-one @sunflowers-and-knives @original-cypher @e0509 @estrellami-1 @scottiedoessknow @sweetwaterangel @novelnovella

[eddiethebanished]

It’s Only Fair

leadsinger!reader

Summary- Eddie’s working as a bouncer at The Hideout on ladies night, watches your band play.

Warnings- I’m not really sure if there are any? Please let me know if there are so I can learn.

Eddie had never seen so many women, especially at The Hideout of all places. By the time he got to work there was a line wrapped around the building.

He had been working at The Hideout as a bouncer for a few weeks, in exchange his band would be able to play more gigs at a reduced fee. But he had yet to work a Wednesday night,

which as it turns out was ladies night. Reduced price on drinks and girl bands gracing the stage.

With a groan Eddie pushed open the door to let the ladies in at 7pm sharp. A few had already been getting rowdy, banging on the door begging for early entry. From then on it was the same monotonous movements. Check ID, take the cover charge, nod his head toward the door signaling admission. Ignoring the giggles and flirtatious batting of eyelashes from some of the patrons, Eddie could tell by the sea of bright neon color dresses he most likely wouldn’t be hearing his preferred type of music tonight.

“Harrington?” Eddie asked, surprised to see the shaggy brown haired boy standing in front of him. “What are you doing here?”

Steve scoffed. “It’s ladies night, Munson. Plus, Robins band is playing tonight and their singer is like a total babe.”

Eddie chuckled and patted steve on the shoulder as he walked through the door. After what felt like eternity of checking IDs, taking the cover charge, and nodding his head towards the entrance, the line ended, save for a few stragglers here and there.

The first band took the stage with big teased hair full of aqua net, they wore matching jazzercise outfits and played the most headache inducing pop music that would even have Cyndi Lauper nauseous. Eddie made his way to the bar in hopes David the bartender could make him something to ease the pain of the night.

“Want your regular, Ed?” David asked while wiping down the bar.

“Sure, better make it a double” he said over the sound of the bands pitchy singer.

“Never worked a ladies night before huh?” Eddie shook his head, David continued “It’s not that bad, sure the music isn’t great but there’s rarely any fights to break up, and I make a killing in tips!” Eddie nodded and slid a five over to David before he was called into a sea of girls ordering shots and half priced cocktails. Eddie took up residence at a table near the door where a bold Steve Harrington was striking out with every girl he flirted with.

The second band who took the stage was just fine, the third band came on late, drunk, and ended with the bassist barfing on the drummers cymbals. After a brief intermission to clean the stage, the lights dimmed. People scrambled from their barstools and dark corners to the middle of the room. Shouts and whoops erupted as the band took the stage.

“This is Robin’s band.” Steve said sitting up in his seat and nudging Eddie. One by one the band members stepped up on stage, Robin with her drumsticks gave a silly wave towards Eddie and Steve, the latter of which shouted out a “Woo!” The bassist arrived next blowing a kiss towards the audience, followed by the guitarist. They each had their own unique style that worked together, it showed cohesiveness without needing matching jazzercise outfits.

When the lead singer got on stage the crowd went wild, eddies eyes widened. Black oversized t-shirt with black shorts you could barely see, fishnets and doc martens. Eddie shifted in his seat to get a better look.

“That’s y/n.” Steve said looking at Eddie with a knowing smirk.

“Alright Hawkins how are we doing tonight?!” You said into the microphone. The crowd responded with cheers and applause as you started your first song. It was a cover of “Love Will Tear Us Apart” by Joy Division. By the end of the first chorus Eddie was enamored.

When the song ended, you grabbed your placid blue fender strat and slipped the strap over your head. Eddie wasn’t enamored- he was in love.

“Watch it, Munson. You’re drooling.” Steve said.

“Shut up, Harrington.” He said flatly.

“This one-” you started while plucking a few strings, “is dedicated to all the shitty guys in Hawkins that broke our hearts!” Jumping into an original song about dancing with the devil and having your girlhood stolen, Eddie realized why all these people were at this shitty bar. They were here to see you.

When your set ended, Steve nodded his head to go over to the stage with him. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to your future wife.” He added a wink and chuckled to himself. Eddie downed the rest of his drink and followed after Steve.

“Hey look, Steve, you really don’t need to-“ He was cut off.

“Oh come on, have some fun.” Steve said walking through the crowd.

“Hey guys!” Robin beamed “What did you think of our set? We’ve been rehearsing like crazy and I really think it paid off!” Robin rambled clutching her drumsticks.

“It was great, Robin-“ Steve began, he put his arm on her shoulder and said in a lower tone “where’s y/n? I think our boy Eddie here might want to meet her.” He grinned.

“Oh! She’s putting her stuff in the van, I’ll go get her!” Before Eddie could object, Robin bounced out of the propped open side door where he could see the band members putting equipment in the trunk. Robin returned shortly arm in arm with the lead singer, the girl of Eddie’s dreams.

“Steve, you know y/n.” Robin said, a grin plastered to her face. Steve nodded his head toward you. “This is our friend Eddie.” Robin said with a gentle push on your back towards where Eddie was standing.

“Hi.” Eddie said, with his signature smile, a little dimple forming on his cheek.

“Hey, I know you, you work here right?” You responded after taking a sip from your water. Eddie opened his mouth to respond when-

“Yeah Eddie is the bouncer, he’s also in this band that plays here Tuesday nights.” Robin answered for Eddie.

“Here, Robin I’ll help you with your drums okay?” Steve said raising his eyebrows and nodding his head towards Eddie. As they walked away Steve turned back and gave Eddie a thumbs up.

“What kind of music do you play?” You asked stepping closer to the curly haired boy.

“Uhh Metal, mostly. I’m also frontman and play guitar.” He responded nervously, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets. You rocked back and forth on your heels and looked up into his dark brown eyes.

“I’ll have to come check you guys out, it’s only fair after you seeing us play.”

“Fair- right I have to warn you though, it’s nothing like tonight,” Eddie started looking around at the crowd still lingering after your set. “We get about five drunk guys at the bar and that’s it.” He chuckled.

“Well I can guarantee there will be one more person at your next show.” You smiled sweetly, Eddie’s eyes couldn’t help dart to your lips, they looked so soft with a lingering shine from the gloss that must have worn off while you were singing. Realizing he was staring for a beat too long he cleared his throat and looked toward the open door. “So do you need help carrying anything out?”

“No, I’m all packed up but thank you.” You responded politely.

“In that case,” Eddie’s voice deepened as he inched closer to you. “can I buy you a drink?”

A blush crept across your cheeks as you nodded silently. He grabbed your hand and led you over to the bar where two stools had just become available.

David walked over to you two slinging a rag over his shoulder. “Hey rockstars, what can I get for you?” You both gave him your drink orders and faced each other on the stools.

“Okay, musician to musician, what did you think of the set?” You asked biting your lip nervously.

“Honestly, I was surprised.” He said, sipping from his beer bottle.

“Surprised we didn’t play covers of Madonna or Bananarama?” You asked while smiling into your drink.

“You could have sang anything and it would have sounded amazing.” He started. “When I came in today I couldn’t believe how many people were lined up to get into The Hideout of all places. But when I saw you up there, it all clicked”

You brushed a piece of hair behind your ear. “Oh stop, they’re here for the half priced drinks, that’s all.” You said self-deprecatingly.

“Hey, all those people stayed after that bassist puked all over the drums.” you both laughed together. “You were a natural up there.” Eddie’s eyes met yours, still with a smile on his face.

“Thank you.” You said while holding his gaze.

“Hey y/n, sorry” Robin bounced up to you both, “My curfew on school nights is 11 and it is now-“ she looked at her watch. “12:30, and you drove so do you think we could…” she trailed off.

“Yes! Shit, Robin, I’m sorry.” You reached for your pocket pulling out a few stray dollar bills, about to place them on the bar. Eddie quickly shook his head.

“Nope, it’s on me. Employee discount.” He said with a wink.

“Aw, thank you, I’ll make sure I buy your drink when I come see your show.” You said putting the money back in the pocket of your shorts while standing up from the barstool.

“Don’t worry about it.” Eddie said with a shrug.

“Come on, fair is fair!” You giggled and leaned close to his ear. “I’ll see you Tuesday.” You whispered softly before Robin pulled you away.

Eddie could get used to working ladies night.

[loveinhawkins]

There’s a strange lull after the Upside Down is sealed shut, after it’s all over; Steve can see everyone struggling with it, particularly Eddie: it’s not like a town goes from vilifying you to doubling back on everything overnight.

Hawkins is quiet, ghostly. And yet, somehow Steve and Robin still have their jobs at Family Video—Steve is torn between laughing at the absurdity of it and being grateful for the familiarity. Every few shifts or so, Eddie will show up, uncharacteristically quiet, usually grabbing a chair in the back, out of view from the customers; Steve will take his lunch break there just so they can chat, unless Eddie has fallen asleep. Steve starts to suspect that the main reason Eddie comes is just so he can listen to the background noise of Robin and Steve: working, gossiping, teasing each other.

But Eddie seldom joins in on the banter himself. He seems jaded, worn around the edges; and there’s a shade of uncertainty to his now rare smiles. It doesn’t suit him, Steve thinks.

He gets the idea on a closing shift, five minutes till they can officially lock the doors to customers. The store is already empty, so Eddie has left the back room to instead perch on the counter, eyes vacant.

With a sudden spring in his step, Steve shuts the blinds prematurely. “Hey, Rob,” he calls across, “five minutes till showtime.”

Robin blinks uncomprehendingly for a second before giving a blinding grin. “Oh, you’re on.”

When was the last time we did this? Steve wonders. They’d come up with the routine together, during one of their first closing shifts here. It feels like a lifetime ago.

He keeps an eye on his watch, counting the minutes down, then makes a show of locking the doors. He smiles when Robin turns the radio on full blast at precisely the moment that he flips the sign to ‘Closed.’

He sees Eddie look up in vague curiosity at the sound. The DJ is currently chatting, and when Robin rolls her eyes, “Ugh, come on,” Eddie gives a quiet snort.

“You good, Buckley?”

“Yeah,” Steve says, “she’s just impatient.”

He narrowly avoids a VHS case to the head; he ducks, then chuckles at Eddie’s bemusement, Robin’s smile of anticipation.

The DJ plays a little jingle…

…And then the unmistakeable intro to Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ fills the store.

Steve whoops. “Yes.”

Eddie tilts his head—still confused, but a little smile tugs at his lips, like he can’t help it. “What are you…?”

He trails off as Steve starts to skip his way down an aisle, tidying away tapes along to the beat, with all the theatricality of Broadway. Robin cheers like she’s watching a live concert.

Eddie is staring in disbelief; Steve winks, unabashedly over the top.

Showtime.

Steve mouths along to the lyrics—vaulting over the counter, Eddie scrabbling out of the way with a hilarious yelp, he grabs the phone in time for ‘The phone rings in the middle of the night,’ and if he puts even more feeling into ‘My father yells, ‘What you gonna do with your life?’’, well, it’s all part of the performance.

By the time the song ends, he’s breathless, and Robin is cheering herself hoarse, and Eddie—

Eddie is beaming.

“Jesus Christ,” he says, with hushed delight. He’s looking at Steve like he just hung the moon and the stars, eyes sparkling. “What the fuck was that, Harrington? This is the best day of my life.”

Robin is cackling. “Right? The first time he did it—”

“The first time?!”

“—I wanted to, like, invent time travel, just so I could tell myself, hey, one day you’re gonna watch Steve Harrington lipsync.”

Eddie is cracking up, laughing so hard he almost falls off the counter. It’s the most relaxed he’s been in ages, surely the happiest Steve has ever seen him. “There’s no way anyone would’ve believed you.”

“Rude,” Steve says, ruffling some fingers through his hair to fix the flyaway strands. “I’ve honed these skills for years.” He catches Eddie’s eye, winking again. “You’ve not even seen my ABBA moves.”  

Yeah, Steve thinks, catching his breath before another song begins. He smiles softly—Eddie’s continuous giggles are a triumph. There you are.

[wheels-of-despair]

Can You Feel It? Pairing: Ex!Billy Hargrove x You x Unimportant Jock Event: A Very @corroded-hellfire Valentine's Day Summary: Billy fucked around. Now he's gonna find out. Contains: Heartbreak, spite, sex, Billy Hargrove Is His Own Warning. Song: You Oughta Know by Alanis Morissette Words: 1.4k

Minors and ageless blogs who interact with this fic will be blocked.

And every time I scratch my nails down someone else's back I hope you feel it Well, can you feel it?

You hate Billy Fucking Hargrove.

You hate his stupid hair and his dumb earring and his loud-ass car and you especially hate the fact that you found him with some skank's tongue down his throat at Tommy Hagan's party last weekend, just hours after he told you that he loved you.

You didn't make a scene. You didn't key his car or slash his tires or even let him know you'd decided to come after all.

You just went home and cried.

You cried until you got angry.

It boiled over Monday morning in the Hawkins High parking lot. You were separated by staff who threatened to call your parents and told you both to stay far away from each other. You were happy to comply. He was as good as dead to you.

For a few days.

The following Thursday in the cafeteria, when he winked at you while that slut sat in his lap, you rose up out of your chair to go murder them both... when Ashley M. stepped into your path and caught you off-guard by shoving a flyer in your hand.

You read it - keg party, this weekend, no parents - and a new plan began to form in your jilted brain.

You went all out. Teased your hair. Applied make-up that would make Cyndi Lauper proud. Wore that top that makes your tits look phenomenal and a tiny skirt that your parents didn't know you owned and the painful shoes that Billy called "Fuck-Me Heels."

Boys were drooling the minute you casually strolled into Ashley M's front door half an hour late.

You located him in seconds. He sat on the kitchen counter, staring. You'll give him something to fucking stare at.

You looked to the right and made eye contact with the first idiot who'd crowded around you, vying for your attention. According to his letterman jacket, his name was Spencer. He'd do.

It was almost too easy. One dazzling smile and a dance with a little too much touching, and he was practically dragging you down the hallway. Easy, Sparky, don't forget who's running this show.

He tries two doors before finding an empty room. A bathroom. Good enough.

He closes the door and locks it and shoves you against the back of it and tries to worm his tongue down your throat. No technique. Not at all like Billy.

Right. Billy. That's why you're here. You palm Sparky's comically small package with one hand and subtly reach behind you to unlock the door with the other. You push the meathead away, approach the sink on the opposite side of the room, and hop on. It faces the door. Perfect. You want to see the look on his face when he inevitably storms in and throws a fit.

Sparky sheds his jacket - stopping to hang it carefully on a towel hook, lest his precious jock gear get a wrinkle in it - and stands between your knees. He leans forward and begins to maul your neck. His hands find your tits and grab at them like it's his very first time. You distract him by peeling his shirt off, "accidentally" tangling it around his head to stall him. When he gets free and tries to resume his frantic fondling, you move his hands to your ass and watch the door boredly.

"You're so hot," Sparky moans, squeezing your ass with both hands. You roll your eyes. Hurry up, Hargrove.

You wait patiently until the bathroom door crashes open. It sends a jolt through your entire body, like you've been struck by lightning. Billy Hargrove stands in the doorway, eyes blazing and shoulders squared. The doorknob left a dent in the wall behind it. What did he do, kick it open? It wasn't locked, you fucking moron.

Sparky turns around at the sound. "Hey man, you mind? We're kinda busy here."

You grab Sparky by his bare shoulders and jerk him back to you. His face collides with the side of your neck, and he resumes his disgusting slurping like Billy isn't standing just a few feet away, ready to kill him. You stare coldly at the asshole in the doorway while you scratch your nails down Sparky's back. A move that was guaranteed to make Billy go feral, every fucking time.

Can you feel that, Hargrove?

"Ow! Shit!"

Sparky backs away from you and your claws, and Billy steps forward to catch him. Billy grabs him by the scruff of the neck and hauls him into the hallway, bouncing his face off the wall a few times before shoving him to the floor.

Now it's your turn.

Billy steps over Sparky's body and into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. He locks it, and before you can marvel at the fact that the lock mechanism still works, he's on you. Hand on your throat. Your head smacks against with the mirror behind you.

"What the fuck was that?"

"What's it to you? You don't want me anymore, remember?"

Fire blazes in his eyes, and his grip tightens.

You stare calmly into his furious face.

Why the fuck did you miss him? He made you mad almost every day. You fought all the time. He was moody, and difficult, and snarky, and let's not forget the fact that he's a liar and a cheater and an all-around dickhead who broke your fucking heart.

You'd give anything for him to love you the way you love him.

In the blink of an eye, Billy's hand moves from your throat to the back of your neck, and his mouth is on yours. Your brain quiets, and your body buzzes, and being close to him is the only thing that matters.

His massive hands drift down to your breasts, squeezing with just the right amount of pressure. You moan into his mouth, and his hands keep traveling south. You open your legs for him, and he doesn't waste any time slipping under your skirt and past your barely-there panties and dipping a finger into your center.

Feeling how wet you are brings him back to the reality of the situation. He extracts his hand, wipes it on your thigh, and glares.

"That douchebag get you this worked up?"

"That limp-dicked dumbass couldn't work a calculator."

Billy snorts, and you smile. God, you missed this.

"Who'd you wear those Fuck Me Heels for, then?"

"Who do you think, asshole?"

He smirks in a way that makes you want to smack it off his face. Instead, you hook your leg around him and pull him closer. Billy grabs your ass and jerks you to the edge of the counter, so you can feel his stiff member pressing into your heat. You need him so fucking bad.

His assault on your mouth begins again, and you wrap your arms around him and cling to his back. He rocks into you, and the friction from his jeans is almost enough to finish you off.

"Billy," you breathe. "Need you."

"I should make you beg," he taunts, slowly dragging the double-stitched denim of his fly upward and surprising you with a sudden jerk of his hips. You claw at his jacket and puff out a breath of air. You're not fucking begging. You try to grind your hips against him, but he reaches down to hold them still. You respond by lurching forward and biting his neck.

Billy responds with a slap to your ass. He pulls back, and you glare up at him, chest heaving. You're not fucking begging.

"Fuck it," he grumbles, reaching for his belt buckle. He unbuckles unzips, and slams into you in seconds.

Fuck, you missed this.

Billy begins to thrust hard and fast, eyes on yours. When you begin to approach your peak, you close your eyes and lean your head back. He grabs your jaw and makes you look at him. He wants to watch it happen. He needs to see what he does to you.

You come together, with grunts and moans, collapsing against each other in a panting heap. You fall back against the mirror, and he leans with you. His head rests on your shoulder. Breathing ragged. Bones weak. Brains foggy. Nobody makes you fall apart like he does.

"I love you," is what you want to tell him.

"I know," is probably what he would say before he smirked his dumb little smirk and zipped up those tight jeans that fit him just right and left your stupid ass in a puddle of your own tears again.

You wish you could hate Billy Fucking Hargrove.

[augustjustice]

I Wanna Be The One To Walk In The Sun

AO3

@stevieweek day 1: stobin | prompts: sapphic, the party

rating: T | wc: 2.5k | cw: homophobia and transphobia mentioned but with no real bearing on the story | tags: sapphic stobin, background elmax, transfem steve harrington, get together, established relationship, futurefic, tooth-rotting fluff

Notes: I went in a slightly different direction with the prompt. This fic centers on sapphic Stobin entering into a romantic relationship after Stevie comes out as a trans girl. If that's not your cup of tea, please skip this one! Don't like, don't read as always.

Title from "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper.

It was amazing what a difference a year made. 

June of 1987 saw Stevie Harrington returning to Hawkins, fully out to everyone who mattered and with her girlfriend at her side.

When Robin had headed off to Purdue the previous fall, Stevie had followed. She knew, deep in her heart, that she would follow Robin anywhere. 

And though Stevie hadn’t enrolled for any college classes herself, leaving their hometown had felt like gulping down the first breath of fresh air after her lungs had started to burn from holding it underwater. She’d spent so long treading along, just trying to survive the many perils that Hawkins had thrown her ways, it had been years since she got to just be.

Being in a new place, though, with the exploratory air that college afforded available at every turn, opened up a whole new world of possibilities. Stevie had learned a lot about herself in the intervening months. 

Starting, of course, with just who she was, once you peeled back all the layers of high school reputations, smalltown expectations, and societal roles. Robin, of course, had helped her enormously when it came to navigating that last one, introducing Stevie to ideas that Robin was rapidly learning from her classes and dipping her toe into queer culture for the first time. 

Things that Stevie had never even considered before. 

Robin never judged her, when she started borrowing more and more clothes directly from Robin’s closet, in the tiny off-campus apartment they shared. And when Stevie speculated one night, when the pair of them were cross-faded from home mixed margaritas and the joint Eddie had gifted them as a housewarming present, what it might be like to wear a skirt, Robin had simply said, “Well, I mean…you can, you know. If you want to. Boy’s can wear skirts.” 

She’d been right by Stevie’s side the next weekend when they journeyed to the mall, and she picked out a skirt of her very own, for the very first time. Knee-length and flowing, the pale pink fabric was perfect, made her feel pretty and delicate as soon as she put it on. 

And Robin was there, holding her hand as they sat cross-legged in her bedroom, when Stevie quietly confessed that she thought maybe she wasn’t a boy at all later that night.

When Stevie had glanced over at her best friend–biting at her bottom lip nervously, afraid of what she might see shining back at her in Robin’s expression–she hadn’t expected to find the other girl blushing.

“Well–that’s great, Stevie! I mean, that’s really great–amazing, even! And I’m so, so happy–and proud! Did I mention proud?–that you told me. I was starting to think–well, what I mean is, I knew something was different. With the skirt, of course, but also because you’ve been growing out your hair? And started styling it differently–pretty! Like, really, really pretty. I mean, I know they called you the Hair back in school, but these days, it’s just, it looks–”

As the words spilled from Robin’s mouth in a steady stream, Stevie blinked, realization hitting her. Robin was rambling, the way she always did in front of pretty girls.

There was no way in hell that could mean–could it?

Reaching out, Stevie cupped her face, pressing a finger to her lips to shush her, the same as she always would have. “Robbie?”

“Yeah?” Robin gulped nervously.

When she smiled, fond and sweet, the corner of Stevie’s eyes crinkled with the force of it.

“It’s just me.”

But as Robin’s gaze dropped down to her lips, Stevie’s heart started to rabbit in her chest with the same frenetic pace as Robin’s rambling.

It was Robin who closed the distance between them. That first brush of their lips had quieted all the anxious thoughts racing in Stevie’s head, every fear draining out of her. 

Because this was them–Stevie and Robin, intertwined together the same as they’d always been. Just, now, in a whole new, exciting way. 

It felt good. It felt right.

Several deep, giddy kisses later, the pair of them laid side by side in Stevie’s bed, Robin’s head pillowed on her chest, right over her heart.

When Robin chose to break the silence, her words weren’t at all what Stevie had expected. 

“You wore chapstick that summer at Scoops, didn’t you?”

Stevie furrowed her brow, nose crinkling with her confusion. “Yeah. Yeah, I did.”

“It was confusing,” Robin admitted.

“Rob, are you saying I gave you a sexuality crisis?” Stevie asked, delighted.

Robin nudged her shoulder, huffing out a sigh.

“I’m saying that sometimes you’d swing your hips while you walked away in those tiny little sailor shorts, and I had to remind myself that I liked girls.” 

Stevie cackled. 

“Turns out my gay girl radar was just even better than I thought it was.”

“Yeah, I don’t know if I’d go that far. You didn’t clock Vickie for ages even though I kept telling you—”

“Well, I guess it all worked out alright for you, didn’t it, Harrington?” Robin sniped back, the twinkle in her eyes gentling things down to mere teasing. “Gave you plenty of time to swoop in and make your move.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess I did.” Cupping Robin’s jaw, Stevie leaned in and kissed her again. “Maybe I should send Vickie a fruit basket, or something.”

“Stephanie Harrington, don’t you dare!” Robin squawked, already giggling.

That night, Stevie got a new name and a girlfriend, all wrapped up together in the same single, perfect moment.

—

The months that followed had brought them back here–exchanging sticky kisses at the Family Video counter, the sweltering heat outside so intense it cast a shimmer over the entire parking lot. 

With Purdue dismissed for the break, Stevie and Robin had come back to visit her parents and the kids. They’d decided to pick up their old jobs again to make a little extra money during the long, hot summer months. 

Hawkins was still as close-minded as it had always been, but both Stevie and Robin had a pretty good handle on how to navigate it. 

Since Stevie had started to transition, she got away with being pretty stealth–even though she and Robin still went everywhere together, most people didn’t put two and two together of just who she was. That included Keith, whose constant stammering in Stevie’s presence had sent both the girls into giggling fits immediately after their rehire interview, not a trace of his former Harrington hatred to be found.

Though it still wasn’t safe to be openly together most places, they took advantage of the closeness between two girls that most of the town just dismissed as gals being pals. And, of course, any and every spare moment they had alone. 

Like now, the store quiet around them, falling into that slow Tuesday morning lull.

Stevie had just barely finished applying her chapstick before Robin pulled her into another, eager kiss. She giggled into the space between her and Robin’s lips.

“You know, if you keep doing that, I’m just gonna have to keep putting it back on again.”

“Okay, well,” Robin sighed, as though extremely put upon, purposefully dramatic. “They shouldn’t make it taste so good, then.”

She punctuated her point by brushing her mouth over Stevie’s bottom lip once more. 

Since Stevie knew now that Robin had a thing for her chapstick, she couldn’t resist teasing her with it, just a little. So she uncapped the tube slowly once they pulled apart, making a show of liberally reapplying the coat Robin had just kissed off. 

But when Robin darted her head forward again, Stevie ducked her, releasing a soft laugh at the offended squawk her girlfriend let out.

“Hey, how about…how about this. We make a game out of it,” Stevie suggested. 

Robin’s eyebrows drew down, a look of concentration crossing her face that Stevie couldn’t help but find adorable.

“What kind of game?” 

“Well, I was thinking–you kiss me, and then you have to guess what flavor I grabbed when I left the house this morning. Winner gets a prize.”

Robin thought this over for a moment. Then, she stuck her hand out to shake, like they’d brokered some kind of actual bet. 

“Deal.” 

When she pulled back from the first soft, lingering kiss to Stevie’s lips, Robin offered her first guess. 

“Uh…cherry?”

“Nope,” Stevie replied, popping the ‘p’ in her mouth. “Guess again.”

Robin’s eyes crinkled at the corners as she leaned in, pressing her lips more firmly to Stevie’s for a long, probing kiss. She even went so far as to suck her girlfriend’s bottom lip into her mouth, nibbling at it gently before pulling back.

“Strawberry?”

“Correct!” Stevie crowed triumphantly, smiling as Robin held her arms over her head in victory. “And for your prize, Robbie, you’ve scored yourself–another kiss.”

“My favorite,” Robin replied, eyes sparkling like this wouldn’t probably be the millionth kiss they’d exchanged that morning. 

As she dived back in eagerly, their mouths meeting again, Stevie couldn’t help but smile into it.

Stevie loved kissing. She always had.

With Nancy, it had always been a little bit too much. The other girl had been the one to pull away first, every time, embarrassed with Stevie’s over-the-top displays of affection.

Robin, though, was totally different. They could kiss for hours without stopping, their only breaks in the moments they pulled back long enough to giggle or tease or exchange some silly inside joke of theirs. 

If she was being honest, Stevie found Robin’s lips irresistible, whether she was wearing the bright red lipstick she often sported at Scoops, or her mouth was bare and pink, leaning more and more into the butch aesthetic she had cultivated after high school. Stevie was always leaning in to steal kisses, press her mouth against the bow of Robin’s smile or pout or even her cute little frown. 

But Robin always met her, never shrugging Stevie away, just kissing her back like it was as easy as breathing, familiar and warm and second-nature.

It made something bright and content and loved glow in Stevie’s chest, each and every time. 

Only the sound of the bell at the front of the store ringing, announcing the arrival of a customer, could burst the insulated bubble they had created for themselves. 

When the sound suddenly chimed, Stevie and Robin immediately sprang apart. But, when they turned as one to see a familiar cap and flash of red hair among the group tromping into the store, they cozied up once more.

By the time the kids made it up to the counter, they were exchanging teasing kisses again, giggling in-between them with their foreheads pressed together.

“Hello?” Dustin called out, obnoxiously loud as he banged on the front desk’s bell. “Can I get a little help here?”

Stevie pulled slightly away, hands still on Robin’s cheeks as they exchanged an eyeroll.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m here, don’t lose your shirt. What is it?”

“You guys are so cute together, it’s giving me a toothache,” Max complained, but the words were totally lacking in their usual bite.

And as Max ignored the boys animated yapping and disappeared into the shelves, Stevie caught the way she kept sneakily stealing glances at where Stevie had dropped her hand over Robin’s, interlacing their fingers together on the counter. 

The truth was, Stevie–well. She knew her kids, always had. It hadn’t taken long being back in Hawkins before she put two-and-two together, about the long, wistful looks Max kept shooting El’s way, whenever she thought the other girl wasn’t looking.

She knew Max prided herself on being worldly, people savvy…but Stevie was still pretty sure she hadn’t realized that El looked back at her the exact same way. 

“The plight of baby lesbians everywhere,” Robin had observed wryly when Stevie pointed it out to her later that afternoon, once the munchkins were long gone. “It’s a wonder, honestly, that we got it together as quickly as we did.”

Stevie cocked her head to one side, thinking it over. With a nod, she felt something within herself resolve. 

—

After that, she made a little bit of a show of it. Always holding Robin’s hand on the center console where the girls could see when she drove them over to the Wheeler’s basement for D&D nights. Peppering Robin’s cheek in doting kisses whenever the kids stumbled into Family Video for a rental. Generally upping her usual displays of public affection just a little more whenever Max or El was around. 

It wasn’t exactly like it was a hardship. Her girlfriend was hot, and she and Robin were already touchy as all hell when they were together. 

She just…you know. Made more of a point of it when the girls of the group were around to see.

—

It wasn’t until the Fourth of July barbecue that Robin finally called her on it. 

After the ‘earthquake,’ Stevie’s parents had all but abandoned their property in Hawkins. Before leaving for Purdue, she’d paid some local people out of the trust she’d gotten from her grandfather for upkeep. Which meant…she had an immaculately clean and available pool up for grabs by the time summer rolled around. Naturally, Stevie found herself playing hostess to the party and co. by the time Independence Day arrived.

She didn’t mind it. Having them–the kids, the older not-so-teens anymore, the parents in the know–all there, laughing and splashing and chasing each other through the grass. It went a long way towards exorcizing the haunted feeling that had crept over the place, in the aftermath of everything that happened with the Upside Down. 

When Robin settled down beside her at the shallow end of the pool, dipping her legs in, Stevie caught El glancing back in their direction, over Max’s shoulder where the girls had been twirling lazily around each other in the water. 

She held the hand Robin offered her a little tighter, curling close to press a kiss against her temple. And when El sent a shy, pleased smile her way, Stevie could only answer with one in return. 

“What was that for?” Robin asked.

“Cuz you’re cute,” Stevie said, utterly sincere, which made Robin snort and jostle her shoulder lightly, though she didn’t let go of her hand. “What, can’t a girl kiss her girlfriend just because she wants to?”

“She can, but I sense some ulterior motivation, Stephanie Harrington.”

Stevie shrugged, tucking a bit of hair behind Robin’s ear.

“I don’t know, just for…being you, I guess.”

“Something tells me this has way more to do with your little babysitter’s club sitting over there then you’re letting on,” Robin leaned over and gave Stevie a quick peck on the lips, “but, for the record? You’re kinda cute yourself.”

“Only kinda?”

“Yeah, you know, a little bit,” Robin held up her fingers and pinched them together to demonstrate, voice going silly.

Stevie giggled, and she was still giggling softly when Robin captured her lips with her own in a lingering, proper kiss.

When they finally pulled apart, she caught Robin’s blink of surprise, a light suddenly shining in her eyes. 

“Oh, shit. Well, will you look at that?” she jerked her chin towards the deep end of the pool. 

Stevie turned just in time to see it. Between one breath and the next, El and Max intertwined their fingers, going from playfully pressing their palms together–with all the plausible deniability that entailed–to properly holding hands. 

And the happiness she saw blooming across both their faces when they did–Stevie felt it, too, bursting like sunlight inside her own chest. 

“Guess our good influence paid off,” Robin said. Though the words could have been teasing, her voice sounded every bit as awed as Stevie felt. 

Leaning her head on Stevie’s shoulder, Robin pulled her hand up to her mouth and kissed the back of it.

“Face it, Stevie. We’re totally, like…a pair of lesbian moms at this point.”

Bubbly, pleasant warmth spread through Stevie at the thought. The truth was…that sounded pretty damn near perfect to her. 

So she pictured it, for a moment, a future–Robin hers forever, a chubby-legged baby toddling between them. 

And when she leaned in and kissed her girlfriend again, the taste of happiness as always on her lips…Stevie Harrington let herself hope.

[fromasgardandback]

karaoke at the Hideout

•

masterlist | stranger things summer

friday nights are karaoke night at the Hideout. it was no surprise that the older gang walked into the bar ready to have a fun-filled night

what they didn’t expect was for a biker gang hanging out to be there as well. not only did they feel somewhat uncomfortable with all the harsh stares, but now they have to sing in front of them as well

“I'm not singing sober with all this going on. I’m getting wasted before I even think about walking on that stage.” Nancy shook her head going towards the bar with Robin following

“It can’t be that bad. I mean Eddie sings in front of drunks all the time. Plus we only live once, why not make a memory to share when we’re older?” Y/N suggested smiling at the boys before ordering a drink at the bar

once they were all partway tipsy, Robin was the first to stumble up there and the bikers didn’t seem to mind. Steve followed, then Nancy, Eddie, and finally Y/N ending the troop’s singing

Robin sang “One Way or Another” by Blondie; Steve sang “Club Tropicana” by Wham!; Nancy sang “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper; Eddie sang “Into The Void” by Black Sabbath, and Y/N sang “Panama” by Van Halen 

the girls at the bar sang along with Robin and Nancy, Steve got a weird look but some smiles from customers passing town, but the real treat was that the bikers sang along with Y/N. apparently, they were heading to a Van Halen concert in Texas and stopped in for a drink and a night stay from Milwaukee

this got some of the burly and tough men to sing a few songs on stage. that was the best part of the night to see people who were looked upon as scary and finding their soft inner personality. they reminded Y/N a lot of Eddie. for Hawkins to blame Eddie for his hard exterior and refusal to learn his soft interior was their loss

this was a night they all were going to remember. Eddie took so many Polaroids, he had to share a few with the others

the night ended in a drunk rendition of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”, and to everyone’s surprise Eddie knew all the lyrics

[becca-alexa]

Movie Magic

Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader

Summary: You're at Steve's for a movie date - what could go wrong?

Word Count: 1.7K

Content Warnings: fluff, fingering (f receiving), no use of [Y/N]

Author’s Note: bored and overwhelmed with school!and what better way to work off my stress than to keep writing this stuff? feedback and comments appreciated!💗💗

    In any and every situation, Steve Harrington loved to touch you.

    Steve had been starved for affection since his childhood, his parents oftentimes never present enough to give him the love he ached for, the love every child deserves to receive from their family; he’d taught himself to live without such things, believing that their behavior was the norm, and that it was those he considered to be overly-affectionate that were strange. 

    As a teenager budding into young adulthood, he’d finally discovered how wrong his family had been.

    The first form of love he’d found was with Nancy - an eros love, however fleeting their relationship had been. He’d also learned of heartache, which made the love all the more powerful.

    The second form, he’d found with Robin - philia, or ‘platonic with a capital “P”’, as she would so often tell everyone. It was a warm kind of love, a safe love, a nonjudgmental and welcoming love that he basked in whenever they were together.

    The familial love - storge - he’d been searching for, he’d found in the kids - and in Eddie, of all people, although he’d be loath to admit it. Their friendships meant the world to him, and if it meant putting his own life on the line a second time to guarantee they’d all live to see tomorrow, then so be it.

    And the fourth kind of love, pragma… Well, that he found in you.

    Steve had been smitten with you since the first time you’d wandered into Family Video.

    You’d walked up to the counter; Steve, sorting through stacks of cassettes underneath, sprang upright at the sound of your voice, his eyes wide at the sight of you - a new face, a breath of air in the occasional staleness that came with living in a small town. You smiled at him, and he smiled in return; to his surprise, you asked him for directions, still too new to Hawkins to know which way the local Piggly Wiggly was. Steve had done his best explaining things to you, and you had thanked him as you left, giving him a shy wave goodbye through the store window.

    Robin nearly gagged at the way he’d melted after you’d left - and she’d teased him mercilessly for months about it.

    About you.

    You’d gone back the next day, this time actually in search of a video, Steve nearly leaping over the counter in his haste to get to you.

    “Hi.” he breathed, his smile more lopsided than debonair, hair falling over his forehead.

    “Hello again,” you replied, eyes clear and bright as you take a step closer to him, pointing at the rack of recent releases behind him. “Any recommendations?”

    He explained every movie, every plot point, every surprise twist or frightening scare that might deter one from renting a film - and Robin, looking on, arms leaned over the counter as she pretended to flip through a catalog, swore she’d never seen Steve do so much work.

    He pulled a few boxes from the shelf - his favorites, since you’d asked for suggestions. You stared at the boxes in his hands, lip caught between your teeth as you tried to decide which one to pick - and when your hands brushed his, he nearly jumped at the jolt of electricity that shot through him.

    Judging from the look of bewilderment on your face, you’d felt it, too.

    In any and every situation, Steve Harrington loved to touch you.

    Whenever he saw you, he’d long for some sort of contact with you; with your frequent visits to the shop, it was only natural that you’d befriend them, and eventually you just started spending your free time with the pair. It began with a poke; Steve had leaned his hip against the counter, listening to your excited raving about Cyndi Lauper’s newest single, nodding every once so often. He stared at your hand, at your seafoam green nail polish, and he couldn’t help himself.

    He poked your finger.

    You didn’t miss a beat, your conversation continuing on as though nothing had happened. But, much to Steve’s delight, you’d poked him back.

    And, from that point on, you were both inseparable.

    Poking turned to tapping, which turned to grabbing, then holding. As the scalding summer days drawled on, your friendship with Steve deepened - perhaps a bit too quickly to some, but perfect for the two of you. One day, working alone at the store, he had sworn to move things forward - to take the risk, praying you wouldn’t turn tail and run.

    He asked you out.

    You said yes, much to his surprise - and unsurprisingly to everyone else.

    As a friend, Steve Harrington was caring, kind, warm; his comforting aura was what had initially attracted you to him. But, as a boyfriend? 

    In any and every situation, Steve Harrington loved to touch you; to hold you, to brush his hand against yours, to press the softest of kisses onto your hair, your eyes, your cheeks, your lips.

    But, you quickly learned that he especially loved to touch you.

    Seated between his legs atop his couch, you leaned back against his chest, head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around you, the movie you’d picked out playing on the large television. You try to focus on the movie - God knows you try - but the feeling of Steve’s rough hands moving over your thighs dominates your mind, your thoughts. You sneak a look at him, only to find him actually watching the movie; his hands continue to move over you, squeezing your softness, fingers wandering beneath the hem of your skirt, moving higher… Higher…

    “Steve?” Your voice is hoarse, your mouth dry, tongue sticky. “What are you-”

    “Just watch the movie.” His voice is soft against your ear, low and rumbling in a way that vibrates through your chest. You nod, swallowing against the tightness in your throat as his touch burns trails over your skin.

    You feel his fingers brush over your underwear, and he makes a quiet noise to get your attention.

    “Can I?” Steve asks, fingers tugging at the elastic hugging your body; you nod, face aflame as you lift your hips, pulling off the offensive thing in a single motion. And, unsure of where to put it, Steve takes it from you, sliding the lacy things into his pocket - for later, he answers with a kiss to your cheek before turning you back to watch whatever scene was playing out on the screen.

    You feel his hands roam over the inside of your legs, trailing close to your core. With a quiet gasp, your eyes flutter shut as you feel him drag a finger between your folds - up, down, up, down, stopping every few strokes to rub agonizingly slowly over your clit.

    “S-Steve-”

    “Keep watching.”

    Your body thrums in anticipation, and you have no choice but to do as he says.

    He continues on with his teasing - there’s no other way to describe what he’s doing - and you quickly feel yourself melting in his arms. As he kisses the shell of your ear, lips trailing over your flushed skin, his other hand moves to join the first, working in tandem to unravel you. You catch yourself grinding your hips up into his hands, and you barely catch a moan before it slips through your chapped lips.

    He rolls your clit between his fingers, maddening, electrifying, while his other hand presses into you, his fingers coated in your essence. Soon enough, the quiet, wet sounds of his fingers working your pussy fill the room, a sinful backing track to the movie you were supposed to still be watching. Your head rolls back against his shoulder, your breathing heavy, eyes fluttering closed as waves of warmth crash over you.

    “Eyes on the TV, sweetheart.”

    He pumps his finger into you, adding another, and you hear the softest of groans from him at how you squeeze around him, pulling him further into you. The hand at your clit speeds up, slows down, stops altogether before picking up at a dizzying pace - and the feeling drives you nearly to the brink of insanity, the familiar tightness of your release already coiling in your stomach.

    “You like this, don’t you?” Steve huffs against your ear, his own breathing labored as he works you toward your peak. “You like it when I touch you like this? When I get you soaking wet?”

    You nod, your mind a haze of pleasure; you moan aloud as his fingers curl themselves inside of you - and you know you won’t last much longer.

    “S-Steve, fuck…! I-I’m-” You cut yourself off with moan, one loud enough to be heard over the rising action of the film - rather, what you assumed to be the rising action.

    Neither of you were paying attention, anyway.

    You’re panting now, Steve’s name a prayer on your lips as your nails leave crescents in his arms, your eyes clenched shut as you feel yourself begin to come undone; the feeling of him everywhere is too much, too intense, and you let yourself fall into him.

    “C’mon, baby, cum for me. Cum on my fingers.” You feel Steve lick a stripe up your neck, kissing you, his words burning themselves into your flushed skin. “I want to feel you - please, baby…”

    You scream as the thread snaps, your body arching off his, his thick fingers buried deep inside of you, working you through the ecstasy. He presses kisses wherever he can reach, whispering praises into your ear; you can hear the smile in his voice, the pride he reserves only for you.

    “So good to me, baby… So sweet…” Pulling his hand away, he makes quite the show of licking his fingers clean, your flushed face burning impossibly redder, the sight making him smile as he readjusts you against him. He pulls out your panties, offering them back to you - of course, he does so purely out of courtesy, already knowing you’d refuse them. You settle yourself, burying your head in the cozy warmth of his chest.

    “Should I rewind the movie?” Steve asks, sounding almost sheepish as he reaches for the remote - and you laugh, taking the remote and tossing it aside before jumping to your feet, pulling him up with you as you lead him to his bedroom.

    “I’ve got a better idea…”

[thisisyourdriverspeaking]

Lightening the mood after Miami with another edition of my US number ones posts - the drivers from all series version. Please enjoy 😊😊

Sebastien Loeb (26th February 1974) - Barbara Streisand - The Way We Were

Tony Kanaan (31st December 1974) - Helen Reddy - Angie Baby

Juan Pablo Montoya (20th September 1975) - David Bowie - Fame

Mark Webber (27th August 1976) - Elton John & Kiki Dee - Don't Go Breaking My Heart

Kimi Raikkonen (17th October 1979) - Michael Jackson - Don't Stop Til You Get Enough

Jenson Button (19th January 1980) - Michael Jackson - Rock With You

Felipe Massa (25th April 1981) - Daryl Hall & John Oates - Kiss On My List

Heikki Kovalainen (19th October 1981) - Christopher Cross - Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)

Andre Lotterer (19th November 1981) - Daryl Hall & John Oates - Private Eyes

Pippa Mann (11th August 1983) - The Police - Every Breath You Take

Simon Pagenaud (18th May 1984) - Lionel Richie - Hello

Robert Kubica (7th December 1984) - Wham! - Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go

Nico Rosberg (27th June 1985) - Bryan Adams - Heaven

Jerome D'Ambrosio (27th December 1985) - Lionel Richie - Say You, Say Me

Rahel Frey (23rd February 1986) - Whitney Houston - How Will I Know

Kamui Kobayashi (13th September 1986) - Berlin - Take My Breath Away

Rene Rast (26th October 1986) - Cyndi Lauper - True Colors

James Hinchcliffe (5th December 1986) - Bon Jovi - You Give Love A Bad Name

Oliver Turvey (1st April 1987) - Club Nouveau - Let It Be

Sebastian Vettel (3rd July 1987) - Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)

Alexander Sims (15th March 1988) - Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up

Molly Taylor (6th May 1988) - Whitney Houston - Where Do Broken Hearts Go

Simona De Silvestro (1st September 1988) - George Michael - Monkey

Sarah Bovy (15th May 1989) - Bon Jovi - I'll Be There For You

James Calado (13th June 1989) - Bette Midler - Wind Beneath My Wings

Brendon Hartley (10th November 1989) - Roxette - Listen To Your Heart

Earl Bamber (9th July 1990) - New Kids On The Block - Step By Step

Cristina Gutierrez (24th July 1991) - EMF - Unbelievable

Abbie Eaton (2nd January 1992) - Michael Jackson - Black Or White

Timmy Hansen (21st May 1992) - Kris Kross - Jump

Daniel Abt (3rd December 1992) & Alice Powell (26th January 1993) - Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You

Tatiana Calderon (10th March 1993) - Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle - A Whole New World

Christine GZ (22nd July 1993) - SWV - Weak

Alex Lynn (17th September 1993) & Bubba Wallace (8th October 1993) - Mariah Carey - Dreamlover

Michelle Gatting (31st December 1993) - Mariah Carey - Hero

Naomi Schiff (18th May 1994) - Ace Of Base - The Sign

Jessica Hawkins (16th February 1995) & Luca Ghiotto (24th February 1995) - TLC - Creep

Beitske Visser (10th March 1995) - Madonna - Take A Bow

Nicholas Latifi (29th June 1995) - Bryan Adams - Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?

Jack Aitken (23rd September 1995) - Coolio ft L.V - Gangsta's Paradise

Oliver Askew (12th December 1996) - Toni Braxton - Un-Break My Heart

Louis Deletraz (22nd April 1997) - Puff Daddy ft Mase - Can't Nobody Hold Me Down

Catie Munnings (15th November 1997) - Elton John - Candle In The Wind

Cem Bolukbasi (9th February 1998) - Janet Jackson - Together Again

Jamie Chadwick (20th May 1998) - Next - Too Close

Kevin Hansen (28th May 1998) - Mariah Carey - My All

Mick Schumacher (22nd March 1999) - Cher - Believe

Toni Breidinger (14th July 1999) - Jennifer Lopez - If You Had My Love

Max Fewtrell (29th July 1999) - Will Smith ft Dru Hill & Kool Moe Dee - Wild Wild West

Robert Shwartzman (16th September 1999) - Enrique Iglesias - Bailamos

Bent Viscaal (18th September 1999) - TLC - Unpretty

Felipe Drugovich (23rd May 2000) - Santana ft The Product G&B - Maria Maria

Marta Garcia (9th August 2000) - N'Sync - It's Gonna Be Me

Arthur Leclerc (14th October 2000) - Christina Aguilera - Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)

Sophia Florsch (1st December 2000) & Clement Novalak (23rd December 2000) - Destiny's Child - Independent Women Pt 1

Frederik Vesti (13th January 2002) - Nickelback - How You Remind Me

Luke Browning (31st January 2002) & Liam Lawson (11th February 2002) - Usher - U Got It Bad

Olli Caldwell (11th June 2002) - Ashanti - Foolish

Jack Doohan (20th January 2003) - Eminem - Lose Yourself

All added to this playlist

[doriandrifting]

Kinda a spoiler for Rebel Robin?

If I had a nickel for every time a gay kid at a Hawkins dance watched the person they liked dancing with someone else while Cyndi Lauper played…

[hellcheeranniversaryweek]

1ST JULY

Decades: 1950s

Hot Spot: Hawkins High 1986 Prom

Song Request: I think we’re alone now - Tiffany

R Rated: Handcuffs

Wild card: Role Reversal

      WIP words: dress, tight, switch

2ND JULY

AU: Rival Families

A Classic Trope: Secret Admirer

Mash Up: Arranged marriage x fairytale

Future: Rockstar’s wife

Wild Card: Tragic Tale

      WIP words: match, against, famous

3RD JULY

Decades: 1960s

AU: Castle AU

Meet Cute: Comic Con 

Song Request: Heaven is a place on Earth - Belinda Carlise

Wild Card: What Goes Bump in the Night

      WIP words: wild, nerd, worth

4TH JULY

Mash Up: Witch x Coffee Shop

Hot Spot: Hawkins High Ten Year Reunion

R rated: Back of Eddie’s Van

Future: First baby

Wild Card: An Interfering Matchmaker

      WIP words: wicked, mattress, reunite

5TH JULY

Decades: 2000s

A classic trope: Only one bed

Song Request: Time after time - Cyndi Lauper

Hot Spot: The Hideout

Wild card: Outsider POV

      WIP words: waiting, pillow, drink

6TH JULY

AU: The Detective and the Thief

Meet Cute: Theater kids/the school play

Mash up: Class project x Miscommunication 

Future: Later in life

Wild Card: Double Date

     WIP words: scene, older, pencil

7TH JULY

Decades: 1990s

AU: Married in Vegas

R Rated: Praise Kink

Hot spot: Vacation

Wild Card: Anniversary

     WIP words: lights, celebrate, good

[deecio]

Cyndi was eating ice soup for a while after that purchase

[heavenlytouches]

Maybe a weird one but can I get Joyce Byers mom teaching u to cook? Thank you

Hi love <3 and noo, don't worry it's not weird! It's really really sweet :) I loove Winona Ryder so let's goo ^^ El <3

Joyce Byers- a pinch of love

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

GN reader

<3 (SFW)

TW-none

MOM! Joyce Byers

my mommy issues TwT istg

Joyce Byers

The aroma of garlic and sautéed onions fills the air in the Byers’ kitchen, mingling with the famous 80’s tune blaring from the old transistor radio that sits on the countertop.

The soft, syrupy notes of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” play a comforting backdrop to the busy scene unfolding in the dimly lit kitchen. You take a moment to lean against the doorframe, watching your mother, Joyce Byers, expertly chop vegetables with a smile that could light up even the darkest of rooms.

“Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to help me make the best lasagna in Hawkins?”

She calls playfully, her voice riddled with laughter and a hint of sarcasm. You can’t help but chuckle to yourself.

"Yes ma'am. Your co-worker is ready for business!"

You say, playfully and smile at your mom, listening to Cyndi filling the kitchen with beautiful positive energy.

This is the kind of moment you live for—just the two of you, no upside-down monsters lurking around, no government experiments to worry about, just a mother and child soaking up the warmth of a shared moment.

You step into the kitchen, your sneakers squeaking against the linoleum flooring. The walls are painted a soothing shade of pale yellow, adorned with sunflowers—Joyce's favorite. The retro appliances hum softly, and you smile, recalling how she often tells stories of their quirky past when she bought each one.

You take your place at the kitchen island, pulling on the apron she handed you—one covered in cartoon cats that always makes you laugh, no matter how many times you wear it.

Joyce gives you a look of approval as she dusts her hands on her apron, the fabric twinkling with bits of flour and an assortment of spices.

“Okay, first things first-”

She says, leaning closer, her eyes twinkling.

“Cooking is like magic, and the kitchen is our world of enchantment. You’ve got to put your heart into every dish.”

With a quick flick of her wrist, she picks up a clove of garlic, handing it to you.

“Can you crush this for me?”

You nod, grabbing a knife and awkwardly trying to replicate what she effortlessly does.

"Am I doing it right?"

You ask as she looks at you, her eyes full of love.

“Don’t smash it like it owes you money.”

She teases, her laughter ringing through the room. It’s infectious, and soon you are both giggling, the tension of the day melting away.

Joyce pulls out a cookbook from a shelf—its spine cracked, pages stained with a bit of sauce and love.

“This is my secret weapon..”

She whispers, as if sharing a grand secret with you.

“The better the recipe, the more you can improvise!”

As you dive deeper into the culinary journey, she shares with you little tidbits about her childhood, her dreams, and how even the most mundane ingredients can bring family together.

You chop, mix, and taste, dodging flour clouds materializing as she playfully throws a pinch at you, exclaiming-

“The more, the merrier!”

Amid the laughter, there’s a moment of seriousness as she lights a cigarette, the smoke curling up like a ghost.

“Never lose your ability to be silly, sweetheart.."

She says thoughtfully, her voice a blend of bravado and vulnerability.

“Life can be tough, but laughter is the best seasoning.”

You nod, absorbed in her words. It’s these little life lessons that cement your bond, making you realize that cooking is more than just about the food—it’s about sharing love through every layer, every flavor.

"You always know how to make me feel better mom."

You add, smiling to her as she takes another drag of her cigarette.

"Also, does Cyndi help while making food?

You smile, Joyce laughing with you. She sees you're just like her.

As the lasagna bubbles away in the oven, Joyce retrieves a couple of glasses from the cupboard, and pours a splash of grape soda for you both—simple pleasures that feel straight out of an adventure movie.

“Did I ever tell you how I used to dance to Prince in the living room while making dinner?”

She asks, her expression mischievous.

“I think I heard that story, like, a hundred times."

You reply with a smile, taking a sip and savoring the sweetness. But you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Each retelling brings you closer to understanding your mom—the woman with a propensity for wild hair and wild dreams.

Before long, the timer dings, and Joyce lifts the lasagna from the oven, its cheesy aroma filling the space like a warm blanket. She turns, her eyes sparkling with pride.

“You ready for the best meal ever?”

You burst out in enthusiastic agreement, your heart swelling. Moments like these turn the chaos of everyday life into treasured memories.

As you sit down to eat, laughter continues to resonate between you, a symphony of flavor and familial bond filling the room.

In this cozy kitchen, surrounded by the essence of the 80’s and the unmistakable warmth of love, you realize that you’re learning more than how to cook; you’re learning about life, connection, and family—one delicious meal at a time.

Yaaaaaay women in my requests!! I loved this one so so much. I hope y'all liked it too. I can write anything for any character babes and don't forget- requests are always open and welcome <33

I love you guys so much

El <3

(all images were made by: El via canva & paint)

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 2 - Friday the 13th

It was finally Friday; A short day of school, thankfully, for Kat wanted to doll herself up properly. It wasn't every day when she was asked to hangout with someone, and she wanted to make the best out of that experience! She dug into her the drawer with special-occasion dresses and pulled up a princess pink dress that flew gracefully just above the knee; It had a delicate V-cut, which encouraged her to cover her cleavage with a set of rose gold jewellery. Her crimson hair was falling down past her shoulders all the way to her waist, styled softly with a brush and two thin braids pinned to the back in a little rose. Her mother loved to do lots of intricate braids from her gorgeous hair and taught her how to take care of it properly. Every time she'd look in the vanity mirror and play around with her hair, she'd have a bittersweet smile, imagining her mommy behind her, doing her hair as only she knew. Last, she painted soft pink glittery eyeshadow, touched with an elegant black fox eye liner, mascara and rose tinted sparkly lip gloss. She took her purse, slipped her feet in her polished pink shoes with an elegant medium heel, and left the house, sitting on the swing her daddy built for her six years prior when they moved to Hawkins - It had an archway with rose vines wrapped around.

She hummed to herself a Chinese lullaby her dad would sing to her before sleep time and didn't realise when time passed, until Billy's blue Chevrolet '79 Camaro stopped in front of her garden and he honked; The window was down and he wolf-whistled her. "Ey, dollface!" Kat's face visibly lightened up with joy as soon as she heard his voice, the boy noted. She smiled so sweetly and walked step by step like a gracious feline, settling in the passenger seat. That's right - She was his passenger princess. "What a babe! Got all pretty for l'il ol' me?" she nodded her pretty head. "D'aww, what a cutie." he lowered his shades a little, taking a good look at the gorgeous girl in front of him - So, so different than those boring ass bitches at school - All the same, no sense of style or beauty. Cyndi Laupner wannabes gone wrong.

"I don't really have the chance to go out. I want to make every hangout feel special!" his smirk fell for a split second, before returning quickly and slouching over the wheel.

"Lucky me." he hummed before hitting the acceleration pedal. "You're the passenger princess - You choose the music."

"Sweet!" she grinned, immediately fumbling around with the music playlists. "Oh, you've got AC/DC! I love their songs so much!" thus, she put on tracks like TNT, Highway to hell and Dirty deeds done dirt cheap. Who knew that little miss princess strawberry pink liked rock music? Ha! The more you know.

The sun was setting by the time they arrived at the cinema and parked on the grass; The diner was across the street and pretty girls with high ponytails, wearing short skirts and rollerskates were going around serving people with trays in their hands. "Oh, they're so pretty! I love the little apron over the skirt - They look so cool!" Billy leaned over the window, looked the busy bees up and down, and then huffed in agreement.

"They've got nothin' on ya, doll." he reached to get a blanket from the backseat and got out, placing it over the front of the car. "C'mon out, babe."

The girl opened the door and went in front of the car, looking up at Billy. Even with heels, she was so small compared to him. "Should I go order for us?"

"Nah, no way toots, that's a man's job." with one swift move, he placed both of his large hands on her waist - She was so thin and petite, he could almost hold her completely -  And he picked her up in the air with ease; That's why he worked out, after all, to be a strong man. Like a feather, he hoisted her up on the front of the car to sit on the blanket; A hot babe on a hot car - Now all he needs is to hop up there, have a surf board on the roof of the car and go to the beach - Alas, he had to be happy with what he got. "I'll go order. You just get all cute'n'comfy."

"Okay, Billy, thank you! Tell me how much it costs and I'll pay." she waved a perfectly manicured hand at him, leaving him speechless; He lit up a cigarette and puffed the smoke up into air and chuckled.

"The guy's supposed to pay at a date, Betty Boop." with a sexy wink, the young lad turned around with a John Travolta-esque swagger, striding inside the diner.

Minutes passed slow, and Kat was left waiting on the front of the car; She was smiling and looking up into the gorgeous sky, painted in all shades of purple and blood orange, mixing together like cotton candy. The world around was so beautiful, the girl thought to herself - So beautiful and free to admire, just like a Renaissance masterpiece; Perhaps even Da Vinci wouldn't be able to paint such beauty. The people around were all smiles and cheer, hanging around in their cars in couples and groupies, munching on popcorn and sipping bubbly soda and milkshakes. People's happiness always made Kat happy for some reason - Was it the beauty of humanity and life? She wasn't quite sure what it was, but she loved it.

"Kat the Dreamer." Billy's barking voice woke her up from her reverie. She turned her head and smiled at him; She looked so dreamy. "I've got 'em goodies."

"I love dreaming - And daydreaming. It makes everything more beautiful around." she scooted over to allow space for Billy and the tons of food he brought. "My, Billy, this must have cost you a fortune! Please let me at least pay half of this!"

"I've got a better idea." he hopped on the car and leaned over, picking her chin; Their faces were so close, he could feel her breathing on his skin. "Let me steal a little kiss, and we're good."

Though he wanted to get a taste of those sweet lips of hers, to get the answer to his previous question about the lip gloss; He was shocked out of doing anything; In fact, her action stun-locked him out of moving a single muscle.  Katrina's small hands gingerly cupped his rough stubbled cheeks and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. She giggled and wiped away the lip gloss from his forehead. "Forgive me, I left some of my lip gloss on your skin." that damn flawless smile of hers made him go crazy. "Oh, the movie is starting!" she returned to her previous position, shamelessly taking one of the cheeseburgers in her hand in munching on it. "They're very good - You should try 'em!" she took a fry and placed it in his half gaping mouth. "Great combo!"

Billy didn't speak more, he didn't utter a single word, except for leaning back to eat something. Every once in a while, he'd steal a glance at the pretty girl next to him having so much watching a lame ass movie - Who the hell laughs at gore and people getting killed? Weirdo.  He couldn't help but chuckle seeing her being so cheerful; He's had sleepovers and groupie movie marathons; Most girls would screech and hide in fear, seeking so-called protection...Or, rather, attention . Instead, Kat was cheerfully clapping for each murder Jason Voorhees' mum was doing.

Katrina’s innocent giggles during the gory scenes were contagious, and Billy found himself laughing along with her, their laughter mingling with the occasional screams from the other cars. Though he was sure the other guys were hugging their terrified girlfriends who were screaming for attention, Kat was having the fun of her lifetimes - He'd imagined that hopelessly romantic gesture rather differently, but he was in no way complaining.

During the ad in between movies, she grabbed the chocolate milkshake glass - He had made sure there was a single glass but two straws - She was grasping it with both hands and holding it up for them both to enjoy the cold beverage. Billy couldn't help but smirk a little, naughty thoughts going through his head at the imagery - But quickly dismissed them. He couldn't. No way. Not with her. They were so close to one another that his arm was around her body, keeping her hugged into his side. Her hair was so long and soft, like a fire-kissed Rapunzel; and his hand was just in reach to play with an innocent lock, fingering and twirling it idly. He kinda loved playing with her hair like this.

When a particularly steamy scene appeared on the screen, Katrina blushed and looked away, her cheeks turning a delightful shade of pink. Billy noticed and couldn’t help but smirk. “What’s the matter, KitKat? Getting shy on me?” he teased, his voice playful as he reached the back of his fingers to caress her porcelain cheek, placing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Pretty naked girls on the big screen was the new trend, and oh how those nerds would have paid their whole allowance for three years to see Jamie Lee Curtis' tits. Still, with how natural she's been with him so far, open and genuine, even flirting, he hadn't expected her to get this bashful by seeing a little spicy action.

He'd pay his salary for the rest of his life to see Kat laying down on his bed, and him on top of her.

"I can appreciate a good masterpiece - The Greeks and Romans worshipped nudity as the highest art form - However, I appreciate a little less the vulgarity of a lewd act on screen." Billy couldn't help but laugh; Such pompous fancy words to describe a single thing, that she was a cute little shy virgin hottie. The treasure all guys wanted to find.

"Aren't you such a cutiepie?" the girl immediately looked away, trying to hide the adorable blush on her demure face. "C'mon now, don't look away, pretty girl, I was joking. Nothin' bad with some precious innocence."

"Alright, already, stop teasing me!" even her protesting was soft-spoken. "Michael Myers is my favourite slasher." she tried to change the subject; What a cutie. She was too innocent and nice for her own good, and he was a huge fuck-up with severe daddy and mommy issues and a mean streak of violence and behavioural problems. There was no way in hell he was a good influence on her; By all means, she should be running away in the complete opposite direction of the big bad wolf... And yet, like a little lamb, she's hopping towards him, clueless to the damage he was capable of inflicting on her. Fool.

It was already past midnight by the time the marathon was over, and Billy drove her back home. "You want to sleepover? I can call your parents and tell them you are safe here and they don't need to worry. I've got ice-cream and some leftovers from today's lunch." far too innocent for her own good; A gorgeous girl like her shouldn't carelessly invite people into her home like that. Reckless and silly. Very dangerous with guys their age who only think with the downstairs head.

"Don't worry about me, dollface, I'm a big boy, they don't give a fuck where I am." he waved a dismissive hand. "Now go on. I'll wait until I see you walked inside and locked the door behind you."

"Oh well, if you're sure!" she leaned in, placing a cute little kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for today, Billy. It was the best day of my life. Let's hangout again some day, yeah?" and with a soft giggle, she left the car and went into her home - Not before turning to wave him goodbye again.

"Yeah. Some day." he murmured to himself, turning the engine on to return to his own home. "And now back to that miserable hell hole..."

Too bad, he was sure he'd have enjoyed himself on her couch much more than in the stupid jail he has to call 'home'. This shitty place wasn't 'home'. California was his home. But hanging out with that cute little kitty kat wasn't the worst thing in the world; In fact, he quite enjoyed himself very much. Maybe next time, he'll invite himself over - With her parents' approval of course. Still, she invited him... Did her parents know about him? How weird, he was sure girl-parents were very strict. Well, who knows, maybe foreigners aren't as stuck up as most American parents are. Maybe commies aren't as commie as they seem to be.

But life wasn't only about fun, unfortunately for the teens suffering in the terminal year of highschool; So much to study and revise, so many exams, and all of them such a drag. Regardless, the Biology class had an easy way out to get a good mark - Which was making a project. In pairs. Kat was used to seeing all her classmates pair up together, and she'd either be alone or forced to pair with the other unlucky loser; This time, however, she found an arm slung around her shoulders as Billy pulled her into his side, flashing a dazzling smirk "Ready for an easy A+, doll?" he declared confidently; If only he could see the murderous, envious glares shot towards the red head.

"S-Sure...!" she tried to smile, but nervousness was creeping inside her heart.

The teacher wrote down the pairs, assigning to each of them their project titles, giving them ideas on how to make it successful and get good marks. "Billy and Katrina." the teacher called out their name. "Anatomy and Physiology of the Male and Female Reproductive System." Kat didn't hear Billy's chuckle, making a smug remark, nor the nasty jokes from those around - Her face blanched, and her mind was purely blank and going haywire with panic. "You could make clay anatomical models and make a collage of pictures and drawings."

Some girl threw a balled up paper at the back of her hair, and another threw a paper on her desk for her to read - She didn't. She burnt it with a lighter, not caring whether the teacher saw her and scolded her. She had to change this mess somehow.

Finally, the bell rang and Kat rushed to the teacher and started frantically begging for mercy. "Please please please please please please." she continued, her hands tightly held together, and eyes tearful. "Give me any other project theme that doesn't revolve around something like that!" she continued begging, not knowing, nor caring that Hargrove had trailed behind to see what was her problem. "Please, I can't do it - They'll bully me like crazy - They'll get physical with me -- And... And... I can't openly speak about these things -- I-It's against my culture and religion -- Please, please, change the theme!"

The teacher looked down at the petite girl with tears streaming down her face and shaking with desperation and outright fear. For a quiet and docile person like Kat was, it almost came to a shock to the lady that she would be the target of such ruthless bullying, that it would make her lose composure like that. "Alright, alright, take it easy." the mother-like woman took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears. "How about something related to genetics?"

"C-Can I write about genetic anomalies - Like sickle cell anemia?" as she tried to regain her composure, Kat came up with a pretty brilliant project theme.

"Sure, that's good. I'll write it down." the teacher immediately cut a few strikes over their original title, and changed it to the actualised title. "Take a few minutes to compose yourself - And run along. You still have a few classes, right?" Kat nodded her head, and with a small bow of gratitude, she scurried out of the classroom, hugging herself.

Normally, a student would go to their locker to change textbooks for their next class - But she stopped doing that a while ago, to avoid unnecessary time in the hallways, where she'd be easy target to their teasing - It had gotten much better over time... But with Billy's arrival and evident friendship, she had "TARGET" written on her forehead, along with a bullseye target practice on her back.

"Hey, dollface, wait up - We have Physics together." even Billy's unexpected voice made her flinch and squeak out in panic - If it wasn't for the distraught look on her face, he'd have thought she was super cute. "Whazzap?"

"U-Uhm..." the girl looked down, shrugging her shoulders. "I was thinking of what genetic abnormalities to write about for the project." she spoke softly.

"Y'know - I kinda liked the other theme." his teasing only made the girl retreat more inwards, looking like a little terrified bunny. "Kidding, kidding - Even I'd rather not waste my time on that." his comment didn't do much to comfort her. "Y'know, if fuck heads are picking on you, just tell me and I'll fuck them up, yeah?"

She shook her head. "Doesn't matter." she deadpanned.

"Hey, y'all, Freaky Kommie Kat's here with her bodyguard!" her body stiffened, before she hung her head and hugged herself tighter.

"I'll run along. See you in class." she whispered, trying to escape - But one guy grabbed the hood of her cardigan and pulled her back roughly - Her textbook and notebook fell to the ground helplessly; The borders of her notebook pages were doodled up with pretty flower frames, and in some places, "BFF" and "Billy Bestie" or "Billy the Bardest Bard to ever Bard", along with some cute smiles and hearts around.

"Ayo, look at this - Little miss genius is in love~!" the group laughed mockingly. "You really think he gives a fuck about you? Know your place, bitch. You're just an easy mark for King Billy - Nothing more." the guy pushed her in the locker.

"We're friends..." her mellow voice made Billy heart sunk - She really cared about him, in a genuine, innocent way. She didn't want to stay around King Billy, nor did she want one night stands or be friends with benefits. She just genuinely enjoyed his presence around her; How pitiful. To think he would be the subject of her daydream, enough to noodle in her notebooks... That's a new one.

"King Billy doesn't need pathetic nerds around him." one of the cheerleaders got in her face, trapping her against the locker. "Pathetic little ugly bitch." unexpectedly to everyone around, Tara grabbed at Kat's clothes, as if trying to undress her. "You've got no tits, no ass - Your hair is ugly, your face is plain - You're nothing but a pathetic bag of skin and bones - And you think you can have my Billy look at you? Stupid little slut! If you want a dick that much, there's plenty around!" before she could grab the closest nerd around the push against the red head, a loud, sharp sound made the corridor go all quiet. Katrina slapped Tara's face so hard that she fell to the ground.

"... You don't get to touch me with some filthy hands of yours - Nor speak to me with that mouth which sucks dick every night. If only you were paid for this, you'd have some worth in this life - But you're not. You're nothing but a disgusting, lowly greedy cum-dumpster slut with no self-respect - Who gets off on popular guys fucking her, than dumping her useless body - Because that's all you're good for; A few minutes of degrading fun." Billy, like the others, was shocked the hear such filthy words coming out of her precious mouth - He was sure she didn't even know words like that! "I'll tell you a secret, Tara - The guys who fuck you don't even know your name." Kat smiled innocently; empty and dripping with poison and condescence. "And you're not invited to Tina's Halloween part this year..." she turned around, ready to leave. "But I am." she retrieved her textbooks, making sure she gets to class before the bell rang. She didn't want detention because of some idiots.

"That -- That was the best laugh I had in years, doll!" Billy slumped in the seat next to her, smirking so proudly. "That's my girl - Teach those fucks a lesson." he leaned in closer to her ear. "I know I did."

Kat shot her gaze to him, her eyes wide and shocked. "What do you mean?! What did you do?!"

"Don't worry your pretty head, tootsie." he fixed her slightly messy hair. "I just don't appreciate sick fucks like them speaking ill of my cute friend."

The tender yet surprised look in her gorgeous eyes said it all; It melted Billy's heart. "Friend?" he didn't say anything, just continued admiring her adorable reactions. "That's nice to hear."

"By the way, tootsie." he cleared his throat. "Tina's party, huh?"

"Oh, yes, Tina - " Kat looked down with a little, bashful smile. "A few days ago she came to me and said - Any friend of Billy is welcome to my party... And I said... Sure." her cheeks were pink.

"D'aww, how cute. You'll be there to cheer on me as I down a whole ass keg of beer." she looked weird at him, but said nothing - Instead, she stifled a laugh and nodded.

"Sure - I'll cheer on you, if you want me to." she kept a few seconds of silence, before she uttered again. "How do people dress on Halloween?"

All the way until the Halloween party, Kat worked on the project - She was creative, sure, but she was also actively studying biology in depth; She had always wanted to become a doctor - A scientist - Like her parents; She let Billy on his maths and physics and basketball and what not. Once Halloween came by, she looked through her wardrobe; She didn't really own any elegant black clothes - Her parents told her black clothes are only for funerals; Her only black clothes were the band Tshirts and some cardigans.  What should she wear, then?

Finally, after a long time, she decided against her best ration, to wear her pink hanfu and pretend to be a flower fairy. Not exactly the scariest creature of the night, but it was as close to fantasy as she could get. Her make up was pink and glittery, still flattering, but a little more evident than her usual choice; And her hair was done in a traditional way, with two rose buns updos, and the long, bottom part flowing past her shoulders gracefully. Though she didn't wear the usual jewellery, her hair accessories were plenty, gold and flowery, just like her earrings, dangling delicately. Should she pretend to be Hua Mulan? The beautiful and valiant Magnolia Flower from the ballads? Should she take her sword too? Maybe those guys will think it's just a prop, surely they wouldn't expect a regular highschool girl to own an ancient heirloom... Or a bazooka. Not that she had one. Yet.

Finally, she awaited Billy on the swing, just like previously; She really loved that swing - She remembers how much her dad worked to build it, and how happy she was when it was finished. Her dad taught her how to hammer nails and build things - But she knows she'll never be as good as he was.

"Yo, sweetcheeks, Halloween's supposed to be all badass and scary, y'know?" Billy honked her from the car. "Hey, Princess Bubblegum, get 'ere." he pranced right in front of her; He was wearing a pair of sexy blue jeans and a black leather jacket.

"Hello, Billy." she smiled serenely, looking up at him. "Have you forgotten your shirt home intentionally?" her smile was faux innocent and teasing.

"Did you know the Romans had abs on their armor? Lorica musculata - Or something like that." he smirked, loving to show off his knowledge in front of her - And not only. "Well, I don't need armor to show off."

"Well, you've been working very hard and consistent to look the way you do - It would be a pity not to show off." she said playfully. "Does Tina have a room for couples to hook up, or should I be afraid of going home on foot?" he couldn't believe the audacity - Such teasing!

"If you didn't know, fairies don't walk - They fly." with ease, he picked her up from the swing, holding her bridal style; Her arms went instinctively around his neck, and they faces were so maddeningly close to each other, he could practically feel her heartbeat going crazy.

"Thank you for telling me; I'll be sure to abuse my fairy princess rights." with insane mischief, Katrina kissed Billy's cheek. 

"You're taking me for a knight in shining armor, huh?" he chuckled, walking her to the car. "I'm a werewolf, baby."

"What's a werewolf?" she asked, genuinely oblivious.

"Like in Michael Jackson's Thriller song." Billy was amused by her lack of knowledge. "A wolf man. Every month, on a night with a full moon, a man turns into a beast and kills everyone in sight."

"Oh, that sounds so cool!" she exclaimed, getting comfortable on the passenger seat, leaning to the side to touch his pretty hair. "But don't they have fluffy ears like wolves do? Or a tail?"

"Eh, maybe - But that's lame - And too much effort." he started the car, going as speedy as always.

Once they arrived at Tina's house, Kat was surprised no one was being mean to her, not even a dirty look or anything; Maybe they were all already drunk out of their minds, or were having so much fun, her presence didn't matter - She loved not being the spotlight of every mean comment; She was actually pretty damn enthusiastic, and very grateful for Tina for inviting her, and for Billy for being by her side. They just gave her a paper cup of punch and let her do whatever she wanted.

As expected, Billy was eventually stolen away, and her punch was spiked with cigarette ash - Always used to get people drunk. Jokes on them, she got her alcohol tolerance from her Russian mother; She could eat cereals with vodka for breakfast with no issue. It was already night, and everyone was having fun; Kat found herself in the kitchen, surrounded by bottles of vodka and chocolate bailey's and had a brilliant idea. To make her favourite shot drink - Sweet and strong.

This little experiment instigated girls to try and, after a while, Kat became their designated barman - A barman who had to participate in a drinking contest and drank most of the girls under the table.

After the 10th shot, Katrina got bored of being a bartender and went out, by the lights on the ground next to the pool; The lights on the bottom of the pool made the water look so pretty and hypnotising. However, he short timelapse was broken by loud roars from the boys nearby. Billy was going to attempt his silly title, so as promised, the girl made her way in front of the crowd for him to see her. "Go, King Billy, go!" she clapped encouragingly. "Hey, Tommy - Why isn't Steve here to witness his own downfall?" her mocking giggle made the guys roar again.

"Atta girl, that's a good idea!" some of the guys in the football team got inside the house, dragging Harrington in the yard.

With a war cry, Billy started drinking down the beer from side the keg, through the hose - He chugged as everyone around him cheered loudly. Kat was actually quite fascinated by his insane actions; He looked messy, dirty, indecent, vulgar, feral, gross... All the attributes that her parents told her to run away from. Stay away from arrogant gigolo like him - He was no good - He will make you suffer, he will make you fall in love then break your heart. Boys like him were never worth it...

And yet, she was completely taken with him; His charm, his beauty, his smarts, his wit, his strength... The easy-going and adventurous life of a bad boy. "King Billy! King Billy!" the people were chanting around loudly as Billy finished the keg victoriously - Yet they cheered even louder when the King hooked his hand on the back of Kat's head and dipped her down in a deep kiss, so passionate and overwhelming that she was sure she suffocated and found herself among the stars of Nirvana.

When he pulled away, he admired his handy work; The twinkle in her eye, the bashfulness of her visage, the fascinating smile of those pink lips of hers - She looked so god damn kissable - And he kissed her again, this time, a little slower, a little gentler; He was drunk as fuck, but the euphoria of his triumph, and the radiant beauty in front of him - He couldn't resist; She was irresistible - A sparkling pink flower twinkling with innocence, with kindness and compassion.

"Beauty and the Beast." he smirked, leaning away from her; He kept his arm around her body as the crowd guided them inside the house, where even more cheered at the announcement of a new, better King. Steve ran by Nancy with his tail between his legs; Humiliated, he wanted to drive her away, get her back home and never show his face again - But Kat had other plans.

"Oh, Billy, that's my friend, Nancy!" she tugged on his sleeve - At the sound of Harrington, he followed in front of the two. The groupie of guys was right behind them.

"Why don't you go play with your friend, pretty girl? I and Harrington have some business to discuss." smiling, Kat glided to Nancy and gently took her hand, guiding her to an empty room.

"Nancy, was Steve bothering you?" the girl asked, petting her friend's hair. "You look so... Sad."

"I'm fine, Kat..." she sighed, looking down. "I just... I can't get over what happened to Barb." she admitted - She was a little tipsy. A little more. "I... I miss her."

"You blame yourself for her disappearance?" Nancy was nodded her head... And rocking back and forth. Was it the first time she drank alcohol?

"Nancy... Let's get home, yeah? I don't trust Steve to take you home." Nancy glared at her friend.

"And I don't trust Hargrove." she stammered over her words. "He's - He's a playboy, Kat, don't trust him! He's... He's... Y'know..." she placed her hands on her face. "He's only interested in what Steve was - Don't give in, even if he hates you!"

Kat's eyes widened, flabbergast at what she was hearing. "But, Nancy - He kissed me." her voice was so sweet and melodic, that even in her drunken state, Wheeler pitied her naivity. "He kissed me - Just now. He's drunk - Dad said men are the most honest when they are drunk."

"Oh, no, Kat, that's not true!" she moaned, shocked at the naivity of her comment. "Guys these age only want to have sex, don't you know?" Kat didn't have the power to answer. "He kissed you 'cause you're pretty and you indulged him with your kindness - Guys like him - When they see a nice girl with no boundaries, like you - They start to push you until you break." Kat's eyebrows furrowed, and she looked away - She didn't want to believe that Billy, of all people, would treat her like that. "Don't get bewitched by him just because he kissed you... That's how Steve charmed me too." she said in a compassionate voice. "It might have been your first kiss... And it was special for you... But it meant nothing to him."

Kat didn't know what to think; She was disappointed, sure, but she wasn't even sure what to believe anymore. She rose her head to look at her friend, and smiled again. If she started overthinking now, she was going to hold onto that trail for many continuous days and nights, to the point she'll drive herself mad; She didn't want that - Not after such a nice night. "Let's get you home, Nancy."

Like a compliant puppy, Nancy held onto Kat's hand and walked with her out of the house. Billy was out there, by the pool, smoking. He seemed a little more sober now. Did he need a small break from all the loudness from inside the house, and the lackeys flattering him? "Hey." Kat offered a soft smile; Billy looked down at her, then at Nancy, then blew the cigarette smoke up into the air. 

"Sup, doll?" he said, keeping his usual bravado. He looked again at Nancy. "Who ran over her pet puppy?"

"She just drank a little too much. She's okay." as if on cue, Nancy started puking. "Maybe she's not okay." Kat immediately rushed to keep the hair out of her face. "I don't think she drank before."

"Huh." the boy huffed, amused. With a quick scan around the yard, he found a discarded Tshirt, which he tosses to his girl. "She's got barf on her chin." Kat quickly helped wipe away the spew from her friend's face.

"There, there. Let's get you home." she patted Nancy's back, helping her straighten up. "Billy, I'm taking Nancy home. Take care on your way home, okay? Call me when you're home, safe and sound."

"Have you forgot what I told you? Fairies don't walk." Billy scoffed - That reply was the only way he could remind her he wouldn't let her go home by herself. He wanted to know her safe - He got her there, and he will return her home too. That was what men did. Respect and responsibility - Or whatever his father kept beating into him.

"I can't tell you to drive my friend home, Billy, that would be rude of me." she smiled, though Billy realised, something was... Off about her. She was fidgety. "Nancy's home is pretty close - I think we can manage." she continued her trail of excuses. "Besides, I wouldn't want her to vomit in your car - It's too pretty for that."

Billy looked Nancy up and down, then groaned, dragging his hand down his face. "Yeah, well - Your friend here's a problem, alright - But ain't like I can let my pretty girl go all alone home. Lousy man I'd be." he dragged from the cigarette away. "You don't trust Harrington with her, d'you?" he smirked in realisation. "All the more reason to make him see her in my car."

"Steve's bullshit." Nancy spit, frustrated. "Our relationship was bullshit." she was getting angrier. "And you are bullshit too!" Billy's face remained unchanged - He didn't give a fuck about the ramblings of a drunk chick; He did care, however, for the offended look on Kat's face. It was priceless to see her getting mad on his behalf.

"Nancy! That was rude!" she scolded her. "You don't talk like this usually - What's gotten into you?" she couldn't believe the bratty way Nancy was behaving; It was so unlike her. Her dad said drunk people are honest. "Nancy - Why don't you like Billy? He never said a single mean thing about you."

The chestnut haired girl looked straight into Kat's eyes; She was kinda scary like that, she realised. "If you think this guy is any different - That he won't forget you exist after he's gotten in your pants - And go fuck with Carol and Tessa and Amy -- At the same time -- Then you're delusional, Kat!" Billy could she how much the pretty fairy was cringing, trying hard to keep composure and not show her disappointment.

"Billy is not like Steve, Nance. Don't project your own shitty relationship on me." it was clear to him she was holding back from saying anything bad. "Come on - You're drunk, you don't know what you're saying. Let's go."

"I'M NOT DRUNK, KAT! I'm looking out for you! Why can't you see?!" she went to Billy, trying - And failing miserably - To push him away. "This... This... Womanizer! He'll break your heart and laugh at you! And if you don't let him have sex with you - He'll make you miserable!" now that, even Billy found offensive. What kind of fuckass with no morals did she think he was? Or, rather - What the hell kind of persona did he make for himself?

"Nancy, shut up. Now." Kat grabbed Nancy's wrist, roughly pulling her away. "I'm taking your home. Now stop being such a brat - You're worse than your brother."

"I don't wanna get in his car! Who knows what he'll do to us?!" it was the last straw for the red head; She grabbed Nancy's face and shouted.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY!" Hargrove's heart was leaping, looking down at the pretty girl losing her marbles; Girl was as much of a fairy as he was. He thought she was much better at being collected, though he couldn't blame her, these people were tasting her patience big time. He'd have done much worse, much faster than she reacted. "Good God, you're driving me insane." she had to take a deep breath and step away from her friend. "I'll call Harrington to take you home already." she marched inside the house, leaving Nancy like a lost puppy. "I'm so done with people."

Billy took out a few swaggering steps, getting close to Wheeler; He picked her chin, making her look up at him; She was a pretty girl - No wonder she was Harrington's "Queen" - But from what Kat told him previously, the ex-King didn't treat her quite right. He couldn't blame her for being fucked in the head and spilling her frustrations the first time she got drunk; But he also didn't quite appreciate seeing Kat's only friend giving her doubts like that. He knew, better than anyone, that once the seeds of doubt take root, nothing is ever the same.

"Listen here, puppy girl." she had the look of a defiant puppy on her face; She was hilarious. "I don't appreciate you giving my friend the wrong idea about me." he began leaning in slowly. "And I, also, don't quite appreciate you upsetting her." he whispered in her ear. "She's mine." with one last deep, intimidating look shared between the two, he returned to his own spot.

"You're a liar." she slurred, sure of herself. "Guys like you never change. You've been here a month and you've already fucked half the city." not wrong. "I bet you've got the clap by now." very wrong. Protection was lame, sure as hell it was, but he'd rather bash his skull against the wall then trust a dumb bitch not to get herself pregnant by forgetting, intentionally or not, to take the pill... Or worse; Who knows where those dirty skanks had been - He didn't wanna get AIDS or... Syphilis or whatever. He was sure those sluts didn't even wash themselves with water and soap. "You don't even love her - You kissed her! You wanna claim her! That's what y'all care about - A damn trophy to add to your body count!" he kinda liked seeing her so worked up and freaky. It was hilarious.

"OI, HARGROVE! STEP AWAY FROM MY GIRLFRIEND!" Steve ran full speed at them, dragging Nancy away.

"I'm not your girlfriend anymore, you jerk!" and thus, they began arguing like two idiots. As long as they didn't get violent with each other, it hardly mattered.

Billy dropped the cigarette butt and used the heel of his boot to extinguish it; He dug his hands in his jeans pockets, looking idly for his fairy girl; She exited the house, walking slowly. Was it to preserve her grace? To make sure she doesn't step on her dress? To make sure the accessories in her hair don't fall? Who knows. It didn't matter; She looked as if she was going down the catwalk - And Billy was enjoying the sight.

"Ready to turn in for the night, babe?" he called out to her; She seemed absent-minded; Very deep in thought. Were her friend's words getting to her? "Hey, earth to sugar plum fairy, you with me?" he waved his hand in front of her face once she got near him. "Hello?"

"Er - Sorry. I was just..." she shook her head, took a quick look at Nancy arguing with her ex, then rolled her eyes. "Nevermind. Let's go home."

"A'ight, let's fly." once again, he swept her off her feet; Her smile was still there, but not as radiantly enthusiastic as before. Something was definitely wrong. "Passenger princess gets the music privileges." he said, carefully placing her on the seat.

"Sorry - I've got a bit of a headache." she said, not daring to raise her hand and shuffle through the playlists.

"I've got some softer stuff." he reached to hit a few buttons, before he found 'Still Loving You' by Scorpions. Every once in a while, he'd gaze at her from the corner of his eyes, and see those sad gems of hers, twinkling with tears. She must have been devastated having her only friend bash her like that - Not that he knew what that was like; He didn't have any 'friends' to consider actual friends, nor did he trust or give a fuck about anyone. The song was getting to her. "Had fun today?"

"Yeah... I didn't think I'd enjoy myself as much as I did. It was thanks to you that I felt good today. Thank you, Billy." she sounded quite robotical and mellow, but her words were genuine.

They drove in silence, save for the ballads playing at the time, and finally, he parked in front of her home again. "Do you wanna..." he didn't let her finish sentence.

"Are your parents home?" she looked down, and after a few seconds, she shook her head. "Then you shouldn't invite a guy over." he reached his hand to move a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "It's the second time you invited me over. Do you trust me that much?" she nodded her head, but still said no word. "Do you want something from me, Kat?" he leaned over a little, his voice husky and seductive. She shook her head. "Then why are you asking me over?"

"My mum said it's dangerous outside. Parents worry when their children are out at night. I didn't want you to be in danger." quite the childlike, innocent mindset... Almost like an actual child.

"I'm in a car, babe. My parents don't give a fuck about me. I'll be fine." she said nothing; her hands were held together tightly. "If you say you trust me - Then why don't you tell me why you want me over?"

"Because it's a stupid reason." she whispered with shame. "You'll laugh at me and think I'm pathetic - Because I am."

"I won't laugh." he placed his large, rough hand on her face, guiding it to look at him; She looked... Meek. Embarrassed. It looked as though she was trying hard to open her mouth and speak - But she was voiceless. "I promise."

"I'm afraid." though barely audible, Billy was close enough to hear her.

"What are you afraid of?" he asked tenderly; Those idiots would go as far as you go to her home and harass her - Right? 

"I'm alone." she replied softly. Yeah, a home alone girl has every reason to be terrified, even he knew as much.

"When are your parents coming home?" her expression looked pained, and she shook her head. "Kat - Look at me. What's going on?"

"My parents died six years ago." nobody knew that, not even Nancy. Why she told the truth for once, she didn't know. Did she trust this guy that much? She just met him - Was Nancy right? That kiss stole her mind away?

"Six years ago?" she nodded her head slowly. "Didn't you say you moved here six year ago?" she nodded again. "What happened?"

"Don't you want to come inside?" she asked again, shifting in the seat. "I don't like talking in the car."

"A'ight." he nodded, helping her out of the car. He noticed how fidgety she'd get, twitching at every sound and canvasing the perimeter. Suspect.

The two got inside the house - It was decently big, and looked very comfortable and welcoming. "Make yourself at home. I'll go get changed - Ergh..." she scratched the back of her neck awkwardly. "There's a bathroom here - You can take a shower... And uh... Wait I have to give you clothes to change in, right... Erghm..." she paced around erratically in a circle, before she stopped. "I... Don't have any clothes big enough to fit you." she slapped her hand over her forehead. "I'm sorry!"

Billy couldn't help but laugh; He took off his jacket and threw it on the couch. "You don't know guys much, d'you, cutie?" she looked up at him, clearly confused by his remark. "Just find me a towel and I'll be fine."

Though reticent, she nodded and brought him two towels. "I'll go get ready too - And, uh... I'll make some... Tea? Is that fine with you?" an American drinking tea when he's not sick? That was cute. "Wait, uh... I think I have some... Soda?" she went to the fridge, scouring a little. "Pepsi?"

"S'fine, toots, s'fine." he gestured for her to stop worrying so much about hospitality, and go get ready - Which she finally did.

Once Billy was in the shower, he couldn't help but chuckle - Of course she'd have sweet fragrances everywhere - Hard to smell like a man, in a way that wasn't sweat or cheap aftershave. Lucky for him, he always carried the small bottle of cologne at him, in case he wanted to smell good... And now like a strawberry shortcake.

He never showered at a girl before; He never had an actual, long-term relationship before, not did he want to; He just loved having fun, and then going back home - No reason to stay more than needed. In a way, it would be the first time he'd be sleeping over at a girl's house - And not for lewd reasons. It was kinda funny - No one would believe him; Not that he'd ever tell anyone - Like hell he'd drag her name, when they're surrounded by attention whores and dumb brick-heads.

He messily dried his hair and put back his jeans, puffing the perfume on his bare skin; He went to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of pepsi then went to watch TV while waiting for the girl to come back down; That costume must take taken an eternity to put on - But he knew it would take him very little to remove, he thought smugly. Billy lay down on the couch, zoning out at the mindless TV channel, hoping she'd appear in sight already.

Finally, he heard quiet footsteps approaching - Kat was wearing a band Tshirt so large, it reached barely above her knees; Her long hair was let loose. She sat down on the couch next to him - She was so small compared to him, that she had no problem fitting her legs also. "Are you comfortable, Billy?" her sweet rose perfume was so nice, he remarked as he nodded. He got in a sitting position, his arm leaning over the back seat behind her.

"So you, a lone pretty girl, are afraid of being alone, in a pretty damn rich big house - Because you're parents have been dead for a while, yeah?" she nodded her head. "So what's got you so terrified lately?"

"Nothing." she admitted, hugging her legs to her chest, her chin resting on her knees. "I've been afraid every day since they died."

He frowned, licking his lips. "You were alone - Since you were twelve." she nodded. "No relatives? No child services?" she shook her head.

"Orphanages are awful for kids. I convinced the library to let me work for some money to afford food." she explained simply. "Once I got a little older, I started working other jobs to keep the appearance. I knew kids would pick on me if they saw I was poor." she played nervously with her hair. "I still had a lot of money left over by my parents, but... I didn't want to spend it all." Billy didn't seem to say anything - He continued looking down at the girl, his gorgeous blue eyes not shifting a single second from her. "I lock all doors and windows - But... Y'know. I can't sleep through the night. Every sound make me jolt up, and I have to check the whole place to make sure I didn't have a break in or whatever."

"And you'd feel more at ease with a complete stranger in your house?" he was kinda shocked to see her nodding. "You know what boys our age like to do with girls our age - Right?" he found himself asking, as if she was a child.

"You wouldn't." her trust in him was flattering, if not, quite alarming. Was she blindly trusting of everyone like that?

"How do you know I wouldn't?" he asked, leaning forward. "I kissed you today - Twice - Without as much as asking you." his voice dropped an octave, sounding velvety and seductive. "And I wouldn't mind doing that a third time too." he admitted truthfully. "You've got no idea the things I'd like to do with you - To you." surprisingly, she didn't look bashful, nor did she make that cute, shy face - She felt eye contact through it all. "Why do you think I wouldn't lose control around you, when you're so damn pretty, and dressed like that?"

"Because I trust you."

Her simple answer earned a physical response - Billy grabbed her ankle, dragging her down to lay back on the couch, with him between her legs, towering over her - He was like a werewolf - Beauty and the Beast. "You still trust me, doll?" she nodded her head again; He wasn't sure why, but this sincere trust in him drove him mad; He wanted her to change her mind - But he also didn't. He wanted to see her doubt, her fear, her disappointment - Just like everyone else he drives away. One hand sneaked under her back, hoisting her up, and the other was on the back of her head; His bare chest was flushed against her own, and he whispered in her ear, all husky and sexy. "What about now?"

"I know you're trying to scare me, Billy." his body froze, and he didn't dare lean back to look at her; He knew she'd have that look on her face, that glimmer in her eyes - That kindness that only she could have. He felt her gentle hand on his, caressing him. "Nancy was drunk. I know you wouldn't break my trust." he'd rather die than break her trust.

"You're such a stupid little girl, Kat." he muttered, returning to his seat. "Don't tell that to any other guy." he grumbled under his breath. "I've fucked enough bitches to know self-control." he continued as the girl shifted back in a sitting position. "But others are frustrated loser douchebags who'd jizz in their pants just from looking at you."

"That's why I trust you." she just wouldn't wipe that stupid smile off her face already.

"A'ight - No more Mister Nice Guy." he got up from the couch, and just as easy as before, he picked her up - Only this time, her legs and arms were wrapped around him, and he was carrying her to her bedroom. "Y'know I can't stay over every night, right?" she nodded her head. "... But I guess one proper sleep every few days wouldn't hurt." he could feel her arms tightening around him, a form of saying thanks. "Can you fly, tweetie?"

"Wha--" he threw her on the bed, laughing as she bounced right on the other side, falling on the ground with a painful thud. "Ouch." she whined, crawling back on the bed. "Jerk."

"You're too cute not to torment - That's your fault, not mine." he casually plopped down on the bed, getting comfortable. "You said you wanna sleep, right? Go on - Sleep. I won't leave until you wake up." he smirked, looking at her as she slowly laid down. "But I want lunch."

She had such a cute smile. "Deal." she whispered, her hand gently placed over his own. "Thank you, Billy. Sweet dreams."

He didn't say anything - Instead, he marvelled at the fact that she quite literally fell asleep the second she placed her pretty head on the pillow. Was it her exhaustion? Or simply her feeling safe, for once? It couldn't have been easy, being all alone since she was twelve.  Her chest was going up and down slowly, and even in her sleep, she was smiling.  She looked so frail and small under the blanket, unconsciously gripping onto his hand for dear life. Billy turned to his side, and with his free hand, he removed the hair from her face. She was too nice for her own good - All the more reason why he wanted to bust Harrington's face for getting the brainless crowd pick on her.

That night, Billy wasn't sure if he slept at all, or was in a trance, watching the beautiful girl sleeping next to him - No nightmares, no agitation, no nothing; She was deep in a peaceful, restful sleep, and he was mesmerised by how someone can trust him so much... Feel so safe around him. It didn't make sense to him - Nothing about her made sense to him - Why she was so nice to him, why she smiled so kindly to him. She was an enigma for him... And he was addicted to her like a junkie seeking his vein.

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[neonponders]

Part 24 for @wrecked-fuse ‘s pocketverse 🍜

Part 23

( pt. 7′s art 🎩 ) ( pt. 9′s art 👀 ) ( pt. 14′s art 💨 ) ( pt. 19′s art 🦇 ) ( pt. 20′s art 🍳)

~ on ao3 ~

• • •

“Steve. Explain why you have Christmas lights on bicycles.”

“Because safety,” he answered while putting the tire pump away.

“Uh huh,” Billy hummed skeptically. “Are you sure you didn’t have this prepped up for a date?”

Steve laughed as they waddled out of his garage on the bikes. “Ambiance is everything, isn’t it? You guys tucked in and ready?”

From his pocket came the rallying cry, “Weady!”

“Nighttime smewlls good.”

“Look at our wights on the woad! It’s wike we’re in a movie.”

“You weady, Biwwy?”

Big Billy looked at the littles and smiled at the fluffy collar of small Billy’s aviator jacket and little Steve’s 1920s cocoon coat. “Don’t worry about me. You just stay in there and stay warm.”

“Okay!”

It was not a particularly cold night, but the breeze combed their hair with brisk fingers and fluttered through their jackets. After the initial thrill of movement and wind wore off, the littles started scatting Cyndi Lauper since they didn’t really know the lyrics.

“Bwah. Bwah bwah. Duh duh. Duhn.”

“Nah nah nah! Skee dah!”

“Forw me it’s - ”

“Good ‘nough!”

Steve huffed a laugh and announced, “This way,” for Billy to follow. The melody from Steve’s pocket turned into vocal rumblings as Steve took them off asphalt and onto a dirt road. Soon they steered over as much grass as soil and gravel, finally coming to a tired stop on the hill of the car junkyard. Most of the vehicles were on lower terrain, since tow trucks couldn’t be bothered coming up here, plus it was a safety hazard to pile up cars on a hill without functioning brakes.

“Too many movies,” Billy teased as they stepped on the kick stands.

“Yeah, sure, dumbbells,” Steve countered. “All that muscle isn’t doing much without cardio.”

Billy stuck a sweaty hand into Steve’s hair to shove his head to the side as he walked by, leaving the illuminated bikes behind. “Hey, hey! Precious cargo, here.”

Billy ignored him and commented, “Are we party crashing the homeless’s neighborhood?”

“No, Hawkins only has a couple, and Hopper lets them stay on their streets: Lafayette and Springton.”

Billy leaned against an old pickup as he gazed out over their view of Hawkins, downtown and rural hills alike. His head turned when he heard little Steve coo beside him, “Pwetty.”

He lifted his gaze to the larger Steve. “You move quiet.”

“Gotta be light footed in my house. Just in case.”

Billy huffed, “Sure,” and peeked down at the littles again. Small Steve yawned while little Billy blinked slowly. “Give me those wrappers. You walk around.”

Billy set to wrapping a pair of joints while Steve wandered through the junkyard, catching the occasional lightning bug. Billy heard the littles scream and coo over the insects from afar, terrified and amazed.

“I don’wanna light buwb on my butt.”

“Does it hurt?”

Big Steve answered, “I don’t think so. It’s how they find each other.”

“They don’t sing?”

“Those are crickets and birds,” Steve said, plenty crickets and evening birds around them attesting to this.

“I wike birwds,” little Steve said through another yawn. “D’you think we could wide birwds?”

“I don’t wanna be high up,” small Billy whined quietly, audibly sinking into slumber.

Large Steve murmured, “I sure do,” as he rejoined Billy and accepted his share of green feathers. Before he lit up, though, he hoisted his shirt up so he could kiss down into the pocket.

Small Billy grumbled, “ ‘M not sweepy.”

“It’s for later,” Steve disregarded.

“Mm...good. Cuz I’m not sweepy...”

“Warm enough?”

“Mmhm.”

Steve lifted a triumphant smile to Billy, who loaned his lighter. “How much will you bargain that he dreams of bugs?”

“Nothing, he’s got a shield,” Steve declared before puffing his joint to life.

Billy’s eyelashes were already heavy over his blue irises - looking like clear glass in the darkness. “You’re real confident about a kiss.”

“I’m the dream kisser,” Steve snorted.

Billy laughed at the sky. “The hell does that mean?”

“I’m the stuff of your dreams.”

“You’re a lightweight to this stuff, Harrington.”

“Let me fly a little bit,” Steve scolded. “It’s a fifty-fifty chance weed sends me into an existential spiral instead of a haze.”

Billy hummed a gruff sound of understanding. A lightning bug drifted in front of them. Billy reached a hand out, easily intercepting the lazy line of flight with his fingers. The long black and yellow body recalibrated on his hand before taking off again, glowing in the distance.

Steve crossed his ankles and leaned back against the rusty pickup. For a while, Billy watched the lightning bugs drift around their bicycles, almost matching the warm Christmas lights illuminating their acropolis of the junk heap.

“Thanks.”

Billy had thought Steve relaxed with his eyes closed, but now he looked at him and found those dark eyes on himself. “What are you talking about?”

“Try not to take this as an insult, but. I didn’t expect you to be so good with them.”

Billy wisely chose to diffuse that with an inhalation of sour smoke and leaned back against the truck. “It’s not some talent like you seem to have. I teach kids at the pool. Lifeguards have to be trained.”

“I am lifeguard trained, remember? And I’m an only child.”

“Max and I didn’t know each other until - ”

“I expected you to be better at taking compliments.”

Billy pursed his lips together in deadpan annoyance. Instead of speaking, he taunted Steve but pushing his leg against the back of Steve’s knee that held most of his weight. Steve saw it coming and easily shifted his weight onto his other leg, only briefly uncrossing his legs and rocking back into Billy’s space.

Billy watched him peek down into his pocket to see that the little ones were not disturbed and reiterated, “Still. There’s a reason Hopper brought them to you instead of me.”

Steve scoffed, “Well talent runs out. That’s when skill hopefully takes over.”

Billy chuckled. “Which coach told you that?”

“Swim. He’s right. Talent is beginner’s luck. All I ever did was coast on beginner’s luck. Sometimes it ran out, or I was skilled in things that weren’t actually useful to me.”

“How much do you charge for this therapy?”

It was Steve’s turn to nudge him back. “I’m saying thank you, asshole. For being around when my luck ran out. Somebody with skill needed to be here for them.”

Billy rotated and gripped the lapel of Steve’s jacket, bodily moving him so they faced each other. Steve let him.

“Don’t call me an asshole.”

Steve, the brat, lifted his joint between them and took his time inhaling. “Then it’s butthead.” But then he exhaled upward, making the curl hanging over Billy’s forehead wiggle. Billy watched, dumbstruck, as Steve wagged his own head in Billy’s face, making his voluminous arching hair swish around Billy’s curl.

“We could joust. Or. What’s jousting?”

“You mean sword fighting,” Billy supplied, his voice barely over a whisper.

A dopey smile lifted Steve’s features. “Yeah.”

“Yeah,” Billy exhaled.

“Yeah.”

Billy couldn’t really say who closed the distance. He lifted his face and Steve’s mouth was already there. Billy’s heart crushed under the softness of Steve’s lips. By the time cold panic tickled Billy’s mind like raindrops from the sky, Steve was already kissing him more, making Billy feel hot all over.

Steve inhaled Billy’s smell: all clean clothes, smoke and sour, and something darkly sweet. Fresh, even. Multifaceted, like the man he let his eagerness kiss and kiss and kiss again; a long burning curiosity finally being quenched...

Satisfaction turned the page into new demands. Billy felt the wet, hot tickle of Steve’s tongue against the seam of their lips. Steve’s brows floated up as Billy’s tongue pushed between his lips. In all the ways Billy smelled good, he tasted better, and the vocalized sigh that came out of him made Steve’s face go slack, free for Billy’s mouth to plunder.

Steve felt himself stir in his jeans, even more so as Billy got a grip on his belt loops and pulled their pelvises flush together. He had no idea when his hands lifted to rest on Billy’s shoulders, but they were there now and one was creeping up to hold the side of Billy’s neck, the basin of his thumb fitting underneath the curve of Billy’s ear.

For how hot and heavy they got, the weed made them groggy and worse -

Steve’s stomach growled as loudly as if a ghost engine had awoken in one of the cars. Billy retreated enough to make eye contact with him. Steve both defended and dodged his accusatory gaze with, “We left the food at home, didn’t we?”

“That was a terrible idea.”

“Will you make out with me after second dinner?”

Billy grimaced slightly. “When we reek of garlic and soy sauce?”

“We already reek of garlic and soy sauce.”

“Oh. Well, that’s fine, maybe.”

“Maybe!” Steve huffed, but it got swallowed up by Billy kissing him loudly and tugging him toward the bikes.

[laundrybiscuits]

(part 3 of the not-hallmark fic, now tentatively titled grace coming out of the void)

It’s not too long before Robin tumbles through the door in a whirlwind of apologies.

“Don’t worry about it,” says Steve, wrapping her up in a bear hug. “Eddie kept me company.”

It’s true, actually. There’d been a few minutes of awkward silence, before Eddie’d visibly steeled himself and started making small talk with the grim determination of a general heading into battle. It would’ve been funny if it hadn’t made Steve feel like dirt just a little bit.

He’s trying, Steve had told himself firmly. Yeah, it sucked that Eddie clearly still had some kind of problem with him, but if he was willing to try this hard to get over it…well, the least Steve could do was try, too.

So they’d filled each other in on all the stupid unimportant details of their lives, the stuff that was easy to talk about, and gradually the talking got easier. They’d never been strangers, not really, but somehow over the years it had gotten so Steve could forget that Eddie was fun to be around. There hadn’t always been a weird sour feeling in Steve’s stomach that had to be ignored; there was Eddie’s hands looping in big descriptive shapes as he described some new student who has absolutely no idea why she’s in my class, Steve, I swear someone’s blackmailing the kid to be there, she just shows up and like, grimly struggles through whatever I give her. Won’t even tell me what she wants to play, and I’ve tried everything. I arranged Cyndi fuckin’ Lauper for this kid, Steve!

Eddie’s face, relaxed and bright-eyed, never happier than when he’s telling a story. The way Eddie cares so much about every little thing. Just being around him feels like sitting at a fireplace, soaking in the warmth and light. And when Steve manages to make him laugh, it feels like winning the damn lottery.

So they’ve managed to get on pretty well in Robin’s absence. Steve’s hoping it doesn’t take them another few years before they can have a real conversation again, like some kind of timer that needs to reset.

“Good,” says Robin. “Because you two are like my favorite people, and it would really suck if you couldn’t get along.”

“Favorite people?” Eddie drawls, raising an eyebrow. “Can’t wait to tell Ronnie that.”

“Oh my god, don’t you dare!” Robin shoves at his shoulder until he moves over so she can squeeze onto the couch with them.

“Am I finally going to get to meet the famous Veronica?” asks Steve. Robin’s been going on about her for a while, but he knows the relationship hasn’t been official for that long. So it’s fine, it’s normal that he hasn’t met his best friend’s girlfriend yet, and Eddie has.

“Yeah, of course,” says Robin. “She’ll be here in like an hour to set up for the party.”

Of course there’s a party. From what Steve hears, Robin and Eddie seem to be constantly throwing parties and having people over, a rotating cast of quirky personalities with artistic inclinations and improbable backstories.

This one’s not even really a party, Robin assures him; it’s just the new girlfriend plus a couple local friends. Or, one local friend and one Hawkinsite who’s in town for the holidays.

“You remember Jeff, right?” says Robin.

“Oh sure, Jeff, yeah,” says Steve. “And the other one’s…Hannah?”

“Helen, she’s an artist who’s been working with Eddie on an installation. She’s great, you’ll love Helen.”

———

Steve does not love Helen.

“Wait, it’s true?” Helen cuts in. “People actually thought Ed was a cult leader? Our Ed?”

Steve breathes through the flicker of annoyance. Eddie doesn’t belong to Hawkins anymore.

“Yeah,” he says. “It’s, you know, a small town. Folks were just scared, is all.”

“Aww,” she coos. “It’s just so tough to imagine anyone being scared of this guy.” She ruffles Eddie’s hair and Eddie slaps her away, laughing.

“Yeah, it was a whole torches-and-pitchforks thing,” Eddie says. “I met this guy when I was on the run from some villagers who wanted to burn me at the stake. Me! Can you imagine?”

Steve huffs, amused. “Think I remember something about that meeting. Something like…you threatening me with a broken bottle at my neck? Ring any bells for you, Ed?”

“Wait…that’s not how you got those scars, is it?” Helen’s looking a little more hesitant, like she finally realizes there’s something here she can’t ever understand. Steve’s viciously pleased about it, then tries not to be. He doesn’t like strangers talking about all that shit like they can relate or something.

All he says is: “Nah. That was a little later. Eddie’s the reason I lived long enough to let this—” He rubs awkwardly at his neck, fingers skidding and pulling at the ugly ridges. “—scar at all.”

“Don’t listen to Harrington, he never wants to admit he’s a fuckin’ action hero. I barely did anything except freak out and almost get murdered. He saved my life for real, like, at least three or four times—think at this point he just owns my entire ass.”

Steve is tempted to ask why Eddie’s been avoiding him for the last six or seven years, if that’s the case, but he knows that’s not totally fair. Steve’s been doing a lot of avoiding too.

“Shoot,” says Helen. She’s still got an arm tucked into Eddie’s. “We’re all very grateful, Steve.”

Instead of saying I didn’t do it for you, Steve says, “Just, uh, glad I was there. I’m…gonna get some more wine.”

Robin catches him in the narrow hall leading to the kitchen. It’s a nice apartment, yeah, but Steve thinks the layout’s weird as hell compared to the right angles and neatly aligned walls of his place back in Hawkins.

“Everything okay, dingus?” she asks. The way the hall bends, they’re sheltered from the living room. It’s a soap bubble of privacy, fragile but whole.

“How do you handle people asking about—stuff?” Steve blurts out.

“It’s actually been easier here,” says Robin thoughtfully. “Because in Hawkins, people always think they know a lot more than they do. Remember how Vickie and I used to get into those big fights?”

Steve nods. He hadn’t really understood what was going on at the time, and Robin hadn’t been great at explaining. She’d talk up a storm, get all worked up, and at the end of it, all he’d get was that she was mad and Vickie didn’t understand why.

“Well, later on I realized that they’d always kick off when Vickie said something like, I know what you mean, or I was there too. Because she didn’t, and she wasn’t. With Ronnie, it’s like…she doesn’t get it, but she knows she doesn’t get it. It’s easier with her, I guess. How did you handle it with Laura?”

Steve shakes his head. “I didn’t, I guess. But she wasn’t, y’know. The One.”

“Still holding out for that fairy tale romance, huh?” Robin smiles. She’s just teasing him; she doesn’t mean anything by it.

“I’m really not,” says Steve. “Listen, I’m gonna—” He holds up his empty glass and escapes to the kitchen.

Jeff’s there, pouring some wine into his own glass, and fills up Steve’s without being asked.

Steve nods at him in thanks. It feels a little rude to just turn around and leave immediately, so he leans against the counter and takes a drink.

“So, uh,” says Steve. “How’ve…you been? Since, uh, Hawkins.”

Jeff gives him a wry smile. He definitely knows that Steve doesn’t remember him at all. “Not bad,” he says, drumming his fingertips on the counter. “I’m just in town visiting family for the week; I’m actually at Michigan right now, studying to be a doctor. I want to specialize in geriatrics—like, taking care of old people? But right now I’m in the part where they shuttle you around to different specialties to get a taste for everything.” He makes a face. “Surgery definitely ain’t my thing.”

“Shit. A doctor, huh?” Steve shakes his head, surprised for no real reason. It’s not like he hadn’t known that people from Hawkins could be smart; hell, he’d dated Nancy Wheeler. But this seemed like the kind of smart that just didn’t fit into his memory of Hawkins High. Other than Nancy, who—last he’d heard—was still sharing an apartment with two other girls and fighting her way up the ladder of some paper in Boston, nobody he’s kept tabs on has really gotten successful in a big-city way. Like, the kind of successful that could be on a TV show.

“Yeah, I was always into science. Used to keep caterpillars in my room, see if I could get ‘em to turn into butterflies. Drove my mama crazy, ‘cause she hated having critters in the house. But I just thought it was so wild how the caterpillars could have a whole life crawling around on the ground, and then their insides just rearrange, and suddenly they can fly. I was such a dramatic little shit, I was so damn sure I’d grow wings too.” Jeff laughs. It’s surprisingly nasal for such a broad-shouldered guy, and Steve decides he likes how unselfconscious Jeff is about it.

Steve reaches out to clink their glasses together. “Hey, you did, didn’t you? Got outta Hawkins, got to chase your fancy doctor dreams.”

“Guess I did.” Jeff nods and takes a slow sip of his wine. “Look…tell me to fuck off if this is too much, huh? But I gotta ask. Why’d you stick around? Why not get outta Hawkins too? Not that we knew each other or anything, but…even from the Hellfire table, it didn’t seem like you were having the greatest time, either. At least, not by the end.”

Hellfire, right, that’s how Jeff knows Eddie. A vague, blurry memory of seeing them both in those dorky shirts is surfacing.

“It’s not too much,” says Steve. “I don’t mind you asking. Don’t know that I’ve got an answer, though. I just didn’t have a plan like you guys, I guess.”

“Buddy.” Jeff laughs in that nasal way again and claps Steve on the shoulder. “None of us had a plan. I guess I did, a little more than the rest of them, but—I thought I wanted to be an ER doc, you know? Which, damn. Definitely not my scene, as it turns out. You don’t leave your hometown because you already know what you want out of life, even if you think that’s what you’re doing.”

“Getting philosophical in the kitchen?” Eddie appears in the doorway, empty glass dangling from his fingertips. “Congrats on being a cliche, guys.” He’s smiling, and it looks real. Happiness looks good on him.

“What’re you drinking?” says Steve. “Let me top you up.”