#do people tag these guys as Gleeful?

[spectralreplica]

Series of game sprite commissions for @localfandomhipster for a Reverse Falls visual novel!

[oncewhenalongtimeago]

Just Like Magic

Pairing: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III x Female!Reader

Words: 3,610

Hiccup’s got both hands full with dragon training, nevermind everything else he’s got going on in private, because, really, it’s not just the dragon. 

Hiccup’s got no one at his back- no friends, no Dad and a dead mother. He has got Gobber on most occasions, though if you asked Hiccup, he’d say that he doesn’t really count, mostly because he’s not much of a help even on the best of days. 

There is that one girl, though, with her odd appreciation for the world, colorful hems, twine and tassels- To him, she’s something new. Whenever he’s with her, it feels like things just might be turning up. Honestly, she might be exactly the kind of person he’s been looking for.  

(By some stroke of fate and probably coincidence, Hiccup makes friends with a weird girl in the woods and learns that life doesn’t have to be about fighting or proving oneself- sometimes it’s nothing more than a few stolen, happy moments shared between a lucky girl and a very unlucky guy.)

Tags: Witch!reader, optimistic/cheery reader, female reader, httyd 1, edited

- Next>

Grass tickled the bottoms of your clothed feet, your boots discarded to the side as you’d done your best to mosey up peeling, scratchy, hurtful bark. It crackled and broke off as you’d applied pressure to it, cutting into your skin through you-sized, harried trousers as you managed to throw one knee over the top of an upturned log. 

You scrambled for the most stable spot along the cut edge of a flat, good-enough-for-seating place propped up right under you.

Once you’d managed to get onto your knees, you began the careful work of turning yourself around inch by inch, moving your folded lower legs by just one small amount at a time until you were pleased again.

You stared down at a small canvas, a piece of old rag you’d sewn weakly to an uneven wooden frame, the soreness of your fingers something you could recall as if your fingers were still just-raw and not dull-raw.

Reaching with shaky, shaky hands, the wood piece below you wobbling with your wobbles, you felt cool, cool metal with small hands.

They were a normal size to you, but your hand were ones which the people around you found tiny despite your disagreements, tall as they were, as lofty as doorways and then some, with shoulders large and wide as their furs were musky, their hands and bodies full enough to reach the tops of worn-smooth-oil-sanded tables.

The sun came warmly down over your shoulders, prickling the tiny hairs there above and under hot cloth, reflecting light off of paste, a tame blue color, wholly saturated yet soft enough to not be tiring to your eyes, all encased in a small, metal tin.

It was made of leaves ground to liquid- rare as you’d been told and worth money, not that you knew the berth and measure of whatever money they had been talking about. You could only treasure the color for its own merits.

Things like worth and distance- you still had a terrible time coming to fathom what it meant to be ‘far, far away,’ not in the sense that you couldn’t imagine a world in another place. It was moreso that you hadn’t anything to fill the spaces between, your lack of experience doing you wonders in that it had then become your job to figure out what ‘journey’ meant to you and what it should mean to have to travel over many lands for small boon.

The seas rushed in front of you below the cliffs, kicking up a loud and fanciful spray, as if dancing with linked arms, scuffing hard boots against loose, dusty floor on a cool night by a roaring pit of flame. It was filled with joy, gleeful and fresh in celebration of life, wide, vast and light, calm and blue, yet no less passionate than any storm with clouds nearly dark as the invisible sky, thick and angry, with a sea so black a hand could not be seen submerged, currents crashing and roiling below it.

You stared down at the blue tin curiously, your only color, then traced your eyes over a wooden bowl with a shallow layer of clear water near its bottom. 

Your sleeves were spotted wet still, since earlier you’d jolted the bowl in a way which splashed. 

You touched the side of the wooden bowl with one shaky finger, listening as the wood clacked against the back of the carefully positioned canvas stand, borrowed politely from tall Mulch and an even more mountainous, addled Bucket.

You thought you might paint the sun and the sky, though you’d quickly realized with chagrin that your blue was your only color, perfect for the sea and the sky and yet not so fitting when it came down to much else.

More often than not, the sun was a shining white. However, you did know there was more beneath its surface. Yellow was the color that followed you under closed lids after you'd started into it for too long, filling your vision with spots and there was an orangey-red that stained your vision when you kept your eyes open just the same. Sometimes there was a green, and less often, blue.

There were no more berries to squeeze from now, though, and though slightly put off, you were not so harried as to try and force a color when there was none, scouring the land for something new and workable when your blue was so lovely on its own.

You picked up a thin brush with clumsy fingers laid next to it, wrapped with twine very, very tightly around a wooden stick, thick enough to hold string and a small tuft of brushed sheep’s wool. 

The wood was all splintered, small points sticking out everywhere, but you had found it and made it yours, and you found yourself hard pressed not to be proud of your choice. 

For the wool, you’d gotten permission to take some nice bit off of a sheep with shears, which you’d watched Johannes do with pride, your fingers clutching onto wood fencing and your toes on their tips. 

You had woven it tight to the body using twine in a way that had your fingers twinging and needing help from thicker hands, with many hard, rough spots and thick dustings of hair along the knuckles and back.

With careful hands over an uneven handle, you pressed your brush into the blue paste and lifted it with nary a wet, sudden pulling noise.

Very carefully, you pressed it against a beige-green rag, the wool bunching like the hem of a dress pooling along the floor. After, you were careful not to move it for a very long moment.

When you finally lifted your brush, the stiff muscles in your wrist loosening, there was a spatter left behind vaguely in the shape of the sun which made your mouth slip and half a pleased huff leave your lips, the effort you expended to hold the rest of it all in causing the sideways cut-log below you to wobble.

The dear sun shone across your canvas, past the casted shadow, once again reflecting off the wet of your paste.

As you dipped and dipped your brush curiously in the water of your small bowl, paint danced in thin, disappearing, transparent whisps, turning from blue to a careful sun white-red-yellow-orange in the light, nearly glowing.

Blinking, the smile over your mouth growing wider, at that moment, you felt an affection that was nearly overwhelming- it was as if you reflected the world back out from within yourself, thinking of the lovely sun, precious canvas and the swaying grasses all laid out before you, strands and fronds moving with the wind and whispering all the same noises in the same directions, as loud and quiet as the ripples of the nearly-still water in your bowl.

Even stronger was your wonder as the end of your clumsy wool brush met canvas and a veritable shine of color smeared across linen.

Following that, it was with dusty fervor that you had pulled your clumsy canvas up high against your pit, huffing as you trotted quickly above dirt and floor, moving in steps that were quick and hard enough to be jarring, accidental stomps sending solid-jerking jolts up your everything as you hit uneven ground.

Each landing was met by a noise that was almost voice and not breath, an expression of your startle, yet you were too pleased to be unhappy, even as you hobbled with a canvas too large for you to carry between two hands, pressed painfully into the place between your cloth-covered side and your arm. It was a scene carefully waited for, with small, finger-shaped imprints in the face as you tested it dry.

You were excited to show what a joyous thing had happened to you, sharing your knowledge with the small hope that it would work just as splendidly for the others as well, though you had a slight inkling that it just might not.

You had always been a special child, since you’d come to see and feel through warm furs and soft, warm, musty smells, listening to the light of the fire as if its secrets could be shared with you, crackling with a feeling in your insides that was sharp-sharp-sharper and fresher than anything your heavy, dusted head could think up on it’s own, your neck too weak to move it any.

 

You laughed, a young girl of fifteen winters, a canvas held tightly under your arm as it had been so many times before, feeling light and cool even as the noon sun lay heavy across the earth after a morning of painting. 

It was a hobby you had spent time on occasionally since the first, when you were small and young, proud and curious with nothing but a blue paste and some heart.

You skittered down a large path, wide with no rails, fighting with your shoulders against the ever-present wind, the smell of salt and ocean thick against your nostrils, the thin ramp below hanging steadily above the sea.

In town, there was not as much of a need for your own paintings, especially since there was already someone who had taken up the job of portrait-making, who made your own art seem like a lesser craft. Still, though your practice was small, there was no shame in sharing it around.

Despite it all, it was something you’d spent time doing with joy, especially as your art had grown past the mindless, painted scribbles of a child and into the realm of ‘reasonably scribbled,’ experimental in terms of both lighting and setting.

The canvas under your arm was made up of yellow rays and empty, heavenly clearing- you’d not needed any subject besides what was in front of your eyes. Even in the smallest leaf, there was something beautiful, and yet somehow, for some reason, you couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something missing.

For such a clear afternoon day, the docks were surprisingly empty, though the person who you were looking for remained there just the same- you’d always seemed to be lucky in that way.

“Hello!” You stepped around the half-rotted intestines of a gutted fish laid across the floor, the beating of wood beneath your boots stilling as you paused and asked cheerily, “Inga! Off so soon?”

Across the way, by the very end of one branch of the docks, stood a woman with red hair who was soft, and though she looked tired, she had no wrinkles to be seen, her skin young, slightly pale and freckled. 

She had a full chest and soft body, though you knew there lay some muscle underneath, unexercised as it was- she had come from the age group before yours, the one which had only just grown old enough to pass training and enter into full adulthood.

She was minding an empty set of barrels, a thick spool of rope carried over one arm, and a slightly dirtied old cloth of a murky color laying draped over the opposite shoulder.

Behind her, where every other space was empty, there was a boat, bobbing with its rope, tied to one of the logs holding up the harbor. It was a smaller thing, all thin wood, hastily made, shorter where most other ships were tall and barely affordable as it was- nothing that could handle the larger seas, though the homely waters around Berk wore it just fine.

There was a small draw connecting it to the docks, a ribbed pathway made up of old wood crate parts which you’d put together yourself when Inga had been more swollen than plain round.

You shifted your canvas in your arms as you waited so that its frame was pressed to your back, its painted face facing the far cliff face behind you, greens and yellows all pointed carefully out of view.

Straight wood dug slightly into your back past two layers of cloth, one tan and dry, more beige than gray as you found your eyes stinging slightly past the strong smell of fish and slight wood rot. The smell was magnified by the heat, coming from all the places where fishermen discarded into the ocean what waste they should give back to the earth and soil, and then some. 

There were also the few old fish left behind by the morning crowd in barrels and among crates, the too-small ones and the ones at the bottom of the barrel that had either been left too long or ones that had been touched so much by the rabble they no longer looked healthy, all too soft and bruised, too bad to sell.

You noted slightly shabby smock and borrowed trousers, ones that had probably belonged to her husband- Truly, the fishing had been poor as of late, though it was with your full heart that you wished the couple prosper, even more so since they had taken a step back from fighting to care for more gentle things. 

In the time it took for Inga to bend down and peer deeper into barrel, you took a look around, searching thoroughly yet without too much vigor

Your patience bore good fruit as, after a long moment of concern, slightly worried preoccupation and as late-received words ran past ears and into strained mind, Inga finally rose, her face going slightly lax.

She turned, then, and it was after that that you received a kind response, “Hello to you too, lass.” 

Then, without waiting for a response, she yelt back towards the waters, “Love!”

You smiled as she turned her head, directing her attention to the ambiguous space to her side, eyes turning to her back, feeling the thick sun’s heat run over your cheeks and shoulders, playing with your straining arms.

Inga sighed very quickly, before calling in a slightly firmer tone, “Come, tall man, say something!”

You suppressed a quick laugh, one that yearned to follow the sudden uptake in noise, the sound of a rapid wood’s knocking following her shout.

“Hello!” Came a muffled voice, all wood-stuffed yet surely familiar, belonging to a man of the same age as Inga with black hair and a slightly soft, yet fully built form, thin in the way most men could only be when coin was scarce, food was the same and love was in plenty, filling the stomach in the way that it tended to do after giving one's own food to one’s most hungry treasured.

“Bo!” You wanted to clap with glee, bringing your canvas out from behind your back, resting it by your side, one hand hooked under the bottom as the leather soles of your feet shuffled against wood.

Bo grew quiet again a moment after, though if you listened really hard, you could hear the gentle thump of hammering and the messing of metal against metal, still slightly hurried and yet calming.

“He’ll be occupied for a while, I think,” Inga warned slightly, “So It’ll just be you and me for now.”

“That’s blush!” You beamed, before dipping your head sheepishly and looking up at Inga with appeasing eyes, “I’d love to chat- of course, If you don’t have trouble minding me for a while?”

“No, dear,” Inga shook her head, throwing her cloth down on the rim of one of her barrels, “I don’t mind at all- really, you’re the one doing the minding and henning, With your care, one might think you were the new mother, not me.”

“Oh, I’m sure Ase’d disagree,” You hummed, “Really, it does no one any good to be sailing on an empty stomach. I must ask, how does she fare?”

“I’ve not enough to hire a nurse yet, so her burdens are still many, though she’s hardy and I shouldn’t be gone for long.”

You spent a fraction of a moment thinking of the oceans and knowing for a fact the truth could only exist in a manner that was quite contrary- Fishing was an all-day event.

“She’s a strong woman,” You said sympathetically, speaking again. “And so are you, I think, though even a strong woman deserves rest in times of trouble.”

She rolled her eyes, voice stern with play and false grim, “Don’t start with me, small lady.”

“You’ve got to do well,” You hummed, continuing anyways, rolling both your eyes and head back slightly so you could look up at the sky, reconsidering,  “The seas have got to do well for you.”

“By the by,” Inga looked at you curiously, then, “I would like to know- what’s brought you to me today?”

You smiled freely, “I came to wish you luck- and to show you something else just as nice.”

Inga shook her head fondly, “I’m glad- we always fare better when you do for some odd reason, you special girl.”

You smiled with something that was all lips and no teeth, though it split the sides of your face just the same.

“Well, let’s have it then.” Inga declared as there sounded a particularly hard, clumsy knock from the inside of the couple’s fishing barge.

You were careful to maneuver your canvas out from behind you, arms straining as you swung it around wide, before displaying it proudly, one hand on each side of the frame, paint facing Inga as you handed it to her, “Here it is!”

She held it by both sides with firm yet careful hands, a spool of rope slipping from one soft arm onto the dock floor below, something which neither of you paid much mind to.

“Why, it feels as if it’s moving on its own! What life!” Inga said, holding out her canvas. In her voice, you could tell that some of her astonishment was a nicety, but a lot of it was all genuine.

You knew she really ought to be pleased- past all the softness and that deceivingly fluffy exterior, that sly woman picked up on things very quickly. Any luck you could offer- Well, she surely couldn’t refuse.

“Oh, are those flowers?” She hummed, turning the painting to the side, looking at it in every which way, pulling it in and bringing it out, “The white bits here? And the leaves- this wouldn’t be an Elder, would it? And the heather!”

You clapped your hands, your voice squeaky, “It is!”

You listened to a slight crowing off in the distance as a seabird cheered, and after a long moment of careful appreciation, you were nearly startled as Inga made an attempt to hand it back.

Though unready to take it, you brought out your hands slightly, your smile still soft but there, though slightly strained in the way smiles were when you were puzzling or doing menial tasks, or when you were between laughs.

You felt something twinge in your chest, sharp and close to where your heart might be. It could have been the joy in giving or it could have been something else. It could have been your compass, perhaps, or just plain intuition, made up of all your nerves and bones, mashed up and pieced together like a handful of loose dials and twine and other such things.

You trusted it more than anything

“You’ve got nails?” You asked, ignoring a flash of movement at the corner of your eye, insisting more with the jerky movement of your arms, pushing it back towards her with your palms pressed gently into the top two corners, saying without words that she should have it. “It would look good in your ship- in the cabin by the front, I’d say.”

“I’d do well to take good care of your special charm,” Inga smiled kindly, lighting a feeling in you which you could definitely, surely call ‘the joy in giving’ this time, looking down at you with grateful eyes, “Thank you.”

‘Special charm’ was what she called anything you gave anyone at all, though you could find no reason to disagree with the name.

“It’s no problem for me.” You shuffled your feet bashfully, as she moved up the slim bridge into the shallow bowels of her small ship, “Tell little Erik I’ve said ‘hullo.’”

Bo and Inga- You were sure they’d do well.

Your eyes wandered as you waited, the two love birds making conversation over your painting in their small ship, your fingers linked behind your back like small chains.

You eyed the sea curiously, though your eyes were drawn to some noise off the side

The docks weren’t as empty as before, as, off into the distance, you spotted a boy in a fuzzy, brown fur cloak, dull and slightly matted from what you could tell from the distance, with the hints of a very noble green tunic underneath. 

On a crate before him lay a floppy fish of a respectable size, one of the bruised leftovers, you’d reckon, which he tried to maneuver with his dagger as if it were a utensil.

He leaned incredibly far forwards, one leg bent and the other stretched completely flat behind him, nearly dropping both it and his dagger into the sea before he had given up and grabbed it securely in the mouth with his thumb and forefinger.

You thought he might have been doing his best to be sneaky, though you were sure he hadn’t seen you at all during all the time you’d been watching him.

Absent-mindedly, you watched him hurry back towards the very foot of the ramp leading back to the village, which briefly covered him with its large shadow. Then, you slowly turned your attention back to the sound of muffled conversation and blooming praise.

[corruptedcaps]

Bitchy Besties: part 2

In the car ride over Tanya gabbed about everyone in high school and all their dirty little secrets. Kate couldn’t believe the insight she was gaining about the other students she had known for years. Tanya even spilled the beans on her best friends.

Kate figured Tanya saw Kayleigh as more of a peer than some beta follower like the rest of Tanya’s friends. Despite despising Tanya, Kate found it somewhat rewarding having her bully so enamoured with her.

Tanya brought her around to all the bougie stores and they tried on outfit after outfit and the two were having a genuinely good time together. Kate had never worn so many tight and revealing outfits but she had to admit that they all looked great on her.

Finishing up with a trip to the nail salon, they both got a matching set of new press on's. As the beautician worked, Kate entertained her bully with fabricated stories of her life, who thankfully seemed to eat it up. Some stories were just things Kate remembered Tanya had done but she tweaked certain details to be more ‘Kayleigh’-like, whatever that had come to mean.

Posing for a selfie together, the two girls proudly showed off their new nails.

“This is going to blow up on socials babe, two hawt bitches like us. What’s your handle so I can tag you?” Tanya asked.

Kate started to panic, a girl like Kayleigh would certain have more social media than anyone else but Kate had never bothered. She had to think of an excuse.

“Oh I don’t have any. Well not anymore anyway. Remember the cyber bullying I told you I was doing before? Well my parents made me delete everything, otherwise they weren’t going to fund my trip to Paris.” Kayleigh said sounding genuinely pissed at her fabricated parents.

“Well did you go to Paris?” Tanya asked.

“Eh yeah, remember I told you about the hot French guy I fucked there?” Kayleigh replied.

“Then the statute of limitations are up.” Tanya said grabbing Kayleigh’s phone from her hand before she could be stopped. Tanya was like a pro quickly setting up new accounts for Kayleigh. In 60 seconds flat she handed the phone back.

“Now to tag you in this gorgeous pic of us. Annnnnd posted. You’ll be royalty in this town before the end of the day. So naturally I gave you the handle QueenKayleigh. No need to thank me. Don’t you love it?” Tanya said with a gleeful smirk.

Kaleigh pulled up the post of the two of them and saw the caption read “Hanging with my new BFF @QueenKayleigh, add her now! She’s the real deal.” Kayleigh stared for a long time at ‘BFF’. She had never had a best friend before, it felt kind of nice even if it was Tanya. Speaking of which she realized that Tanya had been waiting for an answer.

“Oh babes this is amazing, we look like twins don’t we?” Kayleigh said to a waiting Tanya who beamed at her.

“Totes! A pair of bitchy babes. Oh looks like you’re blowing up already.” Tanya said as Kayleigh’s phone started a waterfall of chimes. Kayleigh looked down at her phone and sat a barrage of likes, comments and follow requests. It was kind of overwhelming but satisfying to see so many people give her attention.

Comments such as ‘dammmmmn! Who’s the new hottie?’, ‘queens!’, and ‘omg, instant follow!’ were quickly going to her head, she did look stunning after all. Each chime was like an endorphin hit.

“Thanks hun, this will help me jump the social ladder to the top, where sexy babes like us belong. Assuming I pick your school.” Kayleigh said with a natural bitchy purr.

“I hope you choose to come to our school babe, it’s a dump for sure but together the two of us would be unstoppable together. The names Kayleigh and Tanya will make all the losers shudder and all the boys hard. Speaking of which I think I see one checking you out right now.” Tanya said nodding over to a handsome guy sitting in the food court.

Kayleigh looked over to see a handsome college aged guy smiling at her. It had taken her years to attract the meagre attention of Cory and now the hottest guy she had ever seen was checking her out. She remembered the Evie stories and tried to picture what the girls in those stories would do. Standing up she turned and gave Tanya a wink and strode confidently over to the guy.

“Hey hot stuff, were you going to stare at me all day or were you going to ask me out?” She said with a tilt of her head and a sly smile. The guy seemed taken aback by the forwardness but quickly gained his composure.

“Eh yes of course I’d love too. How’s Saturday?” He asked. Kayleigh felt a power over him that she had never felt before. His eyes drank her in and he seemed eager to please. He wanted her and he would do anything she asked. She had to test it out. Remembering how Tanya snatched her phone from her, Kayleigh quickly took the guy’s phone from his hand and started to type.

“No. You’ll pick me up Friday, 9pm, got it? Here, you’re following me on Insta now. DM later for my address.” She said playfully as she handed his phone back to him.

Tanya couldn’t tell what they were talking about from where she sat but could see Kayleigh had the guy wrapped around her little finger. Kayleigh seemed to be having fun, giggling, touching his arm, playing with her hair.

“See you Friday Lucas, and don’t be late.” Kayleigh said wrapping up their flirtation finally. With a cheeky smile, she turned on her heel and strutted away. She felt his eyes on her butt and made sure he had plenty of time to take it all in.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Lucas shouted after her.

“Oh babes you’re such a baddie. He’s gorgeous. What did you two talk about?” Tanya asked eager to hear.

“We’ve got a date on Friday.” Kayleigh said with a nonchalance tone.

“Oh girl you work fast, I’m so jelly. I should have pounced on him first.” Tanya said with a smirk back to her.

“Oh you misunderstand me babe, when I say ‘we’ I mean you, me, him and his frat brother. They’re taking us to a club. Maybe we can swap at some point during the night, if you’re that keen on him.” Kayleigh said grinning as Tanya listened, her mouth open.

“Kayleigh, where have you been my whole life? You’re the baddest bitch ever.” Tanya said suddenly hugging Kayleigh.

The whole act seemed to momentarily dislodge Kate from what she was doing and stand back mentally from it all. Only yesterday Tanya was bullying her and she was an outcast and now she was suddenly her best friend with plans of a double date that she had orchestrated! What was she doing? The whole scenario was bizarre and she realized that this wasn’t her, she needed to wrap this up and fast.

“You ok babe?” Tanya said noticing something off.

“Yeah, yeah of course. Just been a long day.” Kaleigh said feigning a yawn.

“Yeah for real, let me drive you home.” Tanya said but Kate suddenly panicked. Tanya couldn’t see where she lived plus she needed to retrieve her clothes still.

"No my parents are expecting to pick me up at the school so you can drop me back there." Kayleigh said already getting up.

The drive back to the school was quieter than the ride to the mall. Kate was deep in thought, her mind at war with itself. Tanya continued to gossip but Kate wasn't taking it all in like before.

"Are you sure you don't want me to drop you home babe?" Tanya asked, sensing something still off about her new friend as she got out of the car.

"No I'm perfect hun, it will give me time to think about my choices." Kayleigh said with a smile.

"Well you know what I hope you choose, this school could use Kayleigh and so could I. See ya later!" Tanya said returning the smile and speeding off. Kate stood in front of the school unsure what to do next.

To be concluded...

[hippiegoth97]

Into the Fire: An Eddie Munson x Reader Story Pt. 26

Collage by me :)

Master List

Part 25

Tag List: @keikoraven @ar-jupiter @alcielo1438 @cairro-xx @stolen-in-moonlight

@micheledawn1975 @janiejenn @rafeyscurtainbangs @melodymunson @spacedoutdaydreamer

@veemoon @sariahs-stuff @feral-pumpkin-energy @comeonatmebruh @munsoneightysixx

@morgthemagpie @josephquinnsfreckles @jenniquinn @userchai @cometzombie

@spookybabey @daggerdaggerkitten @nina6708 @sanctumdemunson @yourdailymemedelivery

@person-005 @slowandsteddie @gri959 @elegantkoalapaper @letitgoandletlive

@loserboysandlithium @costellation-hunter @leelei1980 @h-ness1944 @pretendthisnameisclever

@ohmeg @stalactitekilla @hellfirenacht @birdysaturne @oneforthemunny

@prettyboyeddiemunson @eddievanmunson @msgexymunson @rattkween86 @violetpixiedust

@bimbobaggins69 @angel-munson @eldermayfield @munsonsbtch @bimbogorewhore

@mediocredreams @xxbimbobunnyxx @taintedcigs @ali-r3n @emxxblog

Content Warning 18+ Only, Minors DNI: swearing, alcohol use, light smut/teasing, mentions of war, crying, smoking, drug use, PTSD, flashbacks, blood, violence, angst, anxiety, arguing, self-destructive behavior, mentions of death/human remains

Word Count: 16.1k

divider by @strangergraphics

Part 26.1: Some Like it Hot

Tuesday, July 4th, 1989

"Eddie, dear? Do you mind carrying the potato salad inside for me?" Mom asks as the five of you get out of the car. You've driven yourself, Eddie, Mom, Dustin, and Wayne over to Steve Harrington's house for a special 4th of July barbecue. The lot of you are just a footnote in the rather long guest list. The Wheelers, the Sinclairs, the Mayfields, the Tanners, the Byers/Hopper family, and Robin are all in attendance for this afternoon and evening. Steve's own parents are out of town, as they typically find themselves to be. So, the former King of Hawkins High has taken it upon himself to throw a patriotic soiree on their dime. It's the least they can do in their everlasting absence, really.

"Sure thing, Claudia." Eddie smiles, stacking the three large Tupperware containers in his arms. "This sure is a lotta salad, you must've been up early this morning." Eddie chuckles as he struggles to keep himself from dropping one of the tubs.

"Oh, it was nothing. Besides, it's not Independence Day without the famous Henderson potato salad!" Mom says cheerfully, finding herself extremely happy to get out of the house for once.

"Well, in that case, I'll definitely have to try some." Eddie meets her gleeful energy, which in turn transfers to the rest of you. You're all quite excited to hang out with all your friends, depending on which age group you each happen to fall into.

"I 'preciate you all bringin' me along. I only hope I'm not intruding." Wayne pipes up nervously. He hasn't really met any of these people before, and he hopes to make a good impression.

"Not at all, Wayne. You'll fit right in, everyone is extremely friendly." You reassure him, while taking one of the tubs from Eddie's grasp. "Let me help you, love. You don't need to be Superman, ya know." You giggle at revealing his face as it had been previously hidden by the molded plastic.

"Thanks, sweetheart." Eddie shoots you a thankful grin. He grips the remaining salad firmly and easily now, and your little group makes it over to the front door of the Harrington residence. You ring the doorbell, and the man of the house answers not a moment later.

"Hey, you guys! We've been waiting for you to show up!" Steve says excitedly, holding the door back to let you inside. "What you got there?" He asks, pointing at the Tupperware.

"This, Stevie, is enough potato salad to feed a small army. Where should we put it?" Eddie replies, growing rather tired of carrying the stuff around now. The words 'potato' and 'salad' are also becoming rather tiresome.

"Oh, um, great! You can put it in the kitchen, just that room back there." Steve sets you in the right direction, and you and Eddie head that way while the others go around to mingle. You can hear Wayne introducing himself to Max and her mother as you set the containers down on the kitchen island.

"Will! Jane!" Dustin exclaims from the other room, overjoyed to see his California friends again.

"Hey, kiddos! Long time, no see." Hopper announces as he enters the kitchen. He's got Joyce with him, his arm wrapped firmly around her hip. They're wearing matching Hawaiian shirts and Bermuda shorts, beers in hand.

"Hey, Hop, Joyce." You reply kindly, walking over to the cooler on the other side of the island to pull out a couple cans for Eddie and yourself. You return to his side, handing off one of the frosty beers to him.

"Thanks, sweetheart." Eddie grins at you, popping the lid open, which releases a light hiss.

"The two of you are still going strong, I see. How long has it been now?" Joyce chirps, giving you two a warm glance.

"Four excruciating months, believe it or not!" You joke, making everyone laugh.

"Ouch! Low blow, princess!" Eddie quips back, reaching his free arm around your waist to pull you closer. His palm sneaks down a few inches to paw at your ass. You hold back a squeal at his dirty move, keeping a straight face.

"Well, we're very glad to see you both so happy." Joyce replies.

"I'd rather see Munson in cuffs, if you ask me." Hopper snarks, taking a swig of his beer.

"I never knew you were so kinky, Hop. Joyce must be a lucky lady." Eddie retorts, winking at Joyce. Her cheeks go bright red as she giggles, and Jim chokes as he tries to swallow. Joyce can tell he's about to blow his top at Eddie's comment, but she puts a pacifying hand on the burly man's chest.

"Now, now, Hop. He's only joking, sweetie." She coos up at him, and the man instantly calms down. He slaps a big smile on his face, though you can tell he's far from amused at your boyfriend's antics at his expense.

"Right. Well, I think Ted needs some help at the grill outside. If you'll excuse us." Jim says while shooting a deadly glare in Eddie's direction. You both nod at him silently, and he leads Joyce away towards the backyard.

"Jesus, Eds. Have you always been a thorn in Jim Hopper's side?" You ask with a chuckle. You pull away from his hold to hop onto a free space on the kitchen counter. Eddie takes this as his cue to slowly walk over to you, setting his beer on the counter beside you. His large hands carefully spread your thighs, allowing him to stand right between your legs. His flesh meeting yours makes you tingle, and his big brown eyes gazing deeply into yours sets your insides on fire.

"For as long as I can remember, baby. It's a good thing he doesn't have his badge anymore, or that little joke would've earned me a night in a holding cell." He speaks lowly to you, his eyes dragging over your form. You're dressed only in your string bikini top and some beat-up jean shorts that stop three-quarters of the way up your thighs. Of course your swim bottoms are underneath, which he really hopes will be revealed later on. The necklace he gave you sits right between the swells of your tits, drawing his pupils to it as the light catches the glossy surface.

"You make it sound like you spent a lot of time there. What's it like?" You ask seductively, taking in his own gorgeous body while you wait for an answer. Eddie has also embraced summer attire, his swim trunks serving as shorts. He's also wearing a cropped Metallica tee with the sleeves cut off. It shows off just the right amount of his stomach, letting you have a perfect view of his v-line and the trail of dark hair that runs right down the center of it. If this house weren't full of old-fashioned parents and rowdy kids, you'd be doing very unsavory things to him right now.

"You really wanna know, angel? Or are you just being polite?" He asks, drawing your eyes to his again. He's still grinning like the madman he sometimes is, which only feeds the impulse to think the most unholy things about him.

"I wanna know, Eds. I like learning things about you, even the bad stuff." You bite your lip, growing very warm in the small amount of clothing you have on.

"Well, if you must know...it's very dirty, and usually there's a couple town drunks in there, too. It reeks of piss, and you have to sit on a rusty metal bench all night." He speaks in the same tone, holding your attention in a strangling grip. He could be reading out of a dictionary right now, and you'd find it just as riveting as his checkered past. "Does that excite you, Y/N?" His eyes seem to sparkle on that one word, his voice coming out more breathy and harsh upon its utterance.

"I mean, realistically? It sounds pretty terrible. But the way you're saying it right now is...kinda hot." You say, barely above a whisper. Eddie lets out a short laugh, interested to know that as long as he uses his 'sexy voice', you'll hang onto his every word.

"Is that so? You wanna hear more?" He asks, tempting you to keep this game going. You know you should be socializing, and not almost fucking in Steve's kitchen. But no one seems to be missing you at the moment, and you're not actually doing anything. Where's the harm in a bit of teasing?

"Tell me what it's like to be arrested, Eddie." You give in to Eddie's temptation, putting your own drink down to lay your arms loosely around his shoulders.

"Well, there's the handcuffs...but you already know all about that, sweetheart." He chuckles darkly, and you nod in knowing exactly what he's referring to.

"Uh-huh. What else?" You question, wanting him to keep going.

"Well, then there's getting put in the back of the cop car. They kinda shove you in there, to avoid hitting your head." His palms caress your thighs at a snail's pace as he explains the process to you. "Then at the station, they take your prints, with this big ink pad thing. That shit stains your fingers for a couple of days. And then they have you stand against the wall to take some pictures. I think I still have a couple of them somewhere. I could show you, if you like." He smirks at that, knowing damn well you'll be all over him if you see those.

"Mmm, yes, please." You almost whimper. You bet Eddie's mugshots look so fucking sexy. He probably smiles in them, too.

"Shit. I'll definitely need to find them soon, then, won't I?" He purrs, fighting back the urge to slip a hand inside your shorts. He squeezes the tops of your thighs instead, drawing a quiet moan from you. His cock twitches in response, and he lets out a shaky breath. "This might have been a bad idea, angel. Because I really, really want you right now." Eddie says, his voice faltering.

"I know. I want you, too. But we'll just have to wait until later." You reply, trying your best to not come off whiny. If you sound too desperate, you'll both be done for.

"If we must." He rolls his eyes, ceasing his touches on you. He backs away, hopping up to sit next to you innocently. You force out a loud sigh, trying to shove your lustful feelings into a secure closet inside your mind.

"There you two are! We're been looking all over for you!" Robin says as she, Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve come into the kitchen.

"You must really wanna guard that potato salad." Steve jokes.

"No, no. We were just, um...distracted." You say as casually as you can, but the others just raise their eyebrows at you.

"Oh, I see. Having a hard time keeping it in your pants, are you?" Robin waggles her eyebrows while smirking at you.

"I'll plead the fifth on that one." Eddie says, though the blush rising on his cheeks gives him away.

"Yeah, sure. Now, get your asses up and join the damn party!" Robin shouts, going to you and pulling you off the counter by the arm.

"Alright, alright! Slow down, Robin! I need my drink!" You yell through a laugh, reaching clumsily for your beer. Eddie follows behind while Robin drags you outside to the pool deck. The kids are swimming in the pool, splashing wildly in the chlorinated waters. Music blasts through large speakers, and the adults are gathered around the tables and by the grill. Ted Wheeler effortlessly flips burgers and turns hotdogs, cooking all the meat to perfection. You've never seen him do anything well before, so it's a very welcome sight.

"So, how are you two doing?" Robin asks once your little group has taken a seat on the loungers beside the pool.

"We're really great, four months strong." You reply happily, leaning into Eddie on the lounger you're sitting sideways on.

"Woo! Two thirds of the way!" She cheers, she's very chipper today.

"Yes, it's very exciting. If only I knew what it meant!" Eddie chimes in, giving you a look as if he's attempting to read your mind for the answer.

"Sorry, Munson. Our lips are sealed." Nancy adds, mimicking locking her lips and throwing away the key. The others nod in agreement, much to Eddie's dismay.

"Ugh, fine! I'm sure whatever it is will be more than worth it." Eddie plants an affectionate kiss to your cheek, making you giggle again.

"Trust me, Eds. It will be." You coo at him, leaning in to give him a peck on the lips. He smiles against your mouth, unable to quell a rather filthy question that's popped into his head.

"It's not anal sex, is it?" He asks quietly, hoping the others don't hear. They've temporarily moved on to discussing Nancy's promotion at the newspaper.

"God, no! Exit only, baby." You reply while smacking his chest.

"Ugh, I'm gonna have to wear you down on that one, angel." Eddie smirks, his lips still brushing against yours in this private exchange.

"Over my dead body." You playfully insist, turning your attention back to the group. A small whine of disappointment escapes him, though nobody but you seems to notice. "If you quit asking, maybe I'll consider it." You add, and he mumbles a very quiet, yet excited 'yes'. The poor fool thinks he's winning that argument. "And you have to let me do it to you, too. It's only fair, don't you think?" He stiffens at your final comment, and you expect him to drop the subject altogether. But you couldn't be more wrong. He leans real close to speak in your ear, his breath fanning hotly against you.

"You make a good point, babydoll. And if it'll make you happy, who am I to deny you?" His silky-smooth voice flows like a drug into your ear and straight to your head. You can't believe for a second that he actually means it, but Eddie's not one to lie. A familiar pressure builds between your legs at the thought. To have him all laid out on the bed, while you penetrate him for once? To hear him whimper and moan beneath you, to beg you to go harder...faster... The idea in itself is extremely titillating to you. It's a good thing swimsuits are so absorbent, you're getting unbearably wet, totally ignoring the conversation going on right in front of you.

"Y/N?" Steve asks, waving a hand in your now-flushed face. Eddie chuckles at your fantasizing. It appears that the two of you will need to make a trip to a naughty little store at the edge of town, one that charmingly goes by the name of 'The Love Hut'.

"Sorry, what?" You ask, trying to fight off the heat that's slowly creeping up your neck and face.

"I asked how it's going with the promotion. Congrats on being made supervisor, by the way. You deserve it." Steve repeats what you've clearly missed in your daydreaming. The others mirror the sentiment, murmuring various congratulations your way.

"Oh! Um, it's going really well. The first day was a bit nuts, but I'm getting the hang of it." You answer, feeling a little bad for being so antisocial today. You truly don't mean to. It's not your fault that Eddie's driving you insane.

"Glad to hear it. Nance also got promoted, if you weren't paying attention. Editor in Chief! Can you believe it?" Steve says, semi-snarkily, but otherwise proud of his ex-high school sweetheart.

"Oh, that's awesome! Although, a blind man could see that coming a mile away!" You reply cheerfully.

"Thank you, Y/N. I appreciate that." Nancy beams, practically glowing with pride in herself and her hard work.

"Well, I dunno about you guys, but I'm dying to take a dip. It's fuckin' hot out here!" Robin suggests, before lifting her shirt over her head to reveal the top part of her bathing suit. It's a floral patterned one-piece, and it flatters her body very well. She's definitely not a bikini kind of girl like you, but you wouldn't expect her to be.

"That sounds perfect. You two gonna join us?" Jonathan asks, standing up to remove his own t-shirt and kick off his sandals. Nancy and Steve also disrobe in various ways, waiting to see if you and Eddie will follow suit.

"Uh, maybe in a little bit." You reply, wanting to finish your little conversation from a few minutes ago. Eddie picks up on this, staying by your side.

"Okay, suit yourselves." Steve finishes, before the four of them run and jump into the pool in unison. Massive splashes of water spill upwards, some splattering over the sides of the pool. The kiddos scream in delight, splashing large waves back at them.

"What's up, baby?" Eddie asks in your ear. You turn your head to look at him, meeting his expectant eyes.

"You've got a deal, Eds. We can try it out. Together." You say with total certainty. It could be fun to explore each other in this new way, and expand your repertoire, so to speak.

"Together, princess. Always." He agrees, taking one of your hands in his. He lifts it up to his lips, pressing a tender kiss to it. The issue can be laid to rest now, and the both of you can finally focus on the party.

You're about to ask Eddie if he wants to get into the pool, when "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" comes on over the speakers. "Oh, I love this song." You say softly. Eddie suddenly stands up, and extends his hand out to you.

"Wanna dance, sweetheart?" He asks, taking you by surprise.

"Since when are you a dancer?" You inquire curiously.

"I may have taken a dance class out of boredom once." Your jaw falls open at this, and he just rolls his eyes. "I didn't want to look stupid at the prom of '86, alright?" Eddie says, drawing a laugh of disbelief from you. He is always finding new ways to surprise you.

"Well, since you're such a pro..." You get off your seat to join him, placing your hand in his. "Lead the way, Eds." He quickly pulls you along to an open space on the pool deck, standing before you. He raises your joined hands upwards, and places his free one on the small of your back. Your own hand rests on his shoulder, and he gives you a small smile as he pulls you in closer. "Who did you take to prom anyway? I'm surprised you even went."

"I, uh...I didn't. My date stood me up." Eddie replies sadly, while the two of you move sensually to the music.

"Oh, baby. I'm sorry. Who was it?" You ask, giving him an apologetic look.

"Becky Sanders, she was on the cheer squad. She asked me, actually. But looking back on it, that was clearly a joke at my expense." He scoffs at himself, wondering why that fact still upsets him.

"Jesus, what a bitch!" You reply bitterly. You remember Becky, alright. She took it upon herself to pick on you quite often. Insulting your clothes and your braces, spreading rumors of you being a slut, the usual. You're surprised Eddie would even try to go out with a cunt like her. But she was also extremely pretty, so maybe he thought she'd be an easy lay.

"Yeah, I went all out on prom night, too. The tux, the corsage, I even bought fuckin' chocolates for her. But when I went to pick her up...she had already left with some asshole from the basketball team." He shakes his head, wanting to shove the awful memory away.

"I'm sorry, love. But if it makes you feel any better, I didn't go to prom, either." You hope this small fact will help lighten his mood.

"Why not, sweetheart?" He asks, shocked that you chose to skip the affair altogether.

"Nobody asked me." You say with a shrug. At the time, it didn't feel all that great to see everyone but you getting asked to the prom. But in hindsight, you're not that broken up about it anymore. School dances are never what they're cracked up to be anyway.

"What?! No way! I'm callin' bullshit on that one!" Eddie laughs, but your face doesn't change.

"I'm serious, Eds. I mean, it wasn't that big a deal to me anyway. But...I'd hoped you would ask me." You admit. You can see Eddie's about to apologize, but you shake your head to stop him. "It was just a silly wish from a silly girl. We never really hung out at that time, and we didn't know each other very well either. We had bullies in common, that's all. Don't feel bad." You reach up to cup his cheek, and he nuzzles into your touch slightly.

"I know. But could you imagine where we'd be now, if we'd gotten together back then?" He asks sweetly, and your heart melts at the thought.

"We'd probably be married already." You say with a smile. He nods in agreement, giving you a warm kiss. The two of you continue to sway along to the song, allowing Rod Stewart's signature squawk to serenade you in your thoughts. You don't even entertain the possibility that, if you had started off as a high school romance, that you would've crashed and burned before you really got anywhere. Who's to say, really? You were both younger, dumber people back then. You didn't have all the experiences under your belts that you currently possess. And honestly, you probably wouldn't have such a deep understanding of one another without them.

Eddie leads you into a small spin, before taking you back into his arms. You laugh giddily in your happy little bubble. The party surrounding you has disappeared, and there's just you and him dancing on the pool deck. "You're pretty light on your feet, angel." Eddie coos, turning your body so your back presses into his chest now.

"You're not so bad yourself, Eds." You keep up your rhythmic sway, subtly grinding your hips to tease him. A breathy groan leaves his lungs, just loud enough for you to hear. The sound of it sends a thrill through you. His hands rest on your hips, gently guiding you to keep the steady pace. You can feel his heart beating against your spine, the speed picking up at your ass meeting his crotch. You're both heating up again, and it's going to take a lot of effort to put out the flames this time.

A little bit later, you turn back around to face him as the song comes to a close. You're both yanked out of your imagined isolation when whoops and applause break out all around you. A harsh blush shocks your cheeks, and you look to find everyone clapping for your romantic display. Even Ted has stopped flipping burgers to join in, ignoring a few of them starting to burn. "Damn, guys! Way to turn up the heat!" Robin calls from the pool.

"Thanks." You reply awkwardly, pressing yourself into Eddie's embrace as a way to retreat into safety and comfort. His arms wrap around you, immediately getting the message. You can hear him now... Relax, sweetheart. We're just having fun.

"You kids must be hungry, come get a plate!" Ted beckons you with his large metal tongs, and you make your way over to pick out a burger or hotdog of your choice. "That was some fancy footwork there. I remember when me and Karen used to dance like that." Ted speaks kindly, a twinkle of nostalgia in his eye.

"Oh, Ted. We still do...sometimes." Karen adds, handing each of you a plate.

"Now, now. I don't think these youngsters wanna hear about what us old-timers got up to at their age." Ted waves her off, before looking at you and Eddie again. "So, burger, or dog?"

"Burger, please." You and Eddie reply in unison. Ted chuckles, dishing out a patty to each of you on freshly sliced buns.

"Thanks. And I think it's sweet to hear, honestly. It certainly gives us hope for the future, that the love will stay alive." You add as you move out of the way for your friends and the kids to get their own plates.

"Jesus, Claudia! How'd you raise such a romantic?" Ted addresses your mother, drawing her eyes over from her spot where she's been conversing with Charles and Susan Sinclair.

"I truly have no idea! She wasn't always like this, you know. It used to be 'I don't need a man, I can do it all on my own'!" She pauses her embarrassing recounting of your younger years to speak to you directly. "I don't mean that rudely, sugarpuff. You're a bright young woman, who has every option in the world."

"Thanks, Mom." You give her a stiff nod, allowing her to continue her story.

"Anyway, now that she's got this sweet, dashing young man attached to her, she's a completely different person. All heart eyes and wandering hands, these two." She ends on a giggle, drawing a chorus of laughs and 'aw's from everyone else. It takes everything in you to keep your groans and protests to yourself, you know she means well.

You continue through the makeshift line that's been set up here, squirting ketchup onto your top bun and placing a slice of cheese over the beef patty. You'd prefer for it to have been melted on the grill, but it'll do just fine as is. Eddie doesn't leave your side for a single second, he hasn't done so the entire time you've been here. You sense he's a tad uncomfortable around so many people, especially the parents who serve as authority figures at this little get-together. You go inside to scoop some side dishes onto your plate from the smorgasbord layed out in the kitchen. Baked beans, potato salad, a couple deviled eggs, corn on the cob, and another beer. After your plates are full to the brim, you return to your places on the loungers with the other young adults.

The kids gather around you as well, taking a break from swimming to fuel up. You all talk about various things, like new movies coming out, the upcoming campaign Erica has been working on, or Max getting hired at the theater. You're very excited to work with her, get to know her better. She may be a part of this massive friend group, but due to her lack of interest in D&D, you don't see her as much as some of the others. Your surprise at her lesser presence only grows when you find out she lives in the trailer park, just a couple homes away from Eddie. But she seems very smart, and sweet, and like a major smart-ass. Her and Eddie are bound to get into trouble at work at some point due to their mischievous nature.

You finish eating, discarding your paper plate in the trashcan near the grill. You go back to your seat, laying between Eddie's legs in the lounger. He holds you close with his arms, the two of you soaking up the sun with your eyes blissfully closed. The two of you relax like this for a bit, letting the playful sounds of kids laughing and adults chattering lull you to a serene state. After a short while, you hear the click and whir of a Polaroid camera a few feet away from you, which draws your eyes open. You look to find your mother snapping pictures again. "Ugh, Mom! You brought the damn camera?" You groan in annoyance, squeezing your eyes shut again.

"Of course I did! We have to capture these memories, sugarpuff! And you and Eddie look so cute all snuggled up together." Mom oozes delight at capturing your happiness for who knows how many times now. She trots over to set the photograph on the small table next to you, quickly moving on to taking pictures of everyone else. She's always been like this, needing to document every occasion she can think of for posterity. You suppose it makes enough sense, she wants to remember the good times. But she can occasionally be pushy a tad about it, even snapping many embarrassing photos of your worst moments. A ridden-up skirt here, a smudge of chocolate around your mouth there. You're surprised she didn't take one when she found you in bed with Eddie the first time.

"Jesus christ." You mumble, adjusting yourself to lay a bit more comfortably on top of Eddie. He hasn't said a word, you wonder if he's fallen asleep. You got pretty close yourself, until Mom quite literally snapped you out of it. His chest rises and falls calmly beneath you, and his hands sit limp across your lap. You turn your head to look at Robin, who's sunbathing herself. "Rob! Is he asleep?" You whisper to her, and she looks over at Eddie's face. She nods with a smirk, and you hatch an idea on how to wake him up. She seems to pick up on this, watching in amusement while you carefully move his arms and climb off the lounger. You try to scoot him closer to the edge of the pool, but he's too heavy. "Steve!" You whisper-yell to him.

"What?" He answers, a little too loud.

"Shh! C'mere and help me." You wave him closer with your hand, and his eyes flick down to your snoozing boyfriend.

"He's gonna kill us for this, you know." Steve warns, but he helps you slowly drag the chair over to the lip of the pool anyway. The metal legs squeak against the concrete as you scoot Eddie along, and you're worried he'll wake up any second now. He doesn't seem to stir, so you keep going until the chair is in place. Then, you and Steve gradually lift the top upright, effectively dumping Eddie right into the water. The movement startles him awake, and he lets out a weak scream when he realizes what's happening. He flails his arms to grab at the air, and makes a huge splash when he hits the water. Everyone laughs, watching Eddie pop back up a second later. He shakes his hair out, and he coughs as he got some water up his nose.

"What the fuck?!" He yells, looking to find you doubled over in hysterics at your little prank. He crosses his arms, clearly unamused at you waking him up this way. His shirt is soaked, clinging annoyingly to his body. And his sandals have floated off his feet to the surface of the water. "Real mature, guys." He grumbles, and you try and fail to apologize. You can't stop laughing, which makes for the perfect distraction. You watch Eddie's scowl quickly turn into a grin, and you realize your mistake. You've turned your back on your co-conspirators.

"Oh, shit." You murmur. Before you can even begin to deter them, Steve and Jonathan scoop you up into their grip. They take hold of your ankles and wrists. They bring you to the edge of the pool, positioning you parallel to it. "No, no! Put me down, guys! Don't do this!" You shout and try to fight your way out of their hold, but it's no use. Everyone keeps laughing, finding this display to be the funniest thing they've ever seen. Eddie looks at you, and you meet his eyes. You silently plead with him to call this off, to tell the guys to let you go.

"Sorry, sweetheart. It's only fair." He shrugs, smiling smugly at you. The boys swing you over the water once, twice, three times, before they let you go.

"NO!" You scream as your stomach drops. You can see yourself falling in slow motion, clawing at your face to plug your nose before you reach the water. You close your eyes, awaiting the impact of your body splashing into the cold pool. The liquid consumes you not a moment later, and your shorts immediately suck themselves onto your flesh. You sink all the way to the bottom, before shoving yourself back up to the surface. "Dammit! This is why I hate pranks!" You shriek once you breach, before falling into contagious laughter again.

Eddie swims over to you, pulling his shirt over his head to toss it over the side of the pool. It splats against the cement, creating a small puddle. "I'd say we're even now, princess." He gives you a gentle smile to forgive you for the trick you pulled.

"I've definitely learned my lesson." You sigh, reaching under the water to undo your shorts. You awkwardly kick them off, and throw them out to dry.

"Mmm, all is forgiven when you're in this little number." Eddie burns, bringing you closer by the waist. His hands grab your ass roughly, and you'd moan out loud if it wouldn't give you both away.

"You just can't keep your hands to yourself today, can you?" You tease, sneakily putting your own hand between your bodies to ghost over the front of his swim trunks. It doesn't stay there long, just enough for you to feel him get semi-hard. You raise your palm up along his stomach and chest afterwards, stilling over his spider tattoo.

"What can I say? Patriotism makes me horny." He jokes, making you both laugh lowly.

"Oh, please. You're an anarchist if I've ever seen one." You reply, slipping out of his grip to swim backwards to the other end of the pool. He casually follows you, holding your gaze.

"I hardly think I'm that chaotic, Y/N." He says, collecting his shoes and yours as he goes. He chucks them over by the chairs, managing to miss everyone's heads. "Besides, I would never limit myself to follow any singular ideology."

"Please tell me you're not gonna go over the 'Munson Doctrine' again." You let out an exaggerated groan, rolling your eyes and turning your back to him.

"And why shouldn't I?" He asks, catching up to you. He gently takes hold of your arm, making you face him again.

"Well, for one, I already know it by heart. And two, it's a bit out of date. It's far too cynical, and you're much more romantic now." You state simply, stilling in place.

"Oh, I see. In that case, maybe we can make a new one together." Eddie offers.

"Do we even need one at all, Eds? We're in love, not starting a political movement." You brush the idea off, taking his hands to pull him along with you. You slowly glide along the water, calmly swaying to and fro.

"Hmm, I suppose you're right. We have a pretty damn good understanding of each other, don't we?" He replies with a smile, dropping the subject. He's come to the conclusion that his previous values don't really align with who he is anymore. The core idea, individualism, will always be important to him. But there's no need for him to cling to the childish rules he set up for himself at the ripe age of thirteen. Jesus, I've been that stringent for a whole decade? What the hell was I thinking? He shakes his head at himself, feeling a bit silly over the whole thing.

"We really do, Eddie. We keep each other balanced, while also encouraging reasonable risk. We love and support one another to the ends of the universe. That's all we need." You answer lovingly, continuing your fluid movements around the perimeter of the pool. This is really nice. Just being here...with him...enjoying every single second. I could do this for the rest of my life.

A few hours 一and several rounds of chicken fights and Marco Polo一 later, the sun has completely disappeared from the sky and the fireworks display is about to begin. The explosives themselves are lit in an open field far away from all residential areas of Hawkins, and shot as far into the sky as possible to ensure everyone in town can see them. You sit on the edge of the pool, still soaking your feet in its cool waters. Eddie's perched next to you, holding your hand and keeping you leaned into him as you watch the bright sparks burst in the pitch black sky. Booms and blasts interrupt the stillness of the night air, followed by satisfying crackles and blooms of glorious color.

You notice Eddie looking over at his uncle, checking to make sure he's doing alright with all the explosions. He'd warned you before that sounds like that can set Wayne off, as they're very similar to the sounds of war. The man doesn't talk about it much, but there's definitely some leftover trauma inside his head from his years in Vietnam. You give the old man a curious glance as well, noticing his knee bobbing up and down anxiously. His face is fixed in an odd expression, like he's waiting for something bad to happen. "Is he gonna be alright?" You ask Eddie, drawing his eyes to you.

"I dunno. He usually stays at home during fireworks, with massive headphones on to block out the noise. Shit, I should've brought them with us." Eddie scolds himself for being so careless. Wayne would never do such a thing on his own, he's far too proud for that. But if Eddie presented him with the headgear, he'd gladly wear it.

"I could ask Steve if he has some? Or we could take him inside to muffle the sound a bit? I'd hate for him to get upset, Eds." You try to work with him to come up with a solution, and Eddie nods.

"It's probably better to go inside, Y/N. He might already be in the process of a fit."

"Okay." You nod, and the two of you stand up and go to Wayne, whose hands are clinging to the arms of the chair he's sitting in for dear life.

"Let's go inside for a while, Wayne." Eddie says to him, and the old man nods frantically. You feel bad for him, he looks so afraid, and like he's holding something back for everyone else's sake. You and Eddie take one of his hands apiece, quietly leading him into the house through the sliding glass door. You close the door behind you, and Eddie sits Wayne down in one of the dining room chairs. The booms and blasts are still slightly audible, but it's much quieter in here. "You gonna be alright, Wayne?" Eddie asks in concern.

"Yeah, uh, I'll be fine, kid. Thank you." Wayne replies shakily.

"Is there anything we can get for you?" You kindly offer.

"Some water, if ya don't mind." He replies, giving you his best attempt at a smile.

"Sure thing." You return the sentiment, going over to the kitchen to fetch a glass. You can hear the two of them conversing through the doorway.

"I'm sorry, Wayne. We should've brought your headphones. I totally forgot." Eddie says apologetically.

"It's alright, Ed. I didn't think much of it, 'til it was too late." Wayne says, trying to put his nephew at ease. The poor kid shouldn't have to worry about him so much.

"Everything okay in here?" Hopper asks as he enters the house. He must have noticed you three abruptly leaving the festivities. You return to the room as he speaks, handing the glass off to Wayne.

"Yeah, just a little stress left over from the War, Hop. I'm sure you understand." Wayne answers, and Hopper immediately nods in understanding.

"Yeah, uh. A lot of my old buddies are like this, too." The burly man says, in an effort to give comfort to Wayne that he isn't alone in this.

"Not you, though, I take it? Lucky bastard." Wayne says with a laugh, pulling one from Jim as well.

"Well, I wouldn't say that. Agent Orange still got me pretty good." Hopper replies, coming off more bitter than he means to.

"Shit, I'm sorry 'bout that." Wayne tuts.

"Well, it looks like you two have something to talk about. We'll leave you to it." You chime in, sensing this conversation is going to go right over your head. "Just call us if you need anything, Wayne."

"Thanks, Y/N, Edward." Wayne nods at the two of you, and you leave the room to grab another beer. You pull two out of the cooler, handing one off to Eddie. You sit on the counter like you were earlier, sipping silently while the two men talk in the other room. You hear Hopper pull a chair over to get comfortable, and the two of them share stories. You're surprised they have so much in common, they're two very different people. But it's nice that Wayne has someone to talk through his war experiences with, there aren't a whole lot of people like that around here.

You don't mean to eavesdrop, truly. It's more like you're respecting their words, and the emotional weight of them. You hear Wayne recount his tale of Madeline again, and Hopper meets it with the tragic story of his daughter, Sarah. You hadn't heard this story before, you didn't even know Jim was married before Joyce. You're not like most people in this town, nosey busy-bodies that have an incessant need to know everyone's personal demons. A couple tears escape your eyes at the heartbreak in Jim's voice when he tells Wayne what happened to Sarah. It's so awful, all the man wanted was a family. But those chemicals used in the war took that from him, and in the cruelest way imaginable. He had that little glimmer of hope that, despite the odds, he could have a chance at happiness. Only for it to be snatched away a few years later.

"You okay, sweetheart?" Eddie asks quietly, noticing your glistening eyes.

"I'm fine. We probably shouldn't be listening to this." You're about to hop down from the counter and move somewhere else to give them some privacy, but Eddie stops you.

"It's a bit late for that now. And if we make any noise, they'll know we've been listening." He whispers, keeping you still.

"I suppose. It's not exactly how I wanted tonight to end, though." You speak solemnly, your legs swaying back and forth out of habit.

"I doubt anyone involved had this scenario in mind, love. I'm sure they'll be done soon. Just give them their time, they're owed that much." Eddie calls your little conversation to a close, and you both continue to listen to the two men until the party's over.

The families gradually file back inside the house, gathering their Tupperware and other various belongings to set off back home. Eddie runs out to the pool to get your clothes and shoes, quickly returning to your side to put them back on. You rejoin Dustin, Mom, and Wayne at the front door, waiting for your turn to leave and thank Steve for inviting you over.

"Thanks for coming, you guys. Tonight was really fun." Steve says, seeming a little sad that everyone is leaving him alone in this big empty house.

"It sure was, Harrington. We had a great time, we should do this more often." Eddie answers on behalf of your group. You're very thankful for this, as your eyes have begun to droop in fatigue. You're very much looking forward to going home and getting some rest.

"You got it, man. Drive safe." Steve pats Eddie on the back, and gives you, Dustin, and Mom a hug. He closes the door behind you once you step outside, and you wave to the other cars as they drive away from the house. Your group piles into the car, with Eddie in the driver's seat this time.

"You guys ready to go home?" Eddie asks, feeling quite exhausted himself.

"Yes, please." You all answer him at the same time.

"You got it." Eddie nods, turning the key in the ignition and pulling out of the driveway. He drives over to the trailer first to drop Wayne off. He parks outside their humble home, hopping out of the car and going around to Wayne's door to help him out. He still seems a little shaken by the fireworks, so Eddie's being extra careful with him. You watch sleepily as the two of them go up the little steps and inside the house. You start to doze off after they've been in there for a few minutes. You imagine Eddie might be picking up some extra clothes to bring over to your place. Your eyes flutter closed, and you smile in serenity at how nice today has been. 

"Y/N, wake up!" Eddie shouts to you in what feels like only seconds after you fall asleep.

"Wha-what's wrong, Eds?" You open your eyes again, finding that you're still at the trailer. Mom and Dustin have gotten out of the car already, you can see them in the kitchen from the trailer door sitting open. You hear Wayne yelling from the living room, what sounds like battle strategies and orders to men who aren't there. Oh, shit.

"Y/N, I don't know what to do! He's never been this bad before! He doesn't know where he is, and I can't calm him down!" Eddie says frantically, tears streaming down his face. His skin is covered in red splotches from his hysterics, he's completely panicking.

"Okay, okay. Slow down, love. Show me what's happening." You reply as calmly as you can. You're still disoriented from your slumber, and it feels very late. Eddie practically yanks you out of the car, and you almost trip over your own feet as he pulls you toward his home. You both stumble up the stairs clumsily and you see Wayne crouched in the corner by the couch. He's holding a broom like a rifle, and his eyes keep darting around. He's mumbling to himself, occasionally looking to either side of him, as if there's other people crouched right next to him.

"Stay back, you VietCong bastards!" Wayne shouts once you and Eddie are inside. His eyes are wide and wild, and his chest heaves harshly while he points the end of the broom in your direction.

"Wayne, please. We're not gonna hurt you. The war is over, and you're safe at home." Eddie tearfully tries to get his uncle to calm down, taking a few cautious steps in his direction.

"I said stay back, dammit! Or I'll blast yer yella head off to kingdom come!" Wayne jabs the broom, making Eddie flinch. Eddie's feet come to a stop, and his hands are raised in surrender.

"Wayne, just put the broom down. You're having an episode. You need to calm down, and come back to us." Eddie moves a little further, only a few feet away from Wayne now. He reaches a hand forward towards the broom handle, inching closer and closer. Wayne's frozen in place, staring down his nephew like he's a foreign enemy. He truly doesn't know where he is, or that Eddie is trying to help him.

You look over to Mom and Dustin, who are watching this scene play out in silent discomfort. "What do we do, Mom?" You ask, holding back a sob. You've never seen anything like this before, and it's honestly the most terrifying and heartbreaking thing you've ever seen. Wayne's trapped in an awful memory, and none of you know how to get him out.

"I don't know, honey. I'm sorry." Mom replies weakly, shaking her head in defeat.

"What do you want us to do, Eddie?" You ask as he's almost reached his uncle now. Just a couple more inches, and he can get a hold of the broom.

"Just give me a second, almost there." Eddie says shakily, trying to remain calm and collected. His hand just barely touches the broom now, when Wayne jerks it upwards and smacks him square in the nose with it. "Fuck!" He shouts, stumbling backwards as his nose begins to gush blood.

"I told you I'd get ya if you came any closer, you fucker!" Wayne shrieks, before retreating down the hall and into the bathroom. He slams and locks the door, and proceeds to make a new plan of attack with his make-believe platoon.

"Oh, shit! Eddie!" You cry out, going to Eddie. He's clutching his bleeding face, more tears springing from his eyes at the pain. He feels so helpless, Wayne is too far gone. He needs outside help. "C'mere, baby." You lead him over to the sink, grabbing a grungy dish towel sitting beside it. "Hold this on your nose, okay? And tilt your head back." You carefully instruct. He does as you ask, and you stroke his arm lightly. He looks at you as best he can, his pupils begging you for help.

"I'll call an ambulance. I think he might need a hospital." Mom says, going for the telephone on the wall.

"Please don't do that, Claudia. They'll put him in a psych ward if you do that. And I can't do that to him. I promised I wouldn't." Eddie pleads, thinking that if Wayne is just given a little time, he'll come around on his own.

"Sweetie, he doesn't know where he is right now. And he hurt you. He might hurt someone else, or even himself." Mom kindly explains.

"But he didn't mean to! He一" Eddie tries to interrupt, but she just shakes her head.

"We aren't equipped to handle this on our own, Eddie. He's going to be okay, and he's going to get the help he needs. I promise we won't let anything bad happen to him, okay?" She implores him to see reason. You're all out of your depth here, there's nothing else you can do for Wayne.

Eddie shakes his head in protest, but no more words leave his lips. He's becoming distraught again, his mind shutting down from the overwhelming emotions swirling around the interior of the trailer. He sobs, loudly and harshly, slowly slipping against the counter and down to the kitchen floor. You kneel beside him, holding him close to you as he gives up. He keeps clutching the rag to his nose as best he can, and Mom dials 911. Dustin comes to sit on the other side of Eddie, putting a kind hand on his shoulder.

"He's gonna be okay, love. I promise. We won't let them take him anywhere he wouldn't want to be, alright? No psych wards, none of that." You coo to Eddie as he continues to cry. You stay sat on the floor, waiting for the ambulance to arrive while Wayne continues to shout inside the bathroom.

The ambulance shows up a few minutes later, and the EMTs come in with a gurney outfitted with wrist and ankle restraints. "Where is he?" A familiar face asks. Chad, the same man who took care of you at the theater, and the Denny's parking lot. He gives you a small smile when he looks at you, and you take it upon yourself to show him and his partner where Wayne has holed himself up.

"I think he locked the door, and I don't think he'll let you in." You explain awkwardly. You're not sure what the proper thing to say in this situation is. You stand in the hall as the two men stall outside the door.

"Hmm, that could be a problem. I'd hate to break it down to get to him." Chad replies, crossing his arms while he thinks of something. He examines the door, noticing a small pinhole in the middle of the knob. "Do you have any bobby pins or paper clips around? I think I can pick the lock without damaging the door." His eyes flick to you again, and you nod.

"Yeah, one sec." You quickly jog over to Eddie, kneeling beside him for a moment. "You got a Bobby pin or something, Eds? The EMTs are gonna try to pick the lock to get Wayne out."

"Uh, yeah." Eddie replies quietly, using his free hand to dig around his pockets. He always keeps a couple lock-picking items on his person, in case of emergencies...or when he gets an itch for some petty crime. He locates one in his trunks, fumbling to get it out and hand it to you. You take it in your hands, leaving his side to give it to Chad.

"Here." You say as you hand it over.

"Thanks, Y/N. You might wanna get back now. Once that door opens, we'll need to try and sedate him. And I'd hate for the needle to go into the wrong patient." Chad kindly instructs you, and you prudently listen. You go back to Eddie and the others, sitting on the floor while the men tinker around with the doorknob. They manage to get the thing open, and quickly descend upon Eddie's uncle. The old man shrieks and swings the broom around. But he's no match for the two strong, built young men. They quickly, but carefully wrench the broom out of his grip, and the other EMT secures his arms behind his back while Chad administers the sedative. The shuffling and screaming goes quiet a moment later. Wayne is gently placed onto the gurney, and Chad secures his wrists and ankles just in case he wakes up before they reach the hospital. "Okay, let's get him in the vehicle. But I wanna check out the kid's nose before we leave." Chad's partner nods at him, and wheels Wayne's unconscious body out of the trailer and into the ambulance.

"Where are you taking him?" Eddie asks tearfully as Chad approaches your huddle.

"Just the hospital, kid. For now, at least. The doctors will determine what he needs from there. But first, let me check out that nose. I'd hate for you to have broken it again." Chad speaks in a friendly way to your saddened boyfriend, he's got quite a way with handling distraught people.

"O-okay." Eddie hiccups as his tears have run out. He lowers the blood-soaked rag, allowing Chad to examine him. He winces at the man's fingers touching his nose, but he calms down at the feeling of your hand on his.

"Hmm, it doesn't appear to be broken. It'll definitely bruise, but it looks like you got lucky this time." Chad smiles at Eddie, before looking at you. "Clean off the blood, and give him an ice pack. Once he's set, I'd advise you all to come to the hospital immediately. Depending on how urgent they find Mr. Munson's situation to be, they might put him in a psych hold for at least seventy-two hours." He gives your group a fair warning, as if he can somehow sense that you don't want the poor man to be locked away in a padded room.

"Thank you, Chad. We'll get there as soon as possible." You reply, leading Eddie to stand so you can clean him up.

"Okay, good. Well, we'd better get going. I won't see you later, but I wish you all the best of luck." Chad says, before leaving the trailer altogether. He hops into the ambulance, closing the heavy doors. His partner drives them all away, and you run the kitchen faucet to wash the blood off of Eddie's nose. Mom gets him some ice, placing the cubes in a zip-lock bag. Once he's all dry, he takes the ice and holds it to his swelling face.

"Alright. Let's go. I'm not giving these fuckin' doctors a chance in hell to put Wayne away." Eddie speaks with newfound resolve. He quickly heads for the door, and the rest of you follow suit. You jump into the driver's seat, clicking your seat belt as fast as you can. You peel out of the driveway, speeding off to the hospital.

"Jesus, Y/N! Slow down!" Mom exclaims, gripping the side of her passenger door for dear life.

"Shut it, Mom! We have to get there fast, we don't have a lot of time." You yell back, making a sharp right turn.

You continue your manic maneuvers the entire way, parking rather crooked in the hospital parking lot. Eddie hops out first, and it takes everything in you to keep up with him. He goes to the front desk, giving the nurse Wayne's name. He gets pointed in the right direction, and he waits for you to catch up.

"C'mon, room 103!" He cries, before speeding off again. You continue to run after him, you can hear Mom struggling to keep her breath behind you. Eddie locates the right room, and dashes inside. You follow closely after, with Dustin and Mom coming in just moments later. Eddie goes to Wayne's side, taking hold of one of his restrained hands. He's dressed in a hospital gown, with an IV and heart monitor attached to him. He's still asleep, looking rather peaceful now.

"Ah, you must be...Eddie, the nephew." A doctor says as he walks into the room, reading from Wayne's medical chart.

"Yeah. Is he gonna be okay?" Eddie asks, looking at the man in his big white coat. He's a rather stout man, with blinding white hair and horn-rimmed glasses. His tag reads 'Dr. Andrew Martin'.

"He's going to be fine, young man. He's been sedated, but he'll wake up soon. I also want to put any fears of him being put into a mental hospital to rest." Dr. Martin says, which puts you all at ease. "I have no intention of doing so, there's no need for it. Wayne's got what the medical community has come to accept as 'Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder'. It's very common in war vets, and your uncle is a textbook case. I understand he was having a flashback, yes?"

"Yeah." Eddie replies softly, looking at his uncle again.

"Right. Well, it's one of the primary symptoms of such a disorder. Due to how horrific and violent war is, it can cause someone like Wayne to believe that they are back in those awful memories. These flashbacks can be triggered by various things, namely loud noises that resemble explosions or gunshots. I'm guessing since it's the fourth of July, it was brought on by hearing fireworks." The doctor explains, and you all nod in understanding of his words.

"Yeah, I...I know they make him anxious. We were at a barbecue, and I'd meant to bring his headphones along to block them out. But I forgot them. I didn't know the noise would make him like this." Eddie says, feeling so guilty for forgetting such an important thing. He could've prevented this from happening, if he hadn't been so stupid.

"There's no way you could have known. This disorder is still considered pretty new, at least in diagnostic terms. But there's also a new drug on the market that is clinically proven to help quell the flashbacks, and also nightmares he might be experiencing."

"What is it?" Eddie asks, hoping this option will keep Wayne from being locked away.

"It's called prazosin. It's just a pill he'd take once a day, and it'll give him the relief he needs." The doctor answers, and Eddie nods. "I will say, though, this drug is a little bit tricky. We're not sure what dosage it will take to alleviate his symptoms. We always start on a low dose, but with how severe Wayne's case seems to be, he might need more. What I mean to say is, it will take some trial and error. And there's no telling how often he'll have these episodes in the meantime."

"So what does that mean?" Eddie asks, thinking this might not be the good news he was looking for after all.

"It means, you'll have to keep a closer eye on him. I know that can be difficult, life is always a busy thing. But I implore you to make any changes that are reasonable to you, Wayne needs all the help he can get. For his safety, and for all of yours. He may not mean to be violent or dangerous during these episodes, but he's too unpredictable to ignore." The doctor says solemnly. He truly feels for you, this kind of thing is never easy on a family.

"We'll do everything we can to help him, Dr. Martin." You chime in.

"Of course. I can see he's well-loved. I'll leave you to it, and I'll bring over the pills in a bit. Just let the nurses know if you need anything, Wayne should be discharged in the morning." The doctor leaves the room, and the four of you watch over Wayne with concerned eyes.

"I dunno what I'm gonna do, Y/N. Can he go to work like this? Can I? I might have to stay home with him...I don't know for how long." Eddie says, partially thinking out loud.

"We'll figure it out, Eddie. And we'll all do our part to help Wayne. He's a good man, and we love him just as much as you do, okay?" You say sweetly, bringing a chair over to sit beside Eddie. You put your arm around him, and he melts into you a bit. He's still holding Wayne's hand all the while, a couple tears escaping his eyes as he looks at his uncle sleeping in this dreadful place. He's always hated hospitals. To him, they signify death and disease. He hates every second spent in here, wishing he could take Wayne home right now.

"You guys should go home, I'm good to stay here with Wayne." Eddie says, breaking the silence.

"I can drive Mom and Dustin home and come back." You offer, wanting to stay by Eddie's side as much as you can. He turns his head to you, giving you a serious look.

"No, you should go too. You've got work in the morning, love. You can tell Biggs what's going on tomorrow, work something out. But I have to stay here. I have to be here for him." Eddie urges you to get some rest, to allow him to take charge here.

"How are you gonna get home?" You ask, unsure what Eddie's plan is, if he even has one at all.

"Shit, I dunno. We'll get a cab, or something." He says, exasperation lacing his tone. He's not exactly in the mood to figure anything out right now. All he wants is to be present for Wayne in his time of need.

"Eddie, don't be silly. Surely someone can give you a ride. I'll call around and find someone, okay? I'm sure any one of our friends will be happy to help you two out." You suggest, realizing he is not going to back down on this. He wants his space, just him and Wayne right now. And as much as it stings, you understand. There'll be plenty of opportunities for you to help out, but he's right. You can barely keep your eyes open, and sleep threatens to take hold of you again as you sit here.

"Okay, fine. But please, go home, Y/N. You need to sleep, and I'll call you tomorrow. I love you, sweetheart. And I appreciate all your help." Eddie replies, officially laying the issue to rest. There's no more debate, no need to argue. You're both too fucking tired to put up a fight. This is what's best, as much as it pains either of you to be apart.

"I love you too, Eds. And please let me know what the plan is as soon as you figure it out. I wanna be there for you, and for Wayne. You're part of my family now." You say tearfully, leaning in to give him a heart-wrenching kiss goodbye. You're sure you won't be separated for long, but it will still end up feeling like a million years.

"I promise I will. Goodnight, princess." He says as you get up to leave.

"Goodnight, baby." You sniffle, before taking Mom and Dustin's hands in yours.

"Bye, Eddie." The others add quietly, and the three of you leave the room. You can't help the rush of tears that spout from your eyes as you leave. It always hurts to let Eddie go, even for a single second. But you stifle the cries and sobs, there's no need for the noise now. Everything will be fine, you think to yourself, just calm down, go home, get some rest. It'll all be better tomorrow.

The drive home is silent, with Dustin in the driver's seat this time. You're too exhausted to drive, and tears are still annoyingly blurring your vision. This day was so good, and turned so bad in a matter of minutes. You worry about Wayne, and Eddie, and what the future holds for you now. Your plans may no longer be viable, if Wayne needs his nephew to take care of him long-term. But that's not what's most important now, no. What's most important is making sure they both cope as well as they can with this, to make sure they can work it out.

Once you return home, you set to work calling to set up a ride for Eddie. You peek at the clock on the wall, it's already after midnight. You hate to wake people up, but this is urgent. You have one thing you can do to assist your love, and you damn well plan to do it. You decide to stick to people who won't be too bothered by such a late call. You try the Mayfields first, but there's no answer. Then you call Hopper and Joyce at the hotel they're staying at. No answer there, either. Fuck. You frustratingly dial one more number, Steve's. He picks up immediately, and you tell him what's going on. He agrees to give Wayne and Eddie a ride home tomorrow, and you thank him profusely. He says it's no trouble at all, and that he's always around to help. You bid him goodnight, and hang up a moment after your plan is set in stone.

Your eyelids grow heavier as you put the headset back in its cradle, and Mom silently ushers you to your bedroom. She lets you be once you've entered, closing the door behind her. You mindlessly strip off your bathing suit and shorts, not bothering to put anything else on. You slip into bed, completely nude, and pass out as soon as your head meets the pillow.

Part 26.2: Born In the USA

Wednesday, July 5th, 1989

Your alarm clock startles you awake in the morning, and you reach a hand over to smack it into snoozing submission. You had the strangest dreams last night, all of them about Eddie and Wayne. You don't particularly remember what happened in them, they didn't feel like nightmares. But you suppose there's no way to be sure. You rub the sleep from your eyes, finding Arwen snuggled up next to you on your pillow.

"Good morning, little one." You coo to her, giving her a gentle stroke along her back. She's been getting a little bigger now, almost outgrowing her collar. You make a note to get the next size up when you're out and about today. The kitten stirs at your touch, her little jaws opening wide to release a silent yawn. She blinks her eyes open to look at you, and you smile at her. "God, you're cute as ever, Arwen." You giggle, before sitting up to get out of bed. You slip on your robe, tying the silken strap tight to conceal your naked body. You refill the cat's bowls, and mozy along the hallway to the kitchen. You're absolutely starving, in the mood for a big bowl of Honeycomb cereal. It's actually Eddie's favorite, and you never ate it much before you got reacquainted with him. Eddie. Your heart sinks when you think of him. You wonder how he's doing, if he's slept at all. Knowing him, though, he probably hasn't.

Just as you're about to move on to something else, the phone rings. You go over to it, abandoning breakfast for the time being. You pick up the headset, bringing it to your ear. "Y/N?" You hear Eddie's voice on the other end.

"Yeah, Eds. It's me. What's up?" You reply.

"Well, we're back home now. Thanks for getting Harrington to give us a ride, by the way." Eddie says gratefully.

"Of course, love. How's Wayne?"

"He's alright, he's still a bit groggy from the sedative. But he's doing better, and he'll be able to take his meds later on. But I'm gonna stay with him today and see how it goes. The doctor said he could have another episode pretty soon after the first one." Eddie explains calmly, though you sense a hint of tiredness and stress in his voice.

"Is there anything I can do, baby?" You ask, wanting to help, to see him and be with him again.

"Just being here will be enough, princess. Come by after work, okay? You don't have to stay the night, I know Arwen needs you. But...I miss you. I've missed you since the second you left the hospital." His breath catches at the end there, he's trying to hold back tears.

"I miss you, too, Eds. Have you slept at all?" You ask.

"...No." Eddie hesitates to admit.

"I'm sorry, baby. I know this whole thing has been really hard on you." You tut, wishing you could embrace him through the phone.

"Not as hard as it's been on Wayne. I'll be fine, Y/N. I'll try to rest sometime today. I'm just so worried that something will happen, and I'll be sleeping right through it." His voice trembles, he's barely keeping it together. The sheer thought of Wayne needing him and missing it shakes him to his core. He can't let that happen, he won't. Not after everything his uncle has done for him all these years.

"I know, love. But you can't put your own well-being at risk either. Just take a short nap at least, set an alarm if you need to. I don't want you to end up too tired to help Wayne if he needs it." You hope Eddie will heed your advice, things could get ugly real fast if he's running on empty like this.

"I will, sweetheart. I'm so fucking tired, I could fall asleep standing straight up right now." He sighs, forcing his eyes to stay open as he wraps this call up. His bed is calling to him, and if he takes your suggestion, he can make this work. He just needs a little time to gain some sliver of energy to keep dealing with this.

"Okay, I'll let you go, Eddie. I'll be over there after work. I love you, baby."

"I love you too, Y/N. See you later." Eddie breathes, failing to hold back a yawn. He hangs up a second later, and you put the phone back together on the table. You return to your much-desired cereal, pouring a large bowl for yourself. Dustin's long gone to Family Video for his shift, and he dropped Mom off at work as well. So that leaves your bike as your transportation today, but you don't mind. You can change clothes at the theater, that way you aren't all sweaty and gross.

You munch down your breakfast, and shower and dress in a simple t-shirt and shorts. You pack your uniform in your backpack, along with some extra clothes and toiletries. You also leave a note for Dustin to spend a little time with Arwen, make sure she's fed and such. He's always happy to help with the cat, and you definitely need it today. Once you're all set to go, you head off downtown on your bicycle. You make sure to be as careful and cautious as you can, you've never rushed yourself again since your little accident.

You arrive at the theater in what feels like no time at all, you'd spent the whole ride thinking about Eddie again. You can't help it, your mind keeps wandering back to him, no matter what you try to think of instead. Hopefully he's sleeping, instead of driving himself nuts over Wayne's condition. It's driving you nuts that you have to spend the entire workday without him, and training new employees during it, no less. All you want is to skip it and go where you belong. By his side, supporting him. Ugh, today is gonna be miserable. Better put on a brave face. You sigh loudly as you stand outside the Hawk, swallowing hard afterwards. "Fuck me." You head inside, and make a beeline for the bathroom to change.

"Morning, Y/N. How are you today?" Biggs asks as you cross his path.

"I'm alright. I'll need to talk to you about something once I'm dressed, though, sir." You reply, and he curls a brow at you. He notices Eddie's absent from your side, which he never is.

"Okay, I'll be in my office when you're ready." He says, heading on his way to assist Harriet with the expense reports again. You nod, and continue on your journey. You put on your uniform, letting Red Shirt Y/N take control for the time being. You're going to need your armor to work overtime this shift, you're only hoping it's up to the task. Taking one last look at your reflection, you straighten your name tag and bow tie. You take a deep breath, exhaling loudly. Just a few hours, and then you can be with Eddie. You leave the restroom, and put your bag away in your locker. You turn around to go into Biggs' office, closing the door behind you for privacy. "So, what do you have to talk to me about, Y/N?" He asks dryly, looking at his watch as he wonders where your long-haired boyfriend is.

"Well, um, it's about Eddie." You reply, and he looks at you with piqued interest. You explain the situation to him, emphasizing the fact that Eddie will need to spend more time at home. He listens intently to your every word, nodding his head every so often as you speak.

"Well, I'm sure we can work something out. The new hires can pick up the slack once they're trained. And please, give Eddie our deepest sympathies. Tell him to take as much time as he needs, he's always got a place here at the Hawk." Biggs says sympathetically, putting a kind hand on your shoulder. As severe as the man seems to be, he has quite the heart when it comes to his loyal employees.

"Thank you, sir. I'll make sure to tell him. And I'll get right to work training the newbies." You respond, turning on your heels to get started with your day. You meet your new employees by the concession stand. First, there's Max, with her long, red hair in braids and a striped tank-top and shorts. The other new addition is a young man named Marcus. He's quite tall, almost as tall as Mr. Biggs. He's sporting a pristine styled flat-top, some acid-wash jeans, and a Hawkins Tigers basketball jersey. "Morning, you two. I hope you're excited to get started, there's quite a bit to go over today. It's nice to see you again, Max. And I'm looking forward to getting to know you, Marcus." You greet them with a smile, which they both return.

You issue their uniforms, allowing them a moment to change into them. Afterwards, you lead them through every role the Hawk requires one by one. You start at the ticket booth, followed by concessions, the auditorium, and ending with the projection room. They take everything you say very seriously, absorbing all the information with ease. It's not really a difficult job, but you're glad they're picking it up quickly. Once they're familiar with the various roles, you leave them in the breakroom to fill out their paperwork. You tell them to ask you if they have any questions, which they thankfully do not. You've got to man concessions for Eddie today, as well as adjust the schedule. You keep the sheets on a clipboard close to you on the counter, allowing you to work on them in between customers.

You leave Eddie off the schedules for the time being, just until you talk to him later on. You hate to potentially take all his hours away, but if it's what he needs, that's what you'll do. You'll still have to work full-time given your higher role here at the Hawk, which is not going to be easy for you. However, you don't find your wants and needs to be very important at the moment. You already know that Eddie will get on you about it, he hates when you neglect yourself for his sake. But in your opinion, it's unfair for you to desire or require anything when he's struggling.

"Hey, Y/N? Can you help me with this form? I'm not sure how to fill it out." Marcus asks politely, showing you his half-blank W-4.

"Oh, yeah. These forms are always weird the first time, it's just for tax purposes." You look over the piece of paper, noticing he's only neglected the bottom half. You put it in the simplest terms for him, helping him put in his allotments and exemptions for a single person. "There we go, easy peasy. They sure do word it oddly, but once you do it once, it's not rocket science." You say with a smile.

"Thanks, Y/N. I appreciate it." Marcus replies, before heading back to fill out the rest of his papers. You return to your own task, penciling in Jamie now. You'll have to wait for Max and Marcus' availability sheets to finish this, but you think you remember them both telling you they want as many hours as possible in their interviews.

You check your watch, finding that you've only been here for three hours. Five more to go, excruciatingly long and boring as ever without Eddie's usual wit. Though you doubt you'll find much of that when you go over to his place later on, either. You're not really sure what you'll find, you only hope it's not anything even half as horrible as the events of last night. You sigh aloud again, as you've been doing multiple times today. You feel so...surly and out of it. Every second sticks like molasses, keeping time from progressing normally. And you have the overwhelming urge to smash the glass counter beneath you to ease your frustration. I shouldn't be here, I should be with him. This is so fucking unfair. He needs me, and I can't be there. He'd drop everything for me, I know he would. So what am I still doing here?

"Everything okay?" Max asks, startling you out of your stewing thoughts.

"Uh, yeah. It's just Eddie, he's not here today." You reply shortly, not wanting to spill Eddie's private business, even to someone you consider a friend.

"Well, where is he?" Max raises an eyebrow, growing suspicious.

"He's at home, taking care of his uncle." You answer, still holding back vital details.

"Wayne? What's wrong with him? Is he sick?" Worry laces her tone, and you remember them talking at the barbecue yesterday.

"Um, kinda." You say, hesitating to add anything else. You know she wouldn't go around telling everyone about it. But still, it's not your business to tell.

"You can tell me, you know. As a friend." She presses further.

"I know. I just don't want everyone knowing about it. I don't want people to look at him differently." You speak cautiously, still struggling to determine what the right move is here.

"I won't tell, I promise. But I can tell it's bothering you, Y/N. I just wanna listen." She says kindly, giving you a small smile.

"Alright. But you keep your mouth shut. Got it?" You warn, pointing a stern finger in her direction.

"My lips are sealed!" She mimics locking her lips and throwing away the key. With this reassurance, you lean in close to tell her what's going on. She listens quietly, no hint of judgment on her face. You add on how you've been feeling today, and how much you wish you could leave work behind. "I'm sorry, Y/N. That's terrible." She offers, unsure what else to say. She'd gone through something similar when her brother Billy died in a car accident a few years ago. She was in the car with him, and he was driving recklessly at night. He swerved off the road, ramming the driver's side of his muscle car right into a power line. He was killed on impact, but Max walked away with only a few minor cuts and bruises. She had nightmares for weeks afterwards, and refused to ride in any car for even longer than that. Therapy seemed to help, as she barely even thinks about the accident anymore.

"Yeah, it really is. But hopefully the meds will help him. I worry about Eddie more than anything else. He's been a total wreck, he didn't sleep at all last night." You sigh again, quickly becoming annoyed at yourself for doing it so often. It seems to help, though, releasing small amounts of stress into the air instead of holding it all in. You could just about burst at this rate. "You wanna help me restock the candy?" You ask, changing the subject.

"Sure thing." Max kindly replies.

You manage to get through the rest of your shift relatively easily. Max keeps you company at concessions, while Marcus works on auditorium clean-up. You ask her about her old life in California, and you share a few stories from your own childhood with her. You have quite a bit in common, honestly. Both your fathers left in rather unsavory ways. You're also fiercely independent, and go above and beyond for your friends and family. Not to mention your intelligence, emotional and logical, is unmatched by most. This time of bonding eases some of your inner turmoil, letting you put the guilt aside for a little while.

"Well, that's all for today. You both did really well on your first day. I'll see you tomorrow." You dismiss Max and Marcus for the day, before heading toward the breakroom to get ready to leave. You change out of your uniform, and head outside to your bicycle. Except, it's not locked to the bike rack you left it at this morning. Your lock is here, but it appears someone has cut it and stolen your bicycle. "Fuck!" You shout, kicking the loose gravel in the lot where the rack is located. Today of all days, and your fucking bike is gone.

You stand in anger for a moment, clenching your fists and breathing heavily as you contemplate what to do. You could walk all the way to the trailer park, but it's way too hot out for that. You could try to call for a ride from someone, but there's no guarantee. But then you remember, you just so happen to be in pretty well with the employees at Family Video. Dustin's shift is definitely over, but Robin and Steve could be around. You leave the scene of the crime, and hoof it over a couple blocks to reach the video store.

"Hey, Y/N. Everything alright?" Robin asks as you walk in the glass door of the shop.

"Nope. I just had a very long day after a very long night. Dustin's got the car, and my bike got stolen. Can you or Steve give me a ride to Eddie's?" You speak flatly, trying very hard to keep your anger inside.

"Shit, Y/N. I'm sorry, I'll give you a ride. Cover the store for me, Stevie?" Robin replies, giving Steve major puppy eyes from behind the counter.

"Yeah, that's fine. I've got it covered." Steve adds, giving you a sympathetic look. You nod at him, and go with Robin to her car in the lot.

"Is Eddie okay? Why isn't he with you?" Robin questions as you slide into the passenger seat. You really don't want to tell another person about what's been going on. At this rate, everyone in your group will know before Eddie has the chance to tell them himself. You swear Robin to secrecy as you did the others, and recount the tale for the fourth time. She offers her condolences, which you in turn thank her for. You really hope Eddie won't be upset when you let him know just how many people you've told this to. You're not even sure he'd be upset at all, but you're going to find out, one way or another.

Robin pulls up to the trailer, where Eddie is sitting on the stoop having a smoke. He looks like shit. His hair is messy, and he's still in the same clothes from yesterday. A large bruise covers his nose, a mix of deep purple and sickly yellow. "Thanks for the ride, Robin. And for listening. I'll see you around." You say kindly to her, and she gives you a warm hug before you leave the vehicle. She waves as she pulls away, and you wave back with a forced smile. Once she's out of view, you turn to Eddie, who's staring at the ground. "Eddie, are you okay?" You ask, which draws his pale face to look up at you.

"No." He shakes his head, taking a drag from his cig. His hand trembles as he brings it to his lips, and his eyes are bloodshot.

"Did you sleep like I asked you to?" You question. You're about to sit down on the step next to him, when you notice a small cardboard box beside him.

"I was about to, when some delivery guy showed up. With...that." He points a finger at the box, refusing to look at it.

"What is it?" You ask, looking over it. He hasn't opened it yet, and the address label is from the prison. You also notice a stamp on the side of the box. It's marked in thick, red ink. Big block letters that read: HUMAN REMAINS. "Oh." The word falls softly from your lips when you realize what, or who, is in the box.

"Yeah. 'Oh'." Eddie scoffs, taking another drag.

"Did Wayne see it?" You ask, still standing above him. You don't have the heart to move the box out of the way to sit next to him. You're also quite unsure how he might react to you touching it.

"Fuck no. And he's not going to, not yet. I dunno what that'll do to him." Eddie says blankly, staring off into space again. There's something off about him, and it's more than just exhaustion. It's like he's on something.

"Eddie, are you high right now?" You regret the question immediately, and his eyes flick to you again.

"Is that a problem?" He asks, somewhat grumpily.

"No, Eds. I just一...I noticed you're acting a bit off. I know the last twenty-four hours haven't been easy. But I have to know, did you take something?" You speak as nicely as you can, you sense he's very irritable and quick to anger right now. You don't blame him one bit, you just want to make sure he won't hurt himself.

"I might have." He says, barely above a whisper. He avoids your gaze again, seemingly ashamed.

"Eddie, it's okay. What was it?" You kneel in front of him, taking hold of his free hand. It's shaky, and clammy, slicked with anxious sweat. But you hold it all the same.

"Just a little coke. I...didn't want to fall asleep." He says, flicking his spent cigarette away.

"Okay. That's all I wanted to know, love." You say sweetly, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Is there anything I can do, Eds?"

"Can you bring the box inside? I don't want to touch it." He replies fearfully, his breath catching again.

"Of course. Let's go inside, hm? We can check on Wayne, and put you to bed for a bit." He nods at your suggestions, slowly standing up from his spot. He can't remember how long he's been out here, or if he's checked on his uncle enough today. The cocaine, along with his delirium, has left him confused. He feels dizzy once he's on his own two feet, but you thankfully sling his arm over your shoulder to help hold him up. "Did you eat today?" You ask. You hate how you're essentially interrogating him, but he obviously hasn't been taking care of himself. You need all the information you can glean in order to help him.

"No. Not hungry." He mumbles as you walk in the door. You keep the box tucked under your arm, concealing it from Wayne's view as you walk past the living room. The man is blankly looking at the TV, paying you no mind. The sedative has definitely worn off by now, but you sense Wayne feels somewhat guilty for scaring you all, and for hurting Eddie.

"I'll make you something, okay? You need to eat." You retort, leading Eddie all the way to his bedroom. You sit him down on the edge of the mattress, putting the box on his dresser.

"I'm fine, Y/N. Don't worry about it." He insists, but you'll have none of it. You're getting a bit annoyed with him now. He deliberately stayed awake this whole time, even going so far as to take drugs to do so, and he refuses to eat or even change clothes. You feel for him, you really do, but you can't let this go on. He'll end up killing himself if he keeps it up. You groan in frustration, before whipping around to face him.

"No, you're not, Eddie!" You shout, making him flinch. "You're exhausted, and starving, and high out of your goddamn mind!" His eyes widen at your words, and you can tell he's ready to fight you on this. You shake your head, signaling for him to just shut up and listen. You cross your arms and stand your ground, and he yields. He knows better than to go against someone as stubborn as you. "I get that what happened last night was scary, alright? And I get that Wayne hitting you in the face probably fucked with your head a little bit. But you can't sit here and tell me that you're fine! You're going to make yourself sick, or worse! And because I love you, I'm not letting you do that! Do you understand me?"

He doesn't say anything at first, still in shock at you yelling at him like this. But he knows you're right. He's going off the deep end, and his actions will only end up hurting him, and you, and Wayne. "I understand. I'm sorry." Eddie speaks in a remorseful tone, bowing his head. You go to him, sitting on the bed. You take hold of his chin, leading him to look at you. You find tears in his eyes again, and the hopeless expression on his face breaks your heart.

"I love you, Eddie. You know that, right?" You say softly, your own eyes beginning to water now.

"I know. I love you too, Y/N." He nods, sending tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Okay, good. Because I'm just trying to help you. You mean everything to me. And you need to eat, sleep, and clean yourself. I can't let you hurt yourself like this." You speak emphatically, trying not to break into sobs all the while. You can't bear to see him so miserable, he deserves a goddamn break in life. For once.

"I'm sorry for being stupid. I'm just so scared, for Wayne. I don't want him to have another flashback. I don't want him to hurt anyone else, or himself. I don't know what to do. I'm so tired, and I feel sick. I feel like I'm going crazy." He breaks down, shoving himself into your chest as he cries. You hold him tightly to you, releasing some sobs of your own, though they're much quieter than his.

"It's gonna be okay, Eds. We'll get through it together." You speak shakily, struggling to keep the syllables intact. You let him cry into you for a while, allowing his tears to eventually dry up. You stroke his hair, and press kisses to the top of his head.

When he calms down a little, you lay him down on the bed. You leave the room for a moment, wiping your eyes as you walk down the hall. You check in on Wayne, giving him his pill for the day as he hasn't had it just yet. He seems to be doing alright for the time being, but you plan to sit out here with him once Eddie goes to sleep. You figure you can take a shift to watch over him, Eddie's done more than enough for his uncle today. You bring Eddie a sandwich and some juice, which he begrudgingly consumes. Once he's finished, you help him take off his clothes. You put him under the covers, giving him one more kiss before he drifts off. He starts to snore almost immediately, and you quietly leave the room to let him rest.

"Is he finally asleep?" Wayne asks when you sit down on the couch.

"Yep. He's still a fuckin' mess, though. I've never seen him like this before. Not even when I've gotten hurt." You reply in resignation, digging your smokes out of your backpack. You slip on between your lips, lighting it hastily. You need this nicotine so damn bad right now, after everything you've gone through today.

"I know. I kept tellin' him to get some shut-eye. But he was too worried 'bout me." Wayne sighs. "How are you doin', darlin'?" He turns the question onto you, curious how you're handling this.

"I'm not much better. We were all really worried last night, we still are. And then I had to work all day while thinking about him, and you. And my bike got stolen sometime during my shift." You reply, exhaling a large cloud of smoke.

"I'm sorry, Y/N." He says.

"What for?" You question.

"For scarin' all of ya. And for hurtin' Eddie." His words lace themselves with sadness at the end of his sentence. "You know, I never raised a hand to that boy s'long as I've raised 'im." He shakes his head, before continuing. "Not once. Not when he misbehaved, not when he pissed me off, not as a punishment. Never. I promised myself I wouldn't add to the pain my brother inflicted on 'im." Wayne sniffles, taking a swig of his soda. It's odd to see him without a beer in his hand, but you're guessing the meds won't react well to alcohol. "But last night, I...I hurt 'im. I think that's why he's so fucked up right now. I hurt my boy, when I swore I never would." He inhales sharply, trying to hold himself together.

"Wayne, it wasn't your fault. You didn't know it was him. And he knows that, deep down he knows you would never hurt him. He loves you like a father, and he knows you love him like a son. Please don't blame yourself, because he sure as hell doesn't. None of us do." You move to sit closer to him, taking his hand.

"I know, Y/N. I just hate to see Eddie like this. I've made myself a burden on 'im now." He says guiltily.

"You aren't a burden, Wayne. You've done so much for him all these years. Taking him in, making sure he's happy and has everything he needs. He wants to have a turn now, to take care of you. And I'm going to help, and I'm sure I'm not the only one." You say sweetly, hoping he understands that needing help sometimes is okay. That's what family is for, those are the people you lean on when times get tough.

"Thank you, Y/N. I 'preciate that. I won't take your help for granted." Wayne smiles at you, grateful for your kind words.

"Oh, you could never do that, Wayne. You're family, and no request is too much when it comes from family." You smile back at him, hoping this moment of comfort is a sign that things will start looking up.

To be continued...

[year2000electronics]

Honestly my favorite thing about you by far is how you build on aus and fanon of old without being needlessly cruel and disparaging to it. OG reverse falls had a lot of issues, but people tend to get lost in dogging on it as opposed to embracing the beauty that comes with creating new content for it with hindsight and maturity that the fandom of old didn’t have. Basically just thank you for being so kind. Anyway my second favorite thing you do is draw reverse ford like a silver fox you’re so fucking real for that

thank you!! i really do try to be kind and positive about stuff as best as i can when it applies, i know fanon stuff gets a lot of flak for often being derivative or just very shoddy at times but its like. idk. ive always seen the bridge to better fanon being lifting up and supporting what you do like, because the more lamenting that happens the more you end up just sorta chasing this giant invisible strawman of "you guys" who are "making the thing i dont like instead of the thing i like" (as a pretty relevant example, ill see posts pop up in tags complaining about "you guys'" humanizations of a certain triangle... -_- )

because like its true! sometimes fan stuff is dumb. because we're all creating stuff out there so some of its going to be dumb. even some gravity falls stuff is dumb. roadside attraction is dumb. parts of the wendy crush arc are dumb. which is why i want to lift up parts of something i like and when i do point out stuff i dont like i always want to kinda be constructive about why. and i do think that trying to build something i like attracts people! i think they pick up on the passion there! and it just feels so much more rewarding than if i were to complain all day. idk. its all about striking a balance and its something i like to think about and ruminate on a lot as someone who participates in the community of fandom.

its also a bit of a glass houses thing to me, because i dont think i can even claim to have fanon that like, doesnt suck. not in a self deprecating way you just have to understand where im coming from here... because im the type of person who loves to ruminate on how the relationships between people affect them and how it makes their story, which ends up meaning i go REALLY hard on shipping! and someone could point to me and be like "wow youve got Yaoi Brain" or something! and i draw my human bill as a skinny white guy because idk i just Do! and people could call that derivative if they so wished! if i was going around proclaiming that i could 'be better' and 'fix bad fanon' it would just feel ironic to me. because sometimes the art i make isnt perfect too. and im fine with that. its a part of my art to me.

anyways thank you for the ask and the gateway for me to ramble :] i always like talking about this stuff. here's silver fox ford gleeful again

[nerdyjournals]

SCORPIUS

Genre: mystery Y/N Notes: they/them, female presenting Ship: REVEALED IN THIS CHAPTER

MAN WANTED FOR THE SUSPECTED MURDER AND DISAPPEARANCE OF TWO JYP UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Two hours ago, police released information regarding the ongoing case of the body found in the Han River earlier today as well as the disappearance of her friend.

The man in question is connected to a fatal shoot out that took place seven years ago that took the lives of three people, including local Detective Kim Jonghyun.

When reaching out to the family of the late detective, they revealed that the suspected identity of the body is their younger cousin. This case is suspected to be treated as a homicide case moving forward.

The autopsy of the body is currently underway and we hope to uncover the identity of the body soon.

If you have any information regarding the suspect, please contact your local authorities.

-

The TV clicked off as you leaned back in the hospital bed.

"Is this really going to work, Minho?" You looked over at your friend, sighing as he sunk in the uncomfortable hospital chair.

"It has to. The guys have already gotten to the detectives and are plotting what to do next." He looked over at you. "I know that look. Speak."

"Maybe we should call it." Minho shot up and reached for your hand. You flinched but let him take hold. "Too much is happening because of me, and you already got hurt." Your eyes drifted over to the small spattering of belongings, finding the little charm that matched with two others. "I don't want anyone else getting hurt."

"Hey, look at me." He tilted your head towards him, eyes drifting to the charm around his neck. "We already told you that we're in this for the long run. No matter what." His hand gripped yours tight as his phone began to ring. "Are you up for another visitor?"

"Is it him?" Minho nodded. "Go get him please."

-

Jisung rocked on his heels as he stood in the hospital waiting room. Jinki dropped him off before he went off to help set up the con with the others.

"Jisung," Minho's voice caught his attention, "you have your pass?" The boy nodded. "Come on. She wants to see you."

Minho gently took his hand and took him down the hall. Jisung felt his chest clench at the sight of you on the hospital bed. You held out your arms and he rushed into them, gently holding you and sighing into the crook of your neck.

"I'm okay, baby," you whispered into his ear. "Minho saved me. Our hero, right?"

"I thought you were gone." He slowly began to rock you back and forth. "I thought Minho was gone." The other boy sat on the other side of the bed, laying one hand on your shoulder. "My heart hurt so bad."

"It would take a lot more than a couple bumps and bruises and broken bones to get rid of me." You chuckled. "Besides, we still have to tell the others about us." You pulled back and pressed your lips to his forehead as Minho leaned his head against yours. "I love you both too much to let this go unsaid."

They all pulled away from each other and settled into the silence.

"Why is he after you?" Jisung asked.

"My cousin killed his brother in a shootout months ago. He wants revenge on those who killed him." You started to run your fingers of the back of his hand. "I'm just thankful it's only one and not any of the others."

"What would getting rid of you do?"

"Fulfill his need for revenge? I don't know." You turned to Minho. "How's the case building?"

"We have enough to get him on attempted first degree murder, but with his brother's connection they may be able to dig up more. Possible sentence, life in prison. Best sentence, the death penalty."

The other two looked a bit uneasy at how gleeful Minho looked at the last sentence.

"You're lucky we love you or we'd put you in an asylum," Jisung laughed.

"So what's the next move?" You asked. "Minho mentioned something about a con?"

-

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[arospecsyourblockdudes]

BigB in 3rd Life has one of theee most underrated tragic story arcs in the series. Like imagine you’re some guy and you get put into this fun game one of your buddies made and you sorta gang up with some old pals of yours right off the bat, you’re making friends, you build your house a bit out the way but that’s ok because you go out to see everyone when you aren’t mining for resources. You try to stay in touch with everyone, you have no enemies. You move house to be closer to people, and suddenly one of your friends has killed three people and you watched and you heard him laugh. You aren’t sure what to do anymore because people had died in this game (thats the point, see who makes it) but no one had been killed and certainly no one had been so gleeful to have killed. You turn to your new neighbors, who ask you to join them in this war. When was this a war? Wasn’t it still a game? Weren’t we all getting along? But you agree because….what else can you say? You tag along with them and don’t really do much, the war doesn’t feel right. It only really hits you when the arrow hits you right through the heart and you’ve finally died once. The last green life. This is a war because someone took it too far or maybe everyone’s taken it too far and you’re stuck. There’s battle. For the first time you’ve got some blood on your hands and before you know how you feel about it, there’s another arrow hit you and now you’re almost dead. You try to outrun it, but everyone who’d been on “your side” is dead now. You try to scavenge something, anything. You get trapped. Your old friends are here to do you in. You can remember when you talked and laughed with these people. When was this a war? You’re dead anyway, so you attack. Attack the one who started this, who laughed at death and sowed chaos, who’s still your friend but it’s all been taken too far. Then you are dead.

[sonic-gallery]

Another World Ogiri November 2023 [What are Knuckles and Sonic doing...? ]

★Example

“You must have been gooey at first!”

Two characters appear every month in surprising outfits and situations! Let's enjoy Ogiri together with illustrations that will make your imagination run wild!

This time, the defender with the proof of victory, Knuckles, the fighting king, takes on the sonic clown, the challenger Sonic! The outcome of the dream match where power and speed collide is...! ?

What kind of lines or narration would you use?

You can style it based on the atmosphere and world view of the two of you in the game, or you can create a bold arrangement! In the example, it seems that Sonic is having trouble with being too free... Even if it's a gleeful joke from such a point of view, it's OK!

Please enjoy it and tweet with the tag "#Isekai Ogiri" on Twitter (X) ♪

We will introduce the good ones in a reply from Sonic's official Twitter (X) account.

We are looking forward to your fun Ogiri posts!

Act11: “An unforgettable rival”

"This belt is just for me! That's right!"

"'Knuckles! Knuckles! Oooooooo!"

Raising his championship belt and roaring towards the audience is Knuckles the Echiduna, the red echidna fighting king. With a large crowd filling the arena, the champion's performance will heat up the venue.

“Ladies & Gentlemen! The long-awaited title match is finally here!”

The robot referee ``Omochao'' also flew around the ring, further enlivening the venue.

"Knuckles, the undefeated absolute defender, will the title be replaced today!? The featured challenger enters! The clown at the speed of sound...Sonic the Hedgehog!"

"Hey! Looks like you're doing well, knucklehead!"

The challenger, a blue hedgehog, appeared illuminated by a spotlight and landed dashingly on top of the corner post.

Sonic, dressed in a colorful clown suit and performing spectacular acrobatics on the spot, greeted Knuckles and the audience with an exaggerated pose and a fearless smile. The audience seats were also excited.

Knuckles says he's a nasty bastard and hits both Kobushi and glares at the challenger...

"Did I meet you somewhere? I don't care, but I don't think you'll be easy on me."

Sonic and Tails trace the source of the energy and arrive at this venue, but they find Knuckles, the "King of Fighters," there.

He also seems to have a Chaos Emerald that has mutated into a "Champion Belt"... but even with that power, there is no sign that he will regain his memories after seeing Sonic and the others.

"Why? There's also a reaction from the Chaos Emeralds."

"He's always been a gullible guy, and the effects of strange things may be strong... Well, just look at him! If you give that stone head a shot, he'll remember it."

...So, Sonic challenged Knuckles to a fight as a "challenger".

"Knuckles! Knuckles!"

The ringside was filled with rumblings as people cheered for Knuckles. Sonic glanced at the crowd waiting anxiously for the gong to start the match, and with light steps that could be seen as a provocation, he closed the distance to Knuckles...

"Whoa, challenger Sonic! What on earth are you planning on doing!?"

He slowly opened his fist and grinned, and countless balls appeared between his fingers. As if by magic, he threw one ball high into the air, and it flew over the corner post of the ring at high speed, demonstrating a spectacular ball juggling act.

The audience held their breath as they watched this unexpectedly high-level performance. Eventually, the balls piled up one after another in front of Knuckles' nose, and...

＜＜Pon! >>

When all the balls popped, Flicky, a blue bird, was perched there, looking around. Knuckles jumps in surprise and Flicky flies away.

“Did you like the little greeting from the newcomer?”

"Y-you bastard...!"

After giving a mischievous wink, Sonic grins again.

Laughter leaked out from the audience seats. Afterwards, a rain of applause showers down on the ring, praising the spectacular performance.

"'Wow, that's amazing!'" "You totally pissed Knuckles off!" "Sonic! Sonic!"

"...Tenmeee!"

Sonic speaks to Knuckles, who is shaking his fists and showing his anger, from atop the ring post.

``I don't dislike the away atmosphere, but I just don't like it when I'm losing to you in the audience.''

Before I knew it, the cheers that had been dominated by the champions had turned into a 50-50 split in just a few seconds. Knuckles is bread! He slaps his cheeks with both hands, burning his fighting spirit towards Sonic.

“We get along well, I was just thinking you wouldn’t like me either!”

"Knuckles! Knuckles!" "Sonic! Sonic!"

"Let's both be in high spirits in the ring and in the audience! Now, let's start the match!"

<<Khan! >>

A gong sounded throughout the venue, signaling the start of the match.

The two stare at each other in the center of the ring. Knuckles keeps his eyes on Sonic as he moves around quickly.

Knuckles judges the timing and hits an accurate and fiery straight, but Sonic narrowly evades him. As for Sonic, he keeps increasing his speed in an attempt to break Knuckles' stance, which he doesn't like...

"Blue Tornado!"

It spins around Knuckles at high speed with a blue afterimage. He creates a powerful tornado and launches Knuckles high into the sky, then launches a zigzag run-up and spin attack!

＜＜Gashi! >>

Everyone expected a clean hit due to the intense sound of the impact, but...

"Shame for you"

Knuckles, who blocked Sonic's attack by sandwiching his fists between his fists, showed his teeth and grinned, then slammed Sonic to the ground with great force.

"Volcanic, dunk!"

<< Zugoon! >>

The explosion and shock that erupts as the bullet hits the ground. Sonic was launched into the air by the recoil, but there was no visible damage, probably because the impact was dispersed by the high-speed spin, and he quickly regained his balance.

“Oraoraoraaaaaah!”

"Hey! I guess I won!"

Knuckles is in hot pursuit and Sonic is dodging him... Red and blue trajectories passing each other in the air engage in a fierce battle.

"S-Great battle Chao!"

"'Wow, that's amazing!'"

Omochao, along with the audience, cries out in surprise as the live commentary can't keep up with the high-level, high-speed battle. Everyone can't help but cry out in the face of this battle.

"Well, you're still as stupid as ever... But it has to be like this!"

A powerful, fearless and worthy adversary. Before Sonic knew it, he found himself in an unusually excited mood during this serious battle with Knuckles, and he couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"You're an angry bastard, but you'll do it! I've been waiting for someone like you!"

And so was Knuckles. My body moved on its own in the face of a sharp onslaught and speed that I should have never experienced before. For some reason, my heart was warmed by a mysterious and nostalgic uplifting spirit.

"(It's still not like this... Give me the best blow to defeat him!)"

That moment when our mutual excitement reached its climax...!

“It’s time to go to the finale!”

"It's top notch!"

In response to the furious kick unleashed from a top-speed sonic spin, the punch of the fist was like an explosion from an active volcano. Their best blows collide with each other.

<<<< Dogaan! ＞＞＞＞

A clean hit to each other's faces...! The two people collapsed at the same time, and the cheers were louder than ever.

"""Ooooo!"" ""Knuckles! Knuckles!"" "Sonic! Sonic!"

"Ryo, both of you are down! Chao counts! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..."

"Two...."

In the noisy audience, Tails can't help but clench his fists, as if praying, waiting for the two to return.

"I... Tee!!"

"Oh my god! They got up almost at the same time... Ciao~!?"

Wake up at the same time. But Knuckles was the first to speak.

Knuckles ran up to Sonic, not noticing that he had blown up his toychao in the process, and said this while holding his kicked head.

"What are you doing, Sonic! What are you looking like?"

"...Huh? Tails, it happened like you said, right?"

Knuckles was looking at Sonic with a proud face while stroking his cheek where he was punched, but he suddenly remembered something and let out a scream.

"Yes, listen to me! While I was destroying Eggman's factory, I found a strange monster underground!"

Knuckles is pointing under the ring, as if time has stopped and started moving.

"This guy's in the way... Oh!"

A flash of spirit!

<< Zugone! >>

When he swings his fist at his feet, the ring is blown away along with the floor with the impact. After the swirling debris and dust settled, what I saw below was...

It was a large gaping hole that was still collapsing from the inside in a chain reaction into a huge underground space.

The two of them stare at the hole in amazement, ignoring the noisy audience seats. Breaking the silence, Tails's energy detector makes a loud noise.

＜＜Pipipi! Pipipi! >>

At the same time, a heavy tremor erupts from the depths of the earth...! The area around the hole began to collapse, and the venue became noisy.

"It looks like the energy flow is heading deeper into this hole...! We have to hurry!"

"Ah! ...But wait a minute."

Knuckles snatched the microphone from Omochao, who had stumbled back, and called out to the confused audience:

"Hey, you guys! I'm sorry, but I've gotten into a bit of a wild situation! I'm sure you have a lot to say, but please leave this place to me and evacuate!"

After giving a shout, he shoves the microphone at Omochao and forces him to take charge of the evacuation.

“I-I don’t know what it is, but everyone just runs away~!”

"'Knuckles is saying hello! Run!'" "'Ooooooooooo!'" "'Knuckles! Knuckles! ......'"

"Wow... everyone's gone."

Knuckles smiled at Tails, who was overcome with admiration and was stunned, and then turned to face the dark, deep hole he was heading towards and silently looked down at it.

"...It turned into a forfeited match."

Before he knew it, Sonic was standing behind Knuckles, pretending to be disappointed, and laughing.

"Hey! No matter how you look at it, I won, but you can try it again."

“That’s my line!”

With that said, Sonic jumps into the hole first, followed by Tails. Knuckles chased after it and jumped into the hole, smiling wryly and saying,

"We really get along well, don't we?"

"Cognitive frictional energy"

What the three people saw after passing through the hole was an unusual landscape that they had never imagined. A huge, cylindrical, dark underground cavity about 100 meters in diameter and depth...

At its bottom is a huge white parabolic antenna that looks straight up and is exactly the diameter of this cavity, and in the center of it stands a large conical glass tower like a rocket, emitting dazzling light. I was doing it.

"this is......!?"

Sonic grabbed hold of Tails as he flew, and Knuckles used his specialty to glide, observing the strange sight as they slowly and carefully descended.

＜＜Pipipi! Pipipi! >>

As you descend, the unknown energies that are gathering from various otherworldly areas gradually increase in strength. By the time Sonic and his friends descended halfway down the shaft, it had become a visible torrent of countless purple lights.

"Wow, that's amazing...it's similar to the power of the Phantom Ruby though..."

Tails couldn't figure out what this energy was. However, in the midst of this flow, the moment Tails saw visions of different worlds in various places flickering up and down, emitting intense sparks, a great realization came to him.

"I see! I understand!"

Tails was so surprised that Sonic almost threw him off, and the truth he told him was shocking.

Sonic and his friends' "stars" have been forcibly overwritten with their own perception of countless otherworldly images held by various people using the Phantom Ruby weapon. The gap in perception between the star's original reality and this otherworldly reality was putting a strain on the star, causing it to generate a huge amount of energy.

"So...I guess we should call it 'cognitive frictional energy'...Eggman's purpose was to steal this from all over the world!"

Just as Tails finished his explanation, the three of them landed on the plate of the giant parabolic antenna at the bottom of the cavity and looked up in silence.

"Cognitive frictional energy" coming from all over the world is received by this antenna, gently reflected, and collected at the tip of the central glass tower. The energy converged there could be seen to fall intermittently and be stored in the bulge at the base of the tower.

"He's still a top-notch guy when it comes to doing stupid things."

"Yeah. He's the one who walks around with his clothes on."

Sonic and Knuckles are stunned, but can't hide their bitter smiles on the one hand and their irritation on the other.

"Look at the base of the tower! There's so much energy gathering that it's distorting the space around it... It's enough power to destroy this planet four times!"

Tails tells Sonic and the others with a serious expression.

“What should I do?”

"Well, that energy hasn't been activated yet, so if you release it from the fixed field, the star will self-repair and the events will flow backwards..."

"...Tell me so I can understand, Tails!"

“Anyway, I guess it’s okay if we just destroy it.”

"Well, actually, Knuckles is right... Let's destroy that thing, release the energy, and restore the world to normal!"

“Oh, leave it to me!”

Knuckles rolls up his sleeves and heads towards the tower in high spirits. Sonic saw it off with a bitter smile for a while, but...

“Well, this guy has to be like this.”

I looked at his back and nodded with a smile, and followed him in good spirits.

...... Eventually, the three of them arrive at the base of the tower, where countless otherworldly visions flicker around them, and they sigh once again at its majesty.

The light leaking out of the tank-like shape and the image of another world are like the screams of something. The three of them took up their position with Knuckles in the middle, and finally made up their minds.

"It's made of a very strong crystal, but I think Knuckles' power can break it."

"It's nice to have stupid power. You don't have to think about anything."

"At least thank that idiot for today. Let's go!"

Just when Knuckles raised his clenched fist high and was about to swing it down forcefully!

<<Bashuuu>>

The tank glowed exceptionally brightly, emitting a blinding white flash.

"Wow!"

In the next moment, a purple pillar of light several tens of meters in diameter pierced from the tank to the tip of the tower, and from the tip far into the sky.

"W-what is this...!"

In the meantime, only a few seconds. After that, a silent tower and silence reigned over the area. And a loud, familiar voice echoes from the sky...

"Ho, ho, ho! You came all the way to this place, you damn hedgehogs! You had a good sight, but it seems you were a little too late."

"Eggman!?"

Sonic and his friends look at the sky.

``It's true that this situation is the result of my genius plan. This is 'give and take.' In return for delivering a fun parallel world to everyone, I gain enormous amounts of energy and use this most powerful weapon. That doesn't mean it's completed."

"The strongest weapon!? Something that uses that much energy...?"

Perhaps satisfied with Tails's voice, Eggman gets excited and raises his voice.

"If you can stop me, try to stop me. I'll use Kisama and the others as testing grounds for this most powerful weapon and turn them into trash!"

＜＜Gogogogo...! >>

"Wow!"

As the ground rumbles, countless plant branches and roots spring up from under their feet at an abnormal speed, and before they know it, Sonic and his friends are pushed to the ground, along with the parabolic antenna that has turned into a giant flower.

“!?”

"No way...! Are you creating a different world locally?"

“It’s a mess!”

When they returned to the ground, they found a scene that looked like a hybrid of a chemical plant that had been converted into an energy facility and a sinister plant, and...and then...the ground trembled behind the three of them. When they turned around, they saw a purple-golden giant towering over them.

"This is Eggman's ultimate weapon...!?"

The curtain of a terrible battle was about to be cut off.

[innocentsandsofdreams]

Trans Simon x Reader Head-cannons

Tags: Soft Simon, family man Simon, reader is AFAB coded, writer is POC and AFAB Nonbinary, non-descriptive birth mention, reader has no descriptive features/bit mentions, breeding kink, dirty talk, very quick writing, reader is higher rank unspecified

Word Count: 647

Both SFW and NSFW under the cut, Minors and ageless blogs DNI

-Simon has a T-dick, but it is referred to as a dick

For context: reader is a higher rank than Simon, Simon and you met by Price asking you to help on a mission for 141; it was basically love at first sight. You and Simon got along very well and had quite the amount of similar experiences that bonded you two together. Together you guys got help and grew together, no doubt you made it official. Here you guys have been together for seven years, and out of the seven you guys were married for three

-Let's say Simon was able to use his bone marrow to make sperm (it actually doesn't exist yet but one day though!) and impregnate you. Simon is trans in this, and you both are trying the needle fertilization

SFW HEAD CANONS

Simon brings up children first. Given his trauma, you confirm that if he doesn't in fact want kids you are fine with that. You love him so much; it truly doesn't matter what his decision is.

Simon contemplates/thinks on this for a while, months even

Simon brings up the conversation again and tells you that he would love to have children with you and that it will work out.

Simon and you do research for possibilities on how you could be impregnated

Turns out, there was an experimental trial about turning bone marrow into sperm for fertilization

The trial is for people who can't conceive, people with other issues, same sex couples or couples like you and Simon

You and Simon decided to give the trial a go. You two did all that was asked and needed to do and all you could do now was wait.

A few months go by and on base and a shipment came in and it's for you and Simon, it included syringes, and the proper directions of use.

Simon wanted to wait until you started ovulating to have maximum effect.

That being said you and Simon meticulously planned and kept trying

Months go by and finally you start showing symptoms of pregnancy: morning sickness, fainting spells (on really bad days)

You and Simon haven't noticed because there were several missions that needed to be completed and required a shit ton of paperwork to be done

Some new recruits were gossiping, and it eventually reached Captain Price. Price decides to bring it up with Simon and you.

You and Simon go to the med bay and lo and behold you are pregnant!

Simon is beyond thrilled and excited because now, he can prove he's a better man and not his father's son.

NSFW HEADCANONS

Simon starts to really feel it. The urge to just breed you

Simon keeps touching your belly as fuck you

"Yeah, I make you pregnant ye? Parent and have all my kids? Just for me?"

From then on you were constantly bent in all angles being fucked until no other thought existed

Each thrust and each desperate thrust as a gleeful smile stays on Simon's face

Pregnancy Progression and Birth

Your pregnancy progresses and as so, get bigger however you don't have any complications!

You were induced into labor; that baby did not want to leave

Grueling hours go by and finally the baby is born! (HORRAY!)

The baby is healthy weighing in as a whopping TEN POUNDS AND THREE OUNCES

Simon cries; so in love with you and his beautiful baby

To him nothing is more amazing than this moment

A/N: This is my first time writing stuffs, especially for a fandom, please be kind! Thank You for reading!! (Also, you can choose the gender of the baby!!)

[bluespring864]

So, I won't mention names because this is not meant as a call out post for specific people but: Novak Djokovic is not currently playing and just today i've had on my dash a) a gleeful post with novak hate spotted somewhere in other media and b) a post about 'reign of terror' tagged with Novak's name. All I ask of the people doing this is to tag "djoko hate" so I don't have to see your hate posts. Would that be feasible?

Also, you are hating on this guy:

This guy.

This guy.

[crimeronan]

i'm not making many personal posts about the current number 1 worldwide trending topic because i feel they'd be in poor taste, particularly given that other people do feel empathy and are abstractly worried. like i'd feel worse making you guys feel bad or wrong for experiencing horror/upset/general negativity - especially given the age of that one kid involved - than i'd feel about my own response to the tragedy.

but i feel like i'd be remiss not to say that i'm reacting to this exactly the way you'd expect a self-styled 'sociopath' with my particular personality and set of values to react. and that if you ALSO are reacting this way then that's literally fine. because thought crime isn't real and there's simply too much happening here for it not to be..... yknow. uhh.

You Know.

if you feel bad that's because you're human. if you feel gleeful that's because you're human. assuming you are not on a rescue team or in contact with any of the missing people's families, nothing you think or feel or do is going to affect the outcome here. turn off the news & update your blacklists if it's bad for you, continue following with popcorn & refreshing the tag if it's great for you, it's all the same. we don't need to leftist infight about how we do or don't feel things here.

[yutasbimil]

Frisky

kenma x fem!oc | haikyuu ff. (time-skip!older kenma) ✦ (3/~) [series fic] !!! also posted on my ao3 acc! { here } tags: fluff, slight angst (not really), smut cw: nsfw minors dni, minor plot, fingering, oral, teasing, established relationship, kinky, orgasm denial, quickie, public sex, fingering, edging, swallowing, exhibitionism(?) HELP THIS IS NEW TO ME ACK, interrupted lol, FLUFF!!! D; note: not that comfy w/ 2nd POV, tho no specific characteristics are mentioned on the fem!oc so pls feel free to imagine as y/n or YOU ♡ word count: 3.9k

part 1 | part 2

do not repost © yutasbimil (2022)

"She's as shy as you, huh?"

Kenma looked in the direction Hinata was looking at, and there he saw across the room, his girlfriend handling some of her daily dose of required socialization for the day. It looks like she's stammering over talking to some Karasuno players.

"She actually handles conversation better than I do, to be honest," Kenma responds, and at the back of his mind, he suppresses a grin.

If only he knew how she can be wild and explorative on other terms. Though, of course, he wouldn't actually let Hinata know that piece of information 'bout her girl.

Kenma kept a bashful smile to himself.

It's no surprise she got close with Kenma the most. She’s usually an anxious person. But the quietness and softness of the guy’s presence go beyond easing her nerves. Mai is scared of tall people, especially men. Though, she's got no problem with talking with her boyfriend’s best friends and her seniors.

It’s also child’s play to see a (preferred color)-haired fellow shaking in a sea of red and black and expect it to be Mai.

Three teams are scheduled to have a team play practice for the week. Though, the game sets are almost finished for the day, hence why it's cooling down at the moment.

Kenma felt a cold bottle by his forearm, turning to expect a gleeful orange-haired guy near him.

“No wonder she’s friends with your girlfriend,” Kenma muttered.

Hinata raised a brow, following Kenma’s line of vision, directing at Yachi and Mai. 

“Huh? She’s not my girlfriend.” Hinata says, keeping an eye on the girls. Hinata almost put a foot forward as the two girls flinched at some Shiratorizawa players, particularly the tall red-haired male with a big smirk on his face.

Mai also shared how that guy gives her the creeps. He can be quite unpredictable.

For a while, Hinata breathes out, followed by a grin as the other girl manages to answer the tall male. “Oh, so that’s your girlfriend, Kenma-san.”

“Don’t say ‘girlfriend’ too much.” he scratches the side of his face, flustered by the attention since earlier but nods. “Yes. I'll introduce her to you later.”

He walks out of the court, managing to divert the attention off his reddened ears.

-

Mai can be the bravest person he knows if it's about pushing herself to the edge or trying out new things. And Kenma knows he is one of the forces that influence her to do better outside her comfort zone, and vice versa.

It just so happens they are also on the same page in terms of sex.

It can be in terms of letting her lay on her back and testing her gag reflex through mouth-fucking her. Other specific situations would be doing the riskiest shits in-game, or while they're in a call with their friends. With Mai in between his legs as they're trying their best to conceal the fact that he's getting the best head whilst leading their game. Even stepping it up a notch further by doing it while they’re on their casual call in their Disharmony server.

Hell, Kenma also didn't know he had that in him and would be interested in those types of kinks.

Looks like he's been corrupted. Mai and her corruption kink winning.

Mai would be "mad" at that for blaming her. He already can hear her sassing him how: "You're kinky! I'm just bringing out your fullest potential."— As if she's the one who is responsible for that.

Well, if that's the case… I'll make her responsible.

Kenma felt a tent standing up by his gym shorts, much to his uncomfiness. Man, what an inconvenience.

And this is all just for letting his mind trail off to Mai.

It’s not anything related to her personally, or that they got any issues going on. But Mai noticed a slight distant or odd atmosphere between them, more so as they met eyes. Or rather, it passes through with Kenma immediately diverting his glances from her and looking away.

He seems to stifle something at the back of his throat, but she can’t quite pinpoint it. Kenma’s expression is hidden behind his hand on his face.

“You okay, Yachi-san?” Hinata picks up the last of the volleyballs on the ground. They’re about to wrap up the practice matches.

“J-just tired, I guess. I never had the chance to accommodate three teams in one gym.” she pried as she helps Mai with the other end of the net. Mai just quietly nods in agreement, there’s also an obvious tiredness in her dragging her feet.

Kenma feels a strong gaze towards him, it’s anything else but the anxious eyes that he saw from Mai earlier. It may be the effect he has on easing her but noticing a hint of depth and darkness on it. He can’t help but let a cold sweat slip off his head, swallowing a bit of saliva left from his dry throat.

The game sets parched him.

He glances back at her as if they’re dancing through glances. Hers didn’t seem to waver. It’s the same firm look as she’s not much anxious going down on him, even while streaming, she even manages to give him head despite the possible consequences. With him being quiet– She really admires how he can still play well and concentrate as if she isn’t there to distract him– though now, his quietness is not much at the advantage as maybe Mai thought they have a problem.

But this is not even about asserting a stand. Yet she still manages and knows she got him on the edge at the palm of her hands, quite literally.

Pulling him back into reality, was the dry towel hitting him and a look from Mai cold as the water handed to him, obviously a pout written on her lips.

I’ve got to tell her.

"Let's go change together." With no spare clothes at hand, it was more of an initiator from Kenma to tease Mai. He didn’t have any shame blurting that out as they were at a bit more secluded part of the courtyard. More on the supply closet behind the gym. But it still gave Mai a burning blush to hear that out loud from Kenma.

"Dummy, that's not allowed!" she smacks his shoulder, and the added skin contact didn’t help.

"So?" Kenma kept a stoic face just remaining his stare at her till she melted.

"Noooo! You're giving me ideas." Mai went in and covered her whole face. Is he darn serious just now?!

Of course, it was just to tease her, and it worked.

He stifled a laugh.

Mostly the reason he joked was to just initiate from the awkward atmosphere, but now that they have gone quiet again. Both of their mouths agape, as if racing to who can speak and tell each concern first.

They talked over each other at the same time.

“Mai.”

“Ken, I–”

The girl didn’t manage to finish laying out her thoughts as she was suddenly sneaked into the supply closet with him. With her back thumping lightly on the wall, the other spare balls even quiver as they hear people pass by the door.

As if panicked, she also held her breath as Kenma pinned her down in between his arms to stay put. It was only momentarily, though Mai had confusion outlined on her brows.

“Why did you need to hide us here though?”

Kenma’s silence also picked up on the unnecessary reaction. It just happened. His grip losing on her shoulders also signaled him to calm down. “Out of instinct, I guess.”

He could only answer, though, he was also thinking about where to treat her for later. What was he supposed to say again? The supply closet isn’t the most tasteful idea to come up as a ‘date’ with to be real. Kenma does have the same closeness and intimacy like this in mind though. 

His proximity and the quietness to the point she can hear his breathing distinctly on her end though... It didn’t help much further on her ‘overlooked issues’ as to why they were put to discuss in the first place.

“Off topic but want to make this quick?” Kenma asks out of the blue. It is not off-topic on what she had in mind though, but it seems that they’re not far in their in-the-gutter thoughts.

Even though it’s not well lit up in the small space, Kenma has his face close to hers, he must take precautions. He does have those types of thoughts in mind, but he has to make sure.

Lightening up the mood again, trying, he says. “Are you okay… making this quick? If I take the lead?”

“Eh?” Like lead in what way? Mai is thinking of something else, but she’s not absolutely sure. Mai rubs her legs. Is he joking again? 

But by his look, he's looking straight at her. Seriously, if I may add.

The unintentional friction she just did was a very bad idea, adding his deep stare at her.

Kenma inches closely to her carefully, checking if she's okay with it. There’s a shift in his tone as she’s still not budging nor getting any utterance out of her. 

“Are you still upset over something that has to do with your look the whole day?”

So that was what he meant by the quick pace in mind? Well, on his part, Kenma is considerate. He knows she wants to talk about something as well.

She places her fingers lightly by his shoulder, barely pressing weight. Is that how it came across to him? Oh no.

Mai shakes her head. “It's not that I'm mad or anything… no.”

She’s got her own issues as well, that’s all… Looking down, she saw how Kenma’s pants aren't much ready to spell out his problems yet, so Mai started. I am getting him worked out ever since earlier as well, is that it?

“I’m just… aroused.” She hopes at the back of her mind as well, he’s feeling the same by the bop of his Adam’s apple. 

Kenma blinks. “W-what?”

She rubs her legs once more, uncontrollably flustered.

“It’s just I saw how good you were– I mean, you’re always great as a setter– but I think it’s my hormones… it’s really been a while since I saw you guys play, an-and on how fired up you were earlier. I only see that whenever you’re playing against Shoyo’s team– I just found you hot.”

She barely got through, stumbling over her words on how fast she was sputtering her words.

He could only be rendered speechless by his girlfriend’s act.

All this time, it’s the same with Kenma. 

So… what the fuck? They were just looking sullen all day because they were preying and just have the hots for each other???

“Is t-that so?” His sigh of relief came off as a chuckle. Good. It was just a different kind of tension. Period.

She just prolonged it but it’s basically what got her so worked up. Especially how Kenma is so fixated on how she's acting right now. She could only swallow up a bit of her hydration left, looking away at anything but his body.

His tone is in a controlled volume, speaking discreetly, he repeats his intention earlier now that that’s settled, with more bluntness now... “Want me to do something about it?”

“I’m fine with the idea…” Mai answered with an inquisitive look. With her grip on his arms, he took it as a cue to dive in.

He didn't waste any time as Kenma leaned in, pressing his body close to hers. Quite intensely, it is seen with his fervor pressing how much he was containing it all day. A bit too quick on how he’s shifting his touches by her hair, face, and her sides. But she’s as roused, Mai went to grab his hand, guiding him to put it up her shirt, pulling his hair with her other free hand.

“Mai…” He delves deeper into nibbling her lips.

She could only emit a deep sigh and moan in response, Kenma’s hand was already up her shirt, lifting the fabric of her shirt up. Just a bit that her bra is showing. He leans closer, sweats peeking through the fabric, further verifying her heated arousal.

Kenma places kisses by the gaps of her chest, in between her breasts. She stifles a mewl. “Hnm..gah… you’re giving me a hard time not to be quiet.” She whispers to the best of her ability. He continues to lick her skin, nibbling at the bare skin. He draws her bra up to uncover her nipples, both quickly at peak due to the handling of his lips and fingers.

Even with his look alone, she can feel his erratic touches pressing against hers. He moves up eye-level again, pressing both her arms up, she gets conscious and nervous at both her sweaty hands. Kenma remains persistent, pressing her down. This definitely will cause her to pool down her panties further. 

He’s really going this far for a ‘quickie’ huh? Still keeping her arousal in mind, or is this one of his antics again? It’s painstakingly slow. Kenma knows this is too much risky and anxiety-inducing, yet… her wetness says otherwise.

Goddammit.

Her mind is hazy and clouded already– Mai no longer has any care for anything. She just wants to get this over with, this is beyond the waters that she expects to swim into, but the compulsive effect on her.

She wants more.

“J-just a bit, more…” Her moan spills as a restrained sigh. She practically begs as he’s touching anything, anything– but the gap between her legs. His hands lingered by the surface of her skirt. Mai hitches her breath as he skips over her core once again. “It’s been this morning that I wanted to touch myself, please? Kenma-kun…”

Man, he really did get her so aroused.

Kenma can’t even refuse especially since how she’s being too insistent and irresistible. He’s growing more turned on looking at how she’s desperate.

She’s not the type to want and be needy as she gets anxious, most definitely here where it’s a bit public. But to insist on making out in the open, the footsteps and shoe squeaks outside seem earshot close for their comfiness. It’s also thrilling.

Risky mode taken then.

Like a button that swiftly pressed on her skin, Mai lodging her lips passionately on his was the trigger that pushed them to go further. The hormones took over and blacked out a bit of Kenma’s control, grabbing hold of her waist a bit too lewdly on his torso. He humps his groin by hers, making her emit a sound unintentionally. 

“Uh-hmm…” he tries to quiet her down again with a kiss, reaching under her skirt but it didn’t add to helping her shush. Kenma pulls away with a slight grin at his discovery of her bare legs.

“Why are you not in your gym shorts, hmmm?”

She's only wearing her skirt.

Mai feels Kenma’s veiny hands creep up her skirt, he pulls it up as he is staring into her eyes with a fiery passion. She felt the cold air expose her bare skin.

Even with the shelves blocking them, it still feels… embarrassing.

“Stop teasing, Kenma…” He just touches her, a bit damp from the sweat.

He gets down, lowering himself to his knees to take in the view of her. She's flushed red, with his eyes piercing through her as he breathes over her crotch.

She feels herself pool more.

“I spilled water earlier when I was preparing bottles, just before we’re wrapping up. That’s why… hngh… I changed–”

Her breath becomes off, turning shaky with his roaming and pressing fingers against the hem of her panties. 

She gulps a breath.

“Always so clumsy of you, Mai,” he comments, now she’s wet for a whole entirely different reason. Both her legs gave up, her voice faltering after. “Haa…uh.”

She holds back a yelp, Kenma motions to stand her up again. “Stay still, Mai,” he instructs. But she almost buckles her legs as she had gone weak on his teasing.

Kenma licks her neck and bites her ear, making her let out a lewd mewl.

Almost like a purr by her ear, he whispers. “Keep quiet, Kitten.”

“H-how? You idio—”

Kenma suddenly touches her panties, sticky from her juices. She can no longer retort with how embarrassingly wet her pussy is already.

He cannot hold back any longer.

“Weren’t you also practically begging me to do this to you?” A thought also came into mind with Mai leaving traces and implications along the lines of ‘Kabedon’ for some time now, and her insistence to get one from him. He’s not one to disappoint, so okay, fine. Even if it’s not something on his alley. Kenma did the favor to make Mai’s dream come true.

He pins both of her hands harder, pressing them to the wall along with his face right up against her ear. Her mind burns with the idea.

Kenma continues by switching his grip on her hands with only one hand. He trails his finger by her swollen lips then lifting her chin using the other as he makes her look at her. “Answer me, Kitten.”

What the fuck is with the pet name?!

She swallows, having not been given a choice to escape. “Ye-yeah... but not in this setting.”

Not at this time at all that she imagines they’ll be doing this out and about. He’s practically falling apart as he is having a great time teasing her.

Both of her hands are locked, though loose enough to roam around his neck. She shudders at his hot breath near her sensitive ears. She doesn’t give in to freeing her hands, even as he’s pulling her closer into the kiss. She simply submits to Kenma. 

He adjusts her legs, carrying her till she’s got her legs wrapped up in his drenched torso.

This is really out of character for Kenma, but seeing how Mai is so hot and bothered he gives in along with his sigh. Even if he does want to go down on her.

“We better make this quick,” he says, Mai practically breaks character as she squeals in delight, to put it bluntly. “You’re the best, Kenma.” she hugs him, a bit tangent to her smiling as if they’re not about to do something intense.

She tightens her legs around him momentarily before he puts them away. He pulls her panties to the side and then decides to pull them down, leaving one side on her leg. 

She smiles to herself as she knows she would be well taken care of.

Her mind raced a thousand miles. As if honing to type paragraphs worth of worshiping his pretty long hands going in and out of her while his other is placed on her mouth to shut her pretty lips sealed.

Kenma quickly goes down, with her holding up her skirt as she tries to cover her whimpers.

He’s taking his good damn time eating her out, spreading his tongue by her clit and core back and forth. She holds back her arousal at how up to par he is slurping and sucking so loud.

Everything felt so soft and moist, it’s so fucking pleasing to the sensation. “Ahh, that’s-shit. Ha…” Her tone came off jittery. She wants to scream, but she needs to hold back every ounce of her patience, she's already trembling at this point.

Even the feeling of her breasts is phenomenal, how his free hand can bring her service, Kenma doesn't leave any neglect of any form. She cannot leave any praise for now as she’s opted to be quiet, even so, her mumbles are shaky to be coherent. Mai could only caress his skin, playing with his hair and gripping onto him as well to distract herself from moaning.

Mai fails miserably to be quiet so Kenma did the lovely favor with his pretty hands to cover her mouth and shut her up.

Using his lips as well as he pumps his finger into her, he thrusts in deeper along his fervent kiss, letting Mai taste herself in the kiss.

He moves his two digits all over in a different direction and speed, spilling more of her arousal tightening around him.

Just when Mai is about to cum, Kenma’s hand withdraws.

As he stopped his fingers, she winces. Mai turned to him with the most confused expression upon seeing Kenma's deadpan stare.

In the most serious tone, he says. “Your trial has expired.”

“Kozumeeee!” She almost whispered a hiss, Kenma covered her mouth, hand still drenched in her juices.

She is supposed to be mad, but Mai quickly catches on with another rustle nearby. They’re cut a bit short cause he also heard someone outside. When the sound subsided, the heightened sensation quickly shifted with Mai feeling his hardened length pushed into her in a cinch.

Kenma had prepared her wet core well as to why his movements easily let his dick go in and out of her. And the tightness in her is just unholy. 

“Fuck, shh-“ He also covered her mouth as sounds slip off uncontrollably. “Ah-mmhm.” 

The two especially Mai tried their best to muffle her moans.

The thrill of it all being outside— the possibility of getting caught—really did add factors for her part. Even the moist wall she grabbed hold of it, she loses all her senses as Kenma fucks her senseless to the wall. The sound of skin slapping and the feeling of him grabbing hold of both her waist to maneuver inside her. As much as she doesn’t want this to end, fuck- this is so risky.

Mai holds onto his wrist, tapping it a bit as a signal that she’s close— it’s not that much of a gap between them when Kenma let her go down to her knees to catch every ounce of his cum in her mouth as he ejaculates.

That was mentally exerting.

Another rustling outside became an indication to stop, but they laughed it off anyways, they quickly fixed their clothes. But Mai steals another kiss before breaking off. This is anything on her agenda for today. Kissing by the side of the gym, a supply closet even. Good thing she had her schedule free. It isn't such a bad idea after all…

Wait, oh right— wasn’t he supposed to say something else before they got wrapped up in the pleasure too much?

“What was it that you’re going to tell me?” she asks with burning cheeks. After a long-heated kiss, (the last kiss was a lie) for the last time as Mai insisted, lips still fresh on a string of saliva.

“Oh, it’s just I wanted to treat you along after training.” Kenma replies. He had been thinking the whole morning as to why he was also a bit preoccupied.

“We’ll also be there! Now, can you please hand me out some extra balls, Kozume? I didn't let yours turn blue— so get to it!” They heard a sudden thump by the door. Both of them flinched. Kenma covered her mouth, frantic as he looked back at her as wide-eyed as him. They hear Kuroo now adjacent to the wall as his voice is now louder. “How long are you going to keep yourselves in there?”

The two flushed a shade darker, their friend did the favor to pretend it was just Kenma in here and not blow their cover huh?

As for Kuroo, he’s heard at least more than enough that he should’ve left sooner.

※ my masterlist | #enjeiwrites ※

[dominote]

omg... please may I know more abt bb playing L in ur tv show au 🫴 (no pressure, I just saw ur tags and I'm so intriguied :3)

aaaa yes!! i'm not gonna give away the WHOLE THING yet (i have over a thousand words of pre-planning notes that WILL magically be turned into a fic sooner or later), but i can definitely tell you about the premise!

so, basically - a few establishing notes:

BB survives. he's let out on probation post-canon for being on good behaviour; near pulls some strings and makes sure he's kept a close eye on.

he does this by putting him with mello and matt, who also survive the events of death note. don't worry about how. the important part is that mello's the only one left who heard about BB directly from L himself, and mello can't really argue with that logic, especially with near saying mello is better suited for something than him.

mello publishes a book about the kira case because he strongly disagrees with near about keeping things under wraps. letting light yagami be remembered as a good boy and kira as a martyr to his followers? nahhh. let the world see the man behind the "divine justice" for the charming snake he was, and let kira's followers see exactly how human their god was. some details are edited, of course, but it's largely a factual account of the case where it's clearly stated when aliases are used to protect the privacy of affected people. even a lot of details about L are released, because mello wants the original L to be remembered properly, not be tucked under light's and near's asses as though there was never a difference. near doesn't agree with mello, but he doesn't stop him, either, as long as he gets to approve the final draft before release.

the book becomes an absolute bestseller, obviously. everyone wants to know the real story of the battle between kira and L. before long, directors and movie studios clamor for mello's attention, wanting to sign deals for the rights to make a movie or tv show based on his retelling of events.

obviously, they need actors for the tv show mello agrees to sign with. hideki ryuga's the director's top choice for light, not just because of the resemblance, but the fact that he's local to tokyo and the bonus of his name coming up as an alias used by L himself - it's perfect. recognizing that mello is really, really picky about the casting for L, though, the director lets mello sit in on the casting for that role.

no force in the world (matt) could possibly have kept BB from making it to the audition.

mello has little choice but to admit that yeah, okay, going for accuracy, applicant rue ryuzaki is unfortunately the best casting choice among the options. he is also one of mello's roommates and a nightmare to work with-- yeah, the director's already got him signing the contracts, sure, whatever.

BB is absolutely gleeful.

he is also, in fact, a nightmare to work with.

hideki ryuga, his co-star, puts up with him. so does misa amane (playing the role of misa amane). everyone else is desperately unsettled by his method acting ass.

in an attempt to bond, hideki takes BB out to party. while the night is a bit of a mess, they do at least get absolutely schwasted in the end. sensing weakness, BB pounces to ask the question that's been burning in his mind ever since he heard about hideki ryuga being an alias of L's.

L doesn't just use other people's names. he takes them as trophies. he defeats them first.

oh, yeah, a very drunk hideki ryuga confirms. yeah, i did encounter the guy, actually.

hideki ryuga does not realize in the slightest at this point that the perpetrator of the los angeles BB killings has just decided he is now the most interesting person around he can hyperfocus on.

[reverse-pines-twins]

Hello, Gravity Falls!

*The curtain rises on Mabel Pines standing in the middle of the Tent of Telepathy. Her brother is standing behind her, mostly obscured by her and the fog he's releasing from his amulet.*

I'm your darling host, Mabel! But please, we're all friends here, aren't we? Call me Belle.

*Cheers erupt from the crowd.*

Oh, you're all too kind! But alas, I will only be here for a little bit. I've been sent-

*She pauses for exactly three seconds to build suspense. The crowd is starting to get antsy when she finishes.*

-to therapy.

*The crowd gasps.*

I know, I know! It's truly a tragedy. But don't be too afraid! My darling brother is here!

*They swap places and he lifts a hand, shining a light through the heavy fog. He also cuts it off and lets it dissapate naturally.*

I know I haven't been on stage much, but rest assured I love you all! You're a great audience and I'm happy to have you. I'm Mason Pines, but you can call me Beau!

*He winks and someone in the crowd faints.*

And I'll still be here, just maybe not as often.

For anyone who's new, you can submit asks in the back. Please have fun and remember -

Don't waste our time.

Hello everyone, I'm the mod @abyssal-author-and-artist, he/him or it/its for me. This is my rewrite of my original pinned intro because Beau's stage name changed and there's been some uh. Developments.

RP Blogs I mostly interact with (though others are allowed and encouraged!) @gleeful-northwest-fam - Rev!Falls Pacifica, Gideon, Preston, and Bud @reverse-falls-stan - Reverse Falls Stan, run by the same person as above @reverse-falls-ford - Reverse Falls Ford @william-will-cipher - pretty sure this is the right blog for our Will (Hi Waffle!)

Both of them will have three moods - a stage persona and a more honest one where they're little annoyances who will insult you for fun, as well as a mood where they're just deeply damaged people trying to get by. Mabel tends to be more in her stage persona while Mason sorta just hates being here and will roast you for existing - though both will do both and I will take requests if you want one of them to act either upbeat or pissed at everything.

Please don't take it too hard if I insult you in character - I'm just trying to be in character and there's no hard feelings there, I swear!

My asks are open! Ask them anything (check DNI for exceptions).

Tags: #belle of the ball - her stage persona - Belle #mabel's coffee - her offstage persona - Mabel #lonely star - her most honest persona - Mabes #ringleader - his stage persona - Beau #why did you disturb me - his offstage persona - Mason #little dipper - his most honest personality - Dipper #pay no attention to the man behind the curtain - ooc posting #audience requests - asks #let belle and beau be kids - me letting the 12yos be 12yos

DNI - No shippy asks - they're still children guys. (And yes, that includes insinuating relationships with ocs) No homophobia/transphobia/racism/etc GoFundMe asks will be deleted - this just isn't the place. I'm sorry.

I will expand this as needed. Don't make me have to.

[castieldelamancha]

The mocking laughter of the other kids still can still reach Dean's ears, no matter how fast he is walking them both away from them. He even turns around to check if they are following them. He doesn't want trouble, he can't get in trouble, fuck, dad told them to stay at the motel. He should have listened. 

He just wanted Sam to have some fun, to be a kid, he wanted to do something normal too, for once, he is old enough to protect them both, he was sure it was going to be fine. And it was, Sam was getting a bunch of candy, Dean had even found a costume for him at a thrift store, the thing is old, a tad too big for him, but he was having fun. 

Now he is gripping his hand tightly and asking quietly if they are close to the motel.

.

A hand in the small of his back brings Dean back to the present, he leans back into its touch and the laughter that reaches him now isn't mocking, but gleeful, there are kids running around them, playing tag and sharing the candy they have gotten earlier in the evening.

No one is paying them any mind really, except for the group of teenagers that walked past them a while ago and told them their costumes were cool. There wasn't much to choose from at the store they drove to this morning, but Dean was able to put together a cowboy costume for himself and one of a roman centurion for Cas.

Apparently, or so Castiel has informed Dean, they are a pretty popular movie reference, and he has already promised Cas they will eventually watch that movie together.

They aren't an ex hunter and ex angel here, they are just a normal couple that have joined the Halloween festivities for the night. 

Dean allows himself to relax even further into Castiel's hold.

They were heading back home when they decided to stop in this small town for a night, Dean smiling at Castiel's stubborn worry "I know you can keep driving, but you don't have to anymore, we can stop and rest."

The original plan wasn't staying for more than a night but then the guy behind the motel's counter pointed at a colorful poster on the wall behind him and way too merrily, considering it was two in the morning, informed them about the town's Halloween party the very next night.

Dean had tried to play it cool, "sounds great buddy, thanks." But Castiel, always close and always aware of Dean and every miniscule switch in his expression had seen through all that bullshit, asking him if he would like to stay for the party as soon as they were alone in their room.

"Do you want..." He says now, pausing for a moment and gesturing towards the people crowding the improvised dance floor in the square of the town hall, "maybe we could well...? Lol" and it's a bit awkward and utterly endearing.

Dean decides to have some mercy and smiles playfully, "are you asking me if I want to dance with you, Castiel?" He gets a roll of eyes for an answer and the hand that was on his back moves away to find his, he tangles their fingers together and gently tugs until Dean is following him to where everyone is dancing, they keep their distance of course, opting for an empty corner.

Dean looks around, huffing lightly, amused, at the decorations around them, a collective effort of this town, the plastic squeletons hanging from the lampost, withches and zombies too, an array of pumpkins smiling at him and he wishes it all could be just this, a fun way to spend a night, that none of these monsters were real and out to hurt people. 

Castiel, who Dean is pretty convinced has never danced before but that always fills any blank spaces left by his inexperience with a determined enthusiasm, rests a hand on his left shoulder, lifting the other, still holding Dean's, and steps closer to him, swaying them lightly to the music, too slowly for the rhythm of it, but Dean isn't about to complain or speed them up, he steps closer to Castiel too, and lets himself enjoy the moment, the soft glow of the Moon and of the lights around them, the warm radiating from Castiel, the bright, loving, eyes, staring at him. He wraps an arm around Cas' waist and pulls him even closer, their chests pressed together.

Castiel opens his mouth to speak, smiling brightly all of a sudden, "I have seen they held a pumpkin carving contest," and maybe that isn't the poetical declaration Dean was waiting from him, "there is one that has freckles, you have to see it too." 

Dean laughs, shaking his head, his laughter only spurred on by Castiel's clear confusion, "I love you, Cas." 

Castiel's expression softens, his smile coming back in full force, "I love you too."

[nthngtoseehere-blog]

I finished "Healer" and just. This show! So good!

And Ji Chang Wook! So pretty!!

SPOILERS below

I have a couple of nitpicks mainly related to some loose plot threads, but who cares. I enjoyed the show so much.

Seo Jung Hoo is a great character. The whole thing where he was figuratively raised by wolves and just does not how to be normal and have real relationships with people is done so well. He's great at pretending to be different types of people, but doesn't know how to be himself, or even know who he is as “himself.”

There were times that his derpy alter ego Park Bong Soo felt like less of a fake identity and more like Jung Hoo's actual comfort zone in terms of interacting with people. When he acts, as Bong Soo, bewildered by peoples' behaviors, and clueless about social norms, it's so obviously Jung Hoo reacting naturally, which is so funny and kinda sweet. He babie.

I love his relationship with Ahjumma. She's the only person so far who hasn't abandoned him AND who treats him like a human being. (His teacher did not. That relationship was fascinating story-wise and horrifying child-endangerment-and-neglect-wise.) When he finally gets to spend time with her face to face he's so gleeful about it, it's adorable.

Also adorable: his relationship with Chae Yeong Sin. I am on board that ship. They fell in mutual weirdness, which is such a great category of love. It’s also great to see them actually communicate with each other, once they decide to be together. After Jung Hoo is blackmailed to admit on camera to murders he didn’t commit, he knows he has to go on the run and drop contact with Yeong Sin to protect her, but he doesn’t just disappear. He shows up and tells her exactly what happened and what he’s going to do about it. It’s such healthy adult relationship behavior, which is hilarious because I’m pretty sure he does it because he has no filter around her anymore because he doesn’t know How to Relationship.

Yeong Sin is also a great character, and often passes the Bechdel Test which is nice. She had her own trauma and goals, and while she and Jung Hoo obviously helped each other in important ways she could have managed without him. In fact she didn't necessarily need him, while he absolutely needed her, in order to live a meaningful and happy life. That's down to her adoptive family, both her father and the rag tag bunch of ex-cons he collected as their found family. Where she came out of a traumatic childhood into a supportive and loving family, Jung Hoo came out of a traumatic childhood into juvie and then into the hands of a guy who thought that being responsible for a child meant isolating them together in a warehouse, slapping the kid around until he learned to fight back. And then abandoning the kid. On his birthday. WTF.

Anyway. Yes. So glad Yeong Sin, at least, won the adoptive family jackpot.

I found the back story of the parents’ generation fascinating because, I’m ashamed to say, I don’t know anything about Korean history. I’m going to start learning, though, partly because my son’s long term gf is South Korean and I’d like to know more about where she comes from.

Speaking of the gf, Healer is evidently one of her absolute favorite shows 😄 She also recommended a show called “City Hunters” to me, but I can’t find it available in my region anywhere. I’ll keep looking though.