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[saisamedi]

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[hxltic]

i have a request for a “strawberry/cutecore/hello kitty” girl x ghost 🤭. basically everything is pink and cute stuff <33

(this is not proofread and i didn’t know how much to write lol)

Ghost has seen his fair share of tragedies in all his years of working the military. In fact, they continuously remind him of the atrocities his own hands have created, ones that return in vivid nightmares to eat away at him in his darkest times. Dismantled bodies and the seemingly permanent blood stained on his hands that may be his, his comrades, or another brutal soldier’s haunts him, and the worst, the image of his own family.

He prays he doesn’t forget himself and get lost behind his mask, the one everyone fears and associates with the word “monster.” He prays he doesn’t forget that he’s a son and a human, Simon Riley. It’s his biggest fear.

So when you come along, all happy and young and inexperienced, it’s a cool breath of fresh fucking air. You wore a pink miniskirt that was way too short to be worn in any building, especially not outside with a gust of wind. Your white, printed top barely covered your breasts, matching the studded white belt thrown over your hips. Hell, the belt and the skirt were the same size.

You had a belly button ring with a shiny charm on it and dangly earrings, with pink platforms that were laced with pearls almost covered by shin high leg warmers. With the heels on, you were still almost a foot under him.

Your body was matured in contrast to the way you dressed, and what had him hooked when you met was how you acted.

Of course, it was in a candy store; you had a pink lemonade sucker dangling out your mouth. You watched the hunk of a man stroll in, and you could care less if it was bad to say the first thing you were attracted to was his size.

He wouldn’t sit down with his plain vanilla in a cup, but you bought yours that was filled to the brim with sweets, screaming diabetes. You sit next to him as he leaned on the wall. Your legs aren’t crossed either in the cute mint green chair, but maybe it was on purpose.

“What are you doing in here big boy?” You tease.

Ghost was already surprised by the fact you just casually sat by him with plenty other seats around, but he thought talking to him as well was absurd.

“A man can’t have a sweet-tooth?”

His low drawl was so sexy with his accent, looking down at you with a glint of playfulness in his eyes. He believed the stoic expression he usually carried would be too harsh for you.

“I just didn’t think I’d see someone like you here.”

“I was sure I’d see someone like you here,” he retorts with a chuckle. It was a heavenly sound from his throat.

Your glossy, plump lips wrap around a gummy bear, then attach your attention back to him. He was already watching silently, just waiting for a bite of the cream to slip out of your mouth. He knows you wouldn’t get up and find a napkin.

When it happens, he wasn’t as ready for it as he thought he was, a small portion of the pile of whipped cream dropping to your chin. Your manicured thumb swipes away at it and slips it into your mouth.

It was an innocent act, and Ghost almost feels bad for watching so intently.

Ever since then, he’s used his dominate nature to take care of you. Nobody would say anything to, or about you, and he made sure of it. Even when walking down boulevard.

The same way you met, you skip way too high for your clothing, almost bouncing as he walks leisurely behind you. You use the privilege of his aura.

You walk into the mall and take a peek at a luxury store. The both of you walk in and look around, more so you gawking at things until one bag takes your eye. Soon enough you’re walking out with it on your arm, Ghost’s card tucked somewhere in your bra, holding his hand and thanking him again and again.

You almost cry when you can’t stay over because he’s going out for work, but he walks you home and says he’ll make it up to you.

The bedroom called yours is covered in a pink wallpaper, small bed perfect for your size with perfectly aligned plushies that reach about half the comforter. Figurines stack your shelves. You loved Ghost’s room because it was a contrast to yours, extra modern with grey, ash walls and black sheets that he’s rarely in. You really loved his shower too.

The large man picks you up and throws you down, so you’re in a fit of giggles when your legs are being spread open and your pretty pink panties are being pushed to the side. His hunger displays as he grunts lowly.

[gingerteafairy]

Pets, First Kisses and Small-Town Shenanigans (young!Jensen Ackles x f!reader)

It was summer—the most boring summer ever. Your parents had forced you to stay at your grandparents' house, hoping the fresh air and a break from "technological things" would do you good. Confined in a typical small town that could easily be explored by bike in less than a day, your only sources of excitement were a playground across the street and the local ice cream shop. Your biggest concern? Developing diabetes from overindulging in frozen treats. And of course, being kissed by the small toy boy without his dog jumps between again.

Tags: young jensen ackles x female reader, fluff, dogs, cats, songs, kinda crack fic, cursing, friends to lovers (?), he's just so cute, shyness lol.Words: +3k

next chapter →

"Sweetie, don’t you want to explore the other side of town?" your grandma suggested one morning, pouring herself a cup of tea.

You looked up from your cereal box, raising an eyebrow. "There’s another side?"

She smiled knowingly. "If you go past the forest, you’ll find a beautiful lake—ducks, birds, fish, and the most wonderful flowers. I bet you'd love it."

Her words sparked a glimmer of interest in your otherwise dull routine. "Thanks, Grandma," you said with a grin, taking the last bite of your sandwich. "Finally, something interesting in this town!"

Grabbing your backpack, you stepped outside to find your old bike waiting, ready for adventure. What your grandmother failed to mention, however, was how far this “other side” actually was.

After what felt like centuries of pedaling—two hours, in reality—you finally arrived. The scene before you was utterly magical. Children laughed as they played, couples enjoyed picnic dates, and a group of teenagers strummed guitars, singing in harmony. A quaint bridge beckoned you to leave your bike under a shady tree and cross on foot.

On the other side, you were greeted by a fairytale-like view: lush green grass, vibrant butterflies, and little ducks gliding across a crystal-clear lake. The air was fresh and pure, unlike anything you'd ever experienced. As if on cue, your headphones began to play an instrumental melody, perfectly matching the serene atmosphere.

You were so entranced that you didn’t notice the large golden retriever charging toward you. The next thing you knew, you were on the soft grass, your disconnected headphones beside you, with the dog happily sniffing your skin.

“Oh my God, I’m going to die,” you laughed, the ticklish sensation reducing you to a fit of giggles.

"Shit!" A male voice broke through your laughter. The dog was swiftly lifted off you, and you looked up to see a boy—probably your age—frantically apologizing. "I’m so sorry! He’s—ugh—such a bad dog!"

He extended a hand, helping you to your feet. As you dusted yourself off, you froze. Standing in front of you was, without a doubt, the hottest guy you’d ever seen.

Before you could gather your thoughts, your phone interrupted the silence:

"Something happens and I'm head over heels…

I’ll never find out 'til I’m head over heels…"

The song blasted loudly, your forgotten cell phone making its presence embarrassingly known.

“Oh my God,” you muttered, fumbling to turn off the music. Your hands shook as you hastily placed your headphones around your neck, the lyrics still echoing in your mind. The irony wasn’t lost on you, but that didn’t make it any less mortifying.

The boy raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching with amusement. “Great timing. Big Tears for Fears fan, huh?”

You nodded awkwardly, brushing dirt off your shirt. “Y-yeah, I love this song,” you stammered, willing yourself to sound normal.

“They don’t make songs like that anymore,” he said, his tone light and teasing. “And hey, it’s kind of fitting, don’t you think? Head over heels—literally.”

You groaned, half-laughing despite your embarrassment. “Please don’t remind me.”

“Sorry, couldn’t resist,” he replied, grinning as he crouched down to pet the dog. Max was now sprawled on his back, tongue lolling out in utter joy.

“He’s so cute,” you said, kneeling beside him.

“Don’t let that face fool you,” He said, shooting Max a mock glare. “He’s a menace. Aren’t you, buddy?”

Max let out a cheerful bark, clearly unbothered by the accusation.

“I don’t know,” you said, scratching behind Max’s ears. “I think he’s just misunderstood.”

“Misunderstood?” He laughed. “Trust me, he’s been plotting world domination since the day I got him. Step one: tackle random strangers.”

You giggled, unable to help yourself. “Well, if that’s his plan, he’s off to a great start.”

He sighed dramatically. “Don’t encourage him. He’s already got an ego. Next thing you know, he’ll be demanding gourmet treats and a Netflix subscription.”

Your laughter came out louder this time, and you quickly covered your mouth, embarrassed. “I don’t think dogs watch Netflix.”

“He would,” He said with a smirk.

Finally, you noticed the name on the dog’s collar. “Max,” you read aloud. “You’re a smart little troublemaker, aren’t you?”

“Smart and crazy,” He corrected, running a hand through his hair. “Story of my life. I'm Jensen.”

You introduced yourself, shaking his hand, though the instant you realized your palm was sweaty, you cursed inwardly.

“Nice to meet you,” he said, his tone surprisingly warm.

Despite your embarrassment, you couldn’t stop yourself from laughing. Jensen seemed to have that effect—making even the most awkward situations feel easy.

The rest of the conversation flowed easily, with Jensen explaining that his family owned a pet shop and that Max, though only three months old, was already as big as a grown dog. At one point, noticing the dirt on your clothes, he slipped off his jacket and handed it to you.

“Here,” he said, draping it over your arm. “You can give it back tomorrow—assuming you survive the trip to this side of town again.”

You hesitated, unsure whether to accept. “Are you sure? I mean, I don’t want to—”

“It’s fine,” he interrupted with a grin. “I insist. Besides, it looks better on you. A bit oversized, but we can call it a statement piece.”

You laughed softly, despite the warmth rising in your cheeks. His playful demeanor and gentle concern made your heart race more than once.

“Uhm… I need to go—FUCK!” you cursed as you took a step, your twisted ankle flaring in pain.

Jensen was at your side instantly. “Jesus. Let me help you,” he said, offering his hand.

You hesitated, embarrassed. “I-I’m fine—”

“You just cursed at the sidewalk,” he pointed out, raising an eyebrow. “And trust me, I’ve seen enough limps to know that’s not fine. Come on.”

Reluctantly, you let him loop your arm around his shoulders, his hand steady on your waist. The closeness made you hyper-aware of everything—his cologne, the warmth of his skin, the way his grip was firm but careful.

Jensen helped you into his car, a sleek blue vehicle that smelled faintly of leather and pine. Max jumped into the backseat, wagging his tail as though he hadn’t just tackled you moments ago.

“Can you describe your bike? I'll bring it back to you.” Jensen asked as he secured your seatbelt, his voice soft but focused.

“Red, with Pokémon stickers,” you murmured, wincing as you adjusted your ankle.

He nodded, jogging back toward the tree where you’d left it. You watched through the windshield as he carefully loaded your bike onto the car’s roof, securing it with ropes. There was something oddly captivating about the way he moved, his effortless confidence mingling with a subtle nervousness you found endearing.

The ride home was unexpectedly peaceful, though a quiet tension hung in the air—a tension that felt new, electric. The car’s radio played The Tide Is High by Blondie, and while you had Jensen pegged as more of a rugged, rock-music type, he didn’t change the station. You swayed gently in your seat to the rhythm, trying to focus on the music rather than the way the sunlight framed his jawline.

“You’re really into this, huh?” he asked suddenly, his lips curving into a smirk as he glanced at you from the corner of his eye.

“What?” You blinked, caught off guard.

“The music. You’re moving like you’re at a concert,” he teased, tapping the steering wheel in time with the beat. “Big girly pop fan?”

“Well, it’s better than sitting still,” you shot back, crossing your arms playfully. “What about you? I’m guessing your playlist is full of moody guitar solos and angry lyrics.”

“Ouch,” he said, feigning offense. “I have layers, you know. Complex, mysterious layers.”

“Sure, Jensen. Layers like an onion,” you quipped, earning a chuckle from him that made your stomach flutter.

A comfortable silence settled for a moment, though your eyes couldn’t help but drift toward him. The sharp angles of his profile, the way his hands gripped the wheel—it was annoyingly distracting.

When his gaze flicked to you at a red light, you quickly turned to stare out the window, your cheeks flaming.

“Caught you,” he said softly, the teasing lilt in his voice unmistakable.

“I wasn’t—” you started, but he held up a hand.

“No need to explain. It’s okay to admire greatness,” he joked, earning an exaggerated eye roll from you.

Before long, the familiar sight of your grandparents’ house came into view. Jensen pulled into the driveway and parked, then quickly stepped out to come around to your side.

“You don’t have to—” you began as he opened your door, but he was already helping you out, his hands steady as he supported your weight.

“I’m not leaving you to hobble on your own,” he said firmly, his tone playful but unwavering. “What kind of gentleman would I be?”

“Oh, you’re a gentleman now?” you teased, clutching his arm as he guided you toward the porch.

“Always have been,” he replied, a glint of mischief in his eyes. “I just hide it under my mysterious, onion-like layers.”

You laughed despite yourself, the sound light and genuine. As you reached the porch, he paused, turning to face you fully.

“Think you’ll survive without me?” he asked, his voice softer now, though the teasing edge lingered.

“I don’t know,” you said dramatically, resting your hand over your heart. “It’s going to be tough, but I think I’ll manage.”

“Alright, hop on,” he said, turning his back to you and gesturing for you to climb onto his shoulders.

“Wait, what?” You blinked at him, confused.

“You heard me,” he said over his shoulder, glancing back with an amused expression. “I’m not letting you walk on that ankle. So, hop on.”

“I can walk just fine,” you argued, though your throbbing ankle begged to differ.

“Sure, and I’m a ballet dancer,” he replied dryly, his hands gripping your arm to help you up. “Come on. You’ll slow us both down if you try to be stubborn.”

With a resigned sigh, you climbed onto his back, your arms wrapping hesitantly around his shoulders. He adjusted you slightly, making sure you were secure.

“Hold on tight. I don’t want you tumbling off and blaming me.”

He started toward the house, his steps surprisingly steady despite your added weight. You couldn’t resist teasing him.

“You know, I expected you to grunt or groan, but you’re not even breaking a sweat,” you said.

“Are you saying I should struggle?” he asked, glancing back with a mock-wounded expression. “I’m trying to be heroic here. Don’t ruin the moment.”

You giggled, tightening your hold just slightly. “Alright, fine. Heroic it is. But I’m warning you, my grandma’s going to get ideas when she sees this.

“Good,” he replied without missing a beat. “Maybe she’ll give me brownie points.”

As you reached the porch, the door swung open, revealing your grandmother’s wide grin.

“Well, isn’t this a sight?” she exclaimed, hands on her hips. “The little Ackles boy!” your grandmother’s voice rang out as she opened the door. Her face lit up with recognition, and she pulled him into a tight hug.

“Ms. Hudgens, hi!” Jensen laughed, his tone a mix of warmth and mild embarrassment.

“You’ve grown into such a handsome young man! Just look at you,” she gushed, pinching his cheeks like he was still a child.

You groaned inwardly. “Grandma, can we not do this right now?”

“Oh, of course, sweetie!” she chirped, stepping aside to let Jensen help you to the couch.

Once you were settled, he knelt to examine your ankle, his brows furrowing in concern. “You should keep this elevated,” he advised.

“Thanks, Dr. Jensen,” you teased, though the warmth in your voice betrayed your growing affection.

He laughed softly, reaching into his pocket for a scrap of paper. “Here,” he said, handing it to you. “That’s my number. In case you need to go to the hospital or, you know… anything else.”

You took the paper, heart fluttering at the sincerity in his gaze.

“Bye, Ms. Hudgens,” he called as he headed for the door, pausing to give you one last smile. “See you tomorrow?”

You nodded, trying to suppress the goofy grin threatening to take over your face.

When the door clicked shut, you let out a small squeal, covering your mouth to muffle the sound.

“Calm down, sweetie,” your grandmother said with a knowing smile as she began wrapping your ankle in a bandage.

You leaned back on the couch, thoughts swirling with images of Jensen’s warm smile, the way his hair caught the light, and the gentle concern in his voice.

“He’s a good boy, cupcake,” your grandmother remarked, tapping your knee knowingly.

“Who?” you asked, feigning ignorance.

She gave you a pointed look, one that said she’d lived long enough to recognize budding feelings when she saw them. “Don’t worry,” she added with a wink. “Mum’s the word.”

You laughed despite yourself, the sound light and genuine.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through your window, pulling you from a restless sleep. Your ankle felt marginally better, though still tender. Determined not to let it ruin your day, you hobbled to the shower, already brainstorming an outfit that might catch Jensen’s eye.

After a quick cleanup, you settled on a simple but flattering dress. Miss Pumpkin, ever the mischievous queen of chaos, leapt onto your bed as if plotting to ruin your chosen attire.

“Not today, Miss Pumpkin,” you warned, sticking out your tongue. The cat hissed in response before strutting out of the room, tail swishing indignantly.

As you slipped on the dress, the doorbell rang, and a grin spread across your face. You glanced in the mirror one last time, smoothing your hair and trying not to limp as you made your way downstairs.

Standing on the porch was Jensen, his tall frame leaning casually against the doorframe. His hair was slicked back, revealing sharp cheekbones and that devastatingly warm smile. When his eyes met yours, he seemed to falter for a moment, his gaze dipping briefly before he cleared his throat.

“Hey,” he greeted, his voice just a bit softer than usual. “Feeling better?”

“Totally,” you lied, shifting your weight awkwardly. Just seeing him was enough to dull the ache in your ankle.

His green eyes lingered on you for a second longer than necessary before he looked away, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Good.”

Before the moment could stretch into something more, your grandmother appeared behind you, her eyes lighting up like she’d been waiting for this exact moment.

“Sweetie, Jensen was just telling me he’s having a birthday party tomorrow!” she exclaimed, patting his shoulder. “You should go.”

You blinked, taken aback. Your grandmother, who spent most of her days knitting and watching soap operas, was actively encouraging you to go to a party with a boy?

Jensen, meanwhile, looked equally startled, though a faint blush crept up his neck. “You don’t have to, really,” he started, but you cut him off.

“I want to go,” you blurted, your voice a touch too loud. Realizing how eager you sounded, you quickly added, “I mean… yeah, I’d love to come.”

His smile stretched wide at your response, so genuine it made your chest feel impossibly warm. “Great. I’ll pick you up at eight.”

You nodded, heart racing as you watched him head toward his car. The way he turned back to flash you one last grin before driving off only added to the giddy anticipation building inside you.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Thoughts of Jensen filled every quiet moment, from the way his eyes softened when he looked at you to the gentle laugh he couldn’t quite suppress when your grandmother called him “the little Ackles boy.”

That night, as your grandmother turned off the light in your room, she paused in the doorway, her silhouette framed by the soft glow of the hall.

“It’s mutual, you know,” she said with a knowing smile before closing the door.

Her words echoed in your mind as you lay in bed, hugging your pillow and grinning like a fool. Could she be right?

[oh-snapperss]

so indebted to you for cuteguy etho god bless

just for u.... i give u the accidental beginning of a cute guy fic in my drafts. it's pure crack and unedited btw

words: 1169

warnings: none

has like one line of implied shipping lol

“Etho, Etho!” Bdubs waves frantically, as if the two were greeting each other after a long few weeks apart, rather than a single day. 

“Oh, hey Bdubs!” Etho walks over, barely noticing when the door slams shut behind him. There’s plenty of other customers around, most wearing headphones and sitting at the tables, lost in their work. This morning, there’s no line, and Etho heaves a sigh of relief. He’d been up way too late, and he’s ready for a pick me up. 

“Have you seen the news?” Bdubs asks as soon as he’s at the counter. Over by one of the cabinets, a muted television plays, showing a broken window at one of the museums. Etho tears his eyes from it quickly. 

“Ah, you know me! I never do!”

“Someone broke into Cub’s museum last night!” Bdubs’ eyes are wide, gesturing at the TV anyways. 

Etho blinks, pushing down his rising horror. “No way.” He doesn’t know…surely….

“Yes way!” Bdubs leaned in conspiratorially. “They say that the Cute Guy outfit was stolen!” 

Etho’s grip on the strap of his backpack tightens. “That so?” 

“Yeah! I mean, who would do that, right?” Bdubs pushed back from the counter. “You want your usual, right?” 

“Yes please.” Etho draws out the ‘please’, as always. “Don’t forget the heavy whipping cream.”

“You know you’re the only reason I keep this in stock, right?” Bdubs rolls his eyes, bustling around the coffee shop. It’s a quaint place, smelling so strongly of coffee Etho is sure that he’ll be smelling it the rest of the day. Nonetheless, it was the best coffee shop in the whole city! Least, that was what Bdubs said. And if Etho ever said otherwise, he’d have his head gone by morning, probably. 

“Ah, come on! Best part of the whole coffee!” Etho protests, flicking parts of his napkin at Bdubs whenever his back is turned. 

“You’re disgu–stop flicking the napkin at me–you’re the worst! Don’t even know why I serve this to you, it’s gonna give you diabetes, you’re gonna die at the ripe age of however old you are, and then what’s ol’ Bdubs gonna do?” Throughout his ramble Bdubs flits around the coffeeshop, making Etho’s coffee regardless. It’s a simple enough order, just black coffee. 

…okay, and just as much heavy whipping cream. 

“I’m not gonna die! Takes a lot more than that to kill me!” Etho giggles, although he shifts from foot to foot. What does it take to kill him? He’s tempted to check and make sure his backpack is securely zipped up. 

“It does not take a lot more to kill you.” Bdubs glares at him, sliding the cheap disposable cup across the counter towards him. “Four dollars.” 

“Wh–it’s three-fifty!” 

“Yeah, but I need financial compensation for when this kills you.” Bdubs says smugly. “Pay up, sweetheart.” 

Etho’s not blushing at the endearment. No sirree. He would never, especially since he’s ninety percent sure Bdubs calls everyone that. 

“Etho?” Bdubs stares at him, unimpressed. “Just cause you’re my favorite customer doesn’t mean you get out of paying for your coffee.” 

“Ohhh, favorite customer, you say?” Etho grins, all thoughts abandoned in favor of teasing. “If I’m your favorite customer, can I get a disco-”

“No.” 

“Okay.” Etho laughs, and finally pulls his usual wad of cash from his pocket. “How much again?” 

“Three fifty. Just like yesterday, and the day before, and the–”

“Okay, okay, I get it!” Etho slides the money over, before hiking his backpack up his shoulder again. “Thanks, ‘dubs. See you around?” 

Bdubs barely even glances at him. “Yeah, tomorrow.”

“Or maybe at the grocery store? Oh wait, you’re too short–”

“Get out!” Bdubs flicks another napkin at him. “You’re the worst!”

His grin says otherwise, and Etho matches it with his own clear out of the shop. Once out, though… 

The streets are crowded, the sky overcast with light grey clouds. Shoot, he should have checked the weather before he left–if he gets stuck in a drizzle without a jacket, he’ll never hear the end of it from Scar, or Bdubs, or anyone else. 

He walks down the street, glancing around. iBuy seems particularly busy, and so does False’s fashion shop. He slips through the crowd, trying not to bring too much attention to himself. It’s a miracle no one has noticed his routine yet–get coffee, walk down street, duck into the alleyway entirely non suspiciously, and slip in the back door to his new job at HotGuy HQ. 

Insane, right? 

The second he’s through the backdoor, the alarms go off, as usual. It’s a simple matter of yanking a wire from the alarm system to turn it off, and then he continues forward as normal. 

“Scar?” He calls out, glancing around. The HQ is quiet today, not even a receptionist at the front desk. 

“You mean Hot Guy?” 

Etho spins around on his heel, to discover Scar standing at the top of the stairs. He’s fully decked out in his superhero outfit, each muscle outlined and complemented by his shirt. 

“Scar, it’s just us. Do we really need to call each other–”

“Never call each other by real names, Cute Guy. You never know who could be listening.” Scar lowers his head, so that the light shining behind it outlines each impeccable feature in shadow perfectly. “Our identities… must be kept secret. Forever.” 

“Ooookay.” Etho sighs. “Why’d you call me Cute Guy?” 

The light behind Scar goes out, leaving Scar blinking at Etho in confusion. “Because that’s… who you are?”

“What do you mean by that…?” Etho stares back, horror swirling in his gut. “Sca-Hot Guy, I just did you a favor by breaking into that museum. I’m not becoming Cute Guy, that’s someone else’s job–”

“What do you mean?” Scar grins. “That was your final test! To prove your strength, your valor, your bravery!”

“I’m pretty sure those last two words mean the same thi-”

“Did you get it?” Scar descends the steps, his bow clutched desperately in one hand. “Have you succeeded?” 

Etho sighs. When he’d signed up for Hot Guy lessons, he’d thought maybe it would help him pick up some flirting tips, not this! “Yes, S-Hot Guy, I got it.” He slings the backpack off his shoulder, tossing it to Scar without much fanfare. “I’m not wearing that.” 

The bag is caught easily, although Etho doesn’t miss the look of horror when it’s thrown. “You can’t just throw the Cute Guy outfit!”

“Sorry.”

Scar ignores his apology, unzipping the bag eagerly. Each part of the costume is pulled out eagerly, before being dropped on the floor in favor of the next piece. Pink skirt, pink jacket, fishnet tights, pink crop top and are those cat ears?

Etho decides not to point out the irony of half the costume being tossed to the floor after being scolded for throwing the backpack. Besides, he really needs to head on out anyways, he’s running late for work at the redstone department of iBuy–

“Try it on.” 

“What?”

[magicthatmustbelove]

The First Moment Of Forever

A pre "Encino" short in which Michael and Althea first meet.

Note: It's been a while since I wrote a little blurb. I'm hoping this was successful in getting my creative juices flowing for a future "Encino" update. Also, we can't forget to wish our one and only King a happy heavenly birthday! 🎂

Link to original story: https://www.wattpad.com/story/291710565-encino-m-j

Althea's jaw could have dropped to the ground when the bus jerked to a stop. A halo of light caressed the tall, majestic building, causing the silver bricks to glitter like diamonds in the California sunlight. 

She'd only ever seen pictures of the Jacksounds Records building in magazines. Never once had Althea dreamed she'd one day be standing in front of it, the idea she'd soon be setting foot in it was even wilder. 

Her stomach churned with anxiety as she shuffled the bus, fellow passengers pushing past her as she stopped on the sidewalk to take in a deep breath. 

Althea finally knew how Dorothy felt when she arrived in Emerald City to see the Wizard. 

The Jacksounds internship was the most highly competitive and coveted internship Loyola Marymount had to offer its music students and Althea was over the moon when she discovered she'd been chosen as one of the five applicants to get the best musical education anyone could ask for.

Jacksounds had integrated black soul music into the mainstream in the ‘60s and '70s and crafted some of the greatest hits and biggest stars the country had seen. Joseph Jackson was the ebony Burt Bacharach, King Midas of R&B and Soul. Every melody he put his pen to turned to gold. He'd built his Empire with his bare hands and was now one of the first black millionaire CEOs. 

Anyone would be stupid not to jump at the opportunity.

Things had been tough on Althea when she returned to classes after taking a leave of absence to care for her grandmother who'd sadly succumbed to her diabetic coma but for the first time in a while, she felt on top of things.

Things were finally looking up and she was bursting with optimism that even Mary Tyler Moore and her tam-o'-shanter hat couldn’t compete with. 

The sales tag of the teal and maroon floral printed wrap dress she’d brought from the boutique she worked at scratched her back as she pushed through the building’s revolving glass doors. Althea knew she’d need to look as professional as possible for the internship but didn’t have the budget to keep any new clothes. 

She’d stood the entire bus ride, hoping not to have spills throughout the day. The twenty-dollar dress would have to be returned as if she’d never worn it. 

The lobby looked luxurious with marble floors, gold paneling, and cream furniture. Her eyes landed on the marquee boasting  Jacksounds suite and suddenly the imposter syndrome hit Althea. She was very much in the building that birthed the hits she’d danced in her living room to as a kid and a nagging voice in her head told her she didn’t belong. 

Althea closed her eyes, taking another deep breath as she pressed the elevator button. 

“Time to me make Granny proud,” she whispered to herself.

She resisted the urge to pick apart her appearance in the mirrored walls of the lift and instead, focused on tapping her foot to the jazzy rendition of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” playing over the intercom. When the doors finally opened, Althea was nearly blinded by a gold record of a Miracles hit hanging proudly on the walls, a dozen more trailing behind, each from an iconic black artist. 

The carpet was as red as the one at the Oscars, and she was almost afraid to imprint it with her pumps. A large, shiny mahogany desk was not far away, a hive of identical ones stretched the length of reception, each with a busy secretary perched behind it. 

“Excuse me,” she spoke timidly as she approached the desk. 

The gray wisp escaping the secretary’s bun and the antique pen necklace draped around her neck made Althea conclude she’d been working for Jacksounds for a long time. The chunky chocolate brown phone stayed glued to her ear with the support of her shoulder blade while her hands were occupied with a sharp nail file. 

She hadn’t even bothered to acknowledge Althea’s presence. 

“Excuse me,” She repeated, gently pressing her hands on the desk. “I’m an intern candidate. Could you show me where I’m supposed to report?”

The secretary stretched her hand out in front of her, inspecting the new oval shape of her nails as if  Althea had not uttered a word. 

“I tried to tell her,” The woman spoke loudly into the receiver. “If he lied about his height, he’ll lie about anything else,”

The young woman sighed, trying not to grow frustrated. She nervously glanced around the room, hoping that anyone would recognize her distress but she only seemed invisible. 

“Sure, the idea sounds a little far fetched but I know I can convince them to take us on,” 

Michael rolled his eyes before fixing his gaze out the conference room window as his older brother Jermaine arrogantly droned on about the company’s latest potential business deal. He often found these weekly business meetings with their father pointless and insufferable. Jermaine always monopolized the conversation, and any input Michael had to offer was ignored or stolen by the older brother. 

Joseph looked up from the document in front of him, his gaze falling to his distracted youngest son. Because he wanted his sons to stay abreast of the happenings in the family business, the CEO made an effort to include Michael.   

The youngest Jackson was far more creative than he was business-minded and Joseph admittedly preferred Jermaine’s gift of strategic business modeling than Michael’s talent and ear for music production. He'd trained the older son well and Joseph knew when his time on earth was up, the Jacksounds legacy would live on with Jermaine in charge.  

“Michael, do you have anything to add?”  He asked. 

The aforementioned son tore his gaze away from the view of the busy Encino street, his shapely brows furrowing in confusion. 

“Since when do we care what I think?” Michael questions sardonically while folding his arms. “Erms never lets anybody get in a word edgewise. Besides, that was my idea all along and he takes it and runs with it,” 

The elder Jackson brother leaned back in the plush leather chair with a facetious grin

“You pitched it but I perfected it,” Jermaine bragged. 

Michael rolled his eyes. 

“Shut up, Erms. You're not so original,” He scoffed and turned to Joseph. “Do I have to be here, anymore? This is a waste of my time,” 

Jermaine chuckled.

“It's not like you've got much to do,”  

The younger brother pushed himself from the glossy mahogany table, jaw clenched in anger.

“You're about to give me somethin’ to do alright,” Michael warned.

Joseph sighed heavily, too tired to endure his sons’ constant rivalry. 

“That’s enough. Let's adjourn. Jermaine, give me an update on this by Wednesday,” 

The older brother clicked his gold embossed pen close. 

“Sure thing, Joseph,” 

Deeply agitated, Michael stormed out of the conference room. Sometimes, he didn’t even know why he even bothered showing up at Jacksounds every day. He could easily live off his trust fund and spend his days trotting around the globe with a beautiful woman on each arm but Michael wanted something more fulfilling. 

Since a young child, he'd had a deep passion for music. While he'd never fully mastered an instrument, Michael was a savant at weaving sounds together. When he wasn’t perched behind the soundboard, he'd been sitting in on Joseph's meeting since he was fifteen and had trained himself to identify the qualities that created a bonafide star. 

Michael was just as capable and charismatic as Jermaine but Joseph had already decided which son would someday reign as CEO. 

“Hey, little brother,” Jermaine spoke, rushing to his brother's side to gloat. “Don't be so sore,” 

Michael rolled his eyes and stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets. 

“Stay away from me, Jermaine,” He warned.

Jermaine chuckled. 

“Don't be silly, Mike. That kind of stuff is for executives. I mean, you have no idea how much pressure I'm under. Joseph's gettin up there in age and I've been taking the load off his back carrying this company by myself,”

The younger Jackson rolled his eyes as they entered the lobby. Michael stopped at the water cooler chuckling to himself. Sometimes, he couldn’t believe just how inflated Jermaine’s ego was. 

“You really believe your own shit, don't cha?” 

He snatched up a paper cup, his eyes wandering briefly around the office. They stopped briefly at his secretary’s desk before Michael’s gaze caught sight of something far more interesting. 

There at the front desk stood the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. 

Her skin was the color of silky, sweet caramel, her frame small but shapely, boasting delicate, deep curves, and a tiny waist held up by spectacular legs. The young woman's face held an agitated pout but was exquisitely sculpted with gorgeous cheekbones and darling brown eyes. Her hair had been piled into big soft curls, the fluorescent lights seemed to cast an angelic glow over her head. 

A rush of awe and allure quickened Michael’s pulse like a zap of lightning.  He'd seen plenty of beautiful women in Encino but no woman had ever stunned him the way this one had. 

She was a literal knockout in looks but there was also something so magnetic about her presence in the room. Suddenly, Michael wanted to know any and everything about her. 

In a bit of a daze, he shoved the paper cup in Jermaine's hand before slowly making his way across the room. 

Althea anxiously tapped her foot, an impatient sigh escaping her. From the corner of her eye, she could see a figure approaching.  She first noticed the dazzling white smile when she turned her attention. Althea had to take in a breath, suddenly feeling overwhelmed at the sight of the handsome young man coming toward her. 

His walk was smooth as butter, natural and relaxed yet oozing masculine energy. His spanku eyes were large and enchanting- the kind you can hardly look away from- and Althea truly couldn’t decide whether she adored his eyes or his smile more. The beauty of his face could only be described as being caringly whittled by the gods. 

Althea never believed in love at first sight but the chorus of bells and banjos was deafening.

The ball of anxiety sitting on her chest had been relieved thanks to the smile. That smile made her feel safe like nothing could ever go wrong. 

“You look a little lost. Can I help you find your way?” 

Althea turned her eyes away from the lean muscles peeking beneath his collared Lacoste shirt and chuckled nervously. 

“I'm an intern,” She grinned, batting her eyelashes. “I don't know where I'm supposed to report and she's a little tied up at the moment,” 

She jerked her head in the direction of the distracted receptionist. Michael shook his head in disappointment. 

“She's deaf in one ear and she's always got the good one glued to the phone,” He tutted. 

His slender frame leaned over the desk, his perfectly coiffed jheri curl glistening under the office lights. Michael’s slender finger firmly tapped the rude woman, cutting her gregarious laughter short. She set down the phone with a small huff. 

“Gladys,” He smiled passive-aggressively. “Could you help this young lady by telling her where to report?” 

“Name, honey?” 

Althea flashed the young man a gracious smile. 

“Thomas. Althea Thomas,” 

Gladys swiveled her chair in the direction of a stack of manilla folders and quickly thumbed through them before she found the matching name. 

 “Production conference room in the West hall,” the secretary answered dryly, extending the folder to the young woman. 

Michael straightened himself from his leaning position against the desk. 

“Thank you, Gladys,” he turned to Althea. “C'mon, I'll take you there,” 

She let out a heavy sigh of relief. It felt so nice to be acknowledged. 

“Thank you so much,” she giggled. “I feel much better now. I didn't catch your name,” 

“Michael,” he flashed that breathtaking smile again. “Michael Jackson,” 

He extended his large, svelte hand and Althea felt her heart race when they touched. It was a warm, zippy feeling- like static shock without the pain. 

“You wouldn't happen to be related to Joseph Jackson, would you?” She questioned while following his lead. 

“Sometimes I wish I wasn't but there are perks to bein’ his kid,”  Michael shrugged. 

Althea felt a sense of disappointment. Sure, Michael was gorgeous and nice but she couldn't risk getting involved with the CEO's son. She didn’t need a silly crush getting in the way of her education and surely there was some rule against it. It was better to keep her head down and forget the idea altogether. 

“Piano,” He grinned over his shoulder. 

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 

“I beg your pardon?” 

“Piano. That's what you play right?” 

Althea giggled bashfully as she extended her fingers to inspect her cherry red nail polish. 

“How'd you know?” 

“It's your hands,” Michael grinned, proud of himself.  “Piano players always have the prettiest hands,” 

She hugged the folder to her chest, a blush creeping across her cheeks. 

“I'm classically trained but I don’t think I'll have much of a career as a concert pianist. Besides, I like funk music too much,”  

Althea giggled and he couldn’t help but instantly love the sound of her laugh. Michael quirked a brow. 

“Who’s your favorite?” 

Her doll eyes lit up, a bashful grin stretching across her lips. 

“I’m just crazy about Rick James,” 

He chuckled. 

They’d only met a few minutes ago but Michael was willing to buy her every Rick James album ever printed if he knew it would make her happy. They’d stopped in front of the production room and he felt disappointed knowing their conversation had to end. 

“Well, here it is,” Michael announced. 

Althea smiled adoringly at the handsome young man who’d come to her rescue. 

“Thank you, Michael,” 

He folded his arms behind his back and grinned, bowing slightly. 

“It was my pleasure, Althea. If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask me,” 

“I won’t,” 

They’d both wanted the moment to last forever but both Michael and Althea knew this wasn’t the last they’d see of each other. 

[thezombieprostitute]

Alphas & Algorithms - Part 4 - Bets & warnings

A/N: Continued from Part 3. Reader is female and is described as "tall". No other descriptors.

Warnings: It is a Dystopian AU. Food scarcity, hunger, mentions of families being separated. Please let me know if I missed any!

--Part 1-- --Part 5--

--Series Masterlist--

“He’s not interested in me,” Y/N tells Jake as they cuddle up on her couch. “He’s going to come back for our next date and tell me he’s not interested. I know it.”

“You don’t know that,”Jake reassures. “He could just need some time to think. You said yourself that he talked about feeling like a fish out of water more than once.”

“I’m telling you, he’s not interested. I don’t have the highest accuracy of predictions for nothing.” Y/N sighs and pushes to prop herself up. “Maybe the other Omegas are right. Maybe I’m just too boring. Too plain vanilla.”

Jake squeezes Y/N tightly, not letting her escape, “I keep telling you not to listen to them. They’re jealous idiots who just don’t appreciate the kindness and gentleness your scent embodies. Their scents clash with everything around them but vanilla goes with everything. And that’s how you’re able to pick up on stuff they can’t. Your scent works with the people you question, letting them relax more around you, which gets you an even better idea of their true scent. Your empathy is not a weakness, no matter what those assholes say.”

“I know how the mechanics of it work, Jake.” Y/N tries to pull away to pout but he holds her close. “And I know it helps others to be accurate with scents. But…it’s…It gets painfully lonely to be pushed away by others of “your kind”. I love having you as a friend, Jake, but with you as my only friend, it’s a lot of pressure on you. I know you’re stressed out, but still smiling at me. I appreciate the effort but you shouldn’t be the only one supporting me.”

“And when you get your Alpha, I won’t be.” Y/N gives Jake an incredulous look as he continues. “Seriously, you doubt but I’m certain Curtis will be back and, as he learns more about you, he’ll fall desperately, madly in love with you and you’ll have both your Emotional Support Beta and your Alpha Mate!”

“I do appreciate the optimism, Jake but it just isn’t going to happen. At least not with Curtis. Maybe that other Alpha will work out better. So long as I don’t have to do any more of those scent tests.”

“I’ll make you a deal. If Curtis turns you down, I’ll cook up that 5-cheese mac-n-cheese you love so much. If he ends up agreeing to be your mate, you gotta bake me up that death-by-chocolate cake that almost put me into a diabetic coma.”

Y/N chuckles and decides to up the ante. “Add barbecue chicken strips to that mac-n-cheese meal and I’ll add homemade chocolate whipped cream to the cake.”

“Deal!”

It’d been a couple days since the date and the benefits of the full stomach and foot massage had already faded. Curtis felt the pain in his stomach again and every step was pain yet again. Y/N’s cookies were already gone, courtesy of the pups, but he couldn’t blame them. They generally couldn’t afford such calorie dense, sweet foods. He did hope that Y/N’s promise of more ration packs for his nutritional needs would hold true, though it was way too soon to tell. Hopefully his refutation of her courting wouldn’t affect her promise. 

After only a few hours of work Curtis caught a whiff of someone. Curry. Warm, strong beer. Hobie. “What do you want, Hobie? I’m working.”

“From what I heard, you’ve been gettin’ it on with a Pet.” Hobie stepped into Curtis’s view. 

“I’ll be seeing her again tomorrow and telling her I’m not interested. She gave me the out, I’m taking it.”

“Ya don’ wanna do that,” Hobie whispers. “I got it on good authority, you’re gonna wanna take her up on the offer.”

Curtis stops what he’s doing so he can turn to Hobie. He sees the man is dead serious. “What do you mean?”

Without speaking, Hobie hands Curtis a small pouch with some fabric inside. Eyes not leaving Hobie, Curtis opens it and gets the scent. Stevie! His brother’s scent, and fresh! 

Hobie sees the recognition on Curtis’s face, “that’s right, bruv is alive. Been ‘elping us out against The Man.”

“And what’s that got to do with me? I can’t rescue him. Probably can’t see him even if I do accept the offer.”

“We got ya covered there,” Hobie grins. “Stevie’s been ‘olding off the next phase of our plan. Wants to make sure ‘is Pack is protected first. That’s where you come in. Stevie made sure to get your scent added to ev’ry Pet’s list of potential mates, waitin’ for one to choose you. You wanna protect your Pack? Keep ‘em outta harm’s way from The Man and The Revolution? You agree to the Pet’s terms.”

Curtis stared at the fabric for a bit, cementing the scent in his mind. When he looked back up, Hobie was gone. How he had the ability to both draw attention and go invisible was Curtis would never understand. When he saw the security drone coming towards him, he hid the fabric in his pocket and went back to work. He was going to have to have another Pack meeting before tomorrow and he was not looking forward to it.

After the pups had gone to bed for the night, Curtis sat down with Andrew and Tanya. He handed them the pouch without saying anything and watched the recognition grow in their faces as they caught the scent. 

“Oh. Oh no,” Tanya whispered as she looked at Curtis. “You’re going to leave us, aren’t you?”

“Not until I get more evidence of Hobie’s claims,” Curtis whispered. “It’s one thing to know he’s alive, it’s another to know…” He cuts himself off. The less information his Pack has about the revolution’s plans (hypothetical or otherwise) the better.

Andrew looks at Curtis, “he’s your brother. Pack by blood. You know we’ll respect that.”

Curtis nods. It’s an uneasy night of sleep for all of them.

--Part 5--

Tagging @every-username-is-taken-damnit, per request.

[suratdiabeticfootcare]

Expert Fungal Infection Treatment in Surat: Your Path to Healthy Skin and Feet

Fungal infections, though common, can disrupt daily life, causing discomfort and sometimes leading to more severe complications. If left untreated, these infections can worsen and affect various areas of the body, including the skin and feet. For those particularly at risk, such as individuals with diabetes, timely and effective fungal infection treatment is crucial. At Surat Diabetic Foot & Ulcer Clinic, we specialise in treating fungus infections, offering comprehensive care tailored to your needs.

What Are Fungal Infections and How Do They Affect the Skin and Feet?

Fungal infections are caused by various types of fungi that thrive in warm, moist environments. These infections are highly contagious and can spread rapidly if not treated properly. Common types of fungal infections affecting the skin and feet include:

Athlete's Foot: Affects the toes and soles, leading to itching, redness, and peeling.

Ringworm: Causes circular, scaly patches on the skin.

Yeast Infections: Often found in skin folds or damp areas of the body.

Nail Fungal Infections: Leading to thickened, discoloured nails.

These infections can cause significant discomfort, especially in individuals with diabetic foot problems, as high blood sugar levels can weaken the immune system, making it easier for fungi to invade.

Fungal infection symptoms include redness, itching, and skin peeling. In severe cases, the infection may cause a foul odour, blisters, or thickened nails. Early diagnosis and prompt fungal infection treatment can help prevent these symptoms from becoming more severe.

Why You Should Seek Prompt Fungal Infection Treatment

Fungal infections might seem harmless, but if left untreated, they can lead to serious complications, especially in people with existing health issues like diabetes.

Complications from Untreated Fungal Infections

When not addressed early, fungal infections can spread to larger areas of the body, leading to severe skin damage, painful rashes, or even deeper infections. In severe cases, fungi can invade the bloodstream, leading to life-threatening conditions. Moreover, in diabetic patients, diabetic foot care is essential, as untreated fungal infections can result in ulcers, gangrene, or even amputation.

Advanced Fungal Infection Treatment at Surat Diabetic Foot & Ulcer Clinic

At Surat Diabetic Foot & Ulcer Clinic, we specialise in providing expert fungal infection treatment for individuals of all ages. Our approach combines state-of-the-art treatments and personalised care to effectively manage and treat infections.

Dr. Ashutosh Shah Surat’s Expert Care

Led by Dr. Ashutosh Shah Surat, our clinic offers specialised treatment for a wide range of fungus infections. Dr. Shah has years of experience in treating diabetic foot problems, providing expert solutions to prevent complications and improve overall foot health. He uses a combination of topical and oral medications to treat fungal infections, ensuring comprehensive care for every patient.

Treatment Methods We Use

Topical Antifungal Treatments: Creams, powders, and ointments to directly target and eliminate fungal growth on the skin.

Oral Medications: For more severe or widespread fungal infections, oral antifungal treatments are prescribed to address the infection internally.

Specialised Foot Care for Diabetic Patients: We provide tailored care to manage diabetic feet problems, preventing complications such as ulcers or fungal infections from spreading.

Follow-up care is essential to monitor progress and ensure the infection does not recur. Regular check-ups help keep your feet and skin healthy, free from infections.

Preventing Fungal Infections: Tips for Healthy Skin and Feet

Prevention is always better than treatment. Simple lifestyle changes and good hygiene practices can significantly reduce the risk of fungal infections.

Hygiene Tips for Healthy Skin

Keep skin dry and clean: Fungi thrive in damp environments, so make sure to dry areas such as your feet and underarms thoroughly after bathing or sweating.

Avoid sharing personal items: Items like socks, shoes, and towels can easily spread fungal infections.

Use antifungal powders or sprays: These can help protect your skin, especially if you are prone to foot fungus or other skin infections.

Lifestyle Tips for Foot Health

Wear breathable shoes and socks: Opt for footwear that allows air circulation to keep feet dry and free from moisture.

Change socks regularly: This helps prevent sweat buildup, which can lead to fungal growth.

Eat a balanced diet: A diet rich in vitamins and minerals can improve skin health and support your immune system.

Stay hydrated: Proper hydration keeps skin healthy and more resistant to infections.

Why Choose Surat Diabetic Foot & Ulcer Clinic for Fungal Infection Treatment?

At Surat Diabetic Foot & Ulcer Clinic, we understand the challenges posed by fungal infections and diabetic feet problems. Under the expert guidance of Dr. Ashutosh Shah Surat, our team provides comprehensive care, addressing both the causes and symptoms of infections. Whether you’re dealing with mild or severe fungus infections, we offer advanced treatments tailored to your needs.

With our emphasis on preventive care, fungal infection treatment, and specialised diabetic foot care, you can rest assured that your feet and skin will receive the best care possible.

Book your consultation today at Surat Diabetic Foot & Ulcer Clinic and take the first step toward healthy, infection-free feet.

[lassie-farce]

Just a quick sketch bc I decided the world needs more chill veteran Carlton Lassiter.

In the cup, as prepared by word-for-word instructions from the head detective, is what he describes as a delicious treat and Juliet O’Hara describes as liquid diabetes - coffee, with several people’s worth of cream and sugar.

It’s the second cup of the day and since the recent case was solved faster than expected and Henry dragged Spencer off on a kayaking trip it’s just the SBPD gang (Juliet, Carlton, McNab)(yeah ik his name is Buzz but I contracted a little Lassie in my brain shouting MCNAB!) chilling at Chief Vicks house (she asked everyone for emergency nanny services since her regular nanny got sick and Juliet insisted on bringing Lassiter - he’s surprisingly good with kids).

No shoes allowed in the house (duh) o he’s got the „visiting your boss” foot and socks.

And perhaps he brought a… plus one? (It’s Nala) Tune in for more updates and actual content.

Actual backstory coming soon (hopefully the creation goddesses do not abandon me)

[random-imagines-blog]

Struck Blind {Steve Harrington x Reader, Part 5}

Wordcount: 6174 Chapter Summary: A hangout? A date? Hard to know exactly what it is, until the end plays out.

Previous Chapter can be found Here.

Next Chapter can be found here.

Despite your best intentions, despite how hard it was to keep the lie inside, you kept finding yourself at Starcourt, especially the food court. You tried to blame it on the air conditioning. You tried to blame it on the fact that you were sick of watching your cousin being shirtless and flirting with the married mothers at the pool and there wasn’t much else to do in this town. You tried to blame it on the fact that Max was spending time with her friends and her boyfriend, as she should be at her age, and you were getting a little lonely. And you tried to blame it on the fact that if you had a friend in this town, it ended up being Robin and Steve was just always right there, working with her. Alright, maybe he was a friend too. He perked up each and every time that he saw you walk in, back straightening up, and already started to get your order ready. You were around enough to have ‘a regular’. And he always made it just right, adding on the extra toppings and never charging you for them.

“I don’t get how you spend your days here,” Steve said, spinning the cap around his index finger as you leaned against the counter, eating your ice cream. You were going to have to slow down on it eventually. There was only so much that you could eat before it started to show. “Once I find a different job, I’m never stepping foot back in this mall-”

“Mostly because you already tried asking out every girl who works here,” Robin chimed in from the back. “And embarrassed yourself monumentally.”

“Not the point,” Steve said, and you noticed that he wasn’t denying it. Actually, the pink tinge on his cheeks gave away that it was the total truth. You tried to hide your laugh. You really did. “I’d still prefer to go to the Hawk Theater rather than this one. Have you seen the size of the sodas? Diabetes in a cup.”

“I haven’t been to either, actually,” You admitted. “Where’s the Hawk theater?”

“It’s hard to miss,” Robin said, coming out, looking bored as usual. “In lovely downtown Hawkins.” She eyed you for a minute though, looking you up and down. “Do you really just spend all your time here and at the pool?”

“You were at the pool?” Steve asked, raising an eyebrow. “Wait - both of you were at the pool?”

“I’ve only been back a couple of times. The last time I went, one of the moms was putting on so much hairspray, I couldn’t get the smell out of my bathing suit. Like, why are you doing your hair if you’re just going to get in the water? And if you’re not going in the water, why go to the pool? I don’t get it,” You shrugged, shaking your head.

“You know why they go to the pool. Billy,” She gagged.

“Yeah,” You said, figuring that to be the truth, unfortunately. It happened in California too. He spent his summers lifeguarding on the beach, and he had a lot of admirers there too, despite being underaged. “If I ever, EVER, become one of those ladies, I want you to find me and smack it out of me, okay Robin?”

“Yes ma’am,” Robin gave you a salute. Steve, on the other hand, was looking disgusted by Billy’s name coming up in conversation, even if you made sure that it breezed past him. It wasn’t a topic that you wanted to get stuck on. You’d just end up telling him about your relationship to his enemy and everything would come crashing down. The bit of fun that you were having would unfortunately end. Luckily, his mind seemed to drift past it, coming across something else.

“What are you doing tomorrow?” Steve asked, resting his elbows on top of the counter, his hat looking like it wanted to fall off of his head onto the floor. You had to think about it. It was just another weekday. A Wednesday.

“I was going to call my parents and tell them all about the excitement in Hawkins,” You said, somewhat sarcastically with a shrug. “Other than that, nada.” Billy was working, and Max hadn’t expressed that she wanted to do something with you. It was a rare occasion when that happened, since she was out there with Lucas and Elle and the rest of their little crew. But when it did happen, you’d cancel anything. Maybe even on Steve.

“I have tomorrow off, I can show you around,” Steve suggested. Robin rolled her eyes, and went into the back, probably to get the ‘you suck’ board. “I got my car fixed. We can go to the theater, maybe drive around. Show you that there’s more to this town than the mall.”

You smirked to yourself as Robin came out wih the board, ready to make a mark under her favorite column. “Sorry Robin,” You told her. “Looks like you’re going to have to put a tally on the other side.”

Steve looked over his shoulder at Robin, confusion covering his puppy dog face. It only took him a minute to realize that it meant that you were saying yes to him showing you around. “Cool, yeah,” He said, running his fingers through his hair, playing it off like he thought you would say yes the entire time. The hat finally fell onto the ground, and he bent down low to pick it up, putting it back on his head haphazardly. “I can come pick you up?”

Your mind shut down that idea quickly. If Steve came before Billy left, there was going to be a scene. He already didn’t like that you spent time with King Steve. He tried to talk you out of it when he found out that the mall was where you spent your days. But shit, if he knew that you two were going to be hanging out with each other one on one, he was going to have something to say about it, and he was going to say it to Steve with his fists. Or even if Neil saw and asked whose car it was that picked you up? Trouble. So much trouble.

“Actually, now that I think about it, I meant to go to the library and return some books,” You said, quickly. “I can meet you there, and then we can head out? I was thinking the early afternoon, but if you have a time that works better for you-”

“No, that’s cool,” Steve said. “I haven’t been there for ages, so you can start the tour with me there,” He grinned.

“You’ve actually been inside the library? Surprising,” Robin commented, dryly. She made a tally mark under ‘You Rule’ though she didn’t look happy about doing it.

--

Another scorching day in Hawkins. Billy dropped you off at the library on his way to work and you were oh so grateful for the air conditioning. You had made an account here mainly for the fact that it had great air conditioning. And it was a quiet place where you could get some peace after the madness of being around the Hargroves. You did actually have books to return, so you didn’t completely lie to Steve. You finished one of them yesterday while you waited for Max to get home. She was in a mood today, her temper flaring up, face nearly as red as her hair.

“What did the jerk do this time?” You had asked, and she went into the most recent argument that she had with Lucas. This was far from their first break up this summer. It was also unlikely to be her last. After she got all that out, she asked you about your day - and you spilled it all too. You were going to be getting a tour of the one and only Hawkins, Indiana by King Steve Harrington himself.

“I knew you thought he was cute,” Max had teased.

“Hey, give yourself a year and you’ll see it too,” You returned.

She actually woke up with you that morning and helped you to pick out something to wear. You didn’t want to seem like you were trying too hard. But you also didn’t want to turn up looking like slop either. You managed to find something in between with a pair of shorts and a short-sleeved shirt, and of course you slathered on the sunscreen, just in case he wanted to take you somewhere outside. You’ve heard rumors of this Lover’s Lake.

You were already in too deep, you might as well go swimming.

You waited for him at a table near the doors, picking up a magazine at random and flipping through it. You were reading an article about which kind of perm might be right for you, when his scent caught your attention before he did. Sandalwood. That’s what it was. He didn’t take the seat next to you but he did lean over the table, hands pressed down on it. That was the first part of him that you saw that day. His hands. The tendons on the back of them jutted through the skin, creating all sorts of lines that it would have been nice to run your fingers over. And then you noticed the watch, definitely an expensive one by the looks of it. He hadn’t been wearing it at work so it appeared like he was dressing up for you too a bit. That was real cute. “You’re thinking about a perm?” He asked, his head tilted, reading the name of the article that you were looking at.

“I don’t think so. I heard they smell rancid,” You said, closing it up and pushing it aside. “Have you ever thought about getting one?”

“And damage all of this?” He asked, picking up one of his hands and running it through his hair. “No way.” You shared a laugh together at that. He was really leaning into the Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington persona, but it was a good look for him. It looked amazing today, tousled enough to look like it was natural but you knew how much effort it really took to make a hairstyle look effortless.

“No, you’re right, leave it as is. The world needs it,” You joked, getting onto your feet, and pulling your bag back over your shoulder. “So this is the library. Over here is the magazine section. And then you’ve got fiction over there to the left - and non fiction to the right,” You said with a grin, since he did say that the tour should start there. “Is there anywhere else you want to look? The bathrooms are pretty nice but the decor isn’t anything to write home about.”

He cracked up at you. He didn’t seem to be tensing in pain anymore which was a sight for sore eyes. He recovered really well. Bounced back amazingly. That lessened up your guilt little by little. “I already got us some tickets to the matinee, hope that’s alright,” He said, that grin on full display. He probably practiced it in the mirror because it was perfect. The right amount of teeth. “They’re showing Splash again, with the like .. mermaid chick.”

“Perfect, I missed it in theaters last year,” You said, stepping out from the seat, away from the table. As if by instinct, Steve was right there to push your chair back in, tuck it away properly. It was a cute gesture. More considerate than you had been expecting. He stayed right beside you as you walked out of the library together, not pushing any boundaries or entering your personal bubble. It made you wonder what exactly this was. A friendly show the summer girl around town? Or was it more of a date? Against your better judgment, you hoped that it was the latter. A summer romance might just be the thing that you needed. Even if that came with the challenge of it only lasting for a summer.

Steve’s car was parked in front of the library, but he didn’t head in that direction. Still, you ended up giving it a look as you passed on by. The windows were fixed, and the dent that Billy’s car had made was buffed out. It must have cost a lot to get it back in this condition. “I thought we’d walk,” Steve explained, scratching the back of his neck. As he did so, the blue button up shirt that he was wearing lifted up ever so slightly, revealing a sliver of flesh from the hem to the top of his blue jeans. The main takeaway here is that he really is tanned all over. His skin held that healthy glow. The second was that there was definitely a hint of a treasure trail under his belly button. The shirt fell back down and you really tried to make it seem like you hadn’t been looking. “- downtown is pretty small so...”

“Good idea,” You smiled at him, moving closer to him to allow an older woman to pass by. His hands instantly went to your shoulders, holding you steady until you moved back into your earlier position. “Are there any cool places outside of downtown?”

“I wouldn’t say cool...” Steve thought, his lips pursing together. “Lover’s Lake is a good spot...”

It felt like something right out of a movie. They all had those, right? A place overlooking the water or the city where teenagers go in their cars and make out in the backseat. That’s what your brain is focusing on now. That’s what you couldn’t get out of there.

“There’s a lot of woods around, but I uhh - I wouldn’t recommend camping,” He continued. “-cougars and stuff,” He said, quickly. It was a good cover. You knew exactly what he was actually talking about - the demogorgon, the Upside Down. Eleven had closed it all though. Or at least, that’s what Max had told you when she caught you up on everything that had happened. You were her one confidante outside of the group that had been originally involved. But Max wasn’t supposed to tell anyone, so you were keeping it on the downlow too.

“Then it’s a good thing I’m not super into camping,” You told him, watching as relief flitted by his face. “But if there’s a lake, I’d like to see it. I miss the water. I lived by the beach for most of my life so it feels weird only having the pool as an option.”

“Do you go to the pool often?” Steve asked, trying to keep his cool. Was that a touch of jealousy that you saw? Or was he just being protective because of your cousin’s reputation? Either way, it did make you feel a little special.

“Only a couple of times, just to lounge out and read, people watch,” You explained. “Gets lonely though, except for that one time that I saw Robin there. The mall is a lot better.”

That seemed to placate him, for now. The Hawk Theater wasn’t that far from the library at all. Just a block down and over a little bit. The marquee stood out, creating a shady space to stand under, and there was a bored looking man in the booth. He glowered at Steve as he walked up with you and showed that he already had tickets. You noted the interaction, sheepish Steve and the angry man, and raised your eyebrow at him once you were in the cool and carpeted interior. “Is there a story there?” You questioned.

“A bit,” Steve admitted. “I don’t really want to talk about it. I was - kind of a dick a couple of years ago,” He admitted, full on. Now that was another surprise. People didn’t usually know that about themselves, let alone tell other people about it. Or take responsibility for it.

“Wow," You said, stopping close to him as you stood in line to get popcorn and a drink. He already had his wallet out, putting his hand out to stop you from grabbing yours, his palm touching the back of your hand. He shook his head.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s on me. I’m the one who asked you,” He said, a dazzling smile then appearing on his face. You returned it, and decided to let your wallet stay in your bag for the time being, since he was being so nice about it. The smile did drop off of his face though as you both took another step closer to the counter, one less person in line. “It uh - took a while to do some of that ... self-actualization stuff. That’s what my friend Dustin calls it, anyway.”

You’ve heard a lot about Dustin from Max. It sounded like he used to have a little crush on her, before she started to date Lucas, only she hadn’t realized it. It was cute watching these kids navigate through feelings and stuff. You were just happy that Max had some really good friends in those boys, and in El.

“Sounds like a smart kid,” You commented. The conversation was interrupted by the ordering of snacks, Steve ordering quite a few. And just one large drink, which he ordered more shyly than the other things.

“I can never finish a whole one, so-”

“Totally fine with me,” You assured him. He paid, being the gentleman that he was. The cash looked brand new, like it had just come from the bank. Crisp bills. A sure sign of being well off if you had ever seen one. All your own was crumpled up inside of your bag or creased from the fold of your wallet. But not Steve’s. It reminded you of how fast his car was fixed up, and how it looked like it had never been damaged at all. He came from wealth. The people you knew back in Cali who were like that were often pretentious, snobby, rude. But Steve didn’t seem like any of these things. You were liking Indiana more and more. Once you were in the theater and found the prime seats, the conversation resumed. “I can’t say that I know you too well but - you seem like you’re doing great, Steve.”

There was a long pause between your words and his next ones. You wondered if you had said the wrong thing. But then out came a soft, “Thank you.” You looked at him and smiled just as the lights dimmed down and the previews began.

There was something about being in this older theater that made the movie more enjoyable. The old style animation commercials advertising popcorn and drinks that could be bought from concession. Local commercials, like for the Fourth of July festival, Bradley’s Big Buy, Enzo’s Restaurant. A few were thrown in for upcoming movies but it was mostly staying local. The seats were comfortable, having been stuffed and sewn and restuffed and patched over the years rather than feeling like they came right out of a factory.

And the movie - the movie was glorious. Daryl Hannah was beautiful, Tom Hanks was a cutie-pie. Your shoulders were touching Steve’s the entire movie, both of you subconsciously leaning in towards one another. There was a point, when the mermaid character was biting into a lobster, where you held up one of the candies that you chose, and Steve ate it right out of your hand, his lips brushing against your fingertips. That’s never happened before. That feeling of intimacy.

After the movie, the two of you stuck close. Walking beside one another, the back of your hands brushing against each other. This felt like more than a tour of the town now. This was beginning to feel like a ... well, a date. God, you really were falling for your summer-time crush weren’t you? Getting all nervous and sweaty palmed and averted gazes and fluttery eyelashes.

“So what area of town are you staying in?” Steve asked casually, a question that had your heart pounding for another reason. If you lied, you could be caught out easily, especially if he offered to drive you home afterwards, which was what this was leading to. “Maybe I know your cousin. It’s a small town.”

Oh, he knew your cousin alright. Loathed one. Saved the other. “Oh, maybe,” You said, shrugging casually. “But I see them everyday, not you. I want to know more about you.�� It wasn’t a lie, actually, you did.

“Really?” He said, looking at you with surprise in his eyes. He then coughed a little into his hand, like he was trying to regain himself. “I mean, yeah, sure, what do you want to know?”

“Hmm... oh, okay. If you had to rename Cool Whip, what would you call it?”

“What?” Steve asked, looking at you with an expression of pure incredulousness. “Cool whip?”

“Yup, Cool Whip,” You grinned. “If you think about it, they probably didn’t settle on the name right away. The marketing team had to come up with different names, and that’s the one that they decided on. But what do you think some of the other names were?”

You weren’t sure if Steve was actually going to play along with this game. He walked with you back to his car, but before he unlocked the doors, he stopped, one hand on his hip, and the other on the roof of the vehicle. “Creamy Dream?”

That surprised you. That surprised you enough that you let out an embarrassing bark of laughter, and covered your mouth. He seemed to realize what he said and a light blush flitted across his tan cheeks. He started to laugh along with you, even as he finally opened the doors and let you inside of his car.

“That’s my new favorite,” You say, still laughing as you put on your seatbelt. “Puffin lovin,” You suggest, and he cracks up again. He gets the car onto the road and we keep on spouting ideas, laughing hard. You don’t even know where you’re headed. You don’t really care.

“Whippy-whips.”

“Whiffy Puff.”

“Sweet dreams.”

“Puffy cow?”

“You came up with the best one already, I'll never forget creamy dream.”

“Never going to live that one down, am I?” Steve asks, and I notice that the houses, the buildings, are growing fewer and fewer and the trees are growing thicker.

“Never,” I smile. “I’m just tempted to tell Robin,” You tease, and Steve groans.

“Please don’t, she teases me like crazy anyway.”

“Okay, okay, I won’t tell for now, just because .. this is going really well,” You admit, your body turned in his direction, giving him my complete attention. Although this area is darker than the streets, due to there not being nearly as many streetlights, you can still see his handsome visage. The straight arch of his nose, the soft jaw, the hair perfectly in place. “So Steve, which part of the tour is this?”

“Thought I’d show you the lake,” He offered.

“This ... Lover’s Lake?” You asked, teasingly. “Are you sure you’re not getting a little ahead of yourself there?”

Steve instantly turned a color of red that you had only seen on a tomato. Itt was almost the exact shade actually. It was impressive. “I wouldn’t  - I mean, if you want to but - that’s not what I was .. not expecting?” He stumbled, his mouth going faster than his brain. Was this really the King Steve that my cousin used to complain about all the time? He seemed a lot more humble, a lot more .. down to earth, not nearly as cocky as he had been made to seem.

“I’m just messing with you,” You chuckled. I knew Max did the same thing to him all the time, it was now officially a family trait. “I’d like to see the lake, it sounds nice.”

He looked at you with disbelief and then chuckled, shaking his head. “You scared me for a minute there,” He admitted. “Thought you thought I was going to try to force you into something. I would never do that by the way. Never’?

“No, I didn’t think you would, I swear,” You said, feeling the need to do a little damage control. “Really, you don’t strike me as that kind of guy.”

“Good, that’s good,” He said with a nod, his perfect hair bobbing in his face. It’s amusing to watch. You lean back in my seat as we pull up real close to the water. We must be off the road by this point. But wow.

Wow.

The way that the sun was just beginning to set and the sky was turning from a blue to a peachy color, just starting, was magnificent to behold. You had seen a lot of beach sunsets in California but something like this was just - unreal. With all of the trees becoming mere silhouettes rather than detailed. You were just staring with awe through the windshield.

You didn’t even notice that Steve was staring at you, you were too busy being absolutely amazed. “Do you wanna step out?” He asked, his entire face soft when you turned to look at it. Almost like a .. a puppy looking at their favorite person. “No .. roof in the way,” He pointed out, and then winced at himself. You chuckled because God, if he wasn’t the most adorable dork in the world, you’d eat your own hair.

“Yeah, that’s a good idea,” You said, undoing your seatbelt and stepping out of the car, onto the pebbled beach which turned into water. You crouched down and picked up one of the rocks. It was a light gray color that many might have thought of as just plain, smooth, round, but you picked it up regardless. You rubbed your finger across the warmth. It had just been soaking up the sun all day. “Do you ever skip rocks here?” You asked.

“I used to when I was a kid. Used to come here every day in the summer,” Steve said, stepping up beside you. He was looking down at the rocks too, before finding one that was smooth and flat. Perfect for something like this. “Dunno if I still have the skills though.”

“Go on then,” You said, jutting out your chin to the water. “I wanna see what you got. I promise, if you’re awful, I won’t tell Robin and give her something else to tease you about,” You joked playfully. He rolled his eyes and gave you a little nudge before turning his body to the side, and whipping his hand out, letting the rock fly. It skipped across the water twice before sinking under the ripples of its own making.

“Yup, I still got it,” He said, picking up another stone, and tossed it like it was a coin, grabbing it again. You chuckled and then tried yours, though it only skipped the one time, before disappearing.

“Never had it. That’s the best one that I’ve ever done,” You said with a grin, still proud of yourself even if it only did the one.

“Come on, I’ll show you,” He said. For a minute there, you  thought this was going to be one of those corny moments that you see all of the time. Where the guy tries to teach the girl how to play pool but pressing himself up against her, to try to ‘hold’ the pool cue properly. But it wasn’t like that at all. He actually stood across from you, showing you how to hold the stone, lightly touching my hands and your hands only. Then he mimed throwing a stone, to demonstrate the way that the arm should move as you whip it. “Try it now,” He said, finding another stone, handing it to you.

“Okay, let’s see how good a teacher you are,” You chuckled. You  moved in the way that he showed you, and to your surprise, it skipped once - twice - thrice - and then dropped below the surface of the water. “Wow. A better teacher than a doer,” You said, looking at him, your face filled up with glee. “Three - that’s a record I don’t think I’ll ever break.”

“That was great,” He said, his own grin as he looked out at the water and then back at you. In the natural light, he really did look ... spectacular. And the way that he was looking at you too. It was just so .. soft. There was no leering and no ogling, he kept his eyes on your face and looked at you as if you could be ...

Salvation was the only word that came to mind. He noticed that you had caught him looking at you and looked embarrassed for a second but then, didn’t look away. “Steve...” You heard your voice say, without even knowing what you were going to follow it up with. Maybe you didn't even have to follow it up at all. He stepped in a little closer so he was still a respectful foot and a half away from you but it still felt really close.

“Are you really only staying for the summer?” He asked. He looked almost forlorn when he asked it. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed, waiting for the answer that he knew wouldn’t come. You could only nod, because it was the truth. You both had to stay in the reality of this Summer, or ... who  knows what could possibly happen?"Just my luck. Coolest, and most beautiful girl in Hawkins and she’s leaving at the end of the season.”

You did have to smile at the compliments. They were really nice to hear from someone, and the way that he was looking at you. This still wasn’t King Steve. He seemed to be long gone. This was someone new, that you haven’t heard about from Billy. This was more of the version that Max saw, but not nearly as annoying. Probably because he wasn’t trying to tell you what to do in the case of a giant monster attacking. And even if he did, you would probably listen to him since he has way more experience with that kind of thing in Hawkins than you do. “Yeah, it does sound like shitty luck,” you admitted. “But ... if you think about it, the summer can feel pretty long sometimes. And we still have another two months of it...”

“A lot can happen in two months,” He figured out. You moved in a little closer to him, nodding.

“And there’s these things called phones, if we want to worry about the after...”

That seemed to be all of the permission, the affirming that he needed before he crashed his lips onto yours for the first time. And as odd as it was, he just tasted like the summer. Like sunscreen and fireworks on the Fourth of July, and excitement on the beach and days where you go to the mall just to soak up the air conditioning. His hands still didn’t wander to anywhere inappropriate. They rested themselves at the bottom of your ribcage, his fingers fitting into the grooves so well. You had your hands on his chest now, moving one up to hold onto his chin, to show that you liked this. That you wanted this. Turns out neither of you had intended for anything cliche to happen at Lovers Lake, but here you were.

There wasn’t any tongue in these first kisses, no pushing further than what felt natural for the time. And it broke apart smoothly, softly, your eyes looking into his that were the exact color of dark honey. “So I can call you in September?” Steve asked, picking up where the conversation had left off.

“September, October - all of the Bers,” You said with a smile.

“My dad’s going to kill me over the phone bill,” Steve cracked a grin.

“So make sure you keep doing an amazing job at Scoops so you can pay for it,” You say, teasingly. “I can call you sometimes. Switch it up. I don’t think my dad would mind.”

“Perfect,” He said, and laid a kiss on your forehead. And it did feel that way. As long as you were out together, everything felt perfect, with the still lake and the faint smell of sunscreen and the feeling of his strong hands always right behind you - not on you, but lingering - when he walked with you back to the car, ready to catch you in case you slipped on any of the rocks.

You didn’t let him take you home. He wanted to, and he had this little look of confusion on his face when you asked him to drop you off at the corner a couple of blocks away.

“I don’t want my aunt and uncle asking questions about why I’m letting some random boy drop me off after sunset,” You explained, though it was much more about my cousin. He just didn’t need to know that ... yet.    

“I want to meet them though,” Steve said, hesitantly pulling over to the curb at the corner. “You know, walk you up to the door. Maybe give you a kiss goodnight?”

He looked so cute, so hopeful when he said all of this, it made your heart beat quicker and your cheeks start to feel tight from smiling. “Maybe next time. I have to keep some mystery alive,” You say, trying to play it off as something cool. Like you weren’t concerned about Billy seeing Steve coming up to the house and come walking out with a tire iron or something similar. Or about Steve recognizing the house as Billy’s for some reason. Or more than likely, Max’s, probably dropping her off the same way that he was with you right now.

“Okay - I’ll remember you said that,” Steve said, his voice so warm. Giving in without pushing back.

You undid your seatbelt, let it roll back into the holder. You turned my body towards Steve, and saw that he was already turned towards you, giving you all of his attention. There was a faint smile on his lips, like maybe he was trying not to look too eager. “You can give me a kiss goodnight right here, if you wanted to...” You said, softly.

“Would that be okay?” He asked, and you nodded. Now that the first kiss was out of the way, you were able to relax more into the second one. You both moved in at the same time, your arms going over his shoulders, elbows resting there, pulling him in more. His went under your arms, around your back, warm, large. And your lips met in the middle, hot breath coming from nostrils, hair tickling your arms - and though he was there to support you, to keep you upright, it felt like you could be falling. Melting.

It broke off when a car drove around the corner, and your senses just went haywire, pulling away to see who it was. Not Billy. Just some station wagon going down the street. You sighed in relief and met Steve’s eyes, which looked quizzically at you. “Sorry, startled me,” You said with a little laugh. “I’ll come into the mall and see you again soon.”

“Wait,” Steve said, the backs of his fingers brushing against your arm. “Could I at least get your phone number? Just in case you .. don’t make it in?”

You smiled, took his hand from your arm and gave it a light squeeze. You started to open the car door with your other hand. “If it’s fate, you’ll guess it,” You said with a wink and got out. You closed the door behind you and started to walk down the street.

Of course it wasn’t that easy. Steve, being the sweetheart that he was, drove alongside you at a really slow pace, eyes focused more out of the passenger door window than at the road ahead. “Come on, at least let me make sure that you get to your door safely,” He said, leaning out of his seat towards you. “I’ll worry all night if I don’t.”

“Oh Steve,” You sighed. “You’re too cute for words, you know that? But my uncle is going to be even more suspicious if I’m walking down the street with a car tailing me. I’ll be fine, I can see the house from here."

“You’re absolutely sure?” Steve asked. He still had that concerned look on his face as he spoke through the window.

“Yes,” You laughed. “What do you think is going to happen?”

You regretted asking that though, as you saw his face fall. You realized he must be thinking about Barb. About what happened to Will. The dangers. But you weren’t supposed to know that stuff.

“Okay,” He finally gave in. “Will you at least come out to the mall tomorrow?”

You laughed lightly again, this time not regretting what you were about to say.

“It’s Hawkins. Where else am I going to go?”

[inwintersolitude]

- November 18th 2024 -

A lot of my friends are unfollowing or unfriending those who agree with a different political party than them. Have you ever unfollowed or unfriended anyone over politics? Why or why not? I haven't unfollowed anyone over only politics, but I have unfollowed people who were being hateful or anti-human-rights because of their politics.

Do you trust in God? Why or why not? Nope, I don't believe in the existence of any sort of god/deity/etc.

What's the dumbest way you've been injured? Oh I've had lots of dumb injuries haha. I once got jet fuel sprayed up my nose and into my eyes and had to go to the ER to get it washed out (I was fueling a plane and the high pressure stream of fuel ricocheted off a tank tab and right up into my face). My bell pepper incident last year was pretty dumb, too... I was looking through a display of precariously-stacked bell peppers at the grocery store when several of them started to fall down. I tried to catch them, cut my finger on the plastic bin they were falling out of, and the cut got infected.

Do you believe fibromyalgia is a real disease? Why or why not? Yes absolutely. I've seen what it does to people and there's no doubt it's real. I follow a few people on social media who suffer from it and I've also watched videos on YouTube of doctors and researchers talking about it.

Has anyone in your family been diabetic? Nope.

When was the last time you can remember falling down the stairs, and what happened? Were you alone or was it in public? Share details! Sometime around 2012 or 2013. It was only a few stairs, though.  I was at home, going down the stairs, and simply lost my footing and slipped.

Do you wear earmuffs during the colder months? I prefer hats. I don't like how earmuffs look on me.

Do you know anyone who has the medical condition POTS? I have a working diagnosis of POTS. I've had it since my 4th covid booster in late 2022, and then it got worse after I had actual covid in June/July of this year, and that's when my cardiologist started to suspect that it's been POTS all along. I still need to do autonomic testing, though.

Do you know what the medical condition POTS is? Yep.  Basically a malfunctioning of the autonomic nervous system.  I just wish I didn't know firsthand lol.

Do you experience frequent tachycardia? It's not as frequent now that I started meds in February 2023, but I still get bad flare ups where my resting heart rate goes up to 130-150 bpm and I'm barely able to stand up. I've had to go to the ER a few times because of it since I also sometimes get random heart attack symptoms along with the tachycardia.

Have you been ignoring someone who has been trying to reach out to you? If so, why? Nope.

Do you agree or disagree with this quote: The only constant variable in my life is pain and suffering. I disagree.

If you celebrate Thanksgiving, have you ever been the one to cook the turkey? Yep.  I cooked a full Thanksgiving dinner a few times for just my husband and I, back when we lived in Virginia.  We didn't live near family, and with both of us working in aviation, we didn't always have enough time off work to travel over a holiday to go visit family.  So, I made a turkey and all the standard side dishes for just us to have at home together.

Do you pray every day? Why or why not? No. I'm an atheist.

Do you know anyone who has lupus? I don't think so.

List three emotions you've experienced in the past 24 hours. Happiness, apathy, gratitude.

When was the last time you went to Starbucks? About a month ago.  I got a tea latte on the way to the park.

When was the last time you baked scones? Years ago.

Do you decorate your home for fall? Yep, I always get an assortment of pumpkins to decorate the front porch.

Do you prefer ebooks or actual books? Actual books.

What does the last mug you drank out of look like? It's a light cream colored Mason Cash stoneware mug, with an embossed leaf/forest design all over the outside.  It's my favorite mug.

What is one thing you love about getting older? People finally treating me like the competent adult I am. I look quite a bit younger than my age and I went through my entire 20s having people (who don't know me well enough to know my age) treat me like I was a teenager, or maybe at best a college student. Some people were very condescending about it.

Do you post on Instagram frequently? Not really. I mostly use Instagram for my nature and drone photography, but ever since my POTS got worse, I oftentimes don't feel well enough to go on walks out in nature.

How many Instagram accounts do you have? Two, but one is pretty much abandoned. I started it in 2012 and haven't posted on it since about 2019.

What is your Instagram username (if you wish to share)? kel_m90

[squishmittenficfan]

Ah, another tagging post. I do enjoy doing these, so thanks for including me, @lilolilyr 😁

: ̗̀➛ what’s ur fav color: pale grey, purple. Clothing-wise I generally tend towards wearing black, grey, greens and browns.

: ̗̀➛ how long have u been on tumblr for: Since 2017 I think. I initially joined to stalk my fave fic writers

: ̗̀➛ wheres a place u always wanted to travel to: Once upon a time - America because I wanted to see Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, but these days I don’t think I’d want to set foot on US soil. I’d love to see New Zealand and Australia. More realistically - I want to see more of Scotland. I’ve been a few times and I love the landscape.

: ̗̀➛ what’s ur fav clothing brand(s): I don’t have one. Unless you count Qwertee t-shirts because I have… bloody hell, probably well over a hundred 😲

: ̗̀➛ what’s ur fav singer/band(s): Imogen Heap/Frou Frou, Kate Bush, Tori Amos, kd lang, Queen, Erasure, Texas, Sinéad O’Connor, Cranberries, Dolly Parton… I could go on and on! My tastes are relatively eclectic, but with a massive tendency towards women singer-songwriters.

: ̗̀➛ what’s ur current phone lockscreen: It’s an abstract design - swirly/stripey and rainbow coloured.

: ̗̀➛ most recent/current hyperfixation: Ummm… I don’t think I really have one. I am reading an awful lot of lesbian fiction (both fanfic and published) I suppose. That’s just fairly standard though.

: ̗̀➛ what’s ur relationship status: Forever single.

: ̗̀➛ what’s ur dream job: Philanthropic billionaire.

: ̗̀➛ outside of tumblr, fav social app: I enjoy Instagram for random scrolling rather than posting - I literally only have three photos of my cat posted on my account! I also still use Facebook, but I’m forever asking myself why! I have Twitter, but I think the only reason I haven’t deleted it is in case I get back to writing fic, as a few people seemed to appreciate me posting about new stuff.

: ̗̀➛ do u have pets (if u do have pets, what kind/how many): I have a psychotic cat called Lucky. He’s an unpredictable and violent little arsehole, but I love him.

: ̗̀➛ do u prefer tea or coffee: Definitely coffee. I do like ‘normal’ tea (aka black tea) but I can’t drink it anymore - I only like it if it’s quite sweet and the old diabetes says no. I do enjoy herbal and some fruit teas, but coffee beats them all.

: ̗̀➛ whats ur fav ice cream flavor: Coffee, vanilla, pralines and cream. As with tea though, diabetes says no.

: ̗̀➛ tag at least three other tumblr accounts: no thank you. Anyone who fancies this - go for it!

Blank for ease of copying: : ̗̀➛ what’s ur fav color: : ̗̀➛ how long have u been on tumblr for: : ̗̀➛ wheres a place u always wanted to travel to: : ̗̀➛ what’s ur fav clothing brand(s): : ̗̀➛ what’s ur fav singer/band(s): : ̗̀➛ what’s ur current phone lockscreen: : ̗̀➛ most recent/current hyperfixation: : ̗̀➛ what’s ur relationship status: : ̗̀➛ what’s ur dream job: : ̗̀➛ outside of tumblr, fav social app: : ̗̀➛ do u have pets (if u do have pets, what kind/how many): : ̗̀➛ do u prefer tea or coffee: : ̗̀➛ whats ur fav ice cream flavor: : ̗̀➛ tag at least three other tumblr accounts:

The psychotic feline ⬇️

[saisamedi]

Diabetic Foot Cream for Cracked Heels by Saisa Medi

Diabetes is one of the major causes of cracked heels. Saisa Medi offers you the perfect solution to not only heal but also treat your cracked heels with Sairub Diaba Foot Care, the best diabetic foot cream for cracked heels in India.

Using Sairub Diaba Foot Care helps naturally treat your cracked heels, as it is made up of a combination of herbs, including Haldi, Saal, Daruhaldi, Aloe Vera and more. The presence of these ingredients enriches the foot cream with anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, which make it effective for killing the bacteria on the skin.

Other than these, due to this foot cream being made from natural ingredients, it contains great moisturising and healing properties. This helps to not only heal and treat your cracked heels, but also prevent any further damage to them.

Buy Sairub Diaba Foot Care from Saisa Medi today and treat it naturally with the ancient science of Ayurveda!

[podiatry-pedicure]

Foot care in middle east region;

Hyperhidrosis of the feet is one of the most common problems of our society.

Closed shoes and sneakers aggravate the hyperhidrosis disease.

A humid environment is a source of fungal and bacterial pathogens and, as a result, leads to the appearance of foot disorder.

Hygiene and wearing socks and medical shoes made from natural materials can somewhat reduce its sewerity.

You can make pedicure with a decoction of medicinal herbs, antiseptics, which have a drying, antibacterial effect.

Gait analysis and diagnosis, foot biomechanic evaluation.

To block the sweat glands and prevent hypersweating, you can use antiperspirants in the form of sprays, rollers, creams, powders, lotions and medications.

Establishing first Iranian E-Clinic for foot and Podiatry in Mashhad.

how foot pressure measurements can be used in real clinical settings for podiatry?

Diabetic offload shoes and CNC insoles.

Sport medicine & rehabilitation.

Pre and post-treatment examinations.

Orthotic & Prosthetic prescriptions. Please messege me in Telegram @ortho_teb_clinic if you need more informatio about Orthotic and Prosthetic.

PUBLISHED BY

Ali Karimi

Bsc CPO, Member of Iranian medical council, OP-127, former member of O&P Scientific board of Iran-East branch ( Khorasan Razavi -North Khorasan - South Khorasan - Sistan Baluchistan ) - Graduated from medical school Aug 2008.

[rebelbyrdie]

TW:  Trauma, Medical Stuff...Storytime Rant

So for anyone not caught up with the drama that is my life, I was in the hospital for 33 days, but the story starts way before that.  This is about to get personal so, yeah.  This one is long and has a lot of details.  

I have  type 2 diabetes. I was diagnosed with PCOS at 20 and diabetes at 25 (on my birthday...total bummer).  About 2 years ago I had a sore on my right foot.  I thought it was just a cracked callous, but it would not heal.  My wife (then girlfriend) took me to the walk-in clinic and then the ER.  The ER diagnosed the wound as a diabetic ulcer and referred me to a podiatrist.  We will call him Dr. B.

So I spend 2 years with Dr. B.  I was there 1 to 2 times a month.  He would use a scalpel to scrape off dead skin, give me creams and wrap my foot.  I then developed a second ulcer on my left foot. 

Now all this time we are slowly getting it smaller and better looking...until I lost my insurance when I switched jobs.  I had to choose between going to my regular doc for diabetes and Dr. B.  I chose Dr. B because I had open wounds that had to be seen to.

August 2022 the right foot gets infected.  We immediately go to Dr. B.  He takes XRays, gives me antibiotics, and assures me that I did nothing wrong, that these things happen with open wounds.  He examined the xrays and assured me the bone was not infected (spoiler alert:  it was).  The infection clears up and all is well (it wasn’t).

Life goes on, I get married, go on honeymoon, have a nice Thanksgiving.  Then I started to feel bad on my first day of my Christmas vacation.  Fever, chills, general shittiness.  I thought I had the flu.  My right ankle and foot swelled, but I  chocked that up to an old injury in that foot and the cold snap (we were in the teens in TN).  I got through Christmas (I don’t remember much) but I wasn’t getting better.

I went to the walk in clinic.  Negative for flu and covid. They said it was a stomach bug.  At that point I was vomiting up everything I ate/drank.  They gave me anti nausea meds and sent me home.  The next day I was still vomiting despite the meds so we went to the ER.  

At the ER I saw a doctor...I’ll call her Dr A.  Dr A told me I had a gut infection of some kind and/or my gallbladder was infected.  I told her about the ulcers and swelling, but she never examined my foot.  THey did bloodwork and though my white blood cell count was higher than usual, they felt it was not something to worry about.  A stronger anti nausea med and antibiotics and they sent me home.

On Dec 31st I was still sick with a high fever and other fun stuff.  My mom came over, she looked at me, checked my leg and immediately took me back to the ER.  Dr. A was on shift and she came to look at me again. She still advised it was my gallbladder. My mom made her look at my foot.  Still swollen and now red. "Does this look like her gallbladder?!”  I was finally admitted.  It turns out I was sceptic.  So I got IV meds and a lot of scans.  They did an abdominal scan and sent the surgeon to examine my gall bladder.  He was pissed and said that it was obviously my leg and a blood infection.

More scans revealed that I had a bone infection in both my left and right feet.  I honestly don’t remember much about this part of things.  I was kinda activly dying.  THe small town hospital I was at could not handle my case so they sent me an hour away to a bigger hospital.  I arrived in the evening, those  surgeons (Dr G and Dr C)  saw me in the morning and I was having my right leg removed that afternoon.  Later they removed part of my left foot too (goodbye pinkie toe).  After a week I was off to rehab.  I did pretty well at rehab.  Now I’m home.

Now there are some behind the scenes shenanigans. Remember Dr. B?  Yeah it turns out that back in August I already had bone damage (from infection) in my right foot.  Dr. C thought I’d had surgery on it.  About 1/3 of the bone was already gone...destroyed by infection.  I actually noticed that my pinkie toe looked odd on the xray and asked if it could be because I was developing a bunion and he said “maybe”.  He cleared me on Dec 14th when I was definitely infected for sure and said he’d run my insurance for skin grafts to close the holes.  When Dr C did my examination prior to surgery he was able to poke his finger through the wound and touch bone.  That is called tunneling and it means that the wound was not just on the surface like I was lead to believe.  

Either Dr B was wildly incompetent or totally negligent.  If they had caught this in August or before (there is some evidence that I may have had bone damage the whole 2 years but that research is ongoing) then I may not have lost my leg and almost my life.  After my amputation, Dr G told my mom and wife that the leg would have killed me even with the antibiotics.  I had literally been on the brink of dying.  I needed 2 post op blood transfusions.

So my wife thinks we should sue Dr B.  I have never really sued anyone.  I was sued once for a car accident when I was 18, but I’ve never really looked into medical negligence/malpractice.  I, obviously, have a lot of medical bills.  Also my house is small and currently navigating it is difficult.  Not to mention lost wages and, well, pain and suffering.  I don’t know if we have a case and I am still unsure it is a good idea to pursue it at all.  

I was raised conservative with the whole pull yourself up by the bootstraps and walk it off mentality.  So while I have educated myself as an adult, the knee jerk reactions of “lawsuits are get rich schemes by fraudsters or people too lazy to work” is still there.  

I am still going to doctors, trying to schedule a counselor, and I will eventually need a prosthetic leg.  Should I really sue the doctor?  I thought about it a long and hard time and did some research.  A small victory could help secure my and my family financially for at least a few years...but I don’t know.  I had a lot going on and couldn’t afford many of my medications so my diabetes was not great. I am very aware that my decisions helped put me in this situation.  I wasn’t on my meds properly, I wasn’t eating as well as I should have, and I didn’t do any 2nd opinions or anything.  It wasn’t just Dr B’s fault, but I certainly feel that as a doctor he did not fufill his duties.

I am currently getting all the records, xrays and 2nd opinions  I can get my hands on, just in case.  

It is a lot and is kind of stressful.  My life is forever changed.  I am conflicted and I am a little bit scared.  My 5 year plan has gone kabloom.  Even if things turn out in my favor and I get money, things are still wildly off kilter for me.

Anyway.  Doctors suck.  Every nurse I spoke to bad-mouthed the American health system and my hospital food is still the worst.

[mr-divabetic]

“Sometimes I feel like reaching down from the stage and grabbing people and slamming them against the wall with my voice. Ι want to make ‘em wake up and listen. I love those people." – Etta James

Born with an epic voice, Etta James fought her whole life for the recognition she finally received.

Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins on January 25, 1938, in Los Angeles, California, to a 14-year-old mother, Dorothy Hawkins, who encouraged her daughter's singing career. James would later say, "My mother always told me, even if a song has been done a thousand times, you can still bring something of your own to it. I'd like to think I did that." James never knew her father.

Of her will to survive bad luck, overcoming heroin addiction, and changing times, James mused, "What's kept me going is faith, and trying to prove something. It could be ego. But I never have an ego except when I'm onstage. I just want to prove to people I'm gonna hang in there. And I just hang right in there."

Etta James underwent gastric bypass surgery and lost over 200 pounds. The dramatic weight loss had an impact on her voice, as she told Ebony magazine, “I can sing lower, higher and louder.”

As she entered her 70s, Etta James began struggling with health issues. She was hospitalized in 2010 for a blood infection and other ailments. It was later revealed that the legendary singer suffered from dementia and was receiving treatment for leukemia.

At the end of her life, she was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, received a Grammy Lifetime Award, and her album 'Let's Roll' won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album.

Podcast guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach, Dr. Monique Renee Rolle DPM, Catherine Schuller AICI, CIP, Susan Greenberg Weiner MS, RDN, CDE, CDN, and Mama Rose Marie. Prize giveaways courtesy of Earth Brand Shoes, Dr. Greenfield’s Diabetic Foot Creams, Cabot Cheese, and Nu Naturals.

Throughout the podcast,, we will spotlight Etta James’ iconic recordings from the “All The Way” and “The Essential Etta James” albums courtesy of SONY MUSIC.

Listen: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2016/02/23/diabetes-late-nite-inspired-by-etta-james

[rarigenius]

The Health of Feet and How to Take Care of Them

Our feet are a vital part of our body, but they are often neglected when it comes to health and care. They are the foundation of our body and support our weight, enabling us to stand, walk, run, and perform various physical activities. However, our feet are also prone to various health issues, such as blisters, calluses, corns, fungal infections, and other foot conditions. In this article, we will discuss the health of the feet and ways to take care of them, including preventive measures, treatment options, exercises, and lifestyle changes.

Why is it important to take care of your feet?

The feet are one of the most overlooked parts of the body, and people often neglect them until they develop a problem. However, the health of our feet is crucial for overall health and well-being. Proper foot care can help prevent foot problems, which can lead to pain, discomfort, and decreased mobility. Taking care of your feet can also help prevent serious medical conditions, such as diabetes and circulatory problems, which can have serious consequences.

What are some common foot problems and how can they be prevented?

Several foot problems can arise due to neglect or improper care. Some common foot problems include:

Blisters: Blisters can develop due to friction or rubbing against the skin. They can be prevented by wearing proper fitting shoes and socks and using foot powders or lubricants.

Corns and Calluses: Corns and calluses are thickened areas of skin that develop due to repeated pressure or friction. They can be prevented by wearing shoes that fit properly and using foot creams or pumice stones to remove dead skin.

Fungal Infections: Fungal infections such as athlete's foot are common in people who sweat excessively or wear tight-fitting shoes. They can be prevented by keeping the feet clean and dry, wearing clean socks, and using antifungal creams or powders.

Ingrown Toenails: Ingrown toenails occur when the toenail grows into the surrounding skin, causing pain and infection. They can be prevented by cutting toenails straight across and not too short.

Plantar Fasciitis: Plantar fasciitis is a condition that causes heel pain due to inflammation of the plantar fascia ligament. It can be prevented by stretching the feet and wearing proper shoes with good arch support.

What are some effective ways to maintain healthy and strong feet?

There are several ways to maintain healthy and strong feet, including:

Proper Footwear: Wearing proper footwear is essential for maintaining foot health. Shoes should fit well and provide adequate support and cushioning for the feet. Avoid wearing high heels or shoes with narrow toe boxes for extended periods.

Good Hygiene: Keeping the feet clean and dry is essential for preventing foot problems such as fungal infections. Wash your feet regularly, dry them thoroughly, and change your socks and shoes frequently.

Regular Exercise: Regular exercise can help maintain foot health by improving circulation and strengthening the muscles and bones in the feet. Walking, running, and yoga are all good options for foot health.

Foot Stretches: Stretching the feet regularly can help improve flexibility and prevent injuries. Try exercises such as toe curls, ankle circles, and calf stretches.

Foot Massage: Massaging the feet can help improve circulation, reduce tension, and relieve pain. Use a tennis ball or foam roller to massage the soles of your feet.