#fun fact: all of this is from my English class and my teacher said 'oh you draw him a lot... he is handsome'

[beeholyshit]

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag

[gilbertscurls]

Classroom Competition ➵ Matt Sturniolo

synopsis: two rival English teachers, you and Matt, challenge each other to an end-of-year competition to see whose class will come out on top.

You stood at the front of your classroom, flipping through the stack of essays your students had turned in earlier that week. The air was thick with the smell of freshly sharpened pencils and the quiet hum of focused minds. Your students were finishing a timed writing exercise, and you could already tell from the intensity in their eyes that they were giving it their all.

A small smile tugged at the corner of your lips. Your class was doing great this semester. They were engaged, improving their writing skills daily, and, most importantly, they were enjoying the material. You had spent weeks perfecting your lesson plans, making sure they were creative and challenging. But in the back of your mind, there was always one nagging thought.

Matthew.

Your fellow English teacher—and academic rival.

Victoria had been teaching at Somerville High for two years now, and ever since you and Matt had both started in the same semester, a silent, unspoken competition had brewed between you. You both taught sophomore English, and though you never directly confronted each other about it, there was a clear rivalry between you to see who could get the highest test scores, who could make reading Shakespeare fun, and who could inspire their students the most.

It wasn’t that Matt was a bad teacher. Quite the opposite, in fact. He was too good. Charismatic, engaging, and with an ability to make even the most mundane literature seem exciting, he was loved by students and teachers alike. His reputation for getting the highest standardized test scores among his classes wasn’t lost on you either.

But you weren’t about to let him overshadow you.

The bell rang, and your students handed in their essays on the way out. You were just gathering your things when the door to your classroom swung open. Speak of the devil.

“Y/N,” Matt greeted you with a casual smirk, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed. “You busy?”

You looked up, narrowing your eyes. “What do you want, Matt?”

“I just thought I’d swing by and see how your class is doing,” he said, his voice smooth. “You know, make sure everything’s running smoothly on this side of the English department.”

You rolled your eyes, picking up the stack of essays. “My class is doing just fine, thank you.”

“Of course they are,” he said, pushing off the doorframe and stepping into the room. He glanced around, taking in your meticulously organized classroom. “I’m sure you’re drilling those essays into them like always.”

You bristled at the jab but kept your tone light. “Maybe, but at least my students know how to structure an argument properly. I’ve heard yours are still struggling with thesis statements.”

Matt chuckled, clearly not offended. “Oh, they’ve got it down. But I prefer to focus on more… Creative approaches to writing. You know, things that get students to think outside the box.”

“Right,” you said, leaning back against your desk. “And that’s why your students are always scrambling the day before exams, right?”

He shot you a look, but his smile never wavered. “Hey, it works for them.”

You had this same back-and-forth at least once a week. It wasn’t mean-spirited, but there was definitely an underlying tension in your conversations. And today, you were determined to win this round.

“Speaking of exams,” you said casually, “did you see the test scores from last week’s assessment?”

Matt raised an eyebrow. “I did. Pretty solid across the board. How about yours?”

You grinned. “Best in the department.”

For the first time, Matt’s smirk faltered just slightly, and it was all the satisfaction you needed.

“Congrats,” he said, a little less cocky now. “Guess I’ll have to step up my game.”

“Guess so,” you said sweetly.

He crossed his arms, clearly not ready to back down entirely. “Well, if we’re being competitive, how about we up the stakes?”

You eyed him warily. “What kind of stakes?”

“An end-of-year competition,” he suggested, leaning against one of the student desks. “Your class versus mine. Whoever gets the highest overall grade average wins.”

You raised an eyebrow. “And what exactly does the winner get?”

Matt thought for a moment, then his grin returned. “Bragging rights. For the whole summer. And…” he paused for dramatic effect, “the loser has to buy the winner coffee every morning for a week.”

You crossed your arms, biting your lip as you considered the offer. It was a ridiculous bet, but there was something thrilling about it. And if you were being honest with yourself, you liked the competition with Matt. It kept you on your toes, made you push yourself harder. Plus, the thought of beating him, once and for all, was too tempting to resist.

“Deal,” you said, stepping forward and offering your hand.

Matt’s smile widened as he took it. “Deal.”

The rest of the semester flew by, and true to your word, both you and Matt ramped up your efforts to make your classes the best they could be. You spent countless hours refining your lesson plans, coming up with creative writing prompts, and working one-on-one with students who needed extra help. You weren’t just teaching to win the bet—you genuinely cared about your students’ success—but knowing that you had a competition with Matt made you push even harder.

On the other side of the hallway, Matt was doing the same. He organized debate competitions, hosted creative writing workshops, and even incorporated poetry slams into his curriculum. His students adored him, and he had a way of making literature come alive in a way that was different from your more structured approach.

By the time the end of the year rolled around, both teachers were anxiously awaiting the results. Final grades were submitted, and the last week of classes was a blur of goodbyes and final projects.

You were standing in the teacher’s lounge, tapping your foot impatiently as you waited for the principal to post the final grade averages. Matt stood beside you, leaning casually against the wall, looking far too relaxed for your liking.

“Nervous?” he asked, glancing over at you.

“Not at all,” you lied, crossing your arms. “Just ready to win.”

Matt chuckled. “We’ll see about that.”

The principal finally walked in, holding the final grade reports. She posted the averages for each class on the board, and you felt your heart race as you scanned the numbers. Your class had done incredibly well, but so had Matt’s.

It was close. Really close.

In the end, Matt’s class edged yours out by a mere half a percentage point.

You let out a frustrated sigh, crossing your arms as Matt grinned triumphantly beside you.

“Looks like I’ll be expecting that coffee next week,” he said, his tone dripping with smugness.

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help the small smile tugging at your lips. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t let it go to your head.”

Matt chuckled, stepping closer, his voice softening just a little. “You know, this whole rivalry thing—it’s fun.”

You glanced up at him, your heart doing an unexpected little flip. “Yeah. It is.”

For a moment, you stood there, the usual tension between you shifting into something else—something that felt less like competition and more like connection.

“So, what’s next?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.

Matt grinned. “Oh, I’m sure we’ll think of something.”

And as you walked away, you couldn’t help but wonder if this competition of yours was just beginning—only now, the stakes felt a little higher.

tag list: @stuwniolo, @sturnobsessedwh0re, @matts-myloverboy, @imjusthereforthesturniolosmut, @lizzymacdonald06, @asherrisrandom

[alinmihai]

What happened that night at school?

Content: enemies to lovers, fluff/comfort, modern/high school au, fem reader, terror, geto being a good brother, gojo ends up traumatized, the story keeps getting darker

Word count: 15223

Author's note: it's my first post :D and english isn't my first language so sorry if there's any error in the grammar!

{Reader} is sitting on the classroom, listening to the history teacher while she says something about the agricultural revolution. Satoru, sitting right behind her is the heir of his family's company, a rich handsome boy who is new to the school. For what she heard from her brother, Satoru had always went to private elite schools, so he didn't have so much friends.

They're not close to each other by any means, but they've had interactions here and there because of Suguru, {reader's} brother and Satoru's friend. Satoru's a business major, but he decided to go to a public school just for the fun of it.

He takes a quick glance at {reader}, and sees how focused she looks.

"So... you free later?" he whispers to her with a small grin on his lips as he half pays attention to the professor.

You try to pay attention to class and ignore him.

"Not a talker, huh...?" He murmurs to himself. He leans a bit closer to you with a smirk and teases, "You're cute when you're so uptight."

You narrowed your eyebrows but keep paying attention to class, ignoring him one more time.

He grins, noticing that you are not talking but noticing your reaction, and says, "So cold... it's almost as if you hate me." He pokes your cheek with a finger, amused by your attitude.

"Stop it!"

Your scream fill the classroom and suddenly everyone, including the teacher, is looking at yours and Satoru's seat. Your cheeks turn into a dark red and Satoru seems shocked for a moment, but to your surprise he laughs gleefully.

"You're so damn loud."

The teacher pauses and looks over, shaking her head in disapproval. "Disturbing the class again... Mr. Gojo and Miss {Surname}... You two are going to get a detention due to your behavior during my class and for distracting the rest of your classmates. At the end of the day I want you here to clean this classroom. Understood? Now... What was I saying? Ah! The agricultural revolutions affected how people worked and got their food. The first caused people to grow crops and raise animals for food..."

As the teacher gets back to explaining the subject, you look back at Satoru, he grins, amused that he got you to yell out loud. He can't deny that he was happy to spend some time alone with you.

Satoru sighs after the class ends. He's slightly annoyed that he got detention, and yet he's also amused that *you* got detention as well. He looks at {reader} from the side and says with a smirk, "Looks like we're gonna be together for a while."

"You're a nightmare! You have many girls to bother! Why always me?"

He shrugs, unbothered by her words, and says, "You're different. You don't swoon over me like the other girls do, and I find it interesting." He grins and asks, "...You hate me that much, huh?"

"Oh so you're starting to get it... Finally..."

He smirks confidently, not bothered by your answer, "You don't drool at the sight of me, and you don't act like you're obsessed with my attention or my money. You also just said I was a headache. Not exactly the words someone would use if they were swooning over me."

You stayed in silence this time. It's true that you think that Satoru is annoying as hell, but you don't really hate him. In fact, you feel a little bad for him. He always has that arrogant and haughty attitude but he's a lonely boy. He has money. A lot of money. He was not raised by his parents, they were always busy at work, so they give Satoru whatever he wanted to try to cover the lack of love with expensive things. At all the private schools he went he was idolized by his intelligence, strength and good looks. This leaded to a spoiled rude boy who thinks that he can do anything. But he wasn't stupid, he knew that all the "friends" he had just were with him because of status. All the girls that were interested in him was because of his money, not because of him as a person. Satoru, when a kid, liked the attention, but as more he grew he started getting tired. So he decided to go to a public school to try to start again.

His first friend was Suguru, your brother. Those two couldn't be more different: Suguru (and you) came from a humble but amorous family, he's kind and caring, more emotional yet serious when it's needed. He likes to help the others and it's loved by everyone. On the other side, Satoru is more rational but tries to hide it with a nonchalant facade. He's boastful because of his past but really cares for the ones who he love.

Besides being this distinct, they got along very fast. Suguru invited Satoru to your house a few times and that was when Satoru started getting interest in you. Even if you don't like his attitude you can't deny he's very handsome... and attractive... and clever... and tall...

Satoru grins while you were lost in your thoughts, enjoying your silence, and leans back in his seat. He says with a cheeky smile, "You're blushing like crazy right now. Are you thinking of me princess?"

You woke up from your mental sleep, seeing that everyone was already gone, leaving just you and Satoru in the class, where the orange tones of the sunset came through the windows, creating a comfortable atmosphere. "I was not thinking of you..."

He laughs and says, "You were! Don't lie." He gently pries your hands away from your face with a smirk, wanting to see your embarrassed expression again.

"Step out! Stop harassing me!"

He grins even more. "Not until you admit you're blushing." He gently pins your wrists down so you can't try to cover your face again and leans closer with a sly smile.

"Satoru I told you to step out" you try to move away from him, just for him to come even closer.

He smirks at the sound of his name coming from your sweet voice and shakes his head, amused. "Nah." He leans closer until his face is only a few inches away. "I'm not stepping away until you admit you're blushing because of me."

Without any of you noticing, the history teacher entered the classroom to tell you where were the cleaning supplies. The teacher freezes at the sight, a shocked yet disapproving look on her face. She quickly clear her throat and say in a stern tone, "Mr. Gojo, step away from Miss {Surname} and sit in your own seat."

You and Satoru seat on your chairs as the teachers gives you a lecture about how do students should behave in class. She glances at you with a frown while explains how you must clean the room. "...mopping, wiping the desks and putting all the things back in place. Understood?"

"Understood." You say in chorus.

The teacher nods, satisfied with your response. "Good. I'll be in my office until 8PM. Call me if you need anything." The teacher leaves the classroom, leaving the two of you alone.

"Satoru, we need to get the cleaning supplies."

He sighs, getting up from his seat and stretches his arms above his head. "Alright, alright. I'll go get them." He looks at you, a cheeky grin plastered on his face. "You gonna watch me do all the work?"

"Yeah... I would like that. I did my nails yesterday, I don't want to ruin them." You tease him showing him your white nails.

He laughs and says, "Too bad. You're helping as well. No complaining." He walks out of the classroom to get the cleaning supplies, leaving you alone for a moment. When Satoru is coming back your phone begins to ring. He looks at you curious, "Who's calling?"

"Why do you want to know? It's none of your business." You said taking your phone from your backpack.

His eyes narrow slightly, and he responds with a slight glare, "It's not important. Just get the call." He tries to act nonchalant, but it's apparent he's bothered trying to read the name appearing on your phone.

You get out of the classroom answering the call. It's your brother.

Satoru watches as {reader} leaves the classroom to pick up the call and crosses his arms, a slight frown still present on his face. He can't help but try to eavesdrop on the conversation, even though he knows it's not his business.

"Hello?" you greet while you walk through the hallway looking at the sunset rays flooding the school courtyard through the large windows. Suguru's voice can be heard through the call. "Hey there, how are you doing? You're late." Suguru's classes ended 3 hours ago, so he must be home waiting for you, since your parents are out of town this week.

"Yeah... I'm fine, it's just that I might be late for dinner... You can eat without me. I got detention today..."

Suguru's voice sounds surprised yet amused. "Detention? I never would've pinned you for the type to get detention. Who'd you piss off?"

You laugh a little. "Who'd I piss off? You must be kidding... You know that friend of yours? The one who is always wearing sunglasses? What was his name?..." You act like you don't know Gojo Satoru damn well. Suguru's voice is laced with a hint of annoyance, but he chuckles. "Ah, you're talking about Satoru? What did he did to you? You know he is hard to ignore and he likes to tease you. What happened? Do I need to talk with him?" He seems to try to hide a laugh but he seems worried too.

You sigh. "When I get home I'll tell you everything. Now we have to clean the whole class... It's our punishment."

"What? You have to clean the classroom?! Let me guess... It was the history teacher that gave you detention. You know she has a cleaning compulsion..." Your brother laughs a bit before getting serious again, "And you get to clean up because of Satoru? I'm going to talk with him, so he stops bothering you. I know that you don't like him that much but... Try to be nice... Even if he's a hard person to live with... He's a good guy." Suguru seems more annoyed and sighs again, "I swear that guy is such a damn troublemaker..."

"Oh if you'll go talk to him tell him to stop flirting and bothering me in class..." You say, tired of having Satoru behind you in class. He often tries to talk with you and throws rubbers when you don't answer him. If that doesn't work too he would kick your chair. You have already tried to change places but nobody wants to be in front of Satoru, so you stayed in the same place.

Suguru goes quiet for a moment, processing the information, and then he exclaims in disbelief. "Wait, what? He was flirting with YOU?!? How the hell did that happen? He knows you're my sister! I'm going to have a serious conversation with him tomorrow..."

"Suguru I have to go now... We can talk latter, I want to do this quick so I can go home. When I end up cleaning I'll call you." Your brother had always been protective over you so his tone doesn't scare you. You wait for a moment before his response.

"Alright, alright. Call me when you're done. And be careful around Satoru. Stay away from him. He's a charmer and he knows how to use his charm to get what he wants."

You let out a giggle, imagining your brother's face. "Okay okay I'll be careful... He might bite me", you joke a little since Suguru is now being overprotective, "I'll be home in less than 2 hours, anything is going to happend. Bye, I love you!" Suguru's voice seems to smile: "Love you too, see you latter".

The call ends, and Satoru, who overheard everything, raises an eyebrow, a slight frown on his face, "So, you have a boyfriend, huh?"

"None of your business." you said getting into the classroom again, leaving the long silent corridor behind.

His smirk returns, and he leans against the wall, his arms crossed. "Oh, it is my concern. I'm interested in you, and finding out there's a boyfriend involved is definitely relevant information for me."

"And if I have would you stop bothering me?" He laughs and says: "Of course not. A boyfriend might make things a bit more complex, but it won't stop me from pursuing you."

You stop when you heard his words and look at him in shock. He looks at you and finally says, "...Don't worry... I was just kidding... You know, if you have a boyfriend I respect that..." He seems sad now. His smirk disappeard and now he has a grimace on his face. You feel a little bad.

"It was not my boyfriend. It was my brother..."

He pauses mid-step, surprise flickering across his face. He blinks once, then bursts out laughing. "Your brother? Suguru? Seriously? I thought you had a boyfriend! I was getting worried!"

You sigh, "I don't have a boyfriend at the moment..."

His laughter subsides, and he grins, his arrogance returning. "Well, that makes things a lot easier for me then." He stands closer, towering over you and looks down with a smirk. He's much taller.

"Get of me. Go find another girl to bother."

He laughs mockingly and leans in closer, his smirk widening. "And why would I do that? You're the one who's caught my attention, and I don't give up on what I want easily. But now that you said that I admit that I can easily get any girl I want."

Is he trying to make you jealous? Probably... But you can handle the provocation, after all you know you to tease too.

"You're such a virgin... That's why you keep chasing me, no girl wants a guy too full of himself like you."

His smirk falters for a moment, and a hint of annoyance crosses his face. "What did you just call me?"

"A virgin. That's what you are. You can even talk to a girl properly without shaking."

He scowls, his irritation growing, and pins you against the wall, trapping you between his arms. "You think you know everything about me, huh? Think I can't talk to girls? I can talk to girls just fine, thank you."

"Not what it seems, everyone in our class seems to hate you because of that atitude." When he heard this his expression darkens, and he grips your wrists tighter.

"They hate me because they're jealous. They can't handle the fact that I'm rich, smart, and handsome. But what do you know about me anyway? You don't know anything." Wrong, you know Gojo Satoru better than he thinks because of his best friend who is also your brother.

"And I don't need too know much to see that you are nothing more than a spoiled brat that have parents with money, nothing more!" You didn't mean to say this, but your argument seem more serious now, even if it started just by teasing each other.

He sneers and presses against you more, his eyes narrowing. "You have no clue. I've got more to offer than just money. Way more. I'm confident, talented, charismatic, and damn good at what I do. You just haven't seen my true potential yet."

"If you have that much talent clean the fucking classroom!" You scream to him trying to get out of his grip. He grins arrogantly.

"So bossy. You really think you have the authority to order me around, huh? You're just a little insect compared to me." You try to push him away one more time and you succeeded.

"You know what? I'm going home! I'm in detention because of you! You must deal with this alone! Clean this fucking classroom by yourself!" He stumbles back a bit but regains his footing quickly.

"Hey, hey, where do you think you're going? We're not done here yet."

"It's your fault that we're here!" You yell again.

He scowls and steps forward, closing the distance between you and says: "My fault? You're the one who got caught for not paying attention in class. You're just as responsible as I am."

You don't want to fight anymore. And you have to admit that it was your fault too. You have to clean the classroom as much as Satoru.

"Sorry... Let's just... Forget this fight and start cleaning... After we clean the class we can ignore each other and act like nothing had happened." You said while you pick up a cloth and start wiping the desks.

His smirk returns, and he crosses his arms. "You think it's gonna be that easy? I said I was interested in you, and I meant it. This won't be the last time we see each other, sweetheart."

You didn't answer. Even though you want to deny it, you have a little crush on Satoru. Even with that attitude. But does he feels the same? Or is this just a game for him? Are you just another girl on his list? Or he just want to tease Suguru flirting with his younger sister? You were lost in your thoughts again.

"Did the cat got your tongue?" Satoru asked, noticing your mood change, while he grabbed a mop and starts mopping the floor.

"Like... Are you really into me? Or just on my looks? Or just..." He interrupted you.

"I'd be lying if I said your looks didn't catch my attention initially, but there's more to it than that. Your sharp wit and feisty attitude intrigue me just as much as your looks." He chuckles softly and looks at you.

You didn't say anything. He stops mopping and leans against the mop handle, studying your expression: "You seem surprised. Did you really think I was only interested in you for your looks or something? Trust me, I've met plenty of beautiful girls before, but none of them have captivated me like you have."

You throw a cloth on him. "Than stop calling other girls beautiful! That's not a complement when you call other girls pretty! You men are mindless..." You said this but inside you were happy. Really happy. After all he really likes you, you're not just a toy for him to play.

He blinks in surprise as the cloth hits him straight on the face, but then he laughs and peels it off. "Hey, hey! Calm down. I didn't mean it like that. Fine... I won't call other girls beautiful. You're the only beautiful girl to me."

You look at him trying to stay serious but you let out a little giggle. Suguru was right. He's quite charming.

"{Reader}, I don't want to argue with you anymore, I really like you. I've never met a girl like you. You're smart, feisty, sarcastic, and not afraid to put me in my place. I find all of those traits really attractive. I know that Im hard to deal with but I don't want to hurt your feelings you know... I genuinely like you..." He admits while he takes a step in your direction, leaving the mop where he was cleaning. It's the first time that he uses your name and not some stupid nickname.

You look down. Your heart is beating fast. This is the first time that someone confessed their love for you and you don't know how to act. You have a crush on Satoru but you are not ready to have a relationship yet. You have to know him better, spend more time with him. "Satoru... I like you, but not at the point to date you already, we must spend more time together so I can be sure about my feelings..."

He reaches out and gently lifts your chin up, meeting your gaze. "I get that. I'm not expecting you to agree to go out with me right this moment. I understand that you want to know more about me first... But give me a chance, alright? Let me prove that I'm not just a spoiled rich kid with a charming smile. I'm more than that."

You look at him and smiled, "Thank you." He grins and tucks a loose strand of hair behind your ear.

"I'll be good. Now that you know that I like you I have no need of bothering you that much, I was trying to get your attention you know. And you have my word, no more complimenting other girls. I'll save all my compliments for you, sweetheart. You're the only one I have eyes for. Happy now?"

"Happy." You let out a genuine smile.

He grins and ruffles your hair affectionately. "Good. I like knowing that I've made you happy. That's a start, right?"

"Yeah... Just one more thing. I don't want my brother to know about us." He frowns and raises an eyebrow.

"Suguru can't know? Well... He doesn't know that I like you... At least I think so... But I had to tell him at any moment. Why can't he know? Is he gonna go all protective older brother on me or something?"

"Well, I told him that you flirted with me while we were on the call and he almost got crazy." He scoffs and rolls his eyes.

"Oh, please. I'm not afraid of him. I can take a few hits. Besides, I'm not gonna let some overprotective brother stop me from pursuing you." You laugh a little.

"So you're saying that if it's necessary you would fight Suguru for me? You know he's strong right?" You teased him a little. He grins confidently and puffs out his chest.

"Of course I'd fight for you. If it came down to it, I'd take on your brother in a heartbeat. I'm not afraid of a few punches. Besides, I'm not weak myself. I'm pretty strong too, you know."

You laugh again. "Yeah yeah I get it you're strong... But seriously, don't tell him by now."

He smirks and flexes his muscles jokingly, "What, you don't believe me? I'll have you know I work out, sweetheart. I may have a pretty face, but I can also throw a punch. Suguru won't stand a chance against me."

"You're really tall, I can confirm that... But you seem too skinny." You continue teasing Satoru.

He pretends to be offended and scoffs, "Skinny, huh? You wound me, sweetheart. You don't think I have muscles under this shirt? I'll have you know, I have muscles in all the right places."

You laugh once more. "You're funnier than I expected!"

He grins and flexes his arm jokingly. "What can I say? I'm a package deal - good looks, charm, and a sense of humor. A little slice of heaven, if you will."

"You've repeated that like 5 times today. I know that you have a high self-esteem but that's too much." You replied, throwing another cloth at him.

It was already night when you finished cleaning the classroom. You talked about everything and got some fun while cleaning. The class was finally shining.

"Okay, it's done! We can go home now."

Satoru looks around and smirks. "Finally, we're done. That took way longer than it should have." He grabs his bag and slings it over his shoulder before offering you his hand, "Ready to head out, princess?"

"Yes! It's already night and I'm hungry." You accepted his hand while you putted your other hand on your belly.

He chuckles and leads you out of the classroom: "Of course you're hungry. Well, lucky for you, I know a great place we can go to grab a bite. My treat, of course."

You gave him a sad smile, "I would like to go with you, but I told Suguru that I was going home when I got out of school..."

He feigns disappointment and pouts dramatically. "Aww, that's a shame. I was looking forward to spending some more time with you, baby. But I suppose family comes first. Next time, then." You look at him without saying anything, just pouting, and he gave you a reassuring smile: "Hey, it's alright. I understand. Like I said, family comes first. But promise me, next time you're free, we'll go out together. Just the two of us. No older brothers interrupting us."

"I promise." You smile.

As you and Satoru went to the school gate, it was already closed. Satoru tried to open it with his strength but it didn't work. His hands were in a dark tone of red now, a little scratched with some blood as he tried to force the gate before.

"What are we gonna do now? I've tried but it didn't open... And it's too high for just two people climb..." Satoru says.

"I don't want to get locked all night in school!" You replied. You were hungry and tired. All the cleaning thing tooked like 2 hours, you and Satoru were exhausted.

He looks around the empty grounds of the school and sighs in frustration. "Neither do I. This is a pain in the ass. What are we supposed to do now?"

"Well... I think we have to wait till morning... Someone has to open the gate for us to get out." You sigh as you respond Satoru.

He groans and leans back against the wall, "Great. Just great. So we're stuck here for the whole night, huh?"

"Yeah... Where do you want to go... Maybe the canteen has some food...? I'm hungry..."

He rubs the back of his neck and sighs, "The canteen's probably our best bet. Let's check it out and see if we can find something to snack on while we're stuck here."

You two were on your way to the school canteen. It was dark... Really dark. All the lights were off, just Satoru's phone flashlight illuminatting the path. Since it's late at night you start getting cold. The wind was hitting the trees and bushes and they were both swaying. It was possible to hear what seemed to be animals walking through the gardens.

As you walked you decided to call your brother to warn him that you were not coming back home that night. Suguru answers after a few rings: "Hey, what's up? You're calling pretty late. Are you coming home?"

You tell suguru what happened. After a minute he answer: "So you're locked in school with satoru? And you are gonna be there all night?"

"Yes..."

Suguru sighs and sounds annoyed, "I can't believe this... You're stuck in school all night with that punk... I don't like it. Why did you two take so long to clean a fucking classroom?!"

"Suguru calm down! We're going to be fine... There's food in the canteen, there are many restrooms, and we can stay inside a classroom or something to get warm. When the gatekeeper arrives we'll get out."

You heard Suguru sighing, "Ok, ok... Be careful and try to eat something... And tell Satoru to keep his hands to himself and to not try to do something funny or I'll break every bone in his body. Understood?"

"Understood..." Your brother is reminding you of your history teacher when she was yelling at you and Satoru. You say goodbye to him as you arrive the canteen, turning the lights on.

"Was big bro concerned about his baby sister?" Satoru speaks after minutes in silence due to your call.

"He's just... Too protective sometimes... He's always been like that."

Satoru grins, "Yeah, he definitely seems like the protective type. I can't say I blame him though. You're pretty easy to look at." He teases you with a smirk. "Aw, come on, no need to blush. I'm just calling it like I see it. You're beautiful, sweetheart."

You let out a shy smile as you two explore the canteen, you eat at school sometimes but you haven't entered into the kitchen zone. It was all tidy and clean, without any living soul or noise.

"Alright, so this is the kitchen. Doesn't look like there's much left to eat, though. I guess we'll have to make do with whatever we can find."

"After we eat our food where do want to spend the night?"

Satoru thinks for a moment before responding, "Hmm... that's a good question. Maybe the gym? It might be a bit cold, but at least there's plenty of space, and we can use the exercise equipment as makeshift beds to get comfortable."

"Good idea! You're intelligent when you want to be, you know?" You tease him a little.

"Oh, so you're finally admitting that I have brain after all? I thought you thought I was just a pretty face."

"Hum...Not even a pretty face... Just a wealthy boy."

Satoru feigns offense and dramatically gasps, "Oh, you wound me with your harsh words! I'm not just a rich boy. I'm also ridiculously handsome, charming, and strong."

You laugh because of how repetitive Satoru can be, "Oh, so can the rich handsome strong amazing boy cook?"

He responds confidently, "Of course I can cook. As I said, I'm a man of many talents, and cooking happens to be one of them. Why? You want me to make you a five-star gourmet meal with only a few random ingredients we can find in the canteen?"

You laugh again before answering, "Not a five start gourmet meal, but just something edible."

The boy scratches his cheek, "Heh, well, I can at least promise you something edible. I can whip up something simple like pasta or a sandwich with whatever we can find here."

"All right! You cook, i seat here and watch!"

Satoru rolls his eyes playfully and responds sarcastically, "Great, so I'll be the chef while you sit back and relax. Just don't complain when it doesn't come out looking like a work of art, okay?"

"Okay okay... Can you do me scrambled eggs chef?"

"I got it, your highness. Scrambled eggs comin' right up. Just sit back and watch the chef work his magic."

He then starts searching for all the ingredients, organizing the kitchen as you sit in a chair near him. You stay there a few minutes watching Satoru before your bladder begged you to empty it. You told Satoru that you were going to the restroom really quick. He waved at you and you went out of the canteen.

You finished your business in the restroom and exit the cabin to wash your hands. The sink is clean and the water runs clear. You look at yourself in the mirror, taking a moment to freshen yourself up before heading back out to the canteen. The restroom was clean and well-lit. The cabins doors were all closed, and there's no sign of anyone else inside. The only sounds are the usual hum of the fluorescent lights and the distant sound of dripping water from one of the pipes. As you leave the restroom and start walking through the corridor that leads to the canteen area.

The corridors of this school are really big and have large windows so everyone can see all the school thanks to them. You look through that big windows. It's night and dark. No one is at school at this hour, just you and Satoru. The atmosphere is strangely quiet, without students shouting in the hallways, teachers screaming at them or any other school staff talking to each other. You keep walking still looking through the windows. And you saw it. The music classroom.

You freeze.

You just can't move or look away.

You pause as you notice the light emitting from the music classroom at the other building of the school. There's a faint glow, and the sound of a piano playing can be heard gently wafting from inside.

You must be dreaming.

You need to be dreaming.

The rumors about that class come rushing into your mind. Many students say that classroom is haunted by a ghost of a professor that died 40 years ago there. The causes of death are unknown, but it is said that he was a music teacher, he didn't notice that he died, so he continued to go to the room to give his piano lessons. You've heard many rumors from your friends, students reported hearings piano sounds when nobody was inside the room, others claim to hear a man singing and other even say that they have seen the ghost. At night everyone says that the spirit of that professor plays the piano all night, his favourite song.

The same that you were hearing right at this moment.

You went pale and you feel your knees giving up. You couldn't move.

After what seemed hours looking at that classroom you gain control of your body and run back to the canteen where Satoru was waiting for you.

He is still busy cooking the eggs, his back facing you as he stands over the stove, stirring the scrambled eggs in the pan. He heard you coming into the kitchen and looked over his shoulder, smiling as he sees you return, "Ah, there you are. Just in time. The eggs are almost ready."

You rush to hug him desesperated, still very pale. Satoru is caught off guard by your sudden hug. He can sense that something is wrong, "Hey, hey. What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost or something..."

You went even more pale after he said that. He frowns, noticing your paleness growing even more, "Hey, seriously, what's going on? You're looking really pale right now. Did something happen while you were gone?"

"Satoru..." You clutched his clothes even harder and tried to hide your face into his chest. His expression softens as he sees how distressed you are. He sets the pan down on the stove and wraps his arms around you, holding you close and stroking your hair gently.

"Calm down, it's okay. You can tell me. What's got you so frightened? "

"Let's eat first... I'll tell you when we finished eating..." You couldn't tell him right now, you need to calm now first. You couldn't even talk properly.

Satoru nods in understanding and releases his embrace but keeps one arm around your waist, "Alright, let's eat first. But you have to promise me you'll tell me what's going on once we're done eating. Deal?"

"Deal..."

The boy smiles reassuringly and gives your waist a gentle squeeze before returning to the stove to finish cooking the eggs. "Okay then. Let me just finish up these eggs real quick, and then we can sit down and eat. You gonna be okay for a bit longer?"

"Yeah... Just don't leave me alone..."

He nods, acknowledging your need for reassurance, "Don't worry, I won't leave your side. Just give me a moment to plate up these eggs, and then you can cling to me as much as you want, okay? You can sit by now."

He puts the eggs on a plate for you eat and you two sit next to each other. You were calmer but still afraid. After a few minutes you told him everything, the light, the music, the rumours. Satoru listens intently as you recount your experience in the corridor, his expression growing more and more serious. When you finished, he let out a sigh and putted down his fork, "Damn, so you actually saw something that confirms those rumors. I've always thought it was just an urban legend... You say the light was coming from the music room and you heard piano music?"

You nod and tell him that you don't want to get close to that class. You were planning on spending the night on the gym, and to go there you need to pass near the music classroom. He agrees, understanding your trepidation, "I can understand why you're frightened. Seeing something like that can really shake you up. We don't have to go anywhere near that class if you don't want to. We can just eat here in the canteen and then find somewhere else to spend the night. We could spend here but it's too cold and the food smell it's too strong."

"...Satoru... Be honest... Do you believe me?"

He looks at you, his expression serious and considerate, "Of course I believe you. You're not the kind of person to make up stories or jump at shadows. If you say you saw a light on and heard the piano music, then I trust that you did. Besides, there have been other reports of people experiencing similar things in that class before, remember? You're probably not the only one who saw something."

"...What do we do now?"

Satoru takes a moment to consider your options before responding, "Well, we have a two options. We could either go to the gym, which would mean passing by that class, or we could try to find a different room to spend the night in, like one of the classrooms. Neither option is ideal, but we have to make do with what we got."

He tooks a glance at you and sees that you were still pale and shaking a little, so he continues: "But if you don't want to go near to the music class we must spend the night in other place. We'll find somewhere cozy and safe. Don't worry, you are not alone, I'm here with you, and remember, I got to protect you no matter what, or Suguru would break all my bones"

He winks at you playfully and you let out a small smile because he was trying to make you laugh.

"Thank you Toru."

You give him a side hug and he wraps his arms around you and hugs you back tightly, his chin resting on the top of your head. His voice is soft and comforting, "You're welcome, {Reader}. I won't let anything harm you, I promise. Just focus on relaxing and eating, okay? We'll figure everything out together."

Satoru releases the hug but keep one arm around your shoulders, drawing you closer to his chest. "Now, come on. You need to finish your food. You're probably feeling shaken up, but you gotta keep your strength up. Eat a little bit more, alright? Just a few more bites, for me." You eat the rest of your food while he waits.

Satoru grins and gives your shoulder a gentle squeeze, "That's the spirit! See, you're already feeling a bit better after eating. That's good. Now, let's go find a room to stay in for the night. Are you good to walk or do you want me to carry you?"

"Would you carry me if I ask?" You giggle a little, trying to forget that image in your head.

He laughs at your question. "Of course, I will! Just say the word, and I'll carry you wherever you want. No need to trouble yourself with walking. I'll princess carry you if that's what you want."

Satoru starts walking out of the canteen, holding you in his arms like a princess. "We're heading to one of the empty classrooms. It'll be cleaner and more comfortable than staying here in the canteen. And it won't be near that haunted class at all."

You were happy that he didn't force you to go to the gym, but still worried when you thought about something: "But we have to pass through the corridor that have a window with a view of that class..."

Satoru nods, his expression becoming a little more serious, "Yeah, we do have to pass by the corridor, but I'll make sure you don't look out that window at the class. Just focus on me, okay? And if you start feeling uncomfortable, just bury your face in my chest and cling to me as tight as you want. I won't let anything happen to you."

You do what he said, you cling into him as your help depends on it. He holds you against his chest like a precious treasure, his arms securing you tightly. He walks down the corridor carefully, shielding you from any potential sight of the class. His body feels warm and solid against yours, and his scent is comforting as he keeps you close, "Don't look out that window. Just keep your face on my chest. We're almost there, you're doing great. Just a little bit more, alright?"

Satoru continues walking through the corridor, keeping you tucked securely in his arms. The sound of his footsteps and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat help to soothe your nerves. As you finally reach the end of the corridor, Satoru lets out a small sigh of relief.

"We made it. See, we're fine. That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"...Did you saw it?"

Satoru shakes his head. "No, I didn't see anything. I'm focused on you and you only. I didn't look at the class even once. You can trust me on that. "

"Thank you... Really."

"No need to thank me, I'm just looking out for you. You're safe with me. And once we get to the classroom, you can rest easy and forget all about that creepy class. Just a little bit further, and we're there. Just hang in there a bit longer, alright?"

You keep walking until you finally reach an empty classroom. The boy carefully places you down on your feet, opening the door and flicking on the lights. He then shuts the door behind himself, making sure it's locked.

"We made it. Finally somewhere safe and comfortable, without any spooky music classes nearby."

Satoru takes a moment to look around the classroom, making sure everything is secure. Seeing that everything's in order, he turns his attention back to you.

"Alright, we're good here. You can relax now. No windows, no haunted classes. Just you and me in this room."

You nod at him, thanking him again, "Do you have your phone with you? What time is it?"

Satoru nods and reaches into his pocket, pulling out his phone. He quickly checks the time, "Yeah, I've got my phone. The time is..." He brings the phone closer to his face, checking the digital display. "... 11:47PM. Geez, it's already that late."

"And we have to wait until 6AM, that's when the school staff arrives to open the gates." You add.

Satoru lets out a sigh and runs a hand through his hair. "Yeah, we have a long night ahead of us. We need to stay here in this classroom until someone comes in the morning. That means about 6 more hours..."

"Do you want to sleep?"

"Nah, I'm not tired just yet. Plus, I want to make sure you're alright. You've had quite an eventful night, huh?"

"...You're right... I'm exhausted but even if I want to I just can't sleep... I need do distract myself from that... thing... What do you want to do?"

"Well if you want to be awake we could play a game... Like truth or dare. We can get to know each other better and you'll distract yourself. What so you say?"

"Yes... That's a great idea." You liked his idea. Really. But you just can't get that music out of your head. You can't stay safe knowing that something or someone is with you at this school. Satoru is trying to cheer you up, so you force a smile while you sit in two chairs at the back of the class.

"Great! Let's start then. Since I suggested the game, you get to go first. Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

He smirks, thinking of a good question, "Okay, truth question... hmm, let me think... Oh! I got one! Did you ever dated someone? Like, did you have a boyfriend?"

You are surprised by his question. But you remembered what he said moments ago, with this game you can get to know each other better, so you finally answered, "No. Like... I never had a boyfriend before."

He raises an eyebrow, a hint of disbelief in his expression: "You're serious? You're saying you've never dated or had any experiences either?"

"No... There were a few boys that were interested in me... But Suguru won't let them get close. And if im being honest im not that concerned about relationships or anything, we're im high school, we're young. We have a whole life to experience that things. Now we need to focus on other things you know? But as I told you, even if I wanted to date anyone, Suguru would probably scare them away..."

"Ah, now it all makes sense. No wonder you're so untouchable. I guess your brother kept any potential boyfriends away, huh." He says jokingly, "So never dated before? Guess were in the same boat..."

"What do you mean? The great Gojo Satoru never had a girlfriend? Really?"

"I know it's hard to believe... But all the girls that were into me were more interested in my money or my family status, so I never had nothing serious."

His face flushes with embarrassement and he looks away. You laugh a little at his shyness, "Don't need to be shy! So were both inexperienced..."

"Okay okay..." He quickly changes the subject to hide his red cheeks, "Your turn to ask me."

"Truth or dare?"

Satoru grins and leans back against the wall, his cocky behavior coming back, "Dare! Hit me with your best shot. I'm not afraid."

You think for a bit. Even if Satoru is trying to make you feel happier and comfortable you're still frightenedd because of the music classroom. You can't take that moment from your mind, you were paralyzed, looking at the class while you heard a low sound of a piano playing. You can't stay here 6 entire hours at the dark while something is at school too. You tried to be more rational... It could be a person. Yeah... A person... Someone who stayed inside of the school like you and Satoru, maybe someone from the school staff or a student... Maybe even the current music teacher. It can't be a ghost or a spirit... Right? You were lost in your thoughts when Satoru called for you. After a few seconds you answered.

"Well... I'm gonna be honest. I'm still with that classroom in mind... Why don't you go check that it? You don't even need to enter, just get close and see if it's someone there."

The white haired boy raises an eyebrow at your dare and looks at you with a mix of amusement and curiosity, "You want me to go near that haunted classroom? Are you sure about this, princess?"

"Toru I'm still afraid, I need to confirm that's nothing wrong there... And you are not afraid as I am..."

Satoru studies your face, seeing the genuine fear in your eyes. He takes a deep breath and nods, "Alright, if it'll help put your mind at ease, I'll do it. Stay here. But if anything happens, scream and I'll be right there, okay?"

"Thank you. Go with your phone and if anything hapends call me, okay?" You give him a small but genuine smile, grabbing his hand to encourage him.

He nods, pulling out his phone and holding it in his hand, "Don't worry, I'll have my phone ready. Stay right here, princess. You're safe, I promise."

Satoru takes a deep breath, turns the knob, and slowly opens the music classroom door. The student slowly steps into the classroom, holding his phone as a makeshift flashlight. The room is eerily silent, and the air is cold. He glances around, trying to spot anything out of the ordinary... His eyes scan the space carefully, looking for any signs of movement or anything unnerving. The room seems deserted, but the dark shadows in the corners play tricks on his eyes, making him feel slightly uneasy. He takes a few more steps into the room, his phone flashlight illuminating the space in front of him.

Satoru continues exploring the classroom, his footsteps echoing in the empty area. He checks behind desks, peeks into supply closets, and surveys the entire room. He tries to keep his cool, but the eerie silence and darkness start to get under his skin. His heart rate picks up a bit as he continues to search the room. He checks every nook and cranny, searching for any sign of a ghost or anything out of the ordinary. The silence is deafening, and every sound he makes seems amplified in the empty space. As he turns to check behind the last row of desks, he suddenly hears a soft shuffling noise coming from the other side of the room.

He freezes immediately upon hearing the sound. His eyes widen, and his heart starts beating faster. He grips his phone tighter, the dim light trembling in his hand. He slowly and quietly turns in the direction of the noise, trying to pinpoint its location. The sound grows louder, a soft shuffling noise coming from the corner of the classroom. Satoru cautiously approaches the area, his mind racing with possibilities. He tries to keep his breathing steady as he shines his phone flashlight into the dark corner, bracing himself for what he might see.

As the boy approaches the pile of boxes, he can sense that something is off. The shuffling noise seems to be coming from directly behind the boxes. His hands shake slightly as he slowly moves the phone's light back and forth between the boxes, trying to see what's hiding behind them. The shadows dance around him, and he can't shake off the feeling that he's being watched. He takes a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves, then reaches out with a trembling hand and pushes the boxes aside, revealing... nothing.

The corner is empty, with just a few cobwebs and dust bunnies remaining. The shuffling noise suddenly cuts off, and Satoru's heart beats wildly in his chest as he stares into the dimly lit space.

Satoru stands there, frozen in place, his heart still racing. He shines his phone flashlight into the corner once more, just to make sure. The empty space seems almost mocking, with no signs of any creature or ghost. He takes a few deep breaths, trying to calm his racing heart. Was it his imagination? Just the wind playing tricks on him? No, the windows were closed... Or was something there, hiding just out of sight?

He waits a moment, hoping the shuffling noise doesn't start up again. When everything stays quiet, he slowly backs away from the corner, his eyes still locked on the empty space. He takes a deep breath and finally tears his gaze away, trying to shake off the unease that he felt. He turns away from the corner and slowly makes his way to the classroom door, ready to leave that unsettling place behind.

Satoru walks out of the classroom and closes the door behind him, relieved to be out of that eerie space. He stands there for a moment, leaning against the door, and tries to catch his breath. The adrenaline from the experience slowly fades, and he realizes how tense he was. He takes a final deep breath and walks back toward you, a slight tremble in his step. As he approaches you, he forces a small smile, trying to hide the lingering unease he feels. He stops in front of you, pocketing his phone in his jeans, and shrugs slightly.

"Well.. good news, there's nothing wrong with that classroom... You were just imagining things. You are exhausted... You could have imagined it. Your subconscious may have associated the rumors at the music classroom and created an audiovisual effect on your mind."

"Really? So the light and the sounds?... It's true that I'm tired... You must be right."

"Yeah. There's nothing there. I checked the whole place, no sign of any ghost or even a person, whatever. The lights were off and the the cover that protects the piano keys was closed. We're safe."

Satoru was still trying to maintain his composure. He runs a hand through his hair, trying to dismiss your concerns. He heard something. He knows that something is wrong with that place. But he didn't want you to be scared.

"Thank god!" You get up and hug him, "You're my hero!" Finally you can rest. You don't need to be suspicious about a spirit of a dead professor.

Satoru smiles as you hug him, his arms wrapping around you instinctively. He laughs at your words and shakes his head, "Hey, no need to be dramatic. I just checked a dusty classroom, not saved the world or anything."

"You saved me! I was really worried... Now I know nothing is wrong with that class! Thank you!" He grins, enjoying the way you're clinging to him and leans down a bit and gently pats your head.

"You're welcome, princess. You don't have to worry about that classroom anymore. It's just a typical, boring classroom with nothing exciting going on." You laugh a little, you much happier and chill now.

"Yeah... So what do you want to do now?"

Satoru pretends to think for a moment before a mischievous grin spreads across his face, "Hmm, I can think of a few things we can do while it's just the two of us here in a completely deserted school..."

"You perv! We're not doing anything! Suguru would kill you!" You hit his arm jokingly. The boy laughs heartily and steps closer to you, still holding you in his arms. He raises an eyebrow and grins, "Hey, I didn't say anything perverted. But you're right, Suguru would probably kill me if he found out I did anything inappropriate with you. He's so overprotective sometimes..."

You laugh more, before saying, "Now that we know there's no ghost do you want to go to the gym? We can sleep there, we need to rest, and it's comfy, we have to pass through that class, but you checked so we're gonna be fine!" You smiled at him, not noticing that his eyes widened. Satoru considers your suggestion for a moment, weighing the options. He didn't want to go, but you needed to rest and he didn't want to scare you. He glances in the direction of the haunted classroom and then returns his gaze to you, "Hmm, the gym, huh? That doesn't sound bad. And yeah, I checked that classroom already, so we're good to go. Just, uh... stick close to me, okay?... Just in case."

"All right hero... Let's go!" Satoru grins at your nickname for him and tightens his arm around your waist, gently guiding you towards hallway. He keeps a close eye on you, making sure you're feeling safe and comfortable, even though he's the one who's shaking now, "Alright, princess. Let's make our way to the gym and settle in for the night. And don't worry, I'm the hero now, remember? I'll protect you from anything."

You start on your way to the gym, which is located at the back of the school, surrounded by tall large trees. The night is calm, silence settles throughout the school, with only the sound of the wind ruffling the leaves of the trees. Your crush walks alongside you, his arm still around your waist. He looks around the deserted school, taking note of the eerie silence. When you approach the last corridor you have to go through to get to the gym, the hallway of the music room, Satoru looks at you and tries to smile, "Almost there. Just a few more steps, and we'll be at the gym. Are you doing okay? Not too spooked out by this whole situation?"

"Not anymore. You checked. I trust you." You're not lying. You're a lot calmer now. If he told that wasn't anything there, you believe him, there was no reason to be afraid of silly rumours. But Satoru's sure there's something strange happening in this school. After all he heard it. In front of him.

As you both pass by the classroom where the strange shuffling sounds came from earlier, Satoru can't help but feel a pang of unease. He tries to brush it off, telling himself that he already checked the place and there's nothing there. But some lingering doubts remain in his mind, "Yeah, I checked and found nothing... Just an empty classroom... no need to worry." He continues to walk, but his pace is a bit slower now as he grapples with the nagging feeling in his gut. He keeps his arm protectively around your waist, pulling you closer to him. He tries to hide his unease, not wanting to worry you, "We're almost there... just a few more steps to the gym."

As you both finally arrive at the gym, Satoru releases a breath he didn't realize he was holding. The gym's welcoming atmosphere contrasts sharply with the unsettling feeling in his gut. He glances over at you, hoping you didn't notice his momentary discomfort.

"Ah, finally here. The gym is always a good spot to unwind and relax."

"Yeah. I'll go find the blankets or something that can keep us warm, you close the door."

Satoru nods and watches as you head off to find the blankets. He takes a moment to gather his thoughts and try to shake off the lingering unease from earlier. He walks over to the gymnasium's entrance and closes the door, securing it. He takes a final breath before turning back to look around the spacious room. The white hair boy looks around the gym, taking in the familiar surroundings. The familiar sight of basketball hoops and gym equipment brings a small sense of comfort. He walks over to where you are and notices you searching for blankets.

"Having any luck finding those blankets, princess?"

"I found one! We can share."

Satoru grins at your discovery and smirks, "Oh really? Just one, huh? I guess we'll have to share then. I hope you don't mind getting cozy with me under the same blanket."

"Pufff don't think anything stupid." He feigns innocence, putting on an exaggerated shocked expression, "Me? Thinking of something stupid? Perish the thought. I was just thinking about having a nice, friendly snuggle under a blanket. Nothing more, I swear."

You smile at him, "We're just cuddling you stupid." Satoru's grin widens at your invitation. He saunters over to where you are, a playful glimmer in his eyes, "Well, if you insist, baby. I won't say no to a cuddle session." He reaches out and takes the blanket from you, then sits down on the gym floor and gestures for you to join him.

After you sit he drapes the blanket over both of their laps, creating a cozy cocoon for the two of you. He puts an arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer to him and resting his hand on your hip.

"Comfy? This blanket is thinner than I thought. I guess we'll have to cuddle closely to stay warm."

"You're right." You answer and add "We should sleep... All that ghost story made me tired..." You were so tired yet happy that the ghost was "false" that you didn't even notice that Satoru had a change on his mood. Satoru watches as you yawn and snuggle closer to him, oblivious to his lingering unease. He forces a small smile and nods, trying to hide his own tiredness and concern: "Yeah, you're right. It's been a long day with all that ghost talk. Let's get some sleep. You can rest your head on me if you want."

"Okay. Thank you. Just put an alarm for 6AM, so we can go to the gate and go to our houses to rest."

He pulls out his phone, setting an alarm for 6AM, saying "Alarm set for 6AM. We'll be up and out of here before you know it." He tucks his phone back into his pocket and looks down at you, wrapped up in the blanket with your head resting on his shoulder.

As you drift off to sleep, unaware of the turmoil in Satoru's mind, he remains awake, holding you close. The sounds he heard earlier still haunt him, and despite his efforts to dismiss them as his imagination, he can't shake off the feeling of unease. He glances around the gym, the dimly lit room taking on an eerie cast in his mind's eye. The white hair boy tries to stay focused on you, taking comfort in your presence. But every little sound, every shadow that moves in the dim light, sets his nerves on edge. He tries to rationalize with himself, reminding himself that he checked the place earlier and found nothing but the sounds he heard keep replaying in his mind. He can't shake the feeling that something's wrong. Satoru continues to hold you close, his heart racing. He looks down at your sleeping form, feeling a mix of protectiveness and worry. He knows he should wake you up, but he doesn't want to worry you, not when you're looking so peaceful. He tries to ignore the eerie sounds that seem to be getting louder, telling himself that it's just his imagination playing tricks on him. But as the minutes tick by, his unease grows.

Satoru's breath quickens as the sound of shuffling footsteps fills his ears. His grip on you tightens involuntarily, and he looks around the gym, trying to locate the source of the noise. The shadows seem to move more erratically, making it harder for him to tell what's real and what's his imagination. The shuffling footsteps grow louder, and a chill runs down Satoru's spine. He can feel his heart pounding in his chest as adrenaline surges through his body. He glances down at you, still asleep on his shoulder, and debates whether to wake you up or keep you blissfully unaware.

The footsteps seem to draw closer, and Satoru can hear a soft, shuffling noise as if something is approaching from the shadows. His mind races, torn between his desire to protect you and his fear of what's lurking in the darkness. He glances anxiously around the gym, trying to make out any shape or movement in the dim light. The footsteps come to a stop, and an eerie silence falls over the room. Satoru's breath catches in his throat as he strains his ears, listening for any sign of movement. His eyes dart around the gym, searching the shadows for any sign of an intruder. But as the seconds tick by, the silence becomes deafening, and his thoughts begin to race again. His heart beats faster as the tense silence stretches on. He feels a bead of sweat running down his forehead, and his grip on you tightens. He tries to maintain his composure, but the tension is palpable. The room feels charged, as if something is about to happen. Satoru's eyes scan the shadows, his mind racing with worst-case scenarios.

Suddenly, a loud thump echoes through the gym, causing Satoru to jump in surprise. It sounds like something heavy being dropped or moved. Satoru's heart rate spikes, and any lingering doubts about the reality of the situation disappear. He squeezes you protectively, his mind racing with fear. His breathing becomes ragged as the reality of the situation sets in. He quickly fishes out his phone from his pocket, careful not to wake you up. With shaking hands, he unlocks it and dials Suguru's number, desperately hoping his friend picks up. Satoru listens anxiously as the phone rings, each second feeling like an eternity. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, he hears Suguru's groggy voice on the other end of the line.

Satoru's voice trembles as he whispers into the phone, "Suguru, it's me. Please tell me you're awake... I need your help. There's something... someone... here with us in the gym, and I don't know what to do."

Suguru, hearing the panic in Satoru's voice, instantly sits up, fully awake, "What? Satoru, what are you talking about? What's going on?"

The student glances around the gym, his eyes darting nervously as he tries to keep his voice steady, "There's... there's something in here with us. I can hear footsteps, and something just made a loud thump. I don't know who or what it is, and I... I'm scared, Suguru."

Suguru's voice is serious and concerned as he responds, "Stay where you are, and don't do anything stupid. I'm on my way. Just keep yourselves safe until I get there, okay?"

Satoru takes a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart, "Okay, we'll stay put. Just please hurry, Suguru. I don't know what to do if that... thing decides to approach us."

Your brother's voice is reassuring as he responds, "I'm coming as fast as I can. Just stay safe, and don't worry. I'll be there soon."

Satoru nods, even though Suguru can't see him, "Okay, we'll be fine. Just hurry, please." He continues to hold you tightly, his mind racing with anxiety as he waits for Suguru's arrival.

Minutes feel like hours as he anxiously scans the gym for any signs of the intruder. The room is eerily silent, broken only by the sound of his ragged breaths. He desperately listens for any hint of his friend's arrival, his grip on you tightening with each passing second. And finally, after what feels like an eternity, Satoru hears a soft knocking on the gym doors. His heart races as he immediately recognizes the sound, relief flooding through him.

"Suguru's here...."

The boy gently shakes you awake, careful not to startle you too much, "Hey, wake up. Suguru's here, and he's at the door." You wake up groggy, "... What? What is he doing here? It's already 6AM?..." You ask a little confused while you rub your eyes.

Satoru nods, still feeling anxious, "No... It's not 6AM... But... we had a bit of a situation. Can you just go open the door for me, please? I'll explain everything in a second."

"Open the door?" He nods again, his tone gently imploring.

"Yes, can you go open the door, please? Suguru's waiting outside, and well... you're going to think I'm crazy once I explain."

You get up and cross the gym, still rubbing your eyes, looking for the door. It's still dark and there's no noise other than the loud knocking on the gym's large door. You finally reach the door and open it. Your older brother stands at the door, looking concerned and a little disheveled from being woken up suddenly. He glances at you with a mix of worry and relief in his eyes, "Is Gojo there with you? Is he okay?"

"Well... He is there... He looks weird... We planned to sleep and wait untill the gate of the school opened, but he woke me up and told me to open the door..." Your sleepy voice echoes through the big space.

Suguru's concern deepens as he listens to your words. First, he looks up and down at you, trying to catch any wound and when he sees that you're fine, he gives you a quick hug and then glances past you, trying to catch a glimpse of Satoru, "Is he okay? He didn't tell you what's going on? He just woke you up and told you to open the door?"

"He didn't told me anything, I was sleeping... what happened and how did you enter the school? The gates are closed..."

Suguru leans slightly closer, his voice lowered, "The gates are closed, yeah... but I know how to climb the fence. I was worried after Gojo called me and told me that you guys might be in danger. He was freaking out on the phone. Said he heard something in here with you, and he was scared something bad was going to happen. So I told him to stay where he was, and I'd come right over and check it out. That's why I'm here."

"...What?... He heard something?"

"Yeah, he was really panicked. He said he heard footsteps and something making noise in here with you. He sounded genuinely worried. That's why I came over as quickly as I could."

You stayed in silence, paralyzed as you were hours ago when you heard the piano sound and saw the light from the music classroom. Did Satoru heard something? On the gym? That's crazy... You thought that everything was fine, that you had just imagined things. But after all... You were right... That's something wrong in this place... Your older brother looks at you with concern, wondering how you're processing this information. He continues to speak in a quiet voice and a serious face.

"So, is he in there still? Is he okay? Can I come in and talk to him?"

"...Yes yes... Enter."

He nods and steps into the gym, his eyes immediately scanning the room for any signs of danger but nobody else is here. His senses are on high alert, and he cautiously approaches Satoru, who is still sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. Suguru crouches down next to Satoru, noticing his anxious and frightened demeanor, "Hey man, you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost." He notices the look of fear in his friend's eyes and places a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Hey, talk to me. What happened? Did you really heard something in here? You look terrified." Suguru's voice is gentle as he tries to coax Satoru into speaking, "...Come on, man. Talk to me. I'm here. Just tell me what happened. I wanna help you. Me and {Reader} checked, there's nothing here..."

"Toru is everything all right? Did you heard anything when I was sleeping?" You ask this time. Satoru takes a deep breath, his voice shaking as he responds:

"Yeah... I heard... footsteps... and something moving around in here. It sounded like someone or something was in here with us while you were sleeping."

Suguru notices your paling complexion and the shock on your face, "Hey, take a deep breath. Everything's going to be okay. I'm here now, and I'll make sure nothing happens. You're safe. But first, why don't you sit down. You look like you're about to pass out." You sit down and you tell everything that happened to Suguru since your detention, the spirit of the music classroom, when satoru went to check and told you that everything was ok...

He listens intently, his expression becoming more serious as you recount the events, "So, you guys were just about to sleep in here when Gojo heard footsteps? But before he went out to check but came back saying everything was fine?" You nod and he continues, as his eyebrows furrow in concentration, "That's weird... He said he heard footsteps and something moving around... but when he went to check that classroom, he told you everything was fine. Why would he do that? Gojo wouldn't lie about something like that. He looked terrified when I came in."

*...I don't know Suguru, I just woke up... But since you're here we better get out of the school, you will help us climb the gates."

"Yeah, you're right. Let's get out of here. I'll help you climb the gates. Gojo, can you get up, or do you need a minute?"

Satoru stayed in silence.

Suguru offers him a hand, helping him to his feet, "Come on, man. You look shaken, but we need to get out of here. Can you walk?" He didn't answer again. Your brother puts a supportive arm around Satoru as they start making their way towards the exit, with you at the front, "Lean on me. I got you."

"It's still night... What time is it?" Suguru glances at his watch as they walk and responds you, "It's around 5am. The sun should start rising in about an hour." "Do you want to wait till someone came? It's just one hour left. Or you prefer to climb?" You asked.

Suguru considers the options for a moment before responding, "We can wait if you want, but I'm not comfortable staying here any longer than we have to. We don't know if whatever was in here is still lurking around. I think it might be better if we went ahead and climbed the gate. We'll be safer on the outside."

"Yeah... You're right... It was a stupid question, sorry... Satoru are you okay? You didn't talk since Suguru got here..." You said as you leave the gym passing through that class again. Satoru nods slowly, still shaken but slightly more composed than before, "Yeah... I... I'm okay. Just a little spooked. Let's just get out of here." As you pass through the haunted classroom, Satoru's eyes dart around nervously, straining to see or hear anything out of the ordinary. Suguru keeps a firm grip on Satoru, his eyes also scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger.

You finally approach the gates and peer up at the towering fence.

"Alright, you ready? You're shorter than us... I'll boost you up, and you climb over. I'll follow right after." Suguru says and positions himself next to the gate as he prepares to give you a boost up. He laces his fingers together, creating a makeshift step for you to use as leverage, "Okay, step on my hands, and I'll hoist you up. Then you grab the top of the gate and swing your leg over. I'll be right behind you." Your sibling helps you out, and your outside the school. He climb the gate alone since he's stronger, but waits until his friend climb too. Just Satoru's inside now.

Suguru lets out a sigh of relief once you're safely on the other side of the fence. He turns his attention back to Satoru, who's still inside the school grounds, "Hey, Gojo, you need a boost? You can grab my hand. Hurry up and get out here."

Satoru looks one more time to the music class.

Suguru furrows his brow in confusion as he notices Satoru staring at the music class, "Hey, Gojo, what's wrong? What are you looking at?" He follows the blue eyed boy gaze towards the music class, his concern growing, "What do you see, Gojo? Is something there?"

Satoru saw it. Right in front of him. The man. The professor that died 40 years ago. Looking straight into his eyes.

Gojo Satoru freezed. He couldn't move. Not with that death glare staring into his soul. The man is wearing a fancy black suit, glasses and a beret. He's standing up with hands behind his back in front of the piano. A cold face and very pale skin.

Suguru notices the look of horror on Satoru's face and his gaze fixated on the music class, "Gojo, what is it? What do you see?" He looks into the music class, trying to spot the object of Satoru's fear, but didn't saw anything.

"Satoru get up! Suguru is waiting!" You scream this time, already on the other side, near Suguru's car.

Satoru snaps out of his trance upon hearing your voice. He peels his eyes away from the man, his heart pounding in his chest. With one last glance behind him, he quickly rushes over to where you and Suguru are. Your brother looks at Satoru with a mix of concern and curiosity, noting his rattled state, "Gojo, what happened? You look like you've seen a ghost... or maybe, like you actually saw one." His expression shifts to one of seriousness as he tries to make sense of the situation, "...What did you see in there? Be honest with me." Suguru leans closer, his voice gentle yet determined, "Come on, man... You need to tell me what you're thinking. There's something inside that scared you, yeah? You can trust me. Just tell me what you saw in there."He waits patiently, his gaze never wavering from his best friend. He can see the turmoil in his expression and the hesitation in his demeanor. He speaks softly but firmly, urging him to open up, "Satoru, whatever it is, you need to tell me. It's okay. Just let it out. I'm here for you."

"Suguru hurry! Put satoru down! And get in the car, we can talk about this at home!"

Suguru nods in agreement, realizing the urgency of the situation. He turns to Satoru and gently grabs his arm, "Come on, Gojo. We're going home. Let's get in the car and talk there." He leads Satoru towards the car, helping him into the passenger seat. Once he's settled, Suguru quickly rounds the car to the driver's side and gets in. He starts the engine and starts driving, the silence in the car tense as you make your way home.

"Toru you okay?" You finally broke the silence.

Satoru lets out a shaky sigh and nods weakly, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, "I... I don't know... I just... I saw something... something I can't explain."

Suguru glances over at the boy, his concern growing at the troubled look on his face. He decides to press further, "What did you saw, Gojo? What was it that has you so shaken up? It must have been something pretty damn scary if it's got you this messed up..."

"Satoru... You went to check on the music class... You told me that there was nothing there... I don't understand..."

He nods slowly, his voice barely above a whisper, "I... I know I did... but when I went in, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. I just checked the halls and the classroom. Nothing weird or unusual. At least, nothing that I could see... I just... Heard noises... Weird sounds... But I didn't wanted to scare you more..." He tried to continue but his voice broke.

You and your brother can hear the uncertainty in Satoru's voice, the confusion and fear in his tone. Suguru takes a deep breath before speaking again, trying to find the right words to say, "So, you looked around, and everything seemed fine, right? Not mentioning the noises of course... Then why do you look so scared, Gojo? I know you saw something there." He glances over at Satoru again, trying to gauge his expression in the dim light of the car. He can sense the distress bubbling beneath the surface, and he wants to help, "Man, whatever you saw... or thought you saw... please tell me. I can't help you if I don't know what's going on, man. You're scaring me and my sister..." The car falls into a tense silence as the black haired boy continues to drive, the only sounds coming from the hum of the engine and the rain pattering against the windshield. Suguru can practically feel the tension radiating off of Satoru, and he can see the troubled expression on his face in the dim light cast from the street lamps.

"Suguru stop... If he don't want to tell us it's all right, maybe he needs time to think." Your sibling lets out a heavy sigh, realizing the truth in your words. He glances over at Satoru, who still looks shell-shocked, "Yeah... you're right. Maybe he just needs some time to process. But I'm worried about him. I've never seen him so shaken up before."

You grab your crush's hand and try to comfort him: "It's all right now, we're out of that school, and Suguru is here..."

Suguru watches as you gently take Satoru's trembling hand, offering him words of reassurance. Satoru's grip tightens around your hand, as if seeking comfort and support and he finally speaks, "I know... I know we're out... but... I can't shake this feeling... like something's watching us still..."

"Gross! Don't say that!"

At your outburst, Satoru lets out a small, strained chuckle and nods, "Yeah, sorry... you're right. I didn't mean to freak you out. It's just... it's like I can feel something lurking nearby. Watching us..."

"...Do you think it's following us?..."

"I… I don't know… maybe? It's just... this feeling won't go away. Like there's something or someone following us, just out of sight…"

He continues to hold your hand tightly, his grip growing increasingly more tense as they continue their drive. His eyes flit around the surroundings outside the car, searching the darkness for any signs of being followed. It's dark and your family's house is out of the town, a little far away. Your family doesn't have much money as Satoru's family so you live in a village in the middle of plantation fields where there isn't much movement, just huge trees and wild animals. You had to admit that was a bit of a scary path. But before you leave the city you had an idea to try to cheer up the boys.

"Suguru! I want to go to McDonald's before we get home, let's get food, me and Satoru didn't eat almost anything last night."

He chuckles softly at your outburst and your attempts to lift the mood, "Yeah, alright. McDonald's it is. Might take our minds off things, even if just for a bit."

The three of you now sit spread out on the floor of Suguru's room, surrounded by the remnants of your McDonald's meals. The atmosphere is somewhat lighter, but Satoru still seems distant and troubled, his mind clearly elsewhere. He excuses himself and heads to the bathroom, your brother turns to you, a concerned look on his face. He lowers his voice so that Satoru can't hear from the bathroom.

"Hey... you think he'll be alright? I haven't seen him like this before. It's starting to worry me."

"I think it's from the shock... From what he told us he heard something, but was trying to act cool for me not to freak out... Give him some time... He will get better..."

"Yeah, you're probably right... He's always been like that, trying to be the strong one and not let anyone see him struggle. But this... this is different. He couldn't hide how freaked out he was, and that... that's what's worrying me."

Suguru leans back against the wall, his eyes fixed on the bathroom door, waiting for Satoru to come out. The room is filled with a tense silence, broken only by the occasional sound of the rain tapping against the window. He glances over at you, a worried expression etched onto his face, and he mutters softly, the words barely above a whisper, "He'll be alright though, right? He's strong... he can handle this."

"...Do you think that the ghost was real? Or just our imagination?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure... I want to say it was just Satoru's imagination, that it was a product of fear and exhaustion. But... there's something about the look in his eyes, the way he's been acting... it's like he truly believes he saw something. But... spirits don't exist, right? They're just stories and superstitions. Something that our grandmother tell us to scare us when we were little, right?"

You don't answer. Instead you get closed to your brother trying to find any comfort. Suguru notices your gesture and immediately puts an arm around you, offering you a warm embrace. He gently rubs your back and ruffles your hair, trying to soothe your worries as he speaks, "Hey, hey... it's alright. No need to get so worked up. We're here for each other, remember? We'll figure things out and help Satoru, okay? Just rest your head on my shoulder for now. Everything's going to be fine."

"Thank you Suguru... If it wasn't you, me and Toru would be in that school with that... Thing..."

"No need to thank me. We're family, right? We look out for each other. I'd never leave you and Satoru alone in a situation like that. Besides, I'm the big brother. It's my job to protect both of you. So don't worry, okay? I won't let anything bad happen to you guys."

You notice that the sun is starting to rise but you're all exhausted due to want happend in the night, so you decided that's best if none of you go to school today. You can stay at home and rest all day. So when Satoru leaved the bathroom Suguru turned with a gentle smile and said:

"Hey, I think it's a good idea if we all just stay home today. None of us got much sleep last night, and you're clearly worn out. So why don't we just take the day off today? We can chill, relax, and sort through what happened last night."

"I agree with Suguru... What do you think Toru?

Satoru, who had just emerged from the bathroom and overheard your conversation, nods in agreement. He looks visibly exhausted and worn out himself, his eyes tired and heavy, "...Yeah... I think it's a good idea. I don't think I'd be able to focus on school today anyway, with everything that happened."

"Let's sleep a little. None of us slept."

Your brother nods, feeling relieved that everyone is in agreement. He glances towards his bed, which is big enough for all three of you to sleep on comfortably, "Okay, sleeping sounds good. This bed's big enough for all three of us, so let's just rest for a bit. We'll talk more once we've had some sleep."

You crawl into bed, finding a comfortable position on the spacious mattress. Suguru takes the middle, with you and Satoru on either side of him. The room is quiet and tranquil, the only sound coming from the soft breaths and shuffling of the sheets as you all try to get comfortable. The sun's rays enter through the cracks of the window creating a comfortable atmosphere, neither too bright nor too dark, for you sleep. Suguru gently wraps an arm around you as you snuggle closer to him, resting your head against his shoulder. The exhaustion from the previous night catches up with both of you, and slowly, you both drift off to sleep, a sense of comfort and security enveloping you in the safe confines of your big brother embrace.

Satoru tries his best to sleep, but his mind is restless, unable to shake the feeling of being watched. His eyes dart around the room as if anticipating something to come out of the shadows and jump at him. He can't seem to find comfort or peace, and even his closed eyelids fail to shield him from the unsettling sensation that something is still watching him closely. He continues to lay there, his mind racing and his heart beating anxiously. The teenager tries to distract himself by listening to the soft breaths coming from you and Suguru as you sleep, but the feeling of being watched only grows stronger. His eyes dart around the room, looking for any sign of something unusual or out of place, but all he sees is the comforting sight of his bestfriend and his (almost) girlfriend, peacefully asleep next to him. As the minutes tick by, Satoru's anxiety and unease continue to grow. The feeling that someone or something is watching him becomes increasingly intense, making it nearly impossible for him to find any semblance of peace or relaxation. He tenses up as he tries to discern what could be causing this sensation, his mind plagued by a myriad of possibilities and scenarios.

Now, in his mind there is only one question:

What happened that night at school?

[rosewaterandivy]

Epilogue | for once in my life

Summary: Rumor has it, that hometown hero-turned-teacher Steve Harrington is hot for teacher. The English teacher next door to him at Hawkins High, who also happens to be his childhood friend, that is.

Pairing: Steve Harrington x chaotic!dumbass reader

W.C: 5.7k

Warnings: No use of y/n - reader goes by the nickname Trouble instead, yearning, Tuscan summers, a flashback or two, a wedding, and my usual filth™️

A/N: Thanks for bearing with me while I worked on an ending for our two beloved idiots. 🥺 Truthfully, part of me put off writing the epilogue simply because I didn’t want to let Trouble and Steve go— they’re so near and dear to me! But, all good things must come to an end and I hope I’ve given them a fitting one. Thank you all for reading along and sharing your joy with me, it’s been incredible to experience! 💜💜💜

Series masterlist | Series Playlist | trouble will find me (for Trouble, most ardently) | rebel without a clue (for Steve, with love)

previous

The distance was difficult, only mitigated by the positively unreal Tuscan summer. Though the university was in Bologna in the Emilia-Romagna region, since your classes centered on Dante, you along with a few other students, called Florence your home away from home for the summer.

The sun shone bright and hot against the ancient stones of Palazzo Medici Riccardi, and felt good against your back as you lazed in the garden and courtyard on a rare day off from combing through medieval texts in jam-packed libraries and dust motes floating through the air.

Crossing the bustling street you popped into your local gelateria only to be greeted with an exuberant, “Bella!” from Alessandro behind the counter. “Finally you grace us with your presence,” He teases, already scooping out a serving of arancia rossa sorbetto for you into a cup.

“Grazie,” You say with a smile, taking the sorbetto from his outstretched hand. “Had a slow start to the morning is all, Sandro.”

“Certo, I know how it is,” He says with a knowing wink. 

To be fair, the slow start to the day was warranted, given the stress-induced dream you had last night. There you were, minding your own business, thinking about Steve and the voice note he’d left you earlier, and the next thing you know, your brain decided a trip down memory lane was warranted.

“But what do I do about the dress?” Your voice is choked, tongue stumbling over the words. 

It hangs in your closet, mocking you. A pink dust bag with an elegant calligraphy card that lists your former wedding date and ex-fiancé’s last name. Robin’s fingers graze the zipper on the garment bag, fingers slowly settling along the pull. 

“You could try it on?”

She says it as if she wishes she didn’t have to, as if the next time you would put on the wedding dress would be for the alteration appointment which you had already canceled, along with everything else.

Truthfully, the day you found the dress wasn’t at all what you expected it to be. Sure, you’d looked around online and at a few boutiques with Nancy, Robin, your mother, and would-be mother-in-law. Nothing struck your fancy though, each dress you slipped on had something wrong with it— too tight, too loose, too many embellishments, not enough embellishments, too heavy...

It was Steve who suggested the boutique, actually. One of his mother’s friends had a daughter who’d gotten her dress from a place in Indianapolis and said the service and selection were both top-notch. So you went and made a day trip out of it; Eddie and Steve would drop you and the girls off at the boutique and hang out in the city for the day.

Though, they really did try to weasel their way in to the appointment. 

“The fact that you won’t let us join you is misandry.”

“Oh my god,” you laugh. “No, it isn’t, Eds!”

“Okay,” he relents, turning around to face you in the backseat, “Maybe not misandry, but definitely discriminatory. Dudes just wanna have fun!”

Steve laughs, pulling up in front of the boutique, waves to your mother who’s waiting on the sidewalk. “Y’never know,” he teases, “Could need a second opinion in there. Especially once they open the champagne.”

Eddie squawks at that, “You get to try on dresses and drink booze? I’m offended I’ve been left out here.”

Robin opens the backdoor with a roll of her eyes, “No boys allowed, dingus.”

You follow suit, giving Steve a small smile, “Thanks for driving us.” 

His gaze softens, eyes meeting yours, “Happy to help. Now, go find a stunner in there for us, will ya?”

With a shake of your head, you bring yourself back to the moment. Sitting on the floor of your former home, moving boxes and tape littering the floor ready for you to pack up the pieces of your life. You look to Robin again, she’s unzipped the garment bag entirely revealing the bodice and skirt of the gown.

She watches you thoughtfully, “I mean, just to see if you still like it? That way we’ll know if we need to pack it or sell it.”

Sighing, you wipe your damp palms against your thighs and stand up. “Yeah,” you breathe, “Okay.”

Between the two of you, you managed to wrestle into the dress. Robin securing the delicate straps as you adjust the cups and situate yourself. The door creaks open to reveal Nancy, her eyes bright with interest. 

Robin gives up with her attempts to fix the zipper and numerous buttons on the back, steps aside for Nancy to intervene.

“You’re gorgeous, babe,” Robin says, voice soft. “It looks amazing on you! Same as the day we found it.”

“It’s one hell of a dress.” Nancy agrees, the zipper pull sliding home. “No one would say no to you in that.”

Your laugh comes out as a choked thing, wet and raspy. You wipe your eyes in an effort to prevent any tears from falling. But that was the thing, wasn’t it? He didn’t even have to see the dress to know that he no longer wanted you.

“Thanks, guys.”

Feeling brave enough to look at the mirror, you pause in perusal. And sure enough, it’s a stunner. Delicate lace embellished the corseted bodice, waist nipped just enough to amplify the bust. The skirt flowed down in layers of silk and tulle, the lace accenting the frothy peaks and valleys of it. 

Turning, you noticed the low-dip of the back, highlighted by the beginnings of the train. It was a gown meant for a cathedral wedding, a long aisle as you walked toward the altar. A beautiful wedding dress for a wedding that no longer was. 

It was getting difficult to justify keeping it.

“Holy shit,” Eddie says, bursting into the room slack-jawed, “Your tits look great!”

Robin smacks him, “No boys allowed, dingus!”

“Yeah, Eddie, don’t you know what a closed door means?”

He grins, “I think we know by now that, no, I clearly do not.”

Hearing footsteps coming down the hall, you turn to Nancy eyes wide. “Nance, the door–”

She shuts it quickly, keeping a hand on the knob. Robin and Eddie stop their bickering long enough to share a meaningful glance. You fist the full of the skirt in both hands and motion for Robin’s help in getting the dress off.

“Uh.” Steve says, voice muffled through the closed door, “What’s going on in there?”

“Nothing!” You’re quick to respond, trying and failing to keep the panic from your voice, “Just packing up some stuff.”

“Riiiight.” He drawls, “Then do I hear Eddie in there talking about tits?”

“Hey man,” Eddie says in his own defense. “I just wandered in here, I know nothing.”

“And why is the door locked?”

Nance’s eyes go to the doorknob as it jiggles in her hand. “We’re trying to figure out what to do with the dress,” she says in a breathless rush.

If looks could kill, Nancy would have dropped to the floor. You narrow your eyes at her and turn with a huff.

“What dress— t-the wedding dress?”

“Yes, Steve.” Robin sighs. “That’s the one.”

The doorknob swivels again, “C’mon, just open the door guys. Eddie’s seen it and I am officially the only one who hasn’t.”

“No!” You shout.

Everyone stops to look at you, eyes wide. 

“I mean,” you sputter indignantly, stepping out of the dress and throwing on your overly large t-shirt. “S’not a big deal, I’ll probably sell it, anyway.”

Robin and Eddie maneuver it back into the garment bag with a zip just as Nancy steps away from the door, gaze soft taking in your drawn face.

Steve stumbles in soon after to find you, pants-less, the hem on your shirt grazing your bare thighs, furiously taping boxes closed and scribbling in sharpie.

“Nothing to see here!” You say, stumbling into your bike shorts, tugging them back up. “No siree, nothing at all.”

His chest falls slightly, looking from you to the pink garment bag and back again. Robin catches the minute change in his expression before he’s picking up a box and carrying it out into the hall, not a word to be said about the dress.

And all that runs through your mind is a frantic buzz of ‘It’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress.’ Never mind that you were no longer a bride and Steve was never your intended groom. Any rational know-how kicked from your thoughts in an echo of your hammering heart.

Why your exhausted brain conjured up that particular episode, you had no idea. The instance was promptly forgotten, the dress stored at your parent’s place, and Steve never brought it up again.

Thank God for that.

Maybe it was because of Nancy and Jonathan’s looming nuptials. He’d popped the question not long after Nance moved in, and it had been full-steam ahead since March. The ceremony was to happen at the end of summer, just as your intensive was wrapping up. 

She’d nearly had a coronary when you’d expressed your doubts about being able to attend.

“I’m not getting married without you Trouble, so sweet-talk those profs into letting you sit your exams early and get the fuck back home.” She sighs down the line, “There’s only so much of moping Steve we can take— Eddie is about ready to strangle him.”

You huff a laugh, “Yeah, I’m surprised he’s held out this long.”

“Yeah, she agrees dryly, "We all know you two'll take any excuse to get Steve in a headlock.”

“I don’t need an excuse,” You scoff. “That punk needs to be put in his place.”

You’d taken up Nance on her no-nonsense advice and your professors had graciously allowed you to submit your final papers early in order to make the wedding. Unfortunately, you’d miss out on a few of the celebrations like the bridal shower, bachelorette party, and rehearsal dinner— your flight would be landing just as the festivities began— but, Nancy and Jonathan had agreed to help you surprise the gang.

For all Robin, Eddie, and Steve knew there was absolutely, positively no way you could get out of your scheduled final exams. It sucked, as Robin rightfully pointed out, that you’d have to miss your best friend’s wedding but they all understood.

Steve was more hangdog about it than ever.

“Thanks Sandro,” You call out, plastic spoon in your mouth as you quickly step out the door, leaving a €5 note on the counter before he could stop you with a, “Your money is no good here, bella!”

Your phone buzzes in your bag, ducking under an awning your scramble through your well-worn tote bag to find it, throwing your sunglasses on in the process.

“Hey Fratty light,” You greet with a smile, spooning another cool helping of blood orange flavored ice into your mouth. “Do any good keg stands lately?”

Steve’s laugh nearly eclipses the warmth of the sun on your skin, a surge of heat building low in your stomach.

“At least I didn’t fall off the keg.”

“That was one time!” You scoff, jogging across the street before an aggressive Vespa can mow you down. Pulling the phone away from your mouth, you give the driver the ombrello gesture and shout, “Vaffanculo!”

He chuckles at your outburst, “Tell ‘em babe!”

“I’ll have you know, I stuck that landing Harrington and, it was quite the crowd-pleaser if I recall.”

“Sure Trouble,” You can nearly hear the eye roll at your expense, “It was the landing and not the fact that you were wearing those panties.”

The fact that he remembered the pair in question has you reeling, you nearly run into a fellow pedestrian in your dazed state.

“Anyway,” You say, cleaning your throat. “What’s on the sad boy agenda for today? Getting into divorced dad rock, any Matchbox-20 or Creed in your future?”

“God, you’re awful, and no, thanks very much.” 

You hear a door slam and a car engine turn over. Someone muttering about Steve’s ‘utter lack of taste’ in music— Eddie, without a doubt.

He sighs down the line, pulling on your heartstrings because you miss them all so damn much, but Steve most of all.

“Just helping with some wedding stuff.” His voice is softer, sadder knowing you won’t be there to celebrate with them. “Boring shit, you know.”

You hum in agreement, “Well I’ll let you get to it. Don’t let Eddie flirt with too many bridesmaids!”

“You got it, chief,” Steve says, “Take care of yourself babe.”

“You too, big boy.” A huff of laughter at hearing his scoff, “Byyyeeee.”

And maybe it happens like Nance said it would, things just fall into place when they’re meant to.

After a flight from hell— a toddler would not, for love or money, stop kicking the back of your seat on the evening flight from Milan to Berlin, and you were stuck in the backmost row from Berlin to Indianapolis on the red-eye. It was a miracle you rolled up to your parents' house in one piece. You’d arrive at the venue to get ready with the rest of the bridal party where you’d hopefully be able to keep Robin sworn to secrecy.

You weren’t above putting her into a headlock, if it came down to it.

Dress, shoes, and make-up bag hastily thrown in your mom’s car, you drove to the venue just outside of Hawkins. A lovely little outdoor property owned by a local family, groves of trees and the finest collection of wildflowers you’d ever seen— fitting for Nancy and Jonathan.

You arrive in a slightly mussed frenzy, arms weighed down with your bridesmaid dress and a weekend bag that did fuck-all to protect you from the sudden onslaught of summer rain. Cursing the permeability of Indiana summers, you walk swiftly toward the bridal cottage.

The squelch of your shoes and drops of rain accompany you across the tiled path. Breathe. A steady inhale pulls the comforting scent of petrichor to your lungs, tucked safely behind the cage of your ribs. A shift in the light, a cloud makes way for the sun to shine once more; you scramble for the club masters perched on your head, impossibly tangled (of course) in a damp nest of hair. 

Pried free, you rest the glasses against your nose bridge and stroll to the door. Before you can wrestle a hand free to knock, the door swings open to reveal a tipsy Vickie and bemused Nancy. A smirk settles on your lips as the two shuffle you into the cottage, tutting at the state of your hair and general tardiness.

“It is a wedding y’know,” Vickie teases grabbing the canvas bag from you. “Could make an effort to be on time.” She drops a wink your way before absconding toward the vanity table to deliver your belongings elsewhere.

Nancy huffs and rolls her eyes, taking the dresses from your arm. “Ignore her,” she soothes, “Seems the title of temporary co-M.O.H. has gone straight to her head.” She shoves a flute of champagne into your empty hand and leads you inside. “But you’re here, so the title can rightfully fall to you.”

“And how is the blushing bride?” You smile, taking in her cool, calm demeanor.

She’s notoriously hard to ruffle, so you’re not surprised to find Nancy the same as ever, albeit a tad buzzed from the champagne.

“Fuck a duck!” Robin shouts, colliding with part of the doorway as she takes the corner to quickly in her haste to get to you, having heard your voice from down the hall. She trips falling into you in a quasi-hug that’s mostly all elbows jabbed into your ribs. 

“Walk with dignity, you overgrown toddler,” You laugh sipping some champagne, wrapping your arm around her in a proper hug. She buries her face into your neck with a smile. “And before you even ask, no you cannot, under any circumstance, tell your emotional support Steve about this.”

You feel her frown before she pulls back from you, “I can keep a secret y’know.”

“I don’t doubt it Bucks, just wanna surprise him is all.”

“He has no idea? Oh shit, this is gonna be good.” She says with a cackle before trotting off to help Vickie with her dress.

“Alright Wheels,” You announce polishing off your flute of champagne, “Let me at it, where’s the hairspray?”

After furious coating of L’Oreal’s finest to her hair after you’d secured a few flowers in place, you cough in a haze of hairspray and sagely advise, “That’s good for three slow dances, two fast ones, and one Lambada…” You warn, capping the canister to set it aside. “But if you wanna mosh, I’d suggest another coat.”

Nancy laughs at the suggestion, “I think we’re good.” She checks your handiwork in the mirror with a smile, “Can I ask you something Trouble?”

“Shoot.”

She turns to face you and lowers her voice to a whisper while the other bridesmaids are busy with false eyelashes and zipping up dresses. “Have you given any thought to what I said back in May?”

Ah, that conversation. The one where she (lovingly) warned you off of Steve if you weren’t certain about your feelings for him. Your big, overwhelming feelings. As if you could forget them, even thousands of miles away.

“You know,” You begin, voice pitched to meet hers, “I had a bit of time to think over the summer, no distractions, just me and the Tuscan sun.” 

She stands to slip into her dress and you follow to assist— it’s a beautiful number, all minimal sleek lines and fitted to her like a glove. Nancy is gorgeous, but Nancy on her wedding day is otherworldly. She dutifully turns for you to button up the back and arrange the train for photos.

“And?”

Your eyes meet in the mirror, hers curious but not prying, yours wide, reeling from it all— the pro/con lists, numerous conversations with your mom, Eddie, and Nance, the letters, emails, voice notes, calls and texts from Steve. Somehow, some way they all amounted to this:

“You remember my twenty-first birthday?”

“How could I forget,” She chuckles knowingly, “Spin the bottle, right?”

A nod, you busy yourself smoothing out the few lines in the silhouette of the dress. “And a bit of liquid courage.”

There is no good reason why the eight of you should be doing this. Back at the loft after a night of carousing and bar-hopping, imbibed enough complimentary birthday drinks that spin the bottle seemed like a good idea. Even if the bottle in question is some ridiculously expensive high-roller shit swiped from Mr. Harrington’s study.

You’re warm, leaning on Eddie’s shoulder and whispering in his ear— goading him about kissing someone. Steve hopes it’s not you.

The glass mouth of the bottle spins to a stop in front of Jonathan who groans loudly before clambering over the whoops and hollers.

“Lay it on ‘im Munson!”

You tip backwards and shriek in glee when their lips touch. Eddie returns to your side with a roll of his eyes, pokes your knee with his finger. “Pucker up, buttercup. You’re next.”

Argyle cracks his knuckles, taps his chin thoughtfully, “Alright chica.” He says, “Hope you get Nance or Vic. Make it nice and steamy up in here.”

Steve hopes it’s him and not Nancy, selfishly. The rest of them be damned, if the bottle lands on him he’s going to frog-leap over Eddie, shove him to the side and kiss you good. If it lands on anyone else, he may get arrested for murder tonight.

There’s really no excuse for it— the longing. Best friends since childhood who drifted apart because, as always, he was a dumbass. Kissed you all of one time after the Homecoming dance freshman year and that was barely a peck.

The bottle lands on Vickie.

Slightly tipsy and putting on a show, you bite your bottom lip and lean in, slanting your mouth over hers with a soft sigh. The sound sinks into Steve’s gut and he groans in agony— jealous you’d rather kiss his ex or the redhead rather than him. Nevermind that the bottle was nowhere near landing on him.

“Keep it PG, ladies!” Robin calls, “This is taking way too long!”

“Bucks, shut up. I’m trying to take a video.” Nancy slaps the phone from Eddie’s hand.

Having had enough of it all, Steve stands. “Not that this isn’t how I want to spend my night…” he mumbles, hands patting his thighs. “But I’m peacing out.”

You look up, distracted, and bottom lip a little wet from Vickie, eyes hazy from the long night of celebrating, and quirk your head. “You leavin’, Stevie? Wan’ me to walk you?”

“What— like he’s gonna get lost from here to his room?”

Steve is going to get arrested tonight for murdering Eddie. Tries to keep his cool, regardless.

“S’okay birthday girl, I’ll be fine. You have fun.”

You hop up anyway, a bit blundering in your step, and grab his hand to yank him forward. “C’mon… I gotcha.” Fortified with liquor, you tug him along, turning a corner and chattering about how as much as you appreciate that expensive whiskey, you’d rather have a beer. There’s nothing better than some pretzels, beer, and a movie.

“Oh, uh, s-sorry.” Your hand loosens before you pull it away, self-consciously.

“For what?”

“I know we haven’t been, like, close for a while now. I didn’t mean to grab you like that.”

Oh. The realization dawns on him now, like a crash of lightning— you think he’s guarded… but he’s only been reserved for your sake.

He calls your name, followed by a murmured, “C’mere for a second.”

You lean against his bedroom door, dazed but curious. Steve steps forward until you’re nearly chest to chest, back against the wood. Your mouth opens with a nearly inaudible gasp, but he can see your pulse kick up in your throat. “Yeah?”

"You remember our first kiss?" He waits for you to nod before continuing. "I think I owe you a do-over."

Confusion flits across your face, a solitary brow quirked up in interest. "You wanna mulligan my first kiss, like... seven years after the fact?"

He ducks his chin in embarrassment, skin flushing with heat. "Yeah, I mean, if you're open to it?" He scratches the back of his neck and mumbles, "I just think you deserve better."

You bite your lip in thought, and Steve wants nothing more than to shrivel up and die— but then, you nod, and before he can think better of it, he takes his chance.

Purposefully, Steve tilts your face up fingers, trailing along your chin and jaw, thumbing the full of your bottom lip. You can hear your heart pounding in your ears, all whooshes and erratic beats, almost enough to drown out the words that fall from his lips.

And then, the perfect genius that is Steve Harrington leans down to close the distance between you. Satisfied that your face is tilted just so, his hand sweeps back your hair to cradle your head as his lips descend to yours. 

He kisses you like he’s got all the time in world— like it isn’t past three in the morning and you’re about a minute from slipping under. He kisses lazy, slow, and sublime. Presses you closer to him, an arm winding around your waist to pull you from the wall. More, kissing—tongues and lips and teeth— more of that touch you’ve only dreamed about and you want to kick yourself for missing it, for even daring to fantasize when the real thing is so much more.

Your palms are on his chest, pawing at him for leverage, struggling to refrain from bucking your hips up into him like you so desperately want to do. Steve pulls back with a contented sigh, and you’re surprised there isn’t a string of saliva strung between the pair of your for all the swapping spit that just occurred. There’s nothing but you and him. His gaze, so tentative and sweet, meets yours briefly as he stands back hands shoved quickly into his pockets.

“I meant something like that.”

Your mouth tugs at a corner, as if you could laugh or cry. Or smile. 

Steve lets out a breathy chuckle, brandishes a small, hopeful smile, and runs a hand through his hair. 

You nod. And it’s enough.

“I–I think I’ve known for a while.” You admit sheepishly, looking for any last-minute adjustments that need to be made before the precessional. One hand grasping her train, you follow Nancy toward the door. Taking a shaky breath in, you say, "Guess some part of me has been in love with him since I fell off the fence and into his backyard that first summer."

She stops short and turns back to you elated because she knows the story all too well. Steve doesn't get drunk enough to talk about it often–- the man has a wooden leg, hand to god. But once in a blue moon, it'll happen: how the new neighbor's daughter nearly busted her ass sneaking back home way after her curfew, too buzzed on shitty wine coolers and reeking of weed to realize that she'd fallen on the wrong side of the fence.

Hastily, Robin thrusts a bouquet of flowers into Nancy’s hand. Just before the band starts up, Nancy gives your hand a squeeze and advises, “Sometimes what’s meant for you comes back, Trouble. Don’t let it slip by, okay?”

Steve is just looking to survive the day, he’ll be grateful to get through, honestly. 

He was beyond bummed you couldn’t be there for Nance’s wedding and that he’d be sitting with her cousin instead— she’d talked his ear off during the rehearsal dinner last night about her current rewatch of Sex and The City. He’d never been so relieved to be pulled into bridal party duties by Eddie than he was that night.

And, to top it off, you weren’t answering your phone. Logically, he knew you’d be in exams for most of the day but you normally sent him a text or voice note once you woke up or before you made it to class for the day. 

He’s pathetic. Eddie forced him to leave his phone in the groom’s suite and now he feels phantom vibrations from something that isn’t even in his pocket. Heaving a sigh, he lines up ready to escort Vickie and mentally preparing himself for a detailed recounting of the havoc that Samantha’s absence has caused the SATC franchise from the Wheeler cousin.

“You know,” A lazy, familiar voice drawls to his right, “If I was a riptide, I wouldn’t take you out.” An arm loops through his, comfortable and intimate. 

But no— it couldn’t possibly be…

“Hey, Harrington.” You say, quietly, knocking your hips to his, casually holding a bouquet in your hand, all easy smiles and warm touches. When Steve finally does turn, he blinks a few times to confirm that you're not some hallucination.

Because you’re here, impossibly, you’re home, and everything is finally right in the world.

You reach over to straighten his tie, the alexandrite ring gleaming on your right hand and catching the light.

“How did you—” He stammers, bereft of language.

But then there’s that smirk he adores. “Some of us are stealthy, y’know. Like a ninja.”

“Oh, fuck me right in the mouth.” He laughs loud and bright, a few people turn back in their chairs to look.

You sputter briefly as the precessional begins, hand lighting on his arm with a gentle squeeze. “Uh, that can certainly be arranged, Harrington.”

In that moment he knew, with a certain sense of finality, that he had no choice but to love you; all his love and, if he’s being honest, fear, reflected there in your eyes.

The ceremony is beautiful, of course, and the reception is now in full swing. The new Mr. and Mrs. Byers shared an adorable first dance to “At Last” by Ella Fitzgerald, which nearly had you tearing up before Steve twirled you out onto the dancefloor. 

“Hey, good lookin’,” He says with a smile so sweet, it almost makes you weak in the knees. 

It’s a slow song, something to get the couples up and out of their seats. Over his shoulder you spy Robin and Vickie making goony eyes at eachother while Eddie and Argyle stumble around both trying to lead the other— idiots.

“Hi, Steve.” You reply, eyes making their way back to him. “Y’know, they say you should never trust a man who can dance.”

“And why’s that, honey?”

You shrug, “Dunno. Apparently they’re all heartbreakers or something.”

Steve, thanks to his mother’s needling and his father’s need to keep up appearances, could dance. He’d escorted many a debutante, including yourself, during Cotillion. You can still hear Savannah’s nasally “Did you know that five out of six debs marry their escorts?”

But, then again, she was also drinking from the fun flask at the ripe age of sixteen. So, do with that what you will.

He spins you easily, like it’s nothing, and before you know it you’re back in his arms. His brow is furrowed in thought, but what he could possibly be thinking you hadn’t a clue. So you continue to follow his lead across the dance floor and silently thank Mrs. Harrington for forcing you and Steve into those dance classes way back when, even if he stepped on your toes and you retaliated with an accidental elbow to his ribs— knock-kneed teens the pair of you.

So much has changed since then.

The music pauses, as someone announces that the bride will toss the bouquet. You go to find the bar, but Steve promises he’ll come back with a drink for you instead and then Eddie is hustling you toward the crowd of “single ladies.”

“Eds, no.” You attempt to swat him away, but he’s having none of it. 

“Far as I know, you and Harrington are fuck buddies. No declarations,” His eyes fall to your left hand, “No ring. Beyoncé would insist, sugar.”

You’ve always had a sixth sense about things. When you were younger, your family and friends often thought it was an ability— but in truth, it’s just a mixture of careful perception, logical thinking, and educated guessing.

But not even your sixth sense could explain how you’d ended up catching the bouquet. Especially with a vodka and tonic in one hand and standing at the rear of the gaggle of gals gathered for the event. Didn’t even want to take part, far more interested in finding the coat check room and seeing how long it would take Steve to blow his load once you finally got your mouth on him.

So it’s a surprise, either luck or Nance’s killer aim, when her bouquet lands in your hand, the ribbon wrapped stems falling neatly into your palm just as you turn to shout something at Eddie behind you. Catching Steve’s knowing smirk and hearing Eddie’s piercing wolf-whistle, you give him an exaggerated wink before tossing back your drink. 

It’s not long after that, a few more spins around the dance floor, some cake, and more liquor, tasteful toasts from you and Argyle, fond farewells to the newlyweds and bags thrown into cars for a quick getaway, that Steve tosses you— bouquet in hand, over his shoulder and dips out of there. Ignoring Eddie’s teasing of Irish exits and Irish twins, he sets you on your feet again to lean you against the car and kisses you positively stupid. 

But it’s not a surprise when Steve finally asks you the question he’s been dying to for nearly the entire summer on the drive home, Nancy’s bouquet resting against the dash as you toe off your heels.

“Hey mind-reader, how long did it take?”

“Hmm?” Pleasantly sleepy from jet lag, your mind struggles to spark a fuse of comprehension. Steve raises a solitary brow in interest. 

"Whaddya mean?" You mumble out between stifled yawns.

His hand rests on your leg while he drives, big and warm, his fingers fiddling with the fabric of your dress. Steve, bless him, won't press you on it, but he also wouldn't have asked something so casually for no reason. He's crafty like a fox when he wants to be.

You take a breath and let yourself really think about it. If you’re taking the question seriously, which you damn well should, he deserves an explanation. Hesitantly, you remind Steve of the near fiasco with the wedding dress back at your old place. He nods at your rambling, how guilty and scared you felt at shutting him out. 

“So, yeah, between the moving-in playlist and me being bat-shit terrified of you seeing me in a wedding dress,” You summarize, fingers finding their way to his once more. The warm glow of the streetlights cast shafts of light through the windows. “You’re about as subtle as a brick through a window, Steve Harrington," You conclude with a smirk.

His eyes widen in realization, “Oh, so that’s what you were apologizing for before left for Joshua Tree.” An annoyed sigh before a sharp inhale takes its place. “You’re so stupid.”  

Back at the loft, fumbling hands in elevators lips spit slick and ruddied, Steve bats away your grabby hands with an exasperated huff as they light upon his chest. Nearly dropping his keys when they find a better way to occupy themselves.

Once inside, he presses his face into your neck, kissing hungrily, anywhere he can, down to your collarbones and chest and then he’s lifting you up by the thighs, kicking the door close, and instinctively pulling everything off.

He peels his shirt off and throws it onto the floor while you shimmy out of your dress. His mouth hasn’t left yours for anything other than to breathe.

His hands stop at the curve of your hips. The room is spinning— the entire world moving too fast in a feverish haze. Years of close-quartered friendship and the first intimate touches in months have jumped right into the deep end. You don’t even know when the two of you made way back into his room, but the door clicks shut with a kick from his foot.

“Hey, mind-reader, I got two questions for you,” Steve calls teasingly. “First, how big did you think I was, y'know before? When you accused me of, how did you put it... harboring a fugitive?”

Your brain briefly short-circuits at that, mildly embarrassed. He laughs at your slow, owlish blinks while you formulate a response other than, "Well, I, uh..."

"Okay, okay," He drops a kiss to your brow, soothing your worries away, “Second…”

You gulp. Your legs feel like jelly— all the smart words in the entire world wiped completely from existence. The pause he takes is punishingly long and the grin he gives you nearly makes you faint.  

His pants are shucked somewhere near the bedroom door. One of your hands goes into his hair, other guiding him between your legs where you smear all over his fingers.

"S'been a while, do you think you can take it?”

“Oh,” A smirk quirks your lips, hand scrabbling for purchase on his tanned skin, “I think you know I can.”

Later, after frenzied forays in tangled sheets and revelling in the afterglow, you place your hand over his chest, selfishly counting his heartbeats.

You breathe, soft and sweet, “Steve,” the sound of your voice a warm balm in the inky dark. “Steve,” You say again and kiss his neck, turning toward you on the rumpled bed he kisses you, as if he could ever get enough. 

“I love you.”

He pulls back, just enough so that you wrap your leg around his hips, sheet slipping off as his fingers trail up your thigh. Grazing the tip of his nose ever so lightly against your temple, you feel the rumble of laughter through his chest as it heaves against yours. 

Rolls you onto your back, legs falling open to cradle his hips while he holds himself above you, hair falling into his face, “Took you long enough,” he grins, kissing you again. Your cheeks, your jaw, your chin. “I love you too, honey.”

His love is heavy and you delight in the gravity of it as he slips his way back inside, your hands pulling him closer than anyone can ever or will ever get again. It feels fated— the way your body moves and his responds in kind.

Steve only keens your name in reply.

Spun clear out of your body in the haze, pure joy erupts from your mouth, hands scrambling for him, so woozy and giddy you can’t help it. 

So this is love, after all. 

Finis.

[namjoonboo]

NAMJOON'S CRUSH . . .

Namjoon x male reader

Warnings: a fluff fanfic (maybe some angst), namjoon crushing on the reader, the reader going to a new school, some timeskips, timeskips to the future, reader becomes an idol in the future, good ending 👀👀

( this takes place in 2006 in Korea )

Everyone wanted to know who was namjoons crush was. Maybe it's one of namjoons friends (Jin, suga, jimin, etc) but they were dead wrong

It was the h/c boy called Y/N. Everytime namjoon saw Y/N he would go crazy. The way your eyes would light up everytime you would talk to someone was giving namjoon butterflies. And the way you would talk when you were tired would make namjoon fall for you more each day. Also the fact that you were taller then him made him for down bad for you. (Your 6'1 or 6'4)

How he met you was at high school. You were transferring to a new school since your mom had to get a new job. So you transferred to namjoons school.

You were scared to go to a new school. Since you had to make friends all over again. And when it was the day you had to go to school, you were hella scared. You also had to get the uniform for your new school.

You were all ready to go. You just ate the breakfast that your mom made you and you were waiting for your dad to get ready and drive you to your new school.

"Its time to go Y/N" your dad called out. You turned around and saw him all ready to drop you off. You grabbed your backpack and unlocked the door for your dad.

Both of you walked to the car. You opened the door and you sitted in the front seat while your dad was driving.

While your dad was driving you to your new school, you couldn't stop shaking. You were just hella scared. You decided to look out of the window and hugged your backpack.

After some time, you finally arrived to school. Your dad said "have fun!!" He said while you opened the door and waved at him and he drove away. You gulped and looked behind you to see your new school. Its pretty big. You thought but it looked really pretty. You already had your new schedule and school started at 7:55 and it was 7:29 right now.

You saw a nearby bench near the school so you decided to sit down.

Then you saw someone come up to you. It a girl. Her hair was pushed to the right and it was a dark color. "Are you new here? I'm kara" she said smiling. You looked up and saw her. "Oh, yeah I'm new here. My name is Y/N."

You looked at her while your eyes was lighting up. You didn't think much about her. She was just a kid that goes to this school. She giggled a little bit. "Do you need help for your schedule?" She said while slowly crossing her arms.

"Nah I think I'll be good." You said with a deeper voice. "Just tell me if you need to" she said and walked away and then waved at you. You waved back not thinking much about it.

Then you checked you time. It was 7:53. "Shit.." you thought. You quickly put on your (favorite colored) backpack on. You run-waked inside the school. 'Wow this place is so big' you thought but you needed to find your first class. 'English class.. room 300..' it said on your schedule. You walked around the school and you finally found the room. The bell already rang so you opened the door.

You saw a room packed full with boys and girls. Everyone was looking at you. Then the teacher looked at you. "Oh! Your the new transfer student everyone was waiting for!" The teacher said. (The teachers gender is up to you)

You gulped and looked at the teacher. They said "everyone this is Y/N!, Y/N take a seat next to Kim Namjoon" she said smiling.

You looked around and saw him. Kim Namjoon. He had black hair and his hair looked soft and smooth. You walked up to your seat next to him and set your backpack next to your chair and then you sat down on your chair.

You noticed that he had dimples. You thought they were. Cute. You looked away from him and payed attention to the teacher.

But for namjoon. He was heating up. He didn't expect you to look so. Good. His English told the class that there would be a new transfer student but he didn't think much about it. But when he actually saw you, he didn't know what to do. Your tan/light/dark skin really looked unique. Also that your h/c looked really good. What he could only do was blush and look away. But when the teacher told him that you were sitting next to him was more crazy.

《 at lunch 》

You were walking to lunch but you heard some foot steps coming to you. You turned around and saw namjoon again. But you also saw his friends with him. "Hey" namjoon said to you. And looked down at him and your eyes lit up. "Hey namjoon" you said looking away. 'He's so handsome' namjoon thought.

"Would you like to sit next to me?"

Namjoon said to you while heating up.

You smiled. And thought about it. 'Fuck it' you thought. "Of course namjoon!!" You said while namjoon looked some red.

You and namjoon walked to a table and you guys talked about a lot of stuff.

You liked talking to namjoon. Maybe too much..

《 timeskip》

After some time, everyone was wondering who was namjoons crush was. Maybe it was jin (seokjin) since namjoon and him talked a lot. Maybe its suga (yoongi), namjoon and suga trust each other a lot.

But they were wrong. It was Y/N, your personality, your smile, your eyes, your skin, your hair. It was everything. You were just amazing.

Namjoon was just so bad for you. But did you feel the same way?.

.....

People were also wondering who was your crush was. Maybe it was the girl called kara. She was cool in your eyes but you never actually liked her.

So who was your crush? It was fucking namjoon. It was so amazing in your eyes. Maybe some people do not like him but you do. He was so cool and so fucking cute.

Everytime he would smile his dimples would show and it would be so cute. His eyes were also really cute. But you wondered his namjoon felt the same...

Y/N and Namjoon were just hopeless romantics.

《 time skip》

"Y/N!!" Namjoon called out. You looked around and saw him. You smiled hopelessly and blushed. He was so cute. You were literally so gay for him.

"Yeah?" You said in a teasing voice. He smiled. "There is something I need to get out of my chest" he said. 'W-what?' You thought. He looked up to you. He went close up to you. Your heart was beating fast. 'I dont think he's going to-' you thought but then he said something that changed everything.

" I like you Y/N.. "

You looked at him shocked. He was about to walked away but you grabbed him by the collar and.... kissed him.

" I like you too, idiot..."

He was crying happy tears. He was hugging was so hard. You also was hugging him hard. You kissed him on the forehead and he kisses you on the cheek.

But they would slowly change. Why? Graduation was coming up and you had to leave to go to japan..

"But how will I contact you?!" Namjoon said slowly crying. You felt so bad for him but you were forced because of your parents. "We can text every day I'm serious!! I promise ok, babe?" You said while tears would slowly come out.

So you and namjoon were long distance dating after graduation.

But when you saw him again.. that would be in a long time...

《 another timeskip 》

( 2014 August 13 )

You were in your studio. You were finishing your song your group was making. You were in a kpop group called "the main 10" (I know its cheesy but trust me.) You were the top 3rd kpop group out there. You were the leader and it was a hard job.

You sighed. Next to your computer was a picture of you and your long distance boyfriend. It was namjoon. He was also a in a kpop group called "BTS" you really liked their music.

You really missed him. You haven't seen him since 2006... God that was such a long time ago...

You still loved him. You never stopped loving him. You never broke your promise. But sometimes he wouldn't text you since it was hard to be in an idol. And you could 100% relate.

You knew he loved you. But sometimes you would be jealous because all of those fans out there. But you always block those thoughts away from your head.

But then you heard your door open. "Are you ok, Y/N?" Haru-San said. She was apart of your kpop group. You looked at her and said. "I just got done with the song, I'm just packing to go home." You said looking at her. You could really trust haru-San. And you had no worries that she had a crush on you since she is a lesbian and she is dating on of the female members in our group.

"Has namjoon texted you?" Haru-san said with a sad expression. "I don't think so... I know that he loves me but I can't tell sometimes.." you said looking away. "I bet he still loves you Y/N, just trust the process you know?" She said slowly laughing. I laughed with her also.

♡

When it was the day to perform the new song you didn't know how to feel. You wished that you could see namjoon right now. "Yo, you alright Y/N?" Andrew-kun said. He was also one of the members. "Yeah just feeling weird.." you said. "Is it namjoon again?" He looked at me with a serious expression while of the ten of us were behind the stage. "Man I just dont know!!" You said looking away. And then you looked at the ground.

When it was time to perform I saw almost 1,000,000 people out there. I gulped and all the ten of us was performing our song. The crowd was going wild as I would hear "MARRY ME Y/N HYUNG!!" Or "I LOVE YOU SO MUCH HARU-SAN!!!"

Sometimes I love my fans.

When we were half way done i got a call. I looked at my phone to see i got a call from.. NAMJOON?? i looked shocked. I decided to answer and I saw his camera on while he said "hey babe" and then he lifted his camera and then I saw it all.. HE WAS AT MY CONCERT,??

"Wait what?!?" I said and everyone could see my expression since all of the cameras was on me. I looked to the crowd and I saw namjoon. I was blushing like crazy.. my boyfriend that I haven't seen in years is finally... HERE??

After the concert I saw him run up to me and hugged me. I didn't know how to feel. I kissed him and he kissed me back. Then he said something...

"Never leave me again, babe..."

made by namjoonboo on December 3rd 2022.

[camels-pen]

oh to dream a dream

summary: Careless words can lead to indulgent sleep.

based on @seaglass-skies' prompt "Jazz has never had a sibling. So who is this other teenager in the old photo album she found? And why is the bedroom across from hers so empty?"

Ao3 Link | Phight ‘24 series

The atmosphere was quiet, homey. Chirping birds could be heard through the cracked window off to the side and there was a low level chatter throughout the whole place.

Jazz took a deep breath in, smelling the scent of dark roast and vanilla bean that had permeated itself into the walls and floor, that drifted up to greet her like a tired lover.

Usually, she'd chide herself on such cheesy thoughts—maybe make a mental note to stop reading so many romance novels and crack open more psych textbooks—but she was feeling good today. Good and content.

So much so, in fact, that she didn't even feel the sting of embarrassment as someone nudged past her where she was standing, blocking the open door to the coffee shop.

She gave a short apology, tapped each pocket on her shoulder bag just in case, and then walked to the front register.

“Jazzy-babe!” Edward said, grinning wide at her. “Girl, I haven't seen you in ages!”

Jazz smiled back, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. “Ugh, I know right? Sorry—” She paused to wipe her face, sniffling a little. “I've really missed this place.”

“Oh honey.” Ed came around the counter to scoop her into a hug. He patted her back as he said, “There's no need to cry, you're here now, aren't you?”

Jazz laughed. She must really be a mess for Ed to come all the way around for a hug rather than just lean over the counter. “Yeah—yeah I'm here now. These are more happy tears than anything else, to be honest.”

Ed gave her a few more pats before returning to the register. “Good. Happy tears are the best kind of tears. We don't need anything else.” Actually, tears of sadness and frustration were also rather important to keeping a healthy emotional balance, but Jazz understood and appreciated the sentiment. “What can I get for you, hon?”

“Just a latte, I've got to—” Jazz paused. “Oh, sorry, I just started talking on autopilot. I don't have any chores or homework today, so I'm staying for the long haul.”

“From open to close!” Ed laughed. “Just like when you first started coming here.”

Jazz smiled. ”Yup, back to my old ways.“

”So we're going with a large latte and three chocolate and almond croissants?“

”Make it four, please.“

The shop was rather slow—an odd sight for a coffee shop at 9 in the morning—so while Ed and his new coworker worked, Jazz propped herself against the counter and chatted with him. Turned out he'd gotten himself a new boyfriend—long distance this time, all the way up north in Ontario, Canada in some place called 'Barrie'—and he's planning to renew his passport and go visit him some time this summer.

Jazz shared her own news—the hazards of 12th grade English classes with a substitute teacher for half the semester, all of her friends managing to catch the flu at the same time a few months ago, and her overbearing parents insisting she apply for some fake program called 'ecto-biology' at the University of Madison Wisconsin.

Ed laughed along and, traitor that he was, said she should give it a shot anyway and that it might be fun. Jazz wasn't so sure.

Soon, her drink and pastries were done and she said her goodbyes before ensconcing herself to the little corner in the back of the shop, far from the door and mostly covered by a massive bird of paradise plant.

She set down her things, took out a hefty book titled 'Psychology and You: A Look into the Self' and cracked open the front cover.

—

“...azz!“

“...ease, don't wan... urt y...!”

“...rry!”

—

Jazz felt a tap at her shoulder and she blinked. She groaned and rubbed at her eyes. “Geez, I haven’t done that since middle school.” And damn, that was satisfying.

Ed chuckled as she stretched out her arms. “Sounds like you needed it.”

Jazz packed up her stuff and gave Ed a goodbye hug before heading out. If there's one thing Jazz Fenton knew, it was when she'd overstayed her welcome.

She blinked, then furrowed her brows. Where did that come from? It was closing time so she needed to leave, it wasn't like she'd stayed too long at a friend's house.

“Maybe I conflated it with the feeling of being in someone else's home?” she mumbled to herself. “The place does feel like it's Ed's pride and joy even though he's not the owner.”

The owner himself was a crabby man who had hated Jazz since the first moment he spotted her walking in, all of 12 years old and looking for a safe and quiet place to do her math homework. She didn't have any money then, thinking the shop was similar enough to a library what with all the people she saw reading quietly through the windows. The man was ready to kick her out, citing that only paying customers were allowed to sit in his shop and that all children were rabble and ruffians regardless of age.

It was Edward then, all of 16 and newly hired, who had bought her a hot cocoa and claimed her dad had already bought a drink for her earlier in the day and Ed had been waiting for her. Ed was chewed out for it since apparently that wasn't a thing they allowed at the shop, but Jazz was allowed to stay. She learned for future visits to bring along her allowance and when the owner wasn't here, Ed would let her sit in the shop without buying anything.

Now if only a certain someone else would be so kind—

Jazz stumbled. “Dumb rock,” she grumbled, shaking out her foot. “What was I thinking about again?”

—

“You’re always in my business! It’s annoying!”

“I’m in your business because I care about you!”

“You sound like mom and dad! And didn’t you always say privacy was important to growing kids?!”

“It is! It is, but this is different; Danny, I’m afraid you’re doing something dangerous. Something that could get you hurt. If there’s some big bad ghost villain you should come to me—”

“Of course.” He scoffed. “You can’t fucking trust me to take care of myself, as per usual. I’m just your idiot little brother who would die a horrible death the moment you take your eyes off me, aren’t I?”

She gasped, putting a hand to her mouth.

“W-Wait, I didn’t mean it like that—”

—

“Oh Jazzypants!” Dad called. “You think you could come down and help your old man with something?”

“Sorry Dad! I’m doing something important!” Jazz called back, laid on her stomach on her bed, a chewed up pencil in hand as she hovered over a ‘Who will be your boyfriend? (NSYNC edition)’ quiz. “I’m doing this for Kendra, but man I hope I get Justin.” 

She continued to circle the letters on the quiz and eventually finished and flipped to the back of the magazine. “Ugh, Lance? Maybe I should just burn this.” As she shifted her hand, she noticed neat cursive handwriting under the answer key that read: ‘Jazz, I don’t care if you got Lance, DO NOT BURN THIS.’

She was tempted to burn it anyway.

A gust of wind blew through her room, ruffling the pages of the magazine and throwing her hair all around. Jazz had to slap a hand on the book to keep it from flying away. The wind died down after a moment and she huffed, a bit of hair fluttering up with the action before falling back down. “Perfect, amazing, exactly what I needed.”

Jazz pushed herself up and slammed the window down. Her dad yelled if she was alright, but she didn’t answer. Flopping herself down on her bed, she flipped back to the quiz and erased her answers. “I’m gonna get Justin this time,” she grumbled, starting the quiz over.

Just as she had gotten to the second question, another gust of wind blew through her room. This time the magazine wasn’t safe and tumbled to the carpet. She pushed her hair back from her face and left her room to investigate.��

Mom and Dad’s room was fine. The bathroom too. The storage closet didn’t have a window and the hallway one has been busted shut for years. 

Jazz stood in front of the door across from her room. She slowly put a hand on the doorknob. Twisted it. Then pushed.

Peeking into the room, she looked around. It was empty and collecting dust, just as it always was. She always felt uneasy just looking into the room so hopefully the window was—

Ah, it was open. Of course.

Jazz gulped. She willed herself forward. Fear was just fear and there was nothing of any real harm in the room. She repeated that to herself over and over as she tiptoed inside, heading for the window.

There were no furniture, no decorations, no new paint on the walls. It was just a plain blue—

Jazz shook her head and rubbed her eyes. Beige, the original house’s wall colours were beige with a white trim.

She continued her journey and eventually made it, sliding the window closed as gently as she could, lest she disturb the stifling atmosphere she found herself in.

Jazz was about ready to tiptoe her way out—or maybe just run for it to make it quicker—when her eyes caught on a photo album on the floor. It was 4th of July themed and was laid spine up, as if it had falled off of something and landed on its pages. 

And, well, Jazz was never one to leave a book like that, no matter the circumstances.

With hesitant hands, she picked up the book, her thumb automatically marking the open pages. She marvelled at the peeling silver stars on the front and back cover and the almost sparkling blue colour. 4th of July themed seemed like a stretch, now that she had a closer look; it had more of a space theme or a starry night sky, than anything else.

She flipped over the book, only to find it was a photo album. The papers where starting to become yellow with age and the photos curling at the corners, as if ready to fall off at any moment. It looked so old and well loved, yet Jazz had never recalled seeing such an album around the house before.

The photos all included pictures of herself when she was far younger, her mom and dad, and some of Jazz’s friends from elementary school. Sometimes it was just one of them, sometimes all of them, and sometimes even none of them.

But with each picture there was one consistent theme: some part of the picture was complete static. Like someone had taken a TV without signal and used that to colour in nonsensical shapes and silhouettes in each and every picture.

It was strange. Odd, even. Jazz wasn’t one to vandalize anything as important as a photo album, even as a child. Her parents were always quite adamant that she’d been a rather mature child since she was small. And she doubted her mom or dad would’ve done that. 

Maybe one of her friends from the photos? Jazz could’ve invited them over one time and they could’ve scribbled all over the photos when she wasn’t looking. It wouldn’t be the first time.

She squinted at the pages. No, that didn’t seem quite right. The static colouring stopped right at the edge of each polaroid, not a single bit of it leaking into the white border edges of them. She doubted elementary schoolers would care so much about that, or be that precise. 

Page after page she found different pictures, with her and her parents at different ages and different clothes, with new friends and old. And yet that same static colouring persisted. In fact, it seemed to be growing over time, getting consistently bigger and bigger, at times looking like the outline of a person just a handful of inches shorter than herself. She started to get irritated as the static got closer to her height, but by the time she got to the end of the album—with whiter pages and more firmly glued pictures—it never overtook her. She felt satisfied about that fact, for some reason.

Back to the original problem, she still didn’t know what the purpose was of this odd destruction of her family’s photo album. She didn’t even know where this album had come from, the pictures in it unfamiliar and foreign.

She squinted at the last picture in the album, using her nail to scratch at the static colour. Not that she was expecting anything from it—

The static started to flake off.

“What is this, crayon?” she mumbled. Though it felt simultaneously thicker and thinner than crayon wax. Smoother, yet rougher. It was easy to pick at it, but hard to peel off anything larger than a toothpick, the colours coming off in long thin stripes as they did. 

She scratched and scratched and scratched at it. Jazz had just about had enough when no more pieces came off, but then—

The entire thing peeled off like an old sticker.

Staring back at her was a boy with messy black hair, annoyed blue eyes, and a contrasting grin with Jazz’s own arm wrapped around his shoulders.

“An… old friend, maybe? But this picture was taken recently and—” She paused to pick at another photo higher up the page. It revealed another picture of the same  boy, mouth open like he was talking animatedly about something while staring into a small telescope. Another picture, a few pages earlier, showed the whole family in their hazmat suits, and the boy himself standing with them in his own white and black suit.

“I’ve never had any siblings,” she whispered to herself. It didn’t feel right, almost like someone else coaxed the words through her mouth.

She stared around at the empty room. Thought of how it really should be blue, since that’s the colour it’s always been. The house was originally beige, but this room was always always blue. A specific shade of lighter blue, with glow in the dark stars on the ceiling and burn marks on the carpet. A scuffed up desk plastered with enough free Nasa stickers you could hand them out at a convention. Not to mention a bed that had never been made since it was bought.

She thought of that room. And she thought of this one, the real one all around her. The one full of life and the one that had never seen it. There was only so much she could do to try and remember it. Imagine it? Think of it, and yet it stuck out so clearly in her mind. 

She could hear the high pitched whiny voice calling her a nag. Could smell the dirty laundry ‘hidden’ under the desk. Could feel the ratty old cotton Star Wars blanket between her fingers. But none of it was here. 

Something ached fiercely in her chest. 

She gripped her shirt tight over her heart, tears welling up in her eyes.

She’d forgotten him. She looked out for him—cared for him—for so so long, but she’d forgotten him. Like some trashy teen magazine article. 

And—and she needed to find him. He was always being reckless out with his friends hunting—hunting ghosts of all things (oh god, ghosts exist and she forgot and he had been fighting them without her help—). 

She went for the door, yanking it open and trying not to hyperventilate. 

Jazz needed to find him, she needed to help him, she needed to—

Jazz blinked. She stared at the open door to her own room with a frown. “Why did I leave my room?” 

She jumped as she heard something swing shut behind her. When she turned she noticed the door to the empty room, shut and covered with cobwebs. She shuddered and inched away from it.

“Jazz, sweetie, would you mind closing the window?” Mom called. 

The window?

A gust of air blew against her side, sending her hair every which way. Right, the window.

She pulled the hallway window shut, an air of finality settling in her bones.

—

“Nocturn!” The shout echoed down the long, stretching corridor along with the bang of the door slamming open. Within moments, a blur of black and white sped into the room.

“You know you could’ve just knocked,” Nocturn said. “I would’ve considered letting you in my second favourite dreamer if you were polite about it.”

“What’d you do with—” Danny paused. “Wait. Second?”

Nocturn swept open his cloak, revealing a figure just a tad taller than Danny himself floating close to his chest, her head bowed.

A swirling mess of dark purple, blue, and black speckled with shining white stars were painted on her skin. Her hair was a dark shade of orange and flowed freely around her, as if underwater.

“Well, my dear? Shall we entertain our guest?”

She lifted her head and Danny gasped. Her face was free of paint, but blank, bereft of all features save a waterfall of neverending black tears down her cheeks. But even without a face, Danny could recognize her. Could never not recognize the very reason he came here in the first place. 

That—that was—

“Yes, Lord Nocturn,” Jazz said.

[galexystern]

butterfly wings

chapter three; fall 1984

pairing; steve harrington/eddie munson/reader aka steddie/reader, steve/reader, eddie/reader

rating; T

warnings; fluff, angst, au - canon divergence, fucked up the timeline a bit, smoking weed, shotgunning smoke

word count; 3.8k

desc; eddie gives you a nice surprise, steve gets to know you better, and all three of you share some smoke.

read on ao3 / series masterlist

Winter comes and goes. In fact, the whole rest of the school year comes and goes in a flash. The summer comes in hot and heavy, and you suffer in the sweltering bookstore. You swear that you'll get another job next summer if they don't add air conditioning. You beach it up with Nina and Mark. You and your friends take a road trip into Illinois and hit Chicago hard. You attend the annual Taste of Chicago and explore the State of Illinois Center. You even manage to find a gay bar—Jesse goes wild under your and Hailey's supervision and Vickie's awkward flirting somehow nags her a girl's number. She gets embarrassed every time any of you bring it up, but you can each tell she's proud too.

Junior year sneaks up on you and hits you like a freight train. It doesn't even slow down, just pushes you into the deep end as soon as it starts. You try out for the fall play and drag Jesse into auditioning too. Surprise—he loves it (he's an English nerd like you, so you knew he would). The difficulty dial turns up on all your classes except math, which has never been your strong suit. While you're stuck a year behind everyone else, you're pleasantly surprised to find Eddie in your class.

"Well hello there, stranger," he says as you take the desk next to his.

"Hi!" You exclaim, happy to have a friend in the class.

Eddie laughs at your enthusiasm. "That's the most excitement I've seen for a math class in a long time."

"Oh, yeah," you say sarcastically. "I'm all about math. I dream of it at night."

"And here I am, a fool for dreaming about you instead." He winks and you blush madly. You set up your notebook and pencil perfectly, just for something to do instead. You hear Eddie chuckle and then there's a loud handclap from Mrs. Dolip, making everyone jump.

"If she's gonna do that every day, I'm gonna have a heart attack," Eddie whispers to you under his breath.

"Don't worry," you whisper back, "I know CPR."

You can feel his eyes on you and you know you're still blushing, but you also smirk, all the while watching your teacher write the first lesson on the board.

A week later, while Mrs. Dolip is blabbing on about equations, Eddie speaks out of the side of his mouth. "Have you thought about my Hellfire offer at all?"

You wince and shake your head minutely.

"Okay, angel. No sweat." Your breath hitches at the pet name. "Just keep it in the back of your mind for me." You nod and he lounges back in his desk.

Another week later, Eddie stops paying attention to the worksheet you two are supposed to be finishing and props his head on his hand. "You know, D&D is a lot more fun than this."

You give him a look. "Anything would be more fun than this." The page is full of fractions that keep drifting away from your eyes.

"Fair," he muses, "but D&D would be as fun as doing the school plays. I know you enjoy those."

"I do, but there are things I enjoy more, you know."

"Like what?"

"Reading. Fleetwood Mac. Cats. Taking a walk by the Seine."

"Paris, huh?" You nod. "But what about an alternate world where magic exists and fairies are spiteful and dragons terrorize villages and wizards command the elements?"

"Sounds a little dark for my tastes."

"You're the one who said Fleetwood Mac." He gives a cheeky smile. You roll your eyes and get back to work.

A month after that, just when you've forgotten about D&D, Eddie says after class one day, "You could be a princess, you know. Or a bard. Or a really good thief who always takes what they need but must leave something they want."

"What?"

He shrugs. "It's a curse. Balance is necessary."

You put your pile of books on your desk and turn to him. "Eddie, what are you doing?"

"A great question, milady." He beams. "I'm courting you."

"You're what?" You feel like you're choking on the words.

"To be my apprentice," he clarifies. "My successor."

"Oh." There's a faint sense of disappointment. "Well—"

"Before you say anything, just gimme some more time. I've got some tricks up my sleeve." He winks but there's a pleading in his voice. "Gimme a chance."

You study him, fingers adorned with silver rings constantly fidgeting at his sides, hair wavy and out of control, the same faded leather jacket he always wears shining in the florescent lights.

You sigh. "Okay."

He brightens considerably. "Really?"

"Yeah. Court me or whatever."

"That I can do, angel!" With that, he sprints out the door. You follow at a leisurely pace, not really sure what you're getting yourself into.

;

The next Steve-and-Nancy drama comes around, except this time, you're somehow in the middle of it. It was a crazy sequence of events that led up to it. It started at home.

"I'm going to the store. Do you need anything?" Nina had called from the foyer while putting on her shoes.

"Um," you'd uselessly shouted back while thinking. "We need Pop-Tarts and lemonade. Maybe also some Arnold Palmer's? And tampons please!"

"Check, check, and check," and then she was out the door.

About twenty minutes later, you heard a honk from outside—your sister's way of telling you she's back and to come help with the groceries. You slipped on some boots and grabbed the first heavy jacket you felt in your closet, since a chill had set in recently. You walked out the door, down the stairs, and to the car. Nina had the trunk open and you pulled out one of the bags. You started walking back to the building, not paying enough attention evidently, because you ran into someone halfway through the parking lot.

As if in slow motion, the bag broke open and things went flying. Nothing broke but it was almost worse what actually happened: a box hit the ground with abnormal force and sprang open, propelling tampons into the air. You looked at the person you bumped into through the spray and were mortified to find Steve Harrington staring back at you with a smirk.

Worse still, when the tampons had fallen back to the ground and rolled around on the pavement, Steve reached out and pinched the jacket you were wearing. "I wonder where I've seen this before," he teased.

You looked down and sure enough, you were wearing Steve's letterman jacket.

You just froze, staring at nothing with wide eyes, sure that this whole situation could not get worse. And yet, it did.

"Steve!" Nina said happily, joining the two of you. "Where have you been?"

"Hi, Nina. Just around. At school, practice," he answered cordially, still looking at you with mirth in his eyes.

"We've missed you. You have to come for dinner. What are you doing tonight?"

"Absolutely nothing," and you could hear the cheekiness oozing from the words. "I'd be honored to join."

"Great!" With that, she just walked away and disappeared into the building.

"Oh my god," you breathed, and Steve finally burst into laughter. "Oh my god," you repeated, moaning this time.

"Your face! It was priceless!" There were tears in his eyes. "That was the best thing I've seen in a long time."

That piqued your interest, but it could be examined later. You had to survive this mortification. "I'm so sorry," you said, "I'm so sorry!" You dropped the broken bag, scattering more items, as you rushed to pull off his jacket. "I forgot!"

Steve's hands darted out and stopped yours from moving. You looked up at him. He was smiling. "There's nothing to apologize for, beautiful. You don't have to take it off now. It's cold out here." He dragged it back over your shoulders and you had to hold in a shiver. "I wouldn't be much of a gentleman if I made you strip out here."

Your eyes widened and he laughed again. In an effort to draw attention elsewhere, you dropped to the ground and started collecting the tampons and other stuff. Steve joined you. You tried to use the bag but it was useless. Without any other option, you took the tampons and shoved them in the pockets of the jacket, making him laugh again, louder this time. You laughed too, seeing the ridiculousness in it all. All you and Steve could do was laugh for a minute, just crouching in the middle of the parking lot.

As the giggles faded and breathing evened, you started picking up the other things. "Here," Steve said, and held out his shirt, making a kind of basket. You giggled again as you piled items into the makeshift pouch, until everything was off the ground. You two stood and both supported the weight of his shirt.

"I never imagined I would kind of understand what it's like to be pregnant," Steve joked, and it took a lot of effort not to become completely useless due to laughter.

You both got inside and helped put away the groceries. You were thankful Nina had already started cooking and didn't seem to notice how you'd carried the items inside. As soon as everything was away, Nina was directing you and Steve to help prepare and dinner got underway.

A few hours later, after you'd finished eating and cleaning up the table, you and Steve escaped to your room. "Here," you said sheepishly, handing him his letterman jacket. He took it with a grin and laid it on the back of your desk chair. You sat on your bed while he examined your room.

He looked at your collection of manatees. "Each one is from a new city we've moved to," you explained.

"There's so many." Steve sounded both awed and a little sad.

"Yeah, we've been a lot of places."

"Why?"

"Nina and I are army brats. Dad was moved from base to base a lot. It was cool to see the world, but making friends was always hard." You breathed deep. "They died a couple years ago. Car crash. Can you believe it? Dad was in the fucking military and a random accident is what officially takes them away?"

"I'm sorry." His voice was gentle and soft and kind.

You forced your voice to stop wobbling. "Anyway, Nina got custody. We've moved a couple times so she could find a good enough job to take care of us both. But her job at the hospital here is really nice. She likes it a lot. And it feels pretty stable."

"Where's the one for here?"

"We haven't been able to find one yet. We do have to get it local and for some reason, Hawkins just doesn't sell manatee merchandise." Steve looked back at you and matched your grin.

"What's your favorite one?"

You stood and moved to join him. You picked out a small, delicate manatee. "This one's from Hawaii. We weren't there for very long, but we found this at a tiny shop in Maui. Hand-carved and hand-painted."

"It's beautiful." But Steve was still staring at you.

"Thanks," you whispered, face heating. Realizing your position, you cleared your throat and stepped away. "So, um, how's Nancy?"

It was like being doused in cold water. Steve's expression hardened, though he carefully returned the manatee to its rightful place before stalking away. "It's fine."

"Sounds like it." You said it simply, but it broke through. Steve sighed and perched on the end of your bed. You sat next to him. "Wanna talk about it?"

"I don't even really know what's wrong," he started, sounding confused and lonely. "This past year was great. I thought we were past all the stuff from last year. But...it feels different. Feels like something's off."

"Have you asked her about it?" He shook his head. "Might be a good place to start. Communication is key."

His lip quirked up. "Maybe." There was silence for a few minutes. You were just about to touch his hand when he sprang up from the bed. "So what are you doing for Halloween?"

Shocked by the sudden topic change, you stammered, "Um, something with my friends? Like...horror movie night? Maybe?"

Steve nodded seriously. "Are you dressing up?"

"I'm not sure. I have an idea but there's not really anywhere to wear it."

He lit up. "Come to the party! Tina's party! Nancy and I will be there. And you can bring your friends."

"Are you sure?" Your brow furrowed.

"Totally! It'll be fun. Here," he grabbed a pen and scribbled something onto a piece of paper on your desk, "that's her address. Easy to get to from here!"

"Um...okay—"

"Great!" He beamed. "Well, I gotta go! Those essays won't write themselves!" With that, he awkwardly dashed from the room, grabbing his jacket in the process.

"Bye, I guess," you said to the empty room, completely bewildered.

;

And that's how you're here, at Tina's Halloween party.

"Are you sure we're invited?" Vickie asks nervously.

"Duh!" Jesse replies, already dancing to the beat, "Steve invited us personally."

You shrug, feeling a little helpless. "He did."

"So let's have some fun!" Hailey yells. She grabs Jesse's hand and they plunge into the crowd, immediately heading for the dance floor. You look at Vickie, who looks right back at you.

"Drinks?" You offer.

"Drinks." She confirms.

So you two also head into the fray, in the opposite direction, eventually finding a communal punch bowl that must have six different kinds of alcohol in it for how pungent it smells. You and Vickie ladle some into cups and try it.

"That's nasty," Vickie coughs. You agree. You both keep drinking.

"Hey, you made it!" You hear Steve before he appears, dressed like Tom Cruise in Risky Business. He stops short when he sees you fully. "Whoa."

You look down self-consciously. "Does it look okay?"

"You look sick!" He exclaims. "Not sick like ill, but like super cool. Carrie is such a good choice. Who did the blood?"

"Jesse, Hailey, and I took turns," Vickie answers, and Steve grins.

"Looks awesome!"

"Thanks, Steve." You try not to blush. "Hi, Nancy," you add when you see the girl appear next to him.

She smiles—well, more like grimaces—in greeting before taking a cup and dipping it right into the punch bowl. You and Vickie exchange a side glance, but Steve just follows her lead. "Let's dance," she shouts to him. He gives her a thumbs-up and waves at you and Vickie before disappearing into the crowd.

"Something's not right there," Vickie says to you. You already knew that, but you didn't want to see it right in front of you either.

"I'm gonna get some air," you tell her. She nods and you weave through the people, finally finding the doors leading to the deck and backyard. When they slide open, the cool air is a relief on your hot skin, and you breathe deep in relief.

"Didn't expect to see you here, princess."

You jump at the voice and turn to see Eddie leaning against the side of the deck, surrounded by a cloud of smoke. "Jesus Christ," you choke out.

"I gotta stop scaring you, angel, or I'm gonna have to give you CPR. And I'm not certified." You half-smile, heart still racing. Seeming to sense that, Eddie motions to you. "Come sit down. Get your breath back."

You do as he recommends and sit in the chair next to him. Good thing it's metal, otherwise the fake blood you're wearing would soak in.

"You look great, by the way," Eddie appraises. "Superb fake blood placement. Very authentic."

You smile in thanks, still calming down. "What're you doing here?" You ask when you feel you can.

He holds up a metal lunchbox. "You don't know I'm the local dealer?"

You shake your head. It's news to you, but not altogether surprising. You tell him as much.

He chuckles. "I'm guessing you're not out here to buy?"

"No. Just to get some fresh air."

"Well, shit." He starts to wave away the smoke from his almost-spent joint. "Sorry, princess."

You wave a hand. "It's fine. Actually..." Eddie raises an eyebrow in interest. "I'd be down. To partake. If I can."

"Course you can," he says with a wicked grin. He pulls a fresh joint from behind his ear. "And for you, pretty lady, it's on the house." You go to grab it, but he brings it out of reach again. "But only if we can share."

You nod eagerly and Eddie claps his hands together. "Excellent." He drags a chair over and sits next to you. He hands you the joint and you put it between your lips. Expecting for him to hand you the lighter, you're startled when he leans forward instead, flicking on the flame and lighting it for you. As you inhale, the burning embers set his face aglow a little. He's very pretty.

You finally exhale, releasing the smoke into the air. "Well done, angel," he says, impressed. You shrug nonchalantly as he takes his drag. When he exhales, he creates little rings out of the smoke.

"Whoa! Can you teach me to do that?" You ask excitedly.

He laughs. "Of course."

A little while later, first joint gone and second started, you're just about getting the hang of smoke rings when the door slams open. You and Eddie both turn your heads quickly to see Steve in the doorway, breathing heavily.

"Steve?" You say hesitantly. He looks at you. He has devastation written all over his face. "What's wrong?"

"Can I get a hit?" He asks, ignoring your question.

Eddie hands the joint over without argument, clearly seeing what you're seeing. Steve takes a long drag before exhaling loudly, relaxing as he does. He collapses in the chair near you and Eddie.

"It's over."

"What's over?" You ask.

"Me and Nancy."

Eddie sucks in through his teeth. "That sucks, man."

"Steve, I'm so sorry."

"She called me 'bullshit'," he spits out. "Called our whole relationship 'bullshit'." His tone turns sad. "Said she doesn't love me anymore."

You feel terrible for him. "Steve, you're not bullshit."

"Apparently I am." He inhales from the joint again.

You pluck the joint away, take a quick drag, and hand it to Eddie. Placing a hand on Steve's, you order gently, "Steve, look at me." He swings his head to you sadly, eyes heavy. "You are not bullshit." He scoffs but you interrupt. "Steve." He shuts his mouth. "You are not. bullshit."

Steve gazes at you, then directs his attention to Eddie. "She's right, man," Eddie confirms. Steve looks back at you. You give him a small smile, which he eventually returns.

Temporarily resolved, you turn to Eddie and motion for the joint. You suck in greedily, inhaling quickly. You hold it in for a few seconds, and then release it—finally making a correct smoke ring.

"You did it!" Eddie yells.

"I did it!" You echo.

"Great job, beautiful," Steve commends, and you smile angelically at both of them. You give Steve the joint, who takes a drag and hands it to Eddie. "You guys ever shotgunned?" He asks once he's exhaled.

"Obviously," Eddie answers with contempt, but you're confused. "Like a beer?"

"No, smoke," Steve clarifies. You shake your head.

"You don't know how to shotgun, princess? Well, we gotta remedy that," Eddie continues.

Steve explains. "It's when you blow the smoke into another person's mouth."

You're having trouble trying to picture it, and Eddie senses it. "Here, Harrington and I will demonstrate." It feels like a challenge.

One that Steve is up for. "Let's do it, Munson."

They both stand and step in close to each other. They're about the same height—Steve's just the tiniest bit taller—but their mouths are pretty level. Eddie takes a drag, lets it sit, and then lines up his lips with Steve. He exhales the smoke directly into Steve's mouth, who inhales it deeply. They're centimeters from kissing. It makes you squirm a little.

"Nicely done, Harrington," Eddie says, impressed.

Steve does a little bow, making Eddie laugh unexpectedly. You try to hide a smile. Then they both look at you.

"Your turn, beautiful," Steve says.

"Okay." Your voice is a little small.

"You wanna do it?" Steve asks Eddie, but he shakes his head. "All yours, dude."

Steve sits back down and scoots closer to you. He looks deep into your eyes. "Okay, come close." You do so and your body heats up in the proximity. "I'm gonna do it. You just hold those pretty lips open, okay?" You nod, trembling a little. Steve takes a drag, holds it, and then leans in even closer. You can practically feel his mouth on yours. You're almost unprepared for the smoke as it comes billowing towards you, but you inhale as you're supposed to. Steve stays close for a few seconds, the eye contact too intense to break, until you accidentally puff out the smoke into his face. He leans back and coughs. 

"Sorry!" You exclaim.

"It's alright," Steve answers with a smile. "No harm done."

"You wanna try, angel?" You turn to Eddie and nod. Steve hands you the joint as Eddie comes close this time. You inhale, letting the smoke roll around in your mouth, and then lean in and blow it into Eddie's waiting lips. He inhales it greedily and there feels like electricity between you as he doesn't break his gaze. You can't seem to close your mouth. The moment only ends when Eddie turns his head up and releases the smoke into the night sky.

He looks back down at you. "Good girl," he murmurs, and you feel like you could die.

You collapse backwards, exhausted from the tension.

"How was that?" Steve asks.

"Great," you answer dreamily, and he smiles.

"We're honored we could pop your cherry, princess," Eddie adds cheekily.

You shiver—and then keep shivering.

"Oh, beautiful, you're cold," Steve points out. You don't feel cold; you actually feel hot, from being so close to both of them, and seeing them so close to each other. But there are goosebumps on your skin and you can feel your teeth start to chatter. "Let's get you inside."

All three of you stand and move towards the door. Eddie opens it and lets you and Steve step inside before following and shutting it behind him. You already feel better.

Vickie comes rushing up to you. "We gotta go. It's almost my curfew." She takes your hand and pulls.

You turn back to catch glimpses of those beautiful boys. "Thank you!" You call out, hoping they hear you.

chapter four

[chatisthisfr]

You're sexy when you're angry-John Bender

John bender x fem!reader

lime

(Part two)

summary: you were just a mere class clown but you never did something so bad to get you in Saturday detention. that was until your enemy in class blamed one of Benders actions on you, the action being spilling her coffee on all her electronics while the teacher was in the restroom, making them unusable. you now weren't too fond of bender. for now

this is definitely not gonna be the same as the movie. i dont remember the lines very well so ima improve.

your pov

I can't believe e/n blamed me for one of stupid benders pranks. Your parents were beyond pissed. you'd never gotten detention before you never dreamed of getting Saturday detention. I walk in the doors of this place. this is hell. who would make someone go to school on saturday. this is so messed up. I soon walked to the library with the other students. 4 others are sitting in the room. I recognize claire and andy but not the other 2. one looked like she just woke up from getting beat and the other one was a boy. who looked like a huge dork. "Aw y/n l/n. right on time. surprising for a prankster and delinquent" I heard vernon say. "I told you, it wasn't my fa-""I don't want to hear it ms. l/n. We already discussed this. you are guilty." jeez i hate this guy. I think to myself and i go to sit in a desk in the very back. I look down and start picking at my short nails. "Bender! you are late" vernon yells. Oh you gotta be kidding me. I have to be in this place for 8 hours with this piece of shit, bender. "do you actually think i give 2 shits if i'm on time to this" he says casually walking to the desk infront of me. "That's another detention for you sir." "whatever" bender rolls his eyes. " You know the rules. if you don't they're on the board. Don't make me give you any more detention after this. i don't wanna have to see your faces any more then i already have to." vernon leaves the room and props the door open. "Damn this sucks" I whisper "It's your fault you spilt coffee all over our english teachers electronics." he smirks, slyly, knowing damn well that he was the one who did that. "Oh shut up bender, you know you did that. It's you and stupid e/n's fault" "what does that girl have against you anyway. wait. nevermind. i don't care." he smirks and turns around facing away from me. "what a dick." I mumble under my breath "i heard that and yes i do have a nice dick. I bet you wanna see it, don't you." "John just leave the poor girl alone. She does not want to see your dick." I see claire from a few desks infront of us speak. "Huh oh are you the one who wants to see it." Bender replys "Bender shut the hell up." Andy says, flipping him off. "Aren't you the one who told me to not use profanity last time we were all in here." He smirks childishly. "Wait yall were all in detention together before?" i ask. i then here the nerd boy speak up. "We all had our different reasons for being in detention and we had to right a letter for an apology. Turns out he didnt like our letter and he thought we were talking back so he said we had to come back for another this saturday. I'm brian by the way" "Alright thanks dork." I say as i look away from him "aNyway as i was saying. Don't be a hypocrite sporto" Bender says smirking at andy. "Bender do you do anything but annoy people?" I ask and roll my eyes "Why yes im very good at finge-" "What's with all the talking! Does no one know the rules." vernon yells coming into the room. "It was y/n sir" bender says with a smirk. "What the hell dude. you were the one talking." i reply. "actually you guys were both talking." Brian says matter of factly "shuddup dude." I send brian a glare "If i hear talking again, you all get another detention." Vernon was walking back and forth from the desks . Fun fact: i had gotten pretty good at pit-pocketing. So i grabbed his keys that would let him into the library if the door closed. i smirk and saw him leave "perfect" I say. "what did you do" claire says in a scared tone. She's in my classes so she's seen me pull my small pranks. "oh nothing. just got a little toy from vermin" i smirk showing claire the keys. before he can notice the keys are gone, i quickly get up and shut the door. quietly. thought, even though he's gonna see at some point. "i didn't know you got yourself into trouble like that." Bender says. "That's because our english teacher likes me and gives me good grades. and that's the only class we have together." I reply "Yeah i have her in all my classes. she does some wild stuff sometimes." claire says "How wild" Bender smirks

I have to make a part 2 sorry lol

[my-castles-crumbling]

intrusive thoughts anon!

to answer you question, well ig it really depends on how you do it. if you do it well enough, the students dont notice. like ny bsfs from my olf school, we became friends cz our chemistry teacher took the 5 students who worked the best and just slapped us together in group projects.

but ig its mainly because 1) your attention wouldnt need to be contantly diverted across a multitude of different groups 2) some kids genuinely just dont like it.

the main thing to consider is the fact that theyre middle schoolers, if the smart ones realise oh, this kid in my group knows nothing, bullying could start.

if the slightly less advanced kid realises that the smarter kid is weaker than them of sorts, they can manipulate the situation.

but most of all, its important to realise that those chidlren are still kids, and teaching is technically the teacher's job.

this is smtjng ive struggles with alot in my life, im considerably smart in the subjects which matter (eng+maths+sciences) and am usually paired/grouped with kids who genuinely know nothing at all. its not even like theyre having a hard time, like no, theyre having a hard time AND they just dont want to listen to a fellow classmate.

some chidlrens egos surpass their need to learn and often times children just dont feel comfortable speaking up.

as an example in english (i have the top grades) the teavher always groups me with the girl who, ik i shouldn't say this, but is the BIGGEST pick me, like the entire lesson shes laughing at non existent jokes from guys and flirting with the two other guys in our group, talking over me continuously like girl im trying to make you guys understand. and then one guy whos failing all his subjects and a guy who's ego is thru the roof cz practically every girl likes him.

what do i get out of the lesson? nothing. im tired and drained and the teacher is like oh wow they did the work today😃 like girl pls bsfr

but as compared to having a group of all smart learners together, they'll either do their work silently if they dont like eachother or otherwise discuss topics together and argue/debate in a way which stimulates the mind.

HOWEVERRRR at the end, i, 100%, stand by friendgrps as groups. mostly they're either a grouo of like minded people or a group of a mix. they have good communication, they joke around ehile they work, they have fun, pick up where the other lacks and overall enjoy the learning process.

but, at the end, its important to remember that ecery classroom is different, all children vary. get acquainted eith your children and eho knows maybe diverse groups work best for them!

(also the against diverse group sentiment is not only something ehich ive observed but also something that my mother reiterated when i told her. for reference shes been teaching middle schoolers for 20+ years, is a mentor at her school and has been offered the principal position)

also at the end but this reminded me, my mother once said that she prefers non diverse groups because the smart kids usuallu get done earlier and she keeps extra activities planned for them which are more challenging so theyre not sitting free and disrupting the class, however when theyre in a group, they start to get frustrated because the rest of group doesnt work the same pace as them.

kids love to be challenged, the smart kids eill have people next to them that are working in relatively the same speed and eill try to surpass the others. the medium people will also be working at somehwat the same oace and these will be the children who will usually talk and discuss to figure out answers, likewise with the academically challenged kids.

also this reminds me. usually what my friend and i do when we're put in a diverse group is just do all the work and let the others copy from us whilst telling ehat few little things to change so it doesn't look TOO copied yk.

which obviously goes against the entire point and alot of children do this, ive done this myself and have also been oart of the copying group.

middle schoolers want to do everything in a eay that takes the least effort possible

idk if this was too long or even helpful but i tried.

oh and im okay (ish) rn

No, not too long at all, and super helpful! Honestly, I love hearing opinions about this stuff, especially from students, because they're the ones doing the learning! So like...I want to know how to help!

You're right that diverse groups aren't always beneficial, and I agree that higher-level learners tend to get sort of...left out, I guess? When it comes to being challenged. I love the idea of having challenging things for them to do when they're done, I'm definitely going to use that. And you're right that teaching is the teacher's job, and I think that we forget that it's not okay to always rely on the higher level students, so thank you for reminding me <3

Also, thank you for taking the time to write all of this out. It means the world to me! I think I'm gonna print out all of these advice things and keep them in a folder on my desk...

[crystalninjaphoenix]

Weird

Paranormal Preteens AU: Episode Thirteen

A JSE Fanfic

Time to visit the boys again and see what they’re up to! Everyone, including Stacy, meets up to talk about what they saw at the planetarium, and they come to the conclusion that more people must know about the strange stuff going on in town. Jackie volunteers to check it out a second time. Then, some time later, Marvin and JJ get a visitor in the middle of the night. And yeah. Fun :D

++++++++++++++++++++

Though Chase, Stacy, and Marvin had filled JJ and Schneep in on their little adventure, they all agreed that Jackie needed to know, too. It wasn’t fair that he didn’t know just because he hadn’t gone on the field trip. Chase texted him on the bus ride home, saying, Hey its chase. Some weird stuff just happened at the planetariam n we need to talk about it. When can we meet up with u?

Jackie responded later that day. My dad wants me to focus on my school stuff this year so Im pretty busy. But on Friday I can meet you guys at Zellys around 5. Thats the soonest time. Also its spelled planetarium.

Chase didn’t think that last comment was fair. He knew how it was spelled, he just blanked in the moment.

Friday worked out for everyone, even Stacy. Though Chase heard her mutter something about how it would be tough to convince her parents. He briefly considered going ahead without her if she couldn’t make it, but that wouldn’t be fair. After what happened in that weird planetarium basement, Stacy was in this, same as the boys.

The rest of the week passed without anything of note happening. Chase felt a little nervous in his Chemistry class, since Mrs. Karter had been one of the adults they’d overheard talking in the basement. That made him feel... What was the word? Uneasy. That’s it. He felt uneasy around her. After all, they had no idea what she or that other man had been talking about. Why did they know about the planetarium basement? Did they know about the rest of the stuff going on around town? About Anti and the greenlight? There was no way to know. Mrs. Karter didn’t act weird. She was just another teacher. Most of the kids thought she was nice, but Chase couldn’t feel that way.

On Friday, Chase asked Mom if he and Schneep could meet up with their friends at Zelly’s. She said yes, as long as they didn’t fill up on ice cream. After all, five o’clock was close to their usual dinnertime at six. Chase promised they wouldn’t eat too much. But really, he didn’t believe you could eat too much ice cream. Schneep promised and actually meant it. In fact, he lectured Chase about “nutrients” and “balance” on the car ride to Zelly’s, something Mom found funny. Sometimes Chase still couldn’t believe Schneep was related to him.

Zelly’s had been extremely crowded during the summer, but business had died down now that kids were in school and families didn’t have time to go out for ice cream. It was still pretty full. Many of the tables had people, but at least there wasn’t a line at the door. Chase could easily pick out the booth where Marvin and JJ were waiting. He and Schneep hurried over there. “Hey guys,” he said. “What’s up?”

“Uhhhhh not much,” Marvin said.

Chase waited for him to keep talking, but... that was all he wanted to say, apparently. An awkward silence passed between the four boys as Schneep and JJ instinctively also waited. Then JJ started signing, as if to make up for his brother’s quietness. Classes are really picking up by now, aren’t they? The first week of school is an easy period. But now the teachers are starting to get serious. I’ve already had a pop quiz in English, though the teacher said it was more to test our starting knowledge.

“Oh yeah, I had one of those in math!” Chase nodded. He sat down in the booth, sliding onto the bench across from the twins. “It was really tough. I mean, how do people expect us to remember stuff after months?”

“Chase, are you a goldfish?” Schneep asked, sitting down next to him.

“Huh? No, why the heck would you say that?”

“Because a goldfish has a memory of three months,” Schneep said. “And human memory lasts for a lot longer.”

Marvin laughed. “Wait, really? I thought goldfish only had a few seconds of memory.”

“That is a common, ah... miscon—m-misconseep—misconsahhh... mistake.”

Misconception? JJ asked, spelling out the word.

“Yes, that! How do you say that out loud?”

“Misconception,” Chase said.

“Mis-con-cep-tion,” Schneep repeated, sounding it out carefully. “Well, where is Jackie? And Stacy?”

We haven’t seen her, but Jackie is just getting off of work here, JJ explained. We saw him walking around while we were waiting. He said he’d be here soon.

“Great! Oh, you got menus.” Chase picked one up, despite already knowing what he wanted to get. “Mom gave us ten pounds to buy stuff, and I have a few quarters in case we go over.”

“Quarters?” Marvin repeated, confused.

“Oh, sorry, uh... I’ve never really gotten used to the money here.” Chase reached into his pocket and pulled out some loose coins. “I mean these ones.”

10p coins, JJ said, leaning forward for a better look. And one 20p.

“Riiight, right.”

Silence fell at the table once again. Chase looked down at the menu, not sure what else to do. Why did things feel so... different?

“Why are you guys so quiet?”

He looked up again, and there she was: Stacy. She was wearing a pink T-shirt layered over a white tank top, a ruffly skirt, jeans, and her signature pink glasses. “Hi,” Chase said.

“Hi. It’s weird that you’re just sitting here.” Stacy looked back and forth between the two benches in the booth. Clearly trying to figure out where to sit herself. One bench: Marvin and JJ. The other: Chase and Schneep. She chose the one with Chase and Schneep. “Like, you guys talk a lot.”

“I don’t talk a lot,” Chase muttered.

“I mean as a group. You’re some of the most talky boys out there.” Stacy rolled her eyes. “Anyway. My family’s here. They’re probably watching us right now. So don’t be weird.”

“Right, don’t be weird, guys.” Marvin’s tone was oddly flat.

“Wait, no I didn’t mean it like that!” Stacy protested. “It’s like, my parents were really weird about me hanging out with a bunch of boys, and Mom kept asking if I liked any of you, and then Roxy was teasing me and trying to get me to tell her which one of you I liked, so I when I said don’t be weird, I really mean don’t do anything that would make my family think I liked one of you.”

Now Marvin looked vaguely confused. “You don’t want your family to know you like us?”

“No, I mean... like like,” Stacy stressed. “Like... boyfriend-girlfriend.”

“Ohhhh.” Marvin nodded slowly. “Don’t worry, I don’t want a girlfriend. And I don’t think JJ does, eith—ow!” He was cut off by JJ suddenly and sharply elbowing him in the side. Meanwhile, JJ’s eyes were suddenly fixed on the menu, despite his face slowly turning red.

Chase was about to ask what that was about, but he was distracted by a familiar figure approaching. “Oh, Jackie’s here now! Hey!” He waved him over.

“Hey, little guys. And girl.” Jackie grinned at them. “Could’ve saved me some room.” He grabbed a chair from a nearby empty table and dragged it over, sitting at the end of the booth.

“There’s room on their side. See?” Schneep pointed at the empty space next to JJ on the bench.

“Yeah, but it’ll be squished with me there. I take up more space than any of you.” Jackie stretched. By the looks of it, he’d just thrown on his hoodie and beanie over the Zelly’s uniform: a pale blue dress shirt and white apron. “Anyway. What’s the stuff you saw at the planetarium?”

It was these three who saw it all. JJ pointed at Marvin, Chase, and Stacy.

“Huh? Why’re you pointing at me?” Stacy asked.

“He’s saying we’re the ones who saw what happened,” Chase said.

“Oh, you don’t know sign language, huh Stacy?” Jackie noticed.

“No. I could try to learn it, I guess? But I don’t know how.”

“There are a lot of books in the city library that could help,” Jackie said encouragingly. “That’s where I learned. And any of us could help you if you need it.”

JJ reached into his bag and pulled out his notebook and pencil—something Chase hadn’t seen him use in a while. He wrote something down, then turned it around for Stacy to see. Don’t worry, I’m fine with writing for a little while.

“Okay.” Stacy nodded. “Anyway, uh... yeah. Can we talk about the freaky stuff now?”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea.” Chase took a deep breath. “Okay, so it started when I talked with your friend, actually, Jackie. Mincy. She was there that day, and she pointed out some stuff that I wanted to try and find, to see if there was weird greenlight stuff going on there...”

He explained the whole thing, with help from Stacy occasionally adding stuff in. Marvin, surprisingly, didn’t have a lot to say about it all. They took a break in the middle to order ice cream from a waiter that came over—who Jackie introduced as “Halley”—but kept going nonstop besides that.

When it was all done, Jackie was leaning forward onto the table, a worried expression on his face. “So... your teacher and this other guy talked about recruiting someone? You’re sure?”

“Yeah.” Chase nodded.

“The question is, what are they recruiting this someone to?” Schneep asked. “Isn’t recruiting something you do to get someone in the army?”

“Well, it can be the army, but I doubt that’s what they meant,” Jackie said. “You can recruit anyone to any sort of big group. Personally, my mind went to, like... a cult or something.”

“Like in Indiana Jones?” Chase asked.

“Huh?”

“The second one. With the guy with the hat with horns.”

“That movie’s rated a 12, when did you see that?” Jackie asked, concerned.

“I am twelve, I can see a rated 12 movie!” Chase said defensively. Even though he hadn’t been twelve when he’d seen it, but that was besides the point!

“Uh-huh.” Jackie clearly didn’t buy that, but he moved on. “Well, yes, the bad guys in that movie could be considered a cult, but cults exist in real-life too, and they don’t sacrifice people or do cartoonishly evil stuff. But even so, they’re... really scary.”

JJ was writing in his notebook while Jackie and Chase talked. He now handed the notebook to Stacy, then started to sign the same thing that he wrote. I think we should be more worried about what they were doing down there. If they knew about the strange basement, do they know about more of the strange things going on around town?

“Yes, that’s what I am worried about too.” Schneep nodded. “We cannot let them find out we know, too.”

“Why not?” Stacy asked. “I mean, we freaked out and ran because we weren’t supposed to be in the basement. But like... if there are grown-ups who know about this stuff, can’t we get their help? We don’t have to tell them we found their secret basement. We can just say we found out about the weird stuff another way.”

Schneep tensed. “W-well... they might not... like that we know. They might be upset. And they might try to... stop us from helping.” Chase subtly scooted closer to him and put his hand on top of his. Schneep relaxed slightly.

“Yeah, they seem suspicious to me,” Jackie agreed. “We’ve been doing this because we want to stop all the chaos the greenlight causes. We don’t know what this... this mystery group wants to do. What if... what if they’re trying to use the greenlight somehow?”

Stacy raised an eyebrow. “Is that something you can do?”

“Well we kinda did before,” Marvin said, finally speaking up. “My crystals helped channel the greenlight and cured the monster dog. So it’s not impossible. And Anti was able to use the greenlight. But he’s a weird shadow ghost thing, so I guess that’s not really related.”

“So people might be able to use the greenlight if we used some sort of... device, or something,” Chase said. “Like the crystals. Or maybe any rock could work?”

“Maybe,” Jackie said. “Maybe that’s what the group’s trying to figure out. We just don’t know. All we know is that they’re keeping this a secret. And I know that’s what we’ve been doing, but that’s cause we didn’t think anyone would believe us, right? The mystery group could show everyone proof, since they have that basement. But they don’t. I doubt it’s because they also don’t think anyone would believe them. I think... I think they want it to stay secret.” He shook his head. “I dunno. I don’t have any proof for that. It’s just a gut feeling.”

“Can I ask about something else?” Schneep said. “Anti. What does he want? He helped you three get out of that room without doors, but he also made the monster dog go after us. Is he part of the mystery group? Or is he their enemy? Is he our enemy?”

A moment passed. JJ took his notebook back, wrote something down for Stacy, then repeated it in sign for the rest of the group. He’s certainly interested in us, but I don’t know if that means he likes us or hates us. It’s hard to tell. He said everyone would know about the greenlight eventually. What did that mean?

Chase shrugged. “Dunno. JJ, you know you could just write and not bother to sign, right? We can all see it when you hold up the notebook.”

JJ frowned. That’s like asking someone not to talk at all just because they don’t speak the same language as you.

“Oh. Sorry.”

“I think that Anti definitely knows about the mystery group,” Schneep said. “Because he showed up in the basement. He had to know it was there.”

“Unless he was just following us,” Marvin pointed out.

“No, Schneep’s right, it makes more sense for Anti to know,” Jackie said. “Otherwise he wouldn’t have known how to get you out of that room. And that ‘everyone will know about the greenlight’ thing... I think that’s related to him, or to the mystery group. Not sure which. But one of them.”

Stacy sighed. “This is complicated. You guys do this all the time?”

“Well the mystery group is new, so that makes it more complicated,” Chase explained. “Before this we were just fighting monsters. It was awesome. But I guess we can still do that.”

“Sure, fight monsters or whatever.” Stacy shrugged. “But what I want to know is if we’re gonna go back to the planetarium.”

“Uhhhh...” Chase thought about it. “I mean, we’ve always gone back to a place where there was something weird. But I don’t really want to run into people who’re part of the mystery group. I dunno how they’ll react if they find us.”

“But I think we need information on them,” Schneep pointed out. “We know nothing right now.”

“You’re both right,” Jackie said. “I think we need to know more about these guys. What they want, at least. But it’ll be dangerous for you guys to go check it out... so I have an idea. They don’t know about me. I wasn’t part of your field trip. I’ll go by myself to see if I can find anything.”

“What? You’re not letting us come?” Chase knew he was whining, but he couldn’t help it. He didn’t want to miss this!

“Sorry, little man.” Jackie shrugged. “I can’t really stop you from doing anything, I mean, I’m not your parent or anything. But I really think I should go by myself. I have the perfect cover. Mincy works there, so if I’m snooping around a ‘Staff Only’ door, I can say that I’m looking for her.”

Chase folded his arms and slumped down into his seat. “I guess that makes sense,” he grudgingly admitted.

Will you be okay by yourself? JJ asked, looking worried.

“I’ll be very careful,” Jackie said. “I promise.”

Schneep frowned. “It feels... strange, for just one person to go out and do something.”

Jackie smiled. “Well, you guys went on the field trip without me, so it’s only fair I get a chance to see what the planetarium’s all about.”

“Jameson and I didn’t even see anything!” Schneep protested.

“Well... yeah,” Jackie admitted. “But you at least had the chance to. I might not find anything myself, but I want that chance.”

Schneep sighed. “Fine. But... be careful. I-if they catch you, th-they might..” He swallowed a lump in his throat. “Do not get hurt.”

Jackie nodded, looking serious. “I won’t. I’ll just go in and get out quickly.” He glanced away from the table. “Oh. Looks like our ice cream’s coming. Hey, Halley! Thanks so much.”

The rest of the meeting passed with ice cream and small talk. They’d made a decision and they were going to stick to it, even if not all of them were happy about it.

But Chase couldn’t help but feel like something was a bit weird about their little group right now. Things felt just a bit off. He couldn’t put a finger on it. Maybe... something was missing.

++++++++++++++++++++

As soon as they walked out of Zelly’s front door, JJ pulled Marvin to the side and asked, Is something wrong?

“I dunno what you mean.” Marvin turned away from JJ and began scanning the sidewalk. “I always forget where the bike rack is here...”

JJ grabbed Marvin’s shoulder and turned him back around. You didn’t say much while in there. And you kept looking out the window. Also you tore up the napkins into little bits and kicked the table legs a lot. You only do stuff like that when something’s not alright. Did something happen? Are you okay?

Marvin paused. “I’m fine. It’s just a bad day, I think. A lot of stuff happened in class, and then it was really loud in there. That’s it. I’m fine.” He hoped that JJ, as observant as he was, didn’t notice that Marvin had been doing okay until Chase arrived.

JJ frowned. What happened in class?

“First hallway talk of the year,” Marvin tried to sound casual.

Who was it? Why?

“Ms. Locke, in World History. We got put into groups for a project and I got really frustrated and shouted a lot.”

Why? JJ repeated.

Marvin glanced away. “The other guys weren’t listening to me. I was right, and they just were like ‘okay whatever’ but they didn’t get it, and they weren’t listening, and—the professor was walking past at the wrong time, that’s all. So I got a hallway talk about compromise or whatever.” He knew how to ‘compromise’ already, but Ms. Locke had given him the lecture anyway. Like he was a kid. He wasn’t a kid. He was almost fourteen. 

The other kids were ignoring you, that’s not fair, JJ said, scowling. Maybe you shouldn’t have shouted, but compromise wasn’t the problem.

“Yeah.” Marvin kicked at a rock on the ground. Then he bent down and picked it up. It was really smooth, normally that didn’t happen in this environment. He stared at it, then put it in his pocket. “I didn’t say anything to her. It’s fine. I’m fine now. I wanna go home. God knows we have enough fucking homework to do.”

JJ nodded. Okay. The bike rack’s around the corner.

“Right, I always forget.” Marvin wrapped his cape tighter around him. “Let’s go.”

As they walked down the sidewalk, they didn’t notice the extra shadow behind them.

++++++++++++++++++++

It was easy for Jackie to convince his friends to go to the planetarium. He just pointed out how none of them had really been there since Mincy had gotten the job, and they should really take advantage of her employee discount on the admission. All of them agreed to go together the next morning, on Saturday. Jackie’s dad had work so he couldn’t use the car, but that was okay. The group just used Ram’s car instead. Even if they did have to move stuff around because Ram kept some of their campaign stuff in the back seat. Jackie nearly sat on a handful of dice.

For many of them, it was the first time they’d been to the planetarium. Only two had gone before. Mincy, obviously, and Sylvester, who’d gone to visit her on the job a couple times. “It’s bigger than I expected,” Celine said as they walked in through the front doors.

“Right? It’s huge. I kept getting lost for the first couple weeks.” Mincy giggled. “Anyway I’ll talk to the desk guys and get us all in.”

A few minutes later, the six teens were wandering about the planetarium, with Mincy giving them all behind-the-scenes facts about the exhibits. For such a big building, it really felt empty. Not because there weren’t a lot of people. There were a lot of customers. But they were all spread out so much. Jackie felt oddly exposed.

He tried not to be obvious about his search for these weird staff doors. Chase had mentioned one hidden in the hall with the big model planets, but honestly? Jackie couldn’t see it. Supposedly it was hidden behind Neptune, but he’d looked at it from all angles and couldn’t see any door on the wall behind the model. And his friends noticed him looking. This prompted a joke from Sylvester about him being so interested in Uranus, only for Fengge to immediately correct him on which planet it was. The conversation immediately shifted to dunking on Sylvester for not noticing the labeled plaque, and everyone forgot about Jackie’s weird interest in the model, but Jackie decided he should probably stop searching for a few minutes. To give them time to forget.

Even so, Jackie found he couldn’t really pay attention to what was going on. His eyes kept wandering. While his friends gathered around one exhibit—something about rolling coins down a funnel that represented a black hole—he hung back a bit, eyes scanning every inch of the walls. There were no staff doors. But he knew Chase and the others wouldn’t lie. What was going on?

His friends were talking. “Honestly, this place is cool,” Fengge was saying. “Fun things to do. Could be a great location for a date, like how people sometimes go to aquariums or amusement parks.”

“Yeah, you should take Jackie on a date here,” Mincy said jokingly. “I’ll give you the discount.”

Jackie snapped back to attention. “Sorry, what?”

“Since when were you two dating?” Sylvester said.

“We are not!” Fengge protested.

“Didn’t you guys mention going to a dance once?” Celine asked.

“We were thirteen, it doesn’t count,” Jackie insisted. “And it was super awkward the whole time.”

“Yeah, this was before we both had the realizations,” Fengge added. “So Jackie felt weird and I wasn’t into it.”

“You guys could try again!” Mincy teased. “Your realizations have opened up the possibility.”

Jackie and Fengge glanced at each other. Then looked away. “Yeah, no thanks,” Jackie said.

“Nuh-uh.” Fengge shook his head.

“Couldn’t Jackie date like... every one of us?” Ram mused.

“Not me!” Sylvester said. “Or Celine, either.”

“Give it time.” Ram laughed. “Maybe all of us will realize something eventually. And then we can all date Jackie. Hell, I’d be down for that.”

“I don’t want to date anyone right now, thank you very much.” Jackie pulled his beanie lower over his head, half-wanting to pull it completely over his face to hide his blush of embarrassment. “I’ll just wait until university for that.”

“But having a teen romance is great!” Mincy said. “I want one!”

“You, uh, you do?” Sylvester said. “That’s funny, I-I also think... it would be fun.” He stared at her.

“Really? Wow. We should both start dating someone then.” Mincy looked back at the black hole display. “Anyway, does anyone else have any coins? I wanna try again. Mine kept falling over.”

Sylvester sighed. “Yeah, I have some you can use.”

Jackie looked away from the group, trying to hide his still-red face. And that’s when he finally saw something. Half-hidden behind a display about the life cycle of a star... there was a ‘Staff Only’ door. But it hadn’t been there when Jackie looked at the display a few minutes ago. What the hell? “Uh, hey guys, I’m gonna go to the bathroom,” Jackie said. “You guys keep going.”

“Are you sure?” Sylvester asked. “I think we’re gonna move on to the next room.”

“Yeah, I’ll catch up.” Jackie smiled. “You guys go on. I’ll text you if I can’t find you.”

The others nodded and made various statements of “see you later.” But as Jackie turned to leave, Celine put a hand on his arm, stopping him. “Jackie, do you...” she frowned. “Do you think something feels different in this room?”

Jackie shrugged casually. “Not really. Why?”

“I’m not sure. It felt like... I don’t know. Maybe it was just a breeze.” Celine shook her head. “Anyway. Be right back.”

“I will be.” And with that, Jackie turned and started heading towards one of the room’s exits. His friends headed out a different one. As soon as he was sure he was alone, he turned and headed straight for that star display. The staff door was still there. With how it was half-behind the display, it looked like there would be barely enough room for it to open wide enough for someone to get in. Jackie took a deep breath. Then reached out and grabbed the handle, pulling it open—

And then he was falling through darkness.

Jackie landed hard on his back, momentarily knocking the breath out of him. But he quickly got to his feet and looked around. It was almost completely dark. The only light was a thin line of yellow light. Jackie hurried over there. He reached out and felt his way around... This was a corner where two walls were supposed to join. But they weren’t actually connected. Jackie could grab the edge of one. Slowly, awkwardly, he pushed one of the walls, pivoting it outwards until the gap was big enough to squeeze through. The moment he was through, he looked around this space, and gasped.

It was just as Chase, Marvin, and Stacy had described. A wide open, near-empty basement space, filled with floating spheres of yellow light and random objects that drifted through the air regardless of gravity. It was amazing. Jackie was so in awe that he almost forgot what he was doing here. But then he remembered.

He reached into his hoodie pocket and took something out. His camera, kept safe in its bag. He removed it from that bag and started snapping pictures. He should have been doing this with all the supernatural stuff they’d encountered, but most of the time he had either no chance to prepare for that, or no chance to take pictures while they were fighting the thing. This was the perfect opportunity to document all the weird shit they’d seen.

After a few shots, he wasn’t sure what to do next. So... he started walking. If he remembered what Chase and the others had said correctly, he would eventually come to walls full of staircases.

But before he found that, he noticed something else. In the middle of the basement (or what he assumed was the middle) there were... he wasn’t sure what they were. Those things that people used to indicate where a queue was supposed to go. A pole with some sort of retractable rope, with a clasp on the end that could hook onto another pole. They were fun to mess with. Right now, four of those poles were set up in a square around something.

Jackie walked closer. They were sectioning off a part of the floor. There was... a crack in the ground. It was maybe three feet long. The cheap carpet of the basement peeled away at its edges, revealing concrete beneath. Inside the crack was pure darkness. It gave Jackie the chills, but he held up his camera and took pictures of it anyway.

He leaned over the rope, trying to get a good angle from above. Click! And the camera flashed—despite the flash being off. Strange. And what was stranger, what made him uneasy... was that the white light of the flash seemed tinted green.

In the darkness beneath the crack, something faintly flickered green. Something either very small or very far away.

Jackie’s stomach dropped. He turned and ran in the other direction. He stumbled. The ground felt fragile beneath his feet so he ran until it felt solid once again.

++++++++++++++++++++

Jackie couldn’t find anything else of note in the basement. When he reached the wall of staircases, he spared a moment to take a couple pictures of the unbelievable sight and then hurried up the nearest stairs. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched.

The staircase ended in a closed door. Jackie pushed it open and found himself back in the planetarium, right by that giant pendulum exhibit. He texted his friends to figure out where they’d gone. They were on the third floor. He half-ran all the way there. That feeling of being watched didn’t fade until he rejoined the group.

The rest of the visit passed without anything unusual happening. Except... as they finally left the building, he noticed a group of four planetarium employees gathered in the corner of the front lobby. They were talking seriously. And they kept glancing at every group of customers that left. In the car, Jackie asked Mincy if she’d noticed them, and if she knew what that was about. She had. All of those employees were some of the senior members, the ones who’d been on the staff for a long time. “No idea what they were talking about,” she said. “The senior guys kinda do their own thing.”

Later that night, Jackie looked through the photos on his camera, getting ready to print them out and show them to the kids the next chance he got. And two things stood out.

First, there was a pattern in the carpet. It was very faint, just a slight discoloration that he hadn’t paid much attention to in person, but it was more obvious in pictures. Faint lines... all leading to, or coming from, the crack in the floor.

Second... the photo he took when the camera had suddenly flashed for no reason was tinted green. And there was a shadow. He would have mistaken it for his own... but there had been no strong light source behind him to cast such a distinct shadow. And even if there was, the flash would have eliminated it. But it was unmistakable. A shadow. Not his. But maybe that of a boy around his age, standing right behind him.

++++++++++++++++++++

Two weeks had passed since their meeting in Zelly’s. Jackie had briefly met up with Chase and Schneep, using “babysitting” as an excuse to come over to their house. He’d given them copies of some photographs he’d taken of the strange basement, and Chase and Schneep had passed on some copies to the twins and Stacy. Other than that, they hadn’t been able to meet up and talk about it. School was picking up and all of them were starting to be busy.

Ugh... school. Marvin really hated school. It took up so much of their lives. Even on the weekends.

Though tomorrow was a Saturday, their parents wanted Marvin and JJ to keep a consistent sleep schedule during the school year, so they insisted that the twins wake up fairly early. Or, they insisted that Jameson wake up early. Marvin had long since learned that they didn’t really care if he slept in or not. But since JJ and him shared the room, he was usually woken up by the alarm clock anyway.

This meant that the two of them tried to go to bed early when possible. Emphasis on “tried.” Neither of them were sleepy when they got into bed around 9:00 and instead ended up just lying there in the dark for a couple hours before sleep finally came.

Such was the case tonight. Marvin wanted to go to sleep, but he just wasn’t tired. He could have tried talking to JJ. He sometimes did that. But not tonight. It just felt like too much effort. So, without much to do but lie there, his thoughts began to wander... And eventually landed on things he didn’t want to think about.

I don’t want people to know I’m friends with weirdo magic people.

He’d thought Chase would be different.

Did people think he didn’t notice? He might not be that good with social stuff, but that didn’t mean he was dumb. He noticed how he and JJ were always the last people picked for group projects or sports teams in gym. He could tell that other kids didn’t usually want to keep talking to him. Even if they never insulted them or anything, it was obvious that he was doing something wrong. That he was weird. But he didn’t know what he was supposed to do. He didn’t know what everyone else wanted.

As he tried to stop thinking about this stuff, Marvin noticed something... different. It was a noise. A faint hissing sound. Marvin opened his eyes, looking through the slats on the side of his bunk. He couldn’t see anything from this angle. So he sat up and looked over the edge. Their room was empty. “JJ?” he whispered.

There was no response from the bottom bunk.

“JJ!” he said again, not quite shouting. “Are you awake?”

Now there was some rustling of sheets. Marvin felt his mattress raise, pressed up from below.

“Do you hear that hissing noise?” Marvin asked.

The two of them had long-ago figured out a way to communicate when they were in bed. After all, Marvin couldn’t see JJ’s signs while he was above him. So JJ would knock on the metal pole connecting the bedframes together. It started as a simple “once for yes, two for no” system, but they added “three for maybe, four for ‘go to sleep.’” Right now, JJ just knocked once. A simple yes.

“Do you know what that is?” Marvin asked.

Two knocks for no. More sheets moving around. JJ probably sat up.

“Can you see anything?”

A pause. Then two more knocks.

“Huh.” Marvin stared at the darkness of their room. There was a little light coming from the cracks around their door—Mam and Dad insisted on keeping the hallway light on, “just in case”—and there was a faint red light coming from their alarm clock’s digital numbers.

Wait. Was that red glow a bit stronger than usual?

It was. And it was getting brighter.

The numbers on the clock flickered, then blinked. The time of 10:16 disappeared, replaced by random other numbers and then landed on 88:88. And then the red light turned green. The hissing sound got louder. Marvin realized it wasn’t just any hissing. It was static, like the car radio when they drove out of range of the local station.

The green glow filled their room. Then between one blink and the next, someone appeared, standing in the middle of their room. It was Anti. He looked the same as he had the last time they’d both seen him, his body mostly shadow except for his face and hands. Except... now those shadowy parts looked a bit less translucent. Just a bit. But enough to be noticeable.

“You!” Marvin started, bumping his head against the ceiling. “Owwww fuck!” Beneath him, he heard the squeak of the bedframe as Jameson got ready to stand up.

“Hi.” Anti grinned and waved. His whole form was surrounded by that green glow. Even his teeth looked backlit by the light. “Do you know what today is?”

“Uh—I don’t fucking—the tenth, I think?” Marvin sputtered.

“It’s the tenth!” Anti repeated cheerfully. “That’s a very important day. I guess you could say... it’s my birthday.” His green eyes flicked up and down, between the two brothers. “You should wish me a happy birthday.”

“Why?” Marvin asked. 

Anti’s head tilted to the side. “Why? Did you both ask why? Because it’s the nice thing to do, isn’t it? So do it.”

Marvin didn’t appreciate being told to be nice. Because usually, people just meant ‘do this thing you don’t want to do or else people will get offended for no real reason.’ But Anti being in their room, surrounded by that green light and that sound of radio static, was really freaking him out. Maybe if he just did it, Anti would go away. “Uh... happy birthday?”

Anti smiled again. “Thank you.” His eyes flicked down to the bottom bunk, where Jameson was. And he stared. A moment passed. Then that smile fell and was replaced by a frown. “Well, fine. Don’t, then.” He looked back up at Marvin. “I’m going to give you a nice present on your birthday. But JJ’s too rude. Now he gets to be jealous.” Anti waved again. “It’s coming up soon, isn’t it? I’ll see you then.”

And in an instant, he was gone. The green glow and static vanished, leaving only the light from the door and the alarm clock’s numbers—blinking 12:00 over and over.

Marvin stared at the spot where Anti was just a moment ago. But Jameson immediately started to move. He jumped up from his bunk and ran over to the light switch, flicking it on. Now they both stared at the spot where Anti was.

“What...” Marvin said, “...the absolute fuck was that about?”

JJ shook his head, bewildered. I feel like that was a test, he said.

“Well if it was, you failed.”

JJ looked at him. What do you mean?

“He wanted you to say ‘happy birthday’ and you didn’t,” Marvin explained. “And then he called you rude. I think you fucked yourself over.”

I don’t think he understands BSL, so I was fucked anyway, JJ said. That’s not really fair, is it?

“No.” Another moment of silence passed. Neither of them wanted to look away from where Anti had been. “Well... I guess we'll just go back to bed, then?” Marvin said, uncertain.

I guess? JJ says, equally uncertain. Should we be worried about him showing up on our birthday? Maybe we shouldn’t have the party?

“I don’t think Mam will let us cancel the party,” Marvin muttered. “She was so fucking excited to have other kids in our house. Which... I don’t get. We’re here all the time anyway. But whatever.” He chuckled. “Hey. Leave the alarm clock like that. You’ll be able to sleep in and claim it’s cause the clock broke in the middle of the night and erased your alarm.”

JJ stared at the clock thoughtfully. Then he nodded. I suppose it would be good to have an excuse.

“Niiiice.” Marvin grinned.

Good night, Marvin, JJ said, grinning right back. I’ll see you in the morning. Then he flipped the light off and walked back to bed. The bedframe squeaked again as he got settled down.

“Good night, JJ,” Marvin said, and laid back down. He stared at the ceiling.

I don’t want people to know I’m friends with weirdo magic guys.

Life was weird. He didn’t understand why people were so concerned with avoiding it.

It took him a long time to finally fall asleep.

[grizzledyoungimpact]

Pairing: Evil Uno/Abigail Wyatt Quote: I don’t usually leave the asylum in the middle of the night, but they said you’d make it worth my while. Verse: High School

There was no shame for Nick Dansereau, known to his small group of best friends as Evil Uno, in being a nerd. After all, he had gotten the nickname of Evil Uno by being a chaotic DM in games of Dungeons and Dragons. He loved all things comic books and cartoons as well. When not spending time with his friends, a group who referred to themselves as The Order after their D&D party, Uno was an A+ student who did what he could to keep his grades up.

 For as well-rounded as he seemed, Uno did have his weaknesses.

 The biggest, in his eyes, was the self-confidence he lacked. When in his wheelhouses, he seemed comfortable enough. At school it was a different story. Uno rarely spoke outside of answering questions directly posed to him by his teachers. Even more than that, he lacked the ability to talk to the girl who sat next to him in his AP English class, Abigail Wyatt.

 Part of the reason was that the Wyatt family had their own gossips. It was mostly because of the fact that they stuck together and only attended class, never anything outside of it. The siblings never went to any club meetings, they never went to any after school activities. For Uno, that meant he never really got a chance to spend the time he wanted to with Abigail.

 But that had changed today.

 The teacher of their AP English class, Mr. Regal, had announced they would be splitting into groups for their final project. Uno had ignored his friend Alan waving to him from across the room and, feeling the courage within him, scooted his chair close to Abigail’s. “So…uh…partners?”

 Abigail seemingly suppressed a giggle and brushed a strand of her bright red hair behind her ear, “Ain’t you going to partner up with Alan? Usually you two do everything together.”

 “Alan will be okay if he doesn’t work with me,” Uno dismissed with a wave of his hand. How was talking to her this easy? Usually he struggled with even the thought of talking to her. “I liked the paper you wrote when we read Scarlet Letter. Thought this could be fun.”

 Was that a blush on Abigail’s otherwise pale cheeks? Had he actually made a girl blush?

 “Sure, Nick-“

 “My friends call me Uno,” he quickly corrected, “and…and I’d like to be friends?”

 The sound of a chair scooting across linoleum flooring eeked out as Abigail moved her own chair a little closer to his, “So…two-person book report?”

 Uno gave an eager nod, “Uh-huh! I thought we could have fun with it. Maybe do a little skit?”

 “Let’s focus on which book you want to do first?” Abigail questioned as she looked over the list Mr. Regal had passed out. “What on here haven’t you read?”

 Uno looked over the list before giving a little smile, surprised, “You’ve ready a lot of these?”

 Abigail gave a sheepish grin, “I…I read a lot…”

 He rubbed the back of his neck, “My classics usually have dragons in them. I’m more of a fantasy reader, ya know?”

 “Oh I love fantasy stories,” Abigail beamed, “anything with something fanciful. Hmm…have you read Dracula?”

 Uno shook his head eagerly, “Not the original, but vampires are cool! And I’m all for the old school monster movies, so I’ve seen it. We could do that one?”

 Abigail beamed, “We could do one of the scenes in our skit!”

 Uno nodded, trying to figure out how he was going to frame the next part of his plan. “So, this is a big part of our grade. We should probably meet up after school for this?”

 There was a silence from his project partner, Abigail simply looking down at the paper in front of her, “Oh…I dunno I…”

 “I get how you feel. I don’t usually leave the asylum in the middle of the night,” Uno tried to tease, “but I think working with you would make it worth my while.”

 Abigail took a sharp breath in and the entire demeanor of the conversation seemed to change. Gone was the gentle hesitation and charmed giggles. Everything felt tense now and Uno winced when he realized what exactly it was that he had said. Asylum? Of course Abigail was going to be upset when the biggest insult thrown about her brother, about her family, was that they were insane. “You think so too, Nick?”

 The use of his real name showed exactly how she felt about him in the moment and Uno knew he deserved that. “No! No I…it was just a stupid turn of phrase. Renfield and all that, ya know?”

 “It don’t feel like you mean that,” Abigail spoke as the bell rang, signaling the end of class. She picked up her papers, shoving them into a folder, and then into her bag, “but we can work on it. Maybe…at the football game tonight? Or before?”

 The corner of Uno’s lip upturned into a grin.

 That sounded like the perfect plan to him.

[unhingedhearties]

CSI Hearties

Time to go back to 9th grade English class where your teacher insists that every word or image is symbolic of something deeper.

“Did we get that for Lucas?”

You got told he would have a major story arc, so yes you did get told that. We just saw people in my previous posts say that Lucas should have had his own poster to represent that major story arc.

“That would be a No, not really.”

…so that would be a yes.

“And no announcement that NEITHER was leaving the show.”

That has to suck for the writers. You write this big story about Lucas being governor and ending the season with a mysterious confrontation and ambiguity about what happened to him. All so that you can build excitement for the next season and you can’t even let it be a mystery because a ton of the fanbase will send you vile, hateful messages if you don’t spoil the next season for them. They were the kids that had to snoop around for their Christmas presents and then wondered why Christmas morning wasn’t fun.

“Writers had no say in promotional content.”

Hey, someone who pays attention and thinks logically. I’m sure that’ll be ignored.

“No respect!”

Oh my God, the red serge nonsense. Plenty of people have already pointed it out, I’ll just be one more.

What if… they didn’t have him in the red serge because the color would clash with the pink of her clothes and the sky? Do you notice how (except for maybe the second poster) in the earlier seasons Jack’s not front and center in the red serge? It really grabs your attention when it shouldn’t and clashes with everyone else’s color pallet. I’m sure that’s also the reason why Rosemary is wearing blue 4 out of 5 times. Color theory and what not. All those things you need to keep in mind when doing graphic design.

No, there must be a deeper, symbolic reason for it.

“it makes no sense since we were told Jack was/is the love of her life…”

Ever notice they only bring up Jack being Elizabeth’s true love when talking about Nathan? I never saw them bring it up when she was with Lucas. Where were all the discussions about how Lucas is awesome, but don’t forget Jack’s her true love when they thought they were getting a wedding?

Salt in the wound. Mark your bingo card.

Way to gloss over the season 10 poster. I guess because then you’d have to admit no one besides Elizabeth was on it and yet none of you said anything back then. Where were the cries of “muh ensemble cast!”?

“this poster is a huge difference from the poster they put out for S9”

Oh, you mean the one that has Elizabeth, Lucas, Nathan, Mei… and none of the other 50 cast members? 4 people isn’t really an ensemble. In fact, if you look at that collage of all the posters, it was a major downgrade in terms of featuring the characters. It went from showing 10 to just 4. 

WHERE’S MY ENSEMBLE BRIAN!?

“Lucas is looking at her and she isn’t at him.”

Uggghhh, it’s not that deep. Seriously. They’re doing the same thing on the Season 5 poster. Every poster except for the last 2 have Elizabeth staring at the audience. I’d sooner believe there’s some subconscious marketing nonsense for it (“people are more likely to buy a DVD if the lead character is looking at them. It helps the audience develop a parasocial relationship” or whatever) then believe a bunch of people in Hallmark’s marketing department are working long hours to fit the most symbolism on their poster.

“then where are some other top characters like Bill, Rosemary, Lee and Henry?” Insensitive!”

Where were they on Season 10? Where were they on Season 9? Where were you when those posters came out? How come you weren’t advocating for them to be included years ago? Truly a mystery.

Insensitive. Mark your cards, that was a corner square.

“Can marketing for such a huge company really be that bad?”

They said as they repeatedly shared the poster, commenting on it, commenting on other people sharing it, hashtagging it, drawing attention to it, GETTING IT TRENDING ON TWITTER.

I know a lot of you Hearties think you should be in charge of how When Calls The Heart is written and marketed, but you’re not as smart as you think you are. You’re really, really not as smart as you think you are. And that right there is a perfect example why Hallmark and TPTB should put a lot of you on the pay no mind list.

[earthphoenixstories]

Hoo boi. This is. This is gonna be a thing.

Some of you might or might not know that I am biracial. I’m both white European and Black West Indian (Guyana forever)

I was raised by my white mum and her white family.

I was taught in schools that had almost all white teachers. From Pre school to Secondary School (High School) I only had 2 non white teachers. One was black and the other was Indian. They were lovely and great at their jobs. But they were outnumbered by their white counterparts.

The schools relied on local white parents to volunteer on occasion and yes, the local law enforcement were also white.

While I had contact with my Black grandparents by the time I was born they had left England for America. They are now 85 and 93 years old and still living in America! I don’t know how they do it, it’s incredible.

I say all this, because I felt my entire childhood and now adulthood adrift from Blackness. My mum wasn’t equipped to teach me about my black heritage and my dad wasn’t around. My grandparents when I got to see them, naturally wanted to spend time having fun with their grandchild than teaching about racism.

On top of all of that, I’m white passing. I’m the darkest person in the room around my white family and the lightest person around the Black side of the fam. I’ve never experienced the same level of racism as they have. It’s unlikely I ever will.

Over the last decade or so, I’ve come to understand just how problematic my upbringing was. White family members - including my own mum threw around racial slurs as though they were talking about the weather. The only word not used by them was the N word. Everything else? Completely on the table.

Unlearning and healing from the casual racism that was an everyday part of my childhood is wild. It is at times rage inducing and heart breaking.

What makes it utterly worse is the fact that Black history was not being taught when I was at school. History in the mid 90’s and early 00’s was completely whitewashed and England’s history scrubbed clean of any wrong doing.

For example: Slavery

“America has a long history of slavery,” my history teacher once said. “In England we abolished slavery way before the Americans did and even then they had a war over it.”

This was said earnestly by a white history teacher in my final years at school.

“Did we take part in slavery?” A student may ask.

“Of course not, we abolished it.”

How do you abolish something you have no part in? That was never explained and trying to ask that would land you in detention.

Furthermore History classes would teach a very strange version of American history.

“A group of disgruntled English people travelled to the New World where they befriended the local population and founded what is today known as America. From there the Americans and the British had a minor disagreement and America declared its independence. Let’s now talk about cowboys and the American West.”

Aah the American West. A beloved topic in history class and if anyone had questions they could be answered with “you’ll learn more by watching John Wayne films.”

The American Civil War? Glossed over as “fighting over slavery” with no deeper look into it. No dates, no notable battles, nothing.

It’s no lie when I say I’ve learned more since living school than I ever did in school. And that’s horrifying.

All this to say, right now I’m listening to a book called ‘The N Word: Who should say it, who shouldn’t and why’ by Jabari Asim.

Really it’s a history of that word and how it was used to justify slavery and anti Blackness. It both makes me wish I could punch dead people and cry at the hurt Black people were forced to endure.

It should go without saying that slavery was vile and disgusting and those who took part where disgusting pieces of trash.

This book is bringing out the feels. It’s teaching me things I never knew and oh your god. It’s heart wrenching.

If you care about unlearning racism then you need to read this book and others like it. You really do.

I think more than anything else, this book is ending my relationship with Christianity. The amount of times the Bible is used to justify anti Blackness is astounding.

There’s a question that lives deep in my soul. It’s a question I’ve asked both my parents at one time or another.

“Where am I from?”

Parents of biracial children - please do your health and teach your children their cultures. Teach them things their schools aren’t or won’t. Answer questions honestly.

Most importantly - do the work to unlearn racism and raise your kids in a home where racism isn’t the norm.

One day I’m going to do a 23&me test to find out my exact racial background. My heart won’t be happy until I do. It’s the only way to finally put that question to rest.

History should not be whitewashed. Don’t allow them to hide the truth. Fight for actual history to be taught.

Don’t repeat mistakes of the past and for goodness sake - never say the N word if you’re pro Black.

[shower-phantom-ideas]

As a child little William Lancer was made fun of for having a “lame” or “boring” name. So he set off to prove to his classmates that William was a cool and famous name! This of course leads to him finding William Shakespeare and discovering how famous he was. Which did impress his friends to the max!

As a child he became fixated on learning about Shakespeare. He was a little fact spot of anything and everything he as a child could know about the man. Which eventually lead to him actually reading the works and not just w fun facts about the man. This lead to him reading more from that era. He was obsessed. His parents greatly encouraged this too since it was such a brilliant topic for a child to like. As a child always seeking out his parents attention and approval this just fuelled his passion even more. Reading was the best thing in the world to him and learning about books and their authors breathed life into the boy.

His tenth grade (i think its actually 11 in other countries) English teacher had been named William as well. They had taught him his love of English. And his love of learning. William Henthorne had a real love for teaching. He was strict but truly wanted his students to succeed so he went out of his way to help them outside of class. Mostly teaching his lesson of the day again but with more questions during his planning period (in my school teachers had a period, 1/4 of the school day, where the didnt have a class) so students could come back and have a second go at the material during their lunch break. Mr.Henthorne showed him the joys of learning that he wished to show others. He wanted everyone to know how great it felt to learn something from someone wo really cared.

When he finally got his degree and became a teacher his very first class had a William in it. A young freshman names William Starnes. The boy hated his name and went by Bill. Of we couldt have that. William Lancer made it his goal to get this child to see the greatness that the name William held. He showed the boy the wonders of Shakespeare. He was a fresh teacher who hadnt had the life sucked out of him by the horrible pay and treatment yet so he was a wonderful teacher. And finally it all paid off when at the end of the first semester (half the school year) young Mr. Starnes asked if he could speak to him after class. Of course Lancer had no way to know what this chat was going to be about but he held his hopes high that it would be another victory for the name William. He was right but also still lost his personal challenge to make Bill want to use his given name. Young Spencer said that they dont hate the name William any more but it just wasnt for them. OH! “Them” oh well Lancer could easily accept a loss here. If they wanted a more neutral name than William to feel comfortable then who was he to deny them that. In the end all that mattered is that the child was passing his class and was feeling comfortable enough to share with him something so personal. Lancer swelled with pride knowing that while he failed to get his student to use their given name William but succeeded in making them not feel so alone and to be more comfortable with themselves. And really that was much better than anything else. Even if William is the superior name of all names.

[ukiyokki]

mars reads too much dreamnotfound fanfiction for their own good

a dreamnotfound fanfic recommendation list by your resident dumbass (me)

this took way to fucking long... i’m tired

below is a (very extensive) list dedicated to all my favorite dnf fics, ranging from quick one shots to 100k+ word monstrosities that devour the storage on my computer, forever incomplete masterpieces to ongoing works of art, you get the idea. i provided links for each fic/series for your reading pleasure. there will be no smutty/nsfw fics on this list, that’s just not my vibe lmao. this list goes in no particular order, and i’ll update it from time to time when i feel like it. now, without further ado, let us begin.

Heat Waves (complete) by tbhyourelame

(wtf else did you expect, looking at a dnf rec list?) amazingly well written, and while it’s not my favorite dnf fic it’s damn near close. in the midst of a brutal heatwave, a suffering dream comes to terms with the fact that he is desperately in love with his best friend. everything i could say about this fic has already been said by nearly everyone who’s read it, so if you haven’t yet caved into the hype, just go for it. you won’t be disappointed.

Gonna be around (completed) by georgescatcafe

(mc irl) my favorite dnf oneshot to date. just read it, i don’t wanna spoil for you :)

Inferno in the Sky (ongoing)by zairielon

(star wars au) an ongoing star wars au currently clocking in at almost 200k words. need I say more? everything about it absolutely slaps, each chapter is amazingly written, and it’s just good. also, can we just appreciate dream and tubbos dynamic in here? 10/10, amazing, must protecc. oh right, a summary: george, an exiled padawan turned engineer, must return to the jedi temple after attacks on it from an unknown assailant threaten the safety of himself and the other jedi.

Like Magic (ongoing) by KangarooKen, NotGra55 (Gra55)

(harry potter au) the unofficial official dnf harry potter au. we watch the young unlikely wizard pair grow up together throughout their years at hogwarts as they battle good old fashioned wizard racism. beautifully written, incredibly fun and suspenseful, and just an overall blast and a half.

GeorgeNotFound, Son of Poseidon, and the League of Minor Gods (ongoing) by Clichewho_69, Cygnvs, Trash_Kinggg

(percy jackson au) percy jackson au? check. “road trip” (technically quest but u get what i mean)? check. enemies to friends to lovers? check. this fic follows the plot of the lightning theif (albeit loosely), but everything is explained enough where you don’t have to read percy jackson to understand what’s going on. basically after moving to the usa, george gets taken to camp halfblood where he learns that a) gods exist. b) he’s the son of poseidon and c) he needs to prove that he didn’t steal zeus’s master bolt.

Protected (completed) by aenqua

(royalty/camelot au) my favorite piece of dnf media of all time. dubbed the official dnf camelot au, where dream is the heir to the throne and george is a servants son with a secret that couldp get him killed. these childhood friends grow up together and learn trust, love, and acceptance. (that summary did not justice to the masterpiece that is this fic) here’s the directors cut

The Hunter (completed) by HederEgo

(mc irl) a choose your own adventure fic with 13 different endings, where dream the hunter must kill george and stop him from beater the ender dragon. enough said.

The official dream team cowboy AU (series)(ongoing) by antsu_in_my_pantsu

(cowboy au) cowboys and outlaws horses and shit. and the big gay. it’s a cowboy au, what else did you expect? fucking yee haw (all seriousness this is a great read, i loved it so so so so much and i can’t wait for the final chapter to release).

This is a Drista moment, let's just accept it (completed) by Qekyo

dnf fic from drista pov. considering its unique perspective, it’s perfectly done. beautifully showcases a sibling relationship through drista and her memories/moments with dream, and it just works, y’a know? also drista supremacy.

Dear Dream (completed) by Qekyo

(wwii au) i don’t cry when watching/reading anything sad. translation: i’m a heartless bitch. however, this fic is the only exception. it caused me to cry so hard my mom walked in my room and asked if i was ok. ‘nuff said.

TECHNOlogical Wingman (completed) by Closeted_Bookworm

techno is the autocorrect ai on dreams phone, and he gains sentience. interesting concept, and the author fucking nailed it. great fic.

It Was Only a Fic (ongoing) by imagineitdear

dream starts reading a dnf fanfic (we’ve all been there buddy).

Teacher’s Pet (ongoing) by niyuha

(teacher au) in which dream is a high school english teacher and george is the new comp sci teacher in room 297.

Saltwater Secrets (ongoing) by earlgay_milktea

(mermaid/high school au) a great example of the shear amount of variety in fics this fandom has to offer. when i started reading dnf fics i would have never thought i’d find one about a mermaid george hopelessly crushing on his human friend, who happens to be his schools star swimmer. yet here i am, and i am far from disappointed.

Smash My Heart (incomplete) by dontrollthedice

george and sapnap are commentators for duper smash brothers tournaments, and george develops a crush on an up and coming smash streamer named dream.

roleplaying in the dark is harder than it seems (completed) by Alienu

laser tag. 10/10

solar system (completed) by quartzfia

(mc irl) george vists dream in pandora’s vault.

Ramblings of a Lunatic (completed) by jungkooksfic

ahh communicating through a notebook left on a shelf in a bookstore- what a perfect way to start a relationship.

Paint me like your French Girls (It's Charcoal, Actually) (completed) by Turtle_ier

(artist au) george is an art student, and dream is a model.

00:00:00 (completed) by isleofdreams

(soulmate au) 00:00:00 is the moment you meet your soulmate, as indicated but the clock ticking down on your wrist until the moment you meet. i’m not a fan of soulmate aus; this fic is the exception.

Blue Skies Smilin' At Me (completed) by kivy

(artist au) i don’t usually cry while reading stuff, but this brought me damn near close. george is a painting conservator and chats it is with the ghost of the artist if the painting he is working on. they fall in a love.

Current Location (incomplete) by hendollana

(influencer au) george simps for a hot american instagram model. who knew he’d actually follow back?

The Withering (series) (series ongoing, 1 work completed) by App1e_Juice

(mc irl) lore and world building and fight scenes and everything i crave. what’s not to love? something starts making the plants and crops around dreams village wither, and must team up with new friends to find the cause of the mysterious disease plaguing the land.

Minecraft, But You Can't Leave (complete) by facadecake

(mc irl) dream and george are sucked into their own private minecraft world together and must beat the game to escape.

Free The Game, Beat the End (incomplete) by goatgoatwasfound

(mc irl) a glitch in minecraft causes thousands of players from around the world to be trapped inside minecraft, with only one way of escape- beating the ender dragon. first dnf fic i ever read, and it’s still 10/10 for me.

Why don't you come a little closer? (completed) by lifeofandoms

george gets stood up by a date, and Dream pretends he’s the date to save george from the embarrassment. simply adorable.

lightning bug (completed) by saintachesP

(band au) while on tour, dream realizes his feeling for george.

Hold me closer (completed) by Treesofmyheart

(mc irl/dsmp) i just,, really like this trope.

Dizzy on caffeine (completed) by GleamingGreenGoggles

(coffee shop au) best dnf coffeeshop au i’ve read. periodt.

living a life of crime isn’t always easy (series) (completed) by itisjosh

(mafia/assassin au) stockholm syndrome except it’s not weird.

Inhibitions Make Interesting Situations (completed) by Ship_On_The_Sea

i pissed myself laughing. it’s just a dream and george being hilariously dense, flustered idiots. serotonin central.

thy eternal summer shall not fade (completed) by gracequills

(high school au) that moment when you recite shakespeare to your crush in your ap lit class instead of confessing (hate it when that happens).

All is Fair in love and Football (ongoing) by graciegirl2001

(college au) #1 favorite college au. in which george is a cheerleader, and dream is the football teams rising star player. this one gets extra points because of the amazing karlnap moments sprinkled throughout. *chefs kisses air*

online love (completed) by andbutso

(high school au) online classes go zoooooooom

Can’t help falling (completed) by isleofdreams

dream re-learns the guitar to sing to george on his birthday. beautiful. fluffy. amazing

dance in the rain and my arms (completed) by lazy_kitkat

george is a rain god, and dream is a wind god

Weather Boy (completed) by DaintyDiizzle

wouldn't you like to know, weather boy? (where dream can control the rain)

The color orange (completed) by anon

(mc irl) dream describes the colors of a sunset

Family Mode (completed)by Strawberry_flavoured_tears

they’re dads :,)

Breathing Room (incomplete) by papercranes

(band an) an amazing band au. the mad lad author wrote original songs for each chapter. above and beyond, mad props :). unfortunately, it’s incomplete

Piece of Clay (completed) by carbonbrine

(artist au) george is a sculptor and his sculpture comes to life- but oh no he’s hot.

Try (completed) by Not4typicalwriter

(royalty au) george must choose a suitor, but none of them are up to dream, his head knights, standards. or dream is hella jelly. also protective dream is perfect

When the Roses Bloom (completed) by HederEgo

(royalty au) close second for my favorite fic. go to royalty au for a quick serotonin bost. it’s all fluff and flowers and crushes, and i love it. criminally underrated.

Heavenstruck (ongoing) by dontrollthedice

george is dreams guardian angel, and dream want to find out more about him and his past life. bittersweet :,)

Bang and Burn (completed) by App1e_Juice

(spy au) george accidentally falls for target number 1 on sapnap’s secret agency’s hit list. this ones great, i love me a spy au :)

Can I get a uhh… (completed) by lemonskies

dream keeps pulling up to the drive through mcdonald’s that george works at drunk.

Pretty Stranger (completed) by anon

when looking for dream in the terminal, george sees a cute guy and decides to flirt.

Take my Hand (completed) by latinbias

(royalty au) another royalty au? poggers. surprise twists? double poggers. love this a lot.

seconds, minutes, hours, lifetimes (complete) by meridies

ROAD TRIP ROAD TRIP ROAD TRIP ROAD TRIP *inhales to compose herself* roadtrip au. unrequited love, ignored feelings, longing, pining, you know the drill. absolutely love this one, its the best roadtrip au i have ever read, in any fandom. (maybe cause i identify with it a little too much, but thats not important. whats important is that you read this fic. right now. im waiting).

Message redacted (complete) by justyouraverageloser

(text fic) dream asks for a girls number and realises hes been given the wrong number. however, an unexpected relationship starts to form between him and the stranger on the other end of the line.

the waves (completed) by anon

(mc irl) this fic was written by the same anon who wrote the color orange, which is up there on my fav dnf oneshot list. dream and george know they have a higher purpose. they don’t know where they came from, or why they are seemingly the only humans in the world, or how they feel about eachother, or even where the skeletons come from, but they are sure of one thing: they have to beat a dragon.

The Dream Doll (completed) by PeppDream (Pep_Pizza)

(voodoo i guess) i’m a real big fan of fics with really out there or unique concepts, so naturally this one makes the cut! i really liked it, it’s really sweet and made me think a lot about what matters to me in the world. george finds a strange doll in an antique shop, and would really like to just stuff it in a drawer and forget about it. sadly (?), the doll has other plans.

last updated February 6th, 2021

[thegirlwiththewritingthirst]

Joker’s Masterpiece

Pairing: Jason Todd x reader

Requested: no

Word count: 3200 ish

Warnings: mentions of death and blood

Summary: reader is best friends with Tim drake and is dating Jason Todd. But she doesn’t know their secret identities or the fact that she has known Jason since she was 11 years old…

English isn’t my first language, sorry for any mistakes I made.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Tim, stop whining, I can drink a beer. High school kids drink beer. I bet you drank things far stronger than a beer when you were 18.”

“Don’t talk about me like I’m a hundred years old Y/N. I’m just 23.”

“See that’s my point. We were both in the same class and we both have a bachelor's degree. I don’t see you can drink while I can’t.”

“Because! I’m 23 and you’re 19. You went to college early, you’re not old enough for alcohol!”

“Which means I am mature and smart enough to handle a little beer!”

“The age limit isn’t there because of that! It’s because…”

“Oh please both of you, can it! Drake, sit your ass down! Y/N here’s a beer. Now. Shut. Up. Ok? I’m getting a headache!” Jason interrupted the two best friends with an annoyed look written all over his face. He stormed off, shutting the door behind him, almost breaking it.

“I believe that Master Jason has had a tough and difficult week. You should be upset with him.” Alfred said calmly afre Jason had stormed off.

“Really because I thought he was mad at me and wanted to rip my head off.” Tim groaned.

After a while we started watching TV when the news came up, saying the Joker had escaped Arkham Asylum. The shiver that went down you spine attracted Tim’s attention.

“Why do you always shiver when we hear his name?”

I looked at Tim. I had never told him about my encounter with the clown monster of Gotham.

I was 11, he attacked my class, killing everyone from the teacher to the students. I was so scared. I was under my desk looking for my pen when he came inside killing everyone with a rifle. My friend was dead beside me, bleeding out on the ground. I laid down on the ground near the puddle of blood next to him. I put my hand in his blood and made a red spot on my shirt, to make it seem like I had been shot too and that we were sharing the same puddle of blood. I was extremely bright with an IQ of 167. So my parents had homeschooled me before this year. And I would spend three months a year studying and the next nine months having fun. My father was a scuba diving instructor and we spent a lot of time together at the pool and the sea. So I was able to hold my breath for 6 minutes at a time. But for my fifth grade I had asked my mom to let me go to school, I wanted to have friends. All I could think about was how I must be a horrible person for using my friend’s blood to survive. The thing is I really wanted to be dead at the moment so I didn’t move at all, guilt washing over me, it paralyzed me. I couldn’t move. I breathed once every five or six minutes, the joker really thought I was dead. Sixteen hours later Batman and Robin were taking each body out, delivering them to their parents. I was conscious but I really couldn’t move at that point. I don’t know if it was exhaustion from the uncomfortable situation I had laid in, if it was hunger and I had no energy to move or if it was still the guilt not allowing me to move. When Robin picked me up, he flinched. I felt his flinch. I still remember his dreamy voice.

“Batman, I think this kid is alive. She’s warm.”

“Does she have a pulse?”

“I don’t know. She’s warm but I don’t feel her pulse. Maybe it’s really weak. Let me check the bullet wound”

He put me on surface and he started taking off my jacket. I was left in my top. He pushed the hem of my top up, the shirt had a bloody spot on it. I had done that so the Joker would think I’m dead, that I had been shot. He touched my stomach so lightly, so softly it was barely noticeable, or maybe I was dying of dehydration and hunger that my senses had been weakened.

“Batman there is no bullet wound.”

“Then where did the blood come from?”

“I think she did it herself. Maybe she wasn’t shot and pretended to be. She’s still warm and…”

I finally came out of shock. I really wasn’t dead. Robin said so. He said I’m not dead. He said I’m pretending. I let go. Batman was safe. Robin was safe. They wouldn’t hurt me. I let go of the control I had on my breathing and my chest started rising and falling. That’s what made them stop talking, the sound of me letting go of my breath. I was alive. They were dead. Everyone was dead and I was alive. Because I dropped my pencil. This is not right. I felt the tears leave the corner of my eyes and I started sobbing. Robin slowly picked me up and put me in his lap and asked me to open my eyes. I couldn’t do that. The tears were falling and I couldn’t do anything about it. I was still unable to move.

“Hey. I know you’re really scared right now. But I need to see your eyes to make sure you’re ok. Don’t you wanna go back to mommy and daddy?” His voice was so soft and kind. No. I didn’t want to go to mom and dad. I didn’t deserve it. If I stay still for a few more hours I’ll die too, just like I should’ve. I moved and shook my head no. I slowly opened my eyes and shook my head no again.

“What is it doll? Do you not have parents? Do they hurt you? What is it?”

His eyes were so nice. They made me feel safe. I started crying louder and I told him that I shouldn’t be alive, that if I stay unmoving enough I’ll die like I should’ve. That it isn’t fair that Dennis died and I’m alive. Dennis wanted to be the president. He wanted to change the world. I should’ve died instead of him. I’m alive just because I dropped my pencil. He just blinked at me. He realized that I may have been 11 but I was far more mature than that.

“None of you should have died. The Joker changed the way things should have been. It isn’t your fault that you’re alive. It’s his fault that they’re dead, not yours. You should wanna go outside and live the best life you can instead of your friend. He would want you to be happy. You should live the days he couldn’t and remember him everyday, live everyday for him, so when he's watching you, he’ll feel like he’s living too. He wants you to be happy I promise. But he’s dead and you’re alive. It’s an opportunity. The Joker couldn’t kill you. You have a purpose. You stayed alive for a reason. In my opinion you should live so you can find out what that purpose is and why you’re alive. Don’t you think so?”

I slowly shook my head and hugged his neck close. He picked me up and slowly walked the halls of school so he could give me to my parents. I was always a small person, even as child. I was 11 but I looked 8. So it was easy to lift me.

“Robin?”

“Yeah?”

“How old are you?”

“Why?”

“I wanna know if you’re old enough to be wise and say stuff like that.”

He chuckled lightly. “I’m sixteen, am I old enough?”

“Hmmm… I guess.”

“What’s your name?”

“Y/N.”

“That’s my favorite name!”

“Really?!” The little excitement in my voice probably assured Robin that I would be ok.

“Yeah. And I can tell that you’ll be ok. You are smiling. I can hear your smile in voice.” He reached the door and put me down. I was still smiling. “Never stop smiling Y/N. You have a beautiful smile that the world needs to see.” He kissed the open cut beside my eyebrow that went down to my cheek. I had gotten that cut while trying to lie on the ground, I accidentally put my head on my pencil. He went outside the school and shouted my name. When my parents turned around to Robin, they probably expected a corpse not me with dried tears and blood all over my face running to them.

“Y/N?” Tim shouted.

“Why are you shouting?!”

“I have been calling you eight times. You ok?”

“I was lost in my thoughts.”

“About the Joker?”

“Yes, we had a very unpleasant encounter eight years ago. I'd rather forget it.”

I got up and headed for my bag.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to upset you Y/N.”

“No you didn’t Timmy,” I kissed his cheek. “I just have to go. I have to go to my apartment and study. And honestly I remembered something bad… I need some space and time, ok?” I said while gathering my stuff. I waved him goodbye and went outside to get a cab. I didn’t wanna bother Alfred when I heard a motorcycle roar behind me. I turned to see the hottest person alive smiling at me.

“Well hello sailor!” I said, smiled and kissed his hair before sitting behind him.

“My place or yours?”

“Hmm whichever is closest I need to study.”

“Really?”

“Yes now hurry up Jay, if you don’t I’ll go home on my own.”

“If you wanna study I don’t wanna be there. I hate it when you do that…”

“Fine, then just drop me off.” He nodded, putting his helmet on and starting to drive.

He stopped in front of my apartment complex. I took off his helmet, kissed him and left.

I went upstairs to my apartment and I changed into a sports bra and Bicycle pants and remembered what I just did. I had lied to the man I love, because I’m all messed up and he doesn’t know it. This is what I always did. Whenever I remembered that horrendous day I would go home, take my mattress off my bed and lean it against the wall and start punching and kicking it. I had started going to self defense classes after what happened that day. I promised myself I would never be vulnerable enough for anyone to hurt me, which is probably why I have kept Tim, the only friend I’ve had since that day and Jason, the boyfriend I love so much, in the dark. I don’t want to give them weapons to hurt me. No one knows that maniac like I do, no one knows what he can do but me. I kept punching and kicking the mattress over and over again. I remembered him standing over mine and Dennis’ bodies. Tears started forming in my eyes, blurring my vision but I kept on hitting. I remembered him starting to laugh like a psychopath. My punches were landing on the soft mattress anymore but I couldn’t see what it was and I didn’t care. I remembered him cutting some of their faces and putting a Glasgow smile on their dead bodies. And at the same moment my tears left my eyes and my vision cleared. I punched the wall so hard, I put my hand through it. My knuckles were bleeding. My apartment had thin walls. I could see the kitchen now from the living room. Great. Just great. The TV was on and I suddenly heard commissioner Gordon advising civilians to stay away from a part of Gotham because the son of a bitch was there and Batman was fighting him. I looked outside and it was raining. I tied my hair up and let my bangs cover my eyebrows and my scar. A little part of my scar that went to my cheekbone was always visible but no one ever saw it really, or connected the dots. I didn’t want people pitying me so I always had bangs, I never tried to grow them out. Then I put on a coat and a face mask and went outside. It’s time I faced my greatest fear. I knew how to be sneaky. The self defense classes I took? I took them without my parents permission or knowledge, so yeah I was pretty sneaky. I ran in the rain and sneaked into the street where they were fighting and looked around for a hiding place when I saw my old school. No no no no no. Why had he come here?

“See Batsy, this little school is very important to me. I love it so much.” He let out a giggle. Then something happened. He blew up a few places around him, knocking Batman, Red Robin and Red Hood to the ground. I was torn should I help them or confront Joker. I was about to go help them when the bastard saw me.

“And who is this little girl?”

Batman tried to get up but couldn’t, having been blown up from underneath, right and left really hurt him.

He threw something at me and my mask fell off. I wore it back as fast as I could but he had already seen my face.

“Wait, I know you! You’re the girl that survived my little attack on this school.” My body went cold. How did he know me?

“I saw you on TV in Arkham, you had a little scar from your eyebrow to your cheek, you probably still do.” He stepped closer. I tried to go back but my back hit the wall.

“You see, I always thought of you and Hoodie boy as my masterpieces.” Hoodie boy? Did he mean Red Hood?

“You pretended to be dead for 16 hours. That must’ve been so fun.” He laughed.

“I bet you had a lot of fun.” He said and My fist tightened.

“I bet you’re here to avenge your little friend. You and Hoodie boy are a lot alike, you’re avenging your dead friend and Hoodie boy is avenging himself. You see I kinda killed him but he came back. I thought I killed you but you came back too! You two would make a great couple. I should set you up.I know where you live, when I kill him and I’ll leave him on the doorstep as a gift.” My stomach dropped. He knows where I live, the Joker is many things but he isn’t a liar. I may have studied Chemistry at college with Tim but we shared classes only for one semester. I got my bachelors degree in Chemistry within a year and a half and then I started studying Psychology. I have been studying psychology for three years now. And I knew the Joker wouldn’t benefit from lying. He doesn’t do it. It’s not his M.O, not his style. If he knows where I live…

“Or maybe I should kill you both and put you in a romantic position in your apartment? That’ll be more fun wouldn’t it?” He moved towards me and I suddenly punched him hard and my knuckles started bleeding again. I kicked him in the stomach to push him away. I started running towards the heroes, usually people need a kick or water splash to wake up. I had no water so kicking would have to do. I kicked all of them and I heard Red Hood cursing me.

“Damn woman, don't kick me, where am I supposed to tell my girlfriend this bruise came from?” I chuckled slightly and helped him up.

“How about the Joker?” Joker started running towards us and I jumped on thr boxes on corner and jumped above Joker’s head and landed behind him, punching his spine.

“Since she doesn’t know who I am, I can’t really do that.” He said while he dodged the metal balls Joker was throwing at us.

“Well how about a bar fight? You seem like the type to drink and punch.” I said taking the small object he gave me. “Throw.” he shouted and we both threw the balls at the same time, making a little explosion to distract the Joker. Suddenly I saw Red Robin attacking the Joker.

“Red Hood, take her to the safe house. I want to talk to her later.” And he joined Red Robin in the fight. Suddenly Hood threw my on his back and started running.

“Hey I can’t smell like your stinky cologne. My boyfriend is coming over tomorrow morning! Put me down.”

“Not a chance little Sparrow.” My heart stopped and I couldn’t say anything. He put me on the motorcycle, sat behind me, took the wheel and started driving.

“Red Hood?”

“Yeah?”

“What did you just call me?”

“Oh sorry. You just sounded like my girlfriend and that’s what I call her, little Sparrow. She’s really fast, not unlike yourself.” I was speechless. My boyfriend was Red Hood. Well now I knew who everyone in the bats were, it wasn’t hard to guess the others.

“Although you have grown up so much you know.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh come on Y/N. You don’t recognize me?”

“How do you know my name?” I was starting to get scared.

“Oh come on. You told me yourself! You got so excited when I told you your name was my favorite name.”

“Robin?”

“You got it baby!”

“You left.”

“Pardon?”

“After that… you just left. It was just Batman for a while and then Robin came back, but it wasn’t you. He didn’t feel like you. I felt it in my heart that it wasn’t you.”

“I— well the Joker already told you he killed me so there’s your answer.” His voice was more quiet now, more sad.

“You heard what he said?”

“Yeah that’s why I recognized you, your scar isn’t visible.”

“So the Joker just killed you?”

He seemed torn. He shifted behind me. “Yeah, he beat me to death with a crowbar and then blew me up. And I honestly don’t know why I’m telling you this, I don’t even know you.”

“Well Jay, maybe it’s because sometimes people feel comfortable with each other even though they don’t know each other.”

He suddenly stopped the cycle. And pulled my face towards him. “How do you know my name?” I took off the mask and looked at him. “I bet I’m the last you expected to see under this mask Jay.” I smiled at him nervously. He was shocked to say the least, he just kept staring at me. “But how did you…”

“You said you call your girlfriend little Sparrow. I knew instantly.” I kissed his helmet and put my mask back on and turned my head. When he started driving he changed his direction. “Hey aren’t we going to a safe house? Why did you change direction?”

“Oh now that you know who I am and I know who you are, we are going to the batcave.”

“Really?”

“Yeah and I bet Bruce would want you on the team, you held your own against Joker.”

“Thanks to my secret self defense classes.”

“You’re gonna have to tell me all about it later sweetheart.”

And I knew, being vulnerable with my boyfriend or best friend wasn’t going to be a problem anymore. Maybe we could all be vulnerable together. And apparently the Joker was right, me and Jay would be a good couple. The best one there was. I had been dating him for six months and now… now I know that there will never be an end to us.