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writingroom21 · 4 months ago

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Okay how about this purge AU

Where reader is a pouge and is not living in a secure house.

Rafe is the one purging like the other kooks but had a soft spot for shy pouge reader and lets her stay in his house and threatens her to have sex with her or else he kills her (I mean he's lying but she believes him so they have sex)

Purged

Warnings: 18+, DUBCON, smut, darkish Rafe. Please be advised that reader only has sex with Rafe in fear of her life.

Wc: 3.2K

A/N: Sorry this took me forever to get out. I was contemplating on how I wanted to go about this because this is a new realm of writing for me. Then I felt like everything I was writing sucked.

You know when you say you wish your life was like a movie? The first time that idea ever occurred to you was when you were a kid watching Disney movies. You’ve always wished to be able to run away from your home life. Escape into a world where you could be anything and have the perfect life.

Growing up as a pogue you found it hard to see how the other half lived. You and your friends were barely getting by and then there were the super rich kids. It also didn’t help when the kook and pogue rivalry started to gear up. It felt as if no matter where you went people would always remind you that you are nothing and no one would care if you disappeared.

Even Though it was hard you tried to not let it bother you. Taking all the insults they threw at you as if they were nothing. Cleaning up your yard after they trashed it without making a peep. The kooks from your year always seemed bothered by you never making a fuss. The other pogues always put up a fight and then there was you. The only one who never showed any hatred from them and never showed weakness even when they tried.

You were like some rock that they couldn't move. Which only ended up making you a target for their games. Every Halloween a bunch of kooks would make their way to the cut just to egg your house. One time they even put up edited photos of you all around school making you the laughing stock. To say the least they were not happy when you just kept walking with your head high not acknowledging what they did.

Your only escape was dreaming how different your life could be. Comparing your situation to the ones on your tv screen which only had half a screen. You’ve pictured your life in most movies or sitcoms. But you never imagined it as a horror movie.

Today was a normal day like every other day. You had gotten up and rode your bike all the way to work. Since you work at the country club you always have to deal with all of the kooks. Especially since you work the front desk so you are the first thing they see every time they walk in. Today was no different with the snide remarks.

“Look its the whore from the cut. I’m surprised they haven’t given you a job upgrade after fucking all of them.” Some random guy you think you’ve ever seen comments. You just type away at the computer ignoring his irritating voice. He walks up to the desk and tries to talk to you again. “Come one why don’t we go to the back and you show me how you got this job.”

You slowly look up at him and see Rafe Cameron behind him. You watch as he taps the guy's shoulder and gets even more confused about this whole situation. “Yo buddy why don’t you fuck off.” The guy turns around and backs up a little when he sees Rafe walking towards him. “Why do you care?” Rafe gets in his face ready to punch him if he opens his mouth one more time.

“Because I fucking do. I don’t need to explain myself to you. Now run along before I beat the shit out of you.” They guy looks back at you and then scurries off without another word. “You okay?”You stare at him in shock. “Yeah I’m good.” He just nods his head, knocking on the front desk in front of your computer. “Good.” Then he was off to go play golf like he does every Saturday.

You don’t understand what just happened. He was a kook and he was defending you. Now that you think about it you never really saw him be rude to you. He never made fun of you and you can’t recall him laughing at your expense. The rest of your shift was a haze. All you could think about is why would he tell that guy off. It’s not like the two of you were friends.

By the time you left work it was on the back burner. The wind was blowing in your hair as you pedal through the streets. The breeze was a nice comparison to the heat from the day. You were a few streets away from the country club when your phone started ringing.. The noise was obnoxious like those test alerts they sometimes do. You pull over to the side of the road and pull out your phone.

“This is not a test, this is your Emergency Broadcast System. Announcing the new commencement of the purge sanctioned by the U.S. Government. Weapons of class four and lower have been authorized for use during the purge. All other weapons are restricted. Commencing at the siren, any and all crime (including murder) will be legal for 12 continuous hours. Police, fire, and Emergency Medical services will be unavailable until tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. When the purge concludes. Blessed be our new founding fathers and America... A nation reborn. May God be with you all."

You stare at your phone as the voice reads the words that scroll through your screen. Laughing you put your phone away thinking it was some dumb joke and keep riding your bike. After only a few pedals a loud siren scares you, making you fall from your bike. You slowly stand up fixing your bike and looking around. Everything seemed normal so it must have been nothing.

Then there was a scream.

One that you would hear in a horror movie when they are getting murdered. You look around confused as to where the noise came from until you see someone run out of a building holding their shoulder. Just as you were about to ask if they are okay another person runs out with a knife, stabbing the first person until they are laying in a puddle of their blood. Standing there in horror your eyes meet theirs as they look up.

As quickly as you can you get on your bike pedaling as fast as you can. You see people running out of the store with a bunch of things, other people laying on the ground. This honestly doesn’t even feel real to you. It has to be some nightmare you are about to wake up from. You take one hand off the bar to pinch yourself and sure enough this is all real.

Suddenly a truck is revving behind you, headlights illuminating you on the street. The wheels make a crunching sound as they speed up along the street. Fuck. You have nowhere to go and they keep getting closer. Panicking you dart to the sidewalk trying to get to the trees for cover when you hear your name. Looking over your shoulder you see Rafe leaning to the passenger window trying to get your attention.

Great he defended you earlier just to kill you now.

“Can you just fucking stop for a minute. You need to get in.” Not stopping you go down a dirt road trying to get away only for him to follow. He passes you and stops so you can’t get any further. He gets out of the car and walks towards you. “Please, I just want to get home. You don’t have to do this.” You try to plead with him. Sure you could ride off right now but he would just catch up eventually.

Rafe gives you a look and shakes his head. “I’m not going to kill you or something. The kook from earlier, you know the asshole.” You nod your head at him recalling the guy. “He made a post once the announcement came on. Told everyone to go to your house so they can all kill you. I’m just trying to save you.”

It's hard to believe that he wants to help you. “Why would you help me?” He crosses his arms and takes a step back towards the driver side door. “I maybe an asshole but I’m not a killer. Plus you never once did anything to deserve this.” You were still skeptical until he showed you the post. After another second of thinking you agreed and he’s loading up your bike in the trunk. If he was going to kill you he would have done it by now. Both of you are out of sight of any person and plus there are no laws stopping him. Maybe he is just trying to help you.

You get in the passenger seat and look in the back to see a shirt with red stains on it. Rafe catches your eye sight when he gets in and sees how you scoot closer to the door. It’s the polo shirt he was wearing before you didn’t even notice he wasn’t wearing the same thing. You want to leave but he convinces you otherwise. “I got a bloody nose on the course. Stupid Topper was practicing swinging and I didn’t see.”

It makes sense, you’ve seen it happen plenty of times. Rafe is grateful when he sees you relax. He doesn’t want you to know that the blood is actually Thomas’. After he saw the post he found Thomas going to his car. He used the bat he keeps in the back seat to teach him a lesson and ended up killing him. The last thing Rafe needs is for you to be scared of him when all he wants is to protect you.

When he arrives at his house he is quick to get you inside. Stating that the less people that see you both the better. Plus his house has a great security system so no one will be able to get in.

“Where’s your family?” That’s a great question that he honestly couldn’t care about. The only person he’s worried about is his youngest sister but he already messaged her and she’s staying at her friend's house until it is all over. The house is the one next door so he knows she’s safe. “My dad and Rose are on a business trip. Sarah went with them and Wheezie is good. It’s just us here.” Something about the way he says it sounds reassuring yet the undertones tell a different story. Ignoring it you let him lead you around the house mansion, giving you a tour so you are comfortable. The time keeps ticking as the two of you talk. It feels like the world actually isn’t ending and it’s nice to forget about what is happening outside. Rafe had put on a movie after a while of just sitting. It was a dumb action movie so you weren’t really interested. You were looking around his room.

He said the upper floors would be safest since it gave the two of you more time to get to the safe room. Not that the two of you would need it but just in case. Again it made sense so you went along with it. The room was simple, a TV was across his bed and there were little decorations. It honestly didn’t seem like a bedroom and more like where you put the guests. As you look around Rafe is busy looking at you.

He’s always like how you kept to yourself. Even when the other kooks gave you shit all you did was take it. Never put up a fight and took it with stride. It reminded him of himself. He’s used to taking crap from his dad and he isn’t allowed to say anything. He admires the fact that you share the quality with him.

When you turn your attention back to the tv you see that Rafe is looking at you. You turn to ask him what’s wrong but he takes you by surprise. He kissed you. It took you a few seconds to realize that he was kissing you. His lips are moving against yours but you are completely still. What the hell is happening? This isn’t real.

You pull away, pushing his shoulders when he tries to chase you. “What are you doing?” Wanting to put some space between you two, you move further away on the bed. Which in hindsight might have been bad since you are now up against the wall. “I’m kissing you. What the hell are you doing?” He grabs your arm, yanking you back next to him. He starts to kiss your shoulder as you try to think of what to do.

He’s kissing your neck and all you want is to get out of here. Pushing him off of you again, you get up from the bed. “What is wrong with you?” You give him a look of disbelief. “What’s wrong with me? What the hell is wrong with you?” Rafe gets up from the bed and blocks the door as you try to leave. “Why are you doing this? I thought you wanted to help me. I don’t want this.”

Rafe is starting to get angry now. Why are you fighting this? “What are you even talking about?” He’s messing with your brain right now. There’s no way he can be serious. “Why fight this? We are so alike and we should be together.” Wow he really is serious. You knew he was crazy from what you’ve seen and what others told you but you never believed them.

“Are you fucking crazy? We don’t belong together. I don’t know where you got that idea when this is like the first time we even talked or hung out. Plus the only reason why I’m here is because of the stupid purge thing.” You’re panicking. He’s still blocking your way out and he has this look in his eyes. If you had to pinpoint it the look would be sad maybe desperation. But you knew better, that wasn’t it.

“Fine if that’s how you feel then you can leave.” He’s bluffing, the rejection hurts but he wouldn’t hurt you. You don’t make a move to leave so he goes over to drag you out of the room. He just wants you to leave him alone and just stay in one of the guest rooms.

You really start to panic now. He’s throwing you out just because you won’t sleep with him. The grip on your arm is tight so you know he’s mad. Just as he goes to open the door you throw your body onto him, lips smashing against his. He’s confused. You were just fighting him because he kissed you and here you are. He pulls away holding you in his hands. “I’m sorry. Don’t put me out when they want to kill me.”

You think that he’s going to let them kill you. Wait he can actually work with this. “Why shouldn’t I? There’s nothing in it for me by keeping you safe. I should honestly just offer you up to them.” He’s lying to his teeth. Even if he truly wanted to, there's a part of him that doesn’t want to hurt you. Your eyes start to swell with tears. You’re scared, you don’t want to die and you know out there you will.

“I’m just scared, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking straight so I was pushing you away.” He knows you are lying, only saying it to save yourself. A sick part of him doesn’t even care, liking that you are willing to sell yourself for safety. One of his hands cup your cheek, pulling you closer to him. “It’s okay baby. You don’t need to be scared, I’ve got you.” There is a need to be scared. He’s willing to sell you out and he thinks there is nothing to be scared about.

He leans in, bumping his nose with yours before kissing you. You timidly kiss him back, letting him set the pace. As the kiss progresses he gets more aggressive. Slowly he starts to pull you back into the room. His hands are wandering your body and it doesn’t feel right. You wish this stupid purge never started or that he had never found you. Maybe it would have been better if you did go home and they found you.

His kisses start to travel down your neck, his hands making their way under your shirt. You allow him to pull it up, leaving you in just a bra. Rafe takes a moment to admire you, playing with your breasts. He takes you closing your eyes as a sign of pleasure, enjoying the feeling. But in reality you just need to get it over with. “You look so beautiful.” You hum not knowing what to really say. Once again he takes it as you enjoying what he’s doing.

Before you know it you’re laying down on his bed naked with him on top of you. His fingers are rubbing your clit, circling it as he sucks on one of your nipples. You hate that it actually feels a little good. But you remind yourself that you can’t control how your body reacts. His actions stop causing your eyes to open.

You are greeted with his eyes staring down at you. “I knew you felt it too.” He kissed you, distracting you from the fact he lined himself up. Your mouth gaps open when he pushes himself in. It feels like he is splitting you in two. Giving you just a few moments to adjust he starts to thrust. Your hands find purchase on his shoulders, nails digging into him.

“God, you feel so good.” His head drops to your shoulder. “Doesn’t it feel good?” You nod your head as he kisses your neck, trying to stifle the whimpers threatening to escape. His thrusts are steady, ripping you apart from the inside out. You only got a little glimpse of him but you saw that he was big. Not only that he was girthy too.

It wouldn’t be a shock if he was actually ripping you apart. His right hand right hand finds its way between the both of you. His thumb continues its work from earlier and circles your clit. You squirm around as he keeps using your body.

He grabs your face so you are looking at him. “It feels good right?” He repeats the question, nuzzling his nose with yours. “So good.” At the confirmation he lets out a moan and rests his head in the crook of your neck.

You don’t know how long you laid there but soon his hips started to lose their rhythm. His grip on you tightens as he finally cums. He keeps holding you so you wrap your arms around him. You soothe him for some odd reason, running your hand up and down his back.

Rafe starts to feel guilty. He does know that you only slept with him to stay alive. It’s starting to eat at him. He lifts himself up to look at you and caresses your face. When your eyes meet his, he breaks.

“I wouldn’t have hurt you.” You just look at him without saying anything. “You may not believe it but I mean it. I won’t hurt you.”

You somewhat believe him. Maybe he wouldn’t have sent you off to your death but he still hurt you. Yet for some reason you give him what he’s seeking. “I know. It’s okay.”

The purge may have taken a part of you but you know that he’ll live with the guilt.

#rafe cameron #rafe x reader #rafe obx #rafe x you #rafe cameron smut #rafe smut #outer banks smut

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synthsamuri · 2 months ago

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Happy Halloween! 🦇

Please enjoy the prologue of my newest 19 days fanfiction, Ravenous. A story about vampires, vengeance, a mysterious killer, and of course, tianshan.

Read here on Ao3 or see below! Enjoy!

1961 New Hampshire

It was the longest night of the year, deep into the month of December as fog rolled over the hills of the countryside. Evergreen trees towered high on either side of the winding highway, green pine speckled in white snow that was just beginning to fall. It was a cold night, made colder by an eerie chill that had settled on the valley north of the town of Larkspur. Off to the side of the road, high up in the trees stood a young looking man. The chill did not bother him, nor the white snow that gathered in steady piles on the dips of his body. He had been still for so long, nearly becoming part of the landscape.

The man’s blood red eyes watched the road, unblinking, unmoving. Not even a breath disturbed the air around him. He was starving. Hunger filled his every thought, every nerve of his being. He would have left days ago if not for being so cemently frozen in place, commanded to stay still until his release was given. He was drying out, blood vessels rubbing together like sandpaper under his skin. It was the first step into desiccation, an unpleasant precipice he had walked too many times before. He was on edge, senses focused onto every sound, every flutter of every wing, every footstep of every animal. He stared at the road waiting, endlessly waiting until his mind was so consumed by the thought of the hunt, of the kill, that he thought he might snap, but still, he stayed still. Then finally, a red Ford Thunderbird rounded the corner driving up the mountain. At the sight of his release, his body unlocked from its stasis, muscles engaging, heart beating once more.

In a matter of seconds he had scaled down the mountainside, ready in place as the shiny red car drove through the predetermined spot. The driver didn’t see him coming, swerving in shocked horror to miss the man that suddenly appeared in the road. Tires squealed on wet snowy pavement as the car came to a grinding halt, dipping into the dead grass and shrubs on the side of the road.

The driver, a man dressed in a brown, well worn suit, stumbled out of the car, desperately scanning the road through large wide rimmed glasses. “Stay in the car!” he shouted to a woman sitting in the passenger seat.

Bitter cold stung the man’s cheeks and fingers as he squinted into the dark, trying to see the road ahead. The only light available was from the red taillights of his car and the cold caress of speckled moonlight through the trees. He desperately searched for the man. Who would be out walking alone on these mountainous roads.

“Hello?!” he shouted but only the wind answered. He swerved his head as he heard a car door open. “Honey! Stay in the car!”

The woman took a step out and onto the wet dead grass, clinging to her jacket. “I didn’t even see anyone, Henry! Let’s just go!”

“I saw a man on the road. I swear! We can’t just–”

“There! Henry, look there!” The woman pointed and the man’s eyes went wide. A little down the street stood a man in an expensive looking pinstripe suit. He had bright white hair and he was slowly walking towards them. Despite the wind and the snow, two golden eyes shone brightly back, sending a chill through both of them.

“Get back in the car!” The man yelled, sprinting back to the driver’s side, but before he could reach it, a grip so strong ripped him back. Soon a shocking, searing pain pierced his neck and he screamed out in utter agony.

“Mo Guan Shan! Stop.” Harsh but firm words rang out, though the man didn’t register them, couldn’t with the white hot pain coursing through him.

The pain retracted from his neck but the grip remained. A growl rumbled behind him, deep and angry. His blood went cold, not just from the wind and the snow but it was a feeling, a dreadful knowing that death itself was right behind him.

“I’m sorry about my dog.” A sly, chilling voice said, and suddenly the man with white hair was right in front of him. “He’s on a tight leash but my influence only goes so far when he’s this hungry.”

“Who- who are you?” The man stuttered. He could feel the hot blood on his neck trickling down to his shoulder. “What do you want? Money? Please, I’ll give you anything just p-please.”

“I think you’ll find that you already know me, or, at least you know my kind. Isn't that right? Professor Henry Watkins?”

“Y-Your kind?”

“My name is She Li.”

The professor’s eyes widened with frightened realization, but he was quickly distracted by the woman who stepped further from the car. She looked terribly confused and kept her distance, remaining close to the vehicle. “Henry?! What’s happening?”

“Stay back!” The professor cried as tears welled in his eyes. The grip on him tightened.

“Careful,” She Li scolded with a mocking tone. “You’re riling him up. My compulsion is strong but as I said, he’s hungry. Starved even. Human emotions excite him. It’s part of the hunt, like a game. A game I doubt you want to play.”

The professor dared to look back and immediately wished he hadn’t. Two horrifying blood red eyes were staring at him, burning into his being with a beast like hunger. It was unsettling how unnaturally youthful the man looked, he couldn’t have been older than his own sons just starting to make their own way in the world. His skin was taut and pale, contrasting against orange red hair. Unlike the other, this one was dressed in nothing but rags, torn and bloodied. He smelled of blood, the stench of death was overwhelming. Was it a man or was it truly a monster? Blood dripped from his jaw and his grip was like steel cutting into him. The red eyed man snarled, baring sharp fangs hungry for another taste of his blood. The professor couldn’t help but cry out in fear, trembling and sniveling at his worst fears coming to life before him. The monster responded, eyes widening, jaw opening ready to take another bite.

“Enough!” She Li commanded, pupils dilating and shrinking as he stared down his pet. The professor felt the man, or rather the beast behind him shiver and sneer in submission. Soon the grip on his arm grew softer as the white haired man exuded his will over his lesser. “Behave for me, and I will let you feast on the woman.”

“No!” The professor immediately pleaded, pulling at the grip on his arm. He was filled with terror at the idea of his wife being mutilated. “She’s innocent, she knows nothing! Leave her out of it!”

“Ah,” She Li laughed. “So you know something? Where is it then? You know what we are, so I assume you know what we seek.”

“Just promise you’ll let my wife go, spare her!”

“Of course,” She Li smiled darkly. “My word is my bond. I won’t lay a finger on her.”

The man behind him growled, fingers gripping down once again, blood dripping from his mouth onto the professor’s neck. He could all but feel the blood stained breath inches from his neck. The white haired man raised a palm to his beast, warning him to back down. “Give me what I ask and no harm will come to her by my hand.”

The professor sniveled and cried, clinging to the desperate hope that his sins would not claim the life of his wife. “I-in my office, b-back at the university I have notes tracking down my findings, all of them are yours! My key is in the car!”

She Li frowned. “So you don't actually have it.”

Desperate laughs erupted from the professor's twisted face, tears streamed down his cheeks. “No one has seen it in decades! My family is dying out, only a few of us are even left to care. It could be a myth for all we know! I’m just a researcher! I did what they asked! Only what they asked!”

She Li scoffed, wiping back his silver white hair from his face. “We both know the role that you’ve played. You can try to pretend that you were a mere follower but I see through your lies, Professor Watkins.”

“Look, I told you what I know. You’ll, you’ll let us go now?”

“Let you go?” He laughed, so loud and long that it sucked the life right out of the air. It was as if his very voice was ice down their throats. “No. Your family’s work has led to the death of so many of my people and I’m nothing if not a just and fair leader. You will die, a slow, painful death. Justice for my little family. But first, you will experience the pain of losing your family, just as I have lost so many of mine.” He looked up and nodded to his fledgling.

The iron grip detached from him immediately, and the professor dropped to the cold paved ground, watching as the beast stalked towards his frail wife. She shivered and groveled, falling to the cold wet earth and begging for an explanation, a reason why.

“Wait! Wait, you promised!! You swore you wouldn’t hurt her!”

“I swore I wouldn’t hurt her. I said nothing about my companion here. And, well, I wouldn’t advise getting between him and a meal.”

“Run!!” The professor screamed, and watched as his wife clumsily got up and began to pitifully run towards the woods.

She Li hummed in amusement. “That’s good, he likes it when they struggle. I really should be thanking you. The entertainment does him good, keeps him well behaved. Eternal life can be so monotonous, boring really.”

The professor struggled to get up and help his wife but She Li shoved him back down, resting his foot on his back. She didn’t last long, tripping on the long drapes of her expensive dress, a gift he had bought her for her birthday. She screamed, wailed and pleaded for her life, for his life, but it meant nothing. Gnashing teeth and rivers of blood were next. Her cries faded as her life force drained away. The monster was all consumed, devouring her, ripping her skin with such force that it tore and bled. He ate so ferociously that her head was ripped from her shoulders and even then, the monster lapped at the blood, unable to stop.

The professor went numb, going into shock until those red eyes turned on him next. The red eyed beast stalked towards him, licking the blood from his lips. The foot lifted off of the professor's back as She Li stepped in front of him. “No sudden movements now,” he warned. “I need you alive, professor.”

The professor sat up slowly. Deep sadness, rage, and utter humiliation filled him. His hands shook and his tears stilled. All he could focus on was the deranged man stalking towards him. “What?! Was my wife not enough!!! Still hungry for more? You sick twisted creatures! You deserve what you got! You’ll all burn in the end!!”

Something sparked in the eyes of the bloodied monster, a glimpse of humanity perhaps shining through the consuming hunger.

She Li quickly approached and placed a hand on his fledgling’s shoulder, pushing his attention back to his golden gaze. “You’ve had enough now. This one is mine. Return to the house and wait for me there.”

The professor looked around. He was going to die. Here in the mountains where no one would know. All his research to uphold his family’s legacy, all his hard work, for nothing. No. He wouldn’t die for nothing. He wouldn't let his wife’s death mean nothing! With a leap, he jumped up and started to sprint towards his car.

The sudden movement was like a trigger. Instincts of a starving hunter took control, and before She Li could stop him, Mo Guan Shan reacted. He chased down the professor and sank his teeth into his skin. The professor screamed out, squirming and fighting for his life. But with every drop of blood that was taken from him, his drive and ability to fight was drained as well.

“Enough!” She Li commanded but Guan Shan did not respond, sucking, eating, devouring. Trying to satiate the incurable hunger.

“I said enough!” She Li grabbed his pet and ripped him from the professor, throwing him to the ground. The professor dropped as well, dead or soon to be. His wounds were far too great and he had lost too much blood to be healed now.

Riled up and angry about being stopped, Guan Shan flipped back up to his feet, growling and baring his fangs. Any lucidity or humanity was gone in that moment, it was all just the unyielding hunger. He immediately went for the professor’s body once more. There was still more blood to be had, it was going to waste!

She Li grabbed him harshly by the neck. He was older and stronger. An elite from an old family of which there were only a few left in the world. Guan Shan was but a fledgling in comparison. His speed and strength though incomprehensible to the human eye was nothing to She Li. “You will listen,” he hissed.

Guan Shan shriveled and whimpered under the compulsion, losing his will and his mind to the great weight that settled on it under She Li’s golden gaze.

She Li took in the scene with great disapproval before returning his gaze to the struggling man in his clutches. “You are proving difficult to break, but you will break. Even if it takes a hundred more years, we have all the time in the world. It’ll only get worse the longer you fight it. You know nothing of hunger!” he spat.

Sputtered, bloody wet coughs erupted from the professor lying on the ground, interrupting their squabble. “V-vampires. You’ll all burn.” More blood came pouring out of his wounds, out of his mouth. His voice was garbled, he was drowning in it. “You'll… burn.” With that he breathed his last breath and his body went cold.

#19 days #tianshan #19 days fanfiction #vampire au

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devilfic · 1 year ago

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❝nocturnal animal❞

plot: okay, maybe the caped crusader is a vampire. and maybe you just want to know what it would feel like for him to sink his teeth into you. it's not weird. pairing: vampire!battinson!bruce wayne x detective!gn!reader. cw: vampires (duh), vampire-typical erotic descriptions of blood drinking, vampire hypnotism/compulsion, teasing martinez (lovingly). words: 2.6k.

a/n: I had a rough month last month and writer's block was the icing on the cake, but I picked up a vampire encyclopedia at the library and found out batman has been turned into a vampire... several times. more times than I thought, actually. this is what came of it. happy halloween month!!

"How does it feel?"

Gordon cuts his eyes to you for a moment, still thumbing through rows of manila folders. You sort of do the same just to appear a little less eager. "How does what feel?"

"The... well, you know." You awkwardly gesture to his wrist where the sleeve had fallen back a hair.

Your lieutenant flicks back his coat sleeve as if he were checking the time, but the watch face is laid flush against the inside of his wrist. He tugs at it. Frowns. Shrugs. "Feels like nothin'."

"Oh, do not bullshit me."

Gordon looks at you again. Then he glances around the storage room, quieter and emptier than every other room in the precinct right now. It's just the two of you here. You'd made sure of that before you decided to ask.

He props his arm on the box of cold cases and gives you a hard, judging stare. "I'm not describing what it feels like to have a grown man sucking..." He glances around again just to be sure no one had slipped in all of a sudden, "...if you wanna know, go ask him to bite you."

You... hadn't considered that. "He'd be okay with that?"

"I don't know, probably. It's not like he has a preference."

"I thought he didn't like Martinez."

"Well, you've seen Martinez. He eats like a high schooler."

You press your thumb into your own wrist, clenching and unclenching your fist until the veins show. You're possessed with a shiver as the draft from the vent above cools the skin. "So I... what? I just go up and ask?"

"Yeah, sure. Worst he can say is no."

"Detective."

About a third of your coffee goes flying, splattering milky brown onto concrete. You're lucky it had gone cold on your way up here or else it would've singed the skin off your ankles, but you're still not happy.

"Christ- get down from there. I'm not talking to you like that."

The Bat is perched comfortably above the doorway, looking down on you from above, but makes no move to get down. He keeps himself crouched, "Where's Lieutenant Gordon?"

“Night off with Barb. He’s been overworking lately, you know how he is. I told him I’d take care of you.” You stare up into the darkness and feel your heartbeat pick up a bit. You force yourself to still it, keep it tamped down under the years of poker face your career had honed for you. “I’m serious. Come down and talk to me or I’m making Martinez do this.”

You usually negotiated with people on the other side of a table, and none of them could ever hear your heart going ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump… so this was fairly new to you.

He drops down in front of you, cape fluttering gracefully. The first time you met him, Gordon had warned you to keep your cool. I mean, six foot something unknown, dressed in all black armor with innumerable resources and connections, endlessly prowling the night sky, whose intentions were murky and who was only on your side until he decided he wasn’t? Everyone thought Gordon was crazy. You were the first to give him a chance.

You noticed the little things. You rarely saw him during the day, never could get him to come out of the shadows when you did, always skulking about and never seeming to slow down. Weekdays, weekends, holidays. At one point, you’d wondered if he was even human. You’d wondered it out loud, in front of Gordon, expecting him to rip off the cowl to reveal a labyrinth of wires and then-

And then you’d realized you’d been paying an awful lot of attention to the Batman, and absolutely not enough to Jim Gordon.

He doesn’t sway or make faces like other people, doesn’t give away his thoughts like you’re used to. Instead, you’ve noticed very minute ticks: prolonged staring (even worse than his normal staring), not bothering to take a breath, the stillness of him and around him. The cityscape in the background might as well be a wide, empty plain when you’re standing next to him. Eventually, he lies, “Martinez is fine.”

"Worst he can say is no," your ass.

You try not to be offended by that. “You don’t like Martinez.” You sound pretty offended, against your best efforts.

“That’s not true.”

“I- you know what I meant. You said it yourself. Gordon told me.”

“It's fine."

You squint, “Am I not good enough for you?” A rare look of surprise flickers in his eyes. "You just said you’d prefer the guy whose blood you don’t even like.”

“I said he’s fine.” You hear a little edge to his voice that gives you pause. You’ve heard it before, coiling around the margins of his words. A tell-tale sign, Gordon had said, that you were trekking into dangerous territory.

You press your lips into a firm line but stand your ground, “I already made my choice. If you really want Martinez, say so. Clearly. Use your words and mean it.”

The Bat stares, unreadable.

You know how this goes with Gordon. It’s nothing intimate. The wrist most of the time, other times the neck when it’s closest. Or when Gordon’s busy on his computer. It’s always quick. You don’t even see Gordon flinch.

But with you? You don’t know how it’ll go with you. You don’t know where to start, only that you’d been thinking about it all day after you’d finally called Gordon and promised “I can take care of him.”

Batman takes your wrist, brings it to his nose, and flinches away. You panic at the thought that it might really be he prefers Martinez to you until he plucks the coffee out of your hand and sets it down on the ledge. His eyes follow yours as his mouth falls to the inner wrist and you feel wet, cool breath against it. It tingles all the way up to your ears. Those eyes flicker away a millisecond later, inspecting your arm in its entirety.

His leather-gloved thumb caressing your skin should make you something other than what you’re currently feeling, that’s for sure.

“Thank you,” Batman starts, sounding reluctant. His eyes quickly flicker to your throat and then away again, “Do you have a preference? Anywhere I should avoid?”

"Avoid?"

"Anywhere someone might look. A friend... or partner, perhaps."

Your lips part, sucking in a breath, “No, uh- no. No one like that. Wrist is fine. O-Or neck. Whichever is… easier.”

He doesn't say anything more. His lips curl up. Two pointed fangs reveal themselves behind the parting of his mouth, fangs that weren’t there before when he spoke. You ruminate on that, a reminder that the man under the mask could be anyone if he could hide so easily like that.

You watch—transfixed, barely registering the pain—when those fangs pierce skin. Blood beads where his teeth push in slow, and the icy sting you're expecting is no more than a needle prick at best. But the strangeness of a mouth pressed there, suckling at the wound as blood dribbled out of it… you stretch your fingers and stiffen. It was all you could do not to scare yourself and rip that hand back, tearing a vein in the process.

His tongue unmistakably presses to the flat of your inner wrist and before you can question it, he’s got his eyes on you. All of it goes quiet after that.

You no longer feel the sting, nor his lips pillowing around his teeth, nor the grip of his hands holding your wrist to his mouth. All you see is blue. Endless, reeling pools of blue. Not red like they were in the movies, or yellow, or black all over. Blue. Human blue. Wondrously beautiful blue. Had you ever liked blue eyes this much before? It felt like this was your first time truly seeing them. They were just so… radiant. And here he was, swathed in night, with pale skin peeking out like a waning crescent. Had you ever seen skin so pale? It felt like this was the first time truly seeing it. It was just so...

Your train of thought wanes. Sweeping over you is a dizzy spell so abrupt that you think you gasp. Or whimper.

Feeling returns to you as soon as he breaks your gaze. All at once, your skin is flush, your breathing concernedly slow, your knees weak. It’s so shocking that you buckle at the slightest gust of wind.

Just as quickly, the Bat clings to your wrist and pulls you flush to his chest, holding your bleeding arm in between the both of you while he holds you in a half-dip (like a pause in a waltz), suspended over you. Your eyes catch on the darkness staining his bottom lip where his fangs are still poking out, and you watch as a drop of blood gathers, swells, and falls… right onto your cheek. It’s still warm.

You feel a subconscious warning thrum through you. Perhaps it was because you were so close now, that the blue looked more hypnotic than radiant and his skin looked more undead than celestial. You understand in one sweeping, chilling second, what you’ve just let sink its teeth into you. “What the fuck was that?”

“You were starting to panic,” he explains, low, using no effort at all to hold you, “I calmed you down.”

“How? It’s like… it’s like you hypnotized me. Did you hypnotize me? Do you do that to Gordon?”

You don’t mean for it all to come out like an accusation, but the feeling had been akin to walking on a cloud, only to wake up the minute your foot falls through. In the time that you’d been lost in his eyes, waxing poetic about his otherworldliness, he could’ve… well, he could’ve… he could’ve done anything.

The feeling was untethered. Wild. Alien.

When he’s sure you won’t hurt yourself, the Bat lets your hand fall back to your side, straightens you up but never pulls away. Your eyes keep glancing between his and the points right above his brow, unsure that he wouldn’t draw you right back into that place if you looked directly at him again. “Gordon doesn’t panic.” He simply answers.

You go to defend yourself but you had felt it; the mounting pressure of it, the strange pain toggling on the instinct to get away, get away, get away. Your heartbeat was so slow when you came back to, like he'd damn near put a stop to it. “I panicked?”

The Bat doesn’t laugh at you, even when the answer is so obvious. “It's nothing to be embarrassed about. It's a common phobia.”

You're struck by his implication, “Are you seriously trying to say I’m scared of blood?”

“Maybe just your own.”

“I'm a detective. I see blood all the time. Maybe it's because you're a fucking vampire and my ooga booga brain is rightfully terrified.”

“You offered.”

Your ears burn, “As a favor to Gordon.”

“I can hear you lying.”

The sureness of his statement stops you quick. You feel yourself choke on nothing, sounding strangled as you respond, “Excuse me?”

“I could hear it,” your heartbeat thrums in your ears as the Bat continues to hold you, less waltz now and more hostage situation, “I heard it when you lied just now. I heard it earlier, on your way here. And I heard Gordon on the phone… not with Barbara.” He's blocking the wind sweeping over the ledge, making your flush feel hotter than before. “I don't prefer Martinez to you, but I know why you offered.”

You swallow, exposed. He'd make a damn good detective. "And?"

Your offended wrist is seized once more, and he studies the small holes there, as well as the teeny-tiny drops of blood still lightly flowing from the wound. It looks like it'll stop soon.

Achingly slow, Batman brings it to his mouth and licks away the last of you.

You have no choice but to watch, of sound mind and body, because he refuses to look you in the eye. You're forced to see him in his entirety. Forced to keep down that mounting pressure. A test, to see if you're just a little bit better than Martinez.

You steady your breathing and stare, trying to make this unnatural thing feel natural. Trying to not like it so much.

When he peels away, your skin is clean, and you can tell your blood is beginning to coagulate. "If you come back to me, I won't stop you. But if we're going to do this, I'd prefer somewhere with less concrete. In case you faint."

Your eyes narrow in on the slight pursing of his lips. Almost as if he were trying not to laugh. "I'm not scared of blood." You can’t tell if it’s because he’s so good at his poker face or if he really just doesn’t want to tease you further, but something about the clearness in his expression convinces you to speak up for yourself, “It’s probably because I missed dinner. That's all."

For one single moment, his face shifts. Then it smooths out again. You watch him climb onto the ledge, next to your long-forgotten excuse of a coffee, and turn back to you, "Will you be alright?"

You want to be annoyed about it, you really do, but the concern in his voice is true. As a compromise, you take a seat on the ledge, "Well, if you see the signal in the sky tonight, just assume I ate shit going downstairs."

As one final surprise, he smiles at you. Then he's disappearing into the darkness below.

You can hear Gordon in your head as you slip a bag of chips out of Martinez' upper drawer. After the vending machine had eaten six of your dollars, you'd given up just short of kicking a hole in the glass. You didn't want to think about what kind of hell Chief Bock would put you through for that one.

After the Bat left, you'd stumbled your way down several flights of stairs with the hopes of ending your shift only a little past midnight. There were still cops around, most unusually idle for a night in Gotham, and you supposed they had Batman to thank for that. Not that they ever would.

The very thought of him flashes images of his tongue on your skin, lapping at your blood, and you immediately force yourself to think of anything else. That was going to be a long-lasting memory.

If you were lucky, you at least wouldn't see him until tomorrow night, and that might give you time to get some sense into you. And food, too. The chips in your hand are no Michelin star dinner, but they'd hold you over until you made it home.

Just as you turn the corner to your office, you notice that something isn't quite how you left it. The door, for starters, is cracked where it was once closed.

You take a beat, then two. You listen for movement in your office, careful not to cast a shadow under the door and give yourself away, but hear nothing.

You push the door open in a rush, staring into the dimly lit room searching for the barrel of a gun staring back at you. Or, considerably worse, a person.

Instead, on your desk where it definitely wasn't before, is a bag of something that smells suspiciously like good food. You approach cautiously. Sure enough, you recognize it from Gordon's favorite lunch spot... your go-to, as only Gordon would know it.

A note is stuck to the side of the bag, a message written in neat curves and lines. The penmanship of a steady hand, not at all like your lieutenant's fast-moving scrawl. You read the note and feel a phantom sting where your wrist is patched up in band-aids.

Thanks for dinner.

taglist: @yikes-buddy @alexxavicry @theclassicvinyldragon @marina-and-the-memes @angxlictexrs @moonlightreader649 @geekyfer @thescarletfang @navs-bhat @yehet-moi-ohorat @bluestuesday

#bruce wayne x reader #bruce wayne scenarios #bruce wayne fic #bruce wayne fluff #bruce wayne #batman x reader #batman scenarios #batman fic #batman fluff #the batman #battinson x reader #battinson #dc #mjwrites

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currentfications · 1 year ago

Text

Ocean Eyes | Part 2

Pairing: Bada Lee x Producer!Reader

Synopsis: A few days after your unsuccessful attempt to contact your South Korean coworker under Jam Republic Agency, you are called in for a work event.

Warning: Swearing, alcohol, flirting, unwanted advances, some violence involved

AN: Happy October 13th~ Hope y’all enjoy this chapter :)

Previous | Next

Halloween has always been your favourite event, and the Jam Republic Agency have decided to hold it’s company dinner a few weeks before the 31st. You’re not complaining, as Halloween should be a month long event anyways. You spotted Akanen across the room and made your way over, “Hey gorgeous, how’s it going?”

“Ah Y/N you’re here too!” She greeted you with a side hug as Yumeri waved at you. They must’ve been here for the Mnet countdown event later this month, and stopped by for the agency’s dinner on their way. “How are you finding South Korea? Has Bada gotten the chance to show you around with all these filming?”

Recalling the elevator encounter, you sighed, head hung in defeat. “No… I chickened out as soon as I saw them.”

Yumeri threw her head back in laughter and patted your shoulder. “How you look so intimidating but is actually a baby will never fail to astonish me,” she said as she recalled her first encounter with you along with Akanen. The latter nodded and hummed in agreement as they continued to poke fun at you. “You looked like a Doberman when we first met you, took us a second to realise that your actually such a kitten.”

You looked down to try to see what they were talking about - you’ve squeezed yourself into an ankle length black bodycon dress with a side split up your thigh, paired with your 7 inches Pleaser heels. You’ve kept your makeup relatively light tonight, and your split dyed blue hair sitting around your wait in loose waves. “Look at these impractical dresses I’m in, I look dainty as hell. Pretty as hell too,” not seeing what the duo was talking about ‘intimidating’, you argued. “I even wore the shorter heels tonight.”

The duo laughed at your aloof appearance, “Yes yes snow Queen, you look like you’re about to burst into Let It Go at any moment,” Akanen teased.

“More like Ursula,” a voice joined the group. You turned around to see Latrice behind you. “Hey mama, looking fierce. You ready to meet Bada today?”

You groaned as Latrice detailed the elevator incident with the other two dancers. “Stop it I’m gonna be embarrassed,” you complained to your friend.

“Oh come on it makes your more endearing, knowing that you’re all bark and no bite.” Latrice have always flaunted her ‘Scary Dog Privilege’ whenever she was with you, as you have the glare to thwart off unwanted suitors and salesperson alike.

“It’s true,” Akanen chimed in, “the contrast is real cute.” The Japanese dancer winked at you cheekily, you returning with a half-smirk. “Well compare to this scary face of you, Bada is a lot more approachable for sure. She may look look all swaggy and cool on screen, but she’s such a caring team leader with the other girls.”

“It’s not even that,” Latrice is on a roll of putting you on the spot, “I think she’s stunned because Bada smiled at her. She’s hopeless with girls, this one.” Knowing your past history of simping over girls in high school, your school friend tsk’ed at you.

“Damn girl you poker face is awfully good, just like Yumeri,” Akanen astonished. You nodded knowingly at Yumeri, a moment of understanding between sapphics.

You excused yourself to the bar to order a round of drinks for yourself and the girls, watching the dancers mingling and engaging in giddy chatters. Out of the corner of your eyes, you noticed a tall familiar looking blonde entering the establishment. Her long hair tied back in a low ponytail, wearing a cropped blazer and dress pants, accentuating her long legs. A few pieces of jewellery adorning her wrist drew your eyes to her long fingers and you found yourself gulping unconsciously; you were in a trance when the bartender called out your drinks. Taking a deep breath, you balanced the four cocktail glasses skilfully back to the group of girls.

Latrice took over a glass from you, sipping on the smooth foamy alcohol. “Guess who’s here?” Her eyes twinkled with mischief.

You take a big gulp of the Espresso Martini before nodding knowingly at your friend, “Yeah I am not so sure about the caffeine anymore, I am so nervous I might throw up.” Latrice snickered and waved at the tall blonde dancer.

Bada felt a little lost when she first arrived alone, as this Jam Republic Agency work meet up and the other members of BEBE were occupied elsewhere. Noticing Latrice and some familiar faces in the room, her feeling of unease melted away as her outgoing personality returned to take charge. The famous choreographer made her way to the high table surrounded by Akanen, Yumeri, and Latrice, and gave each of them a quick side hug. “I’ve missed you two since the show! It’s nice being able to catch up again.”

As the trio exchanged pleasantries, Latrice was eyeing you to say hello. You quickly chugged the remaining liquid in the glass and turned to your friend. “How do I look?”

“Eh, scary. Remember to smile - and do NOT glare. Oh and do not drool either.” She said with a cheeky smile, gently smacking your bottoms before pushing you in front. “Hey Bada, nice to see you outside of filming. This is Y/N-” she introduced as she continued to push you forward.

A familiar sweet scent caught Bada’s attention before she whipped around, a few feet away from you. Her eyes widen as she recognised the glaring gaze, the stranger from the other day.

“Hiya lovely,” you decided on, playing off the other day’s mishap with a wink.

The dancer smiled bashfully at your confident and flirtatious front. “Hello Y/N. Have we met?” She asked, knowing full well the answer to it.

You shot Latrice a warning look, but it was already too late. The Queenslander had tea ready to spill, and there’s nothing you can do to hold her back. “We sent her to you the other day, but Y/N saw you and got all flustered and ran off.” You raised a brow at Latrice.

Bada glanced at you, looking like a statue towering Latrice. She said you were flustered but judging (wrongfully) by your facial expressions, you seemed too stoic to be so bashful. “Well it’s good finally meeting you!” She smiled warmly at you. Despite Latrice’s warning, you couldn’t help but stare at the dancer’s pretty smile, the way her eyes lit up along with it. She’s so elegant and charming, you thought to yourself, completely understanding the hype surround this woman. JJ’s comment on wanting to bring an engagement ring to the dance show also suddenly made a lot more sense to you, as you made a mental note to yourself to always carry around one in case Bada is around again.

Latrice noticed the lingering gaze as you mentally undressed the tall dancer and pinched your arm. Recognising the dreamy look in your eyes, she pulled you aside. “Sorry about her, she’s pretty much hopeless when it comes to small talks. She’s super personable once you get used to her,” Latrice paused as she noticed that you’re still checking out the fine specimen in front of you. “God what is wrong with you girl?” She sighed and pulled you aside.

Bada was still curious about you but Latrice has yanked you away, schooling you about not heeding her advice and blatantly ogling the choreographer. “What did I tell you about staring?”

“You said to not glare. I was just checking her out.” You said defiantly.

Your friend couldn’t help but to roll her eyes at you, “Keep it in your pants, you’re scaring that poor girl.”

When the remainder of Jam Republic dance crew arrived, Bada was pleasantly surprised that everyone is so comfortable around you, despite your seemingly intimidating aura. After a few drinks, Ling guided the group towards the dance floor. “Go get her,” the Kiwi encouraged. You nodded, lifting a middle finger up at Latrice’s face as she made another jest on how you’ll scare the dancer.

Bada was sipping on her drinks when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Your familiar perfume alerted her of your presence before you opened your mouth. “May I?” You politely asked the choreographer.

“Of course,” the blonde beamed with excitement. She’s starting to see the ‘personable’ aspect the other girls were talking about - despite seeming incredibly aloof, you’re very direct and gentle with your approaches. “So, what’s the deal with them saying that you’re flustered?” Bada asked bemusedly as you two started swaying to the bar music.

“I had a huge crush on you when the show was first aired,” you explained matter-of-factly, “but you’re even prettier in person and I freaked out.” You shrugged. Bada couldn’t help letting out a soft gasp at the bluntness.

“Had?” Bada composed herself and teased. She’s starting to realise why Latrice is so hell bent on teasing you all the time; a faint blush would paint your cheeks slightly rosy when you’re flustered, and she finds it incredibly endearing.

You tilted you head and pretended to ponder, “Have. Not much has changed in the past few days.”

Bada felt her heart skip a beat at your unambiguous advances, her face slowly turning a shade of red. You heart, on the other hand, have been beating faster than usual (you blamed it on the Espresso Martinis) as you watched her grooving to the swinging music. Every now and then she’d habitually bite her lower lips while nodding to the beats, looking absolutely impeccable.

After a few songs, you offered to get her a drink. She gladly accepted and requested for a lemon drop. While you waited for the drinks to be made, you noticed someone approaching the line dancer from behind. Picking up the two drinks, you slowly made your way back to Bada, carefully analysing the situation. You’re usually the protective mom friend in a friend group during outings - and this is no different. Something about the man made you feel uneasy, and your feelings are solidified when you got closer. The usually warm dancer’s brows are furrowed, her lips tightly forming a half smile - the smile that all girls know too often, the politely-declining-unwanted-advances-without-inciting-violence smile. You sped up your pace to close the distance.

“She said she’s not interested,” you said coldly, noticing the stranger’s hand around Bada’s wrist as she tried to pry herself free. Your tone would’ve sent chills down the dancer’s spines if it were under any other context, but in this instance she felt a strong sense of security engulfing her.

The man turned to you, his grip loosened. The blonde managed to get out of his grasp and took a step closer to you. “Oh come on I was just being friendly!” The man pleaded, his tone insincere. You shot the drunk a warning glance and ushered the dancer away from the situation. As soon as you turned around you glimpsed his hand reaching out to the blonde - an unfortunate sixth sense you retained - you swiftly turned around and caught the wandering hand. The man grinned menacingly and tried to make a pass at you.

Still holding onto his wrist, you kicked your oversized platform into the shin of the off putting drunk, tripping the man over. You let go of the clammy hand and allowed the man to stumble onto the floor. Before he had a chance to get up, you squatted down and ‘accidentally’ slammed your knee into his half raised face. His howling finally drawing attention to the scene. You straightened yourself upwards, feigning a tone of concern. “I think someone hurt themself.”

As bystanders begun to flood to the scene, you motioned the dancer towards the exit.

“You okay?” You tentatively asked. She nodded and flashed you a grin. You gave her a tender smile back as you ruffled her silky soft hair. She looked up at you and exchanged a look, before bursted into nervous chuckles.

“I think someone hurt themself,” the dancer mimicked, trying to contain her laughter. “You’re way too smooth with that one. How often do you get into bar fights anyways?”

“Only once or twice a week,” you deadpanned.

“What?!” The dancer paused in her track, only to realised you were just messing with her. “Oh ha ha very funny Ms. Club Woman Fighter.” She rolled her eyes and leaned her back onto the brick wall, closing her eyes for a little. “Seriously though, thanks.”

You shook your head and slip out a ‘don’t worry’, after all it was a fucked up situation that shouldn’t have happened in the first place. The dancer looked up at you - her brown eyes gleaming under the street lights, her cheeks and lips flushed from the alcohol. You had to look away to make sure you don’t gawk, Bada did that little lip bite thing she does again when you turned your head.

Your phone buzzed and it was Latrice, looking for the both of you after the commotion.

Latrice: R u ok?

Latrice: Where are u?

Latrice: Is she w u?

You turned your screen towards Bada, letting her know that Latrice is probably forming a search party as they hid out here.

Y/N: We good i whooped ass and ran

Y/N: She’s here dw

You turned on the front camera to snap a quick selfie of the two of you, sending it to Latrice.

Y/N: [Image Attached] Proof of life

Bada chuckled at the caption and requested for the picture. “Strange way to give me your number, but okay.” You taunted as you handed her your phone. She cackled and put her contact information into your phone, snapping another quick selfie for the contact photo. She handed your phone back to you and you noticed that she’d saved her number under “Lovely 🩵”

“Your turn,” the blonde demanded, offering up her phone. You saved your number with a photo under “Fighter 🖤” The contact name made her grin, and you snapped a picture of her sheepish squint.

#bada lee x reader #bada lee #swf2 x reader #swf2 #fanfic

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gaybananabread · 2 months ago

Note

OOH for tickletober can you do 30 with lee!MK and ler!Wukong? I LOVE THE BABIES IM WATCHING SEASON 5 RN

TickleTober Day 30 - Trick-or-Treat

~UGH I recently finished season 5 and- my heart?? AUGH! These babies have my entire soul; I’m more than happy to wreck them. I can’t decide if I like seeing Dadsy or Dad-Wukong more; expect some fics about those soon! Thank you for requesting, and I hope you Enjoy! Happy spooky season!~

Lee: Mk

Ler: Wukong

Summary: After learning that Wukong didn’t celebrate Halloween, Mk sets up a mock Trick-or-Treat route for his mentor to enjoy. However, it seems the king would prefer the tricky side of the holiday. After all, a good scheme and hearty laugh could be its own treat.

Warnings: none! This is a tickle fic, so if you don’t like that, scroll away!!

“I think I got it.” Wukong nodded as a pumpkin pail was shoved into his hands. He’d never participated in Halloween before; when Mk heard that, he wasted no time in teaching his mentor all about the traditions.

“Great! Remember, it’s Trick or Treat. I’ll be over there!” Mk smiled and jogged off to one of the little shacks he’d constructed, ready to give Wukong the full Trick-or-Treating experience.

“Right…” The monkey man chuckled as he watched the kid run off, shaking his head. His “mask” was a skeleton face on a piece of paper, but Mk had assured him that even the simplest costume counted. With a fond sigh, he approached the first “house.”

“Uh…trick or treat?” Wukong stood in front of the door of the crude shack, a bit impressed that he’d been able to make six of them in an hour.

“You have to knock!” Mk whisper-shouted from inside, the sound of fabric rustling meeting the monkey’s ears. What was he doing in there?

With three steady knocks, the Monkey King tried again. “Trick or treat!”

The thin wood door opened, revealing Mk…with a sheet over his head. There were two little holes cut out for eyes, though they were dreadfully lopsided. It took everything he had not to laugh at the endearing sight.

“Helloooooo!” Mk drew his “ooo” sounds out to sound ghostly, dropping a few pieces of candy – hair illusions, no doubt – into his pail. “Happy Halloweeeeen!”

“Thanks, kid,” the orange-furred monkey said affectionately, backing away from the shack. The moment he did, he heard more rustling, then saw his mentee high-tailing it to the next little place. He really was going all out, wasn’t he?

Wukong took slow strides over to the next little shack, giving Mk time to set up whatever silliness he was doing. That time when he knocked, the door was answered by a witch; well, it was Mk in a cheap witch mask and black robe, but the monkey had to compliment his quick-change skills.

“Eeyeee-he-he!” The kid did his best witch cackle, which had Wukong biting his lip to keep from laughing. It was so bad… “Here’s yer candy, ye scoundrel!” Again, more likely-hair candies, though that handful contained little green orbs. Very on-theme: he liked it.

The next few stops were similar scenarios, each of Mk’s appearances different than the last. He’d seen the boy as a sock-handed Frankenstein, a toilet paper mummy, and a vampire with a suspiciously similar cloak to the witch’s.

The last house, however, looked different than the rest; the door was a blanket, and the place looked smaller than the others.

“Uh…what happened here, bud?” Wukong stood back a foot or two, giving the kid any space he might need.

“I kinda ran out of wood when I made this one, so I got creative.” The monkey could hear his slightly nervous chuckle from behind the blanket, though there was a mischievous edge to it… “I’m ready for ya!”

Wukong shrugged and approached the little shack, knocking on the frame of the “door.” Instead of a festive Halloween character, however, he was met by Mk in one of Taang’s sweaters and corduroy pants. “Git offa my lawn!”

“Uh, bud? What’s this about?” The Monkey King chuckled as he took a few steps back, avoiding a swing from the old Mk’s cane – his staff, which he was putting to excellent use.

“Not everybody wants you darn Trick-or-Treaters in their yards. You’ll crush my petunias!” Mk lightly swung his staff, aiming for his mentor’s feet. Wukong dodged it, huffing amusedly. When he was a full five feet away from the shack, Mk went back inside.

Now, he knew there was probably some method to the kid’s madness, but he wasn’t in the mood to think too hard. The activity was called Trick-or-Treating. Since he wasn’t getting any treats, he’d have to play into the tricky side.

Carefully, he climbed onto the roof of the shack, taking special care to make sure it didn’t collapse under his weight. Then, he leaned over and knocked on the frame.

When Mk came out, already scolding him in the mock-old tone, Wukong’s tail wrapped around his waist, hoisting him into the air. The kid yelped, kicking and laughing already as he came face-to-face with his mentor.

“Monkie King! You were supposed to be at the door!” He squirmed as the king brought them back to solid ground. It was probably for the best that they moved; he really didn’t put enough effort into that last shack.

“That’s if you want treats,” Wukong grinned, using his tail to tug his mentee closer. “I was feeling tricky.”

Before Mk could ask what he was doing, he felt the king’s paw-claws kneading his sides. He squealed, falling into a bright giggle fit as Wukong began tickling him. “Mohohohonkie Kihihing! Th-thihis ihihihisn’t pahart of ihihihit!”

“Hey, traditions can change. Aren’t you all about progress and new beginnings?” He teased, watching the boy squirm and twist in his tail’s grip. It was a little difficult to hold the strong boy still, but he managed.

“Nohohot lihike thihihis!” Mk whined as he kicked his feet, pushing weakly at Wukong’s hands. He really wasn't trying to push him away; it just felt impossible to stay still.

“Not like this, huh? Then how about this?” The immortal smiled as he dug into the boy’s stomach, targeting his navel. As expected, he shrieked, the whiny giggles ramping up to bright belly laughter.

“GYAHAHAHA! NAHAHAT THEHEHERE!” Mk’s thrashing doubled as his worst spot was attacked, his arms starting to actively try and defend. He was strong; so strong that Wukong had to pull him in against his chest, trapping the boy in a tickle-hug.

“You were right, kid. I really do love this holiday.” Wukong’s ever-present shit-eating grin grew fond as he listened to his mentee laugh his head off. He was so rarely at ease anymore; seeing him completely carefree, hearing that crazy laughter, made Wukong’s heavy heart a little lighter.

“HAHAHALLOWEEN IHIS SCAHAHARY, NOHOT FUHUNNY!” Mk was still trying to argue the point of the holiday, still sane enough to form coherent sentences. He was slipping fast, but he still had to try.

“I feel like it can be both,” Wukong teased. “Plenty of haunted houses have actors that pop out, scare the pants off you, and then do stupid stuff to make you laugh off the adrenaline. Scary and funny.”

“SHUHUHUSH!” It was always so unfair when the Monkey King had good reasoning behind his silly arguments. He’d have to rewatch Monkie Cop to pick up that talent.

“When have I ever done that on command, kid?” The monkey snorted to himself, dragging a single finger up the kid’s spine to hear him squeal. “And here I thought you knew me…”

“Y-YOUHU CAHAN’T- NOHOT BOHOHOHOTH!” Mk was rapidly losing his ability to think as the orange-furred monkey teased both of his worst spots. That was just uncalled for, and incredibly unfair!

“Uh, yeah I can. Watch me,” Wukong sassed, taking the boy’s plea as a challenge because of course he did. One paw remained on Mk’s navel while the other snaked around to his back, scribbling up and down his spine.

Mk promptly lost it.

“NAHAHAHAHA! MOHOHONKIEHE KIHIHING!” Squirming and thrashing beneath the evil touches, Mk tried and failed to get away. The monkey really wasn’t tickling him that hard, but the sensitivity of the spots made it excruciatingly ticklish nonetheless.

The kid could only take so much of that relentless teasing. Within a minute of the intense tickles’ starting, he was tapping out, stomping his foot against the ground. “NOHOHO- GYAHAHAHA! NOHO MOHOHOHOHORE!”

Wukong quickly recognized the boy’s surrender, stopping his tickles in favor of soothing back and belly rubs. His tail remained around the kid’s middle, giving him a reassuring little squeeze every few seconds.

“You okay, kid? Didn’t go too far?”

“N-naha, you’re all goohohod…” Mk panted as he caught his breath, cheeks flushed and eyes wrinkled at the corners with a smile. He really did have fun, as cruel as the tickling method was.

“Good. Want any water?” Wukong was getting better with taking care of mortals, recognizing their needs and trying to meet them. “Big Blue was making some nice lemonade tea if you wanna grab some.”

“Really?” Mk’s eyes lit up at the mention of the Arnold Palmer. Sure, it was out of season, but he still loved the drink. “Yeah, let’s go!” He sprung up, taking off for the shop like nothing even happened.

“This kid, I swear…” Wukong shook his head and chuckled before summoning his cloud, zipping after his mentee. He was a goofy and unpredictable boy, and the monkey wouldn’t want him any other way.

“Race ya there, kid!”

#lmk tickle #lee!mk #ler!wukong #ticklish!mk #augtickletober2024 #sfw tickling community #tickle fic #tickle #lego monkie kid tickle #ler!sun wukong #ler!monkie king #tickletober #augtickletober

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firstprincehornyramblings · 2 months ago

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Hello and happy Sunday morning. <3 I was absentee Wednesday but I am glad to be back and in the writing swing. Thank you to @onthewaytosomewhere for the tag

Let's jump right into it, I have three WIPs I'm working on at the moment, in various states of completion, so I'll give you a little taste of each, under the cut so it's not SO obnoxiously long.

Hairstylist Henry and his least Favorite Client

“That’s what you’re focusing on right now, making it to the employee section?” Henry asked, tugging Alex’s shirt over his head and tossing it on the table alongside the jacket. “Well, that depends,” the brunette began in a coy tone, his fingertips gently untucking Henry’s dress shirt, “Am I allowed to undress you too?” “Well, you can’t very well fuck me with my clothes on, can you?” “Oooh, I’m getting laid in the employees only room. I bet you bring all your boys back here,” Alex hummed, tugging Henry’s shirt off and draping it over the clearly assigned clothing table. “You’re making me regret it and we haven’t even started yet,” Henry tutted, obviously playful. His hand slipping between them as he ran his fingers over the growing hardness under Alex’s dress pants. “Christ, I missed having your cock in my mouth,” he panted, already dropping to his knees.

A Halloween Costume Assignment Misunderstanding

The sight of Alex stepping out of the bathroom made Henry’s eyes widen as he stared on in awe. Alex was clad in perhaps the tightest outfit Henry had ever seen. It was a fireman costume, complete with suspenders, a shirt that hugged Alex’s skin so much so that his abs we’re visible through it, and pants so tight they had to be illegal. Perhaps it was because Henry knew the dimensions better than he knew the route to the grocery store, but he swore he could map out exactly where Alex’s cock begun and ended in those trousers. There certainly wasn’t the remotest chance that Alex had on any underwear. His dark curls were tousled messy, a week-old stubble on his face, and he’d smeared what looked like a bit of black eye shadow on his high cheeks and forehead to replicate ash. Henry was salivating. “Are you… David Bowie as a be- Oh! You’re David!” Alex laughed as soon as he connected the dots, “That’s really cute, baby,” he added still chuckling. “Oh my- fuck me, Christ alive, look at you, you look like a firefighter in a porno,” Henry sounded both exasperated and completely enamored, it was a feat. “And I’m… in a beagle onesie, oh that…” he stopped speaking words then, opting to audibly grumble.

Sugarbaby Alex <3

Alex watched the man stand up, he was tall, maybe a few inches taller than Alex, but there was no reason to admit that out loud. Blond hair that was cut neatly save a few stray pieces had fallen onto his forehead as he stood up. There were flecks of silver strands lining his temples, but he’d aged gracefully from what Alex could see. He looked mature, not old, or perhaps Alex just had the wrong idea of what thirty-eight looked like. Either way, he was confident it didn’t normally look like this, high cheekbones and full lips, a broad frame and thighs that looked thick even in dress pants. The closer this man got, Alex could see a tiny mole at the corner of his mouth, an identical one on his chin. Briefly Alex caught himself wondering if there might be any more perfectly placed moles somewhere else on this man’s body. Or maybe even a dusting of light freckles like Alex saw along the blond’s nose, maybe on his chest or shoulders. Alex couldn’t see much else, due to the dress shirt the blond had on, buttoned and tucked in neatly; covered by a sweater vest. Was the outfit what was considered casual in England? Maybe just in this house? Or was it simply because Alex was coming? Questionable attire aside, Alex could feel his heart in his throat. His hands felt sweaty, and it wasn’t the fireplace. His cheeks were warm, and he knew he must be blushing. See, the thing was, Alex had noticed men before, he’d even fooled around with them. But he wasn’t entirely sure that he was actually into them. Standing here though, in this room, locking his eyes on bright lighter ones, Alex knew one thing: he was instantly sexually attracted to this man. “Henry is more than fine, you can call me Henry,” the blond offered, interrupting the racing thoughts Alex had. Henry extended a hand to shake, somewhat awkwardly, like he didn’t think it fit the situation, “I hope your flight was well, I’m glad to see you made it.” “Ah, right, Henry, nice to meet you,” Alex managed smiling, even if it was certainly a bit nervous, “Uh, yeah, the flight was great. First class was really nice, thank you. I uhm- I’m glad to be here,” he nodded before reaching out to shake the other man’s hand. It was soft, warm, and slightly smaller than Alex’s hand. He fought a shudder, convincing himself that he didn’t feel electricity run up through his arm as their palms met.

okay that was super long, if you made it this far, thank you i love you, kissing you <3 YAY TAGS (no pressure tags darlings)

@taste-thewaste @eusuntgratie @henrysfox @mikibwrites

@softboynick @catdadacd @sheepywritesfics @henryspearl

@basil-bird @caressthosecheekbones @henfox @anti-homophobia-cheese @redlipstickandglitter

@thesleepyskipper @tailsbeth-writes @thighzp + literally anyone else I'm sleepy and forgot, or anyone who sees this and wants to tag me, I love reading yall's stuff. <3

#first prince smut #firstprince smut #rwrb fanfiction #firstprince fanfic #several sentence sunday #hairstylist henry #client alex #halloween firstprince #sugarbaby alex

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writingwithciara · 11 months ago

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The Munson Factor ~Eddie Munson & Steve Harrington~

summary: when the girl he’s loved for years goes missing, steve enlists the help of her best friend to find her. But were they really only friends or was there something more that always stood in the way of steve’s happiness?

word count:

pairings: eddie munson x reader, steve harrington x reader

notes: angst, heartbreak (a little), steve giving love but not receiving in the way he wants, 1 or 2 (possibly more) swears. this was a little sad for me to write because I’m so used to writing fics where steve gets the girl. But I genuinely love eddie so he’s gonna be getting some love on this blog now too

masterlist

“How many times are you going to rent this movie, y/n?” Steve questioned his friend as he handed over Family Video’s copy of Halloween.

“As long as you guys let me rent it.” She sent back a smile and shoved the tape in her backpack. “So, we still up for movie night?”

“Are we going to be watching Halloween for the billionth time?” he rolled his eyes and went back to shelving the new releases.

“’Course not. You’re in charge of the movies tonight and I am in charge of getting the best snacks, as per Dustin’s request, since you really messed it up last week.”

“Hey, in my defense, that little twerp told me to buy that candy.”

“Yeah but he didn’t tell you to get expired candy, did he?” she joked and looked at the posters around the store. “So, what movies are we going to watch?”

“I’ll decide by the end of my shift.” Steve set up a new cutout and stood back to admire his work. “You sticking around ‘til then?”

“I’m gonna head over to the arcade. Dustin is teaching me his tips for Pac-Man.”

“Alright, sounds great. I’ll meet you back here at 6pm.”

“Aye aye captain.” y/n saluted him and headed next door to the arcade. When she walked in, Dustin cheered.

“Finally, the queen has arrived.”

“Oh, you flatter me, Henderson.” She set her backpack down on the floor and watched as he started the game. His tips and tricks on how to get the high score really helped her when she took her turn. Her score was only slightly higher than Dustin’s, but he didn’t let it bother him. Instead, he patted her on the back and smiled.

“Congratulations, young padawan.” He bowed as if she was a student of his.

“You do know that I’m older than you, right?”

“Yes, but ‘tis I who taught you all that you know. The student has become the master.”

“Whatever you say, kid.” She ruffled his hair and stood up.

“Hey, do you know what movies Steve is bringing to movie night?”

“Not a clue. But he said he would have his mind made up by 6 tonight.”

“It better be good. Steve almost never has good choices.”

“Let’s see what kind of influences I can have on him.” y/n grabbed her bag and headed for the door. “Follow me, Henderson.”

The two of them walked rather quickly over to the video store and when they entered, Steve rolled his eyes.

“I saw that, and might I say, that was rude of you.”

“It is what it is.” Steve shrugged and looked over at y/n. “What brings you back here?”

“Oh, I see how it is. Your favorite person ever walks in here and you’re rude to him, but the second you see a pretty girl, you’re the nicest person ever.” It was Dustin’s turn to roll his eyes.

“Shut up, Henderson.” Steve hit his arm and put his attention back on y/n. “So?”

“I wanted to suggest some ideas for movie night.”

“I am not getting another scary movie, especially after last time. Dustin wouldn’t stop waking me up that night with his nightmares.”

“I wasn’t going to suggest a scary movie. In fact, I was actually going to suggest Raiders of the Lost Ark & The Outsiders.”

“Those are pretty good suggestions.” Steve smiled and grabbed them off the shelves. “And even though I know your main intention was to suggest a horror movie & only said these 2 because they’re right here, I’ll check these out for tonight.”

“Awesome. Can’t wait.” y/n smiled and turned to Dustin while Steve went back to the counter. “See how it’s done?”

“Wow. You’ve gotta teach me how to do that.”

“Sorry, kid. But unless you suddenly become a pretty girl, you’ll never be able to manipulate men like Steve into doing what you want.” y/n winked and began looking at more movies to pass the time.

“Man, you are so whipped for y/n.” Dustin chuckled and looked up at Steve, who was staring across the room at said girl.

“What? No I’m not!” he tried to defend himself but the more he thought about it, the redder his cheeks became. “Shut up, Henderson.”

“Okay, that’s the second time in 10 minutes that you’ve told me to shut up and, frankly, I’m not a fan of it.”

“I’ll stop telling you to shut up when you stop saying ridiculous things.” Steve went back to rewinding the tape in the VCR.

“Why do you keep denying your feelings every time I bring them up? We all know how you feel about her so why don’t you just confirm it for us?”

“What am I supposed to say? That I’m in love with the girl who’s been like a sister to me for 12 years? That every time I close my eyes, I see her face? How about that every time I hear her name, I think back to the first time I heard her voice? Or maybe that whenever she’s around me, I do anything she asks me to because she has this power over me? Is that what you wanted to hear?”

“Actually, yes it is. Now, here’s what I’m gonna do for you, my friend.” Dustin put a hand on Steve’s shoulder, earning another eye roll from him. “I’m gonna back out of our plans tonight by making up some lame excuse. That way you can spend 4 glorious hours alone with y/n & maybe you’ll tell her everything you just told me. Okay?”

“You’re insane, Henderson.”

Later that night, as y/n arrived at Steve’s house for movie night, she was informed that Dustin would not be coming. That left her alone with Steve, as the other kids also had plans already.

“I have the 2 movies you suggested earlier and um, I also have Sleepaway Camp because I know you really wanted to watch something with a scary vibe to it.”

“You really didn’t have to do that, Steve.” y/n sat down and waited for him to put the first tape in. He joined her on his couch and grabbed the bowl of popcorn. Y/n grabbed a handful and focused on the screen. He had chosen Raiders of the Lost Ark for the first movie of the night. “So, why did Henderson have to cancel?”

“Not quite sure, actually. He just called 2 minutes before you got here and told me he wouldn’t be attending tonight due to a prior commitment.” Steve shrugged and looked at the screen, knowing that he just lied to his friend. He didn’t like the feeling, but he was happy to finally be alone with her.

After the first movie, they both agreed that The Outsiders would be a better film to watch. About halfway through the feature, Steve turned to face y/n. She turned her head and smiled.

“What’s with the face, Harrington?”

“Can we talk?”

“Of course we can. What about?”

“Well, for starters, I do know the real reason Dustin had to cancel.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Earlier today, at the video store, while you were looking at the movies, he and I had a talk. He offered to ‘cancel’ so I could be alone with you for a few hours, since we never get that opportunity anymore.”

“So, why did you want to get alone time with me?” y/n suddenly felt awkward and began to play with the strings on her hoodie. Well, it wasn’t technically her hoodie, but that didn’t bother her.

“I’ve kinda been keeping this secret from you for quite some time & our groups mantra is that friends don’t lie so I really need to tell you.”

“Steve, you’re scaring me now.” She shifted in her seat, so her full attention was on the boy in front of her. “What’s going on?”

“I love you. And not just because you’re my best friend. But because you’re the best person I know. You’re so sweet and caring and whenever I’m around you, I fall under your spell and will do anything you ask me to. It’s kind of cheesy, but whenever I hear your name, I think back to the first time I ever heard your voice and whenever I close my eyes, I see your face. You’re the most beautiful human being, both inside and out. And I’m honestly so in love with you.” Steve chanced looking at her but when they made eye contact, he wanted to take it all back.

When their eyes met, y/n quickly looked down and stood up. “I’m sorry, Steve. I-I just remembered my mom wanted me to keep an eye on my siblings tonight. I gotta go.”

Before he could offer her a ride home to make sure she was safe, she was already out the door. Steve threw his head back and groaned, making a mental note to blame Dustin for the sudden confidence.

Y/n was on her way to Dustin’s house when the sky got darker. She stopped in her tracks and was ready to defend herself from whatever decided to come out of the shadows and attack her.

The next few days were hard on Steve. He hadn’t seen or spoken to y/n since he poured his heart out to her, only for her to basically reject him. When he mentioned it to Dustin 2 days later, the kid got lost in thought.

“I don’t see why she would reject you like that. I could’ve sworn she felt the same as you did.”

“Yeah, well she doesn’t. And I’m not surprised. I haven’t exactly been the best guy in the world lately. Or even a hero really.”

“Steve, you helped save the world three times. You’ve kept all of us safe multiple times and you always put yourself first when it comes to danger. And it’s all to protect us. That literally screams hero. IF she can’t see that, then it’s her loss.”

Dustin was currently waiting for Eddie to arrive to the D&D game. He was starting to get worried when it came to him being 30 minutes late. Eddie was never late. So when he finally arrived, Dustin made sure to give him a lecture.

“Eddie, what the hell? I was so worried about you. I haven’t heard from my best friend for 4 days and then I didn’t hear from you. I was scared something happened to you and I don’t feel like losing 2 friends in a week.”

“Sorry, man. My girlfriend has been missing for a few days and I went by her house to check on her. Her parents said they haven’t seen her in a few days either.”

“Your girlfriend? Since when do you have a girlfriend?”

“For a few months.” Eddie chuckled. “Her name’s y/n. You’ll love her,” he sighed. “if we ever find her.”

“Wait, y/n? As in y/n l/n?”

“Yeah, why?”

“That’s the best friend I was talking about. I haven’t seen her since movie night on Friday. I had to cancel and left her alone with Steve.” Dustin looked at Eddie with wide eyes. “That’s why she rejected him. Because she’s seeing you, not because she doesn’t like him. That makes total sense.”

“Hold up. Can you back up a bit? So Steve is the last person to see her?”

“As far as I know, yes. But he hasn’t seen her since she left his place that night. Nobody has heard from her since.”

“We have to find her, Henderson. I can’t lose her.” Eddie looked at the kid with hope in his eyes.

“Lucky for you, my friends and I have experienced something similar to this before. I know exactly what to do.”

Steve was sitting on the hood of his car in Dustin’s driveway when he got out of Eddie’s van. He walked up to Steve and Eddie followed behind him.

“You’ve known y/n the longest. What do you know about her?” Dustin asked Steve, who was focused more on Eddie than the kid.

“Not much more than you, I assume.”

“Does she have a favorite spot to go when she’s sad? Somewhere that she loves to be?”

“The arcade or the video store are her two most frequented spots in town. Other than that, I know she tends to go hang out at lover’s lake whenever her parents make her upset.” Steve nodded his head towards Eddie. “What’s he doing here?”

“We’ll have time for that later. Right now, we need to focus on finding y/n.” Dustin ushered his friends into his bedroom and sat on the edge of his bed with Eddie while Steve paced.

“Let’s check the video store first. The arcade is right next door. Plus, Robin is working and I gotta return Sleepaway Camp so we can kill two birds with one stone I guess.” Steve looked at the boys. “Or you two can check lover’s lake and I can check the arcade and video store. I assume you’ll end up going in his van anyway, Dustin.”

“Yeah, sounds like a solid plan. What happens if we find her?” Eddie questioned. Dustin grabbed his walkie talkies and handed each of them one.

“If anyone finds her, this is how we’ll communicate. Got it?”

“Yes, captain.” Eddie responded and Steve just nodded. “Let’s go then. We might not have a lot of time.”

The 3 boys rushed out of the house and got into the vehicles, with Steve driving towards the video store and Eddie taking off towards lover’s lake. When Steve arrived at the video store, Robin looked at him with a puzzled look.

“You don’t work today. Plus you look like shit. What’s up?”

“Friday night, I told y/n how I felt about her and she, uh, got up and left my place. Haven’t heard from her since. Has she been by?”

“No. Haven’t seen her since Friday afternoon.”

“Nobody has.” Steve sighed and leaned against the counter. “Dustin and Eddie are out searching at lover’s lake.”

“Eddie Munson is involved in your search? That’s odd.”

“Right? I thought the same thing when he got out of his van earlier at Dustin’s.”

“Maybe he’s concerned about Dustin. I mean, he does spend a lot of time with him, and he must know about the sibling-like bond that he and y/n share.”

“Yeah maybe. Or he’s the reason she basically rejected me.”

“Steve, let’s just focus on finding y/n first. I’ll keep an eye out here in case anyone has seen her. You go check the arcade.”

Steve ran out and headed to the arcade next door. His eyes scanned the crowded room, but he didn’t see y/n. He spotted the manager and headed over.

“Hey, Steve. What brings you by?”

“I’m on a mission. Have you seen y/n lately?”

“Not since Friday. Why? She okay?”

“No. She left my house Friday night, and nobody’s seen her since. Will you keep an eye out here just in case she comes by? I’ll check back in a few hours if we don’t find her.”

“Of course. Good luck. I hope you find her.”

Steve left another building without any results and slowly climbed into his car. He rested his head against the steering wheel and was about to give up when the walkie started buzzing.

“Steve, we found her.” Dustin’s voice rang through the speaker. “Well, sorta. You gotta come down here. Bring Robin. We may need her.”

“Copy that. On my way.” He clicked the button off and walked back into Family Video. “Robin, they found her. Dustin told me to bring you because we may need you.”

“Alright. Let me just close up. Been kind of a slow day.” She hopped over the counter and made sure everyone was out before locking up and following Steve to his car. “Think she’s okay?”

“Oh god, I hope so.” He sighed and headed towards lover’s lake. When he got there, Dustin ran out to meet them. “Alright, Henderson. What’s going on?”

“We don’t know. It’s like she’s in a sort of trance. I can’t pull her out so I was hoping that you or Robin could do it.”

“Where’s Eddie?” Robin asked as the three of them walked around the boathouse

“He’s with her right now. We’ve tried everything we could think of.” the trio approached Eddie, who was currently pacing back and forth.

“Have you guys tried breaking this ‘spell’ with a kiss?” Steve asked. Both Dustin and Eddie turned their heads quickly then looked at each other.

“It crossed my mind for sure, but what if it doesn’t work? What if it’s not the right way to break it and we never get her back?” Eddie sat on the ground and pulled his knees towards his chest. “I can’t keep losing people, especially not her, okay? We need to come up with a way to break this and get her back.”

“We will, Eddie. I promise.” Dustin tried his best to reassure his friend that everything would be okay.

“But what if we don’t? Man, I may never get to tell her that I love her...and I really, really love her.”

“Take it from me, dude. Telling her exactly how you feel may not be the best thing to do. It’s only going to scare her off.” Steve sighed and looked at y/n’s tranced body. Her eyes were wide open and everything about her was normal. The only problem was that she was unresponsive.

“You got a problem with me, Harrington? If so, just come out and say it.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Why are you trying to tell me what to say to my own girlfriend, man?”

“Girlfriend? What?”

“Y/n has been my girlfriend for 5 months and the last time anyone was with her, was Friday when she was with you. Why didn’t you make sure she was safe? Why didn’t you let her….why didn’t you let her stay the night?”

“I may have said some things that scared her off. But in my defense, she was not exactly shutting me down whenever I flirted with her. She’s my best friend and she didn’t even mention you two were together. Are you sure you were even that serious?”

“Steve, stop. We’re not here to pick fights, okay? What we need to focus on is figuring out how to break her out of this trance-like state that she’s in. We don’t even know how long she’s been stuck like this, alright? So that last thing we need is you two dumbasses fighting over who loves her more or who deserves to be with her.” Robin pushed herself off the tree she was leaning against and walked in front of y/n.

“Maybe you should try the kiss. It could possibly break her but we won’t know unless we try.” Dustin sighed.

“Were you talking to me or him?”

“Me, obviously. I am her boyfriend.”

“But what if you’re not her true love?”

“Steve, just shut up about it. You kiss her first and if she doesn’t wake up, then we know it wasn’t meant to be and then Eddie can do it.”

Steve looked at Eddie silently, waiting for permission. Eddie just sighed and nodded slowly, looking away when Steve kissed y/n. When she didn’t make any moves, Steve sat down and sighed heavily.

“So it’s not me then. God, I wish it was.”

“Hey, we don’t know that exactly. Sometimes it takes a minute or two.” Eddie looked at the guy in front of him and patted his shoulder. After a few minutes of no response, it was Eddie’s turn. He gently cupped his girlfriends face and kissed her softly. When her hands found their way around his neck, Dustin cheered behind them.

“I honestly can’t believe that worked.” Robin rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. She walked over to Steve and gave him a pat on the back. “You tried your best, man. It’s not like she rejected you because she didn’t like you. She’s just really into Eddie.”

“I know. And I’m glad she found someone who makes her happy. She deserves it. But I just wish I could’ve had a chance at least. Maybe one date or something.”

“You’re going to find someone who makes you feel the way y/n does. You just gotta give it some time, and before you know it, you’ll be over her and everyone will live happily ever after.” Robin glanced over at the couple and sighed contently when she noticed the smile adorning y/n’s face.

“I can’t believe you came looking for me.” she grinned up at Eddie who had an equally wide smile on his face.

“Of course I did, sweetheart.” Eddie kissed her head and pulled her into a bone crushing hug. “I love you.”

“What?”

“I said I love you. And I know that it’s a little late for me to tell you, knowing how you like to live your life in the fast lane, but it’s true. I’ve never loved anyone in my life, so I really wasn’t sure what it was supposed to feel like. But now I know that it’s late night talks and shared laughs over something as ridiculous as a phallically shaped leaf or vegetable. It’s being able to call someone your home and being able to feel warm in their embrace. It feels like no time has passed when you’re with the one you love, when in reality, hours have passed by. Being with you feels like all of that and honestly, I’m glad I know how it feels to love someone this much.”

“Eddie, I love you too.” y/n pulled him in for a kiss and when they pulled apart, she looked at Steve. “Hi.”

“Hi.” He responded softly. Eddie let her walk to him while he joined Robin and Dustin on the sidelines.

“Listen, about what you said on Friday…”

“No, it’s okay. You don’t have to say anything. I get why you reacted the way you did.”

“Listen, Steve. I do love you, truly I do. But it’s just not in the same way you love me. I know this is going to hurt for you to hear, but you’ve always been like a brother to me and I never ever want that to change.”

“I think I might actually be okay with being just friends.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. You seem to be really happy with Eddie and that’s good. He’s a pretty decent guy and I’m really glad you found someone who treats you right.” Steve smiled.

“Thank you, Harrington.” Eddie walked over to him and held out his hand. They shook, making Eddie smile. “Also, thank you for all your help with finding y/n. I owe you one, man.”

“All I ask is that you keep making y/n happy. Keep treating her right and we won’t have a problem.” Steve offered Eddie a smile and y/n beamed when she saw her two favorite guys getting along.

“I promise you that nothing bad will come from this relationship. Scouts honor.”

“Hey, maybe now that you guys are friends, Steve could play D&D with us sometime.” Dustin suggested, causing the four adults to quickly respond…

“No!”

-----

@taglist: @worldlxvlys

#eddie munson x reader #eddie x reader #eddie munson #steve harrington x reader #steve x reader #steve harrington #stranger things

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creedslove · 1 year ago

Note

Hey honey!

I see you’re taking Halloween requests and I was thinking about Joel and what he would do after nobody shows up to your Halloween party (house is decorated, even put on a tiny and cute witch costume) and everyone cancels last minute but him 🥰😇

Happened to me today but minus Joel ofc. I’m a bit down because of it but maybe cute idea?

No outbreak!Joel Miller x f!reader

A/N: ohh no, I'm so sorry about that 🥺 I really hope your friends cancelled for a good reason at least, I'm sorry if it's not happening anymore baby, I would have loved to go to your party if I could though ❤️

• Joel wasn't really a big fan of Halloween parties

• or parties as a whole

• but you were and he was glad to help you through the week, as your excitement was absolutely adorable and he could see how much effort you actually put into it all

• so he helped you sort the snacks and finger foods you would serve, along with the drinks he should buy, the decoration you picked and how he set everything up

• he isn't a costume guy, but he told you he would dress up as a lumberjack so you would be happy, which you did, even if you knew he would actually just throw a flannel shirt and call it a costume, you were excited because he looked damn hot in a flannel shirt

• and he couldn't help but become a mix of aroused and mesmerized the moment he saw you in a cute witch costume; on one hand you looked very adorable, on the other hand you looked so fucking sexy all he could think of was you riding his cock in nothing but your fishnets, knee high boots and witch hat

• but as he got closer while carrying a bag of ice he frowned when he saw your upset face

"what happened, baby girl?"

"they all cancelled..."

• Joel was so pissed to hear your friends had all cancelled; he'd watched how excited you were during days and how carefully you'd planned everything and those motherfuckers couldn't even give you a time of the day and show up? Or perhaps do the right thing and let you know they weren't coming in advance?

• however, he didn't want to make things worse for you, even if you shrugged it off and began putting the decoration down, he could tell you were disappointed and he wasn't letting you just be without your party

• so he asks you to calm down and he calls Tommy and Sarah, tells them to come over and bring a couple of friends

• and when you realize, there's a party starting at your place, Tommy and his girlfriend Maria, Sarah and a couple of her girl friends all there complimenting your decoration and dancing to your playlist

• Joel takes you by the waist and tells you it ain't much but he figured you would enjoy a small family get together, and your heart race when he subtly tells you you are family

• he dances with you and makes sure to remind you how beautiful you are and how cool your party is

• and he also likes to open the door for the trick or treaters and hand them candy

• later at night, he sends Sarah home with her uncle Tommy and takes the opportunity to finally have you riding his cock in nothing but your boots and your witch hat

• he wants to make you feel good sexually as well, and he doesn't let you go sleep without cumming a few times

• as you snuggle against him, you is kind of glad none of your stupid friends showed up, as you both had a smaller and intimate party and he got to spend more time with the woman he loves

____

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal x reader #pedro pascal x you #pedro pascal x y/n #pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro pascal fanfic #pedro pascal headcanon #pedro pascal headcanons #joel miller #joel miller x reader #joel miller x you #joel miller x y/n #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller fanfic #joel miller headcanon #joel miller headcanons

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rev-glut · 2 months ago

Text

Paradise in Purgatory

Track One: The Greatest Show Unearthed

A collaborative fic written by @rev-glut and @raelwrites. (Thank you for being part of this, beloved, it's been amazing.)

Summary: On Halloween you meet a kitten, “princess”, and werewolf who saw you perform and really dig your vibes and would like to buy you a drink. So you take them up on the offer and flirt a little bit, make some friends, join a band. You may kiss one of them later. Or two. Maybe all three. Just once. Until your little group gets disrupted.

Notes: No Powers AU, Band AU, takes place during college years. Matt gets called kitten, Foggy is briefly called puppy due to his costume but is later called cream puff and other nicknames with puff in it, Karen is called princess. R is pagan. Matt's ginger. POV changes quite often? Elektra appears in the end.

Disclaimer: Neither of us consent to the usage of our work for AI, in any capacity.

Masterlist AO3

A star, that was what you were.

The low lit venue smelled of sugar, pumpkin and apple, along with sweat. While the jack-o-lanterns dotted the tables and fairy lights wrapped around the counter, you stood in the brightest spot.

And you were incredible.

Foggy’s apple cider was momentarily abandoned to watch you.

You were a natural up there. Working the crowd between songs, your voice drew people in, moving around the space as you played your guitar, your fangs gleamed in the light. Your costume wasn’t the most eye-catching nor was it the fanciest. And yet, even before your performance, you stood out from the other costumed performers.

Applause took over the venue as you bowed, some far more enthusiastic than the polite claps. You took the mic again to thank everyone, particularly the venue itself and wishing everyone a happy Halloween before stepping off the stage.

He couldn’t take his eyes off of you, even as you stepped away from the spotlight to fade into the crowd.

“We should go talk to them.” Foggy said, as the next performer was getting ready. Karen glanced to where you were putting your guitar away. “And I’m not taking no as an answer for this one.”

“Well then you should go talk to them.” Matt lifted his cup towards Foggy, tilting his head, a small, infuriating smile playing on his lips. “You’re the most charming out of the three of us.”

Karen nodded in agreement, a smile that mimicked Matt’s light one gracing her features.

“Sounds like a job for that Nelson charm.”

His two friends were teasing him. Foggy was more than aware of that fact. He just couldn’t believe that they had the exact same expression when they did so. He really shouldn’t have introduced them to each other. They got along like a house on fire, and he was the singular water bucket that could somewhat calm them.

“You know what? This is a job for the Nelson charm.” He huffed out, before downing his glass of apple cider. Maybe it was the singing in his blood after seeing such a good performance or maybe it was his high of being away from studying for the night. Either way, he was feeling… very confident. He was going to go up and talk to you. “I’m going to catch them before they leave.”

“Good luck, Fogs.”

“Bring us some good news, Foggy!”

He nodded determinedly before walking to where you were slinging your guitar bag behind your back.

Although it was clear that your performance was very well received and there were many that seemed to show an interest in talking to you, the area around you was… surprisingly sparse. And Foggy couldn’t believe that he was the first one to come up and talk to you after your performance.

In a way, it made sense. You were different off of stage than when you were on it. Whilst your smile didn’t leave your face on top of that stage- and under the spotlight- your expression now seemed a little more guarded. A little less approachable.

“So, uh.” He offered you his hand to shake. “I like your fangs.”

You stared at him. He stared back at you, his hand still hovering mid-air. He contemplated dropping it, but-

You smiled at him, those fake fangs glinting under the dim light similar to the way they did under the harsh light of the stage. And you took his hand.

“Thanks. I like your claws.”

Claws? Foggy looked down at his hand. Oh. Right. Matt chose a costume for him, he chose a costume for Karen, and she chose one for Matt. And he was a werewolf. Which was not a bad costume at all, especially not when he wasn’t the one to put on cat ears.

“Can they break through the skin?”

You blinked at him, your hand still in his. Your hold was firm and certain. And even without Matt’s slightly better sense of touch, he could feel the calluses on your fingers and could tell that you had put in a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into your art.

Like Karen with her drums. Like Matt with his bass, and like himself with his keyboard.

“Would you like to find out, puppy?”

The Nelson charm was failing spectacularly at the moment. Well, your own charm was overtaking his and he found himself being the one charmed.

“I uh… No?” Your grin seemed to widen as he fumbled slightly with his words. “I mean- not now?”

“Later, then?”

“What?” Foggy shook his head, trying to get rid of the heat in his cheeks. “That’s not why I came up to talk to you.”

“Oh?” You furrowed your eyebrows slightly and released his hand. “That’s a shame.” His train of thought came to an abrupt stop at your muttered sentence. But he pulled himself out of it when you cleared your throat. “Then why did you come and speak to me?”

“I- My friends and I watched your performance and we really dig your vibes. We were wondering if we could buy you a drink? And maybe talk about you possibly being the last puzzle piece for the band we’re planning on making?”

🎶

“Should we go and help Foggy?”

Matt tilted his head towards the general direction in which he had heard Foggy go off in. Karen tapped her finger against the glass of her own drink, making a soft, rhythmic ringing sound that distracted him from the other background noises of the party.

Due to the slightly better senses he had to compensate for the blindness, he didn’t do well with crowds or places that he wasn’t very familiar with. He had only agreed to join in on tonight’s outing because he needed a reason to procrastinate his assignment.

“Why?”

“He’s looking a little red right now.” Matt wondered what exactly had happened for Foggy to go red enough for Karen to worry a little. Before he could ask for her to guide him over she spoke up again. “Well, it looks like we won’t have to decide, he’s bringing them over here.”

Focused on finding Foggy’s familiar footsteps between the new performer and the sounds of people moving around until finally he could hear his boots, and what he assumed was your own. Close enough that he caught part of your conversation.

“-lin’s what my mom calls me. Foggy’s good!”

How red was Foggy for him to sound like that?

“Hm… I think puppy suits you more.”

Your voice follows his. Smooth, friendly, he can hear the smile in it as you respond. Matt could hear his friend choke slightly, and he smothered his own grin.

“And these are my friends!”

You introduce yourself, Karen doing the same.

“Handshake?” you ask him.

He extended his own hand, and yours easily slipped into it. He could feel the rough calluses littered about your fingers and palm. Similar yet different to the ones that he had on his. Whilst playing the bass was the main cause of his own, a good chunk was due to his experience in boxing.

“Matt.”

“Matt.” You rolled his name in your mouth, and Matt decided that he really liked your speaking voice. You spoke his name with a friendliness that he liked. There was a slight purr in your voice that made his breath lodge in his throat. “I hear you’re looking for the missing piece of your band.”

You released his hand and Matt could only assume that you were offering your hand to Karen.

“Bands usually have a guitarist,” Karen supplied.

“And a singer,” Matt chimed in.

“No singer?” you asked, your curiosity, tinged with apprehension, was clear.

“We have one.” Foggy’s hand curled around Matt’s shoulders. Despite the teasing, he felt the tension in Foggy’s body. He wasn’t kidding when he said he wouldn’t take a no from him and Karen on this. And for good reason too. “He just hates it.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. More like, would rather not be the lead singer. I’m fine with my bass.”

“You shy, kitten?” Oh. That’s why Foggy was red.

Thankfully, Matt was better at handling these things. But only slightly. He fidgeted with the top of the cat ears he was wearing. According to Foggy, the color of the ears matched his hair quite well.

“Not particularly. Well, maybe a little bit.”

“Well, I’d love to hear you sing anyways.” Matt imagined the fangs he heard Karen mention earlier are on full display. “A bassist too. And you, princess?”

“Uh, drummer. I like hitting things.” Karen said, her dress rustling as she shifted slightly. Matt could tell that you had managed to slightly fluster her by the way her tone took on a subtly shier note.

“What about you, puppy?”

“I uh- I play the keyboard.”

“Hm. I figured. You have keyboard hands.”

“Keyboard hands?”

Matt knew what you meant. He couldn’t quite explain in words what made Foggy’s hand different from the others, but they were different. He nodded along.

“You can tell a lot from a person’s hands.” You said, an amused note apparent in your tone. “For example, I can tell that princess here is an avid writer, and that kitten either currently boxes or has had a lot of boxing experience in the past.”

Oh. You were good. You were observant.

“Oh my god.” Karen muttered, and Matt heard the rustling of fabric as she rummaged through her pockets for something. The slightest smell of chemicals told him that she was reaching for her lipstick- which was apparently a very blue-ish lilac color to fit in the costume she was wearing. “You’re almost as good as Matt when it comes to figuring us all out.”

“Karen.”

“Oh?” Your voice sounded intrigued. “The kitten has hidden claws.”

Matt heard you take a small step towards him and he caught onto the smells clinging on you. He had to sift through the air of sweat and artificial sweetness to pinpoint what else he could gather on you.

But to his surprise, you were an enigma.

And that intrigued him.

🎶

Karen stifled a laugh at the way Matt tilted his head at you. With the ears on his head, he truly looked like the cat he was dressed up to be. There was slight trepidation and curiosity that was glaringly obvious even behind the pair of black sunglasses resting on his face.

“Well, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. He’s a sweetheart,” Karen said, reaching over to adjust Matt’s ears. Matt was fully capable of biting and scratching, but it wasn’t ever targeted to just anyone. And you were far from just anyone it seemed.

“So, why was it that you came up to speak to me anyway?” You asked, a small smirk curling at your lips as you arched an eyebrow towards Foggy. “I thought it was about you all making a band and wanting me to join it.”

Ah. Right. Karen, like both her friends, had been too distracted by the allure that was all but dripping from you. You, with those cheap fangs that shouldn’t look that attractive. In that dark cape that swished behind you with every small movement-

“It is.” Foggy looked a little expectant. “Your answer?”

You fiddled with your plastic fangs in a slightly thoughtful manner as you shifted your guitar bag slightly.

“Well…” You pulled your hand away from the fake fangs and instead picked at your fingers, in what she could pin as a slightly apologetic manner. “I’m a little bit of a lone wolf, you see. Especially when it comes to music.”

Karen saw the way Foggy’s shoulders drooped, and you must have seen it too, because the small, self-assured smile on your face dropped and you waved your hands around slightly in a frantic manner.

“It’s nothing to do with any of you. It’s just that I have a very specific form of music I would like to make and I’ve never met anyone who could help me with that-”

“You’ve never seen us play.” Karen interjected, her voice firm. “You can’t make that decision before you’re given all the evidence.”

“She’s right,” Matt easily agreed, his hand gripping onto the white cane.

“Yeah! Who knows, we might be the people that could help you with your music, just like you’re the guitarist we’ve been looking for.”

“Puppy, I don’t know…”

Karen reached to grasp your hands and felt how warm they were. You blinked at her.

“Come see us play. Please. Just once.” She offered you a smile. “You can choose if you want to join us or not after that.”

“What if I still decide to not join your band?”

Karen’s eyes were sharp. She was more analytical than her other two band mates, quite possibly due to her major, but that keen eye of hers didn’t just apply to reading or investigating. And that eye of hers told her that you were lonely, despite your claims of being a ‘lone wolf’. You longed for a tight knit group of friends.

Just as she had, once upon a time. Before Matt and Foggy took her under their wing.

“We can be friends, regardless.”

You squeezed her hands.

“I- Okay.” From the corner of her eye, she could see Foggy pumping his fist and as Matt grinned. “I’ll give you my number. Text me the details of your next gig and I’ll be there.”

“You won’t be disappointed, we promise you that.”

“We’ll see, princess.” You took your hands away from hers and instead grabbed the phone Matt eagerly pressed into your palms. You tapped at the screen. “We’ll see.”

🎶

It had been a while since Karen felt this nervous. And she wasn’t the only one. Matt kept fiddling with the strap of his bass. Foggy was faring a little better but his nervous energy was clear to Karen. She herself was fighting to not bite at her fingers or try to find you in the crowd every second. Foggy’s gentle voice suddenly cut through everything.

“Look guys, we’re going to go out there and blow everyone’s minds. Whether that really hot guitarist is here or not. And if they are, they're going to hear us play and want to be our guitarist.”

“Or, they’re going to hear us play and not want to be our guitarist.”

“You’re not helping, Matthew.”

“Yeah, Matt.” She said, twirling her drumsticks in an effort to calm her jittery nerves. “You’re making things worse.”

“Let’s think optimistically! They’ll like our music, and they’ll join us!” Foggy pressed his hands onto both her shoulder and Matt’s. His touch alone was enough to soothe the nerves that had overtaken her. From the way the tension that coiled at Matt’s forearms loosened, she could tell that it was working on him too. “We just have to show them everything we have, just like we do during every performance.”

He was right, of course. The three of them bonded over their shared love for music and performing. Although forming a band was a dream that she shared with Matt and Foggy, it was never the end goal. The end goal was always to enjoy sharing with others the joy of music.

To cherish every performance- to play as if it was the last.

And she had a feeling that you wouldn’t be even tempted to join them on stage if they didn’t treat it like any other performance.

“Foggy’s right. We’re great, so we’re going to do great. Show them that we know what we’re doing and that we were right to invite them here, and to the band. We’re going to show all of them.”

They might not know a lot about this, but they knew enough to know they weren’t bad at all. And that you would fit right in.

“That’s the spirit!”

“Alright, fine.”

“Sing your heart out, Murdock.”

“Yeah. Show them that angelic voice of yours, Saint Matthew.”

“Alright, let’s do this.” Matt smiled and stuck out his fist vertically. Foggy tapped his on top, followed by Karen below Matt’s. “Let’s blow them all away.”

“No prayers this time, Murdock?” Karen teased, poking fun at the prayer he would occasionally mumble when he was particularly on edge for a show. “Our potential guitarist and lead singer is out there, looking at us.”

The grin that graced his features was sharp. Biting, almost.

“I’m not on edge, Karen. I’m excited.”

And honestly, she felt the same. There was the jittering in her blood, and she couldn’t resist the urge to hop up and down to get rid of the excess excitement.

“Shall we get going?” she asked, as she pulled her fist away.

“Yeah.” Foggy said, as he too, pulled his hand away to crack his hands. “Now or never, yeah?”

Matt shifted his tinted glasses so that they were more firmly on his face. There had been an incident in which they fell off, and that was quite the scare, considering the damage the stage lights could do to Matt’s vulnerable retinas. It was a habit now.

“Let’s go.”

🎶

When the slightly long haired blond guy walked up to you after your short performance at the party on Halloween night, you really hadn’t expected to end up here, at one of their gigs at the local indie band scene.

You weren’t judging of course.

You too, often lurked at scenes like these. Hell, you’ve played some gigs with failed band members in the past. The indie scene was brutal at times, and whilst most bands were able to have their debut stage, not many survived long enough to get a second one or a third.

You sipped at the cool beverage in your hand. The icy sensation of the liquid spread inside of your mouth, a direct contrast from the heated, sweaty air clinging onto your skin. There was a flush right under your skin. A heat warming up your body- and it was distinctly different from the warmth of the air in this cramped space.

You tucked your hand -- the one not holding onto your drink -- into your pocket and pulled out a packet of snacks that you had brought along with you. You thumbed at the packet thoughtfully.

Foggy was the name of the guy who had fumbled slightly with his words, a cute blush on his face as he offered you a smile and a request for you to meet the other members of his band. He truly did look like a puppy in that werewolf costume of his.

He was sweet. And anyone else would have brushed over the sharp, clever tint in his eyes. But not you. Never you.

You were a loner, first and foremost. You liked to stand back and observe others when you weren’t on stage.

Foggy was a clever, clever man. And that small, almost unnoticeable glint in his eyes was what made you follow him as he offered to introduce you to his friends. Well, you guessed that you did also like the way he flustered at you half-joking flirting.

The friends he took you to were as attractive as Foggy himself was, but in a distinctly different way.

Whilst Foggy was charming in a deceptively soft way, Matt was charming in a more… dangerous manner. Rugged and hard in a more explicit way. The smile that he had offered you was sharp and more teeth than a genuine smile.

And although you had figured out that the guy was blind from both the white cane he had been clutching in his hand as well as the pair of sunglasses resting on his face.

You couldn’t pin him as accurately as you could pin down Foggy or Karen, mainly because you couldn’t see his eyes.

Logically, you knew that he wore those tinted glasses to stop his retinas from being damaged but… you couldn’t help but think that maybe he wore it to hide himself- defend himself in some manner.

The eyes were the windows to the soul, after all.

He was more kitten than Foggy was puppy. Matt did seem to exhibit behaviour one would assign a cat. Puffing up fur, hissing- albeit in a more human way by using tone instead- and tensing up.

The guy -- you gently tore open the packet of your snacks with your teeth -- was quite possibly the hardest one to get to warm up to you.

If you decided to join their band, of course.

Karen was… Karen was hauntingly beautiful, and you couldn’t figure out if it was because of the Corpse Bride costume she had been wearing or if it was because of the way her features and eyes hardened with a weight that was not often found in others her age.

The same sort of cleverness that had glinted in Foggy’s eyes also was found in hers, but…

Whilst Foggy studied you, Karen picked you apart. Piece by piece until nothing but your bare soul was left for her to investigate.

She wasn’t a princess in the typical way. She wasn’t fragile. She was no damsel in distress. No. She was a princess in the steady way she held herself. In the way she commandeered attention, and in the way she demanded respect.

All in all, they were an interesting group of people, and you’d be lying to yourself if you said that their initial attractiveness was not part of the reason why you agreed to come here and think about their offer more in the first place.

You wondered what type of music they leaned towards. The three of them all looked to have different… tastes in genres and frankly speaking, you didn’t understand how they decided to form a band in the first place.

Making a band with friends didn’t turn out well the moment the whole thing turned into something less fun, and more serious. You had way too much experience with friend groups breaking up because the band didn’t work out. And well. Look at Oasis.

“-Habeas Corpus!”

Habeas Corpus? You rolled the name in your mind. It was a weird name for a band. You were fairly certain that there was a meaning to that, and that you had heard the term somewhere, but you didn’t know what it meant.

The roar of the crowd startled you slightly.

Hm. It appeared as though this band of theirs was a bit of a big name in this particular scene.

You tore your mind off of the arbitrary, less important thoughts and instead focused on the stage as one by one, the people you had met on Halloween stepped onto the stage. Out of the darkness and into the light.

Karen took her place behind a large set of drums, twirling her drumsticks around as she grinned at the crowd. Momentarily, her eyes locked with yours, and you let your lips curl upwards in greeting.

Foggy wriggled his fingers and rolled his shoulders back. You saw him smile brightly and say something to the other members on stage with him.

Matt stepped to the centre of the stage and grasped onto the microphone and nodded at the direction of the keyboard. He fiddled with the strap of his bass and grinned.

Tap.

The sound of Karen’s drumsticks tapping together alerted you of the fact that the band would start playing soon. She was setting up the tempo for the others.

Tap.

Your heart thrummed inside your ribs. You knew the thrill of being up there, under the spotlight- people listening to the songs you poured yourself into. And in a way, you envied them for sharing that thrill with each other.

Tap.

You watched as Matt -- whose hair seemed to glint crimson under the lighting of the stage -- opened his mouth and-

Oh.

Matt had a good voice, you knew that when you had first spoken. But the way he sounded when he sang was something different and it was quickly accompanied by the instruments.

His voice and all the instruments intertwined together, quick and smooth. They all knew how to play in a way that stood out but worked so well together. So much like who they were as people.

This scene had been one you spent a long time in. Yet every punch and kick they seemed to deliver was something new. You were in awe with everything they showed off. Karen was a force to be reckoned with all on her own. Yet she never shoved too far, overshadowing the others. At her place she helped drive the high energy. They moved quickly and smoothly, it felt like running and flying all at the same time.

You felt your body tune in, slowly moving along as they continued. They certainly knew how to start a set. There was something sparking in you, but for the moment you would keep it to yourself. This was only the beginning after all.

Yet as they continued, that spark never left. They almost glowed under the light, likely the sweat, but you could see they loved being up there, loved the music, and they felt the music. Both total focus and letting things flow.

And as they loved the crowd, the crowd loved them back. It shouldn’t have surprised you when the crowd called back as Matt sang, not after they yelled at their introduction, but it caught you off guard anyways.

The three of them worked well together. They understood what they were doing and you wondered how you’ve never heard them before. It felt like your heart was beating in tune to their music, or like the music had decided to hijack your body.

It was a well-known fact that people who did music together formed close bonds. But the three of them went above and beyond that.

It was almost as though they were extensions of each other. When one of them deviated from the main melody, the other two fluidly followed. It was almost a euphoric thing to observe.

You had to try not to get too far ahead of yourself though while you grinned and yelled with the crowd. You had too much experience with this to. But you really hoped this one would work out as they finished their set.

You wanted to fit into what they had. You wanted to be a part of all that. And although you knew better, you couldn’t fully push away the optimism that bubbled within you.

🎶

It was always the roar of the crowd that made Foggy want to keep going. It was the shouts of more, the expressions of glee and the heated air of the venue that gave him heartache to sing. And although he had reassured Matt and Karen that he wouldn’t be disappointed if their passion-fuelled band didn’t result in anything, he knew that he was lying. Matt also probably knew he was lying.

He liked music. He liked playing with his friends. And he wanted to do it more. Wanted to do more with all of this.

Foggy grinned and waved at the crowd before following Karen’s footsteps to the backstage.

“Phew.” He breathed out, wiping the sweat off of his forehead. “That was fun.”

“I honestly think this might have been our best performance so far.”

“It certainly is in the top five I think,” Matt said, agreeing with Karen’s previous statement.

“I think you all did amazing!”

Your voice made Matt startle which in turn made both himself and Karen jump. Fuck. Yeah, he had asked the supervisor of this whole event to let you access the backstage when their own performance had ended.

Foggy opened his mouth to say your name, but paused when he saw the glint in your eyes. When he saw the awe on your face and the way your fingers reached out to clasp at his.

Were his hands too sweaty? Too clammy? Too-

You squeezed at his fingers, a sort of giddiness apparent in the way you rocked on your heels and in the way you jerkily shook his hand.

“So you like our music?” Karen asked, a little tentatively- and perhaps a little too quietly considering the fact that the next band started their own performance, as she had to repeat herself to you.

“Like it?” You laughed. It was a wild, freeing laugh that made him want to join in. It was breathless but manic, all the same. “Sweetie, I loved it all!”

Foggy couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed when you released his hand to whirl around and grab Karen’s. She smiled at you as you gushed about the performance that all of them gave.

“I think that might be their agreement to joining our band, Fogs.”

“Yeah, buddy.” Your eyes were bright with wonder and what he could say reverence, as you dragged yourself and Karen into conversation with him and Matt. Foggy cleared his throat. “So…?”

You released your careful grip on Karen’s hand to instead latch onto Matt’s. Said man stiffened next to Foggy before easing slightly when you squeezed them.

“I didn’t think I’d find any group that matched my musical… vision this much.” He shared a look with Karen. It had been a good idea to invite you to their gig, no matter how nerve-wracking the weeks leading up to this performance had been. “If you’re band is still looking for a guitarist-”

“God, yes.”

“Foggy. Don’t be blasphemous.”

He opted to ignore Matt’s half-hearted jab to instead nod vigorously when you blinked at him, slightly bewildered but looking flattered nonetheless.

“Welcome to the band-” he said your name, before offering you his hand again, this time in the form of a handshake.

You took it with a bright grin.

“I hope you all aren’t set with the band name.”

“Why? What’s wrong with Habeas Corpus?”

“It sounds too… nerdy.”

“Nerdy?” Matt said, a pout playing on his lips. “It’s a law that prevents illegal imprisonment-”

“We can argue about band names later.” Karen intervened quickly. “First, we’ve got to get drinks! In celebration of our band finally being complete!”

“Josie’s?” Foggy asked.

“Josie’s,” Matt agreed.

With one arm linked with Matt and the other with yours, Foggy couldn’t help but think that this was the beginning of something good.

🎶

Even with the meetings you had before, Matt didn’t expect you to fit in so easily. But somehow you did. It seemed as though sitting on the floor of his and Foggy’s room with everyone was easy for you. As though bickering light-heartedly with Foggy whilst your legs were draped over both his lap and Karen’s came to you easily.

And honestly speaking, Matt liked the fact that you fit into the tight knit dynamic everyone had with each other.

Even if you kept calling him that infuriating pet name.

“Kitten, your turn.”

Matt brushed the pads of his fingers on the pile of cards to figure out what color and what number the previous card was. A green five.

He grinned and placed down a plus four, cackling maniacally when he heard Karen groan next to him.

“I’m changing the color to blue, by the way.”

“Honestly, Matt.” Karen huffed out as he felt her reach out to grab a couple of cards. “They shouldn’t have introduced you to Uno. I don’t know how we ended up playing anyway.”

“We were thinking about band names and trying to mess about with some of my songs to make some parts for the rest of you.” You said, your legs shifting slightly in his lap. Instinctively, he grasped at you to stop you from slipping onto the floor. “And then we got distracted.”

“Because you said you had Braille board games,” Karen said, a smile apparent in her tone.

It was… thoughtful of you. Considerate. You were kind, even if you hid behind flirting and light words, the heavy, genuine care you had for the people around you was one of the reasons why you were able to lodge yourself into the very small friend group he had. You were like a missing puzzle piece he had never realized he needed.

“I can see why people say friendships are ruined by this game.”

“Pushing all that away, let’s talk band names again.” Foggy cut off, ignoring the little blind joke he made. Matt shrugged, all too aware of the fact that both he and Karen were used to him making jabs at his own disability. He did, however, smile at the little laugh you let out. “You’re completely against all law terms-”

“I’m not a law major. And if we managed to become big, people would search us up and the first thing they would find on Google would be a dictionary or some law related website.”

“Or you know, future law majors looking up a law term and finding us instead,” Foggy pointed out.

“You’re so confident that we’ll make it big, huh?”

“Of course I am, princess.”

Matt hummed contemplatively. He wouldn’t say that he was creative when it came to making up names. But then again, neither were Foggy or Karen. The name ‘Habeas Corpus’ had basically come from him and Foggy throwing out random words they had heard during lectures and seminars and Karen making them pause at the ones that stuck for her.

“Counsel for Sinners?”

“Let’s tone down on the Catholicism, Matty.”

“So, I take it that’s a no on Decalogue?” He says with a grin. What he could only assume was one of the Uno cards was chucked at him, followed by your voice as Karen’s typing could be heard.

“Less law terms, less Catholicism, kitten.” Your hand hits your notebook with a small thud.

“Seems like you’re out of luck on that one anyways, Matt. It’s already been taken.”

Matt frowned, letting faux disappointment grace his expression.

“But you do have to admit that Catholic terms are metal as fuck.” Foggy mused, and he heard his friend tap at his laptop. “The Watchers?”

“That sounds like shitty characters from a comics series. So that gets a pass from me.”

“Dissonant Whispers?”

The sound of fingers typing away at a keyboard.

“That’s something from D&D.”

“But it does sound cool.”

“Avocados in law.”

“No law related names.” You said, tone indicating that you were annoyed -- but in an exaggerated way -- at Foggy’s suggestion. “Unless you’re meaning it in the ‘brothers in law’ kind of way.”

“Put A Men.”

“What?”

“We’re throwing random ideas, kitty.” He heard fabric shifting as you presumably shrugged. “Putamen’s a brain region. And it sounded funky.”

“We’re all a bunch of nerds.” Karen said, sighing. “We can’t come up with something that isn’t related to academic work or a roleplaying game.”

“Kings of Drifting.”

“Is that a Mario Kart reference, Foggy?” You sounded amused. “Cause if it is, we’re only adding onto Karen’s sentiment of all of us being nerds.”

A silence ensued as his friends presumably were thinking about band names. He didn’t think he could give good suggestions, considering the ban on Catholicism and law terms.

“The sooner we pick a name, the sooner we can start playing shows. Though we still need to work on some songs for that too.” You said, the sound of your pencil becoming similar to Karen’s typing. Something that signaled one of his bandmates and friends were nearby and working on something. It felt nice. Sure, they had their own notebooks for these things, but you constantly had yours open. Like Karen did with her laptop. “I’ll send my schedule over too so we can plan better. It’ll probably be a while before we have anything concrete anyways.”

“We are going on break soon too,” Karen pointed out.

Foggy groaned. “God. Good food. Good free food.” Matt could hear him shuffle. “What are you going to do?” He could only assume Foggy was talking to you.

What were you going to do? You were local, he knew that. And you had an apartment near campus. He was pretty sure you’ve mentioned some family too.

“I don’t know. Probably just what I usually do. Make some food, go into the city.”

“You could come to my place! It’s not too far from here.” Just like Matt, and just like Karen, Foggy was quick to bring you in, like he had on Halloween. It was probably genetic if the way his mom practically took them in as her own was anything to go by. “My family runs a butcher shop so you know we’ll have good food.”

“I don’t know, sweetie…”

“I’ll be there too,” Matt chimes in.

“We’ll all be there.” Karen reassured you. “You don’t have to come, but it’ll be nice. A week away from classes, the campus, everything.”

“I’ll think about it and I’ll let you know.” You clear your throat, going through your notebook again. “So I was thinking…”

Matt didn’t have a good grasp on you. Not yet. But the fact you fit in so well – there was a reason for it. That you were like them. That you wanted to really belong somewhere, have a home, people who really cared. And he really hoped you would come by.

🎶

Honestly, for a while, you weren’t sure if you would come. You would have been fine in your apartment making a nice meal for yourself and sleeping it all off. But you had texted them two days ago that you would come.

This whole thing was still in the new stages, but they still offered this to you. Something that was also new to you. Not that you didn’t have other friends, but none of them asked if you wanted to come home with them for the holidays or if you wanted to meet their family. Part of you was surprised that you had even agreed.

Maybe it was just the fact Foggy offered, and that Matt and Karen were quick to invite you too. Like they were really bringing you in and telling you now that they wanted this and meant it, that they wanted you.

By the time you actually got to the street the trepidation had mostly left. To your surprise, Matt and Karen were already standing outside, the blonde waving at you.

“Princess. Kitten,” you greeted them with a smile as you stopped in front of the porch.

“Glad you could make it.”

“I was promised the best food. Besides, I couldn’t miss a chance to see your pretty faces.” You probably should be on your best behavior in front of Foggy’s family, but you liked flirting and you liked teasing these three. They got used to it over the month but you could still catch them off guard. This wasn’t one of those times as Karen scoffed, the grin still on her face.

“Let’s get inside. Foggy will be happy to see you and have us back to help entertain all his nieces and nephews,” Matt said, reaching for you. His other arm already linked with Karen’s.

You took his arm with a smile, curling your fingers around his forearm.

“Lead the way.”

Inside was loud. A kind of loud you had been familiar with growing up, but not like this. Foggy had warned you his family was big. There were people coming in and out of the rooms and at least seven different kids running around.

Gracefully, Karen led you and Matt to the kitchen where Foggy was.

“Foggy!” she called out.

Quickly he whipped his head up, a wide grin breaking out on his face.

“There you are!”

“Here I am,” you said, biting back a teasing comment. It’d be better to not give anyone certain ideas.

“Oh! You must be,” Foggy’s mom said your name with such joy that it took you a little off-guard. She abandoned whatever she was doing to approach you. “It’s lovely to meet you.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Nelson. It’s lovely to meet you too. Foggy talks very kindly of you and your skills. Your home seems lovely, thank you for having me.”

The way she smiled at you gave you a feeling you didn’t feel very often. It reminded you of sparse moments at the home.

“Please, call me Anna. You’re welcome here any time.”

A timer beeping caught everyone’s attention.

“We should probably let you continue with your cooking. Foggy says you’re protective of your kitchen.”

She grinned, with a look in her eyes that you often saw in Foggy’s.

“That’s how I make the food as good as it is.” Then she’s off to tend to the food. As you walk away, you can hear her say to Foggy, “I like that one. Keep them around, Franklin.”

“She’s going to be asking when you’ll come back now.” Matt says. “She asks about Karen too.”

“We’ll see, kit. She does seem nice.” You wouldn’t be opposed to coming back here over again. Especially if you were going to stay in their lives, and you really wanted to. Luckily for you, it seemed they wanted you to stay too. “So we’re on babysitting duty?”

“The more people looking after all the kids, the better. They’re… a handful.”

Karen nodded before opening her mouth to speak.

“But for the most part they’re really sweet and adorable. They just figured it was best to divide and conquer. The less kids together, the less likely they are to do anything too bad.

They had both been right. Matt was practically tackled when the three of you entered. You had been stared down and asked several questions. When the kids had been satisfied with your answers the three of you had been tugged away to do whatever it was they wanted.

It had been a while since you did this and it made you miss the kids a little. Still, you tried not to dwell on it too long. Especially as one of the girls put a tiara on Karen and a feather boa.

You caught her eye and even with the “don’t you dare” look in her eyes you couldn’t help but tease her a little as you played with the kids. Including calling her “your highness” as you held an invisible teapot for the fake tea party they were having.

A few hours later Foggy came to collect everyone.

“Good to see no one’s bleeding or crying. No one is bleeding, right?” he asked, eyes flicking to every single one of the children and Matt.

One of the kids shook his head.

“No blood, Uncle Foggy.”

“Blood bad,” one of the girls chimed in.

“Blood bad,” Karen echoed, nodding.

“Right, well, if we’re all good then we can clean up and calmly go to the table to eat.”

With that the kids scattered to put everything where it needed to be while the four of you helped pick up everything.

“I hope they didn’t overwhelm you. I love those rascals but man, there are so many of them and they like climbing Matt,” Foggy said, as you and the rest of the group watched as the kids fled the room.

You grinned. That was something you had witnessed, something that was both hilarious and adorable. Honestly, you would also climb him like a tree if he let you.

“They’re great. They’re very lovable rascals.” Foggy looked relieved at your fond sentiment. “Besides, they put a crown on Karen, so they’re good eggs in my book.”

Before Foggy could respond Karen grabbed your arm.

“That’s enough out of you.”

By the small smile she was fighting you could tell there wasn’t any real heat behind it.

The praise and build-up was deserved, you decided as you took a bite. The food was incredible and you made a mental note to tell Mrs. Nelson so when you had a moment. Being the new addition, you had another round of questions to go through and people to meet. You didn’t mind too much, even as it continued after dinner.

Though you mostly stuck with your friends, even going with Foggy to grab more drinks and another piece of pumpkin bread.

You watched Foggy grab some cream puffs and stuff them in his mouth while grabbing some more beer for a couple of his uncles and cousins. On the way to refill the cups of water you swiped a smaller piece of pumpkin bread.

“If any of this survives to tomorrow afternoon do you want to take anything? My mom’s probably going to be trying to make you take some anyway.”

“I would love to take any of this back. It’s a shame you don’t have a kitchen in the dorms. You’re an incredible cook.” You set down the cups to grab a full slice of bread.

“God, I wish. A nice, warm meal every week that probably doesn’t have a health risk or sitting out for hours. A homemade Nelson dish.”

“Well,” You said, approaching Foggy. Gently, you swiped at the corner of his mouth. “Maybe next year, cream puff.” You turned, licking the cream off your thumb as Foggy spluttered behind you. Grinning you picked the cups back up.

The Nelsons were nice people.

However, you were glad to have a moment of quiet with your friends in Foggy’s room. You had a pleasant buzz going as you passed a bottle back and forth with Foggy while you leaned against his side.

Karen and Matt had had their fill of food and alcohol and had passed out a little while ago. Despite the amount of food you had consumed, Foggy and Karen had still nabbed a container for you. They claimed they had to keep you pacified, just in case.

And well, you couldn’t really argue with that. People had told you that you terrorized them when you were hungry.

“I like your family. They’re nice,” you whisper.

“Yeah, my mom loves you. My dad too. I think they all do.”

“Thank you for inviting me.”

Foggy chuckled.

“Well, we couldn’t leave you all alone all week. What kind of band mates would we be if we did?”

You paused, before repeating yourself;

“Thank you for inviting me.”

“As long as you come back. My mom’s going to be asking for you now.”

Gently, you pulled away from him, shaking your head.

“No, I mean…” You hesitated. Your tongue felt a little heavy in your mouth. “Thank you for inviting me into the band, into your group, your lives, your home.” You set the bottle down and gestured around you. “It hasn’t even been a month but… this is going really good. Really good. And I like you guys a lot. Things are feeling like they’re starting to make sense a little more, like this is right. So thank you for coming up and talking to me on Halloween.”

The next thing you knew, you had an armful of Foggy. And what else could you do but wrap your arms around him?

“You know, I told Matt and Karen we had to go talk to you? And I wasn’t taking no for an answer. Not for that. You were too damn good to just disappear.”

Thank the gods, you hadn’t scared him off that night. “I’m glad you did.” And that you said you were glad you went to see them. That they didn’t let you go.

Foggy pulled himself from your shoulder, his arms still around your waist.

“And just for the record, we like you a lot too.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

You were pretty sure you leaned in first. It didn’t matter either way. You and Foggy were kissing, his lips pressed against yours in a gentle manner. Your hands moved from his back up to his shoulders.

And when you pulled away, he made a clearly displeased noise.

You chuckled at the half-disappointed, half-pleading look on his face.

“You can find out if my fangs can break skin another time, puppy.”

Foggy groaned, resting his head on your shoulder again.

“I think I like cream puff better.”

Gently, you moved him off your shoulder.

“Well, cream puff, I think it’s time for bed.”

He sighed.

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea. I need to sleep all of this off.”

You didn’t miss the way he licked his lips before getting up.

🎶

“How long have we been up?” you asked, nursing yet another Monster as you glanced at Foggy.

Your eyes were bloodshot and Foggy knew that he probably looked as bad as you. Or worse. Karen’s normally neat hair was all over the place too, locks of blonde sticking out as she shoved them out of her eyes, annoyed.

Foggy reached to tuck the annoying piece of hair behind her ear.

“Thanks, Fogs.”

Matt was in a T-shirt, and his headphones were resting on his shoulders as he rubbed at his ears in a frustrated manner. Right. Wearing headphones for that long whilst also wearing glasses probably didn’t feel good.

“Can we take a break?” You asked, pressing your cheek against his shoulder. Foggy stiffened slightly, remembering the drunken kiss he had shared with you. But then he remembered that you had said that both him and you could pretend it never happened the next day. Both of you had been drunk, after all. “We’ve been at all this for the past…” You squinted at Karen’s phone screen. “Four hours.”

“It’s also nearing midnight, and we promised to pull an all-nighter together.” Karen said, rubbing at her eyes. “Let’s take a short break and go back to the nitty gritty.”

“I need food.”

“You get very snappy when you’re hungry.” Matt said, nodding slightly as he tugged his headphones off of himself completely. His friend stretched and clicked his tape recorder off. “We have to feed you to keep you happy.”

“Like a crocodile,” Karen said sagely.

Foggy couldn’t help but agree. One time, you had actually hissed at him for reaching for your bag of snacks. You were territorial over your food and him, Matt, and Karen all had been on the receiving end of your annoyance quite often.

“I will bite you, princess.”

“Is that a promise?”

He snorted out a laugh at Karen’s flirty response as well as your wide eyes. You had always been the flirty, confident one. Foggy himself and the others? Not so much. Matt was marginally better than him and Karen in responding to your suave words though.

Your expression soon smoothed into a more self-assured one.

“If you want it to be, yeah.”

Matt made a small, tired noise and reached to grab at your Monster.

“Uh, Matt, buddy, I don’t think you should drink that.”

“I need caffeine, Foggy, and I can’t be bothered to brew a new pot.” You locked eyes with him, and shot him a shit-eating grin as you handed the can over to Matt’s outstretched hands. “Thanks.”

You cackled when Matt took a sip to immediately make a face.

“That is disgusting. It’s way too sugary.” A judgmental look crossed his face as he tilted his head towards where you were sitting. “Why would you drink this? It’s so bad.”

“Hey! Don’t be mean to literally the only thing that has pulled me through finals.” Karen took your Monster away from Matt’s hands and took a sip instead. “But considering your sensitive than most taste buds, it would taste too…”

“Loud?”

Karen nodded at his suggestion.

“Loud.”

“I’m going to go find if there’s any tea somewhere.” Matt said, sticking out his tongue as though he was trying to make the taste of the Monster evaporate from his taste buds. “Wash it away.” He shifted to stand up from his chair. “Do any of you want to go to the deli with me?”

You shot up and stuffed your phone into your pocket, discarding your work as your eyes lit up.

“I do!”

“I might as well tag along.” Foggy said, stretching. “If I stay sitting for too long, I’ll actually lose my mind.”

“If all three of you are going, I’m going too,” Karen said, as she too rummaged through her bag to find her wallet.

“Who’s going to watch over our stuff?”

“Foggy.” You said, eyes locking with his, a faux solemness gracing your features. “We are poor undergrads. Nobody’s going to steal our stuff. The most expensive thing I own is my guitar, and I left that at my apartment.”

That was fair. Foggy knew for sure that his keyboard was also the most expensive thing he had. Matt’s bass wasn’t, but it was something that he cherished the most. And well, Karen’s drum set was steadily growing in size too.

“Sudden swerve in topic, but are any of you going somewhere for Christmas? My mom wants to know if any of you would like to join us.” He looked at Matt. “Matty, you’re invited as always.” When his friend opened his mouth, presumably to assure him that he and his family didn’t have to go out of his way, Foggy tutted and put his hands on his hips. “No. You aren’t a bother and you know how much my mom likes to have you over.”

“They have this mini-argument every winter.” Karen whispered loudly to you, a sly smile on her lips. “Matt doesn’t want to be a bother, but Foggy won’t let him be all alone during the winter break.” She cleared her throat. “I’ve got to visit my brother, so I’ll have to pass this year, Fogs.”

Foggy said your name questioningly. His family had adored you when you came by for Thanksgiving, and he was sure his mom would like to feed you more.

You smiled apologetically and shook your head as you fiddled with the ring on your forefinger.

“Religious reasons.”

“Oh?” Matt asked, his head tilted to the side curiously.

“I had a trip to Greece planned for a while. Long before I was invited to join your band.” You scratched at the back of your neck slightly. “My flight’s on the day my last exam ends, so…”

“What religion do you practice?” Karen asked, barrelling out the question for both his sake and Matt’s. She was ever the journalist, asking questions to sate her curiosity.

“Ah, I don’t think we’ve ever talked about it, but I’m pagan. Leaning mostly to Hellenism, but that’s mainly because the gods and goddesses that called for me were from the pantheon.”

“Am I allowed to ask you which deity you believe in?” Foggy asked, before backpedalling slightly. “I mean, if that’s an alright thing to ask, of course. If it’s insensitive-”

“You’re fine, cream puff.” You spread out your fingers, allowing both him and Karen to see the sun shaped jewel embedded on the golden band. “My main god of worship is Apollo. The muses too.”

That… made a lot of sense. Foggy rummaged through his fairly sparse knowledge of the Greek gods, and remembered that Apollo was the god of music. And you did look like a star -- the sun, now that he thought back to the gig he saw you play at -- whenever music was involved. On stage, when you were discussing songs and lyrics, and when you were simply tuning your guitar-

“Which part of Greece?”

“Delphi?” Matt suggested, and Foggy blinked at him. He… didn’t think the Catholic orphanage Matt grew up in would allow for- “Foggy, I can hear you thinking. I know about beings from all over the world. The orphanage wasn’t as isolated as you think it was.”

“You’re right. I am going to be staying in Delphi until the twenty seventh, so that’s why I have gifts for you ready. For Yule and-or Christmas.”

Foggy looked at you questioningly. Now? Here?

You locked eyes with him and grinned, sharp and conspiratorially.

“Yep. Here. Now.” You clambered over to where your bags were and pulled out a couple of neatly wrapped packages and handed one over to Matt. “That one’s for you, kitten.” Then you handed one over to Karen. “This one’s for you, princess.” And then you gently placed a package onto his hands. “And last but not least, this is for you, cream puff.”

“I’m going to open it-”

“No! Don’t open it in front of me!” You hid behind your hands, peaking slightly through the gap of your fingers. “It’s embarrassing.”

“Alright, alright.” Foggy gently held the package in his hands before slipping it into his bag. “We’ll open them on Yule and then shower you with praises of thanks and how much we love the presents.”

“Mine’s soft.” Matt muttered, squishing at the package as he furrowed his eyebrows. “Squishy.”

“Uh, shush, kitty.” You tapped at Matt’s hand lightly. “Not yet.”

Foggy snorted at the pout on Matt’s lips.

“Come on, you three. We’ve gotten way off track. Deli. We have to get snacks and drinks, remember?”

At her reminder, you all but shot off, before you excitedly returned to grab his hand and dragged him quickly out the door.

Foggy grinned at the feeling of your callused hand in his as you hummed a song about what snacks you were going to buy.

🎶

Karen huffed out in amusement as she found Matt and Foggy fast asleep on the sofa, mere minutes before the start of the new year. They were going to miss the countdown, which they had both wanted to see with her and you.

But they were sleeping so soundly, after days of indulging Foggy’s cousins and nieces and nephews. Matt was in the cat hoodie you had gifted him for Yule, looking every bit as the kitten you so often called him.

Curled up around Foggy, with the eared hood up- He was really not refuting the kitty allegations.

“Should we wake them?” you asked, gingerly placing your head on her shoulder.

“No, let them sleep.” She pouted playfully. “I don’t have you all to myself often.”

You blinked at her, looking slightly bewildered. She giggled at your expression.

You were good at teasing but you fumbled slightly when either her or Foggy teased back. Matt, slightly less so. Maybe it was because he bit back with a flirting comment of his own more often compared to her.

“Blueberry?”

She cautiously took a single berry from the tub you offered her. You were possessive over your food, and never had you offered any of them your snacks. She absentmindedly wondered if this was a test of some kind.

Karen popped the fruit in her mouth and watched as you turned your attention back to the window, from where the fireworks could be seen. One of the perks of living in New York City, she thought. Christmases and New Years days were never dull.

“Can I have some more?”

“Sure.” You handed her the tub entirely, and Karen knew in that instant that you really and truly considered her and the rest of the band a part of your inner circle. Your eyes flickered to her eyes. “I knew you would do those earrings justice, princess.”

Her hand instinctively went to her ear to fiddle with the tiara shaped piece of jewelry and she felt her cheeks heat up at the sincere way you complimented her.

This wasn’t the normal type of teasing and flirting she had gotten used to. No, this was earnest. And that flustered her far more than your joking teases.

“Any resolutions for the coming year?” she asked you, as she dropped her hand to instead pluck a blueberry from the tub to put in her mouth.

“I dunno. Date, maybe?” You shrugged. “Dating apps suck though. I don’t know how to connect to people, y’know?”

“How about Bumble?”

You made a face.

“I tried it out once, but I felt as though I was hiding how passionate I am about my interests.” You smiled at her. “If I wanted to date based off of my interests, I don’t need Bumble. I have you and Matt and Foggy.”

She cleared her throat, not knowing what to say, and stood up from the sofa, the tub of blueberries in her hands. What were you insinuating? You’d be willing to date one of them? Date all three of them? She was very inclined to the latter.

Karen gestured for you to come and stand in front of the window with her. And you did so.

Outside, people were counting down to midnight.

“Three!”

You took the tub of blueberries from her hands and placed it on one of the nearby surfaces. The feeling of your fingers brushing against hers felt… charged.

“Two!”

Karen grasped onto your waist as if she were possessed when you took a step closer to her, her eyes flicking to your lips. Your lips, which quirked up into a small, gentle smile.

“One!”

She didn’t know who leaned in first, but as the fireworks went off outside of the window, she found herself kissing you, eyes fluttering shut as she melted into it. Shouts and cheers celebrated the start of a new year, but that all sounded very far away from her.

With your lips on hers and your hands resting on her waist, she couldn’t focus on the fireworks or the fact that it was truly a new year now.

You pulled away from her -- a little too quickly for her taste -- and shyly smiled.

“Happy New Year, princess,” you said, your voice slightly breathless as you kept your hands on her waist.

She smiled back as she raised her hand to brush her fingers against her lower lip.

“Happy New Year to you too.”

🎶

Why you had decided to take two classes back to back across campus, you weren’t sure. At least it gave you a good workout. Much to the amusement of Karen who you sprinted past. Thank the gods for syllabus week. It meant you could lay on Matt and Foggy’s floor at the end of the week and not worry too much about homework.

You stared at your notebook before you rolled onto your stomach, crossing out a few words and writing something down. Maybe something else would work better? You wrote down what you could think of. Everything would be organized later.

There must have been a look on your face since Foggy said, “What class already assigned you actual work?”

“Dungeons and Dragons.” You replied. “I’m trying to plan our session for next Tuesday.” The whole year you were DM’ing for a group of friends. You have been since last year. When you looked up, Karen caught your eye. You knew that look. You've seen it enough it know. “Princess,” you started gently, “if you want to play I can see if we can set up a one-shot. One session to see if you’d like it.”

With the way she smiled, you knew you said the right thing.

“That might be nice.

You would work on one, just in case. The more people you could introduce to Dungeons and Dragons, the better.

“But right now I don’t think my brain can make any sense of anything for any session.” Flopped back down on the floor, shut your notebook, and switched it out for your other one and a bag of chips. “My brain wants music instead.”

Matt got up from his bed to join you on the floor, wearing his cat hoodie. You liked writing with him, with all of them.

It was going as smoothly as you hoped when you first heard them. Over break you had sent over various voice memos to them. It had been nice to go to Greece and celebrate Yule, but it had also been nice to get out of the city for a while.

And you got voice memos in return. Mostly from Matt and Foggy until Karen returned to the city, though she did have a beat pad. The bits of their lives in the background were nice too.

Each piece that was given to you in return always made sense. Writing with them was easy, but it was also exhilarating. It was exactly what you wanted with a band.

Currently your guitar sat next to Foggy’s keyboard, the little Slurpuff-cream puff keychain you had given him for Yule hanging off of his keyboard.

Karen and Foggy followed Matt and sat down with you. You smiled, it was going to be a good night. You could feel it. The same way you could feel it when you sat with your things and worked until your hands hurt a little.

Though this wasn’t the first night you had all sat down together to brainstorm and let the music flow, it felt different. It felt easier somehow. Karen’s laptop served as her drums, a program that sounded close enough since the real ones were still in her apartment, and a more organized version of everything you all were doing.

Until you and Foggy decided dinner was needed which came in the form of cheap ramen packets. Now you all laid on the floor, your phone was on one of the beds playing music.

“I’m pretty sure the cards are still in my bag.” You said.

“Next time.” Matt smiled. “I liked playing.”

“And kicking our asses in the game?” Foggy asked from the other side of Matt.

“That too.”

Next to you Karen suddenly gasped. She sat up and grabbed Matt’s arm. “You have to come dance with me.” You and Matt both tilted your heads. Your ears picked up the sound of Whitney Houston. That would explain it.

“Right now?”

“Right now,” she confirmed.

Matt moved to let her pull him up. She pulled him over to a part of the room with more space and took his hands, guiding him. To your delight, she also started softly singing along.

Foggy nudged you.

“Come on, I’m feeling a little left out.”

“Alright, cream puff.” You stood and turned the music up a little before you took his hand. Foggy dragged you over to Matt and Karen, grabbing your other hand. Soon he joined Karen in singing along. Both her and Matt laughed.

At some point Foggy switched you out for Matt as you took Karen.

“Hi princess.”

“Hi.”

You were probably loud enough to get a noise complaint, given the hour. But you couldn’t really care too much. Maybe you should invite them to your apartment soon. That would be nice.

🎶

Matt fiddled with the hem of his hoodie. It was the one that you had gotten him, and he had only really worn it to appease you, but the fabric that it was made of was… soft. Not scratchy or uncomfortable against his sensitive skin.

Where had you gotten this from anyway? He wondered if he could ask you to tell him the store-

His train of thought skidded to a stop when he heard the now familiar sound of your footsteps against the ground.

“Matt?”

He hummed softly as he pulled his fingers away from the braille book he was skimming. He heard the room of the classroom click shut behind you as your footsteps grew louder as you approached him.

Columbia was a great university, but all the libraries were crowded, and their thirty minute rule was just annoying. Nobody would be able to get anything done in that short of a time. He needed peace and quiet to focus, but the campus made it difficult for him most of the time.

“Squatting here for the evening too?”

“Yeah. I love Foggy, but I need some time to do stuff on my own.” He stretched languidly and closed his book. “What are you doing in Hamilton this late?”

“I have some things I need to get done too. And I wanted some company while I did it.” He felt you take a seat next to him. “I asked Karen where you were.”

It wasn’t often that he was alone with you. Most times, you, him, Foggy, and Karen were a package deal. Where one went, the other three followed.

“And I can see that you took a liking to the hoodie, kitty.”

There it was. The nickname you had given him on that fateful Halloween party. It had annoyed him in the beginning, but now, he was more than used to it, and found himself responding pretty easily to it. Much to his chagrin and the infinite amusement of Karen and Foggy.

“It’s soft.” He said, rubbing absentmindedly at the fabric. “Where did you even get it?”

“Why? Do you want me to get you more?” He pursed his lips, and you seemed to find some sort of hilarity at his expression because you laughed. “I could, if you want me to. Think about it, Matt. It’s a win-win situation for both of us. You get soft, comfy hoodies, and I get to see you in cat ears.”

“Why do you want to see me in cat ears anyway?”

“Matt. Kitten.” He felt you gingerly hold his hands. “You can’t see yourself in the mirror, but believe me when I tell you that you look really good in them.”

His blindness didn’t bother him much. Not after living with it for over a decade. Not after he now spent more time without his vision than with it. But occasionally, he wondered what the people he cared for looked like.

Matt knew what Foggy and Karen looked like theoretically. They had both let him trace their faces with his fingers and had told them the color of their hair and eyes, where each freckle was, as he memorized every dip and curve of their faces.

He had yet to ask you if he could do the same. Not because he didn’t want to, but because he could never find the time to catch you on your own. To him, figuring out how the people he cared for looked like was an intimate action. And not something he was comfortable with doing with prying eyes around him.

Matt wet his lips and said your name.

“-can I touch your face?”

“Sure.”

And like that, your permission was given to him without question. Without hesitance. Without caution.

His hands were still in yours, and he felt his breath catch in his throat when you slowly guided his palms to your cheeks.

He took his time slowly tracing the groove of your cheek, his fingers soon dipping to trace your chin. He cupped your face in his palms, as he attempted to figure out the general shape of your face.

“Careful, kitten.” You said quietly, as his thumb brushed below where he assumed your eye was. “Don’t poke my eye.”

“I’ll be careful. Promise.” He let his thumb run down your cheek again, feeling the blemishes of your skin. “Tell me what color your eyes and hair are, and if you have any freckles.”

Matt tucked the information you gave him into his mind as he traced the shape of your lips.

He grinned when he heard you take in a sharp breath.

“Oh, shut up, you.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

A comfortable silence ensued as he got his fill of you. Letting every detail he could feel enter his memory. Drawing an image of you in his mind before he pulled his hands away, a little wistfully.

“Can I touch your face too?” You asked, making Matt tilt his head confusedly at you. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without your glasses, Matt. If you’re comfortable with it, could I see them?”

Matt pursed his lips.

His eyes were a sensitive topic for him. Before he got used to wearing the tinted glasses, the other kids would tell him how weird his eyes were. Apparently, they were clouded and white, as though all color had been drained from them, not leaving behind any trace of the dark brown that had been passed down from his dad.

It really didn’t help that there were light- but still noticeable- chemical scars on the surrounding skin around them.

But eventually, he nodded and let you pull the glasses away from his face. He closed his eyes instinctively when your fingers gently brushed against his face. He didn’t dare to open them as the pads of your fingers curiously brushed against the corner of his eyes and traced the slightly rougher skin of the scars.

“Open your eyes for me, kitten.”

Your voice had an effect on him. One that made him more inclined to listen to your requests.

He opened his eyes.

“...You’re pretty, Matt.” Your hands moved to cradle his jaw. “Very pretty.”

Matt was pleasantly surprised when he felt your lips on his. And it didn’t take him more than a second to kiss you back. Moving closer to you as he felt your hands leave his face to tangle your fingers through his hair.

When you pulled back, he found himself chasing after you as you laughed slightly breathlessly.

“I thought you had work to do, Murdock.”

“I thought you had to do some things too.”

Matt grinned and settled himself onto his chair, opening his book again to start brushing his fingers against the Braille letters once more, but he couldn’t find it in himself to pull his thoughts completely away from you.

The feeling of your lips against his still lingered, after all.

🎶

Karen tapped on her laptop, grinning in a satisfied manner as she finalized the excel sheet for the schedule of the coming couple of weeks. It had been a grueling time, adding and editing the songs that you had made yourself as well as the ones her, Foggy, and Matt had created.

“Look at how gorgeous this looks.” She said, proudly presenting her friends with the screen. “We have more gigs than before, and I honestly think it’s all thanks to you-” she said your name.

You shook your head in what she could now identify as a bashful manner.

“No, no, she’s right.” Foggy agreed with her, his hand reaching to grasp at yours. “Honestly, I thought you were a star the moment I saw you on stage, but you really are one.”

“A lucky star.” Matt mused, a smile curling at his lips. “Our star.”

“Stop it, all three of you.” You lightheartedly slapped Foggy’s hand away. “Flatterers. We all got requested for more gigs because all of you are pretty.”

“Let’s not forget our songs.”

“Oh yeah, that too.” You said, jokingly rolling your eyes at her amused words.”My voice is angelic and alluring. Like a siren.”

“Basically.”

“Yep.” Foggy paused slightly and looked to Matt. “Not that your singing is bad, Matty. It just fits better as our star’s backing vocals.”

Said man shrugged and made a face that indicated his agreement.

“Yeah.”

“I was joking. That was a joke.” You cleared your throat and squinted at the screen of her laptop. “Also, we should do something about the name of our band.” She too peered at her screen and noticed the name of the file. “We can’t be ‘insert cool band name here’ officially.”

Matt coughed out a laugh as Foggy groaned.

“We’ve been procrastinating the band name for so long, and we can’t put it off forever.” Karen said, diplomatically, as he glared at her balefully. “Come on, Fogs. Do you really want to be ‘Insert Cool Band Name Here?’”

“I know you all said no Catholicism, but…” Matt licked his lips. “How about Paradise in Purgatory?”

She rolled the name in her mind. It was… a good name. The concept of Paradise and Purgatory were widespread enough to not put people off-

“Oh, I like that.” You said, eyes glittering with excitement. “Paradise in Purgatory. It kind of has that feeling of hope too, you know? Finding a Paradise in the shallowest circle of Hell- according to Dante, of course.”

“Will we be called PIP for short?” Foggy mused, but Karen could tell that he liked the name too. “Peep.”

“It’s cute, cream puff.” You looked at her. “What are your thoughts, princess?”

“It’s edgy, and fun. I like it. Matt always comes to save us from our predicaments, I swear.” She nudged his side, to which he jokingly grimaced at. “Like some hero.”

“When’s our next gig?” He asked, ignoring her words. But Karen wasn’t offended, not when his cheeks were slightly tinted in pink. Both you and Foggy snorted at Matt’s clear swerve away from the topic. “Fuck off.”

Karen could feel the anticipation -- the excitement and the sheer joy -- bubble in her veins. She had always felt jittery with anticipation before every gig, but this time it was different. This was the first time the band felt truly complete. And it was the first ever gig they would play together.

The roar of the crowd was something she was so excited to hear with her bandmates. Her friends.

🎶

You were unwinding from the electric experience of playing on the stage with a band you could fully call yours. Even though this was the fourth gig in the span of a month, the excitement that you felt whenever you were up there with the three of them didn’t die down.

Tonight’s gig was a little low key, as the band -- Paradise in Purgatory -- had played at Josie’s, as per the owner’s request. This bar was where the three of them first decided to form a band with each other, and Matt and Foggy literally had a shared tab open. They apparently visited frequently enough to have Josie notice them.

Playing with the three of them on the stage was… amazing. It was almost as though you could feel the music circling within you.

Like the god you believed in was in the room with you. And…

Your bandmates were your muses. Or, at least in your eyes, they were blessed by the muses just as you were favored by Apollo himself. Music was a part of all of them, in the same way it was a core part of who you were.

You sipped at one of the non-alcoholic drinks Foggy had ordered for you. You had been using your vocal chords and alcohol was bad for them. You pouted when Foggy glared at your attempts to snatch Matt’s glass.

“Kit-”

“Hello.” A low, feminine voice purred out, cutting you off from your attempt to call Matt. You shifted your attention and saw a woman. Dark hair and dark eyes. A sort of desire that somehow put you on high alert showed in her very posture. “Darling.”

She wasn’t speaking to you, no. Nor was she speaking to Foggy, who was nearer to her, nor was she talking to Karen, who was sitting next to Matt.

Oh no.

Her greeting was targeted to one person, and one person only.

And that person -- with his tinted glasses, and his red tinged hair -- straightened his back and tilted his head at her.

“I’m Elektra.” She said, stepping closer to Matt as she ran a hand down his chest. “And you strike me as an interesting man.”

You shared an uneasy glance with Karen and Foggy as you saw Matt’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed.

You could tell that this Elektra was bad news, but unfortunately, it seemed as though Matt was enamored by her.

#matt murdock x reader #foggy nelson x reader #karen page x reader #mattfoggy x reader #karedevil x reader #daredevil x reader #daredevil imagine #reader insert #x reader #marvel x reader

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mirkwoodshewolf · 1 year ago

Text

A departed farewell; Eddie Munson x reader

*Author's note*

To all out there, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! Okay so this one is kinda heavy but after getting reintroduced to the great film known as The Crow, this little fic was born and I wanted to post it up on Halloween night. But there is also some heavy warnings which I will say below, so to the faint of heart or those at are easily triggered, I won't be hurt if you decide to skip this fic. Have a happy Halloween (and if you don't celebrate it, have a good day/afternoon/evening).

Warnings: Eddie's death scene, drug use (not just weed, I'm talking hardcore drugs shown and mentioned here), depression, angst, some fluff, Vamp Eddie(? You decide), death.

Taglist:

@plethora-of-things

@waddles03

@psychosupernatural

@gay-and-ready-to-cry

@jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels

@queen-paladin

__________________________________________________________

Dustin Henderson and Steve Harrington walked out along the wooded trails all the way to Reefer Rick’s boathouse. In his hands, Dustin held some wild flowers that he had picked before he had Steve drive him up here. They stopped before the boathouse and Dustin placed the wild flowers amongst the pile of already decaying flowers that had been placed there throughout the year.

“I still can’t believe it’s been over a year since it happened.” Dustin said weakly. “He didn’t deserve any of this. And he deserved to have a proper burial. Why did I have to break my damn leg?!”

“You didn’t break it. But you can’t blame yourself for what happened Dustin. You didn’t know Eddie was going to do what he did.”

“I just……I just still can’t believe he’s really gone. He of all people didn’t deserve what he got. I mean the people we lost when all this started, they didn’t get any of the shit that Eddie got. This town—hates him. Still hates him. They really think he did all of this and we can’t change that.”

“It sucks, I’ll admit that. But small minded people can never be changed, no matter how hard we try. At least we know the truth that Eddie Munson went out a hero. A hardcore, metal hero.”

“Have you and Robin tried talking to (Y/n) recently?” asked Dustin.

“Do you really need to ask?”

“Right, dumb question.”

“As her twin brother I know we’re supposed to rag on each other at times, but now I really mean it when I say it. She looks like she’s been through hell, chewed up and then spat back up. She’s not sleeping, she’s barely eating. And what’s worse are the drugs.”

“You mean…..”

“I wish dude, she’s been at the hard stuff. Don’t know where she’s getting it but I’ve seen the syringes and rubber bands. I can’t stand to see her in that much pain. She needs help but everytime I try to talk to her about it she—”

“She was right there with him when he died Steve. Those bats literally held her back just so that she could watch as they devoured him alive. On one hand I don’t blame her for falling like that, hell if I were in her place and I saw Suzie die like that, I’d probably fall that hard too.”

“Don’t you ever say anything like that you little butthead! I don’t ever want you talking about drugs again understand?!”

“On the other hand, she isn’t grieving properly. And that’s on all of us, we were too focused on how we had to move on with the rest of the town after the earthquakes happened that we completely ignored (Y/n)’s feelings. And it’s not just your fault Steve.” Steve shook his head, stroking his fingers through his hair anxiously.

“I’m 12 minutes older than her. I’m her big brother, and—I wasn’t there for her. Not ever since we entered high school. These last couple of years we’ve managed to rebuild our sibling bond but now I……I’m losing her again man.” Tears started to build up in Steve’s eyes. “I can’t….I can’t lose another person.” He thought back on Max and how he had failed to keep her safe.

She was a sarcastic child who suddenly came in when she and Billy came by but after reading her note, she had admitted to him that he was the big brother she had hoped Billy could’ve been for her, and it all happened ever since he stepped forward to keep them safe when Billy came looking for her. Sure he got his ass beat but he was willing to keep himself in the line of Billy’s rage and not let any of the kids get a single punch. Now—now when she needed him most, he failed her.

Dustin looked up to see that Steve had buried his eyes behind his right hand and saw how his shoulders began shaking as he choked on his sobs. Dustin gave Steve a one armed hug.

“We’ll get her back. We’ll get them both back.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I’m not. But it’s all that’s going through my mind. And I’m not gonna rest until we finally find a way to kill Vecna and send that son of a bitch straight to hell.”

“You’re a tough kid Henderson, hell of a lot tougher than me.” Steve ruffled his hair then the two of them left Reefer Rick’s boathouse and drove back to town.

*Halloween 1987*

It was Halloween night and unlike in the years before, Hawkins wasn’t celebrating Halloween this year. There was no yearly town hall Halloween party, no trick-or-treaters going out and about to get candy, not even the high schoolers dared to try and host a party of their own.

At Forest hill trailer park, the crack that had spread from this part of Hawkins had actually driven most of the trailer homeowners to leave Hawkins all together. Most took their RV’s and fled, while others just packed whatever they could and skipped town or ended up homeless and were currently staying at a shelter on the other side of Hawkins.

A hand suddenly shot up from the cracks and began crawling out from the earth. Groaning and grunting in agony as he pulled himself out from the red light of the Upside town glowing from beneath the earth. Once he was free, he lay there on his back exhausted and stared up at the night sky. The stars shining like diamonds high above the abandoned trailer park.

Suddenly the man heard a meow and when he opened his eyes, a long haired black cat stared down at him with piercing green eyes he could make out from the light of the full moon.

“Loki?” the cat let out a purr as his eyes squinted but then he licked the man’s finger before nuzzling into his hand. He lifted his hand and stroked through the cat’s long soft fur and asked. “Wha—what happened here?” suddenly something flashed before his eyes. A flash like seeing the tv suddenly go static after a power outage. He gripped his forehead before he found himself standing up and walking forward.

He stumbled about, falling a couple of times but as his vision kept flashing he kept standing back up and trudged onward. He saw himself standing on top of his trailer, shredding on his guitar. A swarm of bat-like creatures surrounding him and two other people, he then found himself falling down once more but he also saw himself falling, this time off a bike and he had been attacked by one of those bat creatures.

He saw himself stand up wielding a spear as well as a trashcan shield with nails sticking out and he stood up getting into the same position as he saw himself in that vision. He then saw the girl from before coming toward him calling his name.

“EDDIE! EDDIE!!!”

“(Y/n)?! What are you doing here?! You weren’t supposed to come back!”

“I made a promise Mr. Frodo! A promise! Don’t you leave him Samwise Gamgee. And I don’t mean to, I don’t mean to.” She told him. He shook his head and found himself saying as he heard himself in his vision say.

“Into the fires of Mount Doom milady?” She nodded and together the two of them stood as the bats swarmed around them before charging head on, the two of them using their trashcan shields to block off the attacks.

He copied his fighting movements of spear and shield, as he saw the girl, (Y/n) use a bottle of hairspray and with a lighter, she had created her own flamethrower to burn any bats that came near her. He then felt and saw himself being choked by one of the bats and felt himself being pulled to the ground.

His arms and legs were pulled outward and he saw the bats beginning to feast on his flesh. He saw and remembered the pain of their teeth piercing his skin and digging out chunk after chunk of flesh. All the while he could hear (Y/n) screaming out his name as she was forcefully held back by the bats. Their tails wrapped around her arms, legs, neck and stomach, even as she pulled to free herself, they pulled harder until suddenly they dropped dead.

She crawled over to his bleeding body whimpering out his name and picking him up into his lap.

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no baby! Teddy-bear! Don’t you leave me don’t you die like Boromir did!”

“Bad huh?” he choked up. Soon another voice spoke up, this time a younger man’s voice assured him.

“No, no you’re gonna be fine we just need to get you to a hospital okay?”

“Okay.” He choked up. Together (Y/n) and the young man tried to pick him up but the pain in his body was too great as he pleaded.

“I-I-I think I just need a second, I need a second, okay?”

“Okay, okay we—we’ll give it to you.” (Y/n) assured him as she rested his head on her lap, stroking through his hair. He looked up at both (Y/n) and the young man and strained out as blood started coming up his throat.

“I didn’t run away this time right?”

“No. No baby, you-you didn’t run. Though I wish you did. Whatever happened to having no shame in running?” she asked him.

“You both are gonna have to look after those little sheep for me okay?” he told them.

“No! You’re gonna do that yourself!” the young man said but he found himself saying along with his vision.

“No man. Say you’re going to look after them. Say it Henderson.” He saw as the two of them were sobbing over him. (Y/n) took his left hand and raised it up to her face, the blood along his arm seeping into her hands but she didn’t care.

“I’m gonna….I’m gonna look after them.” Henderson choked out. He then found himself looking up at (Y/n), only at her even through his hazy vision as he asked her.

“And you…..fair Ravenna.” She choked out a sob. “Please smile for me…….please.” with as much strength as he could, he managed to move his index finger along her jawline. She kissed the back of his hand and gave a small, sweet smile. “Good…..cause I…..think I’m actually going to graduate. I think it’s my year sweetheart—Hen-Henderson. I think it’s finally my year……” he remembered feeling the blood starting to rise in his throat, preventing him from speaking full sentences but he did manage to make one last statement before he fell silent.

“I love you guys.”

“I love you too.” Henderson wept.

“This belongs to you Eddie Munson, and always will.” He felt her hand cup the side of his face, watched as she leaned forward and felt the soft touch of her lips on his bloody ones. Even with the taste of iron that was now seeping between her lips, she dared not move as she kept the gentle, loving kiss going until she separated from him.

And it was at that moment he had felt himself slip into darkness.

He remembered who he was. He was Eddie Munson, three-time senior of Hawkins High. Dungeon Master of the Hellfire club, and the love of his life was (Y/n) Harrington.

Eddie stood up and walked towards a trailer that had somehow miraculously survived the earthquake. He opened the door and knew that no one was home as the place had been ransacked and just left behind for anyone to have. Loki followed him inside, racing into the bathroom and hopped on top of the sink.

Eddie stared at himself in the mirror as memories of him and (Y/n) together flashed through his mind. Them cuddled on her bed when he’d sneak over to her house. The times they’d both try to cook something only to end up nearly burning the trailer down and his uncle having to stop the flames from spreading cause the two of them would be panicking too much.

Seeing her read all her favorite fantasy books from Tolkien to C.S Lewis and even J.M Barrie’s Peter Pan. Him hovering over her as she would be sitting on a chair while she read and kissing her neck and face, pleading for attention. And even though she tried to fight it, giggles would come out from her lips until she ended up succumbing to his will and they’d end up making out, or even going further beyond that.

The love he felt for (Y/n) both filled him with joy and agony. How could he leave her like that? He knew that she had many people in her life abandon her. Her parents, her friends, even her own twin brother had left her behind. He was all she had and he left her. His anger rose until he snapped and punched the mirror with his bare fist, breaking it in half.

His knuckles bleeding until he saw them heal up in the blink of an eye. He turned to Loki who merely looked at him and slowly blinked before letting out a throaty meow. Eddie dug through the cabinets and drawers of the bathroom until he had found some white base makeup and black lipstick. He dipped his fingers into the white base, rubbed his hands together and covered his face in white makeup.

With the black lipstick he drew down from his eyes what almost resembled tearstains, as well as covered his lips black and even drew a line upward at the corner of his lips. He stripped out of his torn and bloody clothes and managed to find a skin-tight along-sleeved black shirt, a long leather jacket, black pants and some old black boots. He donned on the new look before turning over to Loki who raised a paw at him letting out a small meow.

Eddie rubbed Loki’s head before picking him up and walked out of the bathroom.

“I blame myself for wrecking your home Loki. I’ll bet it hasn’t been easy for god knows how long it’s been. But I’m going to make this right.” Loki meowed and as Eddie sat him down, Loki ran out the trailer and he followed the black cat.

At the Henderson household, Dustin had been pretty much kept under his mom’s tight thumb. He wasn’t allowed anywhere unless it was school and back home. Hell he was lucky if he was able to even get to visit Max once if not twice a week just to see how she’s doing or if anything had changed (even though nothing had. She had been in her coma for over a year now).

As rain now began to pour down heavily on this Halloween night, he looked at his old Ghostbusters proton pack from three years ago and thought back to simpler times. He wished that those days would come back, long before the whole Upside down and he and his friends were the four weirdos who loved to play DnD all day and night at each other’s houses.

He heard a gentle rap at the window and when he turned around he saw Loki sitting right outside his window.

“Loki?” he remembered seeing the long-haired black cat over at Forest hill whenever he’d go to visit Eddie. He opened the window and allowed the drenched cat inside. “I thought you had gotten caught up when the Upside down opened up, guess (Y/n) was right to name you after the Norse god of mischief.” Loki let out a meow. “Oh yeah, think you can let me dry you off?” Loki let out a merp (a mix of a meow and a purr) and Dustin left to get a cat-sized towel that his mom uses on their cat whenever he got out.

When Dustin returned with the towel, he gently dried off Loki then allowed the cat to lick himself clean.

“What are you doing all the way over here anyways?” Loki paused and turned to the corner of Dustin’s room and there he saw a figure hidden within the shadows. Dustin jumped back fearfully and Eddie said.

“You know you gotta learn to shut your windows Dustin Henderson. You never know what freaks lurk in the night.” Dustin narrowed his eyes as he heard the voice.

“I can’t believe it…….Eddie?”

“Nice to see you again butthead.” Dustin took large strides across his room and embraced Eddie, tears falling down his face. Eddie hugged the young boy back and Dustin looked up at him.

“How did—I mean how is…..I saw you die. How are you alive? Does (Y/n) know? When did you get back? How long have you been alive? What happened?”

“Henderson, you’re rambling like a mad man.” Eddie stopped the young boy’s frantic question asking.

“Sorry.” Dustin said meekly.

“I honestly don’t know how it happened. One moment I was dying in (Y/n)’s arms and next thing I know, I’m crawling out of a gateway from hell. I don’t even know if I’m really alive or not.”

“What do you mean?” Eddie walked over to Loki and stroked down his chest before trailing his finger towards his right paw. He knew that Loki once had been attacked by another stray cat and his right paw never fully healed, so now anytime someone goes to touch that paw, he’ll bite since he had been declawed by his previous owners.

After Eddie got a nasty bite and Loki went over to sit on Dustin’s dresser now, his tail twitching.

“Eddie what the hell did…..”

“Just watch.” Eddie showed Dustin how the nasty bite wound now began to close up, just like what happened to his knuckles after he had punched the mirror.

“Holy shit.” Dustin muttered.

“But that’s my least concern right now. I need to ask you some questions. How long has it been since that day?”

“It’s been over a year. It’s 1987 now, Halloween. Of course no one really celebrates that holiday here anymore ever since the gates opened and split Hawkins in four ways.”

“I take it we didn’t kill Vecna?”

“Nancy, Steve and Robin definitely laid one on him. But there wasn’t a body after Nancy gave him one last shot to the chest. Will even says he can still feel him, that he is weak but bidding his time.” Eddie looked down grimly. “We…..also lost Max. I mean we sorta did but she hasn’t woken up yet. And I’m sorry Eddie, I’m really, really sorry. But the town put all of this mess onto you.”

“No surprise there. Last anyone knew of me, I was wanted for Chrissy’s and Patrick’s murders. Once the satanic freak, always the satanic freak.” Eddie plopped down onto Dustin’s bed.

“I’ve tried to get Hooper to work with the government to clear your name but they’re still in the processing phase, which is basically them saying they’ve got too much on their plate right now to deal with this specific request.” Eddie perked his head up. “Oh yeah, apparently Hooper was alive in a Russian gulag and Joyce brought him back along with Murray the conspiracy maniac.”

“All be damned. One of the only cops in this town I actually liked back from the grave. Guess we have that in common.” There was a brief moment of silence before Dustin said.

“Eddie……” Eddie looked up at Dustin and knew what the kid wanted to say.

“There’s nothing you can say Henderson. What happened, happened. Me being associated with you had nothing to do with my death.” He stood up and walked over to Dustin. He placed two firm hands on Dustin’s shoulders, looked him square in the eye and continued, “It was a shitshow there’s no question about it. But the fact that you were the first and only one to truly believe I wouldn’t do this besides (Y/n), I couldn’t ask more of a friend. Hell even a little brother. But don’t go getting a big head about it, okay?” Dustin slightly chuckled as tears fell down his face. He wiped them away and choked out.

“I’ve missed you Eddie.”

“Missed you too yah little shit.” Dustin immediately held onto Eddie as tight as he could. Eddie rested his head on top of Dustin’s as he patted the young man’s back.

“Eddie, there’s something else you should know.” Eddie separated from the hug and Dustin told him, “It’s about (Y/n). She…..she’s really spiraled ever since you—well you know. And I’m scared she’s going down a path she can’t come back from. It’s more than just shutting herself in or not talking to us. Steve told me she’s been getting into drugs. And I don’t mean the light stuff.”

“And what has Steve done?”

“He’s tried everything. And I know he doesn’t want to admit it, but she’s not just hurting him emotionally. I saw the faint scratch marks on his left cheek. I know she’s not doing it on purpose but…..I’m scared we’ll lose her too if she keeps going down this path.”

“I’ll get the info I need from Harrington. But this meeting never happened, understand Henderson?” Dustin nodded.

“Thank you Eddie. Love you man.”

“Love you too butthead.” With a loud boom of thunder and a bright flash of lighting, Dustin found himself once again alone in his room.

Over at the Harrington’s place, Steve was cleaning himself up in the bathroom. Once again he and his twin had their daily screaming match of (Y/n)’s wellbeing, this time she had given him a hard punch to the nose and he had finally managed to get the bleeding to stop.

He walked into the kitchen and got out a beer, needing to take the stress out of him.

“Might wanna take something a bit stronger if you wanna take the edge off after a fight, trust me.” Steve jumped back but saw no one there.

“Who’s there?” Steve called out.

“Surely you know, after all this isn’t the first time I’ve snuck into this house.” Steve’s eyes widened and he immediately raced up the stairs and opened up his sister’s room and saw Eddie stroking his hand along (Y/n)’s acoustic guitar which sat at the corner of her room.

“This-this—that’s not possible. How are you—”

“Henderson asked me the same question.”

“Wait you saw Henderson? I swear if you’re one of Vecna’s tricks I swear to god……”

“One way to prove it’s actually me is that back in 81, I snuck in here to be with your sister after she had failed the SAT’s. Poor thing was so devastated she wouldn’t come to school for nearly a week cause it happened to be the time your parents came for their daily check in and she had a screaming match with your old man. So I came here that night and stayed with her. Then you barged right on in and said to me ‘Get out of my house freak! And don’t show your face around here again!’”

“Jesus Christ…..it really is you.”

“Nice to know when it comes to your sister you’re not that clueless anymore Harrington.” Eddie couldn’t help but mock with a smirk.

“If you’re here to mock me for being a horrible brother I already know that Eddie.”

“No, no I didn’t come here to gloat or to mock. Henderson gave me a brief summary on all that happened, but I want to hear your perspective.” He fully turned towards Steve holding up the locket necklace he had given her for a 16th birthday present their junior year. “What happened to my best girl?” Steve sighed heavily. He sat down on (Y/n)’s bed and confessed.

“(Y/n) was amess. At first it started off with her barely eating, then it was the constant nightmares of seeing you die over and over again. Then I noticed how she’d end up disappearing at night. I didn’t know where she was going until I caught her sneaking back in and her nose was bleeding. But not in the way where she’d been in a fight, and I didn’t want to believe it but I swear I thought I saw some white powder under her nose. Then it was the injections on her arms, I’ve been trying to get her to get some help but she’s lost it Eddie. Your death seemed to really fuck her mind up.”

“Jesus Christ.” Eddie mumbled solemnly.

“Now I don’t blame you, no way in hell am I blaming you. I just….It just pains me to see my twin sister like this. It’s like I’m feeling her pain like some weird twin telepathy if that shit’s even real. But I can’t stand to see her in that much pain, and for her not to know that she still has people here for her. Hell Henderson was there when you died too, and she’s acting like he wasn’t. You don’t think he’s feeling the same pain as she is?”

“She always did tease that we should’ve just grown a pair and shared custody of the twerp.” Eddie softly chuckled.

“She’s always struggled with depression ever since middle school. Our parents chose to ignore it and kept telling her to get over it or smile more. You’re not depressed, you’re just being dramatic. When she met you, that was probably the first time I’ve ever seen her truly happy.” Steve walked over to an old picture of her and Eddie together at the junior prom. “Deep down I guess I also grew jealous of just how happy she was around you, and not me. Now I see that it was because of my selfishness that I drove her away. And even when I got our relationship back to the way it was before, I knew she’d put you over me in a heartbeat.”

“Your wrong.” Steve turned to him.

“What do you mean?”

“You remember how we were on Lover’s lake to find that gate where Patrick was killed?” Steve nodded. “And you remember how you were dragged under the water, and I told you that Wheeler didn’t hesitate to dive in after you?” Steve nodded again. “She wasn’t the first. In fact, the second you went down, your sister dove in straight after you. Even for not being the best swimmer, she dove straight in after you. She does love you Steve. Like you said, twin telepathy is a serious bond. Now old King Steve, he wouldn’t have dared try to help (Y/n) in her grieving stage. But you’re not him anymore, you’re her twin brother Steve Harrington. The one she always believed was still somewhere deep inside of you.”

Steve scoffed but Eddie came up to him and placed a hand over his chest.

“You’re still trying, still fighting for her. But before you can save her, you have to save yourself. Not just for what happened to me, but for all that happened. That includes Mayfield.” Steve’s eyes slightly widened. “I’ve seen how you are with her Harrington. Ever since that mall fire, I’ve seen how you’ve come around to check in on her, how you’ve always tried to be there for her at school, and how you’ve been with her since I found out about this Upside down and Vecna shit. How can you even try to help your sister when you’re clearly not ready to forgive yourself?”

Steve couldn’t believe it but Eddie Munson was actually making sense. Ever since he had been knocked back into reality since all of this began, and ended up forming a bond with the kids who started it all, he’s been trying to be the big brother he naturally was to the kids who began it all. He knew none of the adults (minus Joyce and Hooper) wouldn’t understand and that the kids needed someone to protect them whenever no one was around. So he ended up becoming the ‘babysitter’ as he was deemed at first.

And at first it was an annoying title but now, ever since their first big failure, he began to truly understood why he was called that. He felt a strong need to protect these kids because who else was going to when Joyce had moved, when Nancy decided to try and return to her normal life, who else was there to talk to about all this stuff? Only him.

“She’s been dealing with Daniel Thompson.” Steve told him.

“Daniel. If there’s any drug dealer that should be in jail it’s that prick. At least Rick and I never dealt to pre-teens.” Eddie hissed as he felt his teeth starting to grow a bit sharp before they receded. “Does he still live in Hawkins?”

“After the earthquake he moved over to the next county about 20 minutes’ drive from here. You know what, screw it.” Steve raced over and grabbed his keys as well as his bat with nails. “C’mon.” Eddie followed close behind them and Steve started up his BMW and drove out of his driveway and through the storm to get his sister back by any means necessary.

With Eddie’s abilities, they were able to track down exactly where (Y/n) had gone to see Daniel and to Steve, it looked exactly where a drug dealer would live. A very run down apartment complex in what appeared to be an unsafe part of town. The rain still pouring down as Steve grabbed his bat.

“So what, you gonna come with and we bust his ass open?” Steve asked.

“This isn’t West side story Harrington. Daniel isn’t one to be messed with especially if he’s using with her. You go in there ready to bust his ass in, he’ll have you shot dead before you can even blink.”

“So what’s the plan?”

“Just follow my lead.” They exited the car and crept towards the fire escape on the side of the building. Steve then watched in shock as Eddie leapt up and across the railings of the fire escape with ease.

“That would normally scare the shit out of me but I’ve seen freakier shit than that to be surprised.” He climbed up the fire escape until he stood by Eddie as he looked into a darkened room. He placed his hand along the window and said.

“She’s in there. They’re both high as kites right now.”

“How can you tell?”

“I can smell the burnt spoons and blood inside.”

“Blood? Eddie are you—are you some kind of vampire or something?”

“Or something.” Eddie slowly opened the window and slipped inside like an assassin on a mission.

Once he was inside the room, he saw (Y/n) passed out on the bed while Daniel was up against his headboard staring up into space after getting his high. Eddie scoffed before letting out a low whistle that seemed to stir them both from their high. (Y/n) let out a groan and opened her eyes slowly raising her head while Daniel looked on ahead.

“What the…..fuck?” As Eddie continued to whistle, he noticed a lightbulb just hanging above him and trailed his head around it like a dazed man. He then once again felt his canine teeth grow into fangs as a sudden primal instinct came over him. He slowly walked towards them then once he got to the bed, he let out a leopard-like roar, baring his fangs which scared Daniel but startled (Y/n). “JESUS CHRIST MAN!! You nearly gave me a fucking heart attack!”

“Are his…..eyes glowing red? Damn his costume is like…..all in.” (Y/n)’s tone was slurred. Eddie couldn’t believe that this was the woman he had fallen in love with. She had fallen so far and so fast ever since his death, but he was going to make it right. But first he had to get her away from Daniel for good.

“Just the morphine yah dumb bitch. This is just some….freak looking for some kicks.” It was then Daniel withdrew his gun out from under his pillow. “Time for you to get out of here psycho. I ain’t got no more stuff, me and the girlie here used it all up.” Eddie withdrew his fangs and his glowing red eyes turned back to his normal dark brown as he pulled up a chair and sat down. He pressed his palm against the barrel of the gun and dared him.

“Take your shot Thompson. You got me dead flank.”

“You are seriously fucked up.” Daniel said. (Y/n) laughed in her high as Daniel continued, “Like you really need psycho-therapy help you sick fuck.” It was then Daniel pulled the trigger making Eddie jump back holding his hand in pain.

Daniel stood up and cheered in his victory on a bullseye but after his brief cries of pain, Eddie soon began laughing as he showed them both his hand and he then let out a cheer as the bullet hole healed instantly. Daniel’s joy soon turned to panic and fear as he muttered.

“Jesus Christ.”

“Jesus Christ. Stop me if you’ve heard this before; Jesus Christ walks into a hotel.” Daniel shot Eddie in the shoulder which made him lurch backward a bit but he recovered and started walking towards him, continuing with the taunting joke, “He hands the innkeeper three nails and asks,” another shot rang out this time to Eddie’s stomach.

(Y/n) got out from the bed staring at the figure in fear. At the second gunshot she ended up tripping over the bed sheets trying to get away but for some reason she couldn’t help but stare at the figure before Daniel.

“Don’t you ever fucking die!?” Daniel demanded.

“Can you put me up for the night?” in a flash, Eddie had forced Daniel to point the gun down at his own leg, the gun went off firing straight through Daniel’s femur, blood splattering everywhere. Daniel cried out in agony, clenching his bleeding thigh between his hands. “Hurts doesn’t it? When someone takes advantage of your weakness? Imagine what she’s gone through before you coaxed her into your web. In fact I’ll let you feel it.”

Eddie extended his hand and placed it over Daniel’s eyes and with a deep growl, Eddie allowed Daniel to feel every ounce of pain both he and (Y/n) felt on that day. Daniel let out a scream before he fell still and stiff as a board.

Once Daniel was taken care of, Eddie heard the bathroom door shut. He dropped the gun and slowly walked toward the bathroom. He opened it and saw as (Y/n) was waving her arms back and forth meekly holding what appeared to be an old razor. Her screams of fear piercing the bathroom echoing as she pleaded for her life.

“STAY AWAY FROM ME!! STAY AWAY!!” Eddie grabbed both her wrists and got the razor out of her hands. He pressed her back against his chest as he dragged her towards the mirror, her wailing making his heart ache but he had to fix this. He had her stand before the mirror, one hand holding out her arm that had been filled with old and new puncture wounds, while his other hand held her across her forehead.

“You once said; What is grief if not love persevering? It is okay to cry and mourn for those we lost,” she then saw as the veins in her arm suddenly began to move and she felt the morphine slip down her arm. “Drugs however is not the way to grieve.” (Y/n) soon felt her mind starting to clear up and when she turned to the man, she swore she was seeing Eddie looking at her. He cupped her face between his hands and he said to her, “your brother is outside willing and ready to help you.”

(Y/n)’s lip trembled as tears poured down her face and she fell to her knees as she wept hysterically.

“Harrington!” Eddie called out and soon enough Steve came in and immediately he knelt down beside (Y/n) and held her in his arms. Even as she felt him drenched from the rain, (Y/n) gripped onto her twin brother as tightly as she could all the while weeping out Eddie’s name. As Steve rocked his little sister back and forth, he looked up at Eddie in sorrow but also gratitude while Eddie looked down at the sibling solemnly.

Eventually (Y/n) passed out from her hysterical sobbing.

Steve had taken his sister to the hospital to help get whatever else could’ve been in her system and she ended up sleeping all throughout the night, all throughout the rest of the next day up until it was nearly sunset. She stirred away to hear machines beeping and the sound of voices speaking over intercoms.

She looked over and saw Steve along with Dustin talking with one another in a hushed manner. When Steve noticed (Y/n) waking up, he came over to her saying.

“Sleeping beauty awakes. You okay?”

“A bit.” She said groggily. “Where am I?”

“You’re in the hospital. Had to bring you here to get all that crap out of your body.” (Y/n) leaned up against her pillow shamefully.

“I am so, so sorry Steve. I am so sorry and ashamed of what I did. I know it doesn’t excuse me for my behavior, and I don’t expect you to forgive me. But I…..” Steve stopped her heartbroken confession by hugging his sister as tightly as he could. “How can you forgive me so easily? I thought you’d never wanted to speak to me again?”

“I was never angry with you for turning to the drugs. I was upset because I was afraid you were losing your way.”

“I did lose my way Steve.”

“But you found it again. And I swear, I’m gonna be there for you every step of the way. No matter what it takes to help you get back on your feet.” The Harrington siblings smiled at each other softly as they embraced one another as (Y/n) said.

“Thank you Steve. You really are the best big brother.” After a few visits from the kids, as well as the older members of Hellfire, (Y/n) would soon be on her way to recovery. After speaking with her doctor, he prescribed that she would need to go up to Indianapolis to their rehab center where she would get the coaching and help that I needed.

She and Steve signed a few forms and it was settled that after a couple of more days here for observation, she would take the first bus up to the capital for her rehab treatment.

Later that night as the hospital had closed down their offices to visitors and the night shift staff were doing their rounds. (Y/n) lay there on her bed watching the Golden girls on the tv. She was just about to fall asleep when she felt a cold brush of wind blow across her cheek, she turned and there she saw Eddie’s silhouette appearing from her window until he finally made himself known to her.

“Hello milady.” He greeted her with a warm smile and a gentleman’s bow.

“Eddie?” she softly whispered as her heart meter began to spike. Eddie raised a finger to his lips softly shushing her as he walked up to her.

“Guess when you say your heartbeats faster everytime I’m in the room, you’re not lying. But it’s best we don’t alert the staff about my presence sweetheart.” He stood at the foot of her bed.

“Is it…..is it really you? Were you there that night? Or am I going crazy again from the drugs?”

“It’s not the after effects of the drugs, nor is this a trick from Vecna. I am here sweetheart.”

“I…….” (Y/n) was speechless. “I’ve thought over a million, trillion things to say when I’d—” her breathing was shaky as she gasped softly, “How?”

“I had a mission to help three grieving souls who needed my words of wisdom. And you were the last one that needed saving.”

“So you’re…..you’re leaving again?” she asked sadly.

“Sweetheart I’ve heard and now seen just how my death has affected you. But there’s something you must understand. The Eddie Munson you once knew and loved has become someone entirely new. And I can’t let him near you until I’ve figured him out for myself.”

“But I…..I just got you back. Eddie I…..I see it happen every night when I sleep, and everytime when thunder rumbles, I’m back down there with you. Seeing those things rip you apart, not able to free myself or save you. Why must you leave me again?”

Eddie walked closer to her and hovered his upperbody over hers. He leaned towards her left ear and whispered to her.

“This belongs to you, and always will.” He came back up, cupped the left side of her face. His dark brown eyes staring down at hers as he leaned in closer to her face and captured her lips with his in a soft, hidden kiss. (Y/n) raised her hand up and stroked along Eddie’s face with the back of her hand and buried her hand underneath his curls.

As the clock by her bed chimed midnight, Eddie separated from the kiss and took her hand into his.

“Where can I find you again?”

“You know that place between sleep and awake? That place where you still remember dreaming?” he asked her. She softly nodded, “That’s where I will always love you. That’s where I’ll be waiting.” He told her in a soft, loving manner. His eyes soon glowed red as he told her, “Sleep now meleth nin, sleep.” A feeling of exhaustion came over her as she soon fell asleep. “Sleep until dawn.”

Eddie placed into her hands her necklace he had taken from her room and rested her hands over her chest. He gave her one last look, almost as if he were taking a mental picture to keep forever in his mind before he forced himself away from her bedside and with the last chime of the clock, and a wave of the curtain, Eddie Munson disappeared from the hospital.

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rainisawriter · 1 year ago

Text

The Sun & Moon – Bernie (PSF #6)

Ficography

Genre: Fluff, angst, halloween

Prompt: Corn Maze (@flufftober)

Word Count: 6,105

Pairing: Reader x Bernie

World: High&Low

Warning: Spider warning ⚠️ for my arachnophobic brothers and sisters.

A/N: This fic started my “hopelessly in love with Ice” phase *sobs

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

“Babe!” Bernie threw his arms around you from behind, a bright grin on his face. “Guess what.”

You hummed, leaning into his hold. “Do you actually want me to guess or is it rhetorical?”

“Guess.”

You tapped your chin in thought. “You finally decided that it’s time to get a pet cat.”

He groaned at the guess, pulling away with a pout. “Not even close.”

The subject of getting a cat had come up on more than a few occasions. You absolutely adored cats and wanted one desperately. Your boyfriend was a bit harder to convince than you had originally anticipated.

It’s not that Bernie didn’t like cats, he just didn’t trust them around his things. Every time he considered getting a cat, he would picture his designer clothes covered in fur or his albums being destroyed. He had worked hard to earn the things he had and he would be damned before he let an animal ruin them.

You chuckled, leaning back against the counter. “Tell me.”

“A celebrity hired the Mighty Warriors to perform at his Halloween party!” He grinned, excitement dancing in his eyes. “We got to see the mansion before taking the job and it’s huge. He even has a corn maze set up out back.”

“That’s great, Bernie. I’m proud of you,” you offered him a genuine smile, taking his hand in yours. “I hope you have fun.”

“You’re coming with me, idiot~” He sang, bringing you closer so he could give you a peck on the lips.

Your brow furrowed, body tensing. “I really don’t think that’s a good idea…”

“You have to go,” he pleaded. “You’ve never seen us perform before and I even remixed one of your favorite songs for the party.”

“Which one?”

“It’s a secret! You’ll only know if you come with me.”

“Can I have a hint?”

He hummed, a smirk on his lips. “I don’t know. Do you deserve a hint?”

You knew what he wanted and you chuckled, pulling him closer until your lips met his, dancing in a slow, passionate embrace that left you both breathless. “Happy?”

“When I’m with you? Always,” he breathed out, rubbing your side with his thumb. “Fine, I’ll give you a hint. It’s a Bad Omens song.”

Your eyes lit up, excitement filling you. “Really? Ah, but that doesn’t narrow it down at all. They have so many good songs!”

Bernie nodded in agreement, feeling pride settle in his chest when he saw how happy you looked. “You gotta come with me to find out.”

You bit your lip, knowing you were going to regret this. “Okay.”

“Yes!” He threw his arms around you and lifted you up, spinning you in circles until both of you were dizzy. Laughter filled the room as he stumbled into the counter. “I love you so much, baby.”

“I love you, too. More than anything else in this world.” You cupped his face, bringing your lips to his once more.

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

You watched Bernie as he walked up and down the seemingly endless aisles in the Halloween store, muttering under his breath as he searched for the perfect costume. This was going to be your first Halloween together and he wanted it to be perfect. That started with the perfect costume, but he was struggling to choose a good one.

To him, they were either too gaudy or just downright ugly. Most of them were skimpy, too, which he had no intention of wearing or letting you wear. A vampire, perhaps? No, that was far too basic. Pirates, maybe? It was another basic choice, though he was confident he could rock that eyepatch.

Peanut butter and jelly couple costume? Dumb.

Ghostface was cool, but then you wouldn’t be able to see his beautiful face and he couldn’t see yours.

Hogwarts uniforms would look cool, but he knew it was a popular choice.

Could he convince you to go as a Mortal Kombat character? He doubted it since you weren’t fond of fighting games.

He figured he might be able to convince you to go for Apex Legends, but the store had no costumes for the game.

Bernie scowled, removing his hat so he could run a hand through his hair. “Baby, what if we -” he paused when he realized you were no longer following him. “Babe?”

You had wandered off to the opposite end of the store, hands buried in your pockets as you looked at all of the costumes on display. There were hundreds of them lining the walls, from floor to ceiling. Most of them looked pretty cool, though there were a few that were questionable.

You loved SpongeBob as much as the next mostly functioning adult, but an inflatable SpongeBob costume? You couldn’t be paid to wear that. Just the thought of how hot it must be inside that thing made you uncomfortable.

Arms wrapped around your waist from.behind, the scent of your boyfriend’s cologne filling your nose as he rested his chin on your shoulder. “Did you find anything, baby?”

“Nothing that really stands out,” you commented, leaning your head back to get a better look at the costumes at the top of the wall. “You?”

“Nope,” he frowned. “I don’t remember it being this hard to choose a good costume.”

“It’s always been hard for me. Way too many choices.”

“It’s a good and bad thing. I’m determined, though. I’ll stay here for a week if that’s what it takes.”

You laughed at the comment. “I’m pretty sure this store isn’t open 24/7.”

“You’d be surprised what people are willing to become for the right price,” he grinned.

You were about to retort when a costume caught your eye. “Can I suggest one?”

“Of course! You don’t even have to ask.” He released you, giving you an expectant look. “Lay it on me.”

“Would you consider… Harley Quinn and the Joker from Suicide Squad?” You glanced at him hopefully and he frowned.

“Are you sure? Harley’s outfit is pretty revealing…” Bernie didn’t consider him to be a jealous man, but he also didn’t like people staring at you, especially knowing that you didn’t like attention.

“I was thinking I could modify it to be more personal, ya know? I thought I could wear basketball shorts since they’re longer and if I get a bigger sized costume, the shirt will be baggy…” you thought about it for a moment, trying to picture it in your head. “Ah, I guess that would be weird, though… nevermind, we can keep looking.”

Bernie grabbed your wrist when you tried to walk away, tugging you closer. “You’re going to be the most beautiful Harley Quinn in the world. Everyone’s gonna be jealous of your originality.”

You knew he was full of shit but it brought a smile to your face anyway. “Thank you.”

“I’m getting excited,” he grinned. “This is going to be the best Halloween of our lives. I promise.”

“As long as you’re there,” you started, wrapping your arms around his neck. “Nothing else matters.”

He pouted, hands finding their place on your waist. “You always take the cool lines. You’re supposed to share in a relationship, ya know.”

You laughed, patting his cheek. “You can have the next one.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

You were filled with nervousness as you stood outside the large mansion where the party was taking place. Loud music filled the night air, accented by the laughter and cheers of the crowd. There were people everywhere, filling the house and surrounding the underground pool that sat on the right side of the property.

It wasn’t the people that had you on edge, though, it was Bernie’s friends – the Mighty Warriors.

They hated you and rightfully so. To them, you were the enemy because you were part of Sannoh and best friends with Murayama. They didn’t trust you at all and fully believed that you were using Bernie. It didn’t matter that you hadn’t know who we has when you first met. It didn’t matter that you fell in love with him before discovering who he hung out with.

When he was around, the members either completely ignored you or attempted to kill you with kindness that was so fake, it made you feel ill. On the rare occasion when you were left alone with them, they didn’t hold back, cutting into you with insults and threats and dirty looks.

Maybe you should have told your boyfriend this, but you didn’t want to cause problems. They were his family, his best friends, the people that were there for him when no one else was. If you ended up being the reason that he lost them… you wouldn’t be able to live with yourself.

So, you accepted their abuse. You didn’t see them that often so you knew you could handle it. You would be nice to them even when they weren’t nice to you because you were doing it for Bernie.

Taking a deep breath, you headed up the stone path and into the house, squeezing through the throngs of people in search of your boyfriend. You found him in the kitchen, speaking with Pearl as he poured himself a drink. He looked absolutely gorgeous as the Joker and you found yourself staring at his exposed chest for longer than intended.

“Like what you see, baby?” Bernie wiggled his brows at you, a smirk on his lips.

“You look amazing,” you complimented with a smile, well aware of Pearl staring at you.

“You do too~” He pecked your lips. “Want a drink?”

“Maybe later.”

Pearl folded his arms over his chest, looking you up and down. “When did Harley Quinn wear that?”

You shifted uncomfortably, forcing a smile. “I wanted to customize the look. Make it unique, you know?”

“Ah.” His lips pursed, clearly biting back whatever mean comment that lingered on his tongue. “We should get ready, Bernie. We’re performing soon.”

“Right, right.” Bernie pecked your cheek, giving you a loving smile. “Enjoy the party, baby. You better watch us when we take the stage.”

“You know I will. Good luck.”

Pearl rolled his eyes. “We don’t need luck. We have talent.”

Your smile faltered as you nodded. “Yeah… you’re right.”

He scoffed, turning his back to you as he left the kitchen, Bernie close behind.

You made your way outside where the stage had been set up. You hung out near the back, close to the house as you watched your boyfriend get on stage, taking up his place at the DJ booth. Ice, Pearl and Nine walked around the stage, hyping up the crowd before beginning their set.

Bernie searched the crowd for you, a bright smile coming to his lips when his gaze met yours. You smiled back, forming a heart with your hands. He pretended to catch it, pressing it against his chest with a wink that had you giggling.

‘What a dork,’ you thought lovingly. ‘My beautiful little dork.’

Halfway through the set, you felt a looming presence beside you and your body tensed up. Pho was beside you, easily towering over you due to his large size. Although you felt weary around all of the Mighty Warriors crew, Pho and Jesse were especially terrifying to you. They were much crueler than the other members and you knew they had spent time in prison.

You swallowed hard, trying to focus on your boyfriend who always provided you comfort even in the most stressful of situations. He wasn’t looking at you, though, focused on the music he was creating.

“Bernie prepared something for you,” stated Pho, right next to your ear so he could be heard over the music.

You shifted nervously, forcing a smile. “Yeah, he told me. I’m excited to hear the song.”

Pho resisted the urge to roll his eyes, giving you a deadpan look. “He prepared something else for you.”

“Oh? He… didn’t mention that.”

“Supposed to be a surprise. He wanted me to bring you to it.”

“I… shouldn’t we wait for him to finish?” You looked at Bernie nervously, wishing he would look up but he didn’t.

“He wanted you to see it while he’s on stage. Said he would be too embarrassed if he was there.”

That didn’t sound like your boyfriend at all. Bernie was a dork but he was a confident dork. You didn’t even think embarrassed was in his dictionary. Alarm bells were ringing in your head, fear gripping your heart as you scrambled for an excuse to not go with this man.

“I… I don’t…”

His large hand came down on your shoulder, squeezing hard. “We should go before he gets to your song.”

It wasn’t a request, you knew, as he started to steer you back inside. You should have screamed, pushed him away and ran, but you didn’t want to cause a scene. He hadn’t done anything wrong, either, and you knew they would spin it as if you were overreacting.

The Mighty Warriors were nothing if not cunning.

He led you toward the back right of the mansion, stopping in front of a white wooden door at the end of the hall. “Go on. Your surprise is waiting.”

You swallowed hard, lifting a shaking hand to the knob. Goosebumps rose across your skin when your fingers wrapped around the cold metal, but you doubted it was the cause. A feeling of dread had settled in the pit of your stomach, growing with each minute that passed. The door clicked when the knob was fully turned, the hinges creaking as you pushed it open.

It was a clean looking bedroom.

Your brow furrowed in confusion. “What -“

Pho shoved you hard and you stumbled forward, only staying on your feet because you managed to reach the desk opposite the door. You whipped around, heart sinking to your stomach.

Jesse was standing behind the door, a smirk on his lips as he pushed the door closed, flicking the lock. “Hey, there. I was hoping Bernie would bring you.”

You pressed yourself back against the desk as far as you could, fingers gripping the wood. “W-What’s going on? What are you doing?”

“I don’t trust you,” he replied simply, taking slow, small steps toward you. “And I don’t like you.”

“I’m not a spy!” You snapped, hating how your voice shook.

He quirked a brow, head tilred to the side. “I didn’t say you were. Sounds like you have a guilty conscious, hm?”

You sputtered, trying to find the right words to explain yourself. He may not have said it, but the others have multiple times.

“You may have fooled Bernie, but you can’t fool me. I can see right through you.” He pointed a finger at me, dark eyes glinting dangerously despite the playful smirk on his lips. “It’s time I teach you a lesson. Scare you so fucking bad that you won’t ever go back to Sannoh.”

“Don’t do this,” you begged, even though you weren’t sure what he had planned for you.

He hummed, tapping his chin in false thought. “Nah, I think you need this. You’re dumb, but you’re not that dumb. You know that you’re either part of Mighty Warriors or you’re against us. It’s not complicated to understand.”

Your eyes followed him as he slowly made his way to the left side of the room. There was something square sitting atop a large table, covered by a black sheet.

“So tell me. If you truly love Bernie, wouldn’t you leave Sannoh and join the Mighty Warriors?” He quirked a brow at you, fingers curling around the end of the sheet. “If you ask me, it sounds like you have commitment issues.”

“I didn’t ask you,” you spat, the anger swirling with the fear as the two fought for dominance within you. “Our relationship is between him and I. What you think doesn’t mean anything.”

“Wow, you really are dumb. Can’t you see how he’s suffering?”

That caught you off guard. “I – huh?”

He clicked his tongue, giving you a pitying look. “Do you know how many times he’s come to us, scared that you don’t love him simply because you stay with Sannoh? He’s asked you before, hasn’t he? To join us.”

Your lips parted but no sound escaped. Bernie had, in fact, asked you on multiple occasions to join the Mighty Warriors. That had been at the beginning of your relationship, though, and he hadn’t mentioned it since Sword had its big battle against Kuryu.

Had you been causing your boyfriend to question your feelings this whole time? The thought made your heart ache.

“So, for making one of our members suffer, you have to pay. It’s only fair, right?” He paused in thought for a moment. “Of course, if you leave Sannoh now and pledge your loyalty to us, I might reconsider.”

You knew you could never do that. Sannoh was your family just as the Mighty Warriors were Bernie’s. Though not related by blood, Cobra was your brother, the person who had always been there for you no matter what.

Even when he found out about your relationship, he eventually came around and supported you because he knew how much you loved Bernie. As long as you were happy and safe, he could accept it.

You could never turn your back on them. Did that really mean you were betraying your boyfriend?

Jesse clicked his tongue. “How disappointing.”

With a sharp tug, the sheet slid off, falling to the ground in a pool. Your eyes widened as fear gripped your heart. You scrambled back to the other side of the room, trying to get as far away from the table as possible.

Sitting atop the table was a large glass tank, inside which was dozens and dozens of black spiders in varying sizes. You were terrified of spiders, to the point where you could barely look at them without wanting to cry.

“P-Please,” you begged, tears welling up in your eyes as you stared at the chair beside you, unable to even look in that direction.

Jesse snickered at your fear, pulling the lid off the top of the tank. “Last chance~ Are you gonna leave Sannoh?”

“I-I can’t!”

“What a shame.” He gripped both ends of the tank, lifting it up off the table. With a wicked grin, he flung the tank forward without letting it go, sending the spiders flying through the air toward you.

An ear piercing scream ripped from your throat as you dropped to the floor assuming the fetal position with your arms covering your head. Your body trembled, tears flowing down your cheeks. “Please please please,” you sobbed. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry just please take them away! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

Jesse laughed, amused by what he believed to be an overreaction. “Let’s make a deal, then. Break up with Bernie and I’ll let you go.”

You shook your head, fingers curling around the ring hanging from your neck. It had been Bernie’s ring, given to him by his grandmother when he was a small child. He had entrusted it to you, promising to always be with you and love you forever.

His eyes narrowed at you, growing annoyed that you were refusing to break despite the intense fear and stress that you were currently experiencing. He grabbed a large spider off the ground, stepping closer to you. You didn’t realize what he was doing until you felt something crawling across your arm.

You screamed again, flailing your arm wildly to get the creature off of you. Jesse didn’t move in time, your hand hitting him hard across the face. You were so consumed by fear that you didn’t even notice it had happened. You kicked your feet against the ground, trying to press yourself farther into the dresser as the hoard of spiders slowly made their way across the tan carpet toward you.

Jesse’s eyes flashed with anger, nostrils flaring as he grabbed you by the back of your hair, squeezing hard until you cried out in pain. He grabbed the largest spider, bringing it toward your face.

“P-Please, stop!” You sobbed, vision blurred by tears. “P-Please, J-Jesse!”

“Break up with Bernie or you’re gonna be making out with this spider. I hear his venom is quite potent.”

You trembled beneath his grip, squeezing your eyes shut so you couldn’t see the spider getting closer. When you felt the tips of its hairy legs touch your nose, you cried out, “Fine, fine! I’ll break up with Bernie just please, please let me go!”

The door had been flung open as you said this, Bernie standing there in shock. Anger flared through him when he saw the state of you and the words registered in his brain. “What the fuck are you doing?!” He rushed over to you, shoving Jesse away before kneeling in front of you. “Baby, it’s okay. I’m here, I -“

When he tried to wrap his arms around you, you shoved him away, shaking your head.

Hurt flashed through his eyes but he pushed it away, more concerned about calming you down. “It’s okay, you’re safe.”

“No,” you sobbed, hugging yourself tightly as you continued to tremble. “I’ll never… never be s-safe with you.”

“What? That’s not true-“

“I’m s-sorry, I… I can’t d-do this anymore!” You tugged hard on the ring, breaking the chain before shoving it against his chest. Before he could reply, you stood up and ran, jumping over the bed to avoid the disgusting creatures on the floor.

He cried out your name, heart clenching painfully within his chest as he chased after you. “Please, wait!”

You urged your legs to run faster, shoving through the crowd until you broke out into the cool night, nearly knocking over the couple in front of you. The commotion grabbed Ice’s attention and he glanced over, brow furrowed at the state of you.

You looked around frantically, breathing heavily at the attention that was now on you. Bernie screamed your name again, shoving through the crowd that had gathered in front of the door. You cursed, making a split second decision before you took off into the corn maze, your boyfriend hot on your heels. Ice downed the rest of his drink, shoving the cup into Sarah’s hand before taking off after the two of you.

You ran as fast as you could, resisting the urge to look over your shoulder because you were afraid he was right behind you. With your emotions threatening to drown you, you simply couldn’t face him right now. Your heart was aching and the adrenaline from your fear was still pumping through your veins, activating your fight or flight.

Everything felt overwhelming to you and you just wanted to get away, to be alone.

Your foot caught on a root sticking up out of the dirt and you hit the ground hard. This was it, you thought. Bernie was going to catch up to you, to confront you about the breakup and about what Jesse had done. He’d tell you that Jesse had been right all along.

But Bernie didn’t seem to notice you among the thick stalks of corn, rushing past you without stopping as he cried out your name, begging for you to stop. A second pair of boots thudded against the earth but they, too, passed without noticing you.

As soon as you were sure they were gone, you started to sob again, fingers clutching at the dirt beneath you. You didn’t want comfort or pity. You didn’t need to be told that everything would be alright. All you wanted was to cry, to wallow in self-pity until there was nothing left for you to feel.

You stayed there for hours, long after the sounds of the party faded and the sun started to rise. Your phone had been vibrating non stop with calls and texts from Bernie so you had turned it off some time ago.

Your tears had finally stopped, dirt stuck to your face in the tracks they had left behind. You rolled over onto your back, staring up at the morning sky and the group of birds that were flying overhead. You wanted to call Cobra but you didn’t want to turn your phone back on, not wanting to see the flood of notifications that were sure to come.

With a sigh, you slowly pulled yourself up and started to trudge in the direction you had come from. Several people were asleep outside, snoring in lawn chairs or inflatable pool chairs. A large dog lifted its head when you got close, looking at you curiously and you sent it a pleading look not to start barking. You were still embarrassed and emotional and the last thing you needed was everyone to wake up and look at you.

You knew you must be a sore sight.

Thankfully, the dog just lowered its head and returned to its nap, allowing you to escape the property without issue. The problem you now faced was that the mansion was far from Sword district and you didn’t want to turn your phone on to call for a ride.

It was a long walk in an uncomfortable costume, but it seemed like the better alternative at the time so you started walking, head down so you didn’t have to see the judging look of the people you passed by.

It took about twenty minutes before the city came into view, the tall buildings offering you comfort and familiarity. The roar of an engine bounced off of them, sounding angry in the early morning hours. You thought of Cobra and frowned, running a hand through your hair, the wig having been left in the maze.

If he found out what had happened, he would be pissed. You didn’t want to be the reason that Sannoh fought the Warriors again. You didn’t want anyone’s blood on your hands, but there’s no way he wouldn’t know that something had happened.

The apartment you lived in was Bernie’s. His name was on it, he paid for it every month. It was his, you just lived there because he insisted on it despite you telling him that you didn’t want to be a freeloader. You still couldn’t face him which meant you couldn’t go home.

You squatted down with a groan, clutching at your head in frustration. What were you going to do? It was the first time in a long time that you felt as if you had nowhere to go. You felt lost like the first time Cobra had met you.

“Oi.”

“Go away,” you muttered, not interested in fighting with thugs at the moment. The footsteps got closer and a surge of annoyance shot through you. With clenched teeth, you shot up, glaring at the person. “Are you stupid or what? I told you to… piss… off…” your words died when you realized who was standing in front of you.

Ice quirked a brow at you but it was the only emotion he showed as he stared at you.

You swallowed hard, losing all will to fight as you slowly backed away from him. “Please… just leave me alone. I didn’t mean to hit Jesse, it was an accident…”

“He deserved it,” replied Ice, shrugging a shoulder.

You were surprised by the words, having expected him to be angry for attacking one of his men, even if it had been just a single slap.

“Get in,” he ordered, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder. His car sat against the curb, looking seriously out of place among run down buildings and graffiti painted walls.

You wanted desperately to tell him no, but you were tired, both physically and mentally. You didn’t have the energy to fight or run so you accepted your fate, following him to the car. When you opened the passenger door, though, you paused and looked down at yourself. You were still covered in dirt and leaves. The seats were made of expensive looking leather.

He climbed into his seat, sending you a look as he repeated the order, unbothered by this fact. Carefully, you slid into the seat, pulling the door closed. You honestly felt scared to breathe in case you broke or ruined something inside the vehicle. You sure as hell couldn’t pay for it.

You expected him to take you back home or to the club but he didn’t. He pulled up to a penthouse on the opposite side of town, not far from the club they owned.

“Where are we?” you wondered, glancing at him as he got out of the car. You followed hesitantly, glancing around.

“My place,” he replied simply.

“Why, um… why are we here?”

He quirked a brow at you, pressing the call button for the elevator. “You got somewhere else to go?”

A frown tugged at your lips as you shook your head no, gaze falling to the ground. “I can’t face Bernie. I can’t go to Cobra because he’ll get upset. Murayama is still M.I.A… no, I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

Ice hummed. “There’s your answer then.”

You followed him onto the elevator, glancing at him curiously. You still felt cautious because he was the leader of the Mighty Warriors, but he had never been abusive to you like the others had. “Why… are you being nice to me?”

“God, you ask a lot of questions.”

“Sorry…”

“You’re important to Bernie,” he answered honestly, hands in his pockets. “He’s our family and if you’re important to him, then you’re important to us.”

You scoffed at that. “I don’t think the others got that memo…”

“You and me are gonna have a long talk about that.”

“Eh?” You blinked at him in confusion, his dark eyes intense when he looked at you again.

“You’re gonna tell me everything.”

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

Nearly a week had passed since the party and you weren’t feeling much better about the situation. You kept having nightmares about the spiders crawling all over you and you’d wake up screaming. You apologized profusely to Ice for this when he came to check on you but he didn’t seem mad.

He wasn’t the type to comfort someone when they were upset, especially since you were dating someone close to him. He basically just left you to yourself, though he did make the occasional comment about how you couldn’t avoid Bernie forever.

You knew he was right, of course, but you were scared. Of what, you weren’t entirely sure. You just knew that anxiety flooded you every time you reached for your phone, which you still had yet to turn on.

You sighed, resting your head on the kitchen table as you stared at your phone. It sat in front of you, the screen black. How many times had Bernie called you? How many texts were sitting there unread? Was he angry at you for ignoring him?

What if he stopped trying? What if he had decided breaking up was the right choice, after all? Maybe you should have listened when Cobra first told you that the Warriors were trouble.

The front door opened and closed from behind you and you hummed, not lifting up from the table. “You’re back early. You’re out of milk, by the way, and not because I ate all the cocoa puffs. In my defense, I warned you when I saw them.”

You expected a sigh or a smart remark but all you got was silence.

Curious, you slowly sat up, turning in your seat to look at Ice. Only, Ice wasn’t who was standing in front of the door. It was Bernie and he looked terrible. His clothes were wrinkled, his hair a mess and dark bags prominent under his eyes that lacked their usual luster. There was a bruise on his left cheek and his bottom lip was split, but they didn’t look fresh.

You stood up, whispering his name. That seemed to wake him up because he darted across the living room, his body slamming into your own with such force that the table scraped across the floor. His arms were tight around you, face buried in your neck.

“God, I missed you so much,” he whispered against your skin. His voice was so soft, almost as if he were afraid this was a dream and he would wake up if he spoke too loudly.

“Bernie…” you whispered back, clutching onto him as if your life depended on it. Tears filled your eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

He quickly shook his head, pulling back so he could cup your cheeks. “You did nothing wrong, baby. I… I’m sorry for not realizing. I didn’t know… I didn’t think they…” He shook his head again, bringing his forehead to your own. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to cause problems,” you admitted. “I didn’t want you to fight with your family.”

“I would fight the world to protect you.”

“I know. That’s why I couldn’t tell you.” You focused on the hem of his shirt, tugging softly at the fabric. “It wasn’t anything serious, just the occasional rude comment or dirty look. I could handle it, but then Jesse…” you couldn’t suppress a shiver as you thought of the spiders again, crawling toward you, touching your skin.

“Hey,” he called softly, thumbs brushing against your cheeks. “You’re okay. There’s no spiders here. They won’t hurt you.”

You slowly nodded, taking a deep breath to calm yourself down. “I didn’t mean to hit him…”

Bernie scoffed. “You should have hit him harder.”

You gently traced your thumb around the edge of the bruise, a frown tugging at your lips. “I’m guessing you did that for me.”

“I beat his ass,” he scowled, anger flashing through his eyes. “I wanted to kill him for what he did to you.”

“I’m glad you didn’t. I hear maintaining relationships in prison is hard.”

He hummed, leaning toward your lips but not quite touching them. “If I recall correctly, you broke up with me.”

Guilt and pain filled you. “I’m sorry…”

“Be honest with me. Did you only break up with me because Jesse made you? Or do you really not want to be with me?”

The heartbroken look on his face snapped something within you and you closed the distance, claiming his lips. He didn’t hesitate to kiss you back, acting as if he were starving and your lips were the only thing that could feed the hunger. Neither of you pulled away until your lungs were screaming at you.

“I love you so much, Bernie,” you whispered honestly. “I’ve never felt this strongly about anyone before.”

His lips ghosted over yours. “You are the sun in my sky.”

“And you are the moon in mine.”

Bernie smiled, reaching into his pocket to pull out his grandmother’s ring. “Here, this belongs to you.”

Your fingers ghosted over the metal, warm from having been in his pocket. “I promised to never take it off, but I broke that promise.”

“There were extenuating circumstances.” He unclasped the chain, bringing it around your neck before securing it.

You had felt lost without it, honestly, like a piece of you had been missing. With the ring back around your neck, you felt as if that piece had been returned to you. A smile came to your lips as you rested your hand over it.

“Even if the world is against us, I’ll always choose you,” he told you seriously, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “You’re my family, too.”

You threw your arms around him, burying your face in his shoulder to hide the wide grin that overtook your face.

“It’s about damn time.”

Both of you jumped in surprise, whipping around to see Ice standing in front of the door, a smirk on his lips.

You bowed to him, offering a grateful smile. “Thank you for everything.”

“Sure,” he nodded. “Now go back home before you end up seeing me naked again.”

Bernie’s eyes widened, shifting between the two of you. “Naked? Again?!”

Ice just shrugged, falling onto the white sofa. “I’m not used to having house guests.”

You rubbed the back of your head, looking away and feeling embarrassed.

Bernie pouted at you, nudging your shoulder with his. “I’m the only one who you’re supposed to see naked.”

“It wasn’t on purpose,” you laughed, nudging him back before holding out your hand. “Let’s go home?”

His hand slid into your own, fingers intertwining as if they were made for each other. “Yeah, let’s go home, baby.”

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

-> High&Low/Rampage Taglist: @kiraaaeon, @simpforchuchu, @star2fishmeg, @thatpoindexterpixy @manhwabtch

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@meridele473 Bernie! c:

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