#holy shit have i really been working on it this long??? damn

[nishitanis-left-nut]

finished LaD. I think Ichiban fixed something in me.

but first of all- took em long enough to give us a majima crotch shot in this game (what hes saying with no context makes this funnier. you gotta go 100 times WHAT)

positives first (im gonna make a separate post with all the more stinky complaining and nitpicking-)

"Once you're at rock bottom, the only way forward is up."

i feel like this is one of those phrases that gets so overused in media that whenever i see it it just automatically reads as insincere and a lazy way of trying to say something profound, and maybe im biased since i was in a place where i needed to hear it, but this time around it didnt feel like that. might have made me cry even. whos to say. the story is pretty self contained and simple (by yakuza standards) and ichiban is a nice man so it doesnt come across as it talking down to you?? the scene feels very encouraging and the lack of mean spiritedness in how ichiban talks and carries himself is nice??? i still feel like they set some things up and then subsequently did nothing with them but eh. i think most of my complaints about this game actually kinda boil down to how they spent the entirety of it teetering in between making it feel like a "yakuza game" and dealing with the new game mechanics and direction and not really knowing how to do both at the same time. eh.

do NOT separate them

this entire last scene gutted me actually. i noticed it back when saeko cries at the club but damn the crying in this game feels so visceral and real like- theyre full on ugly crying on screen. i tried looking back at other crying scenes in past games and the only ones that look and feel like this are kiryus reaction to rikiya getting shot and the nishiki forest scene in y0 (i know the animation is a product of its time too but also specifically with women, comparing sayama crying over ryuji and saeko crying over the soapland owner its like night and day. sayama looked pretty and her tears were barely there, not a grimace or wrinkle in SIGHT, saeko at least was allowed to look "ugly" when she cried) i dont think this scene wouldve hit me as hard as it did if they hadnt made ichi look as distraught as he does (also the vocal performance cuz holly shit? holy shit.)

i knew i was gonna like ichiban, look at him how can you NOT like him? but even while playing the game i didnt think he'd end up leaving that big of an impression on me. but here we are. we really do need more media that revolve around "Adulthood" and how different people cope with and adapt to it, i wish LaD had spent more time on those aspects of the story honestly since with each game it feels like the crime drama parts of it keep trying to get pushed to the backburner, but they still suffocate everything else- no, positives, positives-

im not someone who plays a lot of games so before i picked up any yakuza game id been feeling like Something Was Missing and that something was a piece of media. and then i played yakuza 0 and it was like oh. i guess i live here now. i really do need to start playing more videogames because i feel like its one of the phew mediums where we still constantly get adult protagonists dealing with Adult Things aside from romantic relationships or work without it also just being a parody or a comedy? and it taking itself seriously??

i keep thinking about yakuza 3 and how the game had you be with kiryu as he lived a normal life for a while, it felt like a resting point in his life because, well, it was. and how in yakuza 5 we got to go to work with him and i feel like stuff like that was missing from this game. every domestic and "normal" thing ichiban goes through in this game happens off screen, and for a game thats got friendship and the power of community at its center that feels kind of weird?

not sure how the rest of the fandom feels about y5 and the whole taxi substory and the parts of it you had to do for the main story but i really liked being able to see kiryu get somewhat comfortable in his new environment and do "normal" things. and, as flawed as it is, theres no debating the importance the quiet parts of yakuza 3 had on him and the games that came after it. if y3 hadnt had kiryu interact with the kids as much as it did, if it hadnt had us see how HAPPY he is living with them in okinawa, y5 and y6 wouldnt have hit as hard as their supposed to

in y5 you can even send money to the kids through atm's for christmas presents, and every time you do kiryu sends money thinking of a specific kid and he goes on a small tangent thinking about the things they like and how old they are and sending money according to what he thinks theyll want/need and its like- these are HIS KIDS. he knows their interests he knows their birthdays and even though hes not supposed to exist to them anymore he still wants them to have a good christmas because thats what children deserve thats what HIS children deserve-

i went- kiryu tangent. but back to ichiban, my point was that even in those games where they have the crime drama at the center and are extremely action packed, they still took the time to have kiryu do normal things so when he gets ripped from that you feel it. ichiban didnt get any of that, the crime drama isnt really as all-encompassing as it is in the other games and the "normal" bits of it you gotta hunt down around the map or be TOLD they happened

this was uh, this was supposed to be the Positive Thoughts post so ill get back to that rq. despite all of my barely disguised animosity towards how they didnt balanced the action and the character progressions i really did enjoy the game. i think. i adore ichiban so that counts right? im still real confused about why they established how he can get blinded with rage really easily but then didnt. do anything with that? in fact they kind of go back on it and just have him POSITIVE THOUGHTS POST GRAAAFKASFMPJJO

live laugh love ichiban, i wish the writers loved you as much as i do. i kept calling him a shonen protagonist in other posts because thats kind of the impression i got from him at the start and ive seen other people describe him like that too, but thats not exactly accurate to how he is as a character. hes a really nice person, a stubborn man thats got an idealistic view of the world and wants to make it better so his life and the people in it can be better. i love you kasuga ichiban and i hope whatever happens to you in infinite wealth isnt that bad cuz itll make me sad

who the FUCK are you nick and who do you work for

[depresseddepot]

this is a very unique fear but I'm worried they're going to take my full time position away and try to make me part time again

[clioerato]

Reverse of this post.

AU Unrealistic 90s, sorry

Eddie is like: "Well, Steve is just a really loyal ally. Really… physically loyal. And caring. I guess that's just the level of friendship a popular dude has." And Steve is genuinely convinced that they've been together for a long time and that Eddie knows.

1986:

They start hanging out. Then they hang out every day. Then they live at Steve's for a week straight.

Steve: “You can leave your stuff here, you know. Closet’s half empty.” Eddie: “Damn, you really are the most considerate straight dude I know.” Steve: “…Huh?”

1986:

They regularly sleep in the same bed. Sometimes they hold hands. Sometimes they kiss. Sometimes they kiss for a long time. Sometimes for a very long time.

Eddie (after kissing): “This is crazy. I mean, I get it, experimenting and all…” Steve: “What?” Eddie: “Nothing. I’m cool. You’re cool. We’re cool.” Steve (искренне): “Yeah. We’re the best couple I know.” Eddie: “…Couple of what, though?” Steve: “What?”

1987:

Steve gives Eddie a silver ring on a leather cord. Eddie wears it, even in the shower.

Eddie: “This is, like, a friendship ring, right?” Steve: “That’s literally a promise ring.” Eddie: “…A promise of what?” Steve: “Of us, Eddie. What the hell else would I mean?” Eddie: “Right. Us. Bros. Tight.”

1987:

Eddie: “You take care of me like we’re married.” Steve (smiling): “We might someday.” Eddie: “We might… legally non-binding kind of way.” Steve: “Eddie. We file taxes together.” Eddie: “You’re just very organized!”

1988:

Robin: “How’s your boyfriend?” Eddie: “Boyfriend? Who?” Robin: “Steve. Your literal partner in life. Your domestic co-op. The man whose shampoo you steal.” Eddie: “Steve’s not my boyfriend. We’re just… you know… post-labels.” Robin: “Eddie. You live together, you kiss. He holds your hand. He told me you're his boyfriend.” Eddie: “…He what?”

1988: Eddie: “Steve. Real question. Are we… dating?” Steve: “You’re joking, right?” Eddie: “Sorry! I didn't mean to! Maybe I misunderstood. I… I'm sorry, did I ruin everything between us?” Steve: “Eddie. We have a dog. We hosted Thanksgiving. We kiss. We have sex. You made me a Mixtape titled ‘songs that remind me of us’.” Eddie: “I thought you just needed a roommate with benefits and deep emotional intimacy?” Steve: “That’s literally a relationship.” Eddie: “…Holy shit. We’re boyfriends?” Steve: “We’ve been boyfriends for years, Munson.” Eddie: “Huh. Go figure. Guess I’m dating King Steve.” Steve: “You’re lucky I love you.”

Now that Eddie’s caught up emotionally, he’s 110% in. Possibly too in.

Eddie: “So... should we elope? Vegas? Matching rings? I’m thinking silver, with little bats engraved—” Steve (choking on his cereal): “Wait. What? Now you want to get married?” Eddie: “Well, yeah! We’re already basically married, babe.” Steve: “Don’t ‘babe’ me while talking about bat rings and eloping.” Eddie (grinning): “Too late, husband.”

*** Eddie: “So I saw this house. Big porch. Weird attic. Ghost potential’s high, but I think we can make it work.” Steve: “...Are you asking if I want to buy a house with you?” Eddie: “Well, yeah. We live together. We share a car. We kiss. A lot. I have a drawer full of your socks. I think it’s time we haunt a place jointly.” Steve: “This is how you propose real estate to me?” Eddie: “You should be grateful. The realtor loved my ‘gothic charm.’” Steve: (sighs) “We’re gonna need a mortgage... and a sage bundle.” Eddie: “You love it.” Steve: “I do.”

Grocery store, middle of the cereal aisle:

Cashier: “You want to sign up for the store discount card?” Eddie: “Yeah—uh, do I have to put my husband’s name too, or just mine?” Steve (pauses, then stares): Cashier: “...Congratulations?” Steve: tearing up immediately, holding a box of Cheerios like it’s a wedding bouquet Eddie (realizing): “Wait, you’re crying??” Steve: “You said—you said husband! In public!” Eddie: “I also said ‘Cheerios,’ are we crying about those too?” Steve: “Shut up.” Eddie (gently): “I meant it.” Steve: “I know. That’s why I’m crying.”

Later that night, in their definitely haunted new house: Eddie (quietly, as they’re brushing their teeth): “You know I really do want to marry you, right?” Steve (mouth full of toothpaste): “Mhm.” Eddie: “Not just for grocery discounts.” Steve (spitting): “I love you.” Eddie: “I love you too, husband.”

[becca-e-barnes]

Some days, nothing will do it for me quite like a filthy little breeding kink piece and you better believe it's one of those days.

I really don't see Bucky as the kind of guy who likes to pull out anyway. There's not much that's as exciting as pressing as deep into you as he can manage right before he finishes, knowing that you can feel him twitching and throbbing, shooting an impressive load right against your cervix. That's where he feels his cum belongs.

There's something about it that feels to fulfilling for him. At that point, it's so much more intimate than it would have been had he pulled out. He almost always has his forehead pressed to yours, putting in the work while he spills inside you, whispering filthy nonsense in your ear, totally aware that his cum will help him slide right into you when you feel like a second round.

But when you both start to play around with a little breeding, he's close to losing it with every thrust.

"You're taking it so well. Fuck, you don't know how perfect you feel." He groans, giving you deep, punishing thrusts. It's very hard not to feel a little obsessed with sex this good; the kind you'll be daydreaming about for the next few weeks.

"Holy shit, I'm so wet." You whine, acutely aware that you've left a wet spot on the sheets beneath you and it's only growing.

"That's how I like you. Wet and messy and ready to be filled up." Bucky's forehead drops to the crook of your neck, desperately trying to draw this out a little bit longer.

"Love feeling your cum drip out of me." You're practically whimpering, clinging to his broad back and shoulders.

"Maybe I won't let it drip out of you tonight. Maybe I'll keep you stuffed full. Anything that spills out of you gets fucked back in with my tongue. Want you feeling sure that I've knocked you up in the morning."

It's not something he's ever said before but damn, he loves what it does to you.

You grip his back harder, arching yourself against him, trying to press him into you.

"Please, oh fuck, please. I want you to give me a baby." You practically sound like you're begging and he loves it.

"Oh God, take it. That's it. Fuck, you're going to look so pretty carrying my baby." He stops thrusting, pleasure making his legs tremble as he spills his seed into you, making sure he's given you everything he has. All of a sudden, it feels like the start of a very long night.

[tiramissyoucake]

HIIII!! i js read ur thing ab the different roles w the variants (the bakery one n the idol one) and they were so good!!

i was wondering if u could write the mohawk (OF) one n the shiesty (streamer) mark ones??

love ur writing <33

Heeey thanks! I had a feeling someone would ask, I'm not rlly proud of Shiesty Mark's part here since I didn't know what to do wit it but I hope ya'll like it.

MINORS + AGELESS BLOGS DNI, this has nsfw on Mohawk's part (shocker!)

CW: masturbation, dildos, nsfw videos

Based on this

Pt. 1 here

Mohawk Invincible:

There always was a certain guilt that gnawed at him whenever he spent money on not safe for work content, though Mark never had an issue shoving aside his conscience, he had an issue shoving aside the discomfort when the content wasn't catered to him enough, did people on OF just forget how to be sexy?

One thing he dislikes for 2 seconds and he scrolls. It turns him off immediately. He spends more time cringing at his phone with his dick in his hand trying to find someone, *anyone* that can scratch that itch just right.

So imagine his pure euphoria when he spots your face, gets through your paywall and sees just how well you cater to him.

God, your angles, the setting and your noises, he has to pace himself and refrain from fisting his cock so quickly and cumming to soon, he wants to savor your videos and pictures.

He has notifications turned on for all your socials, he's the first to pay for your content, the first to comment. Anytime his dick hardens even a little bit he immediately pulls up your page.

Mark sees you take commissions and practically works overtime to make his request happen, a grin tearing through when the payment is accepted and in less than 3 days, a video was already up labelled 'commissions'

This time, he didn't have to get through a paywall because it was sent to him the moment it was finished.

The details were simple: he wanted a personalised boyfriend experience video, you had to use a dildo as a replacement but fuck, you were so good at convincing him it was real when you moaned his name.

He was glad he let you post it, these chumps needed to know who was your best supporter.

"Missed you all day, Mark..." he bit his bottom lip harshly at the whiny tone from the video, watching you fuck yourself to please him gave him such an ego trip. Money well spent.

The way you called out his name repeatedly and so sweetly was enough for him to coat his stomach in white spurts, hissing in pleasure when he realised that he timed his orgasm with yours just right, thank God he tipped you.

. . .

Hearing a cry for help from a desecrated building, a blood-thirsty smile came across Mark's features as he followed the shouts asking for anyone to help. This was his favorite; pose as a helping hero, outstretch a hand to help before killing them shamelessly.

Something about that voice was familiar, like he heard it before. He blamed it on the acoustics of the surrounding rubble and smoke, he found the source, a store toppled over and broken into bits of concrete, he could see a head of hair and one outstretched hand

"Please! Anyone! I'm stuck!!"

"Are you now?" His boots came into your view as you strained to look up, not exactly Invincible himself... "have no fear, citizen." He mocked with a grin, effortlessly removing a large chunk of stone and throwing it God knows where, lifting you out from underneath.

He paused, looking over your physique and expression, the voice was freaky but this was... freakier. Something stirred in him.

"... Oh. Ooooh." He laughed, holding you closely as his eyes raked over you. "Holy shit, you have no idea how long I've been waiting for this."

Perplexed, you tried to separate from him only to be met with an unmoving grip. "You went off the grid in my dimension, y'know? Just. Poof! But damn! No one could really make me cum like you did!" He almost sighed romantically

Your face contorted to a cringe as you tried to shove him away. "What're you talking about?! Let go of me, you pervert!!"

"Oh, you have no clue." He grinned, his hands branching out to grip you wherever, landing on your ass his fingers squeezed and kneaded the flesh as he looked over your shoulder, hissing through his teeth as the memories came flooding back "I could never forget this ass either.."

Your face flushed in embarassment, his grip too tight for you to break free. "Mmh, this is better than that vid I commissioned. I threw so much money at you, baby!" Mark was well aware you didn't know what he was referring to, you weren't the same person but this was definitely the same body. Like you were made from the same mould.

"Let's go somewhere private, I'll show you just how well I know you."

♡

Shiesty Mark:

College was boring, studying was worse. Music did not help him focus and podcasts on topics he cared about just ruined his focus, Mark scoured the Internet for any sources, anything that he could play while absentmindedly focusing.

It was only when he came across a tiktok of yours playing some overly pixilated game that his interest was piqued, nonsensical commentary was everyone's cup of tea nowadays, so, by pure coincidence, he found you were live when he looked for your channel.

You were playing a horror game, Poppy bedtime or whatever, he didn't. The way you reacted to the scares, your cocky attitude when you solved a puzzle, the way you focused on boss fights was charming. It wasn't long before he managed to go through all the slides needed for his quiz and you were still going, vowing to finish the game. A comment wouldn't hurt.

MarkG_: I finished studying for my quiz and ur still playing lol

To his surprise, you noted his comment through the handful of viewers. "You finished studying? Oh, good luck on the quiz! I'm actually happy this chapter is longer, The last one was so short!"

Maybe a few more comments wouldn't hurt, soon enough he was a regular who commented game suggestions or simple friendly jabs, he never really crossed a line with you given you started as a distraction and he insisted you still were.

You played the games he recommended, greeted him when he made his presence known, his heart pounded in his chest every time you did because it meant you were keeping him in mind during these long streams, not those other losers, but him.

Someone did cross a line at some point, a self-proclaimed and entitled 'fan', putting your safety in danger and ultimately causing you to apologise and go offline for a while for your safety. That time was painfully quiet, other streamers were too boring or too loud, he understood your need to put some distance between you and entitled fans but fuck, he was tired of watching old vods.

It didn't really matter, being Invincible soon swallowed up so much of his time he didn't check back to see you when you returned.

. . .

Another pathetic squirming hero, another embarrassing defeat. Mark held the 'hero's wrist with a bored expression behind the loose face covering as he crushed the hero's wrist. "Seriously? You guys are lame, y'know there's like 20 of us?"

He didn't wait for a response as he lifted and launched them into whatever structure was in view, grinning at the impact as the hero crashed through a building and succumbed to the debris. "C'mon! Is nobody in this shithole worth it?!" He almost shrieked, waiting for a beat to see if anyone would try to refute him, the destruction can wait.

A rock flew through the air and decked him in the back of his head, it didn't hurt but it pissed him off, eyebrows furrowing and turning to look.

You stood with an arm outstretched, holding a metal pipe from where he was sure was the destroyed city, you looked terrified. "... this some kinda joke?"

You lifted the pipe, if you'll die you'll go out fighting like hell, no man impersonates your close friend without you beating the shit out of him. "What?! Hotshot alien too scared to take on ONE human?!"

He noted your features, you looked different without a camera at one fixed angle. Realisation came to him, you were that cute streamer he followed back in his world.

"No shit, of course you'd be here." He came closer, asfalt and dirt crunching under his boots as you readjusted your grip. "Back off!"

"Of fucking course, because why not? Let's make it more of a pain in my ass! Give me someone I don't wanna kill in this stupid town!" His rambling unnerved you, but you stood your ground. The moment he lifted a hand to grab you, your arms reacted and swung as hard as you could, the pipe connecting with his head. Nothing.

Mark stayed quiet, the resounding echo of the pipe connecting with his skull disappearing as his hand clutched it and tore it from your hands, bending it in his grip like it was some pretzel and throwing it aside. "Got it outta your system?"

"Fuck you!" You spat out immediately, you were more hostile here, that's for sure.

"Maybe let's get to know each other first." He grinned behind the cloak-like covering. "Don't struggle."

You gasped as he bent down and easily threw you over his shoulder, your fists immediately beating his back. "Let go of me! I'll kill you!" You were so cute.

"Sure, I'd love to see you try to wrestle me down, hun." He chuckled, glancing around the ruined town. "Hold on tight, I fucked this place up too good."

He'll find a little corner to be able to talk to you properly, he hadn't heard your voice in so long, he almost felt guilty taking pleasure in your screaming as you held onto him while he soared through the sky.

"We'll get real close and personal this time, alright?"

[shortbcofkoffee]

Jason making literature references, but it's to my favorite children's book that no one else I've met has read. (13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear)

-

Jason, in Ivy's garden, looking at the really delicious-looking fruits and veggies that aren't even almost in season and are 100% just there to tempt any animal that finds it's way there: Holy shit, Gormet Island...

Jason, picking a peach off a tree: I could die happy here.

-

Toddler!Damian, crying because Jason took a knife out of his hands:

Jason: Oh, don't start, I'm not giving a baby a knife.

Damian: :((

Jason: I'm not a damn Hobgoblin, you're not getting gifts for crying.

Damian: :((((

Jason:...

Jason, handing it back: Christ, fine. But it's not my fault if you stab your eye out.

Damian: :D

-

Jason: Can't trust a thing Tim says. He's like a professional Congladiator.

Dick: A what?

Jason: Don't worry about it. Point is he's a great liar; he'd get crowned Lügenkönig if given the chance.

Dick: Referances don't work if I don't know what you're talking about.

-

Robin!Jason, talking to Bruce about Rena: She's just awesome, B! She's so perfect, sometimes I think this is my seventh life!

Bruce: That's nice, Robin, but please focus of the stakeout.

Jason, sighing: I think one day I'll wake up, and she'll have been a spider witch all along...

Bruce, having long since accepted never understanding half of the things Jason says: Yeah.

-

Jason, watching The Addams Family with his siblings when Cousin Itt comes on screen: Oh, it's Fredda.

Duke: Oh my God, Bluebear?

Jason, eyes wide because no one else in his family has read this book: Yeah! Bluebear!

Damian, who Jason read the book to when he was younger: My God, there's two of them..

-

Jason: Waking up from the pit sucked. It felt like I mistook the tornado warning for a ride and aged 80 years while going inside.

Talia, 90% sure he's still suffering the mental effects of the pit: Yes. Jason, go take care of your little brother.

Jason: Okay :)

-

[peanutheaddd]

gay as fuck to possess another man tbh

in my head uhhhh this probs happens in the climax . altercation riht before god comes down . grinning so dam huge Guys i hate love being neurodivergent . i feel a little crazy umm ill explain under cut

okay basically petey asks if he can possess dm multiple times throughout the story mostly for selfish reasons LOL

if he possesses dm he not only retains his demonic powers but he also becomes immune to any forms of holy resistance. so like holy water crosses whatever none of that shit works on him . so its like a win win . his demonic powers are also enhancing in nature so wahtever strength the vessel has originally is retained . so obviously dms strength is a perk in this aspect . dm is also a super high tier priest so his holy abilities are Very strong . so basically if he ever possesses dm it would make an almost unstoppable creature .

its like this situation of the more valuable a vessel is the harder it is to possess them . bc a vessel is more valuable the holier they are and holiness is directly correlated to level of resistance against temptation LMFAO .

ive alr implied it above but the only reason petey hasnt been able to possess dm so far is bc the vessel has to be willing . and obvs until this point dm has said no without a moment hesitation LMFAOOO bc he knows petey would get up to tomfoolery and bullshit in his body

BUT another issue is that he has no idea when (if ever) he would get his body back . bc petey can stay in his body as long as he wants essentially. the possession ends whenever petey decides to leave . so if he really wanted to he could just Never leave . and then dms soul would probs wither away over time . so theres this baseline lack of trust thats making it so dm is like no way jose . bc if he lets petey possess him then hes yielding almost 100% of his autonomy essentially .

i reckon theres also a cost to the vessel in some way (physical or spiritual cost idk shrug. maybe the soul gets corrupted or smth) which is also part of the reason dm is against getting possessed .

degradation of the soul is one thing i alr mentioned . so like if the possession lasts for long enough the soul gets eradicated entirely . its not a huge issue tho bc the possession has to last for a While for this to actually happen .

in the initial stages of possession its more like a coexistence of the demon and the vessel . so the vessel is still there and can communicate with the demon . in a way? like their conscience is there ?? and then the vessel just goes more and more quiet as time passes and eventually goes dormant . this is diff from total eradication its just a subconscious yielding of autonomy to the demon .

i think possession also creates like a soul bond of sorts so the demon can possess the vessel whenever they want afterwards without needing permission . this is another reason possession doesnt rlly happen bc someone MIGHT be okay with getting possessed once but theyd be scared of regretting it and being unable to stop any subsequent possessions .

this is ALSO ☝️ yaoiful as hell . there was an anon that asked if they ever get into a relationship and ig this is. kind of smth like that. fellas is it gay to form a soul bond with another man 😭😭😭😭

but anyways during the climax altercation i think the main problem boils down to petey is too weak against the angels and dm is too weak against the demons . and hes like Okay i have to lock in. so he tells petey to possess him and peteys like what the fuck no way bro bc at this point in the story petey actually cares about him and he knows that if he possesses him then dms gonna bear the brunt of the cost . possession incidence 😭😭😭😭😭 and dms like IDGAF LIL BRO LP IS IN DANGER and peteys like damn ur right so BOOMMMM possession and thats what the drawing is LOLLLLLL

[itneverendshere]

rafe finding out you’re back to not taking care of yourself, especially when he’s coming back from rehab. you’re going back to full swing less than bare minimum to take care of yourself

thank you for the request!!🩷 hope you enjoy!!

the way you hold me is actually what's holy - r.c

pairing: rafe x pogue!reader (bartender!reader universe)

Rafe had this whole plan in his head.

He was finally back in town after spending the better part of six months at that damn rehab center. Finally clean, head clear, body feeling... normal, or at least as normal as it got after kicking all the shit he put himself through. The whole time he was there, he thought about you. How you visited him every week no matter how exhausted you were from your shifts now that you’d been promoted. How you took extra days off work for him, even when you couldn’t afford to miss them. How you always brought him a home-cooked meal because you knew he hated everything they gave him at that place.

And he promised himself that when he came back, things were gonna change. He was gonna change—for you.

It was all worked out. He’d show up at your sister’s place a day before he was supposed to leave, surprise you, maybe bring some flowers. Then he’d ask you to move in with him. He thought about it day and night. He was tired of that house. Of having his dad constantly hovering over his shoulder, even when he was miles away. He was gonna get a new place, not one of those temporary rentals where he barely unpacked his bags. A real place, a clean slate.

A new start. For the both of you.

But when Monica opened the door, his plans went out the window.

“Rafe?” Her eyes widened for a second before her face broke into the widest smile he’d seen in months. And before he could even get a word out, she threw her arms around him, hugging the living hell out of him like it had been years instead of just months. "Oh my God, you’re back! You look... you look amazing."

The way Monica squeezed him, how genuinely happy she was to see him—it hit him harder than he expected. Rehab was tough. Really tough. And he didn’t expect people to be waiting for him on the other side, not like this.

"I’m back," he muttered, hugging her tightly as he let himself breathe for the first time since stepping out of that damn place. Monica had been there for him too, just like you had. She’d kept you company sometimes when you went on those long drives to visit him. He didn’t deserve people like you two in his life, but he wasn’t going to take it for granted.

Monica pulled back but kept her hands on his shoulders, her eyes sparkling with this genuine pride. "You look healthy. I mean, really healthy. It’s good to see you like this."

Rafe smiled, a little bashful. "Yeah. Feels good to be back. I’ve been, you know, working on shit."

She smiled back, her eyes glinting with emotion. "I’m so proud of you, Rafe."

His throat tightened at that. He wasn’t used to hearing those words, you were the only one constantly reminding him of it. Everyone else said it with some hidden judgment or expectation behind them, like they were waiting for him to screw up again. But Monica meant it. She always did. She was your sister, after all.

“Thanks,” he mumbled, feeling more awkward than he should’ve, but he couldn’t help it. “I’m trying, you know?”

She squeezed his shoulder before stepping back, "You here to see her?"

"Yeah. I, uh... wanted to surprise her.”

The smile on Monica’s face dropped just a little, and Rafe’s stomach sank instantly. He knew that look. It was the same one you got when you didn’t want to tell him something that might hurt him. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked, even though he already had a feeling he wasn’t going to like the answer.

Monica sighed, rubbing a hand over her face before she leaned back against the doorframe, crossing her arms over her chest. "She’s at work right now."

“At this hour? I thought she—”

“She’s been working extra shifts. A lot of them.”

Rafe frowned. You already worked so much as it was. Extra shifts? Why? He thought things had been better for you since he left, that you had more time to focus on yourself, maybe even catch up on the sleep you’d missed while dealing with his mess. “Why? She didn’t tell me she was working more.”

Monica sighed again—something that made Rafe know he wasn’t going to like what he was about to hear, “She didn’t want you to worry. She didn’t want anyone to worry, actually.”

“Monica, what’s going on?” The anxiety clawed at his chest. He hated not knowing. Hated being in the dark, especially when it came to you.

Her eyes softened, and she took a step closer, like she could feel the panic building inside him. “Listen... she’s not taking care of herself. She’s been putting everyone first—Milo, her job, you—but she’s not eating enough, she’s not sleeping enough. She’s been burning herself out.”

Rafe’s heart sank. You hadn’t said a word about it to him. Not during any of his calls or visits. You were always smiling, always saying things were fine. But they weren’t.

He should’ve known. Should’ve seen the signs.

“She didn’t tell me.”

“She didn’t tell anyone. That’s the thing. You know she doesn’t ask for help. She just... takes it all on, even when it’s too much. And with you gone... I think she felt like she had to be strong for you, like she couldn’t let herself fall apart because you were going through so much.”

You had been falling apart, and he didn’t even see it. He’d been so focused on getting himself together that he didn’t notice you slipping. And now he didn’t know how to fix it.

“I should’ve done something.”

“No.” Her voice was firm, and she reached out to touch his arm, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “This isn’t on you. You were getting better, doing what you had to do. She loves you, okay? She wasn’t going to let you worry about her while you were in rehab. She’s always been like this. Always putting herself last. It’s not about you. It’s about her not knowing how to let people take care of her.”

Rafe’s chest tightened, his mind flashing through all the times you’d pushed aside your own needs in the past, all the times you’d taken care of him instead of yourself. He thought that was never going to happen again. He’d been so blind to it, thinking you were the strong one. But you were just as fragile as he was, maybe more, because you didn’t let anyone see it.

"She’s working until midnight tonight. You should go talk to her. But... don’t be mad, okay? She’s doing the best she can."

Rafe nodded, his throat tight. He wasn’t mad. He wasn’t angry at you. He was angry at himself for not seeing it sooner. For letting you drown under the weight of everything while he was too busy figuring out his own shit. “I’ll go see her.”

Your sister gave him a small smile, a little sad but understanding. “She needs you. Just... be there for her, okay? And don’t guilt-trip her about this. She already feels like she’s failing everyone.”

“I won’t,” he promised, even though the guilt was eating him alive inside. He had to be strong for you now, the way you’d been strong for him all this time. He just hoped it wasn’t too late to fix this.

With that, he left, heading to his truck, his mind spinning the whole way to The Country Club. He didn’t know how he was going to make this right, but he knew one thing for sure: he wasn’t going to let you keep doing this. He wasn’t going to let you fall apart, not when he was here now, ready to carry some of the weight for you.

The country club was quieter than usual when he pulled into the parking lot, but the bar inside was still buzzing with its usual evening crowd. He walked in, scanning the room, his eyes instantly finding you behind the bar.

You were moving like a pro, handing off drinks, shaking up cocktails, giving out that charming smile you always had for the customers. But now that he knew what was going on, it was easy to see how tired you looked. The dark circles under your eyes, the way your shoulders slumped just a little between orders. You were running on empty, and it broke his heart.

Before he could even think of what he was going to say to you, your eyes found his across the room. For a second, everything seemed to stop. Your eyes widened in surprise, and your breath hitched, like you couldn’t believe he was actually there. He felt his heart skip a beat, and then—

“Rafe?” you breathed out, your voice soft and disbelieving. Without another thought, you bolted from behind the bar, not even bothering to tell anyone to cover your shift.

He barely had time to react before you practically jumped into his arms, your legs wrapping around his waist as your arms circled his neck. You clung to him like a koala bear, and Rafe caught you, holding you tight against him, his heart racing as he buried his face in your neck.

“Holy shit, you’re really here,” you mumbled into his neck, your voice strained with emotion. You clutched him tighter, like if you let go, he’d disappear. “I thought you weren’t coming back until tomorrow.”

“I wanted to surprise you,” He explained, his voice muffled against your skin, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at his lips, even with all the heavy stuff on his mind. Just having you in his arms again felt like a weight lifting off his chest.

You leaned back just enough to look at him, your eyes shimmering with unshed tears as you cupped his face in your hands. “God, I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too baby.” He pressed his forehead to yours, his hands gripping your waist. “I’m back, okay? I’m here.”

A small laugh bubbled out of you, even though there were tears running down your cheeks now. “I can’t believe I’m crying at work. I never cry at work.”

Rafe grinned, brushing your tears away with his thumb. “I’ll let it slide this time.”

You laughed again, but then you seemed to remember where you were. You glanced over your shoulder at the bar, where a few customers were still waiting for their drinks. “Shit, I— I’m working."

He set you down gently, his hands still resting on your waist as you adjusted your shirt and ran a hand through your hair, clearly flustered but trying to get back into work mode. “I should get back to it.”

“Take a break,” He pleaded, his hand moving to grab yours. “Please.”

You blinked up at him, the tiredness you’d been hiding for months finally showing through. For once, you didn’t argue. You just nodded, squeezing his hand before leading him to quieter corner of the bar where you could talk without interruption. Once you sat down across from him, you took a deep breath, like you already knew something was coming.

“What did Monica say?”

Rafe paused, his fingers absentmindedly drumming on the table as he tried to figure out how to start. “She told me you’ve been overworking yourself. Taking extra shifts, not sleeping, not eating enough.”

You sighed heavily, leaning back in your seat and rubbing a hand over your face. “She wasn’t supposed to tell you.”

“Why didn’t you?” Rafe asked. He wasn’t trying to make you feel bad, but he needed to understand. “You’ve been doing all this, and you didn’t say a word to me.”

You looked down at your hands, your fingers twisting together in your lap. “You were in rehab, baby. You were going through so much, and I didn’t want to add to your stress. I didn’t want you to feel guilty about me.”

“You don’t have to carry everything on your own,” Rafe said softly, his chest tightening. “I know I was a mess before, but I’m better now. I want to be there for you the way you were there for me. The way we used to be before.”

You shook your head, “I just... I didn’t know how to stop. You needed me, Monica needed me... work needed me. And I thought, if I just kept going, I could handle it.”

He reached across the table, grabbing your hands and holding them tight. “You don’t have to do this alone anymore. I’m here now, okay? I’m not going anywhere.”

Tears filled your eyes again, but this time you didn’t try to hide them. You let them fall, your grip tightening on his hands like you were afraid to let go. “I don’t know how to let go again.”

“Let me help,” Rafe whispered, leaning closer. “You’ve always been there for me, and now it’s my turn to take care of you. You don’t have to keep doing this by yourself.”

You nodded slowly, wiping at your tears with a shaky hand. “I just... I didn’t want to be a burden.”

The conversation gave him a sense of Deja Vu. You two had been here before.

“You’re not a burden,” Rafe said firmly, “You’ve never been a burden. You’re everything to me. And I don’t want you burning yourself out like this. Not for me, not for anyone.”

You took a deep, shaky breath, your eyes meeting his again. “I just missed you so much. And I didn’t know how to handle everything without you.”

Rafe’s heart clenched at the honesty in your voice, and he reached out, pulling you into his arms again. “I’m here now. We’ll figure this out together, okay? You don’t have to keep doing this alone.”

You clung to him, your face buried in his chest as you finally let yourself relax in his arms. And he held you determined to make things right. He was going to be there for you, the way you had always been there for him.

It felt so good to be in his arms, to finally let yourself feel vulnerable after holding everything together for so long. You closed your eyes, breathing in his familiar scent. You pulled back slightly to look into his eyes. You could see how much he cared, and it made you feel safe, but also exposed, it’s like you’d momentarily forgotten how good it felt to be so close to him.

As if reading your mind, he brushed a stray tear from your cheek with his thumb, “I don’t want to see you like this anymore,” he said quietly. “You deserve more.” You opened your mouth to retort, but the words stuck in your throat as he continued, “I’ve been thinking a lot about the future while I was gone, and I know things have been tough for both of us, but I want to make them better. I want to be better. I want you to be better.”

“What do you mean?” you asked, your heart pounding as you searched his eyes for answers.

He took a deep breath, his expression serious but tender. “I want you to move in with me.”

All you could do was blink in surprise.

“Rafe...” Move in? After everything? After months of barely surviving and keeping your head above water, now he was asking you to dive into something that felt... big. Scary even. You blinked again, and the look on his face was so serious, like he’d thought about this a hundred times over. Maybe he had. But you hadn’t. You’d been too wrapped up in keeping things from crashing to even imagine a future like that, let alone moving in with him. “Are you serious?” 

Rafe’s thumb brushed over the back of your hand, “Yeah. I’ve thought about it a lot. I don’t want to be apart anymore. I don’t want you running yourself into the ground, and I sure as hell don’t want you dealing with everything alone. I’m here now. I want us to have a fresh start, together.”

Your heart clenched. This was the Rafe you’d always believed in, the one you saw past all the shit he went through. And it was everything you wanted—more than you’d let yourself hope for. But then the doubt crept in. What if it was too much, too soon? What if things went wrong?

You dropped your gaze, focusing on the way your fingers tangled together, trying to calm yourself. “I don’t even know if I’m ready. I mean, everything’s been so... I don’t know, chaotic lately. I can barely keep my own life together.”

He let out a soft sigh, leaning closer. “I get that. I do. But that’s why I’m asking. We don’t have to do it all at once. We can take it slow. I just... I don’t want you to feel like you’re in this alone anymore. I need you with me, and I think you need me too.”

You did need him.

You’d missed him so much it ached, but you were terrified of leaning on him again, of letting yourself fall into something that might not last. But then again, wasn’t that what love was about? Taking chances, even when everything felt uncertain?

You swallowed hard, lifting your eyes to meet his. “Okay. I’ll think about it. But we take it slow, alright? I don’t want to mess this up.”

Rafe smiled, that slow, crooked grin that always made you fall deeper in love. “Slow is good. As long as we’re doing it together.” He tilted his head, watching you closely. He always seemed to know when you were lost in thought. “What’s going on in that head of yours?” His voice was soft, patient, like he wasn’t in a rush for an answer.

You gave a half-smile, shaking your head slightly. “I just... it’s a lot, you know? If I start freaking out, you have to promise not to take it personally.”

He chuckled, the sound so familiar it almost made you cry all over again, “Deal. And if I start freaking out, you’ve gotta do the same.”

You smiled, finally feeling the tightness in your chest ease. Maybe this could work. Maybe the two of you could find your way back to each other. You believed him wholeheartedly. It wasn’t just the words; it was the way he looked at you, like he wasn’t just making promises he couldn’t keep anymore. He was standing in front of you, offering something real, something he was willing to put in the work for.

Rafe’s gaze softened, his lips quirking into a small smile as he cupped your cheek. "I know we say this all the time, but I love you," he said, like it was second nature, like he was reminding you of something you both already knew, something solid and familiar. There wasn’t any grand declaration because it didn’t need to be—it was the quiet kind of love that had been there all along.

You leaned into his touch. “I love you too.” The words came so easily, as natural as breathing, because they were always there, hanging between the two of you, even on the worst days.

His thumb stroked your skin his eyes never leaving yours. "We’ll figure it out," he whispered like he wasn’t just saying it for you, but for himself too. "We always do."

You nodded, the corners of your mouth lifting in a small, tired smile. “Yeah, we do.”

[uhhhj13iguess]

i should've kissed you

kind of a song fic based off of 'i should've kissed you' by one direction lmao, no lyrics though! just heavily inspired from

avenger!peter parker x fem!reader

summary: the five times peter almost kissed you and didn't, and the one time he finally did

UM LMFAO 5.3K WORDS I KNOW THATS RIGHT

masterlist

1

peter fell back harshly onto his bed, a groan escaping his lips. he ran his hands over his face roughly before throwing his hands down to his side in frustration, small punches made at his mattress as he stared up at his ceiling.

he took a few deep breaths, cringing as he replayed the ending of your and peter's date in his mind.

the date had been going perfectly. in fact, peter had yet to be convinced the entire night wasn't a dream as he walked you back through the halls of the avengers tower after your dinner that evening.

everything felt so right, and he knew you felt it too. you were laughing at all of his jokes, small touches on his arm: for once in his life, he was being smooth. and for once in his life, it was actually working.

as you approached your door, you turned to face him, hand reaching out to meet his. he grabbed it with a smile, squeezing it gently and taking a step closer to you.

"i had a really good time tonight, pete. i'm really glad you asked me out." you looked up at him, nothing but love in your eyes. he melted just looking at them.

he smiled softly back at you. "i am too. i'd really love to do it again sometime, (y/n)."

"me too," you spoke in a whisper.

peter reached up to brush hair out of your eyes, tucking it gently behind your ear. you looked at him through your long lashes, a blush apparent across your features. you leaned into his touch and he held his hand there against your cheek, beaming at you. your eyes flickered down to his lips before returning to meet his gaze, lightly chewing on your own lips.

holyshitholyshitholyshit, okay. calm down. this is it. you have the signal, this is going to be awesome, just lean in and --

and he... didn't? wait, why am i not leaning in? kiss her, goddamn it!

peter stood there frozen, a look of awe still adorning his features as he stared at you. you gave him yet another soft smile, reaching up to grab his hand from your cheek. you gave it a quick squeeze before letting it go at his side.

"'night pete. i'll see you tomorrow?"

you reached for your door knob, giving him an eager look with a grin still plastered across your face.

he nodded feverntly, choking out a quiet "y-yeah, of course,"

you nodded and gave him a small wave before disappearing behind your door.

peter remained frozen for a few more seconds, still staring where you no longer stood in front of him. his eyes widened and he let out a shakey breath.

"holy shit, i should've kissed her."

peter let out another groan at the memory, rolling over to bury his head in his pillow.

he had just went on the most perfect date with the woman of his dreams. there's already no way the entire thing wasn't just the most beautiful dream he'd ever had, and there's no WAY he fucked up taking his chance to kiss you. he truly could not believe himself.

peter let out a damn near pathetic whine into his pillow as he replayed the moment for what would come to be many times that night.

2

"i don't know ned, i just... froze!"

"you just froze? are you fucking with me right now?"

peter let a sigh out as he placed his phone on speaker, setting it on his desk so he could finish pulling on his shirt. he wanted to call ned before running out to get coffee with you that next morning, and the more he spoke, the more he regretted it.

"i wish i was. i actually cannot describe to you how much i wish i was."

he heard ned let out another "dude" as he messed with his hair in the mirror.

"she's never going to talk to me again, is she?"

"dude, she's never going to look at you again. i don't know how much more to say you were already punching over your weight here, and somehow still landed the date, and you just fumbled it?? i mean, you went on a date with like, the woman of all women, and you didn't kiss her goodnight?!? i, i can't-"

"ughhh, ned you're not helping!!"

"what do you want me to say, dude? there's no way you fucked up this hard. you have to get in there and kiss her before you don't get the chance to fuck it up again."

peter let out a sigh as he picked up his phone, taking it off speaker and bringing it to his ear.

"do you think she's going to even give me another chance?" he asked solemnly, squeezing his eyes shut tight.

"you really better hope she does."

"fuck."

peter ended the call and grabbed his belongings, shaking off his not-so-helpful call with ned and heading downstairs to meet you out front. he had to admit it, he was relieved to see you still showed up. your patience with him must've been god-given, and he wasn't going to mess this up again.

"hey, you" peter called out to you, earning a smile in his direction as you turned back to see him.

"hey, pete. how'd you sleep?"

"good, you?" he lied through his teeth as if his disastrous decision allowed him one second of rest last night.

but you gave him yet another smile, and his nerves around the whole situation seemed to go away.

"good. ready to go? i'm starting to think if i don't get some caffeine in me soon, you're not going to want that second date." you laughed, beginning to walk down the street as peter joined your side.

"highly doubtful," he said with a nudge at your arm. "so you had a good time? last night, i mean?"

you nodded eagerly, your eyes lighting up as soon as you thought about the date.

"the best."

peter smiled at you, "good."

over the course of the walk over, you picked up normal conversation and peter felt relief wash through his body as he began to realize maybe he didn't blow his chance. he grew more confident, flirting with you and even interlocking your fingers together as he felt your hand brush his.

you blushed like a madman at the action, but gladly accepted as you rounded the corner to the coffee shop you and peter often frequented, even before he had expressed his feelings to you.

peter was feeling good again. he did his best to shake his attempt from last night and just plan for the next one. he got back in his groove, doing everything he could do to woo you. he grabbed the door to the shop for you, paid for your coffee, and pulled your stool out at the counter. he had this.

he picked up a conversation about something sam and bucky had gotten into this week, earning nothing but full belly laughs from you. peter felt on top of the world hearing your laugh, his smile faltering slightly as he watched you bring your coffee to your lips. he took a deep breath, his senses immediately overwhelmed as he saw you repeat the gesture towards him, the two of you silently flickering between eye contact and staring at the other's lips.

he didn't know who moved first, but you both began to lean closer to one another, whispers of your conversation falling on deaf ears as he focused on not missing his shot this time.

okay parker, you've got this. she's right here, all you have to do is just... kiss her. okay? just, for fucks sake just kiss her

you sat inches away from his face, once again staring up at peter through your lashes, batting them softly at him.

signal! that's the signal! peter! lean! in!

and again, he just... didn't?? there's no chance in hell he messed this up a second time. what the fuck is wrong with him.

the vibrations of his phone on the counter startled you both, earning a chuckle from you as he muttered an apology, picking up the phone. his face bright red.

"i, yeah? oh, yeah we can be there shortly. yeah. okay mr. stark, thanks."

he ended the call with a sad smile in your direction.

"tony wants us at the tower for a meeting asap." he let out with a breathy laugh, looking down at his hands.

he expected to look up and see disappointment in your eyes, but he was caught off guard when all he was met with was sincerity. you gave him a smile, grabbing his hand and giving it a small kiss before pulling him from the counter.

"no worries! it's not like we weren't going to get coffee tomorrow again anyways."

peter gave you a thankful smile, sliding out of the cafe with you, hand in hand. you were so quick to jump back to your usual self, carrying on your conversation like nothing happened. peter, however, was still absolutely distraught.

there's no way he fucked this up for a second time.

and there's no way you were as forgiving with him as you were about it. a second time.

jesus christ, he needed to get his shit together.

3

it had been a few days since the coffee shop incident, and since he'd been able to get you alone. he had swung by your room, wondering if you wanted to knock out some training with him. sure, sparring wasn't the most romantic, but he was desperate for any chance that came his way at this point.

this led to the two of you being in your current position, sweaty and out of breath, taking turns swinging at each other. you weren't much of a match against peter, but training seemed like a good enough excuse for you to spend some time with him.

peter let out a grunt as he dodged your right hook, immediately sensing your follow up hit and catching your wrist mid-air.

"that's good! if you're fighting against Dum-E, maybe."

you rolled your eyes at him, a scoff escaping your throat. "yeah, right, didn't he leave you quite the egg on your forehead last week?"

"i couldn't see, tony shut the lights off on me in the lab." peter grumbled, throwing a few punches your way only for you to dodge them with ease.

"stop pulling your punches so much, parker, I'm not fragile."

peter smirked at you, letting out a mumbled "as you wish" before instantly sweeping your feet from under you and pinning you against the mat. your back hit the ground with a thud, earning a heavy whine from you as you closed your eyes.

"oh, is this what you wanted?" peter teased, feeling cocky as he held your arms on either side of your head, his hips holding yours to the mat.

you fluttered your eyes open, a breath hitching in your throat as you realized the position you were in: peter on top of you for the first time ever, nose to nose. both of you were panting, from the exercise or the situation, neither of you knew.

peter felt hot. every part of him felt so hot, and he had to actively will his blood to stay in the upper half of his body ashe hovered over you. he took a moment away from his pride to realize how he had you under him, and his senses were overwhelmed again. his ears felt like they were going to burn off the sides of his head as you looked at him, again using the moment to flicker down to his lips. he licked them subconsciously, earning a barely audible whine from you as he did.

so help me god, if you don't kiss her right now, no spider-man for a week. a week!

but despite him pleading with his body to take action, he just couldn't seem to move and seal the deal. he muttered to himself, begging his body to respond and do something.

come on, come on, come on! why?!

peter barely got to see the smirk flash across your face before you moved, quickly flipping him and switching the position to pin him and take dominance.

he let out a groan as his back hit the mat, a half cough/half laugh escaping his lips.

"fuck, (y/n),"

you gave peter a grin, releasing your grip on his wrists and climbing off of him. you extended your hand outwards, peter reluctantly grabbing it to stand.

"never let your guard down, parker. you'll lose all the control."

he let out a scoff and a "yeah whatever," as he met you face to face again. "i let that happen. so, so you could get the practice, obviously."

you placed a hand on his cheek, giving it a soft pat. "I'm sure you did, bug boy."

peter rolled his eyes, grabbing your wrist and pulling you into him swiftly. you let out a soft gasp, your lips nearly grazing each others once again.

he leaned in so that your foreheads were pressed together, a hand still holding your wrist mid-air. he let out a deep laugh, his hot breath on your lips sending goosebumps across your skin. "funny that you think you're the one in--"

"little spider! lady (y/l/n)! i was hoping for some willing contenders this afternoon!" thor roared as he announced his presence in the gym.

peter let out a heavy sigh, dropping your wrist. "... control,"

you gave him an apologetic smile before greeting thor as he made his way over.

"holy shit, i might have to kill myself over this." peter whispered to himself.

"what was that, pete?"

"i said i think thor's going to kill us."

third time's not the fucking charm, to say the least.

4

yet another few days passed with no success on peter's front, and he was growing more worried with each passing moment that he'd never get to kiss you.

he seriously had no idea what was wrong with him and why he kept freezing, despite everything inside him pleading to just. kiss. you.

you had decided you wanted to plan the second date, finally getting to steal peter away after a week since the last time you'd gone out. on the menu for the evening was an in-house movie night in the lounge, fit with any and every star wars movie for peter to choose from. you'd brought in every pillow and blanket you'd owned, even stealing the ones from steve's bed on your way over. you loaded the couch with the bedding, shooting a text peter's way with instructions to bring drinks and to wear his pajamas. you swapped your phone for the remote, carefully getting the tv loaded as you heard footsteps enter the room.

"shit, pete you were quick, i'm kind of impressed-- oh, hey wanda!" you turned and saw the red-headed woman before you, amazed at the scene laid out in front of her.

"it looks great in here, (y/n). are you going to be watching a movie?"

you gave her a sweet smile. "yeah, peter's on his way down."

"this looks so relaxing, do you mind if vis and i join you? we're quiet movie watchers, i promise!"

you paused for a second, flashing a quick smile to hopefully hide some of your disappointment.

"oh! well, i..."

"hey (y/n), i grabbed you an apple juice, i didn't see grape in there. is this a movie night? I have a sneaking su-- oh! hey wanda, are you joining in too?" peter waltzed into the lounge, freezing when seeing both you and wanda in the designated location of his texts.

wanda looked in your direction, and you couldn't say no to that face (no matter how badly you wanted to right now).

"yeah, that's okay with me. what do you think, pete?"

he nodded quickly, hoping he was following you correctly as he hoped to grasp any context to the situation. "yeah no, i mean that's, of course."

wanda let out a squeal of excitement, rushing out of the room. "i'm going to grab vision, thanks guys! this is going to be awesome!"

you gave peter an apologetic smile as he walked closer to you, handing you the aforementioned drink.

"I didn't know we were already up to double dates." peter gave you a soft smirk.

"i didn't either," you pouted, grabbing a seat on the couch and patting the cushions next to you. "i'm sorry, pete. i'll make it up to you."

peter sat down, giving you a chuckle as he settled into the corner of the couch, grabbing your hands gently. "i'm happy wherever you are."

he was even more happy to discover the viewing of the evening was a star wars movie of his own picking.

the four of them settled in, wanda and vision wasting no time getting comfortable curling into one another. peter noticed this, feeling more at ease in putting his own arm around you. you reciprocated gladly, leaning into his side and swinging your legs over his. peter felt his sense of touch heighten by a thousand, the feeling of you against him pushing him into overdrive.

he took a deep breath to steady himself, wrapping you up tighter and focusing his best on your heartbeat. he'd never held you this close before, and he could swear it was the best thing he'd ever felt.

time passed and you and peter melted into each other, fully engrossed in the movie as you heard a rumble in his stomach. you laughed quietly, lifting your head from his chest.

"hungry, parker?"

he blushed and nodded sheepishly, hearing the giggles of wanda in the background.

"y-yeah, i guess so. i can throw on some popcorn, if you guys want some too?" he looked around the room.

vision shot up, beaming. "ah! i have just learned this recipe, allow me! i will be back momentarily." he voiced before phasing out of the room.

wanda stood up quickly. "last time he made the popcorn, we had to call the fire department. i'll be right back, keep watching!"

she ran out of the room, the frantic nature of the situation making you giggle. peter looked over to you, relief washing over him as he got to have you alone, even if just for a few minutes. that was all he needed.

you looked up to face him, a blush creeping on your cheeks as you noticed how close your faces were.

peter took a deep breath and smiled at you. "are you going to tony's gala on friday?"

you looked back up at him. "yeah, although i don't think i've got a single thing to wear. look at what i'm wearing right now, peter," you gestured downwards. "we're talking about an event that he's invited adele to."

"you're saying these sweats weren't what you had in mind? shit, i'm gonna need to rethink some things." peter made a thinking face and feigned concern.

you both laughed quietly, soaking in the presence of one another. you shiftly slightly in his lap so you could reach your hand to his curls, gently beginning to play with them. "i take that as you plan on going as well?"

he nodded against your hand, taking the other one in his own. he cleared his throat.

"i was... i was actually wondering if, if you wanted to come with me. like, as my... my date?"

your face lit up in an instant and any reservations peter held in his mind were gone. you smiled so wide it became contagious, peter grinning back at you with a shy laugh, no longer able to hold eye contact.

your hand previously in his hair dropped to his chin, earning his gaze once again. "i'd love to, peter. that sounds really fun."

at this point, your fingers were delicate on his chin and ghosting over his features, all attention focused on peter's pink lips.

he took a deep breath, taking in your proximity and touch. he was on fire again.

peter parker, she is literally touching your lips with her fingers! do something! now!

but he just sat there, breathing you in as your hand now confidently rested on his jawbone and your thumb tugged gently at his bottom lip.

but he just sat there, staring at your lips the entire time, not touching them.

"pete?" you asked as you bumped your noses together. he flickered his eyes back up to yours.

"yeah?"

you let out a shakey breath, fluttering your eyes closed. "i... i-"

your eyes shot open and you pulled back sharply. "what's that smell?"

peter let out a whine as he lost your attention, his mouth hung open.

wanda came bursting through the door. "sorry guys! just a mild fire, but we put it out! i hope you like your popcorn a little... uh, charred."

she grimaced as she handed the two of you a bowl, completely unable to read the room.

vision followed in shortly, taking his seat back next to wanda. "my sincerest apologist. all fires have been extinguished and i have alerted mr. stark about the damage to his cabinets. he has a... guy on speed dial now."

you let out a laugh, thanking them for the popcorn and turning back to face the screen, once again snuggling into peter who remained slack-jawed and in disbelief.

i'm dead. i'm dead and i'm in a state of limbo for eternity. what the actual fuck is going on.

the four of you finished the first two star wars movies before calling it quits, you admitting how tired you'd grown over the evening. peter, on the other hand, had been sulking since wanda and vision came back in almost three hours ago now.

his spirits rose slightly, however, as you kissed him on the cheek before you bid goodnight to everyone, sending him one last smile before turning the corner.

ned was NOT going to believe this one.

5

when peter had picked you up friday night and saw you in your gown, he vowed to himself that he wouldn't bother coming home if he didn't kiss you.

you were the most stunning person he'd ever seen, a red dress adorning your body in all the best ways possible.

a red dress. his color. lord. have. mercy.

the night went accordingly, both of you mingling with the rest of the team, exchanging glances at the random a-list celebrities tony had invited for... actually, peter had no idea what the gala was for. he just knew it was an excuse to dance with you, and that was absolutely all he cared about.

as time passed and peter got more one-on-one time with you, he led you to the dance floor, wildly embarrassing himself in front of everyone just to hear your laugh. it was like medicine to him, and it healed things he didn't know were broken.

the upbeat rhythm of the current song slowed, the DJ transitioning the once high-energy music into a ballad. the lights dimmed to accompany the romantic atmosphere. you looked around as everyone paired up, swaying back and forth with their partners. you met peter's gaze, which was filled with anxiety, but he did his best not to show it. he gave you a sweet smile, extending his hand out in the corniest fashion he could think of. all you could do was laugh.

"may i have this dance, m'lady?"

you stifled giggles as you took his hand. "why of course, my good sir."

peter held you close, his hands around your waist as you snaked your arms around his neck respectively. you swayed together as peter held you, staring intently into your eyes. a smile began to curl at the edge of your lips, but you stayed quiet, lost in his gaze. peter took a deep breath.

okay. now or never. you literally cannot possibly fuck this up.

but he did.

parker, why the actual fuck are you not moving right now!!! holy shit kiss her!!!

but he didn't.

and you can see the frustration in his eyes, causing you to tilt your head curiously. the action moved your face slightly closer to peters, and you flickered momentarily down to his lips, desperately trying to make yourself as clear as possible.

but instead of leaning forward with you, peter just looked at your lips with a defeated sight before flashing his gaze elsewhere around the room.

for the first time since peter had tried and failed to kiss you, he saw your smile falter. you pulled away and averted your eyes, suddenly wishing you were anywhere else than where you were. you took a step back, finally locking eyes with peter again.

you gave him a smile, but this time, it didn't meet your eyes.

holy shit, he fucked up big time.

"i'm going to grab some air, pete. just feeling a bit crowded."

you were so gentle about it, but peter knew he'd hurt you this time. he tried to protest, but you moved quickly through the crowd of people, his calls after you being lost in the rest of the noise.

he let out another defeated sigh, his shoulders slumping as he watched you walk out the balcony doors.

"peter!"

he jumped, snapping to his left to see sam and bucky approaching him. he was so not in the mood for whatever teasing was about to happen.

"you've got to be kidding me, kid."

"sam, listen i'm really not-"

bucky cut him off. "what is your problem, dude?"

"what?"

"(y/n) has practically been begging you to make a move all night, are you for fucking real right now?"

at this point, peter's angry. he wasn't sure more with himself or the guys for harassing him on this, but he was starting to get overwhelmed. everything started to grow louder, the lights suddenly brighter than they were before. peter took a deep breath, closing his eyes and trying to stop himself from freaking out.

"i, i-i dont know! i've been trying to kiss her for over a week now, and i just-"

"a week? spidey, just kiss the woman! why are you overthinking this so much?"

"i dont know, okay! i don't know! i just keep freezing! i feel like i'm going fucking insane, literally the only thing i want to do on this planet is kiss her right now, but i just--"

"i think you need to tell her that, not us." sam cut in. bucky followed.

"yeah, i'm pretty sure she feels like you think she's disgusting right now."

a mixture of pain and panic overtook peter's features. "nononono! but i don't think that!

"you sure aren't making much of a case for yourself right now, kid."

peter ran his fingers through his hair anxiously. "i can't, okay! what if i fuck everything up! people who are close to me get hurt, and this is a really big step that means something, and i can't have her getting hurt."

bucky clapped him on the shoulder. "pete, you've always been the closest pair i know, even before you started dating. i don't know how to tell you this, but you might as well also get to kiss her."

sam smacks bucky across the chest, throwing a disapproving look his way. "that's not quite what he--"

"no. he's kind of right. maybe it really is that simple."

both of the guys gave peter an unconvinced look.

"really. i mean, she's already my best friend. she's already one of the closest people to me." peter looked up at bucky. "i mean, might as well get to kiss her too, right?"

bucky smirked at the younger boy, nodding his head slowly. "that's the spirit."

"i don't know if that's the full spir-" sam cut himself off with a sigh. "listen kid, i'm glad you're not freaking out over this anymore, but remember to still-"

"gotta go kiss a girl, thanks guys!" peter yelled as he began to run through the crowd towards to balcony you were on.

sam sighed and gave an unamused look at bucky.

"'might as well kiss her'? that's your chivalry?"

"clearly he knew exactly what i meant."

"don't highroad me right now."

+1

peter nearly burst through the balcony doors, breathless and relieved to see you still out there.

you turned back to look at him, a smile washing over your features as you noticed it was peter out there with you. you were kind as ever, greeting him by name, but there was a sadness lingering in your eyes.

he approached you hastily, immediately reaching out for your hands as soon as he was within reach. you took them gladly, an inquisitive look settling on your face.

"i'm not going to fuck this up again." he panted.

you shot him a look. "what?"

he pulled you in close before his monologue:

"(y/n), i'm so stupid. i should've kissed you. i should've kissed you so many times by now, and i haven't. i havent kissed you yet despite it being literally the only thing i've wanted to do for the past week and a half. and that's so fucking stupid."

he took a step to reposition himself.

"this, i-i mean, you have given me some really big emotions after I've experienced a great deal of loss, and... and i think that's been a little hard to navigate. but i don't want it to be. i really like feeling this way with you. and i really want to kiss you."

you let out a soft chuckle as you shyed away from his forwardness, a blush raging across your cheeks. you felt peter's finger lift your chin to face him, and you met his eyes once more.

"(y/n), i cannot fucking believe that i didn't kiss you.

how... how do you feel about me, now?"

you felt like your heart was going to burst. you felt grateful for all the times he didn't kiss you so that you could be here in this moment, right now.

peter swore he'd never seen you smile bigger than at that moment. before he could even reciprocate, you grabbed him and pulled him in by his tie, finally connecting your lips for the first time. peter melted into you immediately, his hands flying up to hold the sides of your face as though he was afraid to lose you. you snaked your arms around his neck and deepened the kiss, reassuring him you were exactly where you wanted to be.

after what felt like the shortest lifetime, you pulled away in a gasp for air, earning a chuckle from peter. he took a step back, mouth agape as he admired you in your entirety. he gave you a sweet smile before another soft peck on your lips, his contagious smile bleeding into the kiss.

with your foreheads pressed together, peter took a deep breath, a laugh interrupting the exhale. you looked up.

"what?"

"i just can't believe we could've been doing that this whole time."

"i think this one was worth the wait."

[mediocre-writing]

Don't run away from me | Ellie Williams

` synopsis: Y/n is having a breakdown because she's attracted to a girl, Ellie is having a breakdown because she met probably the most beautiful girl in the world.

pairing; Ellie Williams X Fem!Reader | Modern Au!

- Fluff, fluff and little angst (Y/n is having a lot of trouble accepting her sexuality.)

Notes: My first language is not English, sorry for any mistakes, After a long time I finally posted this lol

request taglist in the comments please

—

PROLOGUE | NEXT

"Dina, why do we always have to go to Jesse's coffee shop? I know you really like him, but he's terrible at making coffee." Y/n says trying to warm her hands with the steam from her mouth.

"But he's great at other things." Dina says smiling and opening the door to the establishment.

"Disgusting."

The bell rings, and Y/n sighs as she enters the coffee shop, it was warm, cozy and had an irresistible smell of coffee and cappuccino.

"Look who I came to!" Jesse says, coming out from behind the counter and going straight to hug Dina.

"As if we don't always come for that horrible coffee of yours." Y/n says, putting her hands in her pocket as she watches the two hug.

"Rude." He says, letting go of Dina and going to hug Y/n who pushes him away laughing.

"Shut up and go make our coffees." Jesse rolls his eyes but smiles.

"The usual?" He asks walking backwards.

"You're the best Jesse." Dina says and Y/n scoffs.

"The best? Seriously?"

"Look friend, I think you've been very bitter lately." Dina says hugging Y/n.

"Maybe you're the one who's too soft." She says, taking the card out of her purse.

The cafeteria is not very crowded, but not very empty either, at this time of the morning it is usually busier.

"Here are your orders!" Jesse says placing the two glasses on the counter and taking the card from Y/n's hand.

"Is it decent?" Y/n says laughing and taking the glass.

"Funny, so how are things between you and John?"

"Oh, we don't talk anymore." Jesse looks at her in surprise.

"Really? I thought it would work, you two look so alike." Jesse looks between Y/n and Dina who nods in agreement.

"No... Not really, but thanks for introducing us Jesse." Y/n puts the card in her pants pocket and smiles at Jesse.

Jonh was a great friend of Jesse, he had a great interest in Y/n and so he finally convinced Jesse to introduce the two.

"Sure, well I have to get back to work, see you later?"

"Sure!" Dina responds immediately and Y/n rolls her eyes again.

"Unfortunately."

The two of them found themselves heading towards the cafeteria door.

"Is this like a courtship ?"

"Maybe it is, maybe not" Dina answers and Y/n smiles opening the door, but when the wind hits her glass, she smells a strong smell of cappuccino.

Y/n opens the lid and groans when she sees that Jesse had given her the wrong order.

"See, Dina, you distracted him, the order is wrong." She says, showing the cup to her friend.

"Where is your-" Dina is interrupted by a loud female voice.

"Damn Jesse, that's the third time you've messed up my order this week."

"I think we found where your order is." Dina says with a laugh.

"Your little boyfriend is not normal." Y/n says this going to the girl who is screaming at the counter and Dina follows her.

"Excuse me, I think your order is with me, I haven't even taken it yet so-" Y/n says nudging the redhead who has her back to her, ready to jump over that counter and hit Jesse.

She turns to face Y/n, and her face softens immediately, Y/n who has a friendly smile on her face feels something different in her chest when she sees the girl's face making the smile fall a little.

"Really? Well I... I already drank this, but I'm going to buy you another one." She says with a gentle voice now, and that smile she gave at the end.

holy shit, what the fuck is this?

"No, it's okay, you don't need to-" Y/n says awkwardly and the redhead shakes her head.

"No, I'll buy it, Jesse makes her another coffee." She says, turning to the boy with an angry expression, but turns to Y/n again with a gentle smile. "I'm Ellie."

"Y/n." She answers and Ellie repeats her name softly and Y/n thinks her name has never sounded so beautiful and-

HOLY FUCKING SHIT WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!

Dina coughs and Y/n comes back to reality.

"Oh, this is my friend Dina." Ellie looks at Dina with a friendly smile.

"The reason Jesse won't shut up." This makes Dina's eyes widen with a happy smile on her face.

"What does he say about me? Please-"

"Here's your coffee!" Jesse says quickly making Y/n and Ellie smile and look at each other.

"Thanks for the coffee, but I think it's only fair to buy one for you too, this one must have gotten cold by now." Ellie smiles fondly and takes the cup from Y/n's hand.

Their fingers graze, and Y/n's heart is practically beating out of her mouth.

"No need, maybe next time."

Next time?

The two look at each other for a while, and Dina and Jesse look at each other with a knowing look.

"We should go, it was great meeting you Ellie, thanks again for the coffee." Y/n says looking at her feet feeling her cheeks hot.

"See you around." Ellie looks into Y/n's eyes, and wow

what beautiful eyes.

"Bye Ellie, see you later Jesse!" Dina says smiling and hugging Y/n by the shoulders.

The two leave the coffee shop in silence, and as they walk down the sidewalk, Dina looks at her friend with a mischievous smile.

"What was that?" Dina's voice brings the girl back to reality.

"What?" She asks looking at her friend.

"Were you listening to me? What world were you in?" Dina asks smiling.

In a world with green eyes, red hair, beautiful freckles and-

"No, think about guys Y/n! Guys, guys, guys!"

"I was just thinking."

"Thinking about that girl back there? Ellie isn't it?" This makes Y/n feel her cheeks heat up.

"You're delusional, you know I only like men Dina." Dina looks at her with a frown.

"Really?" Dina asks, not convinced at all.

"Yeah, John and I could have worked out." She says, taking a sip of his coffee.

My God Jesse, learn how to make coffee.

"And what went wrong?"

"He doesn't like Star Wars." This makes Dina stop in the street in disbelief.

"What?" Y/n stops too and sighs.

"He doesn't like Star Wars."

"No way you stopped talking to him because he doesn't like Star Wars, I didn't even know you liked Star Wars." Dina says, approaching her friend.

"Well, now I like it." Y/n says with a shrug and starts walking again.

"You know there's nothing wrong with liking girls, right?"

"No, now that I'm talking to my parents again." Dina looks at her confused.

"Your parents? What the-"

"Dina please." Y/n whimpers and the other girl sighs.

"Okay, but let's talk about this later."

Y/n takes another sip of her coffee and her mind goes back to the girl with green eyes.

What a beautiful smile she had, what did her hair smell like? And her perfume ?

For Y/n! Thinking of men, men, men!

[theunholyvirginemilyprentiss]

In the case of Canon vs. Jemily, I submit to the court:

A GAY JEMILY ESSAY WITH SUPPORTING GIFs BECAUSE I’M UNHINGED —>

Holy SHIT, I did not realise just how SUS early seasons Jemily were?!? When I first watched the show in 2015 I was 12. I didn’t know I was gay yet and wasn’t watching the show through that lens. Rewatching now, the way JJ behaves around Emily and Will and the way she talks about homosexuality is INSANE, especially in episodes 3x16 and 3x17. Take a seat, I’mma break it down.

Will and JJ’s chemistry was pretty… flat. JJ barely seemed interested. Will himself said JJ had “one foot out the door of this relationship.”

Their interactions are SO uncomfortable. JJ refuses to tell her team about their relationship, and I noticed that when they meet again on the case in 3x16, JJ makes a point to look at Emily when she clarifies that their relationship is purely ‘professional.’

I mean come on, Emily seems to find Will more appealing than JJ:

JJ doesn’t even want him to touch her, it actually pisses her off even though, as Will points out, they’re at the crime scene of his murdered friend and he obviously isn’t going to use this moment to make a move.

This case is about gay victims, and JJ seems to relate to it so strongly. What really made me go ‘damn,’ is that right after JJ admits that she wants to break up with Will:

IMMEDIATELY after this conversation, JJ goes inside to talk to Hotch suddenly having an epiphany about the case, SPECIFICALLY how the victims felt. She says to Hotch, while on the verge of tears:

JJ: You said in the profile the UnSub was targeting gay males, possibly due to his struggles with his own sexuality, right?

HOTCH: Right.

JJ: Well, what if the reason Luvet let his guard down is because he could finally… be who he is? No judgements, no fear. *She zones out for a few seconds.* What if the UnSub is seeing a freedom in his victims that… he wishes he had himself?

COME ON. That is an INSANE epiphany to have 2 minutes after practically breaking up with your boyfriend.

But wait, I’m not done. Because we’ve all seen that GIF set a hundred times at the end of this episode where Emily says to JJ “you should go for him,” and then Emily IMMEDIATELY regrets it and walks off:

It’s almost like JJ needed Emily’s permission to be with Will. Like she was subconsciously holding out for Emily and her saying ‘you should go for him’ cemented in her head that her and Emily couldn’t happen. Working a case where the UnSub and the victims were being punished for being gay, it really feels like JJ eventually went with Will because she felt like she was supposed to, not because she was in love with him.

The excuse she gave to Will for why she didn’t want to reveal their relationship felt so weak as well, that ‘if people know then it becomes too real and people get hurt.’ Like, miss girl, that excuse is weaker than a nun’s piss, come on now.

In 3x17 one of the first scenes is in JJ’s office. She has chosen Emily to confide in about a stalking case, coming to her before anyone else on the team—weird, since Emily has only been on the team for a year, and Morgan literally specialises in obsessional crimes. Those two are together the whole episode, but it is the cliffhanger that was crazy.

The episode ends with Emily of course in JJ’s office, making sure she’s okay. JJ watches Emily leave her office sullenly, and then retreives a doctor’s note from her desk once she’s gone. She calls Will, and reveals she’s pregnant. And she does not seem all that happy about it. It gives the impression of this being the final nail in the coffin—she’s stuck in this relationship now, and she knows it. Emily has walked away, and she’s left with Will. I had to cut out a 10 second long longing stare from the GIF below because the file size was too big 💀

Upon rewatching, it really feels like JJ got cornered into this relationship with Will. Rewatch those two episodes and you’ll see what I mean. It’s just… so weird.

The defence rests.

Edit: This is now a series 💀 To keep up with the case of Canon vs. Jemily and view the submitted evidence, please visit my Masterlist.

[lovemepartly]

red or blue? ✩ the salesman

read part 2 here!

warnings: 18+, smut.  

a/n: based off this request! i love writing slightly longer fics like this so if you guys have any other requests please send them :) also, i feel like i could maybe make a part 2 out of this, so lmk if that’s something you guys would be interested in!

˖ . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁₊

you collapsed down on a bench on the train station, exhausted. your classes had been late at night today and with lack of sleep from the previous night, you felt depleted. university had really been kicking you down lately. the classes were hard and it seemed impossible to make friends. not to mention, you were also in extreme debt. you had a part-time job at a bakery, working as many hours as you possibly could, but it would still take you years to pay off your college debt.

the subway was busier than normal - it was rush hour. sounds of the trains whirring by and people rushing around to catch their train were giving you a headache, so you closed your eyes, leaning your head up against the wall. your train would be here soon enough.

you heard the steps of someone walking towards you and heard as the person shuffled to sit beside you on the bench. your head still leaning up against the wall, you didn't bother to open your eyes until the person next to you spoke, "long day?"

you lifted your head from the wall and when you finally met the gaze of the man who had spoken, your mouth lay slightly agape. he was extremely handsome, and a business man of sorts. he wore a perfectly tailored grey suit and was carrying a black briefcase. 

“you have no idea.” you mumbled, sitting up a little straighter. 

“are you in university?” the man asked. when you nodded, he added, “you must be looking for some money to pay off your debt.”

you furrowed your brow slightly, tilting your head to look at him. “how do you know that i have college debt?”

he gave you a crooked smirk and pulled the briefcase into his lap. “most students do, don’t they?”

“i suppose.” you responded.

“would you like to play a game with me?” he asked. 

you began to feel weird about this, unsure what his intentions were, so you just shook your head. “no, thank you.”

the man didn’t say anything, but he clicked open his briefcase and set it down between the two of you. inside, were perfectly folded paper squares and stacks of money. holy shit. that was a lot of money. 

“ddakji,” the man said suddenly, noticing your confused look. “if you win, i’ll give you 100,000 won. you have played ddakji before, haven’t you?”

you nodded. “yeah. wait - so if i just flip over your square, you’ll really give me 100,000 won?”

“yes.”

you squinted your eyes; you couldn’t tell if he was being truthful. with the way he was dressed, so pristinely, you were sure it had to be a scam. “i don’t believe you.” you finally said. 

the man merely smirked, and picked up two squares: one blue and one red. “you’ll find out if you play.”

what did you have to lose? nothing, really. “sure, i’ll play.” you agreed. you reached out to grab a square from the man, but he quickly pulled the folded paper away. 

“there’s one rule i haven’t told you about yet.”

“what’s that?” 

“if i win, you have to pay me 100,000 won.”

you scoffed. what a joke. “yeah, forget it. find someone else to play with.”

“i’ll let you go first, miss. what do you have to lose?”

damn it, it was like this guy could read your thoughts. if you played, you would go first and win - and if you didn’t, you could surely scrape up 100,000 won from somewhere, right? “fine.” 

“red or blue?” he asked, this time holding the squares out to you. 

“red.”

he nodded and handed you the red square, before dropping the blue one on the ground. he stepped back, and gestured for you to throw. 

your eyes narrowed, and reeling your arm, you threw the square down as hard as you could. it landed right on his, but merely made it jump a little. you watched in disappointment as your red square flopped pathetically next to his. shit. you looked up at him, and he only gave you a smirk, before bending down to pick up the blue square. with an effortless but powerful throw, he smacked the blue square onto the ground and you watched in dismay as your red square flipped over. 

you shifted your gaze up to him, and he only gave you a stupid, smug smirk that made you so angry - you wanted to hit him across the face. 

and suddenly reality set in. “wait, do i really owe you 100,000 won?” 

“those were the rules.” his smirk softened slightly but the smug look from his face didn’t disappear as he stepped closer to you, tilting his head, “do you not have the money?”

“i… um,” you fumbled over your words, trying to think of a response. “not now, but i can give it to you on-”

“you can pay with your body.”

your mouth dropped at his words. “excuse me?” 

“you can pay with your body.” he repeated calmly. 

“my body? what do you m-” he cut you off by grabbing your wrist firmly and pulling you into a secluded nook. you were now somewhat out of the public view, but people continued to rush past the two of you. 

“what are you doing?” you asked. he dropped his briefcase on the ground next to you. he had you pushed against the wall, one hand resting on the wall next to you and the other placed firmly on your hip. 

his face was so close to yours, your lips brushing, as he murmured, “you can pay with your body or you’ll owe me money. you don’t want that, do you?”

“n-no.” you stuttered. his tall figure leaned over yours, shielding you from the views of people who rushed past trying to catch their train.

“good.” he whispered in your ear. his hand moved from your waist down to your hip and then to your thigh. you were wearing a skirt, and his fingers lightly brushed over the skin just under your skirt. 

his face was so close to yours, and he was undeniably one of the most handsome men you’d ever seen that, without thinking, you lifted your face to press your lips to his. you could tell the movement caught him off guard, but he reciprocated, his fingers squeezing your thigh. he deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue into your mouth, and when you moaned, he pulled away. “needy, aren’t you?”

his hand made its way higher up your thigh until he found your panties. his fingers trailed over the thin fabric, making you shiver. when you looked up at him, he gave you a crooked smile, before slipping his hand into your underwear. he ran his fingers though your embarrassingly wet folds. without warning, he slipped a finger into you. 

the sensation made you moan and you rolled your head back, leaning up against the wall behind you. his other hand found it’s way to your neck and he grabbed your chin firmly. “quiet. i don’t want anyone to hear you.”

you nodded your best and tried to muffle your moans as his finger kept pumping in and out of you. when he added a second finger, your breath hitched and you reached to grab him by the arm for support. he smirked, knowing you probably couldn’t take much more of this. his fingers curled at just the right angle that you squeezed his arm harder, “oh god, i…” you panted. “i’m gonna…”

at your words, he slowed the pace at which his fingers were moving and suddenly he pulled his hand out of your pants. you could feel your core pulsing, needing more. he brought his fingers to your lips and you parted your mouth, sucking your own juices off his hand. he smirked and drew his hand from your mouth, stroking your hair. “good girl.”

you thought for a second he was going to give you more, to at least let you finish after getting you so worked up, but you could only watch in confusion as he bent down to grab his briefcase. was he really going to leave you like this? he gave you a smug smile before nodding his head in acknowledgment. “i don’t want us to get caught,” he said, and straightened his suit. his hand extended to tuck a piece of hair behind your ear and stroke your cheek. “maybe you can play another game with me some other time, miss.”

and with those final words, he turned and walked away, leaving you breathless and needy in the corner of the subway.

[forzalando]

read to me

short and sweet lando + reading blurb for @coff33andb00ks 😊 i really, really hope you like it, viv! you know my thoughts on it already lol and i'm so sorry it's so short😭 please forgive me!!! summary: you finally have a day together after weeks away from home - lando suggests a day out, but all you want to do is read your new book. pairing: lando x fem!reader word count: 876 words tw: mild cursing

You loved traveling the world with Lando – discovering new favorites in every city, making memories across the globe. But sometimes, you wished that life could move a little slower.

Days like today are ones you cherished with all your heart. Both of you at home in your shared apartment, no plans or work or distractions. You woke up that morning before Lando, quietly slipping out of bed and tip-toeing to the kitchen to make a cup of whatever random tea bag you could find in the cupboard after a triple-header and no groceries.

The clock read 8:11am and you were positive that Lando wouldn’t be up for at least another hour given how exhausting the last few weeks have been. Rather than climb back in bed and potentially disturb him, you flopped onto the couch and weighed your options for entertainment.

Out of the corner of your eye you spotted a book that a friend had recommended to you that you’d ordered and forgotten to pack before leaving for Spain. You settled deeper into the couch, threw a blanket across your lap, and opened the book to the first page, immediately hooked by just the first line.

Enraptured with the words before you, you didn’t realize the time or hear Lando repeatedly calling your name from the bedroom. He trudged out into your living room to investigate and saw you snuggled into the couch, oblivious to all of your surroundings.

“Babe?” He spoke quietly, from directly behind you.

You screamed in shock – the book flying from your hands and landing on the floor with a loud thud.

“Why did you sneak up on me like that?!” You yelled, launching yourself up to grab your book from the floor before any of the pages got crinkled.

“I’ve been calling your name for the past five minutes! How long have you been awake?”

“What time is it?”

“Around 11am– I can’t believe I slept that long.”

Your eyes drifted to your mug, tea long forgotten and no longer steaming.

“Holy shit,” you mumbled. “I’ve been reading for almost 3 hours, I didn’t even realize.” You placed the book on the coffee table next to your mug, attempting to stall your thoughts about the last full chapter you read and turn your attention to Lando as he hopped down on the couch next to you.

“We finally have a whole day to ourselves – what are you in the mood for?” Lando questioned, moving to throw the blanket over himself and lay in between your legs with his head in your lap – his self-proclaimed favorite spot. “We could grab lunch at our favorite place, maybe ice cream after a walk on the beach, go rope some friends into a game of padel, anything you want, love.”

You mulled the options given over in your head while Lando looked up at you expectantly. You tried to think of other options to suggest to convince him you wanted to go out, but in all honesty, nothing sounded more appealing than staying inside, snuggling with your boyfriend, and finishing that damned book.

Your fingers carded through his curls, pretending to think long and hard about what activity you’d tackle together. Lando, always attuned to your emotions, noticed your hesitation and the quick glance you gave the coffee table.

“What if we stayed home, actually?” He offered, watching your eyes light up and a small smile grace your cheeks.

“Are you sure? We’ve barely done anything the past three weeks, if you want to go out, I’ll get ready!”

The feeling of your hands massaging his hair, your midsection providing the perfect pillow, and the giddy look on your face at the thought of more reading made answering you the easiest thing in the world.

“I’m so sure. All that matters to me is that I’m spending the day with you, and besides, I could do with a few hours of relaxation.”

You leaned down and kissed him softly in thanks – a contended sigh escaping his mouth when you then turned to kiss his cheek before returning to sitting upright.

“Will you read to me?” Lando murmured. “You know how much I love the sound of your voice.”

You smiled and bent over gently to grab your book, turning back to page one because how could you subject Lando to starting in the middle?

Within ten minutes, soft snores echoed throughout the room and Lando had wound his arms around your waist, nuzzling his cheek against your stomach. You smiled down at your overgrown cat of a boyfriend, gently tossing your book back over to the table so you’d have free hands.

One in his soft curls and the other resting between his shoulder blades. Nothing meant more to you than these moments – being close to him, complete relaxation, seeking comfort in one another.

You were content to sit and stare down at him for as long as he remained asleep. The straight slope of his nose, long lashes brushing against his cheekbones, how his lips parted slightly. Despite all the places you’d been, monuments and cities you’d seen, there wasn’t a sight more lovely than Lando Norris.

Reading would simply have to wait when your eyes could instead gaze upon someone so beautiful.  

-----------

taglist: @scuderiahoney @lam-ila @anaviieiraaa @nebarious @chocolatepoetryfun @maxlarens @coff33andb00ks @katsu28 @sof1shticated @viikysmile @scuderiarossa @littlegrapejuice @alexxavicry @priopp123 @wobblymug @ctrlyomomma

if you would like to be added to my taglist, please refer to this post!

[thehoneybeestings]

𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐮 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧

𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫!𝐯𝐢 𝐱 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Word Count: 2k

Content/Warnings: sfw, arcane au in which they're all actors starring in the show, bold vi x clueless reader, reader gets yelled at by a dickhead but vi doesn't play about u, reader doesn't like coffee or beer sorry I'm projecting, reader referred to w fem pronouns and terms

A/N: yayyy here we are with pt 2 of the arcane actor au series! i honestly wasn't planning on writing for anyone else, but if there's someone else you'd really like to see in this universe, let me know and I'll do my best to bring it to life!

i hope you enjoy :)

𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐛𝐞𝐞 ୨ৎ

──˚₊•୨ৎ•‧₊˚──

𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐕𝐢

୨ৎ So remember that Sevika is the polar opposite of her actress, Nina? 

୨ৎ Well, stick Vi in our world and there's Quinn Lockland

୨ৎ She's a b-list actress, made popular mostly by her giant fanbase of sapphics, because come on; look at her

୨ৎ Looks aside, she’s also known for her big personality (this is a nice way of saying she has no media training and is constantly stressing her management team The Fuck out)

୨ৎ She's most frequently described by her fans as a “puppy dog lesbian”: super outgoing and down-to-earth, himbo energy, sass for days, but also has a huge heart

୨ৎ She's a golden retriever!

୨ৎ And it is very hard not to fall for her… you're quick to learn this during your first few weeks working as a set PA for Arcane’s second season

୨ৎ It's your first time working on a project of this scale, so despite essentially being a glorified errand boy, you're still over the moon to have gotten the opportunity 

୨ৎ Of course, it helps that nearly every day, you share a set with Quinn Lockland, who seems to have taken a liking to you, too…

୨ৎ She's had her eye on you for as long as you've been working on set, but you don't even realize she knows you exist until she comes up one day to officially introduce herself

୨ৎ She walks up behind you, wearing one of those giant puffy coats that actors wear when their costumes don't account for freezing temperatures, and places a gentle hand on the back of your arm to grab your attention

୨ৎ “Hey! Y/n, right?”

୨ৎ Holy hell

୨ৎ She's even prettier up close

୨ৎ Wait… how does she already know your name?

୨ৎ Ugh, don't get your hopes up; she probably just saw your name on the call sheet and needs something

୨ৎ “Y-yeah, that's me,” you say, trying your best to act casual despite being face-to-face with one of your celebrity crushes, “what can I do for you?”

୨ৎ “Oh, no!” She chuckles, and her baby blues crinkle up into crescent moons. “I don't need anything; you're all good. Just got out of hair and makeup early and wanted to say hi.”

୨ৎ “O-Oh..” you chuckle awkwardly (before kicking yourself for being so damn awkward)

୨ৎ Luckily, Quinn is super good at making conversation regardless of how shy the other person may be, so she continues

୨ৎ “This your first series?”

୨ৎ “Oh, yes! It is, I've only worked movie sets before, so…”

୨ৎ “Same here,” she nods. “I think I prefer this. Gives me more time to explore the character and all that nerdy actor shit.” 

୨ৎ This earns a laugh from you, and the smile that breaks out on her face is so fucking warm you nearly melt

୨ৎ She juts her arm out, gesturing to the paper cup in hand

୨ৎ “Coffee?” She asks

୨ৎ “Oh, no thanks; I'm more of a tea person.”

୨ৎ “Noted,” she says-mostly to herself- and before you have time to read into what she meant by that, here comes the 2nd AD barking orders at you

୨ৎ “Need a new lav for Nina yesterday.”

୨ৎ Quinn doesn't miss the snappy tone they take with you

୨ৎ And you don't miss the narrowed eyes she shoots them as you dart off to complete your given task

୨ৎ For the rest of your time on set, Quinn greets you every morning with a coffee for herself in one hand and a tea for you in the other

୨ৎ “I don't know how you drink that shit. No sugar or anything. Tastes like dirt.”

୨ৎ “Quinn, you drink black coffee. I don't think you have room to judge.” 

୨ৎ “ ‘S different.” 

୨ৎ You playfully roll your eyes with a chuckle, and a smirk breaks out on her face as she lightly shoves you with her arm

୨ৎ “Hey! Watch it, you've got hot coffee in that-”

୨ৎ “Y/n?”

୨ৎ You hear her scoff

୨ৎ Surprise, surprise... the 2nd AD

୨ৎ She started keeping her eye on them- more specifically, how they treated you- after that first time she'd seen them speak to you disrespectfully

୨ৎ And Quinn being Quinn- outspoken as she is outgoing- isn't shy about making her growing distaste for them known

୨ৎ If there was one thing she didn't tolerate, it was anyone on set being treated as if they weren't an integral part of the production, regardless of what their title was

୨ৎ She'd been considered a little guy once- an extra on the set of a big movie, treated as if her role didn't matter- and since then, she'd vowed to stand up against any mistreatment she saw

୨ৎ One day, she's standing on her mark as the grips get everything ready for filming and beckons you over to bug you (you love it) one last time before action is called

୨ৎ “What's up?” You ask, assuming she needs something

୨ৎ “Nothing. Just missed you.”

୨ৎ You feel a heat rise to your cheeks, and you chuckle incredulously 

୨ৎ “You're… ridiculous. You know-”

୨ৎ “Y/n,” the 2nd AD suddenly calls, “get out of the shot!”

୨ৎ She's quick to turn her head to them, anger evident on her face

୨ৎ “I called her over here,” she spits, shaking her head as they conveniently back down as soon as she speaks up

୨ৎ “Jesus, are they always rude as shit?”

୨ৎ You choke out a laugh, covering your mouth with your hand

୨ৎ “Quinn,” you whisper, “the mics are on… they've got headphones, they can hear you!”

୨ৎ She shrugs her shoulders as if to say, “Like I give a fuck,” and you roll your eyes, shaking your head in amusement as you walk away

୨ৎ “You’re a mess, Lockland.”

୨ৎ “You love it,” she calls after you

୨ৎ But it all comes to a head when she's walking down the hall one day and hears the annoyingly unmistakable voice of the 2nd AD going in on someone just around the corner

୨ৎ “... and now our actors can't eat until an hour after they were promised and production has to account for a change in schedule because you couldn't even place a damn catering order correctly.”

୨ৎ “I-I’m so sorry...” 

୨ৎ Her eyes widen

୨ৎ There was your unmistakable voice

୨ৎ “I completely understand-”

୨ৎ “No! I don't think you understand! You know, it might be time you consider if you're really cut out for-”

୨ৎ “Everything alright?”

୨ৎ Quinn finally rounds the corner and leans against the wall, her eyes burning into the AD

୨ৎ Their face runs pale

୨ৎ “Y-yes! Everything’s fine, we just-”

୨ৎ “You sure? Because I can't think of a good enough reason for her to be near tears right now.” 

୨ৎ Her tone remains steady and collected, but you both know anger boils just under the surface

୨ৎ “She… she just-”

୨ৎ “Fuck off.”

୨ৎ There it was

୨ৎ She kicks off the wall with a look that could kill, and the AD goes scrambling 

୨ৎ The minute her eyes are on you- shaken up and downright humiliated- she softens, reaching out to squeeze your arm 

୨ৎ “You okay?”

୨ৎ “Yeah, I just… it is my fault; I accidentally placed the lunch order for 1 instead of 12-”

୨ৎ She cuts you off with a dramatic eye roll 

୨ৎ “Oh my god, and now we're all gonna die.”

୨ৎ A soft chuckle manages to escape through your tears, and a smile breaks out on her face at the sight

୨ৎ “I mean, seriously, when has lunch ever gotten here on time? You're fine, love. C’mon, your dirt water is getting cold.” 

୨ৎ So… the 2nd AD doesn't come back…

୨ৎ But hey! You get promoted and take their spot! 

୨ৎ Now, you're much more involved with the filming process and around Quinn a lot more as a result

୨ৎ Somehow, you still don't see that the giant crush you have on her is very much reciprocated 

୨ৎ At least, not until today

୨ৎ It's been one of the longest days on set yet; Quinn is hungry, exhausted, and now, she's filming one of the most devastating scenes that Vi is in

୨ৎ Your brows are knit together in focus, watching through the screen as she lays flat on her back on the giant metal set piece, sobs wracking her body

୨ৎ But when the director calls cut, she doesn't stop crying

୨ৎ You can see her trying to play it off-sitting up, running her fingers through her hair- but she's still crying

୨ৎ You look over at the director, concern written all over your face, and he nods, giving you the go-ahead to check on her

୨ৎ “Hey,” you say gently, kneeling down and placing a hand on her shoulder, “you okay, Quinn?”

୨ৎ Your comfort only makes her tears return in full swing

୨ৎ “I’m just tired,” she says, voice breaking, “and that was a lot.”

୨ৎ “Yeah,” you nod, thumb swiping tears from under her eyes, “it was. You done for the day?”

୨ৎ She chuckles dryly through her tears

୨ৎ “I’m so done.”

୨ৎ The set finally wraps for the day, and you wait outside of her trailer as she changes into sweatpants and a hoodie

୨ৎ “I need a drink,” she exhales, walking down the trailer’s steps

୨ৎ “You need to eat, too,” you remind her with a smile

୨ৎ “Damn, I do… pizza and beer at my place?” She asks

୨ৎ “I don't drink beer…” you shyly admit

୨ৎ “Dude. First, the tea, now this? You're so high maintenance…”

୨ৎ She may feign irritation, but she swings an arm over your shoulder as you walk to her car anyway

୨ৎ Now, the two of you sit across from each other on her couch, half a pizza knocked out, Quinn nursing a beer, and you a glass of wine

୨ৎ “What about Serena? I mean, you guys obviously have chemistry, or people wouldn't like Caitlyn and Vi together so much.”

୨ৎ The of you were on the topic of your love lives now; well, the lack thereof…

୨ৎ “She's taken,” Quinn informs you, “and not really my type anyway.”

୨ৎ “Oh? Then what is your type?”

୨ৎ She throws back the last sip of her beer before placing the bottle on the table

୨ৎ There's a pregnant pause as she leans back, considering what to say next, or rather, if she should say what's already on the tip of her tongue 

୨ৎ Fuck it, she thinks

୨ৎ “I don't know. I suppose I have kind of a thing for 2nd AD’s.”

୨ৎ You throw your head back in a laugh

୨ৎ “What?!” you ask, the comment going over your head completely 

୨ৎ “That’s-”

୨ৎ Oh… now you get it…

୨ৎ Your voice drops, just over a whisper

୨ৎ “Oddly specific…”

୨ৎ She gives you a knowing smirk

୨ৎ “Wait… so does that mean… so just to confirm-”

୨ৎ “Yes, Y/n. I like you.”

୨ৎ The two of you have a good laugh over just how clueless you'd been, and eventually- two glasses of wine, three beers, half a pizza, and one makeout session later- you're passed out on the couch, arms wrapped around each other and legs tangled together

୨ৎ It isn't long after that night that the two of you make it official, and you move in with her after season two wraps

୨ৎ Your relationship is kept relatively private, until one night, Quinn is live on Instagram doing a Q&A for the season’s premiere 

୨ৎ She's in the middle answering a question- ironically, about CaitVi- when you walk behind her, not realizing you're in frame

୨ৎ Suddenly, she's flooded with comments 

୨ৎ “omg who was that?!”

୨ৎ “QUINN U HAVE SOMEONE OVER RN GET OFF LIVE?!"

୨ৎ “mama a girl behind u…”

୨ৎ The last catches her attention 

୨ৎ “Mama, a…” 

୨ৎ Her head whips around in a panic, and she sighs in relief when she sees you standing there

୨ৎ “Oh my fuck, whoever said “mama a girl behind you” is banned, I deadass thought there was an intruder…”

୨ৎ You let out a chuckle at this

୨ৎ “omg who is she!!”

୨ৎ “AWW HER LAUGH”

୨ৎ “WAIT NO DON'T BSN MR PLS”

୨ৎ Quinn reads all of the comments with a coy smile 

୨ৎ “You've been discovered, babe,” she calls out to you

୨ৎ You immediately feel so bad, worrying that you've ruined the live or that you've put her in the position to publicize your relationship before she was ready

୨ৎ “Shit, I’m so sorry!”

୨ৎ She turns to give you a warm smile

୨ৎ “Don't apologize, love. You're fine; you didn't do anything wrong.”

୨ৎ Now everyone’s going crazy over how sweet she is to you

୨ৎ And sweet she is; she is the lover boy of the century, and now that you're public, she brags about you any chance she gets

୨ৎ You two quickly become one of the internet’s favorite couples; a staple conversation topic for your everyday sapphic 

୨ৎ And once a month, you two make a point to have pizza, wine, and beer to commemorate the night that you finally realized Quinn Lockland was just as whipped for you as you were for her

𝐄𝐍𝐃 ୨ৎ

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

In Regards To Your 2024 Summary:

Holy shit it’s been another year????? The hell?????

Also! Your art style is gorgeous and that being found in 2023 and then refined throughout late 2023 and the entirety of 2024 really shows, as does your growth in panel layouts, perspective, and — as you said — experimentation. If you ever post your animation or video game art I’m looking forward to it.

As cheesy as it sounds, being able to laugh at funny comics and look at all the details of your art really made my 2024 brighter, even when things were hard. Including looking at your older art— it doesn’t need to be new to be enjoyable! I’m glad your art is well loved and it’s a privilege to have been here since the (near) beginning. I hope you take care of yourself in 2025 and beyond!

You and your art bring a lot of people a lot of joy never forget that <3

Thank you so much for keeping up with my art journey throughout these last two years! Two years!!! I am baffled at how that feels both too long and too short!

Admittedly, my art summary didn't manage to capture the fact that I did a lot of comic layouts that I'm really proud of. I also drew more backgrounds and made some very detailed works (*Dungeon Meshi spoilers for these examples*).

The growth is lot more evident when comparing my 'best' comics of 2023 to 2024:

Sometimes the growth is vertical, sometimes it is horizontal - and damn, sometimes it goes out of sight into the Z-plane. But it is always happening!

[loveinhawkins]

Robin’s always had a soft spot for Eddie Munson, but up until recently it had been in a distant kind of way; she appreciated his class clown act, the way it had a domino effect of keeping the heat off the band kids, how he hogged the spotlight for any passing douchebag’s attention.

But then they both literally dive into The Upside Down, and her appreciation reaches a whole new level.

They’re in the Wheeler’s garage, thanking their lucky stars that four bikes exist in 1983 (and yeah, Robin’s sure that if she thinks about the whole time thing for half a second more her brain will promptly melt, so she doesn’t).

Each of them are pushing their chosen bike down the driveway, in a dazed sort of silence—the high of the Lite-Brite worn off in the face of another grim journey through The Upside Down.

Steve is flagging, Robin can hear it: his breathing’s growing laboured as he walks, an occasional unsteadiness to him that’s setting her anxiety off all over again, because what if they were wrong, what if it’s really rabies, and it’s too late, it’s coursing through his veins, and he’s—they’re gonna lose him—

“Hey, Harrington,” Eddie says, swinging a leg over his saddle, “wanna race?”

“… Hmm? Sorry, what?” Steve says.

There’s not even that long of a delay in him speaking, but the pause still has Robin’s heart in her throat.

Eddie’s got one foot on a pedal now, ready to set off. He looks back at them with a shaky grin—like he’s terrified, but he’s still gonna have some fun anyway.

“I’m throwing down the gauntlet, King Steve. Bet I’ll be faster than you.”

Steve scoffs, stands up a little straighter before he mirrors Eddie, balancing on the bike with one foot on the pedal.

“How much are we betting?”

Eddie huffs. “Oh, no money involved,” he says nonchalantly. He raises an eyebrow in challenge. “This is just for the glory.”

And God, there’s that spark back in Steve’s eyes; it’s like Robin can physically see his competitive streak giving him strength.

Eddie Munson, you beautiful soul, she thinks, I could kiss you.

“Faster than me? Yeah, maybe in your dreams, Munson,” Steve says.

But Eddie’s already speeding off with a comical whoop; Steve curses as he hurriedly tries to catch up, yelling, “You dick, that’s cheating!”

“Not in my rulebook!” Eddie says with a cackle.

And for a little while, that’s enough to put Robin’s mind at ease: watching the pair of them taunt each other like kids—hearing Nancy laugh at the spectacle as she bikes alongside her.

But then she falls through the Gate, Eddie close behind her, and they freeze when Steve screams Nancy’s name with such fear.

Robin’s plunged back into a mind-numbing panic; she’s sure that her heart doesn’t even begin to slow until they’ve left the trailer park, until Steve’s control of the RV switches from ‘holy shit, we’re on the run, what have our lives become?’ to something more normal—the reliable, measured driving she’s familiar with, taking her to and from school or work.

Finally, she has time to, um… take stock. Of… things.

She wobbles her way over to Eddie, grabbing onto his elbow as Steve takes a turning.

Eddie instantly holds her up, a steadying hand around her waist. “Oh, hi. I’ve gotcha—” “Your music isn’t actually shit,” Robin says in one breath. “I know, um, on balance, it’s probably not the worst thing I could’ve said, but the delivery was—but, you know, considering I thought Nance was literally about to die, I’d say it was, like, kinda calm all things considered, but—”

Eddie’s chuckling. “Yeah, on balance,” he echoes teasingly, “you were pretty damn funny, actually. Uh, sorry for. Um. Screaming at you? Basically?”

“Basically,” Robin agrees. “Yeah, you were like impressively loud. Not quite eardrum-rupturing level, but y’know, I don’t actually know anyone who’s really had that happen to them; Amanda Wallis said she ruptured hers at the pep rally ‘cause she was standing too close to us—the band, I mean, but—”

Eddie rolls his eyes. “Oh, that’s bull, there’s no way that’d be loud enough to—”

“—I think she just had a grudge ‘cause David C on mellophone got literally the tiniest bit of spit on her, and he was only—”

“Yeah, well, everyone knows you sit in the splash zone at your own risk.”

“Exactly! She’s had plenty of time to learn marching band protocol.”

“Uh-huh, protocol,” Eddie echoes again, with a giggle.

He’s got a nice kind of laugh, Robin thinks: one where she’s never in doubt that he’s laughing with her rather than at her.

“That stuff you do’s pretty cool,” he says; with his free hand, he actually imitates her mime of playing a trumpet. “You must have good, uh…” She can see the exact moment that he’s having second thoughts about saying it, but he forges ahead anyway, with a hilariously uncertain, “Good… lungs?”

“Fascinating attempt at a compliment,” Robin says. “Luckily for you, I accept insults as, like, equal tokens of friendship.”

Eddie does a double take. He doesn’t go so far as letting out a questioning, “We’re friends?”, but he might as well have said it anyway: his eyes widen for a moment, like someone who’s just been unexpectedly asked out to prom.

Steve takes another turning; he does it smoothly enough, but even he can’t stop the RV from moving with it, and Robin stumbles again, very nearly ends up repeating how she toppled right onto Eddie in The Upside Down.

“Woah there, you’re good,” Eddie says, “just gotta find your, uh, what’s it called? Your equilibrium.”

“I don’t have any,” Robin says, all theatrical devastation, and Eddie snorts.

“Sure you do, Buckley. Look, just take my—yeah, that’s it, then just kinda straighten up… yeah, you’ve got it.”

And yes, after a minute or so, Robin’s footing does feel more certain, but she still keeps a stubborn grip on Eddie’s elbow, just in case.

“God, d’you know what I’m gonna do when all this is over?” Eddie says.

“Pray tell.”

“I’m gonna make a list. What was it you said, Madonna, Blondie…? Whatever, I’m getting all of them, m’never getting caught out like that again.”

“I’m hoping that needing music to evade the clutches of a serial killer from an alternate dimension is, um, strictly a one-time thing.”

“Don’t care,” Eddie says. “Still buying those tapes. Just in case.”

And yeah, it’s said partly in jest, but Robin can hear that he means it. Still, it’s the most optimistic that she’s heard him be so far: making plans for after, like he can really see a way through this. Like maybe he finally knows that they’ll help him get there.

“Need a list of tapes from you too, Buckley. You and Harrington.”

Robin smiles. Her first thought is of singing Total Eclipse of the Heart from the dirt-ridden floor of a mall bathroom, but then she thinks of every car ride with Steve, every time they’ve turned up the radio to belt along, and she knows that there are way too many songs to count.

“Forget a list,” Robin says, “I could fill a book. Same for big boy over there.”

Eddie blinks, like he’s suddenly taking stock, too. “Oh yeah,” he says, laughing lightly, “I did say that, huh?”

“Sure did. I was doubting my ears, too.”

Robin had been hoping they’d long since reached the point of being able to joke around with one another. But while Eddie does laugh again, he also starts biting at his thumbnail, glancing over at Steve in the driver’s seat.

“Um, hey.” Robin manages to keep her balance, briefly pressing her knee against his leg. “I didn’t mean anything by it, Eddie.”

“No, I know.” Eddie huffs self-effacingly. “I’ve kinda got permanent foot-in-mouth disease, my report cards would tell you that.”

Well, if he wants to pass it off as sometimes I just say the darnedest things, Robin would be a hypocrite to deny him.

It fascinates her in a sad sort of way though, how he veers between joking and nervousness—like he’s worried he’s intruding on their group, of overstepping somehow.

She wants to tell him: Look, we all got dragged into this, but we chose to stick around, and you’re no different.

But she no longer has the aftermath of Russian drugs to help bypass her own nerves, to kickstart her sincerity.

“Hey, you’re awfully quiet back there,” Steve calls, and Eddie startles.

Robin shakes her head. “Not us, that’s his—”

“Hello? Henderson, I’m talking to you.”

“We’re not even doing anything!” Dustin shouts back in exaggerated affront.

He’s sat on the backseat of the RV, peering out the window along with Lucas, Erica and Max. Robin stifles a chuckle at the sight; they look like they’re on a field trip—the cool kids at the back of the bus.

“Yeah, well, just checking,” Steve says, amused. “For all I know, you coulda been building a gigantic radio again on, like, the roof of this thing.”

“Cerebro,” Dustin says, just as Eddie lets out a baffled, “Uh, again?”

But then they’re pulling into The War Zone’s parking lot, and any chatter abruptly dies.

Afterwards, Steve gets off the road to park in a reassuringly deserted field. They don’t head outside right away (Robin’s not exactly looking forward to prepping Molotov cocktails), instead staying in the RV to eat junk food they’d grabbed beforehand.

Robin discovers that Dustin’s somehow bought five more cans of Pringles and snorts, declaring, “You’ve got a problem.”

At some point, Steve tries to sneak off to the bathroom so he can change his dressings—“And use actual proper bandages!” Robin calls to him; no offence to Nancy’s resourcefulness, but the torn shirt strips only do so much good.

It becomes a more comical than horrifying event, although she’s sure that’s down to Steve deliberately making it so, like a sleight of hand trick: playing it down as he keeps talking to the kids throughout, never wincing even once.

He ends up having to keep the bathroom door open to continue an argument with Erica over which Scoops Ahoy sundae was the best of all time—then figures that he might as well just step out into the open anyway.

At least the wounds have stopped bleeding—although the sight of Steve cleaning around them with bottled water is one that Robin could personally do without.

The kids are entirely unfazed. They flock to Steve, peering at the glimpses he lets them see like he’s just got a cool tattoo. Robin supposes that after El and whatever nightmare wormy thing was in her leg, they’ve seen everything.

Eddie, however, is another matter. He keeps quiet about it, not obvious at all, but Robin watches his face grow paler and paler before Steve wraps the new bandages around his stomach.

Dustin, bless his precocious little heart, must also notice, because he quickly starts up a seemingly impromptu game of charades, meaning that Eddie is soon distracted by his ridiculously over the top gestures.

“No, Steve, how are you not getting this?”

“I thought the whole appeal of this game was that you’re not meant to talk, Henderson. Dude, watch it, you nearly took Max’s eye out with… whatever the hell that was.”

“Oh my god, it’s Back to the Future, obviously! Ow, Max, I didn’t mean to—uh, yeah, the mime needs to be that big, how else am I gonna project what—”

“Dustin, I swear to god, I’m about to project you out the window,” Steve drawls.

Eddie laughs, hides it behind his hand.

But Steve must catch it, because he glances over at Eddie and winks before he’s dragged back into guessing another movie title.

And Robin’s obviously seen Steve wink before—he does it all the time, so much so that she’s become quite adept at reading when it’s a friendly one for her, or if he’s sharing some kind of in-joke with one of the kids.

She’s also seen his attempts at a ‘smooth’ wink towards some girls at work—and look, he’s Steve Harrington, it’s not like he’s going to be bad at it.

But if you ask Robin, it’s never looked quite right, like he’s always performing to an audience he’s unsure of.

But this wink doesn’t look like it belongs to either of those categories. Well, it’s got something in common with the first: that it looks entirely natural, as if he’s doing it almost without thinking. Like it just feels right.

They go through some more rounds of charades—Dustin’s gestures, if possible, getting even more dramatic—and Eddie gradually goes from contributing a few guesses to none at all, curling up on the backseat. He looks utterly wiped out.

Robin tries to catch Nancy’s eye, and after a few attempts, she gets the message, stands up with a nod.

“Okay, let’s take this outside, guys.”

“Spoken like a true camp counsellor,” Max says.

Nancy acts like she’s offended, but her lips keep twitching into a smile. “Max, never say that to me again.”

“There’s more space outside,” Erica says, “so we can duck out the way of Dustin’s windmilling arms.”

“Hey!”

“I’m bored of charades,” Lucas says. “We could do another competition? Like, I dunno, cartwheels or handstands or something?”

“Oh sure, so I can show you up?” Max returns, grinning.

Steve scoffs. “Uh, if you’re doing a cartwheel competition, I would win.”

“Since when?” Dustin says, an obvious taunt that Steve predictably rises to, flipping him off.

“Save your athletics for Vecna, please,” Nancy cuts in dryly.

“It wouldn’t be a fair fight.” Lucas gestures to Steve’s stomach, a little uncertainly. “You know, considering…”

Steve rolls his eyes. “Whatever. Under normal circumstances, I would kick all your asses.”

“Sure,” Robin says brightly, “but Steve, if you do literally anything more strenuous than sitting down right now, I’m gonna—”

“Uh, Steve would kick your asses, actually,” Eddie says slowly. His voice is muffled from the way his hand’s holding up his chin, partly covering his mouth. “He did gymnastics.”

Robin, surprised, looks to Steve; he’s doing that thing where he scratches at his cheek unconsciously, seems to be a mixture of embarrassed and pleased.

“How’d you know that?” he asks.

Eddie shrugs. “We didn’t have a cover for gym one time, remember? There was a whole group of us slacking off but you just kept doing, y’know,” he twirls his fingers, “tricks on that box thingy.”

“Vaulting box,” Steve corrects like he can’t stop himself. He’s sporting an almost abashed little smile that Robin’s never seen before.

Eddie shrugs again. “S’all Greek to me,” he says, interrupts himself halfway through with a deep yawn.

Steve’s eyes soften. And then he’s ushering the kids outside, “C’mon, you can do whatever competition you want for thirty minutes before we get to work.”

“Got it, coach.”

“Shut up, Mayfield.”

“I’ll be your stopwatch if you’re doing handstands,” Nancy chips in, bringing up the rear—she catches Robin’s eye again, subtly tilts her head in Eddie’s direction and mouths Stay?

Robin nods.

“Uh, that won’t be accurate at all,” comes Dustin’s rebuttal—he’s outside now, but his voice still carries. “Unless you can like accurately keep time in your head down to the second—”

“Oh my god, Dustin, you’re such a shithead.”

“Nancy Wheeler, I’m heartbroken.”

Steve’s chuckle floats through the open door. “She said it, dude, not me.”

“You say it all the goddamn time!”

And then the voices fade away until all Robin can hear is distant laughs and joyful screams. It’s relaxing, in its own way.

“No gymnastics for you, Buckley?” Eddie says.

“Nope, not since 7th grade. Managed two cartwheels before I broke my wrist.”

Eddie winces in sympathy. He’s slumping a bit more; Robin makes herself comfy in the opposite corner of the backseat, gives him the most space.

She feels a weird lump at her back, behind one of the cushions. A quick investigation reveals an issue of TV Guide Magazine.

“Ooh, we can find out what we missed while on the run,” she says, waggling it in front of Eddie.

He smiles with a small huff. “Doubt it. Says 1981 on the front.”

“What’s a little more time travel?”

Robin flicks through to the crossword. She’s all too aware that Eddie’s still sat more stiffly than anything else. With Steve, it would be so easy; she could prod him in the thigh with her toe, light touches until he took the hint and relaxed.

But even before they’d really become friends, they were tactile: a tap on the shoulder to grab attention, bumping hips to move each other out of the way whenever they were scooping ice-cream at the same time. It’d been done so unconsciously, like they were already learning to read each other’s minds.

With Eddie, it’s clear that a different approach is needed.

Robin had caught onto that after her misstep at the boathouse, a pit in her stomach at the sight of Eddie’s hands shaking.

But her instinct to reach out, to soothe, made her unthinkingly try again; as they walked in the woods, she’d heard his breathing quicken, and her hand lightly brushed his back. She drew back as he instantly flinched at her touch.

“Sorry, sorry,” she said hurriedly. “Just—just checking you were okay. Sorry.”

Eddie just stared at her before nodding hesitantly.

And Robin wanted to tell him that it wasn’t by chance, that he had people who cared about him; that she did, and it wasn’t a fluke or an accident—she was choosing it.

She keeps her eyes on the magazine, jots down a few crossword answers. It reminds her of summer days spent reading on her grandparents’ porch, not wanting to startle a cat her grandpa had rescued as it approached her. It was always so spooked.

“You’ve just gotta let him come to you, sweet pea,” her grandma would say.

After a couple minutes, she hears Eddie breathe out, the creak of the seat as he lies down. He rests his head right next to her thigh.

“S’good?” he asks, pointing at the magazine.

“It’s pretty easy.” One of the crossword clues is ‘The Lion, the Witch, and the?’ which isn’t exactly taxing. “I’m used to doing the cryptic ones.”

Eddie laughs. He kinda sounds fond. “Of course you are.”

“They’re not that hard, once you know how to read ‘em.”

“Hmm, I doubt that. Lay one on me, Buckley.”

She purses her lips in thought. “Oh, I got this one last week. Condition of Wyoming, five letters.”

Eddie lifts his head ever so slightly to give her a blank look. “Not a fucking clue.”

“State. Get it? ‘Cause ‘condition’ is the definition, and Wyoming is literally—”

“God, I’m surrounded by geniuses.”

“Well, I’ve got the advantage of a summer of code-breaking.”

Robin slowly raises her hand as she speaks—makes sure to do it in Eddie’s line of vision, spots that he doesn’t pull back, that he even gives the tiniest half-nod. She pats his head twice.

Eddie scrunches up his nose. “Sorry, my hair’s gross.”

“It’s not that bad,” Robin says honestly. “Y’know for being on the run, it’s holding up pretty well. I’m getting whatever shampoo you use.”

Eddie smiles. “Sure.”

“Yours is looking way better than mine did after, like, one day getting wrapped up in all this.” Again, without really thinking, Robin adds, “I had all this sweat and blood and puke in it.”

Eddie’s eyes are closed now. He makes an unhappy sound, prods gently at her knee. “You’ve all gotta work on telling me horrific shit. That should not be casual for you, Buckley.”

He sounds emphatic—protective, even. Robin feels unexpectedly emotional.

“Yeah, sorry. Bad habit.”

Silence falls, and by the time Steve enters the RV, Robin has filled in the whole crossword, Eddie dozing by her side.

Steve’s getting another bottle of water—actually drinking it this time. He’s got grass stains on his knees, and he’s sweating slightly, like the ‘stay still’ advice hasn’t once been taken.

His eyes soften again when he sees Eddie sleeping—he doesn’t need to linger, but he does.

Robin watches.

We need more time, Steve, she thinks suddenly. For you to keep looking at him like that—for him to be awake to see it.

Steve tears his eyes away. Lands on her.

She smiles, mouthing What?

Steve rolls his eyes. He imitates her ‘what?’ mockingly, but then he smiles back and taps at his wrist, mimes winding a watch on. It’s what they do whenever they’re slammed at work, wanting to talk, but only able to briefly catch each other’s eyes in the rush. Later.

She taps her wrist. Later, she promises.

He gives her a double thumbs up—what a dork—before heading back outside.

Robin quietly puts the magazine away. Ever so carefully, she lightly strokes Eddie’s hair, feels her heart swell and break at the same time when he sighs contentedly in his sleep.

You’d better look after yourself, Eddie Munson, she thinks. You’ve got people here. People who really want you to stick around.