#i really fucking love the babysitter's club

[staceymcgillicuddy]

Random question: do you have a favourite BSC book or storyline? I was always a fan of Mimi's death (😭), Claudia being held back and anytime Stacey went all Big City™️ and hung out with the bad girls or anything deemed inappropriate for Stonybrooke life. And for some reason, Mallory finding out in England she's distantly related to Shakespeare has stayed with me forever lmao.

Anytime they ever went to New York City stuck with me in such a big way that I ended up going to NYU for college. Like, influenced my actual life!

Weirdly, a few of the babysitting stories stuck with me, like when the Pike kids made a lending library out of their house (I thought that was the COOLEST idea), or when Jessi helps some kid make a volcano for their science fair project. I think it was Jackie Rodowsky? Anyway, I just remember being like, "oh, wow, how cool!" about those things.

I was also weirdly invested in a lot of the boy/relationship stuff, and anything Stacey ever did (I mean, obviously). Oh, and I was one of those kids who was desperate for attention, good or bad, so I was really into the fact that Stacey had diabetes and got a lot of special treatment for it. Like, I was desperate to break a bone or have Type 1 diabetes as a child because of these books. Wild!

The Super Specials also informed my first impressions about a lot of travel locations.

Anyway, that is a ramble, but this ask made me truly happy and now I want to go pick a random book off my BSC collection shelf and read it. I wish I had more of the original run, but I probably have 40-50 of the books, including an incredibly tattered copy of Kristy's Great Idea with the original cover.

[omgeto]

oh you wanna play psycho killer? can i be the helpless victim...

｡･:*˚:✧｡ authors note — my first kinktober!! ahh go crazy. i will try my best to write good smut for you people. here's my master list so you can see what im cooking up for you guys. i might add some more but for now here it is... MDNI!!

OCTOBER 1ST...

THRILL(h)ER — satosugu x reader

when watching a scary movie with your two best friends, you cant help but hold onto them tight every time you get jumpscared. but as the night goes on and your fingers roam... wait, what movie were you watching again?

cw: threesome (duh), double penetration, blowjobs, spanking, praise & degredation

OCTOBER 7TH...

your 'ONLY FAN' — dilf neighbour!toji x cam girl!reader

when you're a top cam girl, your used to having thousands of people watching you every night. yet among the masses, theres one fan that stands out. he not only is a high tipper but is someone you happen to know all too well. and he's about to go to long lengths to prove to you that he's the only fan of yours that matters.

cw: toji breaks into your house and blows your back out. facefucking, slight choking, use of toys, consensual sex tape making, sight breeding.

OCTOBER 14TH...

when you fuck your older neighbour — nanami, toji, geto, gojo

on the way to a halloween party, you just couldn't help but put a little pep in your step as your strut past your older neighbours house. and he can't help notice how tight and tiny your outfit is — it can barely fit. not that it matters anyway... it'll be off of you before the clock strikes 11...

cw: age gap (duh), spanking, nipple play, face riding, dick riding, all types of riding

OCTOBER 21st...

a quiet place — nanami x babysitter!reader

after returning from trick or treating with his kids, your 'boss' can't help but beg you stay the night with him. hoping to give you a 'treat' of his own. but shhh... you can't get too loud, his kids are sleeping.

cw: breeding, raw sex, talks of pregnancy, a whole lotta cum

OCTOBER 31st...

"CULT?... i thought this was a bathroom." — geto x reader

on a drunken halloween night you thought you were stumbling your way into the bathroom of a club, but you end up stumbling into the lap of a cult leader. and he doesn't like people like you. instead of doing what he usual does to your 'kind' he decides to punish you a different way — in front of all of his followers.

cw: public sex, major degradation, dark content... (slay)

so what do you think. what do you think of the banner? I tried really hard to make this whole thing so hopefully you guys love the layout AND THE FIC IDEAS. which one are you most exited for lmk :) also don’t use my header pls and thanks THERE IS NO TAGLIST <;33

[sp0o0kylights]

Steve Harrington was wearing a Hellfire t-shirt.

It was far too tight on him, the name of the club stretched wide over his chest. The sleeves dug into his biceps, making them pop even more than they usually did, and that was before he crossed his arms. 

Worse?

It was short.

Which meant the damn shirt was constantly riding up to give everyone a nice show of the smattering of hair that trailed down past the band of Harrington's jeans. 

The same hair that Eddie was determinedly not looking at. 

“Henderson, a moment?” He crooked a finger, a smile on his face that was more feral than welcoming. 

Rather than cower or even acknowledge that Eddie was two seconds away from murder, Dustin just gave him a gummy grin, all too pleased with himself and his scheme. 

“Sure Eddie. Steve, don't just stand there, go help set the booth up!” Dustin gestured to Hellfire’s sad little table, crammed all the way in the back of the gym. 

Jeff and Gareth both reacted to the suggestion like a rabid squirrel had been set upon them, nervously inching towards the other side of the booth as Harrington sighed and--shockingly--did as he was told.

‘What,’ Eddie thought angrily, ‘in the everloving fuck.’

“Do you guys mind if I set this down on the table?” Eddie heard Harrington ask as he stormed away, Dustin on his heel. 

They wandered just around the corner, out of sight and hopefully, out of the fallen king’s hearing range.

Eddie wasn't sure if Harrington would try and white knight the very much deserved dressing down he was about to give. 

Didn’t want to chance it, considering the downright weird relationship he had with Hellfire's freshmen.

(While he’d heard many a tale at his table regarding King Steve since the newest recruits had joined Hellfire, most of them dissolved into arguments without ever really going anywhere.

 Best anyone could figure out was that Dustin and Lucas had a bad case of hero worship, while Mike owned a begrudging amount of respect that hailed from a series of misadventures. 

The very same misadventures that, despite all protests to the contrary, was clearly some sort of babysitting gig for Harrington.) 

Either way, plenty of the King’s court would have loved to take this opportunity to fuck with Hellfire.

Given that Henderson was absolutely too old to require a babysitter at fourteen, Eddie would bet his lunch money that was what Steve was here to do.

Something the club couldn’t afford since they were forever and always two seconds away from being stripped of club status and banned from school grounds. 

“I would love to know what went through that all A’s brain of yours when I said,” Eddie whirled on Dustin when they were firmly in the clear, voice low and furious.  “no Henderson, do not invite King Steve to help, he is an invading force and would ruin our peaceful kingdom!?”

He clasped his hands behind his back before leaning into Dustin’s face. “Because clearly whatever you heard wasn’t that.” 

To Eddie’s continued frustration and confusion, Dustin did not treat this like the threat it was. 

None of the freshmen had ever truly treated Eddie like a threat--had somehow skipped that part of the usual onboarding ritual entirely.

Eddie, town freak and drug dealer, who had cultivated his looks and craziness to such a degree that most everyone steered clear, wasn’t used to it. 

Everyone had been afraid of him at some point in this shitty school. Jeff, Gareth, hell even half the staff--and that the dorky trio of fourteen year old's clearly thought this all was play-acting made his eye twitch.

Even if it was--maybe, sometimes--welcome. 

“I know what you said, but I’m telling you I’m right.” Dustin argued immediately, and oh God, he was using that tone again. 

A hand went up into the space between them and Eddie groaned aloud, knowing what was coming.

“First,” Dustin ticked a finger up, “Hellfire really needs the money. Even thirty dollars would get us new figures, but more than that, if we don’t fundraise, we can’t go to Gen Con!” 

Dustin's eyes bored into Eddie’s, full of fire and conviction

“Yes,” Eddie said through gritted teeth, “but--”

“Second!” Dustin cut him off, and God the little shit even threw him a look while he did it, like Eddie was the one being ridiculous here!

“We had to fight just to get our table! Principal Higgins was in algebra today practically begging the mathletes to show up, but then tried to tell us we couldn't be here? That’s messed up!” 

As if denying them a spot to fundraise was the worst thing that asshole had ever done.

Eddie sighed, breath blasting out of his mouth like a dragon’s. 

“Because people think we’re freaks and satanists, Henderson. You don’t typically invite freaks and satanists to the school’s annual Holiday Bazaar. Especially not when all the local moms are paying to hawk their bullshit crafts and tupperware!” 

It was more than that of course. The Hawkins High Holiday Bazaar was a tradition spanning several years now. Starting in the gym and spilling clear into the parking lot, everyone from local artists to even some local shops came to host a small table for the day, thus growing the event from a small school fundraiser to a Hawkins' “must-do.” 

Half the fucking town was here to sell, and the other half was here to shop, which meant Principle Higgins had wanted Hellfire banned from the fucking premise. 

Eddie had been forced to pull out one of his trump cards he’d been saving--blackmail on Higgins that related to the man’s not--so--legal addiction to Percocet that he relied on Reefer Rick for. 

(And bless Rick, that hadn’t been the only tidbit he’d shared with Eddie about Higgins. That information, however, Eddie needed just so the asshat wouldn’t give him the boot from school entirely.) 

The only reason Eddie had pulled it out to secure their rightful spot, was because of Gen Con. 

It was Hellfire's White Whale, their grand adventure, and this was going to be his year to take his friends on one last epic quest to make memories of a lifetime surrounded by people who understood them.

Come hell or high water, Eddie was going to Gen Con--but being able to fundraise by selling wares and baked goods at the stupid Holiday Bazaar would go a long way to help.

Even if he had to listen to the band repeatedly play ear-bleeding renditions of Christmas songs.

“All the clubs get to have a table, and we’re a club!” Dustin continued, like it was that simple. “But you know, I get it. We look scary.” 

He gestured down to his own Hellfire shirt, before gesturing towards Eddie’s entire outfit.

Like Eddie didn't know what he looked like, let alone that he'd made this outfit specifically to scare people away from him.

(And maybe add some rockstar flair to this dinky little hick town.)

“You know who doesn’t look scary?”

Dustin held out his hands and swiveled his body like he was presenting a prize instead of gesturing in the vague direction of; 

“Steve!”

Eddie’s left eye twitched.

‘You can't kill him, you need his character for the campaign.’ He told himself firmly, even if he envisioned strangling Dustin like a chicken.

Cartoon squawking and all. 

“The King isn’t going to help us fundraise, Dustin.” Eddie said, in an effort to break down why Harrington couldn't be here. “He's just going to cause us problems that we can’t afford to have.” 

So many problems, half of which Eddie couldn't think of because if he did, he'd start spiraling.

“Really? Because as you keep saying, Steve used to be the King. People love him, Eddie! Mom’s love him.”

Eddie had pulled himself back up to his proper height a while ago, and now rocked back on his heels while he ran a hand down his face.

There was no getting through to Henderson when he was like this. 

Not unless Eddie really lost it, and it was practically club lore that he only lost it when someone missed an important game. 

One cannot keep a herd of sheep if their flock is terrified of them, after all. 

(“Perhaps you’re just a giant fucking softie.” Tiff, one of Hellfire’s graduating members, told him once. “Honestly dude, I bet you throw up stuffing.”

“Shut up Tiffany, your choker is on backwards again.” He'd spat back, completely offended and not at all trying to distract from how true that was.) 

“We can’t be satanic if Steve’s the one selling cookies!” Dustin finished doggedly. 

“We’re not even selling cookies--that’s not the point!”” Eddie shook his head, hair flying. He was not going to be sidetracked, he wasn’t!

 “Harrington is going to end up siding with all the moms about how we’re all wasting time with D&D, if he even spends the whole time at the table. Is that what you want?” 

He stuck out a ringed finger, poking at Dustin’s chest.

“Every single person who comes by our table has to be convinced D&D is a writing and math based game. Good for the mind and souls of growing, impressionable children. A game that got a bad rep because of  a few silly images.” 

A pitch he and Tiff had come up with during the third or fourth time they had to convince an adult that no, just because their shirts had a dragon on it, didn’t mean they were summoning demons in the drama room. 

“Harrington can’t do that because Harrington doesn’t even know how to play!” 

This Eddie punctuated by throwing his hands in the air. 

Given the startled look of the mother-daughter duo passing him by, clearly was louder than he’d intended--but screw it!

He was right!

Hellfire was in a precarious position to both fundraise and do a little damage control among the slightly smarter members of this shithole small town, and Harrington rolling his eyes and gossiping about how stupid it was would hinder that.

“Okay, first of all, Steve’s played D&D with me and he didn’t even kill his character.” Dustin said it like he was unveiling a smoking gun and not lying through his ass--which Eddie would absolutely be calling him on the second he was done talking. 

Because King Steve? Play D&D?

'Ha!'

“And he’s not gonna say shit because we--me, and Lucas and even Mike!--asked him to help, and he helps when its serious. I know you have some weird grudge with him, but I’m telling you Eddie he’s our golden ticket to Gen Con!” 

“You’re killing me. You are standing here, acting as a friend, when you are bringing a-- a dark force into the midst our of mission--” Eddie hissed, because he was losing the fucking fight and he knew it.

Dustin Henderson was not a man easily swayed. 

Had never been, even when the odds were stacked against him (and Grant and Gareth were howling in his ear.) 

The set of his shoulders and the glint of the little shithead’s eye meant Eddie wouldn’t be able to use him to oust Harrington--if he even could get him out without the dick causing a massive scene anyway. 

As always when outgunned, Eddie flipped to dramatics.

“Betrayed! By my own chosen heir no less!” He moaned, pressing the back of his hand over his eyes as Dustin scoffed.

"Don’t be so dramatic! Steve will help, I promise! Just don’t be a dick to him.” 

 Conversation apparently over, Dustin turned around to head back to the table

Snidely, he added over his shoulder: “Plus we’ve all caught on to the heir thing Eddie. You tell everyone that so they do what you want.” 

The dick.

“You’re too fucking smart for your own good. I’m gonna start feeding you paint chips to bring that IQ down.” Eddie muttered angrily as Dustin went back to their little table.

He gave himself a moment to get his shit together and stomp a foot like a child when Dustin was around the corner and thus couldn’t witness it, before following his wayward sheep back.

Could only pray to any deity listening that Henderson’s meddling didn’t blow up in Hellfire’s face.

[ink-n-shadow]

[ ℭ𝔬𝔇 𝔰𝔪𝔞𝔲𝔰 ]

i am:  ☒ currently taking requests ☐ not currently taking requests

⤷ Bloody Monday | the texts where you're on your period and the CoD men help you out ⤷ Hold me? | the texts where the CoD men provide you aftercare ⤷ Mortification and Ruined Surprises | the texts where the CoD men find your sex toy ⤷ Smut? Really? | the texts where you ask the CoD men to recreate smut scenes with you ⤷ Tipsy | the texts where the CoD men had a little too much to drink ⤷ Tipsy (pt. 2) | the texts where you had a little too much to drink ⤷ New Metal | the texts where you show off your new piercings to the CoD men ⤷ Needy and Quick | the texts where the CoD men ask you for a quickie ⤷ Fucking Pissed | the texts where the CoD men piss you off ⤷ Bratty Behavior | the texts where you're being a brat and the CoD men put you in your place (or try to) ⤷ Let's Recreate This | the texts where you send the CoD men a 🌽 link and ask to recreate it ⤷ Finished | the texts where the CoD men text you after they finish jerking off ⤷ Finished (pt. 2) | the texts where you text the CoD men after you finish getting off ⤷ Good Vibes | the texts where the CoD men control your vibe ⤷ Fight Club | the texts where you get into a fight and need the CoD men to pick you up ⤷ Room for One More? | the texts where you ask the CoD men how they feel about having a threesome ⤷ Say it Back | the texts where the CoD men say they love you and you don't respond ⤷ Middle of Nowhere | the texts where you want to go on a camping vacation with the CoD men ⤷ While You're Gone | the texts where you send the CoD men dirty pics/videos of you while they're on base

SMAU SERIES

Daddy Issues 𝜗𝜚 the texts where single dad!Price hires you as his son's babysitter

one four seven two five three six

[trashmouth-richie]

𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: escaping Hawkins was impossible, but he did it. when a ghost from your past shows up unexpectedly, bringing with him old memories and holding up a mirror to the train wreck life you’re living… you find it hard to trust him again.

𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 18+ no minors, depictions of poverty, child neglect/ endangerment, drug use/abuse, alcohol use/abuse, endangerment, 18+ sex working, 18+stripping, violence, smut. no use of y/n reader has a name that’s introduced in the first chapter, and another “nickname” that is lightly used throughout this series. eddie also has a nickname given by reader.

𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚛 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚎: this series switches pov’s between reader and eddie, thank you to @succubusmunson @joejoequinnquinn @choke-me-eddie @sweetsweetjellybean for helping me read through the first chapter, helped me brainstorm etc i love you

there are two easter eggs in this let me know if you catch em! like pokémon only not

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞: here i come, but i ain’t the same

masterlist

Stupid fucking bitch.

One dial tone waned into another, a monotonous wave taunting you from the end of the receiver. Your fingers tap impatiently against the counter. How long could a phone actually ring before it stopped or someone finally answered?

Too damn long apparently. 

Giving up and counting your losses, you slam the receiver back on the wall, muttering more choice words as you skirt your hips behind the wooden bar, thumbing through the blue lined notebook schedule.   

Work was packed. More-so than any other Friday night, but since it was the beginning of graduation weekend for Hawkins High— every Sam, Dick, and Harry had wandered into the bar looking for a cheap escape and a sugary drink. 

Lucky for them, that was exactly what Queen of Hearts had on the menu. And if you talked to the right person, the luck didn’t stop there. 

“No answer?” Jolene called over her shoulder, hands full with a bottle of Jack Daniels. 

Scribbling an angry dark mark through the name Ginger on the schedule, you toss the notebook back into the drawer shutting it with your hip.

“Just rang and rang,”  you say, annoyingly jumping in to help her finish pouring three Jack & Cokes. The soda fizzes under your thumb, “and before you try to cover for her, this is the fourth time she’s done this.” 

She lets out an exaggerated sigh, taking the cans from you and tossing them into the trash.

“Really thought this one would work out,” her long legs cross behind you to slot the liquor bottle back in its designated spot, “she had kids.. poor thing needed the cash.” 

The familiar ache of neglect radiated through you, “I found a babysitter for the nights she was working, told her I’d help pay… that asshole she keeps around probably found out she was working here.” 

Jolene raises her eyebrows. Her slender fingers hold the three drinks with ease, setting them on a tray.

“Can’t believe Jackie skipped town with that rich salesman,” she sighs heavily, leaning an elbow on the sticky bar, “lucky girl, something like that would never happen to me.” 

Jealousy pings in your chest but you shake it off, “he was really dreamy huh? Those beauty marks? His hair? His ass?” You wolf whistle, “cut me a slice.” 

You weren’t jealous that Jackie was now probably driving a BMW, that her life would be nothing but luxurious from here on out, or even that her boyfriend was movie star hot. 

What made your blood boil over was the fact that she got out, and you were still stuck here like hardened gum underneath a table. 

The club was a part of you. Like an unwanted birthmark, this lifestyle was something you couldn’t get away from. Understanding at a young age, when most girls were playing with dolls, just exactly the kind of life you were destined to live, and unfortunately it wasn’t outside of these four walls.

“Your time will come,” Jolene smiled, looking into a compact and wiping a smudge of lipstick from her teeth, “you’re still young, Miss Assistant.” 

You rolled your eyes, placing the tray on her awaiting palm. Since Jackie was gone, her job was now yours.  Tacking on added responsibilities with no pay raise in sight. You found out all too soon what a fucking joke that title of ‘assistant’ actually was. 

“Told him I didn’t want it, but you know how that went.” 

“I do kid,” she sighs, looking down at you, her eyes sweeping over the still pink scar in your eyebrow, “I really… oh honey, you’re gonna be a busy little bee tonight!” 

You breathe heavily through your nose, dragging your hands down your face, “don’t remind me.” 

“I’ll help out wherever, ‘kay?” 

Jolene had taken you under her wing when you first walked into Queen of Hearts. Freshly eighteen almost down to the hour, naive waters brimming your eyes, forced into this life. 

Her motherly ways comforted everyone, only thirty-three but in this industry that was practically ninety. Just like you, Jolene had deep roots in this place. 

Her tall frame slinks over to the waiting guys sitting at the stage, a pleasant smile on her lips. Twirling the ends of her black hair twisted into schoolgirl pigtails, laying the charm on thick. 

Staring over at her in a forlorn gaze, you hated to think of yourself still here ten years from now, a permanent fixture to this place, like Jolene. The lemons of life were squeezed and you had made the lemonade, but it was sour, bitter.. you longed for something sweeter. 

The bubbly fantasy is popped when Mickey Fritz’ oversized hand hits the counter like he’s a toddler in a highchair.

“Hey sugar tits, I’m empty o’er here!”

Your nightmare reality comes back into view. 

The walls at Queen of Hearts were draped in deep shades of red velour, a cozy ambiance to invite strangers and locals alike. The bar was backlit and stocked with a decent selection of polished bottles of whiskey, gin and bourbon. 

His boots clapped along the wood floor as the pair walked further inside, leaving a plume of smoke in their wake, catching on the neon lights and creating a smoked crimson haze across the dark club.

The raised stage was centered, creating an aisle on either side of it, clad with leather backed red chairs surrounding it at every angle. For a night club in the middle of Indiana, it wasn’t half bad compared to the places he was used to out East. 

A row of booths were tucked onto the left side of the club, high top tables stood crowded with drunk college students, yelling loudly and making asses of themselves to impress the working girls. 

The music blaring over the speakers was a little cliche and too “pop” for his liking—fuck, had he really turned into one of those guys, questioning what a strip club was playing for music? 

He rolls his eyes at his own false pretentiousness, turning it into a wink at a cocktail waitress carrying a tray full of plastic flutes filled with a gut rot of pink liqueur. The gold thong she was wearing sat high on her hips, matching the cheap glittery cowboy hat on her blonde curls. 

Dark eyes follow her long legs to a nearby table, a fist to his mouth as he whistles and licks his chomps.

“Damn! Can you believe this used to be the Hideout?” Jeff squawked, not so casually adjusting himself as they slid into an open booth, “that was Gareth Emerson’s twin sister, she really grew up huh, remember him?”

He didn’t.

Much like anyone else Jeff had tried to bring up since he had agreed to meet up for a drink on the occasion that they were both home, he hadn’t given high school a second thought since the night he left. 

“Nah, man,” he said, grabbing for the sticky menu on the black table top, “I don’t.”

It had been years since he had seen Jeff, and he was surprised that he had recognized him at the gas station last night when he was filling up his motorcycle. 

His own appearance hadn’t changed much, dressed a little better, wore cologne now, normal shit that came along with getting out of puberty. 

Back then Jeff still had braces, a small lisp when he got really drunk. Now, he was a grown man. Living in Phoenix with a big important job at some company, home for the weekend to visit his parents, and watch his youngest brother graduate.

There would be no visiting family or old friends for him on this trip back to Hawkins. The thought of running into anyone he knew and having that painfully awkward small talk about the ‘good old days as a Tiger!’ made him cringe, as if that ever were the case for him. 

Having left this shit hole in the middle of the night seven years ago, he took nothing with him but some saved cash, his guitar, a full tank of gas and the clothes on his back. 

The heavy ache in his chest, brim filled with remorse, was an added carry on, something that didn’t go away with the miles he had put between him and Hawkins. 

He had planned to keep this town in the rearview, but life, probably karma, had other plans. 

Back in Hawkins strictly on “business,” that's what he told Jeff when the smiley old friend grabbed him into a bear hug in the checkout line, crushing the chips he was carrying to a powder in its aluminum bag. 

Technically, it was family business. But he hadn’t mentioned that to Jeff. He didn’t want the questions, didn’t want the pity.

He barely even knew his uncle that well anyway, but being the only living relative of the deceased, he didn’t have a choice when the call came through that he had passed. 

A week. That was the timeframe he told his job that he’d be gone for. Leaving just enough time to plan the funeral, and sell the trailer. 

Coming home to the haunting shadows of Hawkins was like playing in a graveyard filled with demons of his past. Sorrow filled every dark corner, looming around him like a fog, making him unable to forget the damage left behind. 

For years it had worked out fine, he had moved on. But every now and then, he had to push his inner demons down, and still to this day, years after the fact, they kept trying to crawl back up. The shame of his past coming to the forefront.

The music changes to another upbeat song that was popular on the radio, Jeff nods along to the beat, strumming his fingers against his belly like he was playing the guitar. 

He looked over at his old highschool friend and smiled for the first time since being back here, “still play?”

Jeff stretched a wide grin across his face, chuckling a little too loud, “only in my dreams… working seventy-hour weeks doesn’t really allow me to have that kinda freedom.” He nodded and smiled a little at the waitress who was coming to take their drink orders, “so what have you been up to man? It’s been years!”

He knew all too well about not having free time to spend the way he had wanted to. He didn’t even own a guitar anymore. The last time he saw his Warlock, it was sitting in a pawn shop in Nashville— the last of his many possessions sold to make ends meet. 

Ordering a beer, he counts his budget for this trip in his head, deciding to buy Jeff’s drink too. Maybe being back wouldn’t be so bad after a drink or two, a little liquid courage to get him through the night at least.

The pleather seat creaks beneath his weight when he leans back further into the booth, stretching his arms out wide. Trying to gain a sliver of comfort since being home. 

Working the pole to Ginger’s song of choice, Once Bitten, Twice Shy, you found it hard to get into music you could care less about. But you didn’t have time to complain. 

Legs crossed and spinning upside down, bare besides a face full of makeup and a red thong, you pretended that you were anywhere else but there. 

How nice it would be to not have to crawl across dirty dollar bills, teasing a faceless man with your body so that he would be eager enough to slip a twenty into your g-string.

Collecting your tips from your set, you tap them against your vanity in the dressing room, counting out loud your mind already knowing how much money will be put away after bills are paid. 

The long jagged crack in your mirror served as the only looking glass you liked to look in. The warped shapes of your face looking back at you made it easier to swallow the life you were living, as if it were a fever dream, a disturbed Alice in Wonderland type reality. 

In the mirror you weren’t a dancer at Queen of Hearts. You could be a nurse, a librarian, a cook in a shitty home town restaurant who went home smelling like grease instead of men’s cologne and wearing suspicious stains. 

It could be easy, simple really. Bus tickets weren’t terribly expensive. Going to any city, a map in your hand and the saved coffee can of cash tucked into your purse. You could almost imagine the taste of the ocean. The thought of even stepping outside of Indiana was enough to power you for the rest of the night. 

As easily as the daydream came it fluttered away when the boss stepped into the dressing room. 

His eyes loomed in a dead stare, sweat pooling on his temples. The ice in his glass shifted as it melted into the whiskey. A Colombian cigar tucked into his fat mouth had an inch long ash waiting to fall. 

He wasn’t much taller than you, barely older, but his attitude and small dick made him seem eight feet tall. 

“The hell are you doing in here? Fucking Christ woman, the girls are drowning out there, those needle dick college fucks are about to swing fists and you’re in here staring at yourself?”

“Just takin’ a little break Tommy, I gotta change.” 

“I don’t need any lip from you, better watch it before I match that other scar y’ hear me?” 

His threats didn’t scare you, it was who he answered to that made you terrified. A bad report to the big boss and you’d be drinking your meals through a straw. You knew because it’s already happened. Turns out you don’t need your mouth to swing around a pole. 

“Loud and clear.” 

This type of life was the only one you had ever known. You quite literally grew up with this environment right under your nose, and everyone at the club knew it. 

The romance novels you kept in your purse were full of knights in shining armor type of men, another fallacy to your looking glass. 

The thought of anything else was only real in your daydreams. Escaping the festering wound of Hawkins was impossible, almost unheard of. No one with your background got out. 

But he did.

Shoulder to shoulder, squeezing in sideways with grimy singles fisted in their hands, the club was stuffed to the hilt with sweaty, drunk, and extremely horny men. 

“… here!” you slam two more drinks onto the heaping tray and shove it into Wendy’s hands, “take this to those asshats and tell them we are out of triple sec, no more Long Island Ice Teas, if they want a drink they can order beer like everyone else.”

Wendy swung her hips with the Long Islands in tow over  to soften the hearts of the college boys. Batting her lashes, sitting topless on their laps and letting them tell her stories of the parties they went to, the classes they skipped and the girls they fucked. Anything to keep them from hollering and starting a fight with the locals. 

Lisa Ann was working over the business men from out of town, their briefcases shining with a matte patent leather, expensive watches adorning their wrists. Her pretty Marilyn Monroe smile on display as she brought over their drinks, tussling their hair between her pink fingernails, putty at her fingertips.  

Between the rest of you rotating between pouring drinks, collecting payments and trying to wiggle past the grabby hands of Donny, the roar of the busy hour had started to lull. 

All of you were tired and crabby, legs cramping and toes pinched in uncomfortable shoes. Jolene wiped her brow and blew out a deep breath. 

“Take fifteen,” you said to her, “I got it from here.” 

She shot you a wink and disappeared into the dressing room. 

Peeling the soles of your boots from the floor you lean your back against the shelf of liquor bottles. Working your hands on the base of your neck behind your head.

The usual crink that ached when you were stressed was flaring up again. Causing your shoulders to tense up and sending a pinched dull ache from your back up to your throbbing temples. Radiating your jaw, with a heat so fierce it could melt glass and it wasn’t even eleven o’ clock yet. 

Your eyes are pressed closed in a tight squeeze, maybe you could shut the pain out by pretending it wasn’t there.

“Tiffs just about done in room D,” Veronica chirped, her bracelets jingling in a metallic tune, “the ‘doctor’ again,” she explains with air quotes chuckling to herself.

“He’s only here on nights she’s workin’” you say exhaustedly,  “she’s his favorite.” 

Being one of the few regulars that wasn’t married, he was somehow the slimiest worm in the dirt. Tall and slender framed with icy white hair, he seemed to stare down his nose at the girls, his voice an eerily calm when he asked for Tiff, handing over the crisp fifties to secure her for the allotted amount of time. 

Beads click together as she stumbles in from the back, adjusting her lipstick and holding the ripped strap of her bra, followed behind her like clockwork was the doctor, tucking his oxford shirt into his slacks. 

Your jaw felt like it was going to ignite, as if it were covered in tension rods and the gears were  cranking it tighter and tighter, sweat beginning to form on your back, “can you hand me my purse?” 

Rustling your bag from underneath the bar, Veronica hands over the canvas tote, her emerald eyes staring at you expectantly like a serpent watching its prey, “care to share those little party favors?” 

Rolling your eyes, you move your hand through the contents inside. Pushing past a checkbook, lipsticks, and the papered corner of a tampon. Finally your fingers close around the smooth unlabeled bottle. 

Two tablets land in your palm when you pop the cap, and you shake it begrudgingly to release another tablet from the bottle for Veronica.

She giggles and grabs two shot glasses, pouring bourbon into them both. 

“Only one,” you instruct, a serious look in your eyes, “I’m not picking you up from the floor later.” 

A coy little smile on her lips, she brings the shot glasses over, handing one to you, “you worry too much.” 

Placing the pill in her free palm, you clink the glasses together in a little cheer. 

“To us,” Veronica grins, “may our titties stay perky, our asses juicy, the boys pockets fat and our kitties not loosey.” 

You roll your eyes and she laughs, her lips close around the glass the same as yours, and you swallow down the liquor, wincing at the taste. 

Within fifteen minutes the temporary high coats your brain like a warm blanket, floating you to a place far away from shiny poles, 6 inch heels, and ass slaps, away from Hawkins. 

Jeff listens intently as he explains a very bland and watered down version of how he left Hawkins and traveled east, working odd jobs. 

Skipping the part about how he lied about his age to find work, and how he spent an entire month getting his ass kicked after dishwashing shifts at some swanky restaurant outside of Raleigh. 

He explained the good stuff, how he worked part time at a tattoo shop for one of his buddies he met in Philly. His full time gig being a lead shift at a factory. 

It wasn’t that impressive, he knew that, but he couldn’t make himself give a shit what anyone thought of him. For only being twenty-three, he was proud of having a paycheck every two weeks from a legit place. 

The click of the waitresses shoes on the floor had Jeff looking up, thanking her for the drinks. She was dressed a little more conservative than the other waitresses had been, wearing a black mini skirt and a see-through red long sleeved top, showing off black sparkly stickers that covered her nipples. 

But that wasn’t what had him taking a second look. At first glance he thought maybe it was just a note written in pen, a reminder of some sort on the top of her hand, lots of people wrote on their hands right? But when she set the drinks down, reaching past them and across the table to grab a napkin, sopping up spilled beer, he almost choked on air.

It wasn’t something written in pen, or a weird unlucky shaped birthmark. The marks on her hand were two small symbols, they had faded with time and were blown out a little on the edges. 

Of course they were, because the identical marks on his hand were blurred the exact same way. Two little symbols, done on the hottest day in July. The smell of his childhood room stung his nose as he thought of that day. 

A day when you were both only thirteen. 

The regulars were bellied up to the bar holding an aluminum can toast to their long gone friend, hollering for you to play some David Allen Coe in a final goodbye. 

Flicking through the jukebox to find “Never Even Called Me By My Name,” you were too busy to pay any attention to the toast of the deceased buddy.

Maybe if you had, you wouldn’t have been completely blindsided. 

“Clovie?” A disgustingly sweet saccharine voice laced between bubble gum pink lips sang out from behind you, tapping you simultaneously on the shoulder, “be a dolly and run the drinks over to table 8, would ya?”

“Why c—”

Tiff was already gone, the door to the dressing room swinging shut in a shower of White Diamond perfume before you could even spin around and tell her where she could shove those aforementioned drinks. 

Outside of collecting her own tips, and pleasuring the doctor, Tiff never lifted a finger to help. 

Wiping your hands on the cleanest towel you could find, your muttering goes unheard as you cross back over to the bar and grab the cracked black plastic tray set with two large overflowing mugs of draft beer. 

The ground was sticky under your boots, like walking in half dried paint, sometimes you wondered if Wendy actually served a full drink to anyone. 

Balancing the heavy tray on your palm and shoulder, you pray that it won’t snap before you’re able to place the drinks down. 

Table 8 was occupied by a guy you had seen before but couldn’t remember from where, and a long dark curly haired woman who was facing away from you. 

The smile on your face was the fakest one you could make, hoping to maybe get a good tip before Tiff could notice and take her claim. 

“Alrighty,” your customer service voice sang with a false sweet sincerity, “looks like we have two Busch Lights?” 

The guy you had greeted smiled eagerly, moving his elbows from the table allowing room for the frosty mugs to be placed. 

Your fingers work gingerly to set the ruby colored drink napkins down first. The beer was placed carefully, his greedy fingers grabbing the handle before you could barely remove your hand from it. 

The second beer started to slide on the tray, and you over corrected causing it to land with a thud on the table, sloshing the pale ale all over the table—luckily not on the woman. 

So much for a tip, huh?

Apologizing quickly, you lean across the table and reach for the paper napkins. Wiping up the mess hastily you toss the wet heap onto your tray. 

Turning to the woman to offer her a look that’ll hopefully get you in her good graces— well enough that maybe her husband would reconsider tipping, “I’ll go fetch a rag and come back with another beer free of charge sweetheart,” you start to smile sheepishly, “I’m so s—”

The eyes you were met with were the deepest shade of brown, struck with astonishment, crowded by a grove of thick lashes, a look of dismay etched into them. 

Blinking once, twice, you couldn’t register if you were truly seeing this or hallucinating. 

You hadn’t seen those eyes in years, a flash of recognition drops on your face and the perky smile fades. Heart falling to the well of your stomach, punching the air from your lungs, heat rising to the surface of your cheeks. 

In an instant, you’re brought back to many years before tonight. When those eyes were younger, full of teenage angst and rebellion. 

Hell must’ve froze over, pigs were without a doubt flying overhead: Eddie Munson had returned to Hawkins. 

taglist: @mmunson86 @sidthedollface2 @winchester-angel @mrsjellymunson @joannamuns9n @tlclick73 @mewchiili @spacedoutdaydreamer @emxxblog @maybeisthemoon @str4ngergirlw0rld @chrrymunson @insertcoolnameherethanks @kellsck @prestinalove @mandyjo8719 @onegirlmanytales @mopeymopeymouse @veravee-blog @taintedcigs @eddies-acousticguitar @oeuryale @kthomps914 @bangaveragewhitewine @lil-quinnie @corrodedcoffincumslut @definitionwanderlust @madaboutjoe @littledemondani @eiightysixbaby @usedtobecooler

[jo-harrington]

Freaky Friday - A Stranger Things Story (Part 4)

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5

Word Count: 13.8k

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader, Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader, Eddie and Steve (Enemies to Friends)

Summary: Eddie thinks that Steve has everything in life handed to him on a silver platter (including his new girlfriend who Eddie has a crush on). And Steve just can't believe that the kids look up to Eddie the Freak, or that he lives his life without giving a single fuck.

Must be nice. But you know what they say, the grass is always greener.

Warnings/Themes: AU with no Upside Down. Angst, body swapping, dark magic/alchemy, unrequited love, mutual pining, fatphobia (if you squint?), Babysitter Steve, unresolved feelings, manipulation/deception, Things That Require Communication (Too Bad There Isn't Any), Reader gets a nickname (Honey), no Y/N if I can help it, brief mention of suicide, self hatred, loss of identity, oral sex (f receiving), vaginal fingering, dry humping

Note: Ok this one...took a while. And after 3 rewrites and me coming to a 3 am epiphany that I'm a better writer than I give myself credit for, here we are. Shout out to @ghost-proofbaby @trashmouth-richie @br0ck-eddie @big-ope-vibes and I'm sure a lot of other people for getting me through this. My computer is currently running like a potato and doesn't want me to add more to this text post.

You can find my masterlist here.

Please do not interact if you are not 18+.

Enjoy!

"What do you guys think he's doing?"

"He seems pretty focused. New lyrics?"

"Nah, he has to be planning something really messed up for Friday's session."

"Or, instead of lurking around and gossiping like old biddies," Steve raised his voice to add to the commentary. He glanced up from his notebook and passed an expectant look at the rest of Corroded Coffin as they hovered a few feet away, lunches in hand, hesitant to join him at the lunch table. "You could just ask. Now are you guys gonna just stand there looking like nerf herders or are you gonna sit?"

The boys immediately jumped and shuffled to the table to take their seats.

"Uh, so...Eddie," Jeff began hesitantly as worked on the latch of his lunchbox. "What, uh, are you writing?"

"Miller wants an essay about the Constitution," Steve explained and scratched his forehead with the worn-down eraser of his pencil.

"Oh shit, and it's due today?" Dave went wide-eyed.

"Nah, not til next week," Steve shrugged, and then looked up to see the dumbstruck expressions on Eddie's friends' faces. "What?"

"You're...doing homework that's due next week?" Gareth laughed. "Who are you and what've you done with Eddie?" The other boys chuckled and Steve couldn't help but crack a secret smile.

If they only knew.

It was another hour, another day, another week in the body of Eddie Munson.

For the most part it had been bearable, and Steve wondered if it was actually getting easier or he was just getting used to it. He really hadn't realized how many plates Eddie kept spinning though, and when he initially questioned how Eddie continued to fail senior year...well he quickly changed his tune.

On top of the Hellfire Club, Corroded Coffin gigs and practices, and the endless parties that he seemed to be invited to deal at, he seemed to take care of everyone.

He made sure the kids and the guys were all protected from bullies, which meant Steve had to perpetuate the whole Satanic facade--he was getting pretty good at the devil horns and tongue. The money he made dealing immediately got split between various stashes around the trailer, then his and Wayne's wallets, which made Steve extremely guilty about the allowance his mother bribed him with gave him. And if that wasn't enough, Eddie was the one who shopped and made meals for Wayne and, surprisingly, Reefer Rick.

Steve had only seen Rick a handful of times over the years before Eddie had taken over as the designated dealer at all the high school and college parties. More recently, Rick would only make a trip into Hawkins to stop by the VFW and then swing by Family Video. He never questioned why...and he almost felt ashamed that he never did before now.

He got too hung up on rumors and jokes. About Rick. And about Eddie.

Steve had promised to play the part though, and he did...but it was really starting to wear him out.

Still...Steve figured that he would make the slightest bit of an effort on Eddie's school work. For all the glory days of high school that Steve had...he was getting pretty sick of Hawkins High. At the very least, he could help Eddie get out of here. And at the most, if he was stuck in Eddie's body forever...well, he didn't want to be a 50-year old high school senior.

Jeff and the guys had mocked Eddie's speech about flipping Higgins off during graduation...and damn if Steve wasn't going to make that happen, come hell or high water.

The younger boys finally took their seats at the table, Dustin practically bursting with frantic energy, as usual, and Mike extra glum.

"What's got you down Wheeler?" Steve asked, throwing a pretzel at Mike's head. "I know it's only Monday but..."

"Someone's keeping my birthday present a secret," Mike groused and Dustin rolled his eyes.

"Here we go. He's been complaining about it all day," he explained. "Lucas and I literally can't have a minute alone to discuss it."

"You know I hate secrets."

"And he tried to bribe Will."

The two of them squabbled back and forth and Steve grinned fondly.

He might've loathed the homework but he was glad he got to see the kids more. More still, he was...almost grateful that Eddie had been there to guide them through the minefield of the first few months of freshman year, since he couldn't.

"Alright, that's it. Shut up!" Steve finally shouted. "You're just gonna have to have a little patience, Wheeler. Just cuz your mommy still says you're special, doesn't mean everyone else is gonna let you walk all over them."

The guys all snickered and made quiet jabs and kissy noises at him, calling him Mama's Boy and the like, as Mike turned red.

"Shut up I don't--hey, how did you know about that?" he narrowed his eyes. Steve's eyebrows jumped in challenge and Mike backed down with a sigh. "Whatever. Fuck you guys...anyway, Eddie, my sister wants to talk to you," he announced in a bored tone.

Now that piqued Steve's interest; he sat up straight and glanced around the cafeteria for her.

As though he didn't know exactly where she and Jonathan Byers sat.

He felt his heart speed up when he met her eyes and she waved him over.

Steve had done his best over the last year-and-a-half to get over Nancy. He'd gone to prom solo, asked new girls out left and right...shit he'd even tried to get her back once or twice. Or at least get her to dump Jonathan. He wasn't entirely proud of it but...Robin had really been the one to set him straight.

He'd faced a lot of bitter realizations but he thought he'd been through the thick of it. Seeing Nancy in passing now and again at school though...well it wasn't doing anything to help that.

And now Nancy wanted to talk to Eddie? Why? They didn't have any classes together--she had practically all Advanced Placement classes and Eddie obviously didn't. Aside from his association with Mike, Nancy steered clear of Eddie.

As Steve got to his feet--ignoring Dustin's cry of "hey can you meet me in the library after school"--a laughable thought struck Steve.

First you had confessed your crush on Eddie. What if Nancy was next in line?

He faltered in his step as he made his way across the cafeteria.

Maybe it wasn't so laughable after all.

Since you had made that little confession to "Eddie," Steve had gotten half-the-idea in his head that...well Eddie wasn't that bad of a guy, what if he could find Eddie a girlfriend or something? He'd tried to ask out a few of the cheerleaders who had approached him about dealing at a party but was promptly laughed at.

And he wasn't gonna even bring up that one girl who was lingering in the theater department last Friday after school, as he went to set up for Hellfire with the kids. He was lucky she didn't just die of fright as he said hi.

What if the answer was Nancy all along?

It almost made him feel a little sick.

Except...

She liked...weird guys like Jonathan...and Eddie was certainly a weird kind of guy. And one of the things Nancy had liked about Steve had been his cool personality. Sure Eddie was sort of a loser...but she was popular now thanks to Steve...what if she liked the cool, bad boy and was getting bored of Jonathan.

As he continued on his journey he mentally calculated the distance between Will and Nancy. Their table was pretty packed--filled with their friends from Newspaper--and there was more distance between them than there had been between him and Nancy right before they broke up.

"Hey, uh, Byers, Wheeler," he greeted awkwardly and crossed his arms over his chest and devoted his attention to Nancy. "You wanted to talk?"

"Yeah can we..." she got to her feet and motioned toward the door.

Steve's heart pounded in his ears as he followed.

"Listen, Miss O'Donnell was a little worried about your grade and she asked if I could maybe...tutor you," Nancy explained, then paused pensively. "Actually, I asked her for a letter of recommendation for one of my applications and she said she would if I tutored you ahead of the midterm. Sorry. I-I do think she's really concerned about your progress though."

"I think the more accurate statement is that she doesn't wanna see my ugly mug in her class again next year," he joked and she gave him a tight-lipped, sympathetic smile.

"I didn't want to agree if you weren't open to it," Nancy sighed. "But I really need that letter. You'd...you'd really be my hero if you did this."

Steve stared at her for a moment, his thoughts racing at all the possibilities.

It didn't really sound like she was tempted to leave Jonathan in the first place but...that didn't mean he couldn't turn on the old Harrington charm. She had fallen for it once...maybe she enjoyed the charm just in a different package. And yeah, he had you waiting for him if he ever made it back to his body. But...if he didn't...

"Listen, I want out of here as much as the next person," Steve finally replied. "So, uh, I'm game if you are."

"Great!" Nancy placed a hand on his shoulder excitedly and Steve could practically feel the warmth of it despite the layers of denim and leather. "Uh...I have some free time after school today?"

Steve vaguely remembered Dustin wanting to meet him...he was sure it had something to do with the spell and he certainly didn't want Nancy to find out about that.

"I, uh, have a Hellfire thing," he lied. "How about Wednesday? I always study better with a few snacks. We can meet at Benny's? 5 o'clock?"

Nancy nodded and confirmed the time and place. She placed her hand on his shoulder again, then went back into the cafeteria.

It took a second, but Steve suddenly felt like all the wind was knocked out of him.

"Eddie" had a study date with Nancy on Wednesday.

He had a date with Nancy.

Eddie was halfway through his shift before anything exciting happened.

Sorry, halfway through Steve's shift.

He really wasn't trying to be bitter but...

Eddie had spiraled for a few days after the unfortunate mishap while he was trying to...relieve himself. Sure, it started with "Steve's" relationship with you, but it was almost like Pandora's box; once the box was opened, everything flooded out. He couldn't sleep without thinking of it, and every waking moment, he was consumed by the blaring differences in their lives.

He wasn't himself and it was driving him crazy. Making him sick.

The smell of the laundry detergent Mary Harrington used, the taste of the tap water in their hose, the softness of Steve's bed.

He'd tried to get comfortable in someone else's skin but the truth was that he wasn't going to fit in it, even if he wanted to.

However, in order to get back to his own life, he needed to keep playing the part of King Steve Harrington, keep stuffing himself into a place that didn't fit. Ignore the stifling tightness, the bulges, and the stretching at the seams of his very being.

That didn't mean he had to give up everything that made him Eddie.

He'd had a day off last Tuesday, and he'd just...spent it trying to reconnect with himself.

He'd stopped by Rick's for weed--and also to check on him, even though Rick wouldn't realize he was Eddie--drove up to Fort Wayne to get high and walk through the conservatory, buy some concert tees at the second hand shop.

By the time he arrived at the Hideout for Corroded Coffin's gig, he felt almost whole. And then he had one of the best performances of his life.

Only to realize that he couldn’t fully enjoy it.

Which led him to skip out on Benny’s with the guys after the set, because as much as he wanted to see you, he knew he couldn’t stand to witness the way you would be indifferent to “Eddie” only to dote on “Steve.”

This was so fucked up. He didn’t know how much longer he could take it.

It was as he had that very thought that his beloved van pulled up right outside the store and “Eddie” and the kids piled out, looking frantic and excited.

Dustin caught Eddie’s attention and quickly waved to get him to come outside.

“I thought you were the babysitter Harrington,” Keith sniffed judgmentally from the front of the shop where he was stocking a display. “What’s Munson doing here with your kids?”

“He got custody in the divorce,” Eddie snarled and vaulted over the counter. “I’m taking my lunch.”

“Wh-hey?!” Keith stuttered as Eddie strutted out the door purposefully. “You forgot to clock out!”

Steve and the kids were all talking over one another excitedly by the time he reached the group.

“They wouldn’t tell me shit until we got here,” Steve grinned. “But apparently they figured out how to fix this.”

“What?!” Eddie’s eyes went wide, the prospect of being back in his own body too monumental to not be excited. “That’s great!”

“We’ve translated the passage!” Dustin announced.

“We?” Lucas asked skeptically.

“Lucas translated the passage,” Dustin amended.

Before Eddie knew it, he and Steve were sitting in the back of the van as Dustin, Lucas, and Will went back and forth over their findings.

He felt like he was in an episode of Columbo for a minute. The kids being detectives who solved a great mystery and were reliving their investigation step-by-step. Lucas did most of the Latin translation, but part of it fell on Will’s shoulders. It wasn’t your run-of-the-mill Latin they learned in class but some obscure dialect.

“Which, uh, I coincidentally have a book about because I have actually been coming up with that one-off campaign for Mike’s birthday,” Will confessed and reached up to scratch the back of his neck as he turned red. The other boys whooped and patted him on the back and Eddie couldn’t help but feel proud of him too.

Eddie always said these kids were the future of Hellfire, but truly he couldn't see them having a better DM than Will Byers.

"Anyway," Dustin returned to the topic at hand. "This is what we ended up with." He pulled a crumpled up piece of notebook paper from its place within his backpack and handed it to Eddie.

The page was covered in crossed out words and different scribbles in each of the boys' incredibly distinct handwriting.

"Jeez, you couldn't have at least rewritten it on a fresh piece of paper?" Steve asked critically. Dustin simply rolled his eyes and grumbled something along the lines of "next time you're cursed, you're on your own" as Eddie and Steve leaned together to read the translation.

A journey soon begins, its prize reflected in another's eyes. If what you see is what you lack, then selfless love will change you back.

Eddie felt his throat tighten as the guilt washed over him.

Sure, he had accepted that the fault lay entirely with him--he already vowed not to use any occult books for future campaigns again--but seeing it there on paper just solidified it.

A prize reflected in another's eyes. You. But you weren't some prize to be won. Sure he...he wanted you to be his but you weren't some object. And to think of you that way...well...he knew enough about magic to know that it didn't happen by accident. He had to believe that you were a prize, at least a little bit, to make something like this happen.

He rubbed a hand over his eyes wearily.

This wasn't what he wanted at all.

"Alright, so what does it mean?" Steve questioned.

"It means you two are jealous of each other," Lucas explained.

Both Steve and Eddie stiffened.

"What?" they exclaimed in tandem. They looked at each other and Eddie laughed while Steve simply looked horrified.

"What do you mean, jealous of each other?" Eddie scoffed.

"Oh, come on Munson," Steve rolled his eyes. "Of course you're jealous of me, this entire predicament we're in is because of you and because--."

"No, no," Eddie held out a hand to stop him from continuing. "Shut up. I'm jealous, alright? Jealous that you seem to get everything handed to you. Anything you want? It's yours. Is that what you wanna hear Stevie?

"But," Eddie paused and narrowed his eyes. "Why are you jealous of me?"

"W-what?" Steve coughed awkwardly. "I'm not--"

"Why did you say that Sinclair?" Eddie jumped to his feet and pointed at Lucas. "Why did you say that we were jealous of each other?"

"Uhhh..." Lucas squirmed a little under the intense scrutiny of the older boys. "W-well...it's about the way the sentences were structured. I'm not...I'm not an expert or anything but it's referring to you in plural. If what you, vōs, seek is what you lack. Not you, tu."

Eddie then turned back to Steve and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well?" Eddie asked expectantly.

Steve was still for a moment before he began fidgeting. He fumbled over his words--a bunch of well-you-sees and you-don't-understands--as he pinched the bridge of his nose and ran a hand through his hair. Eddie watched, almost sympathetically knowing how hard it was for him getting used to Steve's unfamiliar body, as Steve faltered with his longer mane.

"It's...I...it doesn't matter!" Steve finally shouted. He jumped to his feet and put his hands on his hips; he began pacing back and forth, one arm occasionally flailing as he gesticulated. "It doesn't matter why I'm jealous of Eddie? So what? We need to figure out how we can fix this.

"Selfless love? For what? For each other?" Steve blew a raspberry childishly. "Fat fucking chance. There has to be another way. I don't care what we need to do. I just want to change back."

"Change back from what?" a light, raspy voice sounded from over their shoulders.

The entire group stiffened and turned toward the voice and, lo and behold, there stood Robin. Shuffling her feet back and forth restlessly, frozen in place as she tugged her family video vest from her backpack. The moment everyone's eyes were on her, she grinned bashfully and waved at them all.

"Well, shit," Steve cursed in the most Eddie-like fashion.

If it had been up to Steve, Robin would never have found out about the whole...switching bodies...curse...spell...thing...

But when did something he wanted ever be taken into account by the universe, huh?

As soon as the group had realized Robin was there, all of the deflection and anger drained from Steve's body. He felt guilty for another one of his friends getting dragged into this mess. Because as much as he was happy to let Eddie take the fall, the fact of the matter was that Steve was just as jealous of Eddie.

As much as Eddie had admitted to being of him.

Steve had wanted to give her an explanation right then and there, and he would have if Keith hadn't chosen that moment to be his usual effervescent self.

"I'm closing the arcade tonight," he opened the door and glared across the parking lot at "Steve" and Robin. "So you need to clock in Buckley, and if your friends are still here by the time I take my break later, your hours are getting cut."

If there was one thing Steve had to choose that he didn't miss about his own life, it would be his boss.

So Steve brought the kids home and then returned to the Family Video parking lot to endure panic-inducing silence as he waited for Eddie and Robin to close the store. He could have listened to one of Eddie's endless tapes or smoked--Eddie's body was constantly craving one thing or another: cigarettes, sugary or salty snacks--to kill the time. He simply couldn't bring himself to do it.

It was a literal out-of-body experience. He watched himself and Robin talk and laugh as they went back and forth, helping customers and cleaning up once the store was empty. He knew his friend, knew that she was stronger and smarter than other people gave her credit for.

But this? This made him feel dizzy sometimes if he thought about it too hard.

He hoped they wouldn't get too far, so he could at least...have a decent conversation with her for the first time in a few weeks. Short of seeing her in passing at school...well...he hadn't gone this long without talking to Robin since they became friends.

And he really needed his best friend right now.

Eventually the lights in the businesses of the strip mall began to click off, one by one, and Steve practically held his breath until Family Video's lights finally shut and Eddie and Robin exited the building.

Eddie slapped a hand on Robin's shoulder and said something that made her roll her eyes before he got into Steve's car and drove away.

Robin made a beeline for the van and silently hopped into the passenger's side. Steve's hands--Eddie's hands--gripped the steering wheel tightly enough that he could feel the rings cutting into the creases of his fingers.

The atmosphere in the van was heavy as he sat under Robin’s scrutinizing gaze.

"I knew something was up," Robin finally announced as she slammed the door closed. Steve looked at her as though she had grown a second head.

"What do you mean ‘you knew?’” Steve asked incredulously.

She sighed and began counting on her fingers.

“You’ve been a real grouch when you’ve picked me up from class lately and I know you’re a morning person. Which sucks, by the way. You asked if I wanted to skip home room and get McDonald’s breakfast with you, you hate McMuffins—”

She went on and on, and Steve melted. Yeah, he could admit they had their squabbles and they didn't always see eye to eye. But at the end of the day, no one really understood them like they did each other.

And it felt really good to be understood as Steve Harrington right now.

"--and then you're always complaining when your mom doesn't cut the crusts off your sandwiches and lately you've just been eating them. Also I mentioned something about Vickie the other day and you just ignored it, so I figured that you were just annoyed with me."

She heaved a little bit at the end, having said the last bit in one go without stopping for air. Steve reached across the console and flicked her ear, causing her to slap at his hand.

"Ow, butthead! What was that for?" she exclaimed.

"Are you fucking kidding me Rob?" Steve burst out laughing and Robin chuckled along with him. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"How was I supposed to know you switched bodies?" she slouched into her seat. "Here I was thinking that you just didn't wanna be friends with me anymore. Which, you have to admit, is a more likely explanation."

Steve was about to protest but he stopped mid-word and frowned.

"You know what? You're right."

"I know," she grinned smugly. "Now what have you been up to and how much help do you need with this whole 'switching back' thing? Because Eddie isn't that great at being Steve, which means you must really suck at being Eddie."

They went back and forth as Steve put the van into drive and regaled Robin with stories and mishaps in the short time he'd spent as Eddie Munson, and she laughed at his stupidity.

After he left Family Video, Eddie found himself driving aimlessly through the streets of Hawkins. He thought a weight would have lifted off his shoulders after he explained everything to Robin, but everything was...almost a little worse now.

She'd had questions, like any normal person would. Actually, a normal person would have just had them committed. Robin was special though; her own brand of freak. And she was quick to adapt.

Eventually though...the topic turned to you.

When was Eddie gonna tell you what happened? Did you already know? You deserved to know before you fell too hard for Steve; otherwise, you'd be heartbroken if you ever found out that he was actually Eddie.

Of course, that only fed into all of Eddie's insecurities and self-hatred. All of the doubts he had spent days trying to stuff into the furthest corner of his mind returned with a vengeance.

You wouldn't feel the same thing about him if he was actually Eddie Munson.

Robin didn't know exactly what her words had done to him; she was fully oblivious to his real feelings for you. So he'd done his best to keep those thoughts at bay, and resolved to treat himself to a drive around with the windows rolled down and headband to Metallica as he smoked.

But then Robin opened her big mouth as they locked up for the night and it sent him into another spiral.

"You know...with a little more time, I would have probably figured it out," she chuckled. "You're not as good at being Steve as you think."

At first he wondered if that meant you might figure it out with a little more time. You were sharp, especially when it came to other people; what if one day he did something so inexplicably Eddie that you simply refused to believe he was Steve anymore. Sure, you probably wouldn't be able to guess that he actually was Eddie but...he wouldn't be the Steve you liked anymore.

If he did tell you the truth, would you break up with him? Would you hate him? He'd gotten close many times...but it was just so...ridiculous.

But then Eddie realized that he had been banking on the fact that he was doing all sorts of lovely things with you, had such a deep connection with you--he thought so, at least--and that Steve himself could never live up to it if they switched back.

What if he had you wrong all along? And it wasn't the deep connection that you both built? But just...the fact that he was Steve? You really hadn't had many .boyfriends during school, when you hung around with Mickey's sister. Or any, actually. What if you had a crush on Steve all that time and now...

Eddie felt sick.

Sicker than he was the other night. Sicker than he felt after a bad high. All he wanted was to go back home; not the empty Harrington house, but home. Back to the trailer and his stupid bed and to Wayne, who would give him a stiff hug once he saw Eddie was feeling so down.

But he couldn't.

So he went to the place that felt the next closest to home as he could get right now.

To Benny's.

Benny's had always felt like home to him. When his mom was still alive, waiting tables. She'd pick him up from school and sometimes bring him to work with her. He'd sit at a table in the very, very corner scribbling in his notebook or reading; she'd always scold him to do his homework but Benny would bring him a milkshake and tell Eddie that if he never finished school Eddie didn't need to either.

And to you.

You'd become more home than he ever realized before. Faced with the thought of losing you, he knew he would get over the pain if he absolutely had to. He could move on. But something would always be missing. If none of this had ever happened, the home that you were to him would have stayed cherry pie slices on Tuesday nights and the scribbles in his old notebooks.

But now he knew the taste of your kiss and the weight of your hand in his. He couldn't pretend anymore. He had to know.

Eddie didn't hesitate as he pulled into the gravel parking lot. He was out of the car and headed into the diner as soon as the keys were out of the ignition.

It was almost closing time, so the diner was pretty quiet save for a family finishing up a late supper and Chief Hopper who sat at the counter with a slice of apple pie, chatting with Benny through the serving hatch. You were hunched at a table--the very same table his mom would sit him at--rolling silverware; your eyes darted around the diner every so often to make sure your customers were taken care of, and they immediately sparkled when they landed on him.

The motivation he had to make it into the diner was immediately replaced by those stupid nerves.

"Hey honey," Eddie greeted nervously once you crossed the diner and stood before him. The courage momentarily gone, especially as you made it to the door to greet him. "Uh...table for one?"

"We're about to close," you frowned and glanced over your shoulder. "Uh, but I can ask Benny if--"

"Wait, no," Eddie stopped you before you could go anywhere. "I was just kidding. I really wanted...to see you. I missed you."

"Oh! I missed you too," you grabbed his hand in yours and squeezed. "It looks like you came here straight from work. Everything ok Steve?

His ears started ringing; there it was again.

Steve, Steve, Steve.

The name he had gotten so used to and so sick of. The person he had gotten so sick of being.

"What do you like about me?" he sought suddenly, desperately. "Like...really, why did you agree to go out with me when you could have...dated any other guy?"

Your eyes went wide and you began squirming nervously. He couldn't quite place it but there was something there...something that made him even more nervous.

"Uh, hey Ben, can I take a quick 5?" you asked over your shoulder and Benny poked his head through the window. He narrowed his eyes at "Steve" momentarily but nodded.

"No funny business kid," Benny warned. "She's the best I've got."

You pulled Eddie out the door and to the side of the building, where you took your breaks. Where he had danced with you last week.

"So?" he began impatiently. "Why do you like me?"

"Where is this coming from?" you questioned quickly. "Did...I don't know...did Eddie say something to you?"

"Eddie?" Had you...told him something? Something that would upset "Steve?" What would you tell him? And why hadn't Steve mentioned anything about you talking to him.

Eddie tried to rationalize it. You saw him as a friend, and Steve knew you thought Eddie was a friend. Steve still saw you as his own girlfriend. Maybe you were trying to...Maybe you...Maybe he...

Fuck it was really confusing if he really thought about it. He just needed a straight fucking answer. Otherwise he was gonna go crazy.

"No," Eddie shook his head. He would have to go out on a limb here. "No Eddie didn't say anything but I...I don't know. We've been going out for a little while I guess...even when I first asked you out, I never asked why you said yes. And I just...don't know why you would even want to go out with me."

Your eyes got sad, and took a breath, almost relieved, as your fidgeting stopped.

"I mean, I guess...I've had crushes and stuff before," you began.

Crushes? Oh god, what if you were about to confess you had a crush on Steve. Steve...well he understood, Steve was handsome...not his type...it would hurt but he understood.

"N-no one ever...ever really wanted to ask me out for more than...than a party or something," you chuckled. "I mean they did but...high school right? Everyone kind of sucked. You kinda sucked too Steve.

"And I really wasn't...ok it's funny because I was actually planning to break things off with you." You chuckled and Eddie perked up a little. "You were kind of...self centered, and you...you kept...I don't know. I know you had that breakup with Nancy, so I didn't want to be mean, but you just kept bringing her up!

"But then you...you really surprised me. I told you...you're not...not anything I expected. You don't even seem like you were when you first asked me out. You're...caring and you listen. You're funny, and you like classic horror movies? And then you--"

You went on and on, eyes getting brighter with each word. Eddie felt lighter. Everything you said that you liked about him, well they were all about Eddie. Not Steve.

He was...he was getting in his head for nothing. That's all it was. It was just...nerves and...and...he had nothing to worry about. He could have you, when all was said and done. Hell, he could probably tell you right now once you were finished; tell you the truth about the spell, tell you that he was Eddie, tell you that he...liked you and that you were the thing that kept him going all this time.

You'd probably be...confused. But you knew him. You knew Eddie. It would all make sense in the end. And hopefully, you wouldn't turn him away.

In that moment, however, seeing that pride and confidence take over you as you listed all the reasons you liked him--the way you were so sure of your feelings--made Eddie's own confidence falter. He wasn't an idiot, he knew that telling the truth felt freeing. To you, you were just confessing how much you liked "Steve," and while all of the things you just said made him...so incredibly happy...he couldn't help but wonder...

What if you were angry that he kept this secret from you? What if you...hated him for lying?

Robin said it herself, you deserved to know the truth, before you fell too hard. He should have told you immediately. He shouldn't have acted in his own interest. You were...you deserved so much better.

The doubt you just helped brush away began festering inside of him again.

You deserved to know the truth, but he couldn't hurt you more now. And as much as he wanted you to...to love him, to love Eddie Munson he knew that you would feel too betrayed to ever trust him again if he told you.

"--and it kind of helps that you're really cute too." You finally finished with the brightest, most tender smile he ever saw. "Sorry I guess that's just the long winded way of me saying...I really like you Steve."

And as Eddie ignored the twist in his gut at Steve's name--as he kissed you--he decided that he simply couldn't tell you the truth. Ever.

Eddie felt bad just leaving after he barged into Benny's like that, and to be completely honest, even though the guilt was eating at him he didn't want to leave your side. He convinced you to go out with him for a late night snack and then he followed you home where he gave you another sweet kiss on your front porch.

"You're spoiling me," you giggled as you fiddled with your keys.

"You deserve a lot more than I can give you, Honey," he told you truthfully. "So much better than someone like me."

"Impossible."

It was close to midnight when he pulled into the Harrington's driveway, and Eddie cursed when he noticed the two expensive cars parked beside each other and the lights on in the house.

He hadn't had the misfortune of encountering both of Steve's parents at the same time yet. His dad was usually at work and mom usually just...gone, so the few times he did see them...they were just on their own and he could dodge any questions or conversations.

"Whatever you do, just don't talk to them," Steve had told him. And Eddie had kept up that end of the deal so far. He couldn't be so sure now. He would just have to try his best to get up the stairs and into bed before they noticed their "son" was home.

Eddie turned the key in the lock as quietly as he could, entered the house and closed the door behind him without more than a click. He avoided dropping his keys in the little dish on the table in the hall--

There was chatter coming from the living room, quiet laughter. That was odd. From what Steve made it sound like, his parents always fought.

--but he couldn't avoid running into the table itself. The table wobbled and the other keys in the dish clattered and caused a commotion. The laughter stopped abruptly.

"Steven?" Mary's voice sounded frantic and alarmed.

Shit.

"Yeah mom, it's me." Eddie winced and tried to steady the table.

"I didn't think you'd be home tonight, it's already so late." She was immediately in the hall, eyes darting around, arms crossed over her chest. Her makeup was smeared and hair disheveled. Even her clothes looked in disarray.

Gross. Eddie didn't want to think about the Harringtons fucking on the couch he took a nap on the other day.

"Worked late," Eddie answered dismissively, wanting desperately to get out of this situation. "Just like dad does."

Eddie tried to take a step around her--if they knew he was home, he might as well grab some water or a pop before he went up to bed. Maybe a beer if he had to think of Steve's parents like that. Mary immediately stepped in front of him and blocked his way.

"I was worried," she stated blankly, eyes dead on him now.

"Clearly not, if you thought I wasn't coming home," Eddie snarked, annoyed now that she was making this difficult for him. Here was the bitchy PTA mom Mary Harrington he knew and loved. "I just want to get a snack and go to bed."

"It's late, just go to bed Steven."

"No, I--"

"Now is that really any way to talk to your mother?" a deep voice sounded from behind Mary.

Eddie rolled his eyes, now ready for a fight with Big Papa Harrington--

The thing about the Harringtons was that they looked like something out of a Sears Catalog. Tom was tall with salt-and-pepper hair that coiffed perfectly on his head, bright blue eyes, and a firm, trustworthy voice that always meant business. Mary was a petite brunette with warm hazel eyes, impeccable taste in clothing, and a sweet voice that went shrill when she was upset. And Steve was a good mix of the two; the perfect poster boy for their coveted suburban life.

--only to freeze in surprise when an older man with blond hair stepped out of the living room. His necktie was in his hand, lipstick was smeared across his mouth, and he was shrugging on his suit jacket. The flag pin on his lapel glinted in the hall light, like the unspoken warning in his eyes.

Eddie's mind raced as he tried to make sense of it all.

Steve asked him not to talk to either of his parents very much, to keep their interactions with him short. How he got bitter at even the mention of his parents. The lunches, the calendar, the laundry. The allowance money that she gave him, even though practically everyone knew Steve had been cut off from his dad's wallet. Eddie thought that the allowance money was the secret they were keeping from Tom.

"You can't be mad at me forever, Steve," she had told him the other day.

"It's good to see you again, Steven," he smiled his election-winning smile and put a protective hand on Mary's shoulder. "We were just discussing how the historical society is contributing to the--"

"Larry was just leaving," Mary announced and glared up at Mayor Kline. The Mayor nodded and patted his hand on her shoulder once again before he slunk between them and out the door, Eddie's eyes following him until he was gone.

For all the gruff manner about him, Eddie's uncle Wayne was a bit of a gossip monger. Always had been. He got most of his gossip from the ladies around the trailer park that would offer a cup of coffee in exchange for some handyman repair work that they couldn't do themselves. So Eddie had become quite adept in Hawkins gossip. Rumor around town was that Tom was the one cheating. It was why Mary had the nicest car and the most expensive jewelry. It was why she went on all of his business trips and was treated to lavish weekend getaways.

No one expected that...

"You're cheating on dad," Eddie practically spat at Mary. She heaved a heavy, tired sigh and rolled her eyes a little bit.

"Yes Steven," she agreed. "We've been through this all before. I'm ruining the family, your father is going to be heartbroken, but I don't think I see him here." She waved her arms out and looked around.

"It's past midnight and he's still at the office crunching the numbers," Mary continued. "There are things you just don't understand and you won't until you're grown up and married. But seeing how late you're coming home. Working late. Just like dad.

"So I don't want to hear it from you. I already made you a deal. You got your allowance back. I get to keep my secrets."

She waved her hands dismissively then turned back into the living room, leaving Eddie behind in the hall to process the entire conversation.

He went through the motions as he trudged up the stairs and got ready for bed. As he went to brush his teeth...he stared at his reflection. At Steve's reflection. Stared into tired eyes with purple circles underneath them and a gauntness that hadn't been there earlier.

On top of all the other shit he was feeling...this especially was heavy, and sickening.

Not because Eddie was fond of Mary or Tom or douchebag Mayor Kline.

Not because he was under some illusion that marriages were supposed to be perfect and families were happy.

Not even at his own partial triumph that the perfect Harringtons were truly about as far from perfect as one could get.

But at the realization Steve had to live with the truth that could break up his family.

Steve's visit had you practically floating through the next few days. It was unexpected and so...perfect.

You had gone a few days without seeing him. Not that...you were trying to be clingy or anything. But for the past two weeks he had been consistent in his attention and affection for you...and for it to suddenly stop the day after you tore up your diary and resolved to get over Eddie?

After you told Eddie about your crush in the first place?

It had you in a panic. And, of course, instead of try to communicate and reach out at all, you internalized it and catastrophized.

What if Eddie told Steve? What if Steve hated you now? What if that's why he hadn't called? Or come in with the rest of the guys after their next show?

You thought it all came crashing down when Steve had stopped by and asked you why you went out with him. You thought he was trying to get the truth out of you and for a moment...it felt like the worst thing in the world.

Losing Steve felt like the worst thing that could ever happen to you.

But when he asked again, seeming so lost and insecure. God, it just cut you, because...how could he not see how great he was? Why did he doubt that you liked him?

You relived it after you got home that night. Went over every moment, tried to make sense of it all. Tried to pinpoint anything you had done. And really the only thing you could think of was telling Eddie about your crush.

But...the good definitely outweighed the bad. Your little self-pity and worry over Steve's abandonment of you had vanished and...even now, you were still giggling over him. Over the happiness you felt that you liked him so much, that he liked you back. Liked you enough to worry that you might not like him.

You had to admit that it all felt silly. All of the back-and-forthing, all the doubt. But silliness was good, and it just made the days pass by swiftly. Benny had kept grumbling good-naturedly at your bright smile. He teased you and asked if you needed a quick 5 minute break later and if Steve would be waiting outside for you after close.

Hell, even Lynn's bitterness wouldn't ruin your good mood.

"Alright, Sunshine," she groused at the start of the early dinner rush, just as you came back from your break. "Better hike up that skirt a few inches. Your boyfriend's here, so you gotta look extra cute if you want a good tip. God knows your serving isn't good enough for it."

You felt yourself getting hot from embarrassment; not for Lynn's rude comments but because she said boyfriend, the fact that he was so recognizable now.

God, if Steve was here, Benny would never let you hear the end of it. But how did she know? Steve had work on Wednesdays...

You subconsciously touched your hair and adjusted your uniform before stepping into the dining room. Your eyes swept over the tables, looking for his familiar fluffy head of hair...only to come across another incredibly familiar head.

Your boyfriend. Lynn thought Eddie was your boyfriend.

Eddie's long, curly mane took flight as his head was thrown back, his laughter lost over the din of chattering customers. For a second you assumed he would be there with Jeff or Gareth--hell, he might even be there with Mickey catching up--until you saw the ultra-styled brunette perm that bounced with every motion.

In that moment, you either turned to stone, or you fell into a deep, dark abyss. It was hard to tell. It could have been both. Or neither. But something happened to you and you ceased to exist as you did just seconds before. Benny's little bell in the service hatch sounded flat and distant. The grumpy old man demanding coffee simply melted into the floor. Lynn became a blur in your peripheral vision and phased between tables like a phantom.

And Eddie and Nancy remained in perfect, painful focus.

Nancy Wheeler. Nancy Wheeler. Nancy Wheeler.

The bell in the window dinged twice and Benny shouted something to Lynn, effectively breaking you from your trance. You wiped your now-clammy hands on your apron and quickly approached the table.

"Hey, how's it going today? Can I get you guys something to drink?" You forced a polite smile onto your face and glanced between them.

This was the closest you'd been to Nancy...possibly ever; she was a year younger than you and aside from your interactions with Steve now, you really never had any business hanging near him when you were still at Hawkins High. She was really pretty. Her blue eyes sparkled, her smile was cute, and her voice was sweet and soft as she asked for coffee, please. Some dark part of you that made you hate yourself though that she was everything you weren't, and you couldn't blame it because Eddie was looking at her like she hung the stars.

"Eddie, are you gonna order?" Nancy's eyebrows jumped expectantly. "It's busy, I'm sure she has other people to help."

"Oh he's a regular he gets--" you started to defend him but Eddie cut you off.

"Just ice water." He didn't even look at you. "Thanks honey."

Your throat got tight and you shot them both a tight smile with a quick "be right back."

How did she do it? How was she...how did she get everyone? She had a boyfriend right? Unless they broke up. But still...she had Steve hung up on her for God-knows-how-long, and now Eddie was like a lovesick puppy.

Your mind raced as you retreated back to the kitchen and went through the motions of your job. Lynn was terrible about starting a fresh pot and you were relieved that you'd have an extra minute of respite to think before you did something stupid like spill hot coffee in Eddie's lap.

What were they doing here? Was this a date? You thought...you saw textbooks on the table. Were they just doing homework or...did they have class together? You'd offered a study session with Eddie once. Not a date. And it was in the library and not Benny's. Fuck. Was it a date? Fuck. And he never looked at anyone like that, let alone you.

Your movements were jerky and full of emotion. Coffee grounds spattered as you scooped them into the brewer, you slammed Eddie's water glass onto the counter, and by the time you were halfway bent inside the ice maker, taking out your frustrations on frozen water, Benny had enough.

"You need a different weapon to stab that ice kid?" Benny chuckled. You stood straight and faced him with, what you were sure was, a pathetic expression.

"I'm sorry Ben I--"

"You just came back from break," he stated matter-of-factly and crossed his arms over his chest. "What's got you all worked up already? Someone out there harassing you? Need me to kick 'em out?"

"I mean, unless you wanna fire me," you replied tiredly, knowing you were more frustrated with yourself than with Eddie or Nancy.

"Ah," he nodded sagely. "I got it. Yeah, I go 8 rounds with myself sometimes too. Wanna talk?"

Did you want to talk to your boss about silly boy trouble? Trouble that you were trying to work through yourself? Because you were supposed to be getting over your crush on Eddie. You were with Steve...and you just needed to remind yourself of that.

Every time you walked out there and saw them talking. If their heads got too close as he whispered something to her over their homework. On the off chance you looked outside and saw them kissing in the parking lot after they left.

You thought...distance from Eddie would work. But you were friends with practically the same people and he always came into Benny's.

Maybe the answer wasn't trying to push Eddie away? Maybe it was just to get closer to Steve?

You ignored the roiling in your stomach and sighed. Either way this wasn't something Benny could help you with.

"Thanks Ben," you responded weakly. "But it's just...I think I have to work it out myself."

Before Eddie knew it, it was Friday and time for Hellfire.

It was weird now, having Robin know the truth about him and Steve. She was having a hard time adjusting to calling him Steve, knowing he was Eddie. Despite the fact that she had been calling him Steve the whole time.

"I'm just going to call you both Dingus," she reasoned. "That way there's no chance of messing it up."

She actually...had been pretty handy the past few days, trying to find the way for the two of them to switch back. She had checked out a bunch of books from the Hawkins Public Library and brought them to Family Video for them to scour through, had apparently taken to sitting with the Hellfire Club at lunch to prevent Steve from making a fool of himself--fat chance--and grilled both Steve and Eddie on every aspect of one another's lives that might be relevant to their switch. More importantly, the switch back.

"What is selfless love? Is it supposed to be...you doing a selfless act for one another? Because I saw this one test Steve took for you last week. He got a B! And you know he's purposefully having tutoring sessions for you? Must suck for him; he aced O'Donnell's class last year."

She had even been a listening ear after Eddie had found out about Steve's mom, and didn't know the best way to get around to talking to him about it.

It had to be eating Steve up inside...hell, Eddie didn't even like the Harringtons and he felt guilty for not telling Tom that his wife was ruining their family and hurting their son by bribing him to keep it all a secret.

Fuck. Were...were he and Steve friends now?

Eddie normally would have shivered at the thought but...actually it was kind of wholesome...to think that King Steve would slum it with the freaks.

But the line would be drawn if he ever had to admit that Steve was a nice guy. Even if it was the only thing that he had to do to get back into his own body...yeah wasn't happening. Guess he would be Steve Harrington forever.

He was currently waiting at the side entrance to the High School for Steve and the others to get back from picking up snacks for their session.

He actually managed to piece together a semi-decent looking outfit. The last few gigs at the Hideout and Hellfire meetings, he had shown up in Steve's signature polo-and-jeans look. But after digging in a box labeled "donate" at the back of Steve's closet, Eddie found what he was pretty sure was Steve's halloween costume a few years back.

A black t-shirt and some...dark grey blazer that Eddie spent his lunch break adding safety pins too--more punk rock than metal but it would do. Pop those on with some black jeans that he also zhuzh'd up...aka cut holes in...perfect Hellfire look.

He wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb at least. Maybe he could ask Steve to bring him an extra shirt next week.

Eddie's van swerved into the parking lot and as soon as it stopped, the back doors swung open and Gareth jumped out with a whoop.

"Harrington, are you ready for carnage tonight?" he shouted at "Steve" and hauled a case of Mountain Dew over his head. The rest of the Hellfire club filtered out and greeted Eddie before helping unload their purchases.

Steve finally joined them and clapped Eddie on the back.

"Glad you could make it, Harrington," Steve winked and looked down at Eddie's clothes. "Slumming it again? What are you wearing?"

"I don't know, Munson," Eddie ran his hands down the front of the blazer. "Just something from the back of the closet."

"The safety pins are pretty cool," Dustin commented with a wink as he and Mike headed in.

Once the guys were inside, Steve hissed in Eddie's ear.

"What did you do to my jacket?"

"Dude you need to stop trusting your mom to buy your clothes," Eddie laughed. "I'm gonna go cross-eyed with all of the stripes."

"You're one to talk," Steve rolled his eyes. "It's a wonder your knees aren't permanently frostbitten. All of your jeans have rips in them."

Eddie shook his head. Asshole.

"Heard you're getting help in O'Donnells," Eddie remarked.

"News travels pretty fast," Steve kicked his feet, spraying the guys with gravel. "Which of you idiots blabbed. Gare?"

"Yeah he's been making kissy faces," Dave coughed and cleared his throat. "I mean...yeah he's been getting special tutoring sessions."

Kissy faces?

"From Nancy Wheeler!"

Wheeler?

"Mike doesn't know his ass from his elbow but even he knows you're crushing on his sister," Gareth teased, earning a high five from the others.

"Lay off," Steve preened in front of the others. "We've only had two study dates."

"Two days in a row!" Jeff protested. "That's your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend...yet."

Eddie felt dizzy; what was even happening. Steve was...Steve was dating you, why the hell was he talking about Nancy like...like he was gonna ask her out. Why was he trying to get him to date Nancy?

He grabbed Steve's arm as the other guys headed in.

"Are you...kidding me Harrington?" Eddie hissed. "I don't need a girlfriend, I just need to be back in my body. Jesus H. Christ."

"You don't...listen Eddie, you don't understand," Steve sighed.

"I think I do, you're obsessed with Nancy and you know she isn't gonna get back with you as yourself so you're trying to get her back as me." Eddie punctuated his words by jamming his finger into Steve's chest.

"She likes bad boys," Steve explained with a shrug. Eddie scoffed.

"Jonathan Byers isn't a bad boy. I'm not a bad boy. You're gonna make me look like an even bigger laughing stock than I already am."

"Well it's a good thing that I'm still you then, you get to enjoy life on top," Steve held out his arms. "It's a win-win. I get Nancy, you get not to be an absolute loser."

"Well what about your girlfriend?" Eddie asked. "You asked me to keep her warm. She's a good one. Don't scare her away."

"You can break up with her if that's your problem," Steve said dismissively. Eddie let out a noise of disbelief. "What? Isn't that it? You're tired of going on lame dates? Listen, we're no closer to switching back than we have been. Why can't you just...accept the inevitable."

"So you just...give up?" Eddie asked. "Because...I dunno, it just sounded like you want to be stuck as me for the rest of time as long as you can be delusional about Nancy."

Eddie realized that he was being thebiggest hypocrite right now.

He just didn't care.

Every day he made himself sick with worry that you were going to find out and hate him. Guilted himself over the fact that he had to lie and deceive you. Every day simply got harder, and as much as he reveled in your affections...he knew it wasn't right.

Eddie had gotten them both into this mess because he couldn't build up the courage to own up to his feelings for you...and now Steve was doing the same thing. Who's to say that if Steve--if "Eddie"--had a chance with Nancy, they might never be able to undo this spell at all.

"I'm not giving up, I'm just..." Steve ran a hand over his face. "Wouldn't it be easier this way?"

There was a second of silence as Eddie connected the dots.

Maybe he wasn't the only one to blame here either. They were both jealous of each other. Eddie jealous because Steve was dating you. But Steve was jealous...because Eddie lived a supposed carefree life. Right? Wasn't that what Steve had said? And...and did Eddie not just find out how un-carefree Steve's life was?

"I get it now," Eddie muttered. "It isn't...it isn't just about Nancy. It's all of it."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"If you're me...then you don't need to worry about keeping mommy and daddy's marriage happy," Eddie explained. "You don't need to...work with Keith. You don't have to worry about living up to expectations when there are none."

"You talked to my mom?" Steve narrowed his eyes, his tone full of betrayal. "What the hell man?"

"I didn't but thanks for the warning man," Eddie scoffed. "Walked in on her and the mayor practically hanging off one another. Ah look at you, see? You look sick to your stomach. Don't worry, I didn't tell anyone. But I bet it's felt good the last few weeks, not having to think about whether or not your dad is gonna find out. That your perfect life is gonna be ruined."

"My life isn't perfect!" Steve exclaimed.

"Neither is mine! If you didn't notice, it's as far from perfect as you can get. Maybe you've just been oblivious to it so far. A few weeks is nothing compared to 20 years man.

"What's gonna happen when the state pen calls on my birthday because dear old dad wants to chat. Or..or when you go to Rick's house to restock your supply and he's having a really bad day. You know how many times I've talked him out of just...ending it? It used to be easier when my mom was around but...guess what Steve? She's dead too.

"My life isn't easy," Eddie concluded. "Isn't perfect. So don't act like everything's easier just cuz you want to get in Nancy Wheeler's pants."

"You don't fucking know what you're talking about," Steve rumbled. "Nancy...shit she's the only person who I've ever loved. Who has ever loved me. Maybe my parents did a long time ago when I was still young enough to be my dad's little buddy and my mom's dress up doll. But not anymore. But Nancy? Nancy got me. She understood me like no one else did."

"What about your friends? What about Robin?"

"What other friends do I have besides Robin?" Steve asked. "They're all gone. They left. Even before graduation."

"And that's what you want now? You want Nancy and my friends too? To help fill your lonely little life?"

"My life is lonely? Please. You're playing a make believe game and wannabe rockstar twice a week with a bunch of kids. All your real friends left you behind too. And I might not know what my future holds but at least I have a future Munson," Steve huffed. "If this spell bullshit hadn't have happened, it isn't hard to guess where you would end up. Still living in that trailer park 20 years from now, fixing toilets, and fucking your fist because who would ever wanna be with someone like you? Who could ever love yo--"

Steve couldn't finish that sentence because Eddie's fist was rocketing into his face. The force of the punch made him fall to the ground.

Eddie felt empowered, filled with righteous anger and self hatred.

There was nothing worse than being faced with the hopelessness of his life, the pointlessness of his future...until those facts came from his own mouth.

"You're on your own Harrington," Eddie shouted as he turned on his heel and walked back to the BMW, not stopping for a second to look back, even as Steve called after him. "You wanna fix my life? You wanna be Eddie Munson? Be Eddie Munson. You don't need my help. Good fucking luck."

“Well here we are, Honey,” Steve announced as he pulled up to the curb in front of your house. “End of the Line. Home Sweet Home.”

It was the perfect date. Again.

Let the record show that Steve was the best at planning dates.

Honestly sometimes...it just seemed too good to be true.

There had been the night when he stopped by Benny's right before closing, and you had that chat outside. Even though you had an early class the next morning, he lured you out to the line of fast food places near the highway on an impromptu date and created ungodly mash ups with different sandwiches.

Or Thursday, he asked if you wanted to have a movie night and you suggested your place since Starcourt was always so packed. He had brought a ton of treats and extra supplies to build a blanket fort in your living room. He stole a few kisses when your hands met in the popcorn bowl. And you had gotten caught making out in the fort by your mom.

Then today--a Saturday of all days--he'd surprised you.

You’d walked outside, running late for your shift, only to find him parked at the curb, leaning against his car with a huge grin on his face. Told you that he had begged Benny to give you the day off to take you for a surprise.

"I have the day off from Family Video," he explained. "Figured I could use a little day out. Thought I could convince you to tag along."

As if a Saturday off wasn't surprising enough in and of itself.

It was honestly like something out of a John Hughes movie.

He had driven you into Indianapolis to go to some outdoor flea market. Played whatever music you wanted on the drive there and back. Got you all the roasted pecans and sweet confections from the vendors at the edge of the market had to offer. Made you fall for him more and more as he talked shop, laughed, and bartered for vintage records and cool sunglasses and a handful of pinback buttons.

"'Get Stoned?'" You laughed and picked out one rather large button.

"Like the Rolling Stones."

"I get it," you laughed. "Just didn't think you were into them enough to get a button."

"Oh...they're the Stones," Steve shrugged. "But, uh, figured...Eddie might be into it."

You really tried not to wince at the mention of Eddie’s name. You smiled and nodded but it just had you thinking back to Eddie and Nancy at Benny's. You knew you had to stop thinking about it...especially in comparison with Steve, and it was getting increasingly more difficult when Steve was the one who brought him up in the first place. Hell, when you stopped at a little drive-in outside of Marion for dinner, Steve even ordered, what you recognized as, Eddie's usual from Benny's.

It honestly threw you for a loop and made you feel a little crazy.

Just weeks ago you would have thought…well you wouldn’t have considered them similar at all.

And now…

Now you weren’t so sure.

You had spilled your heart out to Steve the other night, told him all the things that you liked about him. And it wasn't until you got home from work after seeing Eddie and Nancy together that you realized...a lot of the things you liked about Steve were also things you liked about Eddie.

Sure, Eddie and Steve were hanging out more after all, so they had to have something in common. Maybe hanging around each other brought out the best in one another. The glimpse of Steve you got after that third date…that genuine sweetness…was now only amplified by Eddie’s genuine personality.

Then you had Eddie…his seemingly endless confidence was more of a defense mechanism. Behind closed doors or with your heads leant together over homework he was more vulnerable. Sweeter. But now the confidence had almost made way for cockiness and indifference...which you really had never associated with Eddie before.

So the way he smile and looked at Nancy, the softness he freely gave--

The way you always wanted him to look and smile at you. The way that still devastated you not to be on the receiving end of.

—you rarely saw him show that soft side of himself so freely.

Even if Nancy had a boyfriend…well, it was a hurtful sight to witness and you truly hoped Eddie wouldn’t be hurt if she turned him down.

Huh. Eddie pining after Nancy and Steve being…just a sweetheart. A sweetheart you were falling for. It’s almost like they traded places or something.

You pondered the thought for a second and couldn’t help but laugh at how silly it all was.

“What’s got you laughing?” Steve’s voice broke through your fantastical thoughts and you shook your head.

“Nothing,” you dismissed. “I’m just…just happy.”

Steve smiled that million dollar smile of his--bright and sparkling--and tucked his head into his shoulder a little before glancing back at you.

“Really?” He questioned.

“Yeah.”

“Cuz you had a good time?”

“Well yeah, I always have a good time with you.” You shuffled in your seat a little, tugged at the seatbelt and scuffed your feet against the floor mat. “You, uh...you wanna come in?"

"Uh, is your mom home?" He chuckled nervously. "I don't want a repeat of last time."

No. That was mortifying.

"She's actually out with some coworkers. They got some big contract. Some international account blah," you waved your hand dismissively. "Kinda boring but she doesn't get to go out too much. I dunno.

"But uh...if you did want to come in...we could avoid a play by play. If you catch my drift?" You raised your eyebrows seductively and you thought you made the right reference--he was a sports guy after all. But he just looked like a deer in the headlights.

That was just the natural progression of dating right?

You kiss a little or a lot...and then you make out on your couch...and then...so why did he look shocked. You didn't wanna push him...but he was also Steve Harrington. You honestly thought he would have made a move by now.

Some wicked voice in the back of your head piped up.

Maybe the problem wasn't Steve; maybe you were the problem...

"It's ok if you don't want to," you backtracked, suddenly self-conscious. "Because I know you...you probably work tomorrow or something."

"No!" he shouted, the volume of it a little shocking thanks to the close proximity in the car. "Yes that's...no I...we can go in."

You held back a sigh of relief and smiled shakily.

The walk inside was unremarkable, but every second that passed was filled with more anticipation than the one before. Steve teased you for fumbling with your keys, enough that you dropped them, and he gave your butt a little pat. You grabbed him around the middle and waddled him back from your mother's steam-cleaned carpets so he could kick off his shoes, all the while running your hands over his toned chest. You asked him if he wanted something to drink, like a good hostess would, and he simply quirked a brow and said there was only one thing that could quench his thirst.

But before long it was all just a vague blur because he pushed you up against the wall in the front room and eagerly fused his lips to yours.

Steve was always a little noisy, always humming, but his noises became needier the longer you went. His hands gripped your waist and he thumbed the softness there consistently, as though he needed to prove to himself that you were truly safe within his grasp.

He swallowed the giggles that softly escaped you when his fingers found just the right spot.

"Ticklish?" he broke away and pulled just far enough back to grin through those kiss-swollen lips. You whined impatiently in response. "I think I found my lady's weakness...it's ok. Your secret is safe with me."

A voice echoed in your head, soft and sweet. My lady. Gravelly with sleep in the morning before class, accompanied by a bow, as you passed by Hellfire Club on the way to homeroom

No, no, no. Not again. You were here with Steve. Steve. Not Eddie.

"Mmmh, and what about you?" you muttered petulantly, pushing the thought away. He surged forward for another peck but you kept your hand firm on his chest to hold him back. "Isn't it fair I learn your weakness too?"

"I've gotta have some secrets don't I?" He pulled one of your hands away and pressed feather light kisses to each of your fingers, then the back of your hand.

An image was summoned in your mind's eye, the feeling of lips on your hand as you practiced some sort of Shakespearean reenactment for English class.

Eddie needed to get out of your head. Out of your heart.

You batted Steve's hand away, grabbed his face and mashed your lips to his urgently.

There was a build of anticipation; it was frenzied but it didn't feel rushed. Now that you two had a moment alone--truly alone to explore one another without a nosy neighbor or a potentially wandering police officer or a well-intended parent--it was clear that you both wanted this and wanted to savor every minute of it. Memorize every dip, every curve, every plane. Paint the taste of one another on the canvas of each other's tongues.

He tasted like...

Cherry Pie and Cigarettes and Juicy Fruit Gum.

But he didn't chew Juicy fruit. But he did. But he didn't. Steve didn't. Eddie did.

Steve chewed Big Red. He told you so on your first date when you asked for a stick after the bitter taste of coffee lingered in your mouth.

"I only chew Big Red, is that ok?"

But he had chewed gum in the car after you left the diner. He had his pie, he smoked really quick--a habit you vaguely remembered him saying he was quitting--and he had offered you a piece of Juicy Fruit as he turned the key in the ignition.

You compared Eddie and Steve in the car before, chalked it up to them being friends. But now here he was again and it was driving you crazy. You just wanted to fall for Steve in peace. And you were, you really were, but you were also getting sick of Eddie popping up at the most inopportune times.

You pushed Steve away from you and panted heavily.

"You wanna go to my room?" you asked abruptly. Your eyebrows shot upwards expectantly as Steve stared at you with big, dumb eyes and a shocked expression.

"Yes," he nodded eagerly. "Uh, yeah...yes."

Eddie didn’t know how to feel being in your room.

On the one hand…he doubted whether he should really be here. This was everything he had just condemned Steve for. On the other…it really had been the perfect day with you. You quieted the doubt in his mind. All of Steve’s cutting words about…being alone and never knowing love…they didn’t matter when you held his hand and looked him in the eyes and kissed him.

All of the sweet things you said to him the other night flooded his mind and made him feel like he was underwater. Submerged in your love.

If he closed his eyes and imagined the world was perfect, it did feel like love. He could convince himself that you loved him too. 

The minute your bedroom door was closed behind him, you had grabbed Eddie and pushed him onto your bed. The plush comforter cushioned his fall and your pillows had all bounced around him and he chuckled.

He craned his neck to get a look around your room—white walls decorated with some posters and cutouts from magazines here and there, a small desk, a bookshelf that was so full it was more book than shelf. He’d learned so much about you the past few weeks, more than he had over the past few years of knowing you, but this…aside from the fact that you had crawled onto his lap and we’re nipping at his neck…this was the most intimate he would ever get to know you. Not your body. But your soul, your mind, your light.

If this was his last glimpse of you he ever got in his life, he would die happily. He didn’t need to pretend things were perfect to acknowledge that he was in love with you. It was a fact of his existence at this point. And he needed to show you.

“H-honey?” He asked softly. “Stop.”

“You don’t like this?” You laved at the point where his jaw met his neck before sucking a bruising kiss there. His nerves were alight at the sensation and blood rushed south.

“Where did you learn to do that? Hmm?” He asked teasingly as his hand gripped your waist. You pulled back and grinned like the cat that got the cream. “Oh? You’ve got secrets? Well I’ve got a secret too.”

Something akin to worry flashed behind your eyes and he reached up to caress the side of your face.

“Don’t worry,” he reassured. “It’s not bad. Let me show you.”

Eddie pulled your mouth back to his and you fell into him, obviously enjoying the soft attentions of his kiss. From there he eased you onto your back, happy to hover over you and press his body into yours. He grinned as you made a needy little noise.

More? He could give you more; he was planning on it. More importantly, you were eager to have him take.

You were soft and pliant against him, malleable, as his mouth traveled from yours, down your neck, and further down still. His hands antecedent of his descent, they prepared you for what was to come, gave you every opportunity to push him away, though you never would. He grasped your wrists and pressed them to the soft mattress above your head, rucked up your shirt so he could attend to your breasts.

Fingers deftly peeled away the cups of your bra and as he suckled and venerated, he found that the little strumming motion he liked to do when he played with himself was also one that made you whine deliciously;  calloused pads oscillating over supple fullness and hardened peaks.

Eddie abandoned his paltry devotions to continue onwards. He knelt back and quickly began removing your skirt and underwear, cute little things that would serve no purpose if you were to let him proceed.

“Is this ok Honey? You can tell me to stop,” he assured you. You bit your lip and your bliss-filled face became bashful, but you shook your head anyway. “No? You want me to stop?”

“Don’t stop,” you replied breathily. “Please.”

“I won’t. I’ll give you whatever you want. I promise.”

He ushered you to scoot further up the bed so your head could be cradled by the plush pillows. He couldn’t resist dropping another kiss or two to your lips, to sooth the sting that your teeth were inflicting. Your little needy noises were cute, but you were holding back and he simply couldn’t let that happen. 

“I want to hear you,” he muttered, running his thumb over your lips. “It’s just us. No one will hear. I need to know if I’m doing something you don’t like. Or something you really like. Then I know to do it again next time.”

“Next time?”

“Yeah…this isn’t some quick romp at a party or outside a concert, sweetheart. I want to make you feel good again.” He pressed a kiss to your lips for emphasis. “And again.” Another kiss to your breast. “And again.” One last kiss against your stomach before he settled himself in the cradle of your thighs, hissing the slightest bit as his hips came in contact with your mattress.

He was throbbing, aching for his own pleasure, eager for a release that he’d been ignoring and denying himself. He shifted and found a little friction, the mattress and his jeans doing just enough to sate him while he took care of another hunger.

Never let it be said that Eddie hadn’t met a pussy that he didn’t think was pretty but you—open for him and wanting--were gorgeous. Tempting. Eddie clicked his tongue as he finally got a good look at you, fluttering with want, dripping with ambrosia.

“Why didn’t you tell me you wanted more?” He admonished with a smirk, looking up at you with hooded eyes as he settled your leg over his shoulder, nestling in for an extended, more comfortable time. “I wouldn’t have made you wait so long.”

“I didn’t…I…” Your excuse was cut off by your combined moans as he latched onto you, immediately finding the swollen button at the top of your sex. He laved back and forth, teasing you until you whined. The taste of you, the smell of you—the earthy sweetness that bloomed on his tongue and settled at the base of his throat—caused his hips to jerk against the bed and he pulled back a little, eager but ready to let you feel good for as long as he could. He rotated his attention between your clit and your lips and your neglected little hole, kissed and nuzzled and lapped up whatever slick you gifted him. 

Eddie moved his hand from where it was caressing your thigh so he could ramp up the fun. You jumped as he caressed your lips, played with the spit and slick.

“Do you touch yourself honey?” You covered your face. “Didn’t I just tell you that I wanted to hear you? So tell me, do you touch yourself?”

“Yes,” you threw your hands down and grasped the plush comforter.

“Do you think of me?” You nodded. “I can’t hear you. Do you?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want me to touch you? Do you want more?” He blew a soft breath across your thigh and you shivered.

“P-please, more.”

Eddie slid his fingers over you, watched as you shuddered and twitched, basked in your wanton little noises. With his other hand, he shifted slightly and undid his belt and the fly of his jeans, pushing them down just so, so he could rock against the bed, seeking more physical relief. He dove back in with kisses and licks and nips, getting adventurous as he slid a finger into you. You stiffened up for just a moment before he took you to higher heights. 

"Uuhnnnhhh, yes," you moaned breathily. Beautifully. "Right there. Yes!"

The tightness was luxurious and his head spun, imagining what the rest of the night might bring. He could feel you panting, getting closer and closer to your peak. He would get you there. Gladly. Again and again. Over and over until you couldn’t take any more.

“Please!”

“What do you want, honey?”

“Please I’ve—“

“You wanna cum sweetheart.” He grinned against you. “I’ll get you there but you have to beg. Come on.”

"P-please S-Steve!"

Eddie froze.

His ears started ringing. His entire body was numb. He couldn’t…couldn’t breathe. It all came flooding back, the realization, the hatred, the resentment. The want to be with you and the fact that he couldn't.

"W-what's wrong?!" you stammered and pushed yourself onto your elbows to get a better view of him. "What happened?"

Eddie couldn't answer. He could barely look at you.

He pushed your leg off his shoulder, and as he did he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror beside the bed—

The freckled skin, the fluffy hair, the rumpled polo, the hazel eyes staring back at him smugly.

--he couldn't even look at himself.

“Please, talk to me. What happened? Did I do something wrong?"

"I just...I..." he choked at the sound of his voice. But not his voice.

He shook his head and pushed himself off the bed. He ran a hand over his face and ignored the questions that came out of you. He quickly yanked up his jeans and barely fastened them. He ignored the belt.

He quickly turned on his heel and ran out of your room. He jammed his feet into his shoes and fumbled with the jacket he had hung on the coat hook by the door to get his keys. 

Not his keys. 

Steve’s keys. Steve’s car, Steve’s body, Steve’s life, Steve’s love.

Not his.

He let the jacket fall to the floor, abandoned, as he quickly made his escape.

All the while you called and ran after him.

"Steve?! Wait! Steve!!"

Tag List is currently suspended.

Freaky Friday Chapter 5 will be uploaded by Sunday, May 21st at 7pm CST.

[inklore]

—🍊. 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐒 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐀𝐔'𝐒 𝐎𝐔𝐓

this is not a writing challenge, this is just a list of summer au's that have been collecting dust in my google docs that i'm both sick of looking at, and also feel like for those who also really enjoy writing summery fics, could always use more inspiration or ideas for au's or scenario's (even if it's just smutty or fluffy blurbs).

please make note that anyone can use these for any fandom or character. it's literally for everyone, for whatever ship, gender, or verse. no one owns au's and everyone makes them their own and writes differently. so please do with the content below as you wish!!

you don't gotta tag me if you use one but would i love to read your beautiful work? hell yeah so feel free to if ya feel like it.

i separated each into categories + some might have added context or prompts because i have zero self control and like to be extra and add ideas onto things lmao.

hopefully someone finds these fun and helpful, happy writing my loves <3

LOCATION.

beach

ocean

ice cream parlor

lake town

ranch

summer camp

summer school

island

boat

fishing town

resort

the woods

national park

public pool

destination wedding

renaissance fair

lake house

bar

theme park

capecod

italy

winery / vinyards

country club

cruise ship

concert

RELATIONSHIP BASED.

brothers best friend ('unfortunately' spending the summer with your family)

neighbors au

exes back for the summer

bodyguard au (character a has to follow around reader whose some princess/rich girl on a vacation, bonus points if she's supposed to be on lockdown but refuses to stay at the hotel, even more bonus points if her parents sent her on this vacation as a rehabilitation for her bad habits)

best friends dad (you're spending the summer with your bestie and god her dads hot as hell)

mermaid x human

frat boy x good girl (last minute studying together before summer break, or maybe the frat is throwing a big grad party and reader decides to let loose for the first time in forever)

frat boy x sorority girl (it's giving rich hoes who can't stand each other who get caught doing something and have to do community service with each other alllll summerrrrr long, can you think of anything worse?!)

sitcom stars (they're both on some summer love show but fall for each other instead, or you're two celebs supposed to be fake dating on some mtv drama show in palm springs but you actually fall for each other)

park ranger x someone who thought going camping alone would be fun but oh shit i know nothing about the wilderness au

ex-best friends ex (a summer love but put revenge and 'we're only fucking because this friend screwed me over and it'll really show them' au anyone??)

lifeguard x parent au (or you saved my life let me repay you wink wink)

dads best friend

house sitter x house owner (or neighbor, or family member who came home early and wtf are you doing here and who are you?? or even the old i asked the neighbor to watch our house but also my wife wink wink)

babysitter who tags along on vacation with the family au

fake dating (for the summer)

friends to lovers was made for summer au's!!!

superhero x vigilante (nightly meet ups to keep the streets safe)

friends with benefits but only for the summer au

painter x muse

body found on beach x person who found them (+ the added bonus of the two of them working together to figure out wtf happened and how they got there)

sugar baby x sugar whathaveyou (free vacation? hell yeah)

roommates (renting a room for summer what could go wrong)

tour guide / local x tourist

camp counselor x parent of camper

friend group on a drama filled vacay au

the only single people at this resort for couples au

sad housewife x pool boy

DARK THEMED.

cult au

slasher au

hitchhiking gone wrong (or right)

monster au (summer is the perfect time to go exploring for the monster in the woods or the lake, ocean even, obviously)

haunted house au

ghost hunting au

hunter x prey (bonus points if they don't know they're being hunted until it's too late)

safe house au (gone wrong)

kidnapping au (it's giving 365 days but less shitty ok)

stranded au (on an island, in a creepy town, etc)

bestie's trip gone wrong au (the innocent looking guys at the pool who are gorgeous are actually super shitty and deadly omg, or the couple in the hotel room next to us are insane wow, or someone is killing us off...but it's someone within the friend group)

stuck in an abandoned amusement park au

INSPIRED BY.

grease au

dirty dancing au

x au (70s-80s pornstars au + added slasher element if ya wanna make it dark)

daisy jones & the six / rocker au (summer tour anyone?)

the white lotus (cheating au?? a couple hoping a vacation will fix their marriage, maybe even the whole shitty husband leaves you there and you fall for one of the resort workers)

50 first dates au (but make it 'i bet i can make you fall in love with me by the end of summer)

jurassic park au

i know what you did last summer au

friday the 13th au

the final girls au (aka you end up in your favorite movie and have to find your way out with a side of 'oh shit there's my fav character what if i stayed and made them fall in love with me instead', or go full final girls au and you're stuck in a cult horror movie and have to survive the night to get out of it)

outer banks / goonies au

schitt's creek au

romeo and juliet (1996) au

mama mia au (the prequeal tho aka boning a bunch of people and omg i'm pregnant who is the baby daddy tho??)

overboard au

OCCUPATIONS.

naturalist

farmers market vender

dog walker / dog sitter

dive bar singer

surfer

swim instructor

vet

journalist

camp counselor

author

cowboy

undercover pi

contractor

car wash attendant

lifeguard

gardener / landscaper

summer intern

tour guide

tutor

nanny

theme park owner

bartender

house sitter

summer farmhand

golf course caddy

sign-holder

movie theatre worker

uber driver

wedding photographer

hotel receptionist

RANDOM.

heatwave (how ever will we stay cool?)

shipwreck / stranded on an island au

rainstorm / hurricane au (stuck inside oh no what will we do??)

love triangle that shit

matchmaking au

love letters in a bottle au

drunken karaoke

kissing in the rain is top tier

workaholic letting loose au

(illegal) car racing au

road trip au

[ashen-char]

see this is why i love talking about movies with people because they give you new perspectives to scenes.

I NEVER saw ivan staying in the US as him showing his love for anora, staying for her, you know? I always saw it as him doing it for him, because in the US he could do all the partying, showing off his money, running from responsibilities, etc more freely since his parents have a mansion there, a place to call home and have his things. Anyways i always saw him proposing to anora so he could stay in the US as something selfish and only for his own beneficial, if anora said no he would easily just go back to the club and find someone who would say yes to him.

but you made a point and it really opened my mind to the possibility that he might love anora, just in very very childish peter pan manner and maybe not an "i love you for who you are, outside and inside!" but more of a "i love what you represent" and in this case anora would represents his ticket to get away from his responsibilities for good, his freedom.

I can also see ivan not having bad intentions (he's just very immature and childish, which is not good in many situations) BUT at the end of the day we also have to weight in what his actions cause and they ended up harming people and that's important too, like yeah okay he didn't mean to cause any harm but he ended up causing it so he needs to take accountability for it. I believe the fact he never takes accountability for anything and always runs is what makes me not believe that he loves or cares for anora as her person but as what she represents in his life , the one to give him freedom, and if he fucks up with her he can find someone else like her. His childish act can go on for a very limited time before it turns from cute, funny and a little endearing to something hurtful, neglectful and annoying to the people around him AND again we need to blame his parents for a big part of who he is, like they babied him so fucking much that they have to put babysitters watching him at the big age of 21, but he can think for himself and he should know a little better and try to be a better person, think more before he acts.

(SORRY FOR YAPPING SO MUCH ABOUT IVAN I'LL STOP I SWEAR IT'S JUST I NEVER SEE HIS CHARACTER BEING TALKED ABOUT IT AND I WSNTED TO GIVE YAKE ON HIM)

Igor definitely is harder to read than ivan, like with ivan we know what he wants, he literally said it in the trailer "i want to marry an american so i can stay in america and not go back to russia!". While Igor is just there, he doesn't talk much in the trailer, he's the one that stays "i like anora, it's a pretty name" and he asks if ani knows what her name means (she doesn't or she doesn't care/believes in that) and I believe him liking her name and knowing what her name means is what makes him start to want to take care of her, probably because he saw that she represents the meaning of her name (i don't remember what her name means but i think it was someone strong or has a strong willingness ??). But yeah I think igor is harder to read because he doesn't say much from what we got until now (i haven't even seen much of him in reviews, maybe i need to cactu up in some interviews that i haven't watched yet) and he strikes me as someone who really thinks before he does something, so we don't know what goes on his mind unless he really wants us too. ( !!!! POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR ANORA ENDING: !!!! isn't the ending like Anora getting in the car, it's pouring outside and Igor is there with her and she starts crying and igor like hugs her and comforts her? i think they lay down on the backseat too. wait... is that a romantic scene? i saw it as platonic, if it's romantic that's embarrassing on my part, very embarrassing.) !!!! END OF SPOILERS !!!!

It's so sweet and sad that Anora would fill back the tupperwares with food to give back to reader because she's used to have to give something back to have that kind of care/attention. I got a feeling Reader would be so red when Ani says she needs to start giving reader a lapdance for the food and they would say so quickly "No, thank you!" and start yapping about how there's no need for it because why would they want a lapdance from Anora (they're nervous about it) with a weird look on their face that would make Ani thinks reader doesn't find her attractive at all and in her mind she's like "Oh okay... if I'm that ugly to you just say so, no need to be rude about it!"

Also I have another hc that when Anora is showing off her ring and saying "Yeaaah I'm getting marry, bitch!" the dancers who aren't as closer to her and don't know the fully story are like "OMG ANI!! Congratulations bitch, when are you and reader getting married?" And Anora is just there like "😀 me and reader?? what???" because she's genuinely confused about why they think she and R would get married I mean come on now it's not like R cooks her meals EVERY TIME, or picks her up on their car when it's raining/snowing/just too cold or when it was one of those busy nights (they swear reader has sixth sense for those nights) so she doesn't have to walk all tired/during bad weather to her apartament, it's not like reader sends her flowers weekly like why would they think that? it doesn't make sense.

!!spoiler's for anora's ending, when i start talking about igor!! i cut it into 3 sections, ivan, reader, then igor at the end so ur safe til then

this interview informs ivan's character more, if you're interested. mikey suggesting super rich kids by frank ocean is also great. in terms of ivan with love, who could have taught him what it is? his parents aren't around, simply controlling figures who don't care about his wellbeing - they only want to annul his marriage because it looks bad for them that he's married to a "hooker". fake friends only there for his money and his proximity to getting what they want from him.

to quote mark in the interview "[ivan's'] not a bad guy but just a kid who tried to find home and love... i feel, myself, lonely". i think both ivan and ani don't really know what love is, hence their pursuance of that fairy tale. it isn't a case of a rich man dangling his wealth in front of a girl and promising a future knowing he won't give it, but perhaps the only way ivan does know how to show love. his parents would have given him all this to keep him from complaining, he makes his friends by taking them on trips and partying, and that's all he knows.

with the marriage=staying, the variety article (first i ever read, rly informed my initial takes) says he proclaims love first after ani "teaches him", and it's in that conversation where he wants to get married explicitly to stay in contact with her. i stick to "ivan and ani are in love because they say and think they are", and the question on whether it's true doesn't matter as much as if it can last, which is a no. 

babying in my head gives an image of present parents who coo and go "oh you did nothing wrong, here we'll fix it" which isn't the case. the "babysitters" are goons to make sure ivan doesn't fuck up their legacy/image, not actually a show of care but a "you'll embarrass us, you bring us shame". ivan has never been trusted, taught, cared about as more than an afterthought. i bet that they realised too late that they couldn't morph him into the perfect heir for their business and gave up on him. it's isolating to not have a purpose. imagine when you were a kid and you naturally acted out for attention, the people who should've taught you better are ashamed and leave you alone all the more.  possibly toros, his godfather, would've been his only guide/real parental figure, but even he can't be around a lot. 

--

i didn't mean for it to be sad that she returns it with food LOL but yeah definitely some themes from later creeped into my mind. thinking of ani's russian/uzbek immigrant grandparents, she would have grown up in a community where they check in with each other, drop off food, return tupperware with food, offer help to each other etc. it's ani showing that she thinks reader is part of her family, an instinctive drive to provide?

AND I LOVE THE DANCERS ASSUMING THEYRE TOGETHER THATS SO REAL I LOVE FRIENDS TO LOVERS FOR THAT

--

oh you thinking that about igor makes a lot more sense now, yeah i can see how that can come off as big brother. i assume you want to know cause you're delving into it as much as me, spoilers for the ending below. mentioned in a few articles are the glances between igor and ani. that he becomes her white knight, her protector, the quiet but always looking out for her guy on the side. if anora is a commentary on class, and the eternally transactional nature of relationships where sex is interchanged for money, consider a character that is at the same financial/power rung but still cares about and does things for her. just for her, not because she can or is expected to do something in return.

!! ending spoilers warning !!

igor returns ani's diamond ring to her, having swiped it from toros because he understands she cares about it. ani (different interpretations on why. some say she doesn't want to be a golddigger so she does something in exchange, i prefer that she cannot comprehend that someone would do something just for her) gives him a lapdance and seduces him. afterwards, he attempts to kiss her, solidifying that igor didn't just want sex but genuinely just likes her. ani starts weeping on his chest. is she scared of the idea that it is real? was seducing him a test that he failed, that he should've refused the sex to solidify it first?

even if ani believed ivan loved her, i think she intuitively knew she wasn't actually understood. they were too different. she probably hoped they had more time to gradually know each other, or that she'd be let fully into his life and her past might not matter so much. mikey says that the name ani is a shield, from people at the club knowing her the same way girls would don a stage name. anora is her real self that she rejects. only igor acknowledges it. igor, who has refused to make advances on her several times before this, who has confused her so much because it's clear he does like her, to the point that she yells at him that he must be gay or a coward. igor, with his similar background, does have the potential to know her. maybe that's terrifying.

[slvttybvys]

Top two plots i'm craving for each muse

Anton:

1- Anton books an air B&B to get some time to write but oops it was double booked. We'll make it work till things get sorted but... Only one bed.

2- We broke up but we still keep having booty calls and wow this is making moving on difficult

Bryce:

1- Muse owes Bryce Money, offers a payment plan in the form of sex

2- Patching Bryce up after he got hurt in a brawl

Caleb:

1- Classic bodyguard and client falling for each other

2- Caleb is super over protective of your muse (sibling, friend, ect) and is constantly low-key ruining your relationships. But only because they're not good enough for you... No other reason.

Dylan:

1- Let him blow a guy while he plays video games!

2- Dylan is really anxious about an investor pitch he has coming up so gets a hookup off an app and has mind blowing sex. Goes into the pitch feeling confident... Only to see his hookup from last night.

Everett:

1- Just wants to be fucked by his boss tbh

2- 'My friend and I signed up for a sugar baby website on a drunken joke and now that I'm sober I go to delete it and... Holy shit that's a lot of messages'

Fabian:

1- For being such a hermit Fabian REALLY likes public sex so... Public sex please.

2- Fabian is so caught up with his newest project and his lover is feeling neglected so is pulling all the stops to get his attention.

Gale:

1- Rival Politician he has major sexual tension with.

2- His PA or Receptionist and just someone getting fucked over a desk.

Hamish:

1- His ex wife's kid

2- Let him be your muses sugar daddy

Ishan:

1- We constantly bicker with each other but it's really just foreplay

2- For someone who doesn't really drink you sure are at the bar Ishan works at a lot....

Jayden:

1- Your muse and Jayden are long time best friends and he has an art exhibition your muse of course goes to support and... Is this entire exhibit a love letter to you???

2- Want the plot of 'made a sculpture and it came to life' type plot

Kyu:

1- 'What do you mean we've been dating for like a month??'

2- Kyu is trying to seduce your muse but for him that translates to just feeding them a lot? So message not being totally recieved.

Logan:

1- We made out as a dare/spin the bottle/seven minutes in heaven and now I can't stop thinking about it.

2- 'Look Logan... Babe... I know you're an adrenaline junkie but I don't even think some of these wild sex scenarios your pitching are possible??'

Mickey:

1- Mickey and your muse been hooking up for a long time and your muse wants more but Mickey is not getting the hint since he doesn't think anyone would want him for more than sex.

2- Mickey hit his subscriber goal meaning he had to get a maid outfit for his next stream and... Wow he looks unfairly good in it.

Noah:

1- Your muses ex was a cheating asshole and Noah is offering to fuck it better.

2- Noah confessed his feelings for your muse ages ago and got gently turned down. But now he's on a date with someone else and... Fuck you think you fucked up.

Owen:

1- His kids teacher or babysitter

2- There's a glory hole in the strip club Owen works at and after a shift one night... Look it's been a long time for him okay?

Pierce:

1- Pierce and your muse have been on and off again for ages and you're broken again. For good this time! But you know... Maybe one last romp to get it out of our systems?

2- You may or may not be purposely minority fucking up your car so you have an excuse to ask Pierce to fix it.

Quinn:

1- Sweet anniversary thread

2- 'I bet I can go longer without jumping your bones than you can go'

Reese:

1- .... Did my best friends brother just send me a dick pic on purpose or....

2- Reese has been in love with your muse for years and in a night of being upset over a breakup the two of you sleep together. And in the morning Reese is so excited and-Oh your ex just texted he wants to get back together?

Sebastian:

1- Someone Sebastian is investigating seduces him

2- Look everyone told you not to bring Sebastian to an escape room for date night but you didn't listen.

Tyson:

1- One of his students parents

2- We always run into each other at the dog park cuz apparently our dogs have crushes on each other or something... I may also have a crush on you what.

Uriah:

1- Maybe it's weird but: One of the antiques in my shop has a ghost attached to it???.... Aaaand I'm falling for said ghost. Great.

2- Our muses got set up on a blind date and.... Holy shit I had SUCH a crush on you in high school

Vik:

1- Apartment walls are thin and Vik's neighbor is pretty consistently being kept up with sex noises. Which would be annoying if it wasn't so arousing.

2- Hey babe your friends hot... Threesome?

Warren:

1- Warren discovers someone close to him (Nephew, Best Friend, Best Friends Kid, ect) has an extensive collection of his films

2- A newbie to the porn world gets very flustered to discover their first scene is with favorite porn star.

Xander:

1- Doctor/Fellow nurse fooling around in the room people on overnights use to rest

2- He wants to be woken up mid getting a blowjob/being ridden/being fucked

Yates:

1- Lots of sexual tension between Yates and a client and has trying to be professional but they end up fucking mid the event he was hired for.

2- First loves reuniting and instantly realize there's still attraction/feelings

Zain:

1- A neighbor plot where Zain's neighbor has always been a little intimidated by him cuz he strikes an imposing figure and has a big case of RBF but then catches him doing something sweet (helping a stray animal? Being cute with a kiddo? Endless possibilities) and now has not scary but now the problem is they're smitten

2- Someone got a tattoo from Zain and wants to ask Zain out but keeps choking and so just... Keeps getting tattoos? And they honestly can not afford to keep this up at this point!

[paragonrobits]

not to blog about harry potter in the year 2023 but it illustrates a central point that I've had in mind for years whenever the subject of its pop culture impact came up; I always thought that it was the book series that actually got me into fiction in general, as until I read that series as a sort of my first urban fantasy without realizing it, I wasn't that interested in fiction in general, though that isn't specifically true and its a little surprising to realize why

so to illustrate my first point; for most of my life I've been an extremely heavy reader. As a kid I always loved reading more than anything else, and often I found myself doing so well in classes that I would just wind up ignoring everything going on to read, which I was usually allowed to do. For years, I would bring a book or two with me to school so i would have something to read in case my text books weren't interesting enough

the key point is that though I was a really intense reader, there were VERY few fiction stories that got my attention. Mostly, they were just... boring. I think on reflection that most of the books available at the time in the school libraries I frequented were kids adventure stories (the Hardy Boys and the like), things like Goosebumps and books series like the Babysitter's Club; in general i might consider the first and third categories predecessors to the Coffee Shop AU for a kid growing up in the 90s; relatively low in impact, strictly mundane and firmly set in the real world. At best I found them boring and not of interest to me, though I liked a lot of the goosebump books, which might have been foreshadowing.

So the Potter books were something unanticipated for me and really got me into reading fiction in a big way; I remember feeling that the time that it was something radically new for me, big on-going books with a lot of character stuff going on, meshing of the real world and the fantastical, and more; now I think its all VERY bare bones and there's perhaps something to the idea that even though the worldbuilding is pretty mild at best and it LOOKS like an interesting setting more than the actual details hold up, it was still pretty innovative for someone at the time.

But you know what book series I WAS already into, in a huge and monumental way at the time? A book series predating the Potter books, that have aged significantly better (and aren't written by the Arch-TERF)? That focused on science fiction, aliens as people in their own right, with really intense stakes, horror and gruesomeness all meshed into goofy 90s 'commit to the bit' feelings, complex characterization and a whole lot of fucked up goodness?

Well, hypothetical reader, let me tell you that the Potter books were NOT really my intro to fiction. To my collective knowledge, I was reading comic books long before then (though not cohesively or in any kind of order, which is probably why they don't stick out as much to me), enough to be massively into the Hulk cartoon series at the time, but when it comes to published books that I regularly bought or begged my parents to get for me whenever they were out, there was ONE series. One series that impacted me in a massive way, that were always the pride of my book collections.

That's right, and if you know something about the era you might already know what I'm going to say; i was an ANIMORPHS kid.

I think the reason the Potter books FEEL like they have more personal impact for me is a fairly ironic one, since I was reading animorphs for quite a while before the Potter books were ever published, at least by a couple years or so, is that they were large novels by the standards of the books I saw as a kid; I think that was probably unprecedented for me. Animorphs was released in monthly, episodic novels rotating character perspectives by month and they were relatively short books; collectively they got WAY more going on, but the individual Potter novels felt quite different.

In retrospect, I think Animorphs had way more of an influence on my mind and eventual writing attitude; I definitely remember being ENTRANCED by how the alien characters had genuinely alien designs, that Ax and Tobias were my favorite viewpoint characters, and the increase of ambiguous morality and the tragedy of the Hork-Bajir (especially them being outwardly ferocious looking but fundamentally peaceful beings) hit me like a firetruck at an age when I rarely read fiction at all and most of the other stuff I DID read felt rather bland by comparison.

In short, if Animorphs had been released as larger collections, I would have gone berserk for it more than I already did, and in a truly better world, Animorphs would be THE most famous book series from the 90s that ignited interest in reading genre fiction for children of the era.

[padfootagain]

Something Good (VII)

Chapter 7 : The Auditions

Hello!! Here is a new chapter for my Ben Barnes series! Things are slowly getting better between these two idiots and we learn a little more about reader’s ex-husband…

I hope you enjoy this new part. Tell me what you think!

****

Pairing: Ben Barnes x Reader

Warnings: none! Slow burn, professor AU.

Summary: Coming out of a divorce and trying to get used to being a single mom, while teaching your classes at University, you thought your life could not get more complicated than it already is. But when you are asked to take care of the theatre club with the colleague that you really can’t get along with, you realize that everything can still get ten times more complicated in your life. And when you start actually liking Professor Barnes, the troubles only grow exponentially…

Word Count: 3651

You stared at Liam with a blank expression. You could barely believe what you were hearing…

Your daughter was with her grandmother for the weekend, which allowed you and your ex-husband a moment alone. And God knew you needed one right now…

“I told you three times that I was not available last Friday because I was at work. The babysitter called me to get Sally because you didn’t show and you didn’t answer your phone. IT WAS OUR BABYSITTER! HOW CAN YOU NOT ANSWER YOUR PHONE!”

“I WAS BUSY!”

“SO WAS I!”

He rolled his eyes.

Things were getting out of hand in this fight. Shouts were exchanged, and mean comments were joining the fray too, words that they would regret, eventually…

“Oh, come on! You were having some… theatre club thing… as if it could be more important than me meeting up with my CEO.”

“My job is as important as yours, Liam.”

“I’m not saying it’s not important.”

“That is exactly what you’re saying! Because this is part of my job, okay? I don’t care if you don’t like the project I’m leading, I honestly couldn’t give less of a fuck about your opinion on the matter. The fact is that I asked you to get Sally because I was busy, attending an event that happens ONCE a year, and you couldn’t show up!”

“What are you insinuating? That I’m a bad father?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying!”

He stared at you, quiet. It was chilly now in your ex’s garden.

You were at his place, in his garden. It was a nice place, small but quiet. You would have enjoyed it, had you not been shouting at him.

The sun was setting already. You had been arguing for almost an hour now, and the more time passed, the angrier you got.

Because after all this time, he still didn’t get it. The reason why you left, the reason why you fell out of love, the reason you asked for a divorce…

He still didn’t get it.

“You don’t mean that,” he shook his head, clearly hurt. “I’m a good dad!”

“You’re never here. How much of a father does that make you?” you spat, your words harsher than you wanted them to be, but you meant them all the same. And he knew it. And it hurt so bad…

“You still don’t get it,” you went on, on the verge of tears now. “I don’t know how to explain it to you anymore. You’re never here. You never show…”

“Because you’re so perfect…”

“Of course, I’m not perfect! But at least, I’m here! I’m trying! I’m doing everything I can, and you don’t! You just… get lost into your job, and you leave us both behind, and you don’t change! That’s why I left!”

“I know…”

“Then why can’t you just… do something about it? Because losing me was one thing, but losing your daughter will be another…”

“What are you saying? Is that a threat?”

“Of course not. But she’s sad when you don’t spend time with her. She’s sad when you leave her for hours with your secretary instead of taking care of her. And one day, she will be old enough to hold grudges. And then what do you think will happen?”

You shook your head, angry tears blurring your vision, but you didn’t let them fall. You clenched your fists instead.

“You were a good man before this bloody job! You truly were. I don’t recognize you anymore… And Sally… you’re right, I’m not a perfect mother. But I’m the one who takes care of her every day. I’m asking you to spend one weekend with her every two weeks. Why do I feel like it’s asking too much from you? Why can’t I count on you to pick her up once at the babysitter? Why, Liam?”

He nodded, looking down at the tip of his shoes. He could hardly deny that he had fucked up…

“Alright, I get it. It was my fault…”

“I can’t trust you with anything these days…”

“Of course, you can. I’ll always be here for you.”

But you shook your head.

“I don’t need you to be here for me. I need you to be here for Sally.”

“You’re my wife, of course, I’m here for you…”

“Ex-wife.”

He clenched his jaw.

“I’m your ex-wife, Liam. It’s been a year…”

“I know…”

“Just… be here when I need you to take care of Sally. Please. She needs a father as much as she needs a mother. And these days… you’re not… you’re not doing things right.”

“I love her. I love you both.”

“I know. But you need to get your shit together. Because it can’t work if I’m the only one making sacrifices. It has already failed…”

“I know…”

“Don’t let me down anymore. Please. I can’t raise our child on my own…”

“I understand. I’ll make more efforts.”

You didn’t know if you were convinced by his words or not. You weren’t sure whether he was sincere or not, if he truly meant it or was simply reassuring you. You didn’t know. These days, you were too lost to know anything for certainty…

“Do you want to stay for diner?” he asked with a soothing tone that you recognized. He always used it when you fought. But that was before, when you were together, when you were married…

… and you weren’t anymore.

“No, thank you. I’ve got some work to do.”

“Busy? October… that’s always a busy time for you, right?”

“Yeah… I’ve got a lecture to prepare for Tuesday morning, and I need to work on some stuff for the theatre club too. You know, the one that’s not important enough…”

“Please, don’t… I’m sorry I said that.”

He was raising a soothing hand, one that called for a truce. You were too tired not to give it to him.

“Anyway… yeah, I’m very busy these days. I’ve got to work tonight, and try to get some sleep before picking up Sally tomorrow.”

“Do you want me to pick her up?”

“No, we’ve planned to paint in the afternoon. She was excited about that. I’ll get her, don’t worry. I’m pretty excited about it too, actually.”

He nodded, slowly, silently… half lost in thought.

“The auditions for the theatre club are this Friday evening. Can you get Sally on Friday?”

“Friday?”

“Yes, this Friday.”

“I…”

But he felt that it would be a mistake to refuse. After all… it was just a drink with a few colleagues, it could be useful to meet people who would help him in his firm but… it wasn’t that big of a deal.

He nodded.

“I’ll get her at seven.”

“Thank you.”

He walked with you to his front door, bid you a safe drive and a good night, asked you to send him a text to make sure you were safely home.

And as he watched you climb inside your old, tired car, he cursed himself under his breath. Because he was trying to get over you. But you were the love of his life. A tiny voice in his head kept on telling him that he would get you back, eventually. He needed to listen to you a little more, that was all. You were right, he’d make more room for Sally and you in his busy schedule. After all, he didn’t have a choice.

After all, he was still in love with you…

You kept an eye on your phone throughout the evening, but all seemed to be fine. You received no phone call from your babysitter, or from your ex-husband. You were relieved, although you couldn’t truly relax. You were too used not to rely on Liam anymore to fully trust him again.

You clapped for the performance of the last girl who was auditioning tonight. You had settled in the large theatre on the campus, made of dim lights, red seats and a wooden stage. There was, after all, a whole course available for students to study acting if they wished. But the purpose of the club was not so much to teach in a classical way acting techniques and theories, with a diploma available at the end of years of courses. Instead, it was fun, and relaxed. Just a fun side-project students could get involved in outside of their traditional courses.

It was fun. If anything had come out from this evening to you, it was the benevolent energy of the group. It wasn’t so much about being serious and focused as it was about enjoying art and a nice moment together. And you liked it. A lot.

It was surprising, though. The more you watched Ben interacting with students, the more you realised that your first image of him as uptight and strict was wrong. He was warm and welcoming, friendly even. As he talked in front of the whole group, standing on that stage, you found that he belonged up there. He had enough charisma for it.

You focused on Nathaniel as he leaned forward to talk to you. He was sitting behind you and Ben with the rest of the students already registered for the club.

“Y/N, should we decide now on who we’re gonna keep with us?”

“We should talk about it together first. What do you think, Ben?”

You turned to your colleague, who kept on taking notes on every performance. He nodded.

“Yes, we should talk about it. If it’s fine with all of you though, it could be nice to talk about it now, while we still clearly remember every performance. Will it be too late for you if we take another thirty minutes to do that?” he added, his question aimed solely at you.

You shook your head with a smile.

“My evening is all free. I can stay.”

“Alright… is it good for everyone if we do this now?” he asked his students sitting behind him, and everyone nodded.

You went to tell the people who had auditioned to wait outside for a while to learn whether or not they could join. About fifteen students had come to the auditions. According to Ben, it was coherent with the previous years. Only four spots were available this year though.

“Alright, what do you think?” you asked the group, once you were alone.

Ben started going through his notes while the conversation got going, and you compared the different performances. You couldn’t refrain a smile. Maybe he wasn’t as strict with the students as you had imagined, but he was still annoyingly organized. The type to plan every detail. You shook your head, amused.

It took a little less than forty minutes for all of you to agree on four people, and David was sent to call back the students to let Ben announce the results.

You all lingered in the large theatre to talk to the students who had been accepted in the club, but also those you had rejected, taking your time to explain to them why you had taken this decision. And Ben did notice your kind tone, the soothing value of your voice as you talked to the disappointed students. After all, you weren’t as messy as he thought you were. You were planning things out for the club, thinking about ways to adapt the three plays you had selected. He was expecting you to be all over the place, but you were focused tonight. And you were kind to the students, which was the most important part of this, really. You hadn’t quite discovered what the club meant to these students, but you would do so soon enough. And Ben would have been lying if he had pretended that he didn’t think you capable of handling it all. He was almost happy you were his partner on this project…

… almost.

But time was flying by, and soon only the members of the club remained. It was time for one last important task to tackle.

“Alright, we need to decide which play we’ll perform this year, so… everyone grabs a piece of paper and a pen, and we vote!” you said with enthusiasm, taking a piece of paper yourself.

You hesitated for a moment. After all, it was silly not to vote for the musical that you had proposed in the first place. You were certain that Ben would never stop bragging about this if he won… but then again, as you wrote down Moulin Rouge! on your piece of paper, you were overexcited at the idea of working on this play.

And Ben should have written down Hamilton on his piece of paper, because it would have meant victory for him. Sweet revenge. And yet… when he rested his pen on the paper, he wrote down Moulin Rouge! instead. Maybe it was because a few weeks had passed, and he was calmer again. Maybe it was simply because he genuinely wanted to work on this musical. No matter the reason, he realized that he wouldn’t be disappointed if you won.

You gathered all the pieces of paper in your palms, and let Ben count the results.

And saying that you were surprised was rather an understatement.

Because you thought they would want to perform Hamilton, it was probably the most popular one among the students, for sure. But as Ben was counting the last votes, it was clear that you were not going to work on this musical at all.

Instead, the results were almost unanimously in favour of…

“Moulin Rouge!”

Ben and you exchanged a surprised glance, but the students were overexcited, and were already asking you many questions… to which you had no answer.

“So, how are we going to get a band for this? Because we need a band, right?”

“And can we add more songs? Or choose some songs that were not in the musical to begin with?”

“And how are we going to decide who plays who? Should we do like… some singing try-outs?”

“How are we going to manage the set though? Maybe we can recreate the elephant… that would be awesome!”

“Alright, alright, alright, calm down!” Ben laughed, interjecting in the messy conversations that shook the small group. “We have plenty of time to think about all of these questions. But tonight, it is… almost ten o’clock. Which means that it’s way too late for my old brain to function at full speed and solve all your problems. So, let’s call it a night, and we’ll see about all these questions of yours when we start training, next Thursday, at noon. Go on, get out of here! It’s late, and I want to go to bed at a decent hour like the old man I am!”

All laughed, and obeyed their teacher, chatting merrily as they walked out of the theatre. You heaved a relieved sigh, lingering for a moment longer in the room while Ben was turning off the lights and checking the backdoor. He had the keys to the building, and the two of you were in charge of closing the theatre for the night.

“Well, it went quite well, I reckon. Don’t you think so?” you asked Ben as he reappeared by your side, bending over the front-row seats to grab his jacket and his bag.

“Yeah, it did go quite well,” he answered with a grin. “Our new recruits seem good enough, and motivated, which is probably the most important part. And everyone seems excited about this project.”

“I’m sorry you couldn’t get the satisfaction of having your musical chosen over mine,” you joked, teasing him, and he shook his head with a chuckle as you climbed the stairs towards the main exit of the building.

“Well, I did propose Moulin Rouge! as well, technically…”

“But so did I.”

“Then, I guess it makes us even.”

You walked out with shivers running through your body. The air was becoming to grow colder as September had ended. It was the beginning of October, the air was chilly under the stars. The campus was quiet so late at night, although there were lights lighting the pathways and the buildings. It was quiet, with only the murmur of the wind in the trees and the distant cars passing by.

“What should we prepare for next week, then?” you asked, tightening your jacket around your cold frame, waiting for Ben to finish locking the door.

“I reckon that next Thursday is going to be more about planning, deciding what we want to do with this project, where we want to take the story and the production… I don’t think we’ll get much more done than just… deciding what to do. We need to settle on the songs we want to play, how we’re going to get the music… technical details that are going to shape the project.”

“Do you want to talk about it together before Thursday?”

“I don’t know… I don’t think it’s necessary to be honest.”

You were walking together towards the south of the campus, both of you aiming your steps towards the parking lot, your cars waiting for you there.

It was strange to walk down an empty path, to be alone with Ben on this path you took every day surrounded by busy people. Instead, now, it was quiet, calm, and your pace was leisurely. Maybe it was because you were tired. You didn’t dare think that it might be because you weren’t in a hurry to reach the car and stop this conversation…

“We should, however, talk about London,” Ben added. “It’s only a few weeks away, we should talk about how we’re going to get there, if we travel together… stuff like that.”

You nodded, an amused smile on your lips. It was teasing, but a little fond too.

“You really do enjoy planning everything in advance, don’t you?” you joked.

But your smile faltered when you saw Ben wincing.

“Sorry about that.”

You frowned at him. He was looking away now, and his voice was uncertain. It lacked the confidence you had heard during the evening, the warmth and charisma he had showed on stage.

“I wasn’t criticizing you, just teasing,” you clarified.

“Right… sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize.”

He nodded, but remained quiet.

“I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”

“You didn’t.”

He buried his hands in the pockets of his brown coat.

“We’re not in a hurry for that, you’re right. We can talk about it later.”

“No, you’re right. We should plan things out. We’re going to have a lot to do once we’re there, it’s better if we know where we’re staying, how we’re going there… the technical, boring details.”

He smiled again, although it was a little shy still.

“Do you have anything planned on Thursday afternoon?” you asked him. “After the club?”

But Ben shook his head.

“Then… maybe we can take some time to talk about London then. What do you think?” you proposed, and Ben nodded. You recognized gratefulness on his features, but didn’t really understand why it was there at all.

“That would be perfect.”

You had finally reached Ben’s car. The parking lot felt lonely, bathed in a yellow, almost orange light coming from the lampposts set across the empty space. You lingered by Ben’s side a moment more, before you would reach your own car, on the other side of the parking lot.

“I had fun today. I think I’m starting to understand why you like this club so much,” you told him with a smile on your lips.

He hated the thought that crossed his mind as he looked at you like this, smiling at him, bathed in golden light…

“It’s a lot of fun. And… it’s important,” he answered, a little sterner again. “These kids… they take it more seriously than you might think at first. They have a nice time, but they also… I don’t know. I think they enjoy the feeling of belonging they find there. It’s important to me that this feeling remains. I mean… I hope the play goes well, that we give a nice performance at the end of the year but… it’s not what is most important, really. It’s just a mean to an end, at the end of the day.”

“What do you mean?”

“If we fuck it up, we might not keep the club alive. And these kids… they want to come back. College is wonderful, but it’s tough as well. They need it, I think. They need the… catharsis effect of acting. They need the friendships they’re building in the group too. And well, you’ll discover soon enough that we’ll be half-teacher, half-shrink for the rest of the year with these kids.”

“Really?”

“When Daniel broke up with his boyfriend last year… Dear God… he cried on my shoulder for two hours,” Ben chuckled, and you soon joined him. “I don’t know… it’s a different relationship we have with them. In a full class, it’s more difficult to create a bond. It’s easier in a club.”

He frowned when he caught you smiling up at him in silence, staring.

“What?”

“Nothing,” you shook yourself out of your thought, nervously chuckling. “Just… you’re surprising.”

“In a good way?”

“For now, yes.”

You exchanged a smile, before you would turn towards your own car, parked right on the opposite side of the parking lot.

“See you next week, Ben! Have a nice weekend!”

“Thanks. You too!”

You waved at him, making his smile broaden, before you would turn around for good.

You didn’t notice that Ben remained in his car, watching you as you crossed the empty space. It was late, after all. He didn’t start his car before you were safely locked inside your own, and that he was certain that nothing bad would happen to you tonight.

***********

Taglist : @reg-arcturus-black

[roadtogracelandx45]

Saving Grace| Jax Teller

Summary: Ryder Winston thought she had everything planned out perfectly with her sister-in-law Donna, to where she could use one of the days to go see her older brother Opie at Chino prison to let him know that he was finally gonna be an uncle. They just hadn’t counted on Jax Teller, Ryder's husband and Opie's best friend showing up to see him as well. And his finding out in the worst way possible that he was going to be a father. 

Jax /Ryder

Rated M for adult language, and implied smut 

Set pre-series 

Prequel #5 

masterlist

part one of two

Chino, California 

“Donna, I really can’t thank you enough for letting me take this week's visit,” Ryder said into her phone as she started to pull into the visitor’s parking lot at Chino, the California institution for men, the prison more or less where her older brother Opie was at serving 5 years for arson.

“Of course Ry, he has been asking about you. It’s getting harder to keep the baby a secret from him. He knows something is up.” 

“That’s why I’m here D, and I am telling Pops too.” 

“Jesus Ry! You haven’t told your dad yet! You are 5 months pregnant.”

 "Nope." She laughed nervously, "I didn't want him to tell Gemma and for her to tell Jax. I want to do this on my time and terms. The club has controlled every aspect of my life, I am not going to give this up. My whole childhood and most of my adulthood has been controlled by the club. I don't want my daughter to have to go through that too."

"You are having a girl?! When did you find that out?" 

"Yesterday, at my appointment. Do you know how hard it was for Kozik not to call Jax and spill the beans right then and there about the baby." 

"You actually have a babysitter? I thought you were joking." 

"Happy and Kozik are the only two brave enough to do it. Something about me being a handful."

"Well they aren't wrong babe, you are a handful."

 Ryder laughed and then froze seeing her husband parking his bike in the space next to her. 

"Oh, you got to be fucking  kidding me." 

"What? Ry? What's wrong?" Donna asked, the end of her question hitched with anxiety worried for the safety of her sister-in-law and niece. 

 "Jax is here. Shit, he just saw me. I got to go D, I will call you back." 

Jax had already seen her and was off of his bike and pulling open the door of her cage, "Ry? What are you doing here?"

"Seeing my brother." She offered up weakly, "I worked it out with Donna. It's been a while since I have been able to come down and see him. Work has been keeping me busy."

Her husband grabbed ahold of her hand and helped her out of the car. His eyes were drawn instantly to her swollen stomach, she hadn't thought to wear something that would cover herself up more, she thought that she would have been safe being there.

No other son was around except for Opie.

"Are you?"

"Yeah, 5 months along." She answered, her free hand going to cover up the bump.

"And it's mine?" He instantly regretted the words when the hurt flooded her face. 

"Of course it's yours, Jackson, there hasn't been anyone else but you." He studied her carefully, he knew that she was always faithful to him and had been since before David Hale shattered her heart into tiny pieces and he was able to swoop in and finally make her his. 

His gloved hand reached on its own accord and rested it on top of hers.

'I was going to tell you." She started softly, "but I was scared." "Of me?" He asked, finally finding his voice fully. She nodded her head, "And of mother Gemma and her having to be involved in everything."

"Babe, have I ever given you anything to be scared of? Other than a broken heart?"

"No, but I wasn't sure if you would've been ready for a baby. We rushed our marriage, I didn't want to rush this." He covered her mouth with his to get her to stop rambling.

"Ryder, we got married because we are in love. It was the next step after you got my crow."

The crow had been the one thing that Jax was adamant about her getting when she got accepted to the university. But Piney made them wait until she graduated which ended up being a good thing because Tara started sticking her nose into their relationship and making it worse.

 Some of their worst fights came because of that

. 

But there had been other issues that were tied into their quickie wedding but the most important he always touted was that they loved each other and he didn't want her to go to law school at Stanford without his crow, his ring, and last name attached to her. 

 Seeing the boys flocking to her made that need worse, so first they eloped and then they had a big wedding after Gemma found out that they got married without her.

"I know, come on, we should go in and see Opie before the time frame is up."

He nodded his head and stepped away from her long enough to remove his things and put them on the driver's seat before locking her car doors. His hand tangled with hers without a second thought putting himself between her and everyone else. 

Like he always did. 

It was easy to fall back into the ease of their relationship before things went to hell. And she knew that it wouldn’t last past this, it never did but for this brief few hours, she was going to take it. 

**

Opie Winston was surprised when he walked into the visitor's room and saw his sister and his best friend sitting side by side at the metal table whispering to each other. The last he had heard from not only Donna but the other brothers was that there was little to no contact between the two.

According to Happy, Ryder had been busy with work and had been made partner within 2 years compared to other new people who were still working as gophers and not getting their own cases. But his sister, his brilliant sister, was already way ahead. "Hey Ope," She grinned standing up to hug him.

 "Hey, everything okay?" He asked, looking over her head at Jax. Annoyed, his sister pinched him. "Ow." "You know, you can direct things to me, Harry." 

Sighing he took a step back to fully look at her, "Everything o," his eyes landed on her bump, "oh, okay. Wow."

Ryder laughed before retreating to sit next to her husband, "Yeah, that's been the reaction."

"It's mine." Jax filled in answering Opie's unasked question, "Just found out too." 

Opie looked at his sister surprised that she was able to keep this to herself for so long. 

Normally,  Ryder blabbed about everything especially when she was excited about something. 

And a baby was something that she had looked forward to ever since she had the miscarriage her senior year of high school. "Congrats." He finally smiled, "I am happy for you. Does Donna and the kids know?" 

Ryder nodded her head as her fingers started tracing a pattern on the memorial tattoo that her husband had on his forearm, "I told Ellie I would take her with me to an appointment to see the baby when it's closer for them to come." 

 She wanted to keep the fact that this was a girl to herself just for a while longer. 

Then everyone else could know.

  Opie was thankful that Ryder kept in contact with his kids and his wife and was stepping up while he was inside. She had taken Ellie and Kenny to Disneyland during their spring break giving Donna time to herself and that's all the kids could talk about when they came to visit the following week and he knew that it was going to be the same with this. 

“Does Mother Gemma know?” 

[theothermorganh]

Worb AU be like:

This is a long list of notes I took and then made them into ''Head-cannons'' for my own Au.

(Willow and jack have joined the AU)

CW: Animal cruelty (minor)

—

*Both laying in bed*

M: Do you think you will leave me for someone better?

W: I married a guy who owns an oil company, and he cooks for me, not to mention that he is drop dead gorgeous. Why the hell would I leave?

M: :)

—

Maxwell’s contract for Wilson: Darling Husband

Wilson’s contact for Maxwell: Sugar Daddy

—

Maxwell wants to show Wilson off to the world but knows Wilson would get a lot of hate for it.

(Maxwell owns one of the biggest oil companies and Wilson is a leading environmental scientist.)

(It is a long story on how they met.)

—

Jack laughs at their relationship (in a loving way)

He is very supportive and Maxwell sometimes watches the twins when Jack can’t find a babysitter. (Abby is not dead)

Now that Wilson has been Worbified Jack sometimes watches over him when Maxwell has to go over seas.

—

Maxwell would not hesitate to drop someone in a vat of oil if they even looked at Wilson wrong. (I think he has anger issues)

—

Wilson tries to convince Maxwell that destroying the environment is not good.

Maxwell doesn’t care

Wilson had tried to guilt him with pictures of baby seals and Maxwell said he would kick them. (Such a cruel man)

— (cont.) —

Maxwell clubs baby seals for fun (Takes a golf club to them). Like it is a hobby to go out and fuck up the environment.

One of his vacations (Before he met Wilson) was to the amazon rainforest where he 'accidently' dropped his cigar in the middle of the forest. He had smores with Willow that day.

—

Maxwell talking about Wilson: My Husband, my partner… ext.

Wilson talking about Maxwell: My spouse or something, I found him on the side of the road.

—

Maxwell: What would you say if I bought-

Wilson: If you have to ask, then no.

Maxwell: You sound like my ex-wife. >:(

—

Maxwell had married Charlie before hand but she was just in it for the money (she never loved him for him.) So he divorced her. (The public loves her and Maxwell hates that.) When ever he may talk bad about her. (In an interview or something or other.) He gets a lot of shit so he just stops talking about her. (Another reason why he doesn't want people to know he is engaged to Wilson because they will hate him and Wilson.)

Maxwell used to be an actor for a really short time before he took over the company and that is how he met Charlie. (She is still an actor)

—

How they met: Jack and Wilson work at the same lab and so Jack introduced him to Maxwell (They didn't recognize each other from the copious articles about them.) And then they developed a love for each other. Now that they know what each other does they just laugh.

And now they are engaged. and have already planned their wedding.

—

Maxwell and Willow have lunch every week.

Willow finds the place and books the reservation and Maxwell pays.

—

Willow tests fireworks and helps design the big ones for a living. (She might work for the government and help produce bombs but know one really knows.)

—

Wilson can't cook for shit. Maxwell knows how to make decent meals.

—

Maxwell despises Fast food.

Wilson makes sure to use Maxwell's card when he gets it.

—

Maxwell tries to have a 'normal' life with Wilson despite being a public figure and being filthy rich. (He often forgets he is one of the richest men on the planet. And despite his big ego he doesn't want it and constantly gives money away to his friends and family. [The ones who aren't in it for the money.])

—

(Not apart of the AU)

A friend and I were joking around about AU Maxwell and Worb in a mortal combat situation and it was funny.

(I could probably post the sketches)

—

I might be either editing the post or just re-blogging it when I want to add more.

[inkykeiji]

hiii clari!!! i hope you’re having a great day, i’m working my ass off at the moment since i’m moving and as i was ripping pages and paint off my wall with a scraper some thoughts popped into my head! i constantly have your touya-nii au! and bmb au! on my mind and i REALLY wanna make an au and story like the two of those but i don’t know where to start!

i was wondering how you thought of the two of those au’s? the plot and storylines, layout, etc. and how you came up with “break my bones but act as my spine” for the bmb au?

AAAA i hope this isn’t too much trouble of an ask!!!! (also omgomgomgomg if possible can i be the 📖 anon? LUV YOU MWAHH)

hi lovie!! <3 i am actually sick in bed with a steadily climbing fever LMAO but thank you sweetpea <3 i hope your day is going swell!!

oooh that’s a really interesting question! i get a lot of my inspiration from music, actually! (which is also why 97% of my fic titles are lyrics HAHA). i love making playlists that either fit a certain mood, vibe, or idea, or playlists centred around characters. usually then i just listen to them on repeat and let my mind wander!!! so for my main touya-nii series, it’s actually all inspired by save that shit by lil peep! each title is a song lyric that relates to the content of the piece itself:

i can take you there but baby you won’t make it back: touya can take reader into this relationship, but once she’s entered into it, she’ll be fucked up for life, there’s no going back to who she was before she started fucking her stepbrother;

all she want is payback for the way i always play that shit: all reader wants is for touya to feel an ounce of the hurt SHE feels when he’s off screwing around with other people—all reader wants is him, completely and wholly and entirely to herself;

do i make you scared? baby won’t you take me back: does touya’s psychotic behaviour and extreme possessiveness scare her? will she take him back now that he’s ready and willing to be fully hers and no one else’s?

also, just the vibe of the song itself set the tone and the atmosphere for the main series!! the same happened with 16 lines, also by lil peep, which is where the lyric break my bones but act as my spine comes from! for this one, it was more the vibe of the song than anything else. that, and the fact that i personally love organized crime bosses, love love triangles, and love the classic bodyguard babysitter falls for the person they’re protecting trope.

anyway, i know they’re kind of abstract, but that’s one of the ways my ideas bloom in my head! the other thing i would suggest is study narratives you enjoy: books, movies, video games—anything with a narrative that really struck a chord with you, and figure out why you enjoyed it and what you love so much about it. i believe it is equally as important to consume art as it is to create it!! feed your brain!! i can give you a whole list of some of my inspirations for those pieces, and that still doesn’t scratch the surface! read, write, watch, play, study!

additionally, i always say creativity is a muscle; we all have it, but you have to exercise it to strengthen it. as such, i’d recommend you do some character + narrative writing exercises n warm ups! those will get the ideas flowing, and you might end up developing a story out of something you thought up during one of those exercises! you can also look into fiction prompts and see if anything sparks your interest!

also, if you’d like it, i also have a lil masterlist of my writing advice that discusses a technique we used to continuously generate ideas in my screenwriting class! <3 ahhhh i hope this helps bb, i wish you luck on your journey and i support you creating your own work one hundred million percent. please, create <3

and yes!! you can absolutely be book anon!!! welcome to the anon club sweetpea ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

[ladylooch]

OMFG jealous em ensues. maybe at a bar or a club, emma is absolutely staring her down after she comes up to emma and t.

her hand lingers on timos arm for too long, emma doesn’t like that. now, emma’s ass is grinding against timo, she’s letting his hands roam all over her on the dance floor.

emma doesn’t even care that she’s going to get teased

I'm usually unaffected by moments like this. My husband is hot. I'm aware and he attracts attention. Fine. At times, I might even be honest and tell you I like the way people crave what is mine.

But not when it's this girl.

This girl is a known pass around with the younger boys on the Devils. She's around, but none of the wives get involved with her; a few of the girlfriends considered her a friend. Mostly though, she's an outlier with the Devils women. Before tonight, I never had a thought about her one way or the other.

But then she put her hand on my husband like that was okay and now I have many thoughts, none of them good.

The boys are all out on the dance floor, being obnoxious drunks at the end of another season. The Devils had an amazing year, but fell short of their Stanley Cup dream. This one stings, especially after winning it the year before. So, they're processing the best way they know with shots of tequila and taking their shirts off.

"Uhhh?" Lexi questions next to me, watching as Evelyn skims Timo's arm again. "You better go get her away from your man." I watch my husband step back again. He is sloppy drunk but still fends off her advance. He begins to dance around Nico, leaving Evelyn by him. "She better not touch Nico. I'll be over there slapping a bitch."

I don't respond. Instead, I'm watching as Evelyn‘s eyes follow to Timo's new position. She takes another sip of her drink, then begins to move towards him. I scoff. Exactly what I thought, she's really trying to make a move on my husband. That won't do.

"Now I have to go out on this sweaty dance floor and take care of this." I slam down the rest of my drink, then hike my skin tight jeans back up to my hips. "Your time with the Devils is done." I mutter to myself as I make my way out to the group.

"Emma!!!!!!!!!!" Nico greets me by drunkenly tossing an arm over my shoulder. "I love you. I'm so glad our kids are growing up together here." I chuckle at how unsteady he is, and shoulder his weight for a moment.

"Yeah, baby brother?" I tease, kissing his cheek affectionately. "You should go see Lexi. She said she missed you."

"Oh!" He exclaims, whipping his head to his wife. He grins dopely when he seen her. There is no doubt who he loves most in this world. Nico stumbles off as I sigh, happy to know my brother is safe from the vulture. My gaze moves beyond the rest of the Devils to my husband. Timo's eyes are locked and wide on me, begging for help. I purse my lips against a laugh, then begin to shimmy my way over to him. I bop my shoulders as I approach. He steps beyond Evelyn and captures my hips.

"Baby, help me."

"I got you, T." I pull his mouth down to mine, gripping the back of his neck tightly. Our tongues crash together, tasting each other and the various liquors we've consumed tonight. Electricity and heat shoots through my body. He pulls me tighter, grinding my front into his as he builds between us.

The song changes to My Type by Saweetie and I tilt my head back to laugh.

"Rich, eight figure, yeah, that's my type." I yell to Timo, turning in his grasp to put my butt against his bulge. He moans hotly into my ear.

"You feel so good." He presses me deeper into him. He’s firmed completely against my ass. His fingers move from my hips, working up my body to my breasts. He squeezes them obviously rotating his hips into me as I grip his head close to mine.

“Mom and Dad, get a room!” Luke Hughes shouts in disgust.

“Let’s go home.” Timo suggests.

“All the Devils’ babies are there with the babysitters.” I remind him. “Fuck me in the bathroom like old times.”

“You gonna be quiet?”

“No.”

Timo grins, putting his hand in my back pocket as we work our way out of the crowd. I glance over my shoulder at Evelyn who frowns at our departure. I give her a smug look then forget about her completely. Instead, I follow my husband, debating about what position I want him to take me in.

[ghostbustermelanieking]

book to screen adaptations i actually do like

gone girl (there's some things i wish they'd included, and i wish it'd been a miniseries, but it's a damn good adaptation)

looking for alaska (admittedly i never did watch the final episode and a half for some reason, but i was vibing with it -- despite their changes, it was clear they really got the spirit of the book)

sharp objects (phenomenal miniseries that made me like the book more)

room (2015) (i think this one speaks for itself)

we need to do something (admittedly i saw the movie first but it does the book justice for sure)

ramona and beezus (looking back, this movie makes some weird changes i'd be interested to analyze -- but i have so much nostalgic affection for it)

the diary of a wimpy kid movies, live action (have not seen these in many years, but once again, they understood the assignment)

the samantha, molly, kit, and felicity american girl movies (one could argue that the samantha movie improved upon the books with a more cohesive emotional arc -- although idk why they changed the kit plot soooo much when the books include kit breaking out of prison and lying on a train track while the train passes)

the lion the witch and the wardrobe (2005) (holy fuck)

the fault in our stars (have not seen this since i was 14 but i remember digging it)

goosebumps TV show from the 90s (rushes through plots of course but understands the assignment)

carrie (👌🩸)

the it movies (nostalgic affection once again)

shawshank redemption (once again saw the movie first and it'll forever be one of my favorites)

1408 (omfg i love this movie so much)

the midnight club (it deserved a second season)

matilda (kind of like it more than the book)

coraline (need to explain?)

holes (they did a great job)

charlottes web from the 70s (watched religiously as a small child)

because of winn dixie (i dislike some of the changes -- the animal shelter showing up scene traumatized me as a child -- but it stays faithful in a great way)

the spiderwick chronicles (prob cheating cause i saw the movie first)

alexander and the terrible horrible no good very bad day (is it faithful? not really but i had fun)

the babysitters club TV show (this singlehandedly reignited my investment in the bsc in my early twenties)

judy moody and the not bummer summer? (idk i remember enjoying this as a kid)

speak (2004) (i wish it was longer but this is a Good Adaptation, never say kristen stewart can't act)