#i’m sure she assumed it was because he just got will back and el just disappeared (of course she didn’t really know about el from the start

[hellinhawkins]

hot take but I don’t think that lucas or dustin (or anyone, for that matter, other than maybe robin) are going to see what’s going on between mike and will until it happens. they don’t suspect ANYTHING. when they actually get together everyone’s going to be shocked

[mviswidow]

in search of silence

Eloise Bridgerton x Reader

Word Count: 3.1k

Warnings: r is in an abusive marriage, angst, el to the rescue, some fluff at the end

Summary: Eloise and R are childhood best friends. When a new season begins, they find themselves reunited for the first time since R has entered her marriage that was set up by her parents.

Prompt: could i request a fic with childhood bestfriends eloise bridgerton x f!reader. eloise and reader stopped talking to each other as often because reader got married and one day eloise catches reader’s husband being mean to her (this can be physically or verbally) and eloise defends reader and they rekindle their friendship/old feelings for each other.

sidenote, ive always loved your mcu women fics and im SO glad you’re taking requests for eloise now 😭😭🫶

A/N: thank you anon!! for both the request and the compliment. i love eloise sm this was so fun to write

Muffled shouting stole Eloise’s attention when she escaped from the ballroom of this week's ball that she had been forced to attend with her family. She hadn’t wandered far enough to no longer be able to hear the string quartet playing, but the sound of a deep voice yelling angrily was hard to miss as she passed what she assumed was a drawing room.

Though Eloise knew she should not eavesdrop, she found herself unable to mind her business and stopped in her tracks, gravitating closer to the commotion.

--

“I am through with you,” Your husband shouted, face red with rage.

The moment his hand had clasped forcefully around your wrist to drag you into a room with him earlier, you knew what was coming for you.

“James, please - someone will hear,” you responded in a hushed voice, thoroughly embarrassed at the thought.

“Let them! Everyone should know the bitch of a wife you are,” he spat.

You knew better than to talk back to him, and yet, “I’ve done nothing to you at all! You’ve no reason to -”

A heavy-handed slap to your face was sure to silence you. You could feel the blood rushing to your cheek, and your hand rose shakily to cradle the side of your face. Hot tears brimmed your eyes as you breathed deeply to steady yourself.

“I’m leaving.”

“Please -” you forced yourself to say, a feeble attempt to calm him down, lest his temper worsen on his way home.

“Enough from you! I-”

The door burst open and you felt as if your heart was about to leap out of your chest.

You were astounded to see Eloise standing in the doorway, her lips in a tight line. It had been long since you’d seen her last. She was beautiful, as always. For a moment you forgot your present situation until you noted the fire in her eyes. She was furious, but she kept herself composed, “Is everything alright in here? I heard quite the commotion from outside as I was passing by.”

“We are quite fine.” He turned back to you and after a moment, he spoke, “I’ll send the carriage back around for you once I arrive home. I cannot stand the sight of you at present.”

“Lady Bridgerton,” he said curtly. Eloise barely had time to register the fact that James was walking towards her and stepped out of his way just in time.

“Lord Anderson,” she managed out, deciding to forgo her polite curtsy. She had deemed that he did not deserve it.

You both jumped at the sound of the door slamming upon his exit.

Her head felt as if it was spinning. She’d recognized your voice from outside the instant you spoke. The thought of this being the reality of the marriage your parents had arranged for you devastated her. She wouldn’t let herself imagine how horrid it was for you when you were actually at home.

Your cheek still burned from being slapped and there was no doubt in your mind about it being tinged pink. You were beyond mortified and the relief of James finally having left had tears falling down your face rapidly.

As much as you wanted to take in Eloise, who you hadn’t had a moment alone with since last season, you were lost in your mind. You dreaded your impending arrival back home and prayed that your husband would be fast asleep.

After a few more seconds you pried your eyes away from the bookcase you had been staring at and settled your gaze on Eloise.

She somehow looked more stunning than you had remembered her to be and your heart squeezed painfully. Her hair curled carefully over her shoulders in such a familiar way and it reminded you of how you used to twirl her curls in your fingers whenever she would rest her head in your lap.

The Bridgerton made her way over to you carefully. The concern on her face was evident and you knew by the way her eyebrows were crinkling together that she had much to say.

She stopped when she was just a few feet in front of you. For once, she seemed unable to form a proper sentence.

You were sure she couldn’t find the right words. You weren’t sure how you should navigate this situation yourself, but you had had enough of the silence, “I’m sorry you had to hear all of that.”

Eloise shook her head immediately, “You have nothing to be apologizing for.”

There was another lull of silence. All either of you could do was look into each other’s eyes. Hers looked so sad. How you hated to see them so.

“I assure you I am quite alright.”

“There is no use in lying to me, Y/n/n.”

Your bottom lip trembles at the familiar nickname and she hurries closer, engulfing you in a hug.

She felt you trembling as she held you against her. “I’m here,” she whispered, arms wrapped tightly around you.

It was not long before sobs racked your body and all she could do was rub your back and occasionally give you a few words of reassurance. Eloise felt her heart splitting into pieces the longer you cried.

You were certain that you would give anything to stay in her arms forever. There was nowhere in the world where you felt safer. Her chest radiated warmth and you took comfort in the very familiar scent of her perfume.

Once you’ve calmed slightly, you apologize again, “I’ve missed you terribly. And I have been the furthest thing from a friend to you. I’ve allowed James to drive the people closest to me out of my life and I won't stand for it any longer.”

“I can’t have you getting in trouble because of me,” she shook her head.

“Oh, hush, El,” you chuckled wetly. “I’ve been in trouble with my Mama countless times because of you.”

She knew you were joking to make light of the situation, but she found nothing humorous about it. Especially not as she reached up to wipe away the tears on your face.

“How long has it been this way?” she inquired, speaking with a gentle voice.

“A handful of months. He’s become rather frustrated by the fact that I have yet to produce an heir for him and his displeasure with me grows stronger by the second.”

Eloise’s face scrunched in indignation, “That is ridiculous.”

“It’s fair enough - that is why he was searching for a wife in the first place.”

“It’s unacceptable behavior from him regardless of that fact,” she was quick to rebuke. She took your hand in her own and squeezed gently. The feel of your skin against hers made her heart race.

“I’d like to get out of the house tomorrow. Do you think your mother should have my head if I busied you the whole day?”

“Not at all. She’s missed you quite a lot as well,” Eloise smiled.

Your heart fluttered at the admittance.

“Will you be okay tonight?”

“I will. I’m sure he’ll drink himself to sleep the second he arrives home.”

You could tell Eloise didn’t like the sound of that, but she said nothing.

She was grateful that you wanted to spend the day with her tomorrow, not only because she would be eager to see how you were but also because she’d missed your company so very much.

--

Almost two fortnights later, you’re riding in a carriage to a ball with your husband sitting across from you. He grows tired of waiting for you to finally come to be with child. Intercourse with him is nauseating and at this point, you’re praying that your courses don’t come next month for a multitude of reasons.

The ride is sour, as you’ve just had a nasty argument, ending in you being pushed into a table. Your right arm ached still, but you were sure that nothing was broken.

You were excited to escape from your husband and find your dear Eloise the moment the opportunity arose. Your feelings for her made you ever so giddy when you were around her. You felt almost childish at your eagerness to leave your husband and find your friend, but you had been swept into this marriage on your just first season out, which was only last year. It barely gave you any time to enjoy balls with her without courting.

Running around with Eloise at the last ball felt so normal, oddly enough. It was incredibly refreshing to spend the better part of the evening with her, sipping on champagne and cracking jokes. Even though you knew it was slightly improper as you were now married and should have been at your husband’s side, listening to him boast about his fortune and how impatient he was to have an heir with whoever would listen, you couldn’t bring yourself to care. It did anger him, however. You had learned so after the last ball when he reprimanded you for almost half of an hour about your behavior as if you were his child and not his wife.

You’d decided to behave for the first hour, at least. It frustrated you so to listen to James drone on to his acquaintances, but you knew it was what needed to be done since he was already on edge from his earlier outburst.

The Bridgertons arrived after you, and you spotted Eloise immediately. You couldn’t help the smile that grew on your face when you saw the way her eyes lit up when she caught sight of you.

You squeezed James’ arm absentmindedly out of the excitement you felt. When he looked down at you, you played it off by giving him a look that should have been directed toward Eloise.

That had seemed to satisfy him well enough and he returned to his conversation, allowing you to return to observing your favorite Bridgerton from afar.

Eloise’s hair cascaded over one of her shoulders and two strands of soft curls beautifully framed the sides of her face. Her dress was blue, as it usually was, and it was embellished with embroidered flowers.

You could hardly peel your eyes away from her, but you forced yourself to redirect your attention to your husband once more.

After what you deemed an appropriate amount of time, you excused yourself to find more pleasant company.

It seemed as if you had run into almost every Bridgerton before her, though. You greeted all three of her present brothers before finding Violet and Agatha in conversation and curtsying to both. Violet even extended a hand to squeeze yours for a moment, happy to see you.

As soon as you began a conversation with her and Lady Danbury, you were accosted by Eloise, who gripped your arm excitedly. You winced briefly, now bruised from your earlier encounter with the table of your drawing room.

You relaxed your expression and the pinch in your brow was gone once it settled in that you were in Eloise’s presence, she still noticed your discomfort despite your futile efforts to mask it and found herself glancing down at your arm.

Her nostrils flared at what she saw, she had half the mind to find Lord Anderson at that moment, but she looked back up to you and saw the bright grin on your face and melted, a smile of her own growing quickly.

She swiftly looped her arm through yours and began to pull you away, wanting you to herself, “If you don’t mind, I’m going to steal Lady Anderson away. I’ve hardly had any time with her all week.”

The older women chuckled and shook their heads, recognizing this familiar routine that the two of you had been accustomed to last year.

“Have a nice time ladies,” Violet smiled, not even bothering to remind Eloise to attempt to fill a few spots on her dance card. She knew how the girl had missed you, and didn’t have it in her to force her daughter away from you. Violet rather appreciated how cheerful Eloise happened to get whenever you were around, especially at balls, where genuine smiles from the young lady were scarce.

Eloise guided you to a corner of the ballroom, not failing to make a stop at the refreshment table and hand you a lemonade. You were relieved to be by her side at last. There was nothing you had desired more in the past week, where you had only been able to promenade with her once, as James had been irritable.

The longer you were around her, the more you felt the pressure on your chest relieve itself. You were able to breathe so easily around Eloise. You suddenly became aware of the fact that her thumb was passively rubbing your arm and you had to blink a few times, not sure if you were dreaming it.

You ached for her to touch you more. You’d once attempted to imagine that your husband’s hands were hers, but they were far too rough, and you gave up quickly.

Your mind wandered for a moment, but before it could stray too far, you snapped yourself out of it.

“You’re awfully quiet tonight,” you pointed out, turning your head towards your best friend. It was quite unlike her.

She tilted her head in a shrug, “You seem as though you could use a little quiet.”

“You know me far too well, Eloise,” a smile returned to your lips, something she never failed to do, and you shook your head. “But please, if there’s anyone I’d like to hear ramble, it is always you.”

Eloise scoffed in mock offense, “I do not ramble.”

“You do, too,” you teased. “I like it.”

She chortles in response and the two of you hold eye contact. She looks at you with a fondness that you recognize yourself often directing toward her.

Eloise breaks it for a short moment to glance down at your lips.

When she does it once more, you’re suddenly overtaken by instinct and put your lemonade on a serving tray, taking hers and doing the same.

“What-”

Eloise is interrupted by you taking her gloved hand in your own and dragging her out of the ballroom. She doesn’t miss the way you check over your shoulder for your husband, who is heavily occupied, drinking and joking happily with his friends.

You begin making your way into the gardens when you hear Eloise chirp up from behind you.

“We shouldn’t be out here,” she says, not quite like she means it.

You roll your eyes, “Then it’s a good thing you’ve never cared for rules, isn’t it?”

“I suppose so,” she couldn’t be offended, it was true, and it was exhilarating to be truly alone with you for the first time in such a long while.

You stopped when you’d reached a dead end and you were sure you were not only alone but completely hidden from anyone looking outside.

Eloise tried to stop her mind from racing. She couldn’t be sure of why you had pulled her out of the ballroom. She waited with bated breath to find out, trying to suppress the excitement she felt. You could just be in search of fresh air, or actual silence, which required you to be far enough to hear the music no longer.

Your breathing quickened as you stood in front of her. She took note of it, and against her better judgment, let her eyes flicker to your chest. Then up to your lips, which were parted slightly. Her eyes lingered, before finally meeting your own.

While you badly wanted to tell her everything on your mind, you could hardly form a proper sentence, “El…”

You could hear her breath, ragged from nerves as she took a step closer to you.

There was a question in your eyes. You were grateful that you did not have to utter it. She knew.

She told you that she knew with the glassy nature of her eyes, the parting of her mouth, and her breath fanning across your face as she brought herself closer.

You closed the distance, pressing your lips to Eloise’s. The gentle kiss did not take long to turn eager, almost desperate, both of you feeling free from the sole secret you had kept from each other.

Her lips were soft and warm. They were everything you had dreamed of.

You lost yourself in Eloise, your hands finding their way to her jaw. Your body felt as if it was being lit from the inside when she pressed you into her with a firm hand at the small of your back. Your head almost spun from the contact of her chest against your own.

Despite not wanting to, you pulled away the slightest bit to catch your breath. You did not miss the way she chased your lips.

She had never looked more beautiful. Your heart swelled as she began to smile, which turned into a breathy chuckle.

You shook your head as you joined her with a giggle and let your arms wrap around your neck, hugging her tightly.

“I love you, El. So much,” you whispered.

You felt her breath hitch and her arms tightened around your waist, “I love you too. So very much. It pains me so to watch you from across a ballroom when I want nothing more than to be by your side.”

All of a sudden, your reality came flooding back to you.

“You deserve so much more than that brute that calls himself your husband. He should be honored to spend the time with you that he does. He is a fool for not seeing how precious you are.”

Tears welled in your eyes as she spoke, “I wish I had never married, El. I’m miserable.”

“I know. I’m not sure how much peace this brings you, but you should know that I am here for you, at any time of day or night. You could barge into the Bridgerton house in the late hours of the night and I shall be ready to dissolve your worries with my charming wits and whatever biscuits we can find in the kitchens.”

You found yourself laughing, as you always did in Eloise’s presence, “Thank you.”

“It is my pleasure,” her lips quirked up.

“What are we to do now? About us, I mean.”

“We’re going to have to find a way to get you out of that house of yours however often we can. And if Lord Anderson lays another finger on you I will sic my entire family and Lady Danbury on him. We’ll see how he likes that.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“I’d say I’m known for being ridiculous, you shouldn’t be surprised,” she raised a brow playfully before looking over her shoulder. “I highly doubt anyone is missing us in there…”

“What might you be suggesting, Miss Eloise,” you ask, feigning innocence.

“I think you know quite well what I suggest.”

[wakeupthemembersofbylernation]

If Mike really loved El romantically, they wouldn’t have dragged out a weird plot of not being able to say ILY for two seasons. One season? Sure. I can let Season 3 slide somewhat if one discounts all the queer longing that takes place and the odd finale kiss. You could interpret S3 as an awkward kid building up the courage to say the L word.

But two seasons? Nah. If the first interpretation were true, things would’ve been resolved when El confesses that she loves him back at the end of S3. But things were not resolved? And the show goes out of its way to emphasize that Mike isn’t even writing “I love you” in his letters? And they have a big, explosive fight about it… and he still can’t say it? Nah Michael, I diagnose you with homosexuality.

“But saying I love you is scary and a big deal and yada yada…” Okay sure. Saying ILY is a big deal. But middle school kids still say it pretty casually. And they certainly at least write it. It’s not uncommon for a kid to drop the “L” bomb to someone they’ve only been dating for a short period of time, only to break up the next day. Things are fluid and chaotic and unpredictable and messy. In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo thought he was in love with Rosaline until seeing Juliet, and he immediately changed his mind.

But even if we just assume it’s harder for Mike to say ILY to El because Mlvn is serious and more meaningful than a fleeting crush, that still doesn’t let Mike off the hook. If Mlvn really is as soulmate-coded as Mlievens believe, when have you ever heard of a soulmate-coded relationship in media where the writers went out of their way to show that saying ILY was like pulling teeth? Imagine if there was a whole section of Titanic where Jack struggled with saying ILY to Rose? Imagine Leia got into a fight with Han because he couldn’t write “love” in his romantic letters, and Han was all like, “I care for you so much, Leia.”Imagine Katara pulled out the receipts, and Aang was like, “Okay, okay. Katara, you’re being ridiculous. Like what is this?”

That would be absurd. And you’d either demand an explanation or stop rooting for them. It’s not that ILY isn’t often a big deal in stories. It’s that when it’s emphasized in a weird way and dragged out for two seasons, you have to side-eye it. It’s one thing when the big ILY is the logical and natural culmination of an arc, whether at the end of a season or the end of a series. That makes sense. It’s another thing entirely when someone is literally begging you to say it, and you still can’t say it. And then when you finally do say it, it’s in the penultimate season, and it’s extremely anticlimactic. And everyone has to emphasize how you said it 9 times to cope/compensate.

If Mlvn was meant to be endgame, and Mike really loved El romantically, they would’ve just… shown Mike and El being in love with each other. There wouldn’t be any doubt. None of the other couples, other than Stancy, have ever gone through this weird kind of ritual where words are emphasized over actions. No one doubts that Lumax, Jopper, and Duzie are in love with each other. Jancy is a little more complicated cause they were separated throughout S4 and doubts were raised, but even so, it’s nowhere near the odd situation with Milkvan. Jancy, Lumax, Jopper, and Duzie have all shown they love each other through their actions. They don’t rely on big gestures or words to prove it. In fact, Lucas even specifically says to Max, “I don’t want a letter.”

All I’m saying is, if Mlvn is treated with a considerable lack of seriousness post Season 2, if the show keeps them in a weird Groundhog Day plot of constant fights and lies and not being on the same page, and if it takes a third party with vested romantic interest in the situation for Mike to finally monologue a measly ILY to his girlfriend, then maybe there’s a reason for this? 🤔

[babydollmarauders]

have u seen the video of jason kelces daughter pointing out aj browns pink shows during the nfl game? anyway, theres definitely a video of little el pointing out her daddy on screen and its the cutest thing ever. shes like "daddy again! i see him mommy! oh! i see him again!" and jack literally melts when he sees the video because its literally the cutest thing ever

i love this so much 😭

it’s definitely when she’s like 3 and he’s on a roadie, Lovie just thinks it’s too cute to not record

***

it should’ve never surprised me how focused my daughter could become whenever a hockey game is involved.

with every male in her life being a former or current player, there’s constant hockey around her. i guess i just never assumed that at three years old, she could be so content in watching a hockey game.

El is sat on the couch when i return from the nursery, her bowl of fruit next to her and her eyes laser focused on the Devils game that plays on the tv. she looks over as i sit beside her, taking note of my empty arms.

“my Leo sleeping?” she wonders, her eyes wide and curious.

i wrap an arm around my daughter, pulling her close to me as my other hand runs through her wild blonde curls.

“yeah, lovely. Elio is asleep, so we can’t be too loud, okay?” she nods at my words, laying her head against my chest and dialing back into the game.

i tune in as well, noticing the score has yet to change from 0-0 since i left to put my son to sleep. it’s well into the second period, and i know my husband and his teammates must be frustrated.

i’m proven correct when the camera pans to the bench, where Jack heatedly converses with his brother.

“mommy!” El’s head pops up from its spot, her sticky little hand patting my cheek to make sure i’m paying attention. “it’s daddy! and uncle Luke!”

“yeah?” i laugh, pressing i kiss to the top of her head.

“yeah! i see them, mommy!” her voice is near yelling, high with excitement as she leaves my arms, bounding closer to the television.

the camera is back on the ice now, where the ref calls a penalty on the other team for tripping.

sliding my phone out of my back pocket, i swipe into the camera app, discreetly propping the now recording phone up on a toy on the coffee table. the camera captures the expanse of the half of the living room that El and i currently occupy, providing a good shot of my daughter that stands at the tv, and of me where i sit on the sofa.

i focus back on the game, my husband on the current power play unit.

he passes the puck back and forth with his teammates around the opposing teams net, and in a matter of seconds, he’s got the puck back and he’s shooting it straight past the goalie.

a wide grin spreads across my lips, a squeal escaping me in excitement.

“GO DADDY!” El cheers, jumping up and down in front of the tv. she turns back to look at me and runs over, climbing back up on my lap. “he did it, mommy! daddy got a goal!”

“he did, munchkin!” she climbs back down, looking back at the tv.

“daddy again! i see him mommy!” she calls out as the screen zooms in on a closeup of my smiling husband before panning back out to show him skating over to the bench.

the game cuts to media break and i look back at El’s smiling face, a spitting image of Jack’s smile.

when the game returns, it opens on a shot of Jack sitting on the bench, talking animatedly to Nico.

“oh! i see him again!” El cries out, pointing at the tv as she bounces around. “that’s daddy! that’s my daddy!”

i gather my phone from the table, cutting off the recording as my daughter rejoins me on the couch. she curls up in my lap, pulling the bowl of fruit on the couch back into her own lap.

i quickly send the video to Jack, for him to watch when he gets back to his hotel, and then set my phone down on the arm of the couch, wrapping my arms around my three year old.

we sit like this for the remainder of the game, El falling asleep during the second intermission, and only once the Devils have won 3-1, do i move her into her bed.

i turn the tv off, cleaning up the living room and placing the empty bowl from El’s fruit into the dishwasher before retreating to my own room for the rest of the night. i plug my phone in, changing into my pajama’s, brushing my teeth, and washing my face before climbing into my bed.

i’m just about to turn my lamp off when my phone begins to ring, and i look over to see an incoming facetime from Jack.

accepting the call, it’s no more than a few seconds before it connects, his smiling face filling my screen.

“hi, love.” i greet, smiling back at him.

“hi, lovie. El asleep now?” he questions, and i notice his hair is damp, apparently freshly washed, but he’s not in his hotel room, rather sitting on the plane.

“yeah, she fell asleep during second intermission.” i tell him. “pretty sure she was just waiting for you to score before she let herself crash.”

he chuckles and i speak again, “i thought you guys weren’t coming home until tomorrow afternoon?”

“no, we’re about to take off. i’ll be back by the time you wake up, i just wanted to talk to you before you go to sleep.”

my heart flutters in my chest. eight years together and he still never fails to make me feel like i have a schoolgirl crush.

“i loved that video, thank you for capturing that. and for sending it.” his eyes are soft, and i know he must be missing El a lot right now.

“yeah, well, i wanted you to see your number one fan.” i laugh, and he feigns offense, holding his free hand to his chest.

“i thought you were my number one fan.”

“i think El’s got me beat now.” i exaggerate a pout and he chuckles.

“i gotta go, we’re about to take off.” he sighs, and i nod in understanding. “i’ll see you when i get home. i love you, beautiful.”

“i love you too, love. see you when you get home.”

[ladykailitha]

Do You Know What Shovels Dig? Graves Part 6

And this is it. The last part of a short little idea that kept me up all night that turned into this beautiful story that is one of my favorite stories I’ve written.

WIP Wednesday allowed me to finish this up for you before I went to bed. I got a job that I will be starting on Monday which will slow my writing down some, but I will still try to keep up on the stories I have. I love writing these stories for you guys and wish I could make it my job. But alas, capitalism.

Also this is for all the people that wished to see what the Corroded Coffin boys would say and for all the people that wanted to have Erica actually apologize. I was like “if you guys can get her to apologize, great, because I couldn’t!” But then I realized that there was someone who could get her to apologize. Robin. So here you go.

Thanks to that anon for the barbecue idea. That’s here too.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

*

After Max, Lucas, and Erica had gone, Steve sat with Eddie, El, and the Byers boys.

“I think all in all,” Eddie began, “those were some pretty good apologies.”

The other three nodded.

Steve sighed. “It doesn’t change the fact that it took an actual honest to god intervention to get them realize they were wrong.”

“No it doesn’t,” El said. “Which is why I told them that they’ve been grounded from Steve for two weeks.”

“Uh...” Eddie said, “what now?”

“It means,” Will explained. “That if they want to hang out with him they have to do on his terms, not theirs. No begging for rides, no stopping by for food and then bailing, and just no taking advantage of Steve.”

Steve blushed. “Thanks, guys. I mean it. It was nice knowing that there were people that weren’t going to threaten me and took this whole seriously.” He gave Jonathan’s knee a squeeze. “I’m not sure what would have happened if you hadn’t stopped by. But I’m really glad you did.”

Jonathan squeezed his shoulder in response. “Me, too. I hope they learned their lesson.”

“That is the hope,” Will said.

Steve scratched his cheek. “Why don’t we have barbecue at your guys’s place after the two weeks and see how they fair?”

Will brightened. “I like that idea. That way if they are still having problems we can talk to them about it.”

“Do you think your mom will go for it?” Eddie asked.

Jonathan grinned. “Hell yeah, she would. She’s been wanting to show off her new house to everyone for awhile now.”

El grinned too. “We have a plan, then!”

*

Steve was pleased to see that the Party actually started to make actual changes in how they treated him.

Lucas invited him out to play basketball at the rec center and biked himself there. Steve offered him a ride home after, which he happily took as they were both sweating afterwards.

Dustin made sure that Steve knew he was joking when he was making comments. And Steve made sure to snark right back unless it really bothered him and then they would talk about it.

Robin and he had a longer talk about the gay vs bisexual thing. She admitted that she had been wrong to assume that because Steve was bisexual that it would be Eddie getting his heartbroken and not Steve. She had some ingrained biases that she had to get over and was really sorry she didn’t have his back when he needed her to.

There were a lot of little changes but the final major change came a couple days after the intervention when Jeff, Gareth, and Brian all walked into Family Video together to properly apologize to Steve.

“Hey, Buckley,” Jeff said, “can you give us some space?”

Robin straightened her spine and wiggled her shoulders. “Steve has had apology monitors to ensure that it’s an actual apology, and as Eddie or Will or Jonathan aren’t here, it’s going to have to be me.”

Steve laughed and shook his head. “Apparently there are certain people who think I’m too nice,” he explained to the other boys, “and let people get away things that I shouldn’t so they took it upon themselves to be my guard dogs to make sure it’s an actual apology.”

“Have they met you?” Gareth asked, incredulous. “You’re the original bitch.”

Steve laughed again. “Who let Tommy and Carol walk all over me. I tend to roll over for friends.”

They blinked and then nodded.

“Yeah, okay,” Brian said. “That tracks.”

Steve just smiled. “So how can I help you fine gentleman today? May I interest you our latest releases?”

That got a couple chuckles out of them.

“No, man,” Jeff said, “we’re here to talk about the whole shovel talk shit.”

Steve leaned against the counter and folded his arms. “You do know I don’t fault you guys for that, right? You guys are Eddie’s best friends. I didn’t really fault Wayne, either. But the execution of that one...” he winced when Robin gasped. “Poor choice of words, sorry.”

“What he do?” Jeff asked.

“Borrowed Chief Hopper’s shotgun and cleaned while we talked,” Steve said with a grimace.

“That ain’t right...” Brian said, shaking his head.

Gareth looked at Jeff and then back to Steve. “Yeah, but here’s the thing about our shovel talk...”

“It wasn’t necessary,” Jeff finished for him. “We’ve had time to get to know you before you and Eddie started dating. We knew that you two would do anything for each other even without being a couple.”

Brian nodded. “It’s just...something we thought best friends did. The whole ‘break his heart, we’ll break your knees’ kind of thing.”

Robin looked down at her feet and cleared her throat.

Jeff sighed dramatically. “Please tell me she wasn’t one of the ones that gave you the shovel talk. Because that’s messed up, man.”

Steve looked over at her and then back up to Jeff. “Yeah, she knows.”

“By the way,” Gareth said, waving his hands, “Eddie doesn’t know we’re here. So I don’t want thinking this is a forced apology or anything.”

Steve raised his eyebrows. “Really?”

Brian cleared his throat. “I mean he did threaten to kill off our characters if we were mean to you, but he didn’t tell us to apologize or anything.”

Steve laughed. “That sounds more like the Eddie we all know and love.”

“But we would have come anyway,” Jeff said. “Because our shovel talk added to a heaping pile of bullshit that you didn’t need. And definitely didn’t deserve.”

“So this is us saying we’re sorry that everyone you knew decided that you were going to break Eddie’s heart,” Gareth said. “And that we made you feel like you weren’t worthy of dating Eddie. Because you are, man. Like seriously the only guy Eddie’s brought around that we actually want to be friends with.”

“Hell yeah,” Brian said. “You’re so cool and you love to take care everyone. We’d want you to stick around because we like you, too.”

Steve’s eyes blurred and he cleared his throat. “Thanks, guys. It means a lot to hear you say that.”

They all came up and gave Steve a hug, blocking him from outside viewers so he could cry. Once they were sure he was going to be okay, they let him go.

They said their goodbyes and walked out, leaving behind a stunned Robin and grateful Steve.

*

Just before the barbecue started Robin brought over Erica to Steve by holding her ear.

“Ow! Ow! Ow!” Erica was yelling as she was half dragged over to him.

Robin sat her down and said, “I learned that this little hobgoblin didn’t properly apologize for her shovel talk. And Eddie let her get away with it.”

“God, what’s your problem?” Erica huffed up at Robin. “They understood. Why can’t you?”

Robin grinned. “Green ooze, little girl. Green ooze.”

Erica’s jaw snapped shut. If Sherlock Holmes had his phrase for humbling him when he got too proud, this was Erica’s. She was going to drink it before it turned out to be acid. Like literal acid.

She turned to Steve. “Shovel talks aren’t right and no one should be giving anyone shovel talks because it’s a pointless exercise in latent hostility. So I’m sorry I contributed to an archaic practice used by bullies and abusers. I won’t do it ever again.”

Erica looked up at Robin, who gave her the thumbs up. Erica hopped up and ran off to play.

Steve blinked up at Robin in shock. “Like how the hell did you manage that?”

Robin just batted her eyelashes and said nothing, walking away with a whistle on her lips and a swagger in her step.

Eddie came up to him in shock. “Did I just witness an actual apology from Lady Applejack?”

Steve nodded mutely.

“I think I’m more afraid of Robin, now,” Eddie muttered and Steve could only agree.

*

Eddie was starting to see a trend. One that made him laugh the third time it happened.

The first, though? Claudia Henderson.

“Eddie!” she greeted warmly. “I haven’t seen you around much. How have you been?”

Eddie smiled at her. Even before the Upside Down, Claudia was one Eddie’s favorite people. She was bright and happy and loved her wacky son with all her heart. Something that Eddie could absolutely get behind. “I’ve just been busy. But name the date, and I’ll be there.”

She smiled back. “That’s sweet, dear. You know you have an open invitation. But why don’t you and your uncle come over for Sunday dinner. Steve has already said yes for himself.”

“Sounds great, Mrs Henderson,” Eddie agreed.

“How are you and Steve?” she asked gently. “Dusty was telling me that Steve hadn’t been doing well lately.”

“We’re good,” Eddie said bobbing his head. “Things got a little rough a couple weeks back, but we’re on firmer ground now.”

She patted his cheek. “You really need to be taking better care of that boy. He looks tough on the outside, but he needs someone who can take care of him, yeah?”

Eddie smiled. “Of course. Taking extra good care of our Stevie is my number one priority.”

She nodded and went to go make sure Dusty was eating enough.

The next one was Karen Wheeler of all people. Ted was suspiciously but expectedly absent. She came up to Eddie and introduced herself.

“You must be Eddie!” she said with smile that reminded him of that Dustin Hoffman film.

“Oh hello,” he replied a little confused.

“Nancy has told me all about you,” Karen said with that same smile. “She’s always going on about how Steve finally found the person he was meant to be with and what a great person you are.”

Eddie smiled back. “Nancy’s a great girl.”

She sighed a little, her smile turning into something a little more genuine. “I miss having Steve over. Jonathan is great boy for my Nance, but Steve sparkled where Jonathan only shines.”

“I won’t argue with you on that one,” Eddie said. “But then Jonathan isn’t my type.”

She swatted at him playfully. “All I’m trying to say if that Steve is a good boy and deserves only the best. So you’ll take good care of him, won’t you?” It was sweet and sincere, but a hint of steel. And suddenly Eddie knew where Nancy got her backbone of steel from.

“Always,” Eddie promised, hand over heart.

“See that you do,” Karen said and wandered off to compare brownie recipes with Joyce.

The third was a squirrelly looking balding guy with thick glasses and far too knowing stare. He had come with Chief Hopper and had spent most of the night watching Eddie. He had asked Nancy who he was and she said his name was Murray Bauman and he was a conspiracy theorist. Which really didn’t clear anything up for him, but this rag-tag group of rebels and fighters were all a little weird.

He wandered over to Eddie and looked him up and down. He said in a clear voice, “I have seen things you wouldn’t believe, I’ve done things that would make your hair curl on end,” he stopped for a moment, “make it curlier and I know where the bodies are hidden. If you hurt Steve, you’ll be the next one.”

“Murray!” Hopper yelled. “What the hell was that? Why would you say that?”

Murray blinked at Hopper and then tilted his head. “Because we love Steve?” He says long and slow like he’s talking to a stupid person.

Eddie burst out laughing.

“No, no,” he said between giggles. “It’s fine Hopper. It’s all fine!”

Murray looked him over again and then nodded. “Yes, you’ll do.” And then he wandered off back into the house as if he had done what he had come to do.

A few minutes later Steve came up and sat next to Eddie. “I’m sorry, I don’t even know what that was.”

Eddie giggled and bumped their shoulders together. “It’s fine, sweetheart. It’s actually kinda adorable.”

Steve frowned. “What is?”

“That it’s the moms plus Murray here,” Eddie said jerking his chin in the direction Murray had wandered off to, “that are the most protective of you. Both Mrs Wheeler and Henderson have told me under no certain terms am I allowed to hurt you and that I’m supposed to take care of you.”

Steve blinked and searched the crowd for Claudia first. She spotted him looking at her and she waved at him. Steve smiled and waved back. Then he searched for Karen. She didn’t look at him directly, but merely winked and went back to talking to Wayne about something he couldn’t quite hear.

“Oh.”

“But don’t you worry, darlin’,” Eddie purred. “I’m gonna take very good care of you.”

Steve kissed him, slow and deep. “And I will always take care of you, Eds.”

“Perfect.”

It really was.

*** 

Tag List: @justforthedead89 @zerokrox-blog @ihavekidneys @didntwant2come @thelittleclare @liorereshkigal @estrellami-1 @swimmingbirdrunningrock @telidina @stevesbipanic @paintsplatteredandimperfect @a-little-unsteddie @jonesn4coffee  @resident-gay-bitch @obliosworld @croatoan-like-its-hot @evix-syne666 @emly03 @wonderland-girl143-blog @bookworm0690 @mysticcrownshipper @i-must-potato  @pnk-lemonades 

[leslutdepointedulac]

Handwritten Letters

VamPride ~ Day 8: Handwritten Letters

Nicki's letter to Lestat before he dies, if he had written it instead of Eleni - Taken from my fic The Light Behind Your Eyes

Transcript:

L. de Valois 21 El Adaweya Cairo 16th August 1789

L, The last we spoke was ten years ago and I told you I despised you. It was true and I’m not ashamed to say that claim still stands, I don’t regret anything I said that night and yet I feel it necessary to give you words I left unsaid.  I’ll be gone when you get this. It’s safe to say my restless mind has finally caught up with me and I can no longer bear its torture. I’m tired, L., I want peace. I want to rest once and for all. I don’t believe that’s so wrong. Do you? After all, I’m no longer needed at the theatre, nevermind what they may or may not say, they have the plays they so badly wanted from me and everything belongs to them now. Even my violin is no longer of use to me, hence why my final wish is for E. to send it to you along with this letter. Our Most Treasured Director sees me predominantly as a hindrance to the company, what with my apparent insanity. Did E. inform you of how he confiscated my violin only after relieving me of my hands? I know how she writes to you of our business back here in Paris.  There are things I need to tell you before I’m lost to the flames. Despite how much I hated you then and hate you just as much now, in a strange way I wish you all the best. I sincerely hope you get what’s good for you in life but then again, of course it will, you always got what you wanted and you always will. I hate you for that, I hate you so much and yet I still hope you get everything you deserve.  You always had such light within you, L. I relied on so much of your light to combat my all-consuming darkness, but it wasn’t enough was it. You failed me but I need for you to know something very important. I need for you to never lose that light, you need it so you can stay strong so you don’t end up like me one day. I lost my fight but that doesn’t mean you need to follow behind me, never do that, L. Promise you’ll never lose, that would be too easy and as far as I’m concerned it would be unfair to me for you to fail at something so effortlessly when you have never failed at anything before, not really. We were supposed to go down in Paris yet you held on to that dream so tightly. If you couldn’t even give me the grace of failing that, then your light doesn’t deserve to go down at all, not when I lost after fighting so hard for so long. It would be an insult to me.  I’m not aware of your current opinions of me and quite frankly I don’t care but I think that despite my hatred for you, there’s still a very small part of me that never truly got over you. I think deep down, something in me still cares about you. Don’t mistake care for love, I don’t love you, those feelings are lost to me, however there is an ounce of care for you still. That even I cannot deny, as much as I would love nothing more than to do so. I’m sure this confession is confusing and harder to believe still but know that as much as it pains me to say, it is true. Believe me when I say no one is more bewildered by this than I am. Assuming you haven’t thrown this letter down by this point, I suppose I should be nothing if not slightly grateful that you’re still reading but then again I don’t really care. I’ll be dead and gone soon so it matters to me neither way. If anybody should be grateful it should be you. Grateful that I’ve mustered some sense of willingness in my final bout of sanity ‒ sanity which is just about non-existent these days ‒ to bother giving you one last goodbye, because that’s what this is, my dearest L., goodbye. The end of ‘Our Conversation’ if you will. I’m sorry it had to end like this.  Goodbye L.  N.

Theatre des Vampires 110 Rue Amelot Paris

Lestat's response to this letter which is obviously never sent

Transcript:

N. It’s been two nights since I heard of your death. I should have expected it would come to this eventually and yet, I couldn’t help but hold out hope you would see it through to the other side.  Did you suffer, in the end? I suppose you were overcome with the weight of your darkness. I saw it, I felt it, before I brought you over. It was unbearable and that was only in the beginning. It pains me to think how much it burdened you, I can only imagine how it weighed heavy in your heart, your mind.  E. told me everything. She told me how even the mention of my name was enough to drag you further into your madness. She told me of your punishments. I don’t regret leaving you there, I only wish there was more I could have done despite my absence. But I know they did their best to help you, they only ever did what was necessary and for that I am grateful. I never should have done it. I never should have brought you over into the Blood, I knew it was only cause for trouble, G. even warned me. But I had to, I couldn’t let you die. Even when I knew you would hate me after and I would hate you. I did it to save you but everything leads to ruin in the end.  I wish I could have saved you.  Have you found peace in the flames? Are you at rest at long last? I hope, above all else, that the darkness no longer plagues you, that your hurt and your hatred have been washed away by the flames of your funeral pyre.  I’m numb with the pain that your loss has given me. I hate you for it, yet I love you all the same as well. The grief is still so fresh and I don’t think it will ever truly heal. My love for you can never, will never die, N., no matter how much you hurt me, both in the past and in the present.  I miss you. We will find each other again, I’m sure of it.  Rest now, you are always with me, L.

@valenfangs

[owl-with-a-pen]

Kara had been juggling so many duties over the last few days, it had really started to feel like she had a secret identity all over again. Her fingers had been a constant blur across her phone screen, so much that she’d jumped into several meetings without knowing what they were even about or – for that matter – that she had meant to have been leading them. She could have gotten away with that as Kara Danvers, but people tended to notice when Kara Zor-El got distracted - probably because it usually meant an Earth-wide threat was imminent.

She’d already had to reassure five separate co-workers that wasn’t the case, even going as far as cutting her final editorial meeting thirty minutes short so that everyone could start their Fridays early. Maybe that just made them more suspicious of her, but she was running out of time. Alex had already sent her three warning texts:

Car’s packed up, where are you?

Don’t make me call a DEO emergency just to get your butt out of there!

⌚👈🏻 ???

Kara rolled her eyes, catching her tongue between her teeth as she scanned the most recent notification. She sent a quick ‘OMW’ before slinging her bag across her shoulder.

She was halfway out the office door when a voice stopped her in her tracks.

“So, any plans this weekend?”

Kara froze.

Cat Grant usually spent her Friday afternoons lamenting all the charity dinners and extracurriculars she’d be forced to attend while Kara nodded along with a well-practiced sympathetic grimace locked in place. She’d long since accepted this as a one-sided expectation. After all, Cat didn’t really do small talk. Call it the journalistic disposition, but no question of hers ever came without intention.

She’d posed this particular question with an expectant air, her fingers loosely linked beneath her chin as she watched Kara with cat-like patience from behind her desk.

Kara took a shallow breath, knowing already what those piercing eyes were trying to gauge. “Actually,” she said, treading carefully, “I’m out of town this weekend. I’m visiting my adoptive mom with my sister.”

Cat’s lips twitched with something predatory. She lifted her chin, snatching up a pen from her desk so that she could play idly with the clicker. Every click was as intentional as her question, drilling deep into Kara’s skull. “Ah,” she said, nodding slowly, “and so I suppose one would assume that there won’t be much Supergirl activity to account for, then?”

Kara laughed, fiddling nervously with the collar of her blouse. “Even Supergirl needs a vacation every once in a while. You’ve seen the figures, crime is at an all-time low, National City can last a weekend without me.”

Cat watched Kara without expression, still clicking out a calculated rhythm. “I suppose,” she conceded lightly. “Especially with that new DEO division headed by your… friend, right? John?”

“J’onn,” Kara corrected.

“Yes, yes, that’s the one.” Cat bit her lip. “Wide shoulders.” Her eyes lost focus before she shrugged suddenly, setting down her pen with a prompt snap. “I wonder what he’ll be up to.”

“You know the DEO doesn’t give interviews,” Kara reminded her, trying and failing to hide the strain in her voice. “Not even to Supergirl.”

“Of course.” Cat pondered for a moment, cocking her head. “And the little green one works there too, doesn’t he?”

Kara sighed, the purposeful ignorance wasn’t lost on her, just as Cat had intended. She tipped her head back, resigning herself to the conversation. “What are you getting at, Ms Grant?”

Cat blinked, perfectly innocent. “Just counting heads. I only wonder if we’ll be seeing much of your Super Friends over the next few days… with you out of town, of course.”

Kara pursed her lips, drumming her fingers against the doorframe. “Well, they’re more than capable of managing themselves without me.”

“So, we will be seeing them?”

Kara spluttered. She’d really stepped into that one. “It’s a big city,” she recovered quickly, “I’m sure there’ll be out there somewhere.”

“Interesting,” Cat said, dragging the word out long enough to make Kara uncomfortable. She hummed to herself, running her index finger delicately over the items on her desk until she found her phone, snatching it up. “I need to make a few calls,” she decided, shooing Kara out of the room with her other hand. “Have fun with your—mother.”

Kara took that as her cue, making an awkward albeit flustered goodbye as she elbowed her way out the door. She didn’t try to listen in on the conversation once she was gone – she didn’t need to - Cat had seen through her as plainly as she had her old disguise.

Technically, what Kara had told her wasn’t exactly a lie. She would be seeing Eliza this weekend – after all, she’d been invited to Nia and Brainy’s wedding, too.

It didn’t matter, Kara rationalised as she hurried into the elevator, Cat could call on every source she had available to her and she still wouldn’t be getting this scoop. No one would. Kara had been incredibly thorough about that, using fake names when it came to bookings, throwing out red herrings to rival news outlets, all to ensure that the media didn’t get even one whiff of what was going down. No one was getting a camera into the service on her watch – well, except the photographer, and Kara had already run a series of extensive background checks on her.   

As for general media speculation – well, she’d already warned the bride and groom to be that there really wasn’t much she could do about that. Every magazine in the country was currently building up the clicks with Superhero news and, right now, Dreamer and Brainiac-5 were trending across all channels. Cat certainly hadn’t helped with that; she’d sunk her claws into the story the second Dreamer had first been spotted out toting a Legion ring of her own. To avoid public knowledge of future events, the Legion was something of a forbidden topic when it came to interviews and so, for anyone outside of the loop, Dreamer suddenly wearing a ring matching Brainy’s was certainly turning heads.

Engagement had been thrown around hundreds of times, with other outlets outright claiming that she and Brainy had been married in secret. Nothing had been confirmed or denied by either party, but Kara had to admit it– you only needed eyes to see the chemistry between those two. They fought as one entity, complimenting each other’s stances, supporting each other in the field so that they always fell into step with each other. Just last week, Brainy had swept Dreamer into his arms amidst an explosion they’d narrowly escaped and the shot had been headlining every newspaper not twelve hours later. They were anything but discreet and, honestly, Kara had a hunch they were starting to enjoy all the attention. It certainly made her job as Maid of Honour that much harder.

Hiding this wedding was probably shaving years off her life.

At least it would be worth it when she got to see Nia go down that aisle.

When her phone pinged again with a fourth text from Alex, Kara groaned out loud.

You just lost shotgun privilege.

She just had to get there first.

[ofthehands]

A Fun Trip

@texas-chainsaw-fanworks

Disability Fan Week, Day 4- It's Gonna Be a Fun Trip.

A short, roughly 2000 word genfic about Franklin and the van crew trying to find ways to have fun together. There's a little bit of period-typical and character-typical ableism, but this is like as fluffy/ lighthearted as anything really gets with tcm, the sawyers aren't even here.

Franklin didn’t want to seem like a burden. He knew his sister didn’t want him on that trip with her and her cool friends. So he tried really hard to ignore the man ways it was clear he was an afterthought. When they went skiing, he found out about a hot spring, which while not perfectly accessible was close enough, and he relaxed his pained back. When they wandered up high in an art museum with no elevator, he enjoyed the pieces down below. When they went hiking in Arizona in hundred degree heat, he stayed in the car like a dog. It all kind of sucked. But it all could kind of suck worse. 

Unfortunately, though, while he tried to have the stoicness of Grandpa, or the masculine strength of Dad, or the steely gaze of their uncle- he apparently just sort of looked like a kicked puppy all the time. Especially as they got closer and closer to Houston, and he realized further no fun was to be had. Eventually, up near El Paso, just heading back into Texas, they stopped at a gas station and everybody but him and Sally got out. At which point, she seemed unable to ignore him any more. 

“Franklin?” she said softly.

“Yeah?”

“Did you have a fun trip?” 

“Uh. Yeah,” Franklin lied.

“You don’t look like you did,” she said. “And that kinda sounded the way you sound when you lie.” Franklin sighed. 

“I mean… I had some fun,” he tried, instead. “But I just… I just wish there was more I could do, you know? With y’alll. It’s alright though. I’m not mad.” Everybody else piled back in the van then, and Franklin assume that would be the end of that. Until after everybody got settled, and Sally spoke up. 

“Hey-” she said. “Y’all want to go bowling?” 

Franklin was excited the whole way to the bowling alley. Because finally, for just one time on that trip- everybody wanted to do something he could participate in. 

“I do have to warn you,” Jerry said, as he drove them towards the bowling alley on the map. “I am kind of the greatest bowler of all time.” 

“Sure, man,” Kirk said, with a laugh. 

“I’ll believe that when I see it,” Pam added. 

“Well, you’ve got some pretty stiff competition,” Sally said. 

“Oh yeah? You’re gonna out bowl me, missy?” Jerry asked with a grin. 

“Prob’ly not,” she said. “I’m terrible. Franklin, though, you’ll have to look out for.” 

“Oh, really?” Jerry asked. Franklin swallowed nervously. 

“You can bowl in that chair?” Kirk asked. 

“I mean, yeah,” Franklin said. “I- uhm. I can bowl pretty well. I dunno about bein’ competition.”

“You’re the best at it in our whole family,” Sally said. Franklin smiled, just a little. 

“Well, yeah, I guess so.”

“This is gonna be fun! All five of us doin’ somethin’ together,” Pam said, like it was some sort of novelty to include him. Franklin held his tongue about that- happy to be included at all. 

“Oh yeah, I think this is gonna be great,” he said. 

The staff of the bowling alley was a bit confused, at first, and they had to call a manager about Franklin’s predicament. But eventually they loaned him out a pair of bowling shoes. Which Jerry thought was pretty funny. 

“Do they think he’s gonna miraculously stand up just for bowling?” he asked Sally, with a snicker. 

“Well uh, that’s why I’m so good at it,” Franklin said, surprising Jerry a little, as he was broken away from his conversation with Sally. “I stand up to play and everybody else is so shocked they drop their balls.” Jerry seemed to actually think that was funny, for once, laughing at his dumb joke. Franklin felt a lot better than he had the rest of that trip. Until- 

“Oh, God, look at that,” Jerry said. Franklin looked at what he saw. There was a young man, who could walk, but seemed to have some trouble with it- swaying oddly as he did- using one of the bowling ramps. Kirk laughed too. 

“What’s wrong with that?” Pam asked. 

“He’s a grown man,” Kirk said. “Those are fine if you’re a kid, or a thousand years old, or stupid. But if you’re normal, that’s pretty much cheating.” Franklin waited a moment, hoping one of the others- especially Sally, who knew he usually used one of those, because the armrests of his wheelchair would scrape up his arms and jab him in the side if he didn’t- would say something else, would disagree with Kirk and Jerry just a little bit. But none of them did. After everybody got their shoes, the cashier stopped, and asked Sally, while pointing at Franklin. 

“Does he need a ramp, or-”

“No,” Franklin answered for himself. “I don’t.” 

Franklin was the last person put on the board, which he didn’t mind so much, since it gave him a chance to think about how he was going to do this. The armrests of his wheelchair didn’t go down. He wasn’t a small man, and it was pretty difficult for him to lean over the side of his chair long enough to do something like bowl. He waited, nervously, for his turn to come around. 

When his turn finally came, he rolled up to the ball rack, and grabbed his ball. He had hoped he could get a lighter one, but he was stuck with a 15 pound’er, the only one big enough he could get his fingers in it. With his ball mostly secure in his lap, he rolled up to the lane. Franklin paused a second, holding it nervously. He really wished Sally hadn’t bragged about him being good. He felt like he had to be good now- or he was letting everybody down. He thought he heard Kirk whispering. And Pam laughing. He was never quite certain if that was at him or not. Franklin did his best to steady his nerves, took the bowling ball in hand, and leaned over the side, the armrest digging in to him. He slid his arm back, and then forward, with as much force as he could manage, hoping, almost praying, the ball would actually go the right way. 

And for once, it actually did. 

“Hey! Way to go, Franklin!” Sally called. He sat up straight, returning to them excited, having bowled a strike on his first try. 

“Hey, not bad, man,” Jerry said. “Maybe there’ll be some competition after all.” 

The whole damn time, Franklin and Jerry were neck and neck, back and forth on the top of the leaderboard. Sally was pretty close too, occasionally taking second place from one of them, which made sense. Their family went bowling fairly often- it was one of the only things they liked to do that Franklin could do with them. Pam wasn’t too far behind, usually clearing most of her pins, and occasionally getting a spare, and one strike too. Kirk was firmly at the bottom of the heap. 

“Man, I think I got a screwed up ball,” Kirk started. 

“Oh yeah, man, the ball’s what’s screwed up,” Jerry said. The two of them got in one of their play fights, then. 

“Guys, cut that out,” Pam said. “We’re gonna get kicked out!”

“We’re just playin’ around a little, mama-” Kirk began. 

“Sure,” Pam said with an eyeroll. Franklin went to get his ball again. He wished, sometimes, that he could have had that. A chance to be young and stupid, and play rough with his guy friends. But everybody always treated him like he was made out of glass. And he didn’t really have guy friends. Or friends of his own at all. Though maybe someday, that could change. Maybe Sally’s friends would start to actually like him, and he could end up just being one of the guys. He liked that idea a lot. He went to the lane, leaned over again and bowled. He caught the tender, scraped up flesh of his arm on the armrest of his wheelchair again, and flinched. Looks like this one’s gonna be a spare. He rejoined the rest of them, waiting for his ball to come back. 

“Losin’ your touch, man?” Jerry asked. Franklin tried to sound confident as he replied. 

“You wish.” 

Franklin came up in second place, behind Jerry by a good bit. He wasn’t even sure he deserved that- it was entirely possible in his mind that Sally had started throwing the game when she noticed he was falling behind. In the very least, he did beat Pam and Kirk fair and square, but he was still a bit sad about it. He thought he really could’ve beat Jerry. If maybe his ball were lighter. Or his wheelchair didn’t have armrests, and he could bend down more properly. Or if he hadn’t gotten all scraped up. Or if he had just used the ramp. 

Jerry convinced everybody to play one more round. Franklin wasn’t sure he would enjoy that one, so much. He didn’t say anything, though, just sat there, picking at the scabs forming on his inner arm, waiting for it to start. 

“Oh God, Franklin, what happened to your arm?” Pam asked. Franklin paused. 

“Oh. Uh. The side of my chair kind of scraped it up a bit,” he said softly. “It’s alright. That just sort of happens. Not a lot I can do about it- it’s just the arm rests and-”

“Sally come look at this- “ 

“She doesn’t have to-”

“What is it?” she asked, coming over with the purple ball she traded her other, heavier ball for. 

“Look at Franklin’s arm-” Franklin flattened a bit, feeling exposed. 

“It ain’t anything important-”

“Does this happen every time y’all go bowling?” Pam asked Sally, though Franklin could’ve answered that fine too. 

“No,” Sally said. “I’ve never seen that before-”

“It’s just ‘cause of my armrests,” Franklin said quickly, unable to look either of them in the eye. 

“They don’t usually do that-”

“Well, yeah, that’s cause I usually use the ramp,” he said, softly. 

“Well why don’t we get you one?’ Pam asked. 

“Well I-” 

“C’mon,” Pam said to Sally, the two of them running off to get it. Franklin deflated just a little bit further. So much for makin’ cool new friends. 

The second round he used the ramp, as much as he kind of didn’t want to. Franklin was at an impasse. He didn’t want to rub blisters onto his arm, he wanted to have fun. But he also didn’t want to be seen as less-than, or a cheater. But he knew he couldn’t have both. And he didn’t even really get a choice of which of the two he wanted. Both in one day. Great. 

His bowling game was about the same as it was before, just with a little more help getting set up. He wasn’t any better than he had been before- he thought he had proven himself just a little. But every time he went up to bowl, he heard snickers from Kirk, or Jerry, or Pam, and the occasional sharp whisper from Sally that confirmed in his mind that it was definitely about him. Franklin started to regret wanting to be included. 

The game was almost over, again. Franklin was in third, behind Jerry and Sally. Pretty close to Pam. His heart really just wasn’t in it. Kirk was still in the way back. Which was why it burned his biscuits so much when he heard him whispering behind his back. 

“.. Yeah, well, maybe I wouldn’t be dead last if Franklin weren’t cheating.” Franklin rolled his ball into the gutter on purpose, fucking up a perfectly good spare, and rolling himself back to the benches, trying not to look upset. He picked at the sores on his arm and wished he was at home, knowing damn well none of them would have his back. 

“Well, Kirk, why don’t you try usin’ the ramp?” Jerry asked. 

“Huh? What would I need it for?” 

“Well you said a while back it was for kids, and old people, and the stupid. And you’re pretty stupid-” Franklin snorted, feeling a little better despite himself, and those two had another one of their play-fights. Then Kirk went up, not moving the ramp.

“Alright- alright- I’ll show you.” He lined everything up right, then shot the ball off the ramp way too hard, knocking over two pins. He walked back to the laughter of everybody in the group, Franklin included for once, though he tried to keep from laughing too much, not wanting him to turn his attention to him. “Yeah, yeah- yuck it up. I think I got a flat ball or somethin’-”

“It’s not flat, you geek, it’s a bowling ball,” Jerry said. “I think you just blow.” 

“I think you blow-” Kirk said, with a laugh, shoving Jerry a little. He paused then, and looked down at Franklin, then away. “I still don’t get the ramp thing, though. Like at that point we might as well put up those little kiddie rails.” Franklin looked away again, back at the ground. 

“Oh! We should!” Sally exclaimed. 

“What, worried you’re not gonna beat me?” Jerry asked, smugly. 

“No, I could beat you with my eyes closed,” Sally said back sassily, “I just wanna try to do trick shots.”

“Trick shots? Now what kind of bowling is that?” Jerry asked. 

“It’s one thing to throw a bowling ball straight, it’s a whole ‘nother to bounce it off both walls thirty times and still get a strike. Unless, of course, you’re not up to it,” Sally said, with a shrug. 

“Oh, you’re on!” 

The rest of that round, the ramp and the side railings were in and out of play, used by just about everybody. Sally managed to come out on top, after somehow, literally, out-bowling Jerry with her eyes closed. All frazzled up and competitive, Jerry paid for one more round, and the five of them played again, using everything at their disposal. Franklin used the ramp, his left hand, and bowled hand in hand with Pam when she asked for help. Sally bounced the ball off those walls like the whole thing was a pinball machine. Jerry tried his hardest to still bowl perfectly straight, but either as slow or fast as humanly possible. Pam was bowling pretty much normally, occasionally closing her eyes or turning around when she did it, or requesting the help of Sally, or Franklin. And Kirk somehow managed to bounce the ball and get it in the gutter with the walls up on his first try- which became his mission after- to hit as few pins as possible. 

In the end Franklin didn’t even remember who came out on top after that one. He was just glad he got to have fun with his friends. As they left the bowling alley and headed on the last leg of their trip, over to Newt to see their grandparents’ old house, and then on down to Houston, Franklin finally had a feeling it really was gonna be a fun trip.

[eriquin]

The Trolley Problem, Part 63

It's Friday. Will is missing. Dustin, Mike, and Lucas all still have to go to school.

(master post)(also posting to ao3)

“It’s seriously unfair that I’m grounded over this,” Mike said to Dustin and Lucas as they waited in the lunch line. He usually brought a lunch, but Mom and Dad had argued for so long about whether he went to school today or not that Mom hadn’t managed to pack one for him. Nancy was the one who shoved some money at him that morning. “We should be out there, helping them look for Will, but instead I have to go right home after school.”

Lucas nodded along. “Me too, man,” he said. “It’s unbelievable. There’s so many more important things going on right now.” 

Dustin was just ahead of them, and got to the dessert section first. “Fruit cups again?” he muttered. To the lady behind the counter, he said, “Ms. Doris, isn’t there any chocolate pudding?” 

She scoffed and turned away, not bothering to answer him. He continued muttering and grabbed a fruit cup instead.

“Dustin, what do you think?” Mike asked. “Isn’t it unfair?”

Dustin paid for his lunch. He bought one every day and had the exact change out. He gave Mike an annoyed look and carried his tray away. 

Mike and Lucas hurried to pay for their lunches and follow him. He went to the far corner of the lunchroom, passing by other clusters of free seats, until he found a pair of chairs by a window. Mike had to pull a third chair from the table next to it. The lunchroom was usually busier than this, but a lot of people had kept their kids home after the police chief’s announcement yesterday.

“Are you pissed at us?” Mike asked as he sat down. “What did we do?”

He rolled his eyes and sat up enough that he could see out the window. “You’re just blabbing a lot in the lunchline for someone who’s supposed to be keeping a secret,” he said. “And also, no, it’s not unfair that you got grounded. We cut school yesterday, Mike. What did you think was going to happen?” 

Lucas snorted. “That’s rich, coming from you,” he said. “You’re not even grounded.”

“He’s not?” Mike’s jaw dropped. “Why not? Hey, why aren’t you grounded, too?”

“Because my mom saw how freaked out we all were about Will,” he said. “She would’ve let me stay home today, too, but she let me come to school instead. Now, back to business.” He ate his bologna sandwich with one hand and pulled a notebook out of his bag with the other one. 

Mike recognized it as the copy that he’d made of Steve’s notebook. It might not have had all of the future stuff in it, but it definitely had what was going on this week. “Oh shit,” he whispered. “What happens next? How do we find Will?”

“We’ve got bigger things to worry about,” Dustin said. He lowered his voice to a whisper. “If my calculations are right, the lab has started to figure out that we might have something to do with El.” 

Lucas’s eyes went wide. “What?” he hissed. “How would they know that?”

Dustin flipped the book open. “I don’t know how, exactly,” he said, “but the first time around, they came to Mike’s house on Saturday. That’s tomorrow. I think we should assume that Will’s mid-week disappearance and our parents freaking out about it means that they’ll figure it out sooner.” He steepled his fingers together. “Also, my mom seeing El might be part of it. I can’t be sure that she’ll keep it a secret.” 

“So we don’t know that they know?” 

Dustin shrugged. “No, but I think we should assume that they do and act accordingly.” 

Lucas and Mike glanced at each other. Mike could tell that they were thinking the same thing. Dustin’s reasoning was a little too weird. Mike spoke up first. “So what do you think we should do about it?”

“I think we should sneak out of school early and find someplace to hide,” he said. “I have my walkie in my backpack, so we can contact the others and figure out what’s going on. We could walk back to the junkyard from here and hunker down until we figure out where El is and what to do next. There were plenty of hiding places there, and no one saw us.”

Mike groaned. “Walk all the way to the junkyard? It’s miles.”

“It’s closer than you think. We can follow the railroad tracks behind the school and go through the woods.”

“Through the woods again? Man, if we get caught, we’ll be grounded for life,” Lucas said. “My parents already think I’m stupid for going into the woods yesterday. I have been explicitly banned from woods-activities until this whole thing is over.”

Dustin rolled his eyes. He was doing that a lot. “Yes, because they think there’s some kind of rabid mountain lion or something in the woods. We know there isn’t. It’s the demogorgon, and the demogorgon only hunts at night. We’ll be fine.”

Mike crossed his arms. “What are we doing once we get to the junkyard?”

“I don’t know yet. Calling for people on the walkies is as far as I got.”

“And we call, who? Jonathan and Nancy? They’re not going to let us help. Nancy bitched at me all morning about not getting involved.” 

“They’re not going to have a choice. It’s either we stay with them or the lab finds us and uses us to find El. We’re in too deep.” Dustin shut the notebook and put it back in his backpack. “We need to get this to them, anyway. Will and I had the only copies, other than what’s in Steve’s head.” 

Lucas frowned. “They have Steve. They don’t need his notes.”

“It’s not about needing the notes. It’s about the lab not getting them.” 

Mike sighed and picked at his sandwich. “I don’t know. Let’s say you’re right. How do we get out of school? After everything that’s happened, everyone’s so nervous. Won’t they be watching us?”

Dustin looked around briefly. “Okay, I’ve thought about it, and this is the hardest part. Keep your voices down about it, but... We have to pull the fire alarm.”

Lucas and Mike both barely kept themselves from yelling. “What?” Lucas hissed. “We’ll get suspended for sure.” 

“No one can see us, obviously. Look, I thought about starting a fire somewhere, so it would be legitimate, but that’s too dangerous.”

“No shit,” said Mike.

“You guys convinced me to cut yesterday because there were bigger things at stake, and you were right. But if we’re going to do this, we have to be all in, as a party. Are you?” Dustin gave them each a measured look, like he could see their hesitation. “The lab isn’t going to care about getting Will back. If they catch us, they’re just going to use us to get to El and lock her away again. They might kill us to keep us from telling anyone, or they might just say we’re crazy and then no one will believe us, but either way, it ends the same. El back in the lab and Will dead in the Upside Down. We can’t let that happen.”

The truth in his words settled like a pit in Mike’s stomach. He nodded slowly. Lucas did, too. “All right,” he said. “When do we do this? Soon? End of the day?”

“Maybe before gym class?” Lucas asked. “I really don’t want to walk to the junkyard after running laps.” 

Dustin sat up straight and looked out the window. “Oh, shit,” he whispered. “Uh. Now. We do it now.” 

“What?” Mike squawked. He got up to look out the window, but Dustin grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him back down. With a little more care, he and Lucas turned around and saw an official looking black car by the front door of the school. Three people in suits got out and walked towards the office. 

“The lab?” Lucas whispered.

“Definitely,” Dustin said. He finished shoving his things into his bag and got up. “Bus your trays. Follow me to the bathroom. We make a break for it.”

They hadn’t finished eating, and Mike shoved the other half of his sandwich into his mouth before throwing out the rest of his lunch. Lucas wrapped his up in a napkin and put it in his backpack. It was lucky that they hadn’t taken anything out of their bags, because it made it easy to slink out of the lunch room and down towards the bathroom. There was a fire alarm right next to it, if only they could make it. 

“Oh! It’s my AV club boys,” came Mr. Clarke’s voice from down the hall. He always sounded so positive, even with everything that was going on. The three of them froze as he jogged to catch up with them. “Where’s Will today? Is he sick?”

Mike looked over at Lucas and Dustin, trying to keep himself from freaking out. “Uh, yeah. I mean, I don’t know. I guess?” 

“Actually, I think there might be something going around,” Lucas said. He clutched at his stomach and groaned a little. “I was just headed to the bathroom.” 

“Oh!” Mr. Clarke grimaced. “Certainly, don’t let me keep you. Though, maybe the nurse’s office would be better?” 

“I can take him to the nurse’s office,” Mike said. He might’ve sounded a little too eager, because Lucas grimaced and shook his head a little. “I mean, after he goes to the bathroom. That is.”

The wheels were clearly turning in Dustin’s head. He turned to their teacher and said, “Actually, Mr. Clarke, I’ve got some questions I wanted to ask you about something I’d read in Analog. Do you have some time before your next class?”

Mr. Clarke looked confused. “I mean, of course I do, but—”

“Lucas doesn’t need us all hanging around outside the bathroom while he, you know, goes,” Dustin said. He started towards the science classroom, which was down the hall and around the corner from the bathroom. “Mike can make sure he gets to the nurse. Now, there was this really interesting essay by Poul Anderson in it...”

Mike and Lucas headed towards the bathroom as Dustin led Mr. Clarke away. Lucas went inside while Mike stood by the door and waited until the hall was empty. The fire alarm was right there. He stared at it. It should be easy to pull, but still something about it made him nervous. Mr. Clarke would surely know that he did it, wouldn’t he? And if they left without Dustin, they would still be in trouble. He had the book in his backpack. If the lab caught him, the whole thing would be for nothing. He stepped back and clenched his fists, wondering if he should go after Dustin instead.

The crackling of the PA system made him jump. Principal Coleman’s voice came over the loudspeaker. “Attention students. Would the following students please come to the front office? Dustin—” 

Mike lunged forward and pulled the lever of the fire alarm. Almost immediately, the bell began to ring through the halls, drowning out the principal’s voice. Lucas came running out of the bathroom, and the two of them booked it for the exit behind the gym. 

As they hit the door, they heard more running behind them. “Guys, slow down,” Dustin yelled. Mike only listened for a second, but as soon as he heard yelling from down the hall, he took off again. He heard Dustin groan and chase after them. They were through the doors and across the back field before he knew it. 

They didn’t stop running until they were safely in the woods. Dustin caught up with them then, wheezing and holding his side. At the school, the bell was still ringing, and kids were all pouring out and lining up like a real fire drill. 

“We did it!” Lucas cheered.

Dustin groaned and leaned over, propping his hands against his knees. “You guys were, like, super suspicious,” he said. “Don’t you have any sense of subtlety? Jesus.” 

“What are you talking about?” Mike snapped. “We just had to run from both teachers and government agents.”

This made Dustin straighten up and whip off his hat to hit Mike on the head. “No, dipshit. You didn’t have to run. No one runs in a fire drill unless they were responsible for the alarm.”

Lucas gaped. He turned and looked back at the school. “Shit.” None of the other students were running, and the teachers looked pissed. “Shit. We’re so dead.”

“Okay, whatever,” Mike said. “We got away, now let’s keep getting away before the lab guys figure out that we know they’re onto us.”

Dustin nodded. “My thoughts exactly.” He took out his compass and pointed in a direction. “The junkyard’s that way. Let’s go.”

They hiked the long way around the school, trying to avoid running into any people. They didn’t usually go through these woods, but it wasn’t much different from the ones behind Dustin’s house. They did have to cut through a couple of backyards and cross some streets to get to the railroad tracks, but no one saw them, or if they did, they didn’t stop them.

It was a long trek down the railroad tracks to get to the junkyard. Dustin got the notebook out again and said that Steve wrote down something about doing this in the future. He must have copied more out of the original notebook than Mike had thought he did. He found the right page and read it out loud. It was mostly about how he and Steve had been searching for a demodog.

“That’s like an early stage of the demogorgon lifecycle,” he said proudly. “Apparently, I discovered it. But I didn’t know how dangerous it could be, and it ate my cat. Well, that’s not going to happen this time. Mews will be safe, I promise.”

Mike rolled his eyes at this, but didn’t say anything. He and Lucas were walking behind Dustin. Lucas kept an eye on the woods, twitching back and forth like something was going to jump out at them. Which was understandable, but it was daytime. The demogorgon only came out at night. They knew that. 

“And he said in the book that he told me his hair care routine, but he doesn’t say what it is. Just that it was a secret. I think he did that on purpose because he knew that I‘d read it. I don’t know why it’s such a big deal, but now I have to know it, you know?” 

“It’s probably just hairspray,” Mike said. “His hair smells like my mom’s after she sprays it.”

Lucas gave him a sideways glance. “How do you know what Steve’s hair smells like?”

“How do you not?” Mike sneered. “The smell, like, follows him around like a cloud.”

That made Dustin laugh, and the three of them got into an argument about whether or not Steve’s hair smelled weird. It distracted Lucas from being nervous about walking in the woods, and Dustin from reading through the whole notebook again. They followed the train tracks until the turnoff for the junkyard. 

Dustin made them stop before they got out of the woods because they heard a weird noise. They waited a while for it to go away before running out into the junkyard and hiding in the broken down school bus. 

“Okay, we’re here,” Mike said. “Now what?” 

“Now, we reach out on the walkies.” Dustin pulled his out of his backpack and started fidgeting with the dials. “Should I check with Steve first, or do you think that Jonathan has Will’s on?” 

“I still can’t believe you gave Steve a walkie,” Mike said.  

“Hey, it was a great idea.”

Mike held his hands up. “No, it was! I just can’t believe he actually used it.” He sighed. “He’s so much cooler than I expected from the way Nancy talked about him.” 

Lucas got a big grin on his face and looked like he was going to make a joke, but Dustin clicked on the walkie first. “This is the Party to the Babysitter. Come in, Babysitter. Over.” 

He tried again and again before he got a response. It wasn’t Steve who answered, but Tommy. “What are you little shits doing?” he asked. “Did you bring a walkie to school?”

“I mean, yeah, we did,” Dustin said. “And you have to say ‘over’ when you’re done talking.”

“God, whatever. I’m on my way to the middle school to pick you up. Come out the back. Over.”

Everyone started shouting at once. Mike grabbed the walkie from Dustin so he could shout the loudest. “Do not go to the school. I repeat, do not go to the school. It’s dangerous. Agents are there.”

The walkie crackled for a second, then Tommy’s voice came through. “Oh, shit. Really? What happened?”

“They were looking for us,” Mike said. “We got away, though. Don’t go there. They might know your face.”

The walkie went quiet again. Someone answered after a few minutes, but it wasn’t Tommy. “Mike, what the hell is going on?” Nancy asked. 

“Where’s Tommy?”

“He’s driving. We were almost at the middle school to come get you, and he pulled the world’s shittiest U-turn.” They heard Tommy in the background, sounding annoyed. “Where are you?” 

“We’re at the junkyard. Come get us there and we’ll tell you everything. Over.”

Mike shut the walkie down and groaned. “Great. Now we have to deal with my sister.”

“Nancy was already involved,” said Lucas.

“Yeah, but if it was just Tommy then maybe we wouldn’t have to deal with her. You’ll see. It’s going to be terrible.”

They didn’t have to wait long. Tommy’s truck made a lot of noise as he drove into the junkyard. Once it was stopped, both he and Nancy climbed out and started shouting for them. The boys nervously climbed out of their hiding spot. 

Nancy came over first. She grabbed Mike by the shoulders and hugged him. “I can’t believe you!” she yelled. “How did you guys get away from the school?”

Mike ducked his head and guiltily admitted, “I pulled the fire alarm.”

Tommy threw his head back and laughed. “Oh my God, I’ve always wanted to do that. Good thinking, Wheeler.”

“It was my idea,” said Dustin.

Tommy patted Dustin on the back. “Of course it was. Smart.”

“How did you know the lab was at the school?” Nancy asked. She started herding them all back to Tommy’s truck.

They piled in as Dustin explained the notes in Steve’s book, and how he assumed that the lab would be looking for them now. He said he had been keeping an eye out for them. “They were all wearing suits and looked really serious, but they weren’t cops. I figured it must be them.”

“I guess that’s as good a reason as any,” Nancy said. “The important thing is that they didn’t catch you. Now, keep your heads down on the drive back. We don’t need anyone seeing you in the truck, either.”

Lucas and Dustin sat on the floor while Mike slouched down on the seat between Nancy and Tommy. “Where are we going?” Lucas asked.

Nancy sat up straight and leaned against the window, eyes scanning the road as they pulled out of the junkyard. “Back to the Byers’ place. Jonathan told his mom what really happened and we’re trying to figure out how to break into the lab.” She glanced down at Dustin. “What else did Steve write in that book? Does he know how they got Will back the first time?”

Dustin frowned. “Where is Steve, anyway?”

“Hiding with El,” Tommy said. “Hopper knows where. Eddie’s uncle’s with them. We think they bugged his trailer, so they might know that we know about El.”

“Shit,” Dustin muttered. “They’re probably at Hopper cabin. Steve wrote about it. Hopper hides El there after they get Will back. It’s out in the woods somewhere, but I don’t know where.” 

“Yeah, there’s nothing but woods around here,” Tommy said. “Heck, my granddad had a hunting cabin, too, over in Maumee. We could’ve hid her there.”

“Maumee is an hour away,” Nancy said. “No way we could’ve gotten there in time if something happened. Anyway, what does he say about them getting El out?”

“Not a lot,” Dustin said. He shuffled around to get his backpack off, elbowing Lucas and bumping Nancy’s shins as he did. The notebook came out again, and Nancy took it from him. “He was fighting the demogorgon with you and Jonathan when it happened. They all went to the hospital afterwards. The only thing he said was that they went in through the lab.” 

“Then why did you little shits try to lure a demogorgon out instead?” Tommy snapped. His knuckles tensed around the steering wheel. “You should’ve fucking known better.”

The three of them flinched at the venom in his voice. Nancy bit her lip but didn’t contradict him. She just looked at each of the boys in turn to see if they said anything.

“It wasn’t our idea,” Lucas said softly.

Mike hissed at him. “Shut up, Lucas.” 

“Well, it wasn’t!” 

“Then whose was it?” Tommy asked. “And don’t say El. There’s no way it was hers.” 

The three of them all sighed and stared at the floor of the car. Nancy spoke up first. “El said it was Will’s. That he wanted to help Eddie.”

“We think the thing in the Upside Down might have influenced him or something,” Mike said. “Like, some kind of subliminal message or something.”

“What?” Nancy turned to stare at him. “Why would you think that?”

“I mean, it’s psychic, right?” Dustin said. “Steve’s book said that there’s a weird psychic guy from the lab behind it all. Not a kid, but like a grown-up, evil version of El.”

“Maybe he wanted Will for something all along,” Mike said. “Maybe it doesn’t matter that Steve changed stuff, and it was always going to end up with him in the Upside Down.”

Tommy shook his head and turned down another street, jerking the wheel hard enough that boys had to brace against each other to stay upright. “That’s bullshit,” he said. “We all changed stuff, not just Steve, and it matters. It’s different now and whatever shithead in the Upside Down that’s making all this happen doesn’t get to just fuck with us like this.”

The rest of them stared at him through his rant. Seeing him so pissed off at a faceless enemy made Mike feel a little better. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, you’re right. Fuck that guy.”

“Yeah, fuck that guy.” They were almost to Will’s house now, and Tommy slowed down enough to make the last turn without tipping the truck over. “I don’t care if he’s got weird psychic powers. We’re going to screw up his whole plan.”

That was even more reassuring. Once they got to Will’s house, everyone unloaded and rushed inside. Mrs. Byers was there, looking frantic. She got them settled into the living room while Nancy and Tommy told everyone what had happened. Dustin laid his notebook out on the table, and they all gathered around to make a real plan.

Tagging: @neonfruitbowl

[noneedtoamputate]

Every Beautiful Thing Outtakes - Chapter One

These are scenes that just didn't fit in my main story. The entire chapter is posted here, and is also posted to A03. This falls between Chapters 4 and 5 in Every Beautiful Thing.

The waitress came around to drop off menus. "Get you a drink?" she asked. Ellen ordered coffee, black.

"Do you have tea?" Chuck asked. She shook her head.

"I guess I'll have coffee. Cream and two sugars, please."

"You really don't like coffee, do you?" asked Ellen.

Chuck shrugged. "Never really drank it before I joined up. Then it seemed like I had it all the time. It was usually burnt. And it … reminds me of things during the war." He looked far away for a moment.

"When I came home, tea was a lot easier to make,” he started again, pointing at his left hand. “And tea is great because restaurants never have it, and my friends give me a hard time about drinking it.” They both laughed. “Always had it black in the army, so if I add enough cream and sugar now, it isn’t too bad. Won’t have more than one cup, though.”

Their drinks arrived. “Do you know what you want?” Ellen asked Chuck. He nodded. “You go first,” she said. She scanned the menu quickly and didn’t pay attention to his order.

“Pancakes, please,” Ellen said.

They put their newspaper sections down when the food arrived. A stack of fluffy pancakes for Ellen. Scrambled eggs, bacon, and buttered toast for Chuck.

She reached across for the syrup and saw, just for a moment, Chuck eye her plate. Several realizations entered her head at the same time.

Chuck’s breakfast order was classic. No one would think twice about anything on his plate. It was also easy to eat if you only had one good hand. There was nothing that required a knife.

And she didn’t have a lot of evidence to work with, but she assumed Chuck had a sweet tooth. He devoured the chocolate chip cookies she made for him, and he took his coffee with two sugars.

She doused the pancakes with syrup. She cut them lengthwise, turned her plate, and did the same again.

They dug into their food and sipped their coffees and returned to their newspapers. The waitress refilled Ellen's coffee and brought Chuck a water.

When Ellen was about three quarters done with her breakfast, she pushed the plate away. “I can’t have another bite,” she said. “Help yourself if you want.”

She opened another section of the paper so Chuck couldn’t see her face, but she peered over the page and saw him eye the plate. She quickly darted her eyes back down, pretending to be reading. She heard the plate move closer to him.

The next week she ordered waffles, back to pancakes the week after that, each time leaving some of her breakfast for Chuck to finish. Week four, she got crepes just to mix it up. Chuck asked for one more egg and two extra slices of bacon to his regular order.

“Just in case you aren’t full before sharing,” he said.

She wasn’t sure what to say now that Chuck had figured it out. She looked at him, trying to gauge his feelings.

“Thank you,” he said.

“I don’t know how much you’ll be thanking me later. Just so you know, I’ll never say no to bacon,” Ellen said.

“Just so you know, I don’t offer my bacon to just anyone,” Chuck replied.

*

Chuck liked watching Ellen do the crossword puzzle every week, her eyes scrunched up in concentration while she considered the clues, her face excited when she solved the whole thing.

She tapped the pencil on the table while she read the clue aloud.

“Send a Dear John letter,” she said. “Four letters.”

“Did you ever send one of those?” Chuck asked jokingly.

Ellen put her pencil down.

“No,” she said simply. “I wrote a letter every week for four years. He ended up marrying a nurse he met overseas.”

Chuck stared at her, dumbfounded. “Shit, El. I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I was just …”

“I know, Chuck,” she interrupted.

She dove into the whole story.

His name was Steve Somebody. Chuck couldn’t be bothered to remember his last name. They met in college and had walked out together the year before he enlisted. He got sent to India, some desk job.

“India was pretty terrible,” she explained. “It was just so … different. And so far. No USO shows. No Marlene Dietrich.” She sighed. “Guys got dumped every week. They even had a little club for guys who got letters. Just an excuse to go to the bar more than anything, but it was happening a lot.”

“But not to him,” Chuck pointed out.

“No,” Ellen admitted. “He always wrote how the other guys told him how lucky he was to have a such a loyal girl back home.”

And when he came back to that loyal girl, he said he needed time, that things had changed. A month later, he was on a train to Milwaukee. He never bothered to tell her there was someone else. A mutual friend had to tell Ellen. Steve started seeing the nurse the last year of the war and didn't know how to break it to her. So he didn't.

“That’s terrible,” said Chuck. “You must have been …” He couldn’t find the word.

“Annoyed,” supplied Ellen. “I felt annoyed. Annoyed at all the time I spent writing letters and worrying about him. Annoyed at the money I spent sending him things, at having to explain everything to my family, his family, our friends. Annoyed at all the dates I turned down. Do you know how many dates I turned down? I only lived in San Francisco. Not a solider or sailor or Marine to be had for miles around,” she said sarcastically.

She took a sip of her coffee.

“After about two weeks of being annoyed, and eating chocolate, and downing gin and tonics, I realized that if he was the love of my life, I wouldn’t be annoyed. I would have been devastated. I would have been heartbroken. So, I picked myself up, got dressed up, and went out dancing with some girlfriends.”

“And?” Chuck said, knowing there was more to the story.

“Well,” Ellen said slowly, “a lady doesn’t kiss and tell.”

“But?” Chuck urged her on.

“I did let a Navy man know how grateful I was for his service.”

Chuck laughed. “Navy, huh?”

“Well, I was still a little annoyed at the army.” She looked him in the eye. “I’ve gotten over it, though.”

“Good,” he said.

“Jilt,” she said. “Four letters.” She picked up her pencil and filled in the squares.

He walked her home after breakfast.

“You know, we don’t have to go out to breakfast every week,” he said.

“Are you trying to get out of going to breakfast with me?” she asked.

“No, no,” he said quickly. “Just, if you have other things to do on Sunday. I don’t want you to feel like you have to.”

She stopped walking. “Chuck, if I ever have something else I need to do on a Sunday morning, I’ll let you know. But if you every stopped wanting to go out for breakfast with me, I would feel something between annoyed and heartbroken.”

“Well, we wouldn’t want that,” he said.

“No,” she agreed. She squeezed his hand, and they continued on their way.

[artzychic27]

Bob’s Burgers Quotes for no Reason

Nathaniel: Look, you’re my friends, and I love you… But you’re terrible, you’re all terrible.

—

Adrien: Let’s raise our glasses.

*Max takes off his glasses and raises them*

Adrien: Max, not those glasses.

—

Aurore: I should write a parenting book. Call it, ‘Hey You, I Saw That! Put It Back!’

—

Marc: I wanna take her stupid neck and wring it!

Cosette: That’s what I wanna do, too, but with him!

—

Jean: Wait, you all read Marc’s diary?

Aurore: Yeah.

Cosette: What I can stomach.

Denise: I just skim it to make sure he's not on drugs.

Simon: Wha...what does it say?

Denise: It says, ‘I’m not on drugs.’

—

Damocles: So, you're in trouble again.

Alix: Drink some cranberry juice.

Damocles: What? No, not ‘urine trouble!’ You are in trouble.

—

Nino: I got it! Let’s describe our sexualities with a song title!

Adrien: What?

Max: No Way from Six the Musical!

Adrien: Wait a minute. What are we doing?

Nathaniel: The Bisexual Anthem!

—

Lucien: Why'd you head-butt me?!

Marc: I was going to punch you, but I'm holding juice!

—

Jean: Denise, you have the fullest head of hair in the class. I would kill for that hairline.

Denise: I believe you would!

—

Kiran: *About Marc and Marcelle* Puberty, puberty, puberty. That's all I hear when you guys talk!

—

*After the Akuma Class stole a rival school’s mascot as a prank*

Nathaniel: Cows can’t go downstairs. *Dramatic music sting*

Mme. Bustier: I’m sorry, what?

Nathaniel: Cows can’t go downstairs; that’s like, a thing.

Alya: I’ve heard that. It’s like a fun fact. *Dramatic music sting*

Mme. Bustier: “Cows can’t go downstairs”? Kids, that better not be true!

*Later, Kim is trying to push the cow down the stairs, but is getting no results*

Kim: Huh. Well, what do you know?

Alix: We know you’ll push on a cow’s butt for half an hour without asking for help. Gotta have that butt all to yourself.

—

Eleanor: I’ve been thinking about Emelia’s mother, because it’s Mother’s Day.

Lacey: Continue.

Eleanor: You know what I bet she never said to her daughter?

Lacey: What?

Eleanor: “Act like a lady.”

Lacey: Gross.

Eleanor: I know. But back when she was a kid, women weren’t doing things that men did, like flying planes, or wearing pants.

Lacey: And I bet she never said, “Ooh! Girls can do anything boys can do.” Cause, you know, sometimes when they say that, it…

Eleanor: It ends up sounding the opposite?

Lacey: Yeah. You never said it to me.

Eleanor: It never came up.

—

Zoé: Hey, you again, huh?

Cosette: Oh, hey, you again and me, yep. I-I just, uh, I came for a, uh...

Zoé: I suppose you want another "beanie."

Cosette: Yes, that's exactly what I want... a new beanie. I didn't come for anything el...

Zoé: Okay, fine, you wore me down! Damn it.

Cosette: Uh...

Zoé: Things are not going great with Marinette. Haven't been great with Marinette for a long time, you know? Marinette’s hot, but maybe it's time for me to just settle.

Cosette: Look... uh, no, no, no. Look at me, I'm nothing. You, you love Marinette, stay with Marinette.

Zoé: I'm so sick of Marinette and her sewing.

Cosette: Oh, no, I d... I don't know Marinette, but I-I assume it's great.

Zoé: It's not great with Marinette.

Cosette: You should definitely stay with Marinette.

Zoé: No, no, no. Yo, I'm taking my break! Oh, my God, we're doing this!

Cosette: No, we're not.

Zoé: Hey, what do you want to do?

Cosette: I don't... nothing.

Zoé: You want to go to the beach?

Cosette: No, maybe... wait, I'm, uh, I’m not straight, but-

Zoé: Let's grab a coffee.

Cosette: You should call Marinette.

Zoé: No, let's just make out! Ah, God, this feels so great!

Cosette: I should just... sorry, I got to go. Also I'm with someone, but if I wasn't... Who am I kidding? You're out of my league. It would never work.

Zoé: What are you talking about?

Cosette: I really gotta go. *Backs away*

Zoé: I'm gonna see you tomorrow!

Cosette: Probably not… I'll call you!

[fluffansmut-old]

Christmas shopping

December 12 - Christmas shopping

12 fics of Christmas - part 6 - masterlist

Summary: You and Eddie goes shopping with friends. 

Content warnings: Fluff, suggested/discussed smut.

Word count:1016

*Fic is also posted on ao3*

The station wagon pulled up in front of your trailer like clockwork. Had Nancy said 11.00 am then she were there by 11.00 am.

Unfortunately for everyone involved, you and Eddie and somehow stumbled into quite the spicy situation that morning which meant you were way behind schedule.

“Have you seen my trousers“? you called out to Eddie as you dug through your overnight bag.

“Didn’t you put them in the washer yesterday?” Eddie replied, one leg into his jeans.

“Fuck” you said, remembering that you indeed had, and that they probably weren’t dry yet.

You got out some tights and a dress, shoving it over your head.

The car horn beeped outside, which made you and Eddie stress even more than before.

“Is she really that eager to go shopping?” Eddie asked, thinking of Nancy who you both knew would be behind the steering wheel.

When you came out of the trailer you realised that it actually wasn’t Nancy honking the horn, but rather Mike, from the backseat.

“Hey dofus, don’t annoy my neighbours too much now will ya!” Eddie said as he got in the middle seat next to Mike.

“Hey, it’s your own fault. “ Mike shot back, “how come Max is outside waiting when we pull up, but the two of you aren’t.”

“Well, mate, there is a very logical explanation to that question” Eddie began before you quickly shut him up by saying;

“There’s also kids in the car”

“We aren’t kids” Max and Mike shot back, almost in unison.

“You are still too young” you said, ending the conversation. Instead you turned to Nancy making eye contact with her through the rear view mirror. “Will Steve and Robin meet us there?”

They did, and they brought Dustin.

“Hey guys!” The curly haired boy said as he brought you all into hugs.

“Do you know how annoying it is to hear these two nagging each other non-stop?” Robin said to you and Nancy, motioning to Steve and Dustin.

Dustin was already trying to rope Eddie into agreeing with him about whatever it was that argued with Steve about.

“Believe me, it could be worse, you didn’t have Mike Wheeler honking because your morning hookup took too long” you replied.

“I figured from the hickeys” Nancy said motioning to the trail of marks going up your neck.

You hadn’t had a chance to look in the mirror and check the “damage” so now you felt your face heat up at her words, expecting it to look like you were advertising it.

“How do you even have the energy for sex so early?” Robin asked. “I would be too tired”

“It was more of an sleepy-intimate kind of deal, you know, slow thrusts with lots of kissing and… you began, but when you noticed that Max was listening in on your conversation then you quickly changed subject. “Where to first? I know that we’re on the hunt for something for Wayne right?”

Robin who didn’t quite catch the sudden change in subject just said:

“Still I think I would be too tired, or maybe I just prioritise sleep over sex”

“Well maybe you’re sleeping with the wrong people then” Nancy said, winking at Robin.

“Bold of you to assume I’m sleeping with anyone” Robin said back.

You ended up splitting up the group inside the mall, both Max and Mike were there to get gifts for El, and Dustin joined them in their hunt as more of a guard than anything else, making sure the two did something more than fight.

You, Eddie, Steve, Robin and Nancy all went together, you and Eddie on the hunt for new fishing hooks and a new mug, so you could check Wayne off the never ending list of people to buy for.

You didn’t search long before you found the mug section.

“Are there any specifics in it?” Steve asked as he tried to help the two of you. “Like is there anything we are looking for?”

“It’s more of a vibe, we are searching for a mug that feels like Wayne,” Eddie explained. “That what makes this so hard.”

Steve took the impossible instructions to heart and turned to the shelves again.

The mug that felt like Wayne was picked out about 15 minutes later, both you and Eddie reached for it at the same time and just then you both decided that it was the one.

“So what makes this mug Wayne?” Steve asked when you declared to the group that you found what you’ve been looking for.

You and Eddie both looked at it.

It looked like a mug you wanted to drink out of. 

Inviting.

It felt like a mug you wanted to wrap your cold hands around.

Warm.

The motive on the front put a smile on your faces.

Funny.

“It just feels like him” Eddie said, putting it on the counter to pay.

When you met up with the kids again Max had found 4 things for El and Mike had none.

“Did you even try?” Nancy asked, which only insulted Mike further, but it made Eddie chuckle.

“Shut up Munson,”Mike shot at him. “I bet you don’t even have something for her yet”

He pointed to you whilst he said it. Eddie smirked.

“It’s all done and have been for about a month Wheeler,” Eddie said. “Let me know if you want any help though.”

Mike gave Eddie the middle finger, although he was smiling in the meantime.

You thought about what Eddie had planned for you. Was it one thing? Or a bunch of small things? Was it like a date or something? You hoped he hadn’t spent too much money on it.

You took Eddie’s hand as the whole group made their way to get some lunch.

“Can one get a clue as to what you’ve been done with for about a month?” You whispered to him.

“Truth be told, there’s more than one baby,” Eddie whispered back, “and if you’re good, then you might get one before before Christmas”.

“Aren’t I always?” You questioned.

[babydollmarauders]

I absolutely love the el!hughes series can you do a blurb of Jack and the team/ Hughes family finding out reader is in labor if not that is totally ok. Have a great day!!

i wasn’t sure how to write the devils finding out y/n is in labor because i already kinda knew how jack would find out and it didn’t match up with the team finding out, so i apologize and i hope you still like this! i might write another blurb in third person pov with the devils on call with jack and finding out!

———

i wasn’t even awake yet when my water broke. in fact, i woke up on wet sheets and to dull pain in my back and lower abdomen.

the baby isn’t due for another week, so immediately i assume that it’s braxton hicks contractions and that i accidentally peed myself while i slept, as i’ve heard it can happen to pregnant women.

i rise from the bed, deep breathing through my pain as i change the bed sheets, just glad Jack was at morning skate and wouldn’t be privy to my embarrassment.

padding down the hallway, i throw the old sheets in the washer before making my way back to Jack and i’s room and into the en suite bathroom. turning the shower water on warm, i strip my pajamas, determined to power through the pain.

it’s not long into my shower that i hear Jack enter the bathroom, obviously home from morning skate.

“hey, how was skate?” i ask him through glass shower walls while i rinse the conditioner out of my hair.

“it was good. i think we’ve got a high chance of beating them tonight.” he tells me. through the foggy glass i can see him sit on the bathroom counter top, not an unusual occurrence, as Jack often sits in here and converses with me while i shower.

“mother of hell!” i curse, grabbing at my bump as i hunch over in pain.

“woah, you okay? what’s wrong?” Jack jumps off the counter when i don’t respond, ripping the shower door open to look at me.

“it’s just braxton hicks. i’m fine, i just need to drink some water and put my feet up.” i tell him, turning off the shower water. he hands me my towel as i step out and holds me by my arm as i walk into our bedroom.

“are you sure? maybe we should go to the hospital.” he’s panicked, his words fast.

“seriously, Jacky, i’m okay. it’s my body, i think i would know if i was in labor.”

i get dressed as normal, Jack watching me worriedly as i do so, before making my way to the kitchen to eat some breakfast.

in the midst of pouring my cereal, the pain gets worse, and it’s at this moment when i decide that maybe i’m wrong. the pains aren’t as spaced out anymore, it’s possible i could be in labor. maybe it was actually my water breaking and i didn’t wet the bed. however, i refuse to go to the hospital before i can eat.

sitting at the table, i call out to my husband in between bites.

“Jack?”

“yeah, babe?” he’s sitting on the couch with Luke, watching Top Gun when he replies, his eyes never even leaving the screen.

“you should call your mom.” i tell him.

“hmm? why?” he keeps the same distracted tone, never looking away from the movie.

“because i’m in labor.”

“oh okay.” i can’t help but laugh, he obviously didn’t hear me or wasn’t paying enough attention. but Luke definitely did because he suddenly sits up straight on the couch, his head snapping to look over at me as he smacks Jack on the chest.

“ow, what?” Jack groans, finally tearing his eyes from the tv to look at his brother.

“you wanna ask your wife to repeat what she just said? because you obviously weren’t listening.” Luke says, nodding over to me. Jack turns to look at me as i shovel the last bite into my mouth.

“sorry, babe. what did you say?”

“i said you should call your mom.” i respond.

“yeah, i heard that. but, why?” he furrows his brows at me as i put my bowl in the sink, rinsing it out.

“because i’m in labor.” i repeat. his eyes grow wide as he shoots up from the couch.

“oh my god. do we have everything? did we even finish packing the hospital bag? we’re having a baby, holy shit.”

i’m about to speak up, but Luke beats me to it.

“bro, calm the fuck down! just take Lovie to the hospital. if there’s anything missing from the bag, i can bring it. just go!”

Jack nods, ushering me towards the front door as he grabs the hospital bag from our bedroom.

it doesn’t even seem like he’s calmed down once we arrive to the hospital. we sit in the waiting room for no longer than fifteen minutes before getting taken back to a private room. doctors and nurses rotate out of the room for a good hour before we’re finally able to relax.

“i should probably call my parents now? right?” he asks, sitting down on a small couch in the room. i nod, breathing through a contraction.

he calls Ellen. the phone rings a few times before the call connects and Jack switches it onto speaker.

“hey, sweetheart! you ready for your game?” she asks him.

“oh shit, i still need to call coach.” he looks over at me like a deer in headlights.

“what, honey? what do you mean?” Ellen chimes over the phone.

“uh, Lovie’s in labor, mom.”

“what?! i told your dad we should’ve come this week instead of next!” she chides. “how is y/n feeling? are you guys at the hospital yet?”

“she’s-” Jack looks back over to asses me and i give him a thumbs up. “good. she says she’s fine. yeah, we got here about an hour ago.”

“okay! i’m glad she’s feeling okay! your dad and i will be on the next flight we can get out there!”

“okay. i’ll see you then, mom. i gotta let coach know i can’t play tonight, so i gotta go.”

“okay, bye honey! see you as soon as i can!”

Jack sighs after he hangs up, holding his head in his hands.

“we’re gonna be parents.”

[ladykailitha]

In the Midnight Hour Part 6

Two more pieces of the puzzle slot into place. But what is Steve missing?

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

*

Steve didn’t know if anyone would be home, but he had to try. He drove out to Hop’s cabin and knocked on the door.

Joyce answered the door with a look of surprise. “Steve sweetie!” She hugged him. “What brings you all the way out here?”

“Do you guys still have that sword Hop was swinging around down there?” he asked as she led him through to the kitchen.

“Uh...” she said, thinking. “I think we do. Do you think it’ll help?”

Steve sighed. “I don’t know.” He ran his hands over his face. “I’m really not the planner. But I keep feeling there is something else. Something just like with music in the Russian message. But I can’t quite catch a hold of it yet.”

She smiled fondly. “You’ll figure it out. But it’s easier to figure it out when you talk about it.”

Steve sighed. “I know, but it’s just pieces. Little pieces all over the place and I’m not even sure they’re from the same puzzle let alone the kind of puzzle.” He waved his hands trying to articulate what he meant. “Some parts feel like a Rubix cube, while others feel like a logic puzzle. And it’s all jumbled up in my head.”  

“You know,” Joyce said gently, “of all the kids that got involved in this Upside Down mess, you’re the one I worry about most.”

Steve frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Everyone else has families that they could fall back on when things get too horrible,” she explained. “But you are all alone in that big house in Loch Nora. I worry you’re going to get lost in that head of yours and never come back out.”

Steve’s lip quivered. “I don’t want to worry anyone.”

She reached out and patted his cheek. “I know you don’t, sweetie. But you aren’t alone in all this. Let us take some of the load.”

He took a deep breath and let it out slow. “There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Uh oh,” she said. “Sounds serious.”

“I want to take El to meet Wayne Munson,” Steve said in a rush.

Joyce looked at him warily. “As in Eddie’s uncle?”

Steve nodded.

“Why would you want to do that, Steve?”

He took a deep breath. “Because the government experimented on him too.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Was he‒”

Steve shook his head. “He says not, but he’s powered.”

“He’s what?” Her mind boggled.

Steve licked his lips and scratched his cheek nervously. “He’s an empath. They rejected him because they couldn’t weaponize his power.” He sighed heavily. “I just thought it would be a good idea to have her meet someone who was powered who wasn’t awful.”

Joyce thought for a minute. “I’ll bring her by after school. I’m assuming you want to be there to make the introduction?”

He nodded.

“You think this is going to help defeat Vecna don’t you?” she asked.

Steve blushed. “I know I’m not the smart one. I’m not the one that makes plans. But I’m starting to think that maybe I should be. Maybe Eddie would have–”

Joyce pulled him into a hug. “You can’t think like that, sweetie. It took longer than it should have and that’s why Eddie had to lead the bats away. If we had been faster, he would have survived.”

Steve nodded and cleared his throat. “I’ve got to go. But I’ll call Wayne and let you know what time to bring El over.”

She let him pull away. “Okay. I’ll be waiting.”

Steve walked away, his heart heavier than when he went in.

*

Steve waited nervously outside the Motel 6, leaning up against his car. He kept checking his watch and glancing back at the road.

Wayne opened the door and leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms. “At least come inside and wait, son.”

Steve jumped and whirled around to answer him, when Joyce’s car pulled into the parking lot.

Wayne chuckled. “A watched for car never arrives.”

Steve turned back to greet them. Joyce got out of her car, followed by a shy El.

“Glad you guys could make,” he said.

El rushed over and gave him a hug. “Is he mean?” she asked into his shoulder.

Steve gave her a tight hug and whispered into her hair, “Would I bring you to someone who was mean?”

She shook her head.

“Come on,” he told her gently.

She let go and Joyce reached out her hand. El took it and they let Steve lead the way to Wayne’s room.

“Joyce Horowitz,” Wayne said with a grin, “as I live and breathe.”

Joyce shook her head and laughed. “Good to see ya still kicking, Wayne. But it’s Byers now.”

“It’ll be Hopper soon,” Steve teased.

Joyce blushed.

Wayne laughed. “It would be about fucking time.”

“El, baby,” she said. “This Wayne Munson, him and I went to high school together.”

El nodded.

“So I hear you can throw things around with your mind,” Wayne said gently.

El nodded again.

“You don’t need to be afraid of me,” he whispered. “I’m like my nephew scary on the outside and big softy on the middle.”

“I didn’t get to meet him,” she said softly. “And then when the choice came to save him or my friend, I picked my friend.”

“No guilt past this door I’m afraid,” he said with a small smile. “Just ask Steve.”

Steve chuckled. “He means it too.”

El cocked her head to the side. “You can sense guilt?”

“All emotions,” Wayne explained. “Like right now Steve is nervous, but hopeful. Joyce is happy with a side of worry. Worry and nervousness aren’t the same thing. And you’re afraid probably because I’m powered.”

El smiled.

“And whoosh!” Wayne said. “There goes the fear.”

El giggled.

Wayne stepped aside to let them into his room. They all piled into the small room. He had managed to dig up two folding chairs so that everyone had a place to sit.

“What can you lift?” he asked once everyone was settled.

“Pretty much anything,” El said. “But the bigger it is the harder it is to control and the more likely I’ll get a nosebleed.”

“How do you control the lift?” Wayne asked.

“Everyone has told me to get angry,” El admitted. “The angrier I am the better.”

Wayne tsked and ran his tongue over his teeth. “I can’t say I’m surprised. You’re going to want to kill people easier if you’re angry. But anger is just one emotion. There are others that are just as powerful as anger.”

“Like what?” Steve asked.

“Fear,” Joyce suggested.

“Fear’s a good one,” Wayne agreed. “Happiness is a good one as well. But the most powerful emotion is love.”

Joyce rolled her eyes. “That sounds so cliche.”

Wayne chuckled. “I know. It’s horrible. But everyone assumes it has to be romantic.”

Steve frowned. “What do you mean?”

Wayne smiled at him sadly. “I mean the person I love most in the world isn’t a romantic partner. I don’t love my family or the people that tortured me. But Eddie. Oh there is so much love I have for him I could probably flood the town with it if I didn’t have a sharp grasp on my powers.”

El furrowed her brow. “You’re saying that if I use happiness or love to lift things it’ll hurt less?”

Wayne shrugged his shoulders. “It’s certainly not going to hurt you further.”

El and Joyce shared a glance.

“Would it also dispense the need for a deprivation tank?” Joyce asked.

Wayne frowned. “A what now?” He looked to Steve.

“They submerge her in water so that she’s not distracted by other sounds. It makes it easier for her concentrate,” Steve explained.

“How old are you?” Wayne asked.

“We don’t know for sure,” Joyce said, running her fingers through El’s hair. “But the best we can figure is that she’s the other kids’ age. So about fourteen.”

Wayne scowled. “You shouldn’t have to do any of that.” He stood up and grabbed a couple of tea lights out of a drawer. When everyone stared at him in shock he shrugged. “The power isn’t very reliable yet so I keep a couple of candles on hand for when the power goes out.”

He led the way back outside and set the candles down on the concrete divider in the parking lot.

“Show me how you were taught,” he told El.

She scrunched up her nose and held out her hand, using her anger that Vecna was still alive to lift the candles into the air. She put them back down.

“Okay,” Wayne said. “Did that hurt you?”

El shook her head. “No. They’re too small.”

“Fair enough,” he replied. “Now keep your hand down and think a happy thought or even think of someone you love.”

El thought about Hopper and how much he loved her and how grateful she was to have him. She closed her eyes.

Everyone gasped. She slowed opened her eyes again to see that not only had had the candles risen higher than before, they had also lit.

She gasped herself and the candles fell the ground clattering against the cement.

Joyce and Steve were staring at her wide-eyed. “Baby, you’ve never been able to light candles before.”

El huffed out a laugh and then another and suddenly she was laughing. “That was bitchin’.”

“Hell yeah, it was,” Steve cheered.

Wayne went over and picked up the candles and set them back down on the concrete divider.

“All right this time,” he said, “I want you to lit each candle one at a time and then levitate it. You think you can do that for me?”

El nodded happily. She closed her eyes again, and let the joy of her adopted dad fill her mind.

“Open your eyes, El,” Wayne whispered.

She did as she was told and laughed. She had formed a triangle with the candles and they were lit and happily burning.

“Okay, now with your eyes open,” Wayne continued, “Place each on the divider and then put them out in two, three, one order.”

She didn’t nod, afraid that she would drop them, but she did as he asked.

Once she had put out the last candle Joyce ran up to her and hugged her.

“That was so amazing, sweetie!”

Wayne and Steve shared a small smile.

El looked over at Wayne. “Thank you.”

Wayne huffed out a small laugh. “I didn’t do anything, darlin’.”

“You showed me a better way to use my powers,” El said confused. “That’s not nothing.”

Wayne grinned. “Fair enough.”

Steve turned solemn. “It’s a part of the puzzle.”

“El’s powers?” Joyce asked.

Steve nodded. “Another piece just slotted into place.”

She walked over to Steve and looked up at him. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?”

He shook his head.

“Not yet,” he murmured. “There is still something missing.” He pressed his palms into his eyes. “There is something I’m missing. Something major and I can’t quite...” he growled in frustration.

“You’ll get there, son,” Wayne told him. “I’m sure of it.”

Steve only hoped he was right.

Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12  Part 13

Tag List: @clumsywriter @steddie-there  @gregre369 @currently-steddiebrainrot @steddieassheg0es @estrellami-1 @anzelsilver @thequeenrainacorn @savory-babby @chaoticlovingdreamer @grtwdsmwhr @renaissan-vvitch @panicatthediaz @swimmingbirdrunningrock

[thirdwifeofriversong]

going back through some old notes on my phone and found my unfiltered original reactions to volumes 1 & 2 of stranger things 4… (spoilers below the break)

VOL 1

- HOLY FUCK EPISODE SEVEN

- did NOT see that reveal coming

- The ends of eps 4 and 7 are fucking amazing

- NANCY!!! Not sure how she’ll fare, not looking good obvs, (and I did originally think she’d die, but I hope not ofc) but I love the callback to the pool and Barb

- This is Dustin’s season lol

- Joyce Hop and Murray better fucking get out of that prison- their reunion was heartbreaking, but I also was like RUN don’t do another bob

- About Vecna/001/Creel son… so his powers/the killings weren’t related to the upside down until El imprisoned him there… so the upside down existed already but El opened the gate to put 001 through and that was the beginning of the contact with our world?… also how did Brenner try to replicate 001? Heard some disturbing theories about sperm donation but that’s super fucked up so I’m not sure how but I hope they explain? Also how did he get his powers in the first place? Finally what amazing casting

- Never thought I’d be rooting for Steve and Nancy lol but I guess maturity happens

- Erica is the fucking best

- The 001 reveal was fantastic. Jaw on the floor.

- Why does 001 care for 011 more than the others? Seen theories that she’s his kid but???

- Relationship between 001 and the mind flayer?

- MAX omg that scene was AMAZING on all levels and her ACTING

- Also why was Brenner using 001 as a guard?? Doesn’t make sense?

- Cool how they synced Nancy and El understanding 001’s story

- I only want good things for Hopper

- Also Murray’s karate is 10/10. Comic gold

- I’m a bit done with the torture. I like my characters problems to be fictional thanks.

- Look forward to seeing the CA gang appear again

- Also Joyce and Murray have no fucking idea what’s going on… and like Joyce just leaves her kids?

- Okay El needs nice things and WHAT THE FUCK OWENS WORKING WITH BRENNER REALLY?!! El didn’t need that. She needs so much love and friends and therapy and trauma informed everything bc OMG.

- Not a fan of Archie and the jock vigilantes

- Rude to prey on people with trauma. Guess Vecna is just a psychopath?

- AHHHHHH

- again how did the kids get their powers and how did they take it from 001 and how did 001 get it in the first place?

- Nice that 001 and the mind flayer got along so well

- Also can will get some fucking character development? Please? Like I know he has a crush on mike but more than that pls because it’s been since s2 that he had a true arc (except that great acting scene in s3)

- Suzie is everyone’s Queen. Bow before her

- Eddie and argyle are great new characters

- El needs so much love

- You can’t let anything happen to Hop or Joyce or Murray

- Wait also I forgot about the time travel thing

- WAIT A SECOND the painting Will’s painting it’s got to be of Mike because he LOVES HIM

VOL 2

- ALDHRKWHDLDHAKDHSJSJHSJAJAH

- My BABY EDDIE NOOOOO

- MAX?!?!?!!! No MAX !!!!!! Like I assume they would’ve just killed her if she wasn’t going to come back, but she seems brain dead and the duffers said she was? So? I hope they do bring her back bc it would’ve made sense to fully kill her if she wasn’t? Also El has fucking Lazarus powers too?! Damn girl

- My BABY GAY WILL you need a HUG and I’m so glad you got one but you also need to talk about shit and just say it out loud

- Good job Jonathan you aren’t completely useless

- WHAT A FUCKING ENDING

- EL AND HOP MY HEART

- DAMN that was a good ending- saw it coming but they did it really well

- And they really did seem like they’d just kill off everyone for a minute

- Murray, Yuri, and Antonov?? My bois? Where they at?

- Still gotta resolve Owens

- Also the fucking Russian and US governments are looking for them wtf

- Not looking good

- BUT AT LEAST THEYRE TOGETHER

- love the Hawkins at the center of it all

- FOUR GATES HOLY FUCK

- the vecna el max scene holy SHIT

- also did we not finish the Jason plot line?! Wtf happened after that? Somebody gotta keep this man in line bc he went full murder there (edit apparently he did die whoops I was distracted)

- And poor Lucas!! My baby is gonna have so much trauma!!

- And Dustin… sweet little confident dude gonna be so sad

- Fucking will ending the season touching the back of his neck I CAN FEEL HIM of course you fucking can will

- The LINE

- Hop and Joyce!!! Finally!!!

- Also like please let Karen be an actual character with agency she’s been here for four seasons on the sidelines but like please… my dude…. Please write her some character development… and fuck Ted

- The fucking love triangle with Nancy isn’t resolved

- We love Steve (in general)

- Robin and band girl seem nice…. Like a z plot but at least she might get a nice thing? Would be nice if we knew more about band girl

- Want to know if Henry/vecna is El’s father? More about that connection? Also how he got his powers to begin with? Is the upside down just an accidental bump into our universe bc El or is it related to the powers? Would it have kept going?

- Also fucking Odyssey with Henry

- the FUCKING METAL CONCERT WITH THE DEMOBATS THAT WAS THE BEST SHIT EVER

- and hop with the sword?!

- The soviets rlly did just go this seems like a good idea let’s BREED FUCKING DEMOGORGONS fuckers

- Glad they’re out of the ussr

- That ending shot wow

- I CRIED with Dustin and mr munson omg that was so fucking sad

- Also where was max’s mom in the hospital??

- Max omg baby needs nice things

- Aghhhhh

- The CAPTIONS

[snowflake-of-destruction]

Umbrella prompt!

guns are for sissies. real men throw knives.

☂️Larxene☂

Vanitas rarely smiled, and, when he did, it was generally unnerving to most people other than Ventus, Sora, Xion, or Aqua. The grin he wore as he plopped himself down across the table from Naminé, spinning the first empty chair he’d touched around instead of pulling it out, presumably just because he thought he’d appear more intimidating straddling the seat and staring at his prey over the back rather than leaning over the table, was downright terrifying in its feral wolfishness. 

“Why, Little Sister…” he greeted her. Naminé felt like she should be flattered that Vanitas had decided the part of Sora that had gone into her body’s makeup made her a part of his family, but the primary emotion she felt around Vanitas was mild discomfort. He looked at her like he knew she didn’t belong still, even though she’d fooled everyone else long ago. It took an outsider who couldn’t move past their imposter syndrome to know one, she guessed. Maybe that was what made them family, not Sora.  “Are those dicks you’re drawing?”

Naminé dropped her pencil and slapped both hands over the page in front of her, fingers splayed to take up as much room and cover as much paper as possible, warbling a high-pitched, indignant “No!” that bounced off the walls to echo back as accusation that she sounded like a liar. 

Van leaned backward, resting against air, eyebrows raising and a low whistle escaping through his teeth. “Well, that was a lucky guess. I was just teasing.” He’d seen a vague shape on the page, an elongated protrusion from a lumpy base, and he’d taken a wide swing, expecting no more than to see that look of shock in the white witch’s eyes that he missed the days of being able to cause just by walking into a room. “You’ve got some balls, Little Sister.” He made a sudden grab for the page, pulling it out from under her loose grip before she thought to actually get rid of it or put it away, not wanting to miss his opportunity. “And I’m going to hang them up on the wall over the bar. Make sure your art gets the attention it deserves.”

The corner of the page ripped as Naminé tried to keep it pinned, but Vanitas counted it as an acceptable loss. He held up his prize in one hand and summoned a small threatening ball of dark fira in the other to warn Naminé that there were no grab-backs. He squinted at his controversial prize, then cocked his head to the side and tilted the page to different angles as well, trying to judge its best view.  “A bit abstract, but I can see what you’re going for. Brave decision to start with the nonhuman.” 

He glanced at the silently fuming, flushing Naminé around the edges of the page. She was frowning so deeply it furrowed her forehead and it looked like there was the start of humiliated moisture in her eyes as she mumbled that the drawing wasn’t a dick.

Ole’ Vanitas has still got it. Suffer, child of light!

“What is this? A Darkside? Not furry enough to be a Behemoth.”

“It’s not a dick!” Naminé whispered furiously.  “Give it back!”

“Oh?” Vanitas challenged, gesturing with his fireball hand for her to offer a better explanation, though he didn’t pause near long enough for her to provide one, continuing when she didn’t immediately jump in and try to redirect. “Let’s call Ellie over. She should be an expert. I always assumed Larxene used to keep them as trophies. Seemed like a Larxy thing. Kill when mating, then hang the dick on the wall.” He raised his voice, yelling across the small restaurant so his voice carried to the back. “Elrena! Ellie El!”

“It doesn’t look anything like a…what you said!” Naminé continued to protest. 

“That’s what you keep saying.” Vanitas stressed the last word. “But you haven’t said what it is yet. We’ll put it to a vote.” 

“It doesn’t even…It’s purple. Have you ever seen a purple dick?” Naminé desperately tried to appeal to reason.

“What I do on my nights off doesn’t concern you.” Vanitas threw out flippantly as he looked over his shoulder for his gaze to meet the tall blonde marching out of the kitchen, an aura of menace and what was potentially static cling hanging around her shoulders like a wrap.  “Come take a look at this, Ellie. Naminé’s drawing porn in the middle of our dinner rush.” It actually looked more like a bird than a dick, and the place was empty except for Naminé and the two of them, but Naminé was proving just too easy of a target to fluster.

“What are you on about, Vanitas?” The new arrival to the conversation griped, “ You were supposed to be watching the front for any paying customers, not flirting with one of our freeloaders.” Elrena grabbed the drawing away from Vanitas as he waved it in her face. “What are you doing with a picture of one of Xigbar’s arrow guns?”

“That’s an arrow gun?” Vanitas’ incredulous gaze flicked between the page Elrena was now holding and Naminé, whose tangible relief that she wasn’t going to be teamed up on was kind of killing his mood. 

“I told you!”

“You did not,” Vanitas shot back, childishly. “All you said was that it wasn’t a dick.”

“You thought this was a dick?” Elrena scoffed. She passed the page from the hand nearest Vanitas to her other, then passed it off back to Naminé, who shot her a grateful look. “If you’re packing something that looks remotely like this, you need a doctor right away.”

“If you wanted an excuse to take a look, you could just ask, Ellie,” Vanitas retorted, newly grown heart not particularly in it, as he saw his miscalculation in how likely the girls were to team up and how much more relaxed Naminé already was.

“You couldn’t handle me.” Elrena didn’t miss a beat before addressing Naminé again. “Is Weird Dick here bothering you? Want me to fire him? He’s pretty much only useful as a decoration, and most of the time he fails at that.”

“You know you keep me around because I’m better at customer service.” Sadly, it was true. Another lifetime, Elrena had been much more of a people pleaser than Larxene, but, though by comparison she still was, the girl from the age of fairytales had died too many times too long ago not to harden.  “It was just a bit of brotherly ribbing.”

“They’re knives,” Naminé volunteered, inspecting her drawing with new eyes. Did they really look like genitals? “It’s a design for a pair of knives for Braig that keep the same design elements as his arrow guns, and lock together to look like one when not needed for use. I’m going to take a blueprint to Axel and have him see what he can forge. It’s a surprise.” She cast a glare at Vanitas. “Or it was.”

Elrena hummed in thought, a slight rumble of the throat. “Did he ask you to do that?”

“No,” Naminé warbled the lie, blushing once more. 

“What did you do, Ellie?” Vanitas’s vicious glee returned.

“Just told him the truth. Guns are for sissies. Real men throw knives.” She tossed her head like she was flicking her over her shoulder and sniffed. “People are too sensitive and easily embarrassed these days.”

“Tell me about it,” Vanitas commiserated, side-eyeing Naminé.