#is short and have a puffball at the end

[caramelteaa]

Girlie is coming in with a frying pan

[kimkaelyn]

Ditto [s. todoroki]

𝒮𝓉𝒶𝓎 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝒾𝒹𝒹𝓁𝑒, 𝐿𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶 𝓁𝒾𝓉𝓉𝓁𝑒, 𝒟𝑜𝓃'𝓉 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓃𝑜 𝓇𝒾𝒹𝒹𝓁𝑒, 𝒮𝒶𝓎 𝒾𝓉, 𝓈𝒶𝓎 𝒾𝓉 𝒷𝒶𝒸𝓀, 𝑜𝒽 𝓈𝒶𝓎 𝒾𝓉 𝒹𝒾𝓉𝓉𝑜 — 𝒟𝒾𝓉𝓉𝑜, 𝒩𝑒𝓌𝒥𝑒𝒶𝓃𝓈

→ summary: when you transferred to U.A., you didn't anticipate slipping on a pair of chopsticks in the middle of the crowded cafeteria during your first week. however, what was more surprising was the unexpected fall for the boy who gracefully caught you.

→ pairing: shouto todoroki x fem!reader

→ genre: fluff, strangers to friends to lovers

→ word count: 13.1k

→ warnings & tags: sfw, female pronouns are used, usage of y/n l/n, Class 1-A are now third-year students aka 18+, swearing, the usual U.A. chaos, reader has a Quirk, misunderstandings, some training violence, minor injuries, mentions and discussions of insecurities, aizawa briefly belittles the reader as a form of motivation, beginnings of a panic attack but it's cut short, there is one instance of the reader appearing to be ‘flushed’ in regards to a fever, since this is my first bnha fic some characters might be ooc? | please kindly let me know if I missed any tags!

→ author's note: AHHHH HERE IT IS! I've been working on this for almost a year now and I am so excited to finally share it with all of you. Honestly, I didn't think I would ever finish this story, but I kept slowly chipping away at it thanks in part to the encouragement from @andypantsx3, @missrosegold, and @getstarried. Special thanks to @pikatsum for beta-reading this for me! Thank you girls. This is for you🫶🏻

The cafeteria at U.A. High School was a pretty chaotic environment, you quickly learned within your first week after transferring from another Hero Course in the countryside. There were multiple things that could and would happen after the famous students had gotten some much-needed nutrients in their systems.

It was only three days into the school year and nothing had happened just yet, but in the U.A. world, that something was overdue.

The first chaotic event of the year that everyone had been anxiously—or in some cases, excitingly—waiting for happened on Thursday.

The day started off average; you got to school with three minutes to spare, which was a new record, but you had forgotten your pencil pouch in your dorm room, so you had to borrow some pencils from a girl who sat in front of you; Mina Ashido.

“Thank you,” you whispered as you took the pastel pink utensil from her. There was even a cute little fluffy puffball at the end in exchange for an eraser. Good thing you had an eraser in your bag.

“No problem! I gotcha!” She physically lit up and gave you a bright smile before turning back to focus on the blackboard.

You somehow managed to get through your morning classes running on the four hours of sleep you got the night before. You were cutting it quite close to passing out at your desk during calculus class, but you were saved by the lunch bell.

As soon as you stepped foot into the hallway, you were wrapped up in the faint, delicious scent of your favorite food coming from the cafeteria. Your mouth instantly watered, and you made a mad dash for the source of the delicious scent.

“Hey!” a sharp voice made you freeze in your steps. You glanced over your shoulder to find Tenya Iida, Class 3-A’s representative, glaring at you. The light reflecting off his glasses made him appear more threatening than he really was, but regardless, you still found yourself shying away from his harsh glare and rapid-moving hands. As they passed by, some students gave you apologetic smiles while others were not shy about openly staring at the scene before them, wondering what you possibly could have done to induce the wrath of the student representative. “There is to be no running in the halls!” You cowered some more at his brisk and overly formal tone.

Geez, what a stuck-up, you thought to yourself.

“My apologies, Iida.” You respond with a bow. He accepted your apology with a curt nod before he continued on his way to the cafeteria.

You waited for him to pass before rising from your bow. “Wow, he makes it feel like I broke the law or something.” You mused aloud.

“Don’t take it personally,” a comforting voice said from behind you. You turned to find Momo Yaoyorozu, Ochako Uraraka, and Tsuyu Asui standing before you. Ochako gave you a slight wave in greeting. “Iida can be quite demanding,” Yaoyorozu reassured you.

“Thank you.”

Tsuyu regarded you with gentle onyx eyes. “It’s L/N, right?”

You smiled, happy that she remembered your name from roll call. “Y-yeah! I’m Y/N L/N.” You introduced yourself. “I, um, already know who you guys are.” You suddenly felt shy, and you bashfully rubbed the back of your neck out of nervous habit.

Before your transfer was finalized, you did extensive research into your future school’s history and future classmates. Thankfully—or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it—a lot of information is public knowledge; the various attacks on the school in the year leading up to and the conclusion of the War between the Paranormal Liberation Front and the Heroes, not to mention the various televised sports festivals, and the fact that the members of Class 1-A are practically household names even before their graduation.

The girls invited you to sit with them in the cafeteria. You had been keeping to yourself the first few days of school, choosing to observe from afar the already established social circles and friend groups. You had waited for an invitation to join one of said groups, and here was your opportunity.

The four of you made small talk as you made your way through the lunch line and to the table. Right away, Asui told you to call her by her given name. You told them about your life growing up in the countryside—with you and Uraraka bonding over your shared reason for becoming Pro Heroes—about the friends you had, embarrassingly funny stories from your junior high days, and eventually what led you to transfer to U.A.

“Well, this is the best Hero Course in the country!” you all laughed. “But to be frank, the only teacher at my old academy who could handle my Quirk retired, and none of the other academies within the prefecture had the resources to help me advance. Plus, my mentor is an U.A. alumnus, so naturally, the only other choice was U.A.”

Yaoyorozu hummed. “It is a shame about your mentor retiring, but that is what led you to transfer to U.A., and for that, I am grateful.” The class vice representative regarded you kindly. “I am a firm believer of things happening for a reason, and your transfer doesn’t change that.”

Uraraka nodded her agreement. “Momo’s right. U.A. is a place where anybody can make a difference, and I think you will find success here.”

You were rendered speechless. The tips of your ears turned red as your classmates regarded you with so much hope and sincerity in their eyes. “Uh . . . I,” you bashfully scratched the back of your head. Not knowing how to respond, you instead reached for the small bottle of milk on your lunch tray and brought it to your lips.

However, before you could take a sip, a BOOM erupted from the front of the cafeteria, accompanied by a gruff voice yelling, “Don’t walk in front of me, Icy-Hot!” You reflexively jolted at the loud noises and lost your grip on the glass, spilling the half-full bottle all over the front of your uniform.

“Shit,” you exclaimed as you instinctually rose from your seat, only to quickly sit down again when the liquid started to fall to the floor. The girls gasped and were quick to hand you all the napkins in the vicinity.

“Are you okay, Y/N?” Asui asked as she watched you pat down your sodden skirt.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” You waved off her concern as you continued to wipe away the remaining liquid. The napkins managed to soak up most of it, but your skirt was still damp. If you didn’t change skirts, you were going to smell of milk for the rest of the day, and you didn’t want to start off the school year with a reputation for smelling vile. “I’m going to go back to the dorm really quickly and change into a clean uniform. Please let Mr. Snipe know that I will be late for class.”

“Do you want us to accompany you?” Yaoyorozu asked. She began to rise from her seat, but you stopped her.

“No, no. I’m okay, really.” You gave her what you hoped to be a reassuring grin instead of a grimace. “Thank you for offering, Yaoyorozu, but I’ll be fine.” Before your classmates could respond, you stood from the table and made your way to the exit.

Great, this is just great, you thought as you walked, not really paying attention to where you were going. As soon as I make some friends, I make a fool of myself.

Unbeknownst to you, there was an obstacle in the aisle directly ahead. You were too distracted by your growing inner turmoil to notice the pair of metal chopsticks lying on the ground before you until your foot made contact and slipped out from under you.

It all happened so fast that you couldn’t even react.

Time froze as you became weightless, and you felt your body become briefly suspended in the air. Before you could react and rotate your body to prevent yourself from violently banging your head on the tiled floor, gravity took hold and yanked you back down toward the ground. You squeezed your eyes shut, not wanting to witness your classmates’ reactions to your misfortune.

Great, now I’m gonna embarrass myself in front of the entire school. Fuck you, chopsticks.

You prepared yourself for the pain of hitting the hard floor but were shocked when you were suddenly wrapped in a chilled warmth. You did slam into a hard surface, but this didn’t feel like the cold tile you expected.

“Are you all right?” a voice asked from above. You opened your eyes, only to find yourself captivated by a beautiful graphite and turquoise gaze. Your mouth opened to respond to the inquiry, but you couldn’t speak. This strange yet calming gaze hypnotized you, causing the rest of the world to fade into a buzzing silence. You watched as the perfect eyebrows of the owner of those magical eyes furrowed downward at your prolonged silence, the action momentarily drawing your attention.

With your attention span no longer zeroed in on the heterochromatic gaze, the world around you suddenly slammed back into your senses at full force. The volume of your fellow classmates’ conversations was deafening at first, but your ears grew accustomed once again to zone them out and focus on the person before you.

It took about thirty seconds for the entirety of your current predicament to register within your brain.

You were hanging about ten centimeters off the ground. The only thing keeping you upright and injury-free was Shouto Todoroki’s firm grip on your wrist.

“Um, hello?” the dual-haired teenager once again drew your attention to him. His grip slightly tightened before he tugged you up onto your feet.

“I think you broke her, Icy-Hot.” A rough voice drawled from your peripheral.

The intrusion of the other voice is what finally brought you out of your stunned silence. “No, I’m okay. Not broken.”

“Did you hit your head?” Todoroki inquired. He steadied you on your feet but didn’t release your wrist from his hold. Katsuki Bakugou was standing off to the side, trying to appear like he wasn’t involved with either one of you.

“I-I don’t think so.” As you reached down to brush yourself off, you caught a whiff of the unflattering scent of old milk emitting from your clothes. You held back your gag and turned to face Todoroki and Bakugou. “I’m sorry to rush, but I really do need to go.” You gave a quick bow. “Thank you for catching me, Todoroki. Bye!”

The two boys watched you sprint away like a bat out of hell. “T’fuck is her problem,” Bakugou muttered. “Fuckin’ extra makin’ me late for lunch.”

Todoroki didn’t respond to his classmate’s remarks. His lips pursed together as he watched you nearly run into a couple of first years before you disappeared around a corner, out of sight.

“Don’ even think ‘bout it, Icy-Hot.” Bakugou drawled from beside him. Todoroki cocked an eyebrow, the only sign of emotion on his otherwise indifferent expression. “Gettin’ involved with ‘hat extra will ruin your precious bloodline.”

You tried to forget about the cafeteria incident, but the embarrassing ordeal refused to secede from the forefront of your mind. As you lay in bed that night, your thoughts ran a hundred kilometers a minute, antagonizing and overanalyzing every second of what had happened.

As the night dragged on, your thoughts shifted from the overall event to one single individual: Shouto Todoroki. You knew who he was, of course. You didn’t grow up underneath a rock. Yet, you weren’t prepared for how much more handsome he was in person than on the news or in photos.

You overanalyzed everything he did in the brief two minutes you were blessed to be in his company, every word he said, and every brief flash of emotion that showed in his heterochromatic eyes. Todoroki had tried to approach you after training in Ground Beta once you had returned from the dorms, but you avoided him, not wanting to face him again so soon after the embarrassing first meeting.

By Sunday, you had begun to forget about your embarrassing cafeteria incident. Your newfound friends didn’t bring up the spilled milk, and thankfully, they didn’t see you slip on the chopsticks and fall into Shouto Todoroki’s muscular arms. You breathed a sigh of relief when you found out that last part. You didn’t want them to think you were a total klutz.

Todoroki may think otherwise.

As you were rounding the corner to walk back up the stairs to head back to your dorm room, Todoroki happened to be walking down. You both turned at the same time and walked straight into each other.

He wasn’t fazed by the sudden collision; however, you were taken completely off guard. No matter how strong you may be, suddenly walking into about a hundred kilos of pure muscle would make anyone stumble. While he remained steadily standing, you, on the other hand, fell back onto your ass.

It took about three seconds for the two of you to comprehend what the hell had just happened. You groaned out when pain flashed across your backside.

“My apologies, I did not see you.” Todoroki said as he offered you a hand. You begrudgingly accepted his assistance, face heating as your super handsome classmate helped you to your feet for the second time in a week.

“Thank you,” you bowed your head to him. You brushed away some dust from your sweatpants, finding yourself too shy to look back up.

You felt a firm, yet gentle hand land on your shoulder. You jerked your head upwards to meet Todoroki’s captivating gaze. “Are you injured?” His heterochromatic eyes searched you for any injury, and they glimmered with relief when he found none.

“No, I’m okay,” you reassured the male. “I may be a little bruised in the morning, but I will be fine.” Not to mention my bruised ego.

Todoroki hummed in acknowledgment, his hand still resting on your shoulder. His eyes were hyper-fixated on you, leaving you to feel bare under his intense gaze.

You shifted your weight back and forth as the silence between you dragged on for a couple more seconds. “Um, I—” You cleared your throat. “I should be on my way now. Got things to study, you know.” You told him with an awkward laugh.

You moved to step around him when it became obvious he wasn’t going to move. Your movements are what must have shaken him out of his stupor, with him bashfully stepping to the side to allow you access to the stairway.

“Right.” He said as you walked by. “Take care, Y/N.” You startled at his sudden usage of your given name, but nevertheless, you felt oddly relieved. You smiled shyly and bid him goodbye. Nothing else was said between the two of you, but you felt his eyes on you as you walked up the stairs.

I hope he likes cinnamon; you thought as you peered into the oven.

To be fair, you should have considered that before laboring for over two hours making kinako cinnamon cookies from scratch—which absolutely failed. Therefore, as a last resort, you were forced to run to the store and buy a box mix.

The he in question?

Shouto Todoroki.

It had been several days since your embarrassing first interaction with the dual-haired male and forty-five hours since your second, literal, run-in—not that you were keeping track, of course.

You wanted to do something nice for him as a way to apologize for your newfound clumsiness and thank him for his assistance in both instances. Your calligraphy skills were not . . . up to par, so to say, by any means, so a handmade thank-you card was off the table, and you highly doubt Todoroki was a flower guy. Not to mention his affluent background, so buying him a gift or offering to take him out to dinner was null—and way too straightforward for two people who were barely even acquaintances.

Therefore, you were left with only one option: homemade cookies.

Besides, all the old aunties back home always said the quickest way to win anyone over was through food.

“Ooooh, something smells amazing!” someone exclaimed from the stairway. Smiling slyly to yourself, you turned away from the oven to the new arrival.

You hadn’t interacted much with Rikido Sato save for the casual good morning greetings and thanking him for the delicious red velvet cupcake he baked for you as a welcoming gift to U.A.

“Thanks,” you said, grinning at the male.

The combined low mutterings of more approaching classmates brought your and Sato’s attention to the doorway where Mina Ashido, Eijirou Kirishima, Denki Kaminari, and Hanta Sero were entering the dorm.

“Woah something smells fantastic!” Kaminari said, gazing into the kitchen in hopes of spotting the source of the delicious scent.

“Yeah, it does!” Kirishima agreed.

“Oh my gosh, what is it?” Ashido asked as she walked over. Her eyes lit up when she spotted you. “L/N! Did you make something?”

“I did.” You confirmed with a slight nod. “I’m making kinako cinnamon cookies.”

“Oooooh, yummy!” the pinkette exclaimed as she bounced over to peer into the oven. Your other classmates quickly joined her, all of them staring into the soft, golden light of the oven with stars in their eyes.

“They look so good!” Kaminari was practically drooling at the tawny treats. At that moment, the timer went off with a soft ting! You politely shooed your classmates back as you pulled a hand towel over your hands.

“Step back, everyone,” you warned as you opened the oven door. “They’re going to be hot.” You carefully reached in and grabbed the cooking tray, cautiously sliding it off the rack and fully into your cloth-covered hands. Despite taking precautions, you hissed as the hot aluminum seeped through the towel and made contact with your flesh. As quickly as you could without dropping the pan of cookies, you turned and set it down on the kitchen island.

“These look delicious!”

“Woah, man, they look amazing!”

“I bet they taste as scrumptious as they lo—”

You zoned out the boys’ compliments as you moved to the sink and turned on the tap.

“L/N, are you okay?” Ashido asked as she followed you. Her question caught the other's attention, and they, too, turned to watch you quizzingly.

“Yes, I’m fine.” Your response ended with a wince as your skin made contact with the cool water.

“Here, let me see,” Ashido gestured to your hand. With your permission, she took your wrist with gentle fingers and held it up for you both to inspect. Your skin was reddened slightly, but it wasn’t anything serious. You let out a sigh of relief. “It’s not serious, thankfully, but we should still put some burn cream on it just in case,” Ashido advised as she turned off the tap.

You nodded your head again and followed the pink-haired girl as she went to retrieve the first-aid kit. Before you walked too far from the kitchen, you shouted over your shoulder to your classmates, “Please don’t eat the cookies, boys! They are still hot and are for someone special!”

There was a noticeable delay in response to your warning. After a pregnant pause, there was a muffled, “okamph!” in response. You were about to turn around and make sure that they weren’t eating your treats, but Ashido calling your name changed your plans.

“Let’s fix you up, yeah?” She said as you both entered the girls' bathroom. Ashido gestured for you to sit on the counter while she dug through the first-aid kit for burn cream.

“Thank you, Ashido,” you said a few moments later as she lightly applied the cream to the worst of the reddening. Your skin wasn’t blistering, which was a good sign, but it was beginning to ache.

“No problem,” she replied. She began to gently rub the cream into your skin, mindful of the sore spots. She beamed at you as she said, “And you can just call me Mina. We are friends!”

You smiled at her. “Okay, Mina.” The two of you were silent for a couple of minutes as Mina continued to dress your burns.

“So,” she started, breaking the silence. “Who did you make the cookies for?”

You sharply inhaled. “W-what? What do you mean?” You tried to play it off by playing dumb, but Mina gave you an are you kidding me look.

“Don’t play that game with me, girl.” She scolded you. “So, tell me, who is this ‘special someone’?”

You let out a heavy sigh, dropping your shoulders in defeat. “One of our classmates. . .” You trailed off, turning away from the pinkette, and absentmindedly twirling a strand of hair around your finger.

Mina’s eyes lit up and her eyebrows shot up to her hairline. “Oh my God, seriously?!?” She squealed. You turned to face her again. “Girl, you absolutely gotta tell me! Who is it?!” She went to grab ahold of your hands but stopped herself when she remembered your injury. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” You said. “But, um, I—” You hesitated, searching for the right words, but you couldn’t find them. “I’m sorry, but I can’t.” You said, barely above a whisper, turning away from your classmate once more in embarrassment.

Mina leaned back, taken by surprise by your change of tone. She studied you for a few seconds, her expression falling when she saw the look on your face; the clenching of your jaw.

“It’s okay, girl,” she reassured you. She set the roll of bandages down on the counter as she finished wrapping your hand. “You don’t have to tell me who your crush is if you don’t want to.”

You whipped back around to face her, eyes wide. “C-crush?!” you stammered out. “W-what?! I don’t have a crush! I never said I did.” you explained.

“Yeah, sure,” Mina smirked at you, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “You wouldn’t of baked cookies for them if you didn’t like them.”

“Um, because I’m nice?” you asked with a lilt in your voice. Mina does have a point, though, you thought.

Mina laughed. “Yeah, sure. Let’s go with that.”

A couple of minutes later, you and the pinkette exited the bathroom, laughing over something Mina had said. Your hand had been expertly wrapped and treated with some burn cream. Your injury didn’t even hurt anymore, but you were still going to check in tomorrow with Recovery Girl as a precaution.

As you rounded the corner to go back into the kitchen, you stopped dead in your tracks as your eyes fell to the now-empty pan where twenty cookies sat not even ten minutes ago. Mina stopped next to you, and you could see her giving you a questionable look, but you didn’t—couldn’t—acknowledge her. You just stared blankly at the pan, trying to process what you were seeing.

What the hell? you thought.

“Ah, man,” a voice drawled out. You slowly turned towards the source; Denki Kaminari. He was lounging against the counter as he rubbed his stomach for emphasis. “Those cinnamon kinako cookies were delicious!” Your brain blanked out when you heard that, the organ pathetically trying to comprehend and respond to the current situation.

“You’re telling me!” Kirishima piped up from beside the blond. Sero and Sato voiced their agreement from where they were seated on the couches. “They really hit the spot after the day I had.” The redhead noticed you and Mina. “Hey, guys, welcome back!” he greeted with a wave, a broad smile overtaking his features. “How’s your hand?”

You did not formulate an answer right away, your brain still processing the crumbled remains of your cookies. Your delay didn’t go unnoticed by the others, but before they could question it, Mina came to your rescue.

“It’s okay! Y/N is alright, nothing major.” She informed them. Kirishima’s gaze left you to focus on the pinkette by your side, but Kaminari’s remained transfixed on your blank expression.

“Oh, well, that’s great to hear! I was worried—”

“But you should be ashamed!” Mina cut the redhead off, tone sharp as a blade. “All of you.”

“What—?”

“Mina, why—?”

Kirishima and Kaminari spoke at once, their voices clashing, but the pinkette interrupted them once more.

“Y/N didn’t make those cookies for you.” She said. “She made them for someone special, yet you guys ate them even after she told you not to.” She just about bit the last part out. The boys gaped at Mina, her scolding catching them by surprise.

“Is that true?” Sato asked, rising from the couch to approach you. Everyone fixated their attention on you, waiting for a response.

You hesitated at the sudden limelight, and also in shyness. When you originally set out to bake the kinako cookies for Todoroki, you didn’t expect them to 1.) burn your hand and 2.) for them to be eaten by others. Even though you were upset, you didn’t want the others to be ashamed or scolded. But they did eat them after I told them not to, you thought, pondering your next move.

After a few moments, you squared your shoulders and steadily said, “Yes. I . . . made them for somebody.” At your words, the room’s atmosphere soured. The boys’ shoulders slumped as they realized their mistake.

“Shoot, L/N, I’m sorry,” Kaminari said, stepping forward to gently grab your uninjured hand and bow.

“Yeah,” Kirishima added, scratching the back of his neck and looking away slightly. “That wasn’t really manly of us.”

“Yeah, sorry,” Sero intoned, looking sheepish.

Sato came to stand in front of you next to Kaminari, who still had a gentle hold of your hand. “I’ll be more than happy to remake the cookies for you.” He said. “If you want that, of course.”

You smiled, though it was closed-lipped. “Thank you, Sato, but not today.” He bowed his head.

Suddenly, the front doors slammed open, startling the six of you. You all watched, shell-shacked—you did, at least—as a fuming Bakugou stepped inside, loudly exclaiming, “I had ‘hat dumbass villain handled! Damn Sidekick extra jus’ had to step ‘n and—” He noticed your little group gaping at him. “The hell ‘re ya fools lookin’ at?” As the words left his mouth, the other two members of the infamous U.A. trio entered as well.

“Kacchan,” Izuku Midoriya said, trying to placate the explosive male. “He was just trying to . . .” The rest of his sentence fizzled into the background as the entirety of your attention span landed on Shouto Todoroki.

It had already been well-established that the youngest Todoroki son was even more handsome in person, but seeing him in his Hero costume did things to you. Your mouth almost dropped open to gawk at his god-like appearance, but you clenched your jaw tightly shut to avoid that catastrophe. Despite that, you were pretty positive your eyes were as wide as saucers, greedily taking every inch of him in as if it were the last time you would see him.

I should sue him for the cost of my medical bills when I develop heart palpitations, you thought.

“Shut the hell up, ya stupid nerd.” Bakugou snapped at a sputtering Midoriya, drawing your attention once more. You could practically see the steam coming out of his ears.

“Is he always this angry?” you asked under your breath; half-serious, half-rhetorical.

“Oh, yeah,” Mina confirmed, voice just as low.

Sero snickered from his post next to Sato. “You get used to it after a while,” he reassured you.

One of Kirishima’s blinding smiles makes its appearance once again. “Katsuki’s always been passionate about, well, everything.” He told you, not bothering to lower his voice. “It’s who he is. We love him regardless.”

Sato chimed in with, “Platonically.” The boys snickered and Mina rolled her eyes, yet there was a small smile playing on her lips.

“Even though his sour attitude can be harsh and lowkey over the top,” Kaminari began, eyes shining with mischief. “It sure makes him fun to mess with!” Your companions groaned in exasperation and started to voice their reservations.

“No, Denki. Leave him be—” Mina urged him.

“Awe, come on, man. Don’t—”

“Heyy~ Katsuki,” Kaminari crooned, rocking back on his heels as the pale blond’s attention zeroed in on him. Kirishima and Sato facepalmed. “Why have trouble catching a ‘dumbass villain’?” he teased. “Bad day? Your head not in the game?” The hair on your arms rose to attention as an electric charge swept the room, putting everyone on edge. Kaminari’s baiting also drew the attention of the explosive male’s companions. Your eyes briefly met captivating graphite and turquoise, eliciting a sharp gasp to leave your lungs.

“You’re gonna regret the day you were born, dumbass!” Bakugou bellowed, pointing an accusatory finger at the electric blond, snapping your attention from the hypnotizing gaze. You fully expected him to charge the male, already taking a cautionary step back, but instead of explosions ripping apart the building, Bakugou grunted and moved towards the showers.

Mina turned to the blond and shouted, “Now why did you do that, Denki? You know better than to rile Katsuki up like that!”

Kirishima dragged a large hand down his face before running it through his unruly red locks. “I’ll go check on him,” he announced before jogging after the sandy-blond. You were at a loss for words as you continued to watch your classmates scold a shit-grinning Kaminari, not even the tiniest bit remorseful for his teasing of Bakugou.

“Please don’t take Kacchan’s rashness to heart.” A new voice piped up. You turned to meet the electric green gaze of none other than Izuku Midoriya, the new generation’s proclaimed Symbol of Peace. “I’m s-sorry, I don’t think we have properly met. I’ve been in and out of campus lately—with missions and such.” He practically skipped over to stand in front of you. He smiled brightly as he gently took your hands in his large, calloused ones. “I’m Izuku Midoriya. I’m so happy you are here at U.A.!” he excitedly exclaimed, lightly squeezing your entwined hands. You couldn’t hide your wince and small gasp of pain as Midoriya unknowingly squeezed your burns. The green-haired male let go of your hands so fast as if he was the one burned instead of you, eyes growing wide. “Oh my gosh, are you okay?!” he asked, noticing the bandages wrapped tightly around your hand. Midoriya’s frenzy caught the other's attention, and all eyes were on you yet again.

The tips of your ears grew hot at the unwavering attention from the Heroes-in-training—especially from a certain icy-hot male who made your heart falter in its beating. “Y-yeah, I’m f-fine.” You stuttered as you met each of your classmate's gazes, trying to reassure them of your stability.

“What happened?” Todoroki inquired, eyes hawkishly zeroed in on your face.

“U-um, well . . .” you trailed off, words fading from your brain as you slightly cowered under his unwavering attention. “I—”

“She burned herself while baking kinako cookies,” Sero spoke for you, having caught onto your growing anxiousness. You didn’t miss Todoroki’s eyes narrowing at the black-haired male’s words. Sato and Kaminari made noises of agreement, the blond absentmindedly rubbing his stomach in content.

Midoriya’s eyes shined. “Really? You did?!” He looked behind you to the kitchen, eyes searching for the aforementioned treats. “Where are they?” he asked when he didn’t spot any, only a plate littered with crumbs. He turned his attention back to you. You opened your mouth to answer, but a wave of shame overcame you as your eyes once again met those of the one you had made the cookies for.

Mina noticed your hesitation, giving you a knowing look as she answered for you. “The three idiots to your left ate them all,” she said with a little bite to her words, glaring daggers at the culprits. “After they were specifically told not to.” She reaffirmed. The boys shuddered at the reminder of their disobedience. The pinkette turned her attention back to the green-haired and dual-haired males. “I patched her up, though. The burns are minor.”

Midoriya nodded his head in understanding. “You should still see Recovery Girl,” he instructed, unashamedly expressing his concern for someone he had just properly met. “At least let her take a look at it.”

“I’m going to stop by to see her in the morning,” you reassured him, words coming back now that your mind was a little clear. His shoulders slumped in relief.

“You should rest, Y/N.” Todoroki’s searing gaze trailed over your form, calculating eyes searching for any additional outward signs of injury or discomfort. “After suffering an injury, no matter how insignificant, rest is important.” He softly chided.

“R-right.” You stammered out, at a loss for how else to respond to your handsome classmate's concern other than compliance. A wave of exhaustion washed over you at that moment. Your feet stumbled as you became lightheaded for a split second. You noticed the dual-haired male take a step towards you, catching onto your sudden exhaustion, but you quickly rightened yourself. “Thank you, Todoroki.” You’re not exactly sure why you thanked him, or what for. His concern, perhaps? He subtly nodded as you turned from the small group, breathlessly mumbling some sort of farewell and something about retiring to your room for the rest of the day.

The others muttered their goodbyes as you made your way to the stairwell.

As you walked up the stairs, head hung low, your throat began to burn and your vision began to blur with tears. The first one fell when you reached your floor, quickly followed by a couple more. You wiped them away, sniffing, as you made your way to your door. You didn’t react to the sudden presence next to you and the weight draped around your shoulders.

Mina didn’t say anything, only traced comforting circles into your back as tears flowed freely down your cheeks.

The next day, you and your classmates were gathered outside Gym Gamma for an impromptu training session. You were surprised that Class 3-A still regularly trained together, but in your defense, that assumption came from someone who didn’t have many options when it came to sparing partners up until your transfer—a major shortcoming in retrospect.

“Today we are working on ‘last stand’ combat.” Mr. Aizawa drawled in his natural I Don’t Give A Fuck tone. “Close-quarter combat in which a violent assailant has obtained the upper hand and corners you in an attempt to defeat you.” He proceeded to explain the instructions of the training exercise and pair the students into groups of four who would take turns being the Heroes and the assailants.

“Midoriya will be with Jirou.” Mr. Aizawa intoned, briefly glancing at the two students to confirm they heard. “Todoroki will be with L/N.” Your muscles stiffened when you heard that. Your heart began to race as you watched the red-and-white-haired male make his way over to you.

“H-hi,” you greeted him, giving a soft smile.

“Hello,” he said, politely inclining his head. “I look forward to working with you.”

“Same here.” You said before facing forward once more as the first group began their round. You and Todoroki observed the match in silence, with you paying extra attention to your classmates’ movements and taking mental notes of how they incorporated their Quirks into hand-to-hand combat.

The sound of approaching footsteps drew your attention. Expecting the new additions to be Ochako and Asui, you turned to greet them with a warm smile but paused when instead of your friends, Midoriya and Kyoka Jirou were standing next to you, both with warm expressions on their faces.

“Hi!” Midoriya greeted with a wide smile and a small wave. “I’m excited for this training exercise! It’s going to be so cool to see everyone’s improvement with hand-to-hand combat over the break! And any new moves! Or Quirk Awakenings! Or—” You had a hard time keeping up with what he was saying as it turned into a stuttering rant as he went on about each individual’s Quirk.

The rumors were true regarding his ramblings, you mused to yourself, wondering how long he could go on for before a small hand on his shoulder made him take pause.

“Midoriya,” Jirou intoned. “Calm down.” His cheeks flushed a bright red. He began laughing nervously while absentmindedly rubbing the back of his neck.

“S-sorry,” he said, shyfully.

“It’s okay,” you reassured him. “I agree with your stance, though. Observing others' skills is an effective way to improve your own. Get an idea or two.” You turned your attention back to the ongoing training, taking mental notes of your classmates’ fighting stances and their defensive moves, trying to get a better understanding of the why behind them. You pulled a small item from your jacket pocket, absentmindedly rubbing it between your thumb and forefinger. The movement caught Midoriya’s attention.

“What is that?” he asked, green eyes alight with curiosity.

“What? This?” You held up your good luck charm; a small, pink parrot keychain from a popular cartoon series you had won years ago at one of your hometown’s summer festivals. It was lucky because at the moment, while little you were trying to win, your Quirk had manifested. “It’s my good luck charm,” you explained the pink parrot’s value to you.

“Oh, cool!” Midoriya exclaimed. “You know, I used to have a good luck charm—it was my super rare exclusive All Might trading card! First edition!” His eyes shined as he reminisced. “I would bring it with me everywhere! Even Kacchan—”

“Deku,” drawled a low voice from the other side of your gathered class. The temperature fell as Bakugou’s vermillion eyes narrowed onto Midoriya. “Don’t say another word.”

“He’s such a fanboy.” Jirou chuckled, fondness seeping into her voice. Midoriya smiled sheepishly, not bothering even to try to deny the label. You spent the time until your group’s turn getting to know the two, quickly finding out that you and Jirou share the same taste in music; vowing to swap playlists after class. You were so caught up in your conversation that you almost forgot about Todoroki's presence, if not for the awareness of a body next to you. His chilled warmth seeped into your muscles, causing you to relax one moment, and tense up another.

“Are you all right?” he softly inquired, spying your tensed posture.

“Yeah, I’m good.” You replied, softly smiling but it didn’t reach your eyes. “Just a lil’ nervous, is all.”

Todoroki frowned slightly, not understanding how you could be experiencing anxiousness. “Wh—?”

“Oh yeah!” Midoriya suddenly interjected. “This is going to be your first time demonstrating your Quirk, huh?” he asked you. “Or at least this is gonna be the first time I will see it. What is it again? Object—no—um, yeah, anyway I bet it is awesome!” His eyes still shined with his enthusiasm and curiosity. “Sometime you gotta let me ask you about it! I have so many! Does it work like Ochako’s Zero Gravity? Or Yaoyorozu’s Creation?”

You couldn’t help but give a small laugh at his eagerness. You had never met someone as enthusiastic about Quirks as Izuku Midoriya. It was kind of refreshing to interact with someone as passionate as he was.

“Kind of,” you began, silently pondering over what you know of the brunette’s Quirk and comparing it to your own. “Ochako and I have the same limitations when it comes to the weight of an object, but besides that, our Quirks are different.” Your Quirk was object manipulation; you could telepathically manipulate objects within a certain range. To you, your Quirk wasn’t all that—wasn’t anything unique by any means—but to others, you were seen as a powerful goddess. “To be honest, I’m lacking in hand-to-hand combat skills.” You sheepishly smiled.

“Really?” Midoriya asked, blinking in shock. “I thought your previous school would have prepared you for all types of situations.” Jirou nodded her agreement with the green-haired male. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Shouto continue to observe you with a calculating expression on his face.

“Unfortunately, no.” You shrugged. “Their curriculum was more focused on improving the individual’s Quirk than learning how to fight without it.”

“Oh, wow,” Jirou said. “That could put you at a great disadvantage down the line.”

You nodded. “Yeah, I know. That’s why—” You were cut off by Mr. Aizawa calling for your group to begin your training round. “Welp, this is it, I guess.” You chuckled nervously.

Midoriya gave you a reassuring smile. “You’ll do great!” he said, giving you a thumbs-up accompanied by a warm smile.

“Do your best,” Jirou added before moving towards the training pitch.

You started to follow, but a cool hand on your shoulder made you pause, shivering softly. You turned to find Todoroki giving you an expectant look. “You’ll do fine,” he said, confidently. He looked as if he put his entire faith in you. “I’ll be by your side the entire time.”

You felt a surge of confidence fill you at his words. You gave him a determined look. “Right,” you said. “We got this.”

You swear up and down his eyes twinkled when he looked at you, but it could have been a trick of the light. “You got this.” He replied, softly. The two of you walked into the pitch together, side by side.

The training went . . . not terrible, but it could have been better on your end.

Todoroki, Midoriya, and Jirou were amazing. Even without using their Quirks, they each were a force to be reckoned with. You were captivated by how swiftly they moved—as if they were ballerinas performing Danse des Petits Cygnes.

You weren’t on the same level as them and the rest of Class 3-A. You knew that, and you acknowledged it, but to see and be confronted by it so bluntly in person made you feel a whole other level of embarrassment and shame. You weren’t weak by any means, you could hold your own in a fight for some time, but not like your classmates could—and had.

Perhaps that is what separates you from your classmates. They have battle experience. Hell, they fought in a fucking war for crying out loud while you were on the other side of the country, guarding civilian shelters. You were fortunate not to see much bloodshed, but maybe that brought you to a disadvantage against these future Heroes surrounding you.

The horn had sounded as Jirou pinned you in the dirt for the sixth time, signaling the end of the round. You heard the sounds of Midoriya and Todoroki’s scuffling come to a halt from somewhere off to your left as Jirou lifted herself off of you. She offered you a hand as you began to rise from the ground. You accepted her extended hand with a grimace as the muscles in your back burned.

“Nice work.” Mr. Aizawa said as the four of you approached. “You performed adequately,” he addressed Jirou, Todoroki, and Midoriya. He turned to you. “You, not so much.”

You flinched as the words landed home. Damn, you thought, but he’s not wrong. You had naively allowed yourself to believe that Eraserhead wouldn’t call out your inferiority, at least in front of others. Then again, he was Eraserhead—infamous for his bluntness and apathy.

“Your skills are greatly lacking in hand-to-hand combat,” he continued. “I haven’t seen somebody so physically inadequate since your classmates were first years. Coming from another Hero Course, especially one with its reputation, it’s to be expected that you’re not up to par with your new classmates, but I didn’t think it would be this bad.” As he spoke, he never broke eye contact with you, scrutinizing you. Even with one eye, his unrelenting gaze made you feel as if he could see every minuscule detail about you. “Based on the performance I saw today, it was a mistake to put you in this class.”

You heard a gasp from one of your classmates; its owner unknown. You gulped down your shame and remained silent. You had a feeling Aizawa wasn’t finished with you.

“From here on out, I expect you to train harder and push yourself further than anyone else. Extra training, extra classes—anything that will make you catch up.” His eye narrowed. “If I do not see substantial improvement in one month, you will be expelled. No exceptions.”

Your eyes widened, but your shock did not stop you from replying. “Yes, sir.” You said, keeping your tone neutral as you mulled over his words. Although extreme, I understand the reason for Mr. Aizawa’s methods, you thought. He’s right though. I’m far from even scrapping the level these guys are on. I need to be more disciplined and work even harder if I want to stand on equal ground with my classmates. Resolve made, you promised, “I will go Plus Ultra!”

“Yaass, Y/N!” Mina cheered. “Woohoo!”

Aizawa didn’t say anything else to you, promptly dismissing the class. Midoriya praised your performance and commented on his wish to sit down and talk in-depth with you regarding your Quirk. You promptly accepted his request, telling him you would let him know when you were free. He smiled before walking off to join Iida and Ochako.

“If it means anything,” a voice suddenly intoned from behind you. You spun around, having not sensed the person's approach. You weren’t all that surprised to find Todoroki there, softly regarding you. “I think you did well.”

You scoffed but smiled softly. “Thank you, but you don’t have to patronize me. I have a lot of work to do if I want to catch up.”

“You will,” he declared, before quickly clarifying, “Catch up. Especially with my help.”

You furrowed your brows. “Excuse me?”

“Should I repeat myself?” he inquired, his heterochromatic eyes swimming in mirth. “I will assist you in your training and classes.”

You didn’t respond right away, regarding him with suspicion. You waited for him to name a condition for his help, but when he offered none, you relaxed. “Thank you, Todoroki.” You inclined your head. “I greatly appreciate it.”

“Shouto,” he corrected.

You blinked at him, taken aback. “What?”

“Shouto,” he reiterated. “You may call me Shouto. We are friends, are we not?”

You gaped at him for a moment, processing his words. “Ye-yeah!” you said a little too loudly. “We are friends, Shouto.”

The small smile that graced his lips lit up your entire world and caused your heart to speed up, pounding almost painfully against your ribcage. “Meet me here tomorrow after class.” He instructed.

“Tomorrow.” You repeated in confirmation.

His smile grew a little wider. “See you then, Y/N.” He said before turning on his heel and strolling away. You watched him go in a daze, in disbelief of what just occurred.

“Oooooooo, Y/N’s gotta date!”

You shrieked at the sudden voice and spun around for a second time to find Mina standing there, hunched over laughing at your reaction.

“Mina!” you shrieked, placing a hand over your heart. “You scared the shit outta me!”

She continued to laugh. “Sorry,” she said once her laughter died down. “You were so entranced with Todoroki that you didn’t even realize I was here!”

“Oh, yeah right.” You responded, playfully rolling your eyes. The two of you began to walk to the dorm. “I wasn’t entranced with him.”

The pinkette gave you a look of disbelief, an eyebrow raised. “Yeah, sure,” she retorted. “You can lie to yourself all you want, but you ain’t lying to me.”

You scoffed but didn’t attempt to refute her claims. You put your hands in your pockets and looked to the ground, lost in thought. Mina didn’t say anything else, allowing you both to walk in silence.

The next afternoon, you met Shouto at the training grounds outside Gym Gamma for your first tutored training session. He regarded you kindly as you slowly approached, suddenly feeling quite bashful.

“Thank you for offering to do this, Shouto.” You said when you arrived. “It really means a lot. I don’t know how I’m going to repay you.”

“There’s no need for repayment.” He softly responded. “I volunteered to assist you. Therefore, no repayment of any sort is necessary.”

“Are you sure?” you asked. “I don’t want to inconvenience you—”

His soft call of your name made your next words die in your throat. “I assure you, this is fine.” He said. “Your company and attention are substantial enough.” You felt your face warm at his admission. Shouto gestured towards the training pit. “Shall we begin?”

He started by teaching you some stretches that are supposed to help decrease sudden muscle spasms and strengthen them. Afterward, he had you show him the little knowledge you had of hand-to-hand combat to gain an idea of where you stand in regard to U.A. training. Once you had demonstrated the few kicks and different styles of punching you knew, you turned to judge Shouto’s impression.

Your breath caught at what you saw.

His handsome features remained stoically blank for the most part, but the pursing of his lips and slight furrowing of his brows spoke a different tale. He grumbled something under his breath that sounded a lot like they didn’t prepare you at all, but you weren’t one hundred percent sure.

“Shouto?” you inquired, voice slightly uneven as your mouth formed the syllables of his name. “Is everything alright?”

His beautiful eyes snapped to yours, and once again you were frozen by the intensity with which he looked at you. His gaze was calculating, and you could just about see the cogs turning in his brain as he silently regarded you. A couple long moments later, his lips parted on an exhale and he finally addressed you.

“We have a lot of work to do.” He declared. “But we already knew that.” You slowly nodded your head, curious as to where he would be going with this conversation. “Thankfully, you’re not completely helpless,” he intoned dryly. “Even though you don’t have many skills regarding physical, non-Quirk combat, I have identified several places where we can start, correct, and then build on.”

You steadied yourself, resolve firmer than ever before. You declared, “I’m ready.”

Shouto gave a quick, but detailed, overview of his plans for your ‘training tutoring’, you referred to your sessions as. He was going to teach you everything he thought you should know—which was everything he knew—in order to successfully become a Hero people could rely on.

The two of you began by improving your physique. You joined him on his early morning run along with Midoriya and Bakugou, who welcomed you with contrasting fervor. When you met for your afternoon training, you would run five kilometers before learning various grades of combat moves, and then concluding your time together by sparring.

It was established early on that neither of you would use your Quirks during your tutoring as the two of you were well-adapted to your respective Quirks—and the strict rules regarding their usage.

For the next several weeks, you worked tirelessly on your training, and your dedication and hard work paid off. At your end-of-the-month assessment, Aizawa was pleased by your rapid and exceptional improvement and announced you could stay at U.A. He also informed you that it was never his intention to expel you in the first place, but nevertheless, he was impressed by your efforts.

You and Shouto continued to grow closer as time went by. You still had your training tutoring sessions in the afternoons, and you became a regular on his early morning runs. You even hung out outside of class and training; preparing pre-workout meals and drinks together, and various study sessions at all hours of the day and night. Once, you even packed him a small canister of his favorite brand of soba noodles for lunch one of the weekends he was interning at his father’s Agency. When he came back to the dorm after his shift, he made a beeline for you and promptly informed you that from then on out, you would be solely responsible for packing his lunches.

“Now why would I do that?” you implored. You crossed your arms, awaiting his response. “Are you gonna pay me?”

Shouto slowly blinked at you in the way a cat would. “Why would I compensate you for an action you chose to do?”

You had no retort for that.

As you spent more time together, you noticed some changes. Shouto would stare at you for seemingly no reason, and whenever you called him out on it, he feigned innocence. He also sought you out more often, insisting on walking to your next class or to and from the dorm by your side. He even began to occupy you on your shopping runs, dutifully holding your bags for you. And whenever you would thank or compliment him, his whole demeanor would light up as if Aphrodite herself had shown favor towards him.

You weren’t any better, though.

If Shouto would do so much as even blink in your general direction, your heart would soar and butterflies would take flight in your stomach. At first, you brushed it off as nerves for being the subject of the Shouto Todoroki’s attention, but you were in denial, not wanting to admit what was actually occurring. Looking back, you realized that deep down, you had known all along what was happening, but at the time, you weren’t ready to admit it—to yourself and him.

Regardless of your rebuttals and lack of admission, you were falling for your dual-haired classmate, hard and fast, and there wasn’t anything you could do about it.

3 months later . . .

“Y/N! It’s starting! You’re gonna miss it!” Ochako shouted from the couches, the other girls of Class 3-A surrounding her, all dressed in comfortable loungewear. It was the class's annual Girl’s Movie Night, which was held every couple of months. Tooru told you earlier that week that they would like to have it more often, like once a month, but given their hectic and ever-changing schedules, the girls had to settle for every few months. They took turns who got to pick out the movie. It was Mina’s turn this time. True to her nature, she selected an early 2000s chick flick set in the States.

“Hold on, wait for me!” you hollered back as you finished pouring the freshly popped popcorn into a large bowl, a few kernels spilling out as you whirled on your heels to sprint into the living area. You nearly tripped over Jirou’s legs as you practically threw yourself towards the last remaining free spot on the couch.

“Ah, sorry!” you exclaimed as you settled yourself into the cushions, checking over Jirou and your popcorn bowl. “Did I miss anything?”

“No, it’s just starting,” Momo said, taking a sip from her cup of tea as the opening credits began to roll.

“Ooh, this is one of my all-time favorite movies!” Mina squealed next to you. “Have you ever seen it before?” she asked.

You hummed, acknowledging her question. You thought hard, trying to recall if you’ve ever seen the characters on the screen before. “I’m not sure,” you said. “I don’t think so.”

The pinkette gasped aloud and theatrically placed a hand on her chest, sprawling backward. “Y/N! You wound me!”

Across the room, Tooru piped up from her spot next to Asui. “How could you not have?! It’s only one of the greatest movies ever made!”

“Oh, I’m not so sure about that,” Ochako interjected. “Gonna have to disagree.” You expected them to start arguing back and forth over what is truly the greatest movie ever made, like your friends back home would have done, but they don’t. Mina stuck her tongue out at Ochako before turning back to the movie.

You all watched the movie in relative silence, save for the light background noise of popcorn moving around in a bowl and slurping from a now-empty straw. It was nice, peaceful; a well-deserved and appreciated respite from the grinding hustle of being Pro-Heroes-in-training.

“Just confess already!” Jirou shouted at the screen as the main character allowed another opportunity for them to confess their feelings for their classmate slip through their fingers. “Gosh!” A corner of your mouth curled at her irritation. A few grumbles of agreement sounded from the others as the movie continued playing.

You had to stifle your laughter as the main characters continued to pine after one another, completely oblivious to the other’s growing feelings. I can’t believe there are actually people in the world who are like them, you silently mused. It’s so obvious they like each other. I can’t believe they don’t see it.

“Ugh, the anticipation and pining is killing me!” Tooru cried out, her slippers moving frantically in the air as she kicked her legs.

Asui raised a brow. “I thought you’ve seen this movie before?”

“Well, yeah, I have,” the invisible female said. “But the suspense still gets to me!”

“It is quite intense.” Ochako agreed. “I hope they confess soon. It hurts to see them think the other doesn’t return their feelings.”

“I don’t understand how they cannot.” You admitted, shrugging your shoulders. The girls turned to look at you as you continued, “I mean, they’re so obvious.”

“Yeah, it’s kinda annoying at this point,” Jirou mumbled.

Mina snickered. “Y/N, as if you’re one to talk.”

You gave her a questioning look, eyebrows furrowing. “What do you mean by that?”

“Oh, come on. You’re so obvious, too, with your crush—”

You cut her off, “I do not have a crush.”

“You have a crush?” Asui asked. You and Mina responded at the same time.

“No, I don’t.”

“Yes, she does.”

“What is this about?” Momo inquired, reaching for the remote and pausing the movie.

“Nothi—” you began but was swiftly interrupted by the pinkette next to you.

“Y/N has a crush on Todoroki!”

The girls gasped and gapped at you, eyes wide.

“I do not!” You said, face burning as you tried to mitigate the situation. “We’re not like that!”

“Oh my.” You thought you heard Momo say under her breath, but you couldn’t really hear since Tooru started shrieking with glee.

“You guys would be the cutest couple!” she exclaimed, jumping up from her spot on the couch and racing over to pull you into a tight embrace.

“I mean, it does make sense given they spend so much time together.” Ochako mused, a finger on her chin as she considered the situation.

Asui jumped on the bandwagon with, “Oh they are definitely into each other.”

“One hundred percent,” Mina agreed.

“Girl, you gotta spill the tea!” Tooru exclaimed as she pulled away. “Tell us everything!” The others voiced their agreement.

“I do admit, I am curious as to how this relationship came to be,” Momo vocalized, setting her tea cup down onto its saucer. “That is if the two of you have gotten that far into your companionship.”

You blinked at the midnight-black-haired woman, shock clouding your brain for a moment as you processed her words. “Um, n-no. We aren’t in any type of r-romantic relationship.” You clarified, but immediately you could tell certain people thought your answer was complete horse poop. “We aren’t!”

“Regardless, you guys are pretty close,” Ochako interjected. “I’ve seen the way you look at him.”

Jirou nodded in agreement. “And all the extra training you do together.”

“The early morning runs,” Asui added.

“Okay, okay,” you threw your hands up in a placating manner. “I understand what you guys are trying to get at, but you’re wrong.”

Mina came to stand beside you, giving you a knowing look. “Girl, Y/N,” she began. “You can try with all your might to deny it, but it’s obvious what is really going on between you and Shouto.” She placed a delicate hand on your shoulder. “And I know you know it, too.”

You stared at the pinkette, pondering her and the other’s words. You wanted to continue denying what they were saying, but you were getting tired of denying your feelings to yourself. You slumped your shoulders, the tension leaving your body as you resolved to come clean with the truth—to yourself and your friends, besides a certain dual-haired male. “Alright, fine.” You let out a heavy sigh, mentally preparing yourself for their reaction to your next statement. “I like him a little.” You confessed, looking at the floor, too afraid to meet any of their gazes.

The room was dead silent for two breaths before Mina erupted in choking laughter. “’A little’? Yeah RIGHT!” She laughed so hard that tears began to stream down her pink cheeks. After she managed to calm down a bit, she turned to face you fully, laying a hand on your knee. “Girl, you’re lying to yourself.” She told you, tone light yet serious. “We have all seen the way you look at Shouto—” the others nod in confirmation. “—and your eyes tell it all.”

You flinched as embarrassment flooded you. “Is it really that obvious?” you asked. You turned to the others to gauge their reactions. “Am I?” They all nodded.

“Definitely.”

“For sure.”

“We could see it from a mile away.”

You gasped. “Oh my,” you covered your face with your hands. “Do you think Shouto knows?”

“I doubt so,” Momo said. “Shouto is quite intelligent and a formidable force to be reckoned with, but as I’m sure you’re aware, his experience and understanding of social concepts and cues are fairly limited.”

“In other words,” Jirou interjected. “He’s none the wiser.”

You released a sigh of relief. At least he doesn’t think I’m a psycho stalker or something.

“Hey, give him some credit, guys,” Ochako remarked. “Todoroki’s more aware than he’s given credit for.”

“Moving on,” Mina said. “Have you thought about confessing your feelings to him?”

You crossed your arms over your chest, shamefully looking away. “No. . .”

“What?!”

“Really?!” Tooru shouted. “But he’s so hot!” The sleeves of her shirt crossed in front of her. “I would do anything to be his girlfriend.”

You laughed. “While you are correct about his handsomeness, I don’t even know where I would begin or how I would confess.”

“Your feelings are valid, Y/N,” Asui assured you. “Confessing one’s feelings for another is a life-changing occurrence.”

“You gotta do it before graduation in a couple months, though,” Ochako added. “If not, then you may never get another chance to do so.”

“Why do you say that?” you asked. “As Pros, wouldn’t we work together often? Why does it need to be before we graduate and turn Pro?”

“Possibly, but with our chosen line of work, there is always a possibility. . .” she trailed off with a grimace.

You understood immediately. “Oh.”

“Although rare in the line of duty, it does happen.” Momo said. “I wouldn’t worry about that though, but I agree with Ochako.”

“Plus,” Mina began, mischief glowing in her eyes. “If the two of you get together before you make your Pro Hero debut to the world, you wouldn’t have to worry about him falling in love with some random civilian he rescues on the street or another Pro.”

You nodded. “You have a point.”

“Either way, I think it will all work out in the end,” Ochako said, her cheeks widening with her smile. “I think perhaps Shouto returns your feelings, and just simply doesn’t know what to do about them or how to address them, therefore you should tell him.” The other girls voiced their agreement.

“Yeah, it doesn’t have to be some big romantic gesture or anything,” Jirou said.

“Just be honest with him, Y/N,” Asui said.

“Yeah, girl,” Mina added, giving you a warm smile when you met her gaze. “You got this. Besides, he can’t reject you. You’re too hot for that.”

You squared your shoulders as a burst of confidence filled you thanks to the encouragement you received from your friends. “Okay, I will!” you loudly announced. “I will confess my feelings to him!”

The others cheered as you all held up your lemon water in a faux toast. In your happiness, none of you noticed the shadows shift in the stairwell and the soft noise of retreating footsteps on the wood.

You were screwed.

“How am I gonna tell him!?” you mewled aloud a couple of days later in the cafeteria. You dramatically slumped your forehead on the tabletop, mentally kicking yourself for allowing the girls to convince you that confessing your crush would be an easy endeavor. You felt a reassuring pat on your shoulder. Groaning, you lifted your head from the table to shoot puppy eyes at Ochako. “Ochako, help me!” you cried. “How do I confess?”

The brunette gave you a sheepish smile. “I don’t know, Y/N.” She professed, her eyes apologetic. “Proclaiming one's love for another isn’t really my strong suit.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Asui mumbled under her breath before taking a sip of her drink, receiving a glare in response.

“Y/N, sweetie,” Mina cooed from your other side. “I think you’re overthinking it a little. It shouldn’t be but so hard. Just be honest with him!”

“But that is hard!” you said, waving your hands in the air. “I can’t just walk up to him and say, ‘hey, Shouto, I think you’re really hot and amazing. Wanna go out with me?’”

“Sure you can,” Momo intoned, trying to reassure you. “Maybe not in those exact words, but when the time comes, you will know what to say.”

“I hope so,” you sighed, slumping your shoulders. “I hope so.”

As time passed, you found that you did not, in fact, know what to say when the time came to confess your feelings to Shouto Todoroki. Whenever you were near him, you became tongue-tied and could barely speak without becoming a stuttering mess. During each interaction, Shouto would give you a long, confused look, his eyebrows drawn downwards as he watched you struggle for words. He wouldn’t comment on it, bless him, but he must’ve thought you to be a total weirdo.

Yet, he still accompanied you on the walk back to the dorm every day after classes ended, and he insisted on continuing your training sessions every weekend after he finished his shift at Endeavor’s Agency. The two of you grew closer, to your absolute delight, and yet you still hadn’t managed to work up the courage to confess your feelings to him.

Until one day . . .

You were sitting in homeroom during free period, chatting with Midoriya about the latest episode of the rebooted All Might: The Mightiest Man TV series.

“I’m telling you, Midoriya,” you said. “It doesn’t matter how much the animation and special effects have improved, the original will always be better than the reboot.” You crossed your arms and lounged back in your chair, waiting for the forest green-haired male to start sputtering his counterargument. “You can’t change my mind. I will die on this hill.”

“Are you seriously sayin—?”

A call of your name from a familiar tenor drew your attention. You turned towards the source to meet a pair of heterochromatic eyes. Shouto was making his way to your desk, coming to a stop right in front of you. You had to tilt your head back in order to maintain eye contact. After a moment, he turned his attention to Midoriya next to you. “Pardon me, Midoriya, but I need to speak to Y/N in private.”

You and Midoriya gaped at the dual-haired male for a good twenty seconds before you slowly rose from your seat. “O-okay.” You turned to face your green-haired companion. You hoped your eyes were conveying your inner panic as you said, “Midoriya, I’ll be back.”

All he could do was nod as he watched you follow behind Shouto, wondering why you looked so panicked to go with the male. Maybe you were constipated.

As Shouto led you toward the classroom door, Ochako and Mina shot you curious glances. When you met their gazes, they gave you a reassuring smile and a thumbs up, respectfully.

“Good luck, girl!” Mina whisper-shouted.

“You got this, Y/N,” Ochako said. You tried to match her comforting smile with your own, but it didn’t reach your eyes.

You followed behind the dual-haired male, silently wondering what was going on. Once you were outside the classroom, he led you down the hallway to a little corner nook bathed in the golden light of the afternoon.

“Shouto, is everything okay?” you asked, anxiously shifting from one foot to the other. “Is something wrong?” At your inquiry, he finally came to a stop in front of a set of windows and turned to face you.

“Yes, everything is fine.” He reassured you. “I have something I’d like to discuss with you.”

You blinked. “Okay,” you said. “Shoot.”

Shouto likewise paused at your usage of unfamiliar slang but didn’t comment on it. “Um,” he started, but drifted off, not finishing the thought. He opened his mouth only to shut it again after a moment or two without making a sound. You furrowed your brows as you continued to watch him struggle for words.

“Um, Sho?” you prodded. He didn’t respond, however, still thinking over his next words. Shouto never hesitates, you thought with a mixture of wonderment and anxiety. Is something bothering him? you thought with growing concern. You felt your heart come to a skittering stop as another horrifying conclusion came to mind; am I the problem?

“I overheard you and the other girls’ conversation on Movie Night,” he confessed at last, interrupting your spiraling train of thought. He bashfully looked away as if he was ashamed.

“Oh, okay?” you responded, absentmindedly going through the events of the night in question. Your heartbeat began to calm down to a normal rate. “What conversation?” You couldn’t think of anything in particular and were about to ask him to elaborate before the realization hit you like a freight train.

“I like him a little.”

“Okay, I will! I will confess my feelings to him!”

“Yeah, girl, you got this. Besides, he can’t reject you. You’re too hot for that.”

Oooohhhhh.

Fuck.

Maybe he didn’t hear that particular part of the conversation! You tried to reassure yourself as you waited for Shouto to answer your question. Your heart rate picked back up as panic began to settle in. We were there for several hours. There is so much he could’ve—

“You have an admiration going on.” You hate to admit you gawked at him for a couple of seconds before his formal wording translated into modern speech. You have a crush.

FUCK!

“Oh my God, I am so sorry!” you rushed out, trying to save face and whatever friendship you had with Shouto. You felt your cheeks burn. “Please, just forget you ever heard that!”

Shouto snapped his head to you as your words registered in his brain. “Why would I do that?” he asked after a moment. “We live in the same building with shared living space, barely anything is not overheard by another.”

Oh God, how much did he overhear?

“Besides,” he continued. “At our age, it is completely natural for one to harbor feelings for another.”

You blinked at him as his words registered, your cheeks now tingling due to the burn. Gosh, he sounds like a grandpa giving the birds and the bees talk.

“It—it’s j-just,” you stammered. “I-I-I—” You let out a harsh breath in frustration when your words continued to fail you. Shouto raised a brow before his eyes narrowed. Your heart sank when you saw that.

Oh great, he’s annoyed!

“Are you all right?” he asked before moving so he was right in front of you. You squeaked at the sudden warmth of his body heat as he placed a hand on your forehead. “Do you feel ill? You feel warm, and your face looks to be flushed with some perspiration gathering on your forehead.” His eyes frantically looked you up and down as he examined you for any further signs of sickness. “I should get you to Recovery Girl.”

“N-no!” you exclaimed when he went to sweep you off your feet. “Sh-Shouto, I—I’m fine, really. I’m n-not s-sick.”

“Oh?” Shouto blinked in confusion and, adorably, subtly tilted his head to the side. “Then why are you so febrile? And you are stuttering?”

“It’s not because I am sick. I’m just em-embarrassed.” You whispered the last part, and you couldn’t help but look away from Shouto in shame.

“Embarrassed? Why are you embarrassed, Y/N?” You shut your mouth, refusing to speak. Shouto sensed your hesitation. The light slowly left his heterochromatic eyes and he bashfully looked away from you. “Is . . . is it because you don’t want to be seen with me?” he asked. “For fear that your crush will see us together and not return your affection?”

You let out a gasp in surprise. “What? No!” You are quick to reassure him—your actual crush—of your intentions. “That’s not it at all!”

Shouto met your gaze again. His eyes lit up with what looked like . . . anticipation? Hope? You weren’t sure, but your heart began to race in trepidation. “Then what is it?”

“I like you,” you blurted out. You shut your eyes and covered your face with your hands, trying to hide from your drowning embarrassment. “Like, not even a little bit, but, like, really, really like you.” You whispered from behind your hands.

There was no immediate response from the dual-haired male. You didn’t dare to remove your hands from your face to check if he was still standing in front of you.

He probably didn’t hear me. You internally slapped yourself upside the head.

Before you could react, Shouto was carefully removing your hands from your face. His touch was gentle, like he was afraid you would crack and break under his fingertips. “Why are you hiding from me?” he whispered. Your breath caught in your throat as you stared wide-eyed at him.

“I—I.” Despite your efforts, words weren’t able to come out of your mouth.

“You should never feel like you need to hide,” he continued. He let out an airy tsk before he reached his hand up and gently tucked a piece of stray hair behind your ear. You felt your face heat up even more at the action. “Especially from me.”

What.

“W-what?” you voiced aloud. You blinked a couple times, trying to bring your brain back from the brink of short-circuiting.

Shouto chuckled lowly, moving impossibly closer into your space. “I think you need to get your hearing checked out, love.”

You blinked some more. “What?”

“Have I broken you?” he asked, the corner of his perfect lips turning up at the thought. “First you forget your words, and now you have lost your hearing. . .” he trailed off as he continued to stare intently into your eyes.

What is he playing at. . .? you wondered as you blankly stared at him.

The two of you stood there and took each other in for quite a while. In reality, it mustn’t have been for very long—at most a minute and a half—but to you, it felt like hours. You were so close you could see the light reflecting in his heterochromatic eyes and the small streaks of gray in the turquoise-colored one.

“I . . . like you, too,” Shouto suddenly confessed, violently snapping you out of the daze his proximity causes. “I have harbored feelings for you for some time now.”

WHAT!?

“You . . . do?” you asked, skeptical. You were hesitant to believe his words in fear that this whole thing was some sick prank. But—

No. Shouto isn’t that type of person, you thought. He barely understands humor as it is, so he must be telling the truth.

“I do,” he confirmed.

“Oh, um.” You fumbled again for words, embarrassment flooding your entire system once more. You licked your dry lips, missing the way Shouto’s eyes locked onto the movement. “Cool.”

Shouto blinked at you, one of his perfect eyebrows raising. “Cool?” he repeated with a sly smile overcoming his lips.

“Mhm.” You dumbly nodded. “Cool.” You paused before muttering a small, “Ditto.”

He chuckled again, subtly moving the tiniest bit closer to you. He was just about crowding you into the corner at this point. “Ditto, huh?” He mumbled under his breath with a widening smirk playing at his lips. “I think I have broken you, dear.”

You grinned. “Perhaps.” Shouto chuckled again before falling silent. The two of you stared at the other, lost in each other’s gazes.

“Can I kiss you?” He spoke on an exhale, his deep voice somehow even deeper. Before you could internally flip the fuck out and fully comprehend what was happening, you were already nodding. That was all the confirmation Shouto needed before he brought your lips in for a sensual kiss. Fireworks exploded behind your eyelids as you relaxed into him.

You smiled into the kiss. Thank you, chopsticks.

The next day, you and Shouto walked into the classroom holding hands. Everyone collectively stopped what they were doing to openly gape at the two of you as Shouto, always the gentleman, escorted you to your seat. The shocked silence lasted all but three seconds before Mina and Tooru let out ear-piercing shrieks and practically tackled you.

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!” Mina was shouting meanwhile Tooru was holding onto you so tight to the point that she was nearly crushing you into her invisible body.

“AHHHH, I knew this was gonna happen!” she exclaimed before somehow pulling you in closer.

“Can’t . . . breathe.” You wheezed out before your boyfriend pulled you away from the two fangirls and protectively held you to his chest.

“I would be grateful if you didn’t crush my girlfriend to death, Tooru.” He intoned in his naturally dry tenor. His statement only made them freak out even more.

“Ah! Look at the two love birds!” Ochako swooned.

“Fuckin’ disgustin’,” grumbled a deep voice from somewhere in the back of the room.

Before you could turn to shoot Bakugou a death glare, Shouto was already clapping back. “What, are you jealous, Bakugou?”

The desks which had surrounded the blond a moment prior were blown to shiverines.

“I’LL END YOU!”

Fin.

→ extras: snapshot 1, snapshot 2, fic tag

No plagiarizing, re-uploading, translating, or copying of any kind or on any platform of my writing or inserted into any type of AI generator. Do not recommend my work on TikTok. Do not repost on YouTube.

[goryhorroor]

What are some underrated horror films? I have watched all the popular ones and need more! Thanks!

mentally prepare yourself because im ready to give a gumbo list (this has been sitting in my inbox because i had to ask all my friends and this is the list we came up with):

curse of the demon (1957) the serpent and the rainbow (1988) paranoiac (1963) the old dark house (1932) countess dracula (1971) golem (1920) haxan (1968) island of lost souls (1932) mad love (1935) mill of the stone women (1960) the walking dead (1936) the ghoul (1933) tourist trap (1979) the seventh victim (1943) ganja & hess (1973) dead of night (1945) a bay of blood (1971) let's scare jessica to death (1971) alice sweet alice (1976) the deadly spawn (1983) the brain that wouldn't die (1962) all about evil (2010) black roses (1988) the baby (1973) parents (1989) a blade in the dark (1983) blood lake (1987) solo survivor (1984) lemora: a child's tale of supernatural (1973) eyes of fire (1983) epitaph (2007) nightmare city (1980) slugs (1988) death smiles on a murderer (1973) intruder (1989) short night of glass dolls (1971) the children (2008) alone in the dark (1982) end of the line (2007) the queen of spades (1949) the housemaid (1960) tormented (1960) captain clegg (1962) the long hair of death (1964) dark age (1987) the crawling eye (1958) the kindred (1987) the gorgon (1964) wicked city (1987) baba yaga (1973) 976-evil (1988) bliss (2019) decoder (1984) amer (2009) the visitor (1979) day of the animals (1977) leptirica (1973) planet of the vampires (1965) lips of blood (1975) berberian sound studio (2012) a wounded fawn (2022) matango (1963) the mansion of madness (1973) the killing kind (1973) symptoms (1974) morgiana (1972) whispering corridors (1998) dead end (2003) infested (2023) (this just came out but im adding it) triangle (2009) the premonition (1976) you'll like my mother (1972) the mafu cage (1978) white of the eye (1987) mister designer (1987) alison's birthday (1981) the suckling (1990) graveyard shift (1987) messiah of evil (1987) out of the dark (1988) seven footprints to satan (1929) burn witch burn (1962) the damned (1962) pin (1988) horrors of malformed men (1969) mr vampire (1985) the vampire doll (1970) contracted (2013) impetigore (2019) eyeball (1975) malatestas carnival of blood (1973) the witch who came from the sea (1976) i drink your blood (1970) nothing underneath (1985) sauna (2008) seance (2000) come true (2020) the last winter (2006) night tide (1961) the brain (1988) dementia (1955) don't go to sleep (1982) otogirisou (2001) reincarnation (2005) mutant (1984) spookies (1986) shock waves (1977) bloody hell (2020) the den (2013) wer (2013) olivia (1983) enigma (1987) graverobbers (1988) manhattan baby (1982) evil in the woods (1986) death bed: the bed that eats (1977) cathy's curse (1977) creatures from the abyss (1994) the dorm that dripped blood (1982) the witching (1993) madman (1981) vampire's embrace (1991) blood beat (1983) the alien factor (1978) savage weekend (1979) blood sisters (1987) deadly love (1987) playroom (1990) die screaming marianne (1971) pledge night (1990) night train to terror (1985) the devonsville terror (1983) ghostkeeper (1981) special effects (1984) blood feast (163) the child (1977) godmonster of indian flats (1973) blood rage (1980) the unborn (1991) screamtime (1983) the outing (1987) the being (1983) silent madness (1984) lurkers (1988) forver evil (1987) squirm (1976) death screams (1982) jack-o (1995) haunts (1976) a night to dismember (1983) creaturealm: demons wake (1998) the curse (1987) daddy's deadly darling (1973) nightwing (1979) the laughing dead (1989) the severed arm (1973) the orphan (1979) not like us (1995) prime evil (1988) the monstrosity (1987) dark ride (2006) antibirth (2016) iced (1988) the soultangler (1987) twisted nightmare (1987) puffball (2007) biohazard (1985) cameron's closet (1988) beast from haunted cave (1959) the she-creature (1956)

[felinefractious]

i really dont know much about maine coons but they look super cool, what are the "maine coon features" you mention in your post about people thinking their longhairs are maine coons?

The appearance of the Maine Coon is supposed to be a well-balanced. The head and muzzle should be squared with a clear stop. Ear tufts should be distinctly present.

For the sake of showing the Maine Coon is classified as a “semi-longhair,” so they aren’t supposed to be a giant puffball like the Persian or British Longhair.

I’m having a hard time explaining it in a way that I feel makes sense.

The French registry LOOF has some excellent illustrated standards for some of their breeds. Cedarseed has also put together an excellent visual guide to various breeds available for purchase as an e-book or physical copy.

It’s an awesome, huge resource that I can’t recommend enough both for the feline artist - be it big cats, other wild cats or our domestic buddies - or the purebred snob afficiando likes myself.

On the left we have Honey Sushi, a Domestic Longhair available for adoption mis-labeled as a Maine Coon mix and on the right we have Tigerfeet Billie Holiday the Maine Coon.

Honey’s ears are too wide-set and rounded, he lacks the characteristic ear tufts and his muzzle is not well-defined. His whisker pads kind of just blend into the rest of his face as an entire unit compared to Billie distinct muzzle that leaves no question where no question as to where it starts and ends. Billie also has the squared head of the breed while Honey does not.

Tallulah Gin is listed as a Maine Coon x Persian mix, although she is most likely a Domestic Longhair. Her coat is an excellent example of what a Maine Coon’s coat shouldn’t look like - not that anything is wrong with her beautiful fur, it’s just not Maine Coon fur.

Compared to this Maine Coon from The Opal Temple. You can see that the topline is smooth and “short” but the fur gets gradually longer towards the belly and pants where it achieves maximum fluff. Also note that the Maine Coon’s head doesn’t disappear into a Lion King worthy mane, the ruff is more moderate and follows the same pattern as the rest of the coat of being short up top flowing downward into the longer part of the coat.

There are random-bred cats with one or more of these “Maine Coon” features, and there are Maine Coon’s which are more moderate or more extreme and don’t meet the standard to a T.

I can show you pedigree Maine Coon’s with wide forehead, tall ears, insubstantial ear tufts, proportions not well-balanced or however many faults you want to list.

I can also show you random-bred cats with squared heads and muzzles, well-spaced ears, a coat that’s short in the right places and long in the right places and falls just so.

I’ve met cats where I’ve been told they’re a Maine Coon mix and I don’t go “Oh obviously” but “Yeah, I can see that.” This isn’t commonplace, but it’s happened a few times where the cat has been passable as a poorly bred Maine Coon or mix.

But what gets me is so often I see people - online and in person - who say their cat is a Maine Coon or Maine Coon mix, they sweat up down and sideways that it must be true because the cat looks so much like a Maine Coon…

And then the cat is the moggiest moggy to have ever moggied. Not a single Maine Coon feature in sight, unless you include long fur - and some of them don’t even have that! Is the resemblance that they’re both cats? Is that what you’re seeing?

If you’re going to try to sell me on your cat being a Maine Coon or mix at least show me you have a basic understanding of the breed’s conformation and show me what features make you feel that way about your cat that don’t include “big” and “fluffy.”

[doberbutts]

Do dobes have nonstandard coat types? Like long or wired?

No, but also technically yes.

There is only short hair. Occasionally you will see a puppy that is mildly fluffy compared to its siblings, the standard discusses an "invisible undercoat" being a possibility and it is suspected these "fluffy" puppies are what that's talking about. As adults they look no different from any other doberman, outside of that their coat is sometimes denser than their non-fluffy siblings. It would take a fairly critical eye, however, as most people would not see it in the adults without being told. The puppies are more obvious, but even there it's subtle.

Pulled from reddit and dog forums, there are the occasional report of a "long haired" doberman popping up in the wild. To me knowledge these are exclusively dogs with no known pedigree, basing their label of purebred doberman on visuals and genetic tests alone. Unfortunately, it takes as little as 3 generations bred back to pure for a genetic test to state a dog is purebred (as we've seen with Merle bulldogs and poodles), so that can't be relied on to determine actual breed purity. Genetically, this is not possible within the doberman, and this is why it only occurs in dogs whose pedigree are a mystery. There has to be the introduction of a coated breed somewhere. I can confidently state these dogs are fairly off standard even if they were short coated, but it's anyone's guess what's in there causing this. Could be 10+ generations back for all we know. A lot of people have floated the theory of a Gordon setter cross due to the hair pattern and non-loss of tan points.

A friend of mine had a dog come through rescue that was extremely fuzzy, like a chow chow, but visually did appear to be exclusively doberman. It almost looked like he was wearing a costume as his head and feet were short haired but the rest of him was a giant puffball. Iirc he ended up having some sort of adrenal disease and that was suspected to be the cause of his rapid hair overgrowth. I don't think the above dogs have this problem- I think they're just mixed breeds- but I do think it's interesting.

[mosscoveredpawss]

TUTORIAL ON HOW TO MAKE A SHORT TAIL OUT OF YARN!

FOR BEARS, BUNNIES, BOBCATS, AND ALL OTHER SMALL TAIL CREATURES!

Hello! I was really happy to see the positive response when I asked if anyone would be interested in seeing this tutorial. Anytime I see yarn tail tutorials I only really see them for longer tails, like for cats and canines. And, I haven't bee able to find any faux fur bear tails out there online, just keychains that have puffballs on them. Not really what I was looking for.

With all that being said, on with the tutorial!

First of all, we gotta talk about yarn weight. For those who don't know, the size of the yarn you use is called the weight. The bigger the strands of yarn, the bigger the weight number. I recommend using a yarn with the weight of 4, as it is the most standard yarn size and what you will be most likely to find at any craft store, dollar store, thrift store, etc.

Next you're going to pick your color(s). The process for this is slightly different if you plan on using more than 1 color.

Now we need to make a pompom. Here's a video tutorial on how to male yarn pompoms. They are SUPER easy to make and you have full control on the size of your pompom.

For those who wish to use more than 1 color you just need to wrap one color first half way, the the next color the rest of the way. To re enforce the hold of your yarn, I suggest double knotting off your pompom.

*IF you want to use a keychain chain to wear your tail, add that on BEFORE you cut into your yarn. You might need to get a bigger C link depending on the size of your yarn and/or the size of your pompom.

(The C link is the big circular part at the bottom of the chain)

You could leave your tail as a normal pompom if you want, but for me I like more of a "fur" look, which leads us to our next step. Brushing. If you have a pet brush that works the best but you can also brush it out with a comb (NOT a normal hairbrush, a comb with the thin teeth.)

Carefully brush out of the strands of your yarn, yanking too hard could pull some of the strands out of your pompom, which we don't want. Patience is key.

When you're done brushing your pompom should look something like this.

For my tail I hot glued a small strand of elastic to the back and on each end of the elastic I hot glued on a piece of velcro. This is how the tail attaches to my belt loop. (Test out how long your elastic needs to be on your belt/belt loop BEFORE you cut your elastic. Creates less waste.)

And there you have it! You made a short tail! I hope this tutorial was helpful! Now us smaller tail creatres don't have to feel left out in the gear department!

[hippiegoth97]

Into the Fire: An Eddie Munson x Reader Story Pt. 18

Collage by me :)

Master List

Part 17

Tag List: @keikoraven @ar-jupiter @alcielo1438 @cairro-xx @stolen-in-moonlight

@micheledawn1975 @janiejenn @rafescurtainbangz @melodymunson @spacedoutdaydreamer

@veemoon @sariahs-stuff @feral-pumpkin-energy @comeonatmebruh @munsoneightysixx

@morgthemagpie @josephquinnsfreckles @jenniquinn @usergeta @cometzombie

@spookybabey @daggerdaggerkitten @nina6708 @sanctumdemunson @yourdailymemedelivery

@person-005 @slowandsteddie @gri959 @elegantkoalapaper @letitgoandletlive

@loserboysandlithium @costellation-hunter @leelei1980 @h-ness1944 @pretendthisnameisclever

@ohmeg @stalactitekilla @hellfirenacht @birdysaturne @oneforthemunny

@prettyboyeddiemunson @eddievanmunson @msgexymunson @rattkween86 @violetpixiedust

@bimbobaggins69 @angel-munson @eldermayfield @munsonsbtch @babygorewhore

@mediocredreams @xxbimbobunnyxx @taintedcigs @ali-r3n

Content Warnings 18+ Only, Minors DNI: swearing, teasing, mentions of smut, mentions of drugs, arguing, anger, angst, self-destructive tendencies, fluff, crying, smut, drug use, groping, fingering, handjob, oral sex, praise/degradation, choking, role-swapping, mentions of suicidal thoughts/ideation, mentions of drunk driving, mentions of vomit

Word Count: 16.3k

divider by @strangergraphics

Part 18.1 Inside Out

Friday, June 2nd, 1989

You've worked with Eddie at The Hawk for a few weeks now, putting you exactly halfway to your six-month relationship goal. You have plans to celebrate the three-month mark with Eddie tonight, after your shift and a late birthday party for Dustin. Neither of you were able to get the day off to celebrate on the actual day, so your brother insisted on throwing the party today instead. 'It's only a week's difference', is what he told Mom when he begged to hold off on the festivities. You're surprised that Dustin would postpone his own birthday just to have you two there, but you find the sentiment very sweet.

"Hey, Y/N. We're almost done here, can you take the trash out back for me?" Jamie asks from behind the concession counter.

"Sure thing!" You reply, grabbing the big black bags gathered by the employee doors and pushing the metal bar with your back. You step out into the warm air of the early evening, making the short trek to the dumpster. You toss the bags in, wiping your hands on your pants afterwards. You're just about to turn around and go back inside, when you hear a small mew coming from underneath the metal receptacle. You get down on your hands and knees, peeking below the rusty bin to see where the sound came from. You find a tiny kitten hiding under there, staring at you with its perfectly round eyes. "Aw, hello there, little guy!" You coo, reaching a hand under the bin to coax the cat out.

"Mew." It says, inching towards you cautiously.

"That's right, it's okay. C'mere sweetie. You're safe." You continue to draw it out, wiggling your fingers playfully to maintain its attention.

"Mew." It speaks again, eventually coming close enough for you to scoop it out from there and into your arms.

"Hi there, it's okay. I'm gonna take care of you. You poor thing, how'd you end up out here?" You take a moment to have a good look at the little thing. It's all black, with piercing gray eyes, and so soft and fluffy despite being rather dirty. It's very cute, purring incessantly as you stroke its head. It's been years since you've owned a cat. Your previous one, Mews, died a few years ago. Your whole household was very sad when he had to be put down, he'd gotten attacked by a stray dog after escaping from the house one day. Mom couldn't bear to replace him, but maybe she'll let you keep this sweet little stranger you've found.

"You alright out here, sweetheart?" Eddie says from behind you, the heavy door shutting loudly after he steps outside. You turn around, and his eyes widen when he sees the cat cradled in your arms.

"I found this puffball under the dumpster. It's so precious, and it seems to like me." You say, absolutely smitten.

"Oh my god! Aren't you just adorable! Hey there, little kitty. Did Y/N save you from the garbage? You poor baby. It's okay, we'll take good care of you." Your mouth falls open at Eddie losing his mind over the kitten, you've never heard him baby-talk anyone or anything before. He has his face level with the cat, smiling wide as can be. His eyes catch yours for a moment, and he realizes how ridiculous he's acting. He stands up straight, clearing his throat. "Yeah...it's uh, pretty cute. I guess." He shrugs, playing it cool. But all you have in reply is uncontrollable laughter. He scowls at you, crossing his arms to demonstrate how unamused he is.

"Eddie, I'm sorry. I've just never seen you do that before! But it's really sweet." You reassure, giving him a kind glance. "You wanna hold it?" You offer, extending the feline towards him in your hands.

"You're damn right I wanna hold it! This is fuckin' awesome!" He exclaims, wiggling his fingers as he waits for you to give him the cat. You pass it over, and watch as Eddie carefully cradles it in his arms. "Aw, it's so soft. And all black, too? I've always wanted a cat, ever since I was a kid. Wayne's allergic, so he wanted a dog. But those kinda scare me, I got bit once and never trusted one since." He says solemnly, assuming there's no way either of you can keep this new friend.

"We can let it live at my place, if you want. I used to have a cat before, so I know all the ins and outs. And you can visit whenever you want." You explain, and he nods in agreement.

"You sure your mom won't mind, princess?" He asks, his eyes refusing to leave the bundle of joy currently vibrating in his gentle hold. He strokes its head and ears, making its eyes close blissfully.

"No, as long as I take care of it." You reply, and he finally looks in your direction again.

"What should we name it?" He asks, lifting it up to see if it's a boy or girl. "I dunno what it is, though." He says, goofily checking all angles to figure it out.

"A vet could tell us, we'll have to get it looked at before taking it home anyway." You reply, giggling at the puzzled expression on his face.

"Oh, okay. We'd better hurry, Dustin's party starts in a couple hours." He lowers the cat once more, keeping it nice and safe. You make a move to take it back, but Eddie turns away. "Nuh-uh! You can hold it in the van!" He protests like a child who doesn't want to share his new toy.

"But I'm the one who found it!" You huff, rolling your eyes. It's not fair, Eddie's hogging all the cuteness to himself.

"Don't care. My cat now." He says simply, walking back inside without holding the door for you. You scoff, following behind to gather your things from your shared locker.

"What is that...thing doing in my lobby?" Mr. Biggs bellows when he sees you leaving the break room. His arms are crossed over his chest, and he's practically glaring at the tiny kitten.

"We found it under the dumpster, but we were just leaving." You explain, your words coming out far more shaky than you'd like.

"Alright then, hop to! And get that pest out of my theater!" Biggs shouts, making you jump. You nod silently, pulling Eddie by the arm to get away from this awful man.

"I'm sorry, little fluffypants. Mr. Biggs is a mean, mean man. But we won't let him hurt you, will we? No we won't!" Eddie says to the kitten in the infantile voice again, which makes you smile. He's always been a gentle soul, but this is a whole other level. You walk together across the street, and Eddie puts the cat in your lap once you slide into your seat. "Here ya go, 'lil cutie. Y/N will keep you safe." He gives it a final pat, running around to the driver's side.

The vet visit is brief, no more than an hour. You find out she's a girl, about two months old. She's free of fleas and worms, perfectly healthy besides needing a warm bath. You'll have to return in a few months to get her spayed and vaccinated, but the vet says you're free to go. You pay the bill, and make a quick stop at the Big Buy to get some food, litter, a few toys, and a collar for your new pet. You wanted to get a pink collar, but Eddie insisted on gray to match her eyes. "So, what should we call her?" You ask as you approach the checkout with your supplies. Unnamed Girl Cat sits in the child's seat of your cart, sleeping soundly on your theater vest.

"Hmm, it should be something cool. A name no other cat has." Eddie says, racking his brain while peering at the kitten.

"Definitely, something original. Like Madonna." You add. Eddie scoffs at that, hoping you're not serious. You roll your eyes, explaining yourself. "Not exactly like that. It's just an example, jeez."

"Good, because I'm not gonna name our cat after a popstar." He chuckles. "What about....Ozzy?" He suggests.

"If we can't name her after a popstar, we can't name her after anyone from a rock band, either." You retort.

"Ugh, fine. Would be pretty kickass, though." He grumbles, crossing his arms. He thinks about it some more as you put your items on the conveyor belt to be rung up. Suddenly, a light bulb goes off in his head. "Oh, I know!" He exclaims, making the cashier glare in your direction. "What about Arwen?"

"Like Lord of the Rings?" You question, remembering hearing that name quite often when Eddie read the books to you. You recall the character being described as a beautiful elven woman, with pointed ears, dark hair, and gray eyes. Much like your four-legged friend, coincidentally. You glance at the kitten, saying the name in your head a couple times to see if it fits. You smile affectionately as it rings through your brain, deeming it the perfect title for her. You look at Eddie, giving an approving nod. "Arwen it is. It suits her."

"Yes!" He jumps and punches the air, ecstatic that you've agreed to go along with the rather nerdy name.

"Shh, you'll wake her up being so loud like that." You say in a hushed tone, nudging your head at Arwen slumbering on your clothes.

"Shit, sorry. I'm glad you like the name, though. This is the perfect three-month anniversary present, by the way. We have a cat...together." Eddie gushes, speaking lowly in your ear.

"Well, I certainly didn't plan on it. But she's ours now. Our own little furball. We're almost like parents now." You giggle at his breath tickling against your skin, letting him leave your side to pay for your supplies. You load the bags back into the cart, trying your best to not disturb Arwen's nap.

Eddie chuckles. "I suppose we are. Arwen couldn't have picked a better woman to be her 'cat mom'." He says sweetly, taking his change and shoving it in his pocket.

"And you're gonna be a great 'cat dad'." You reply, taking his hand as you push the cart through the automatic doors. His thumb runs over your fingers, a simple affectionate gesture. "I just hope Dustin won't get jealous."

"Nah, he'll be excited enough to be Arwen's uncle." He smiles.

"I feel a bit bad, though. She might distract everyone from what we're supposed to be focused on. Dusty already postponed his party for us, how's it gonna look when we show up with a damn kitten?" You feel rather torn on the subject. On the one hand, it wouldn't be right to leave Arwen out on her own. But on the other hand, the timing isn't exactly convenient.

"Baby, relax. It'll be fine. We'll go to your house, get her settled. And then we'll celebrate your brother with cake and presents. And after all that, we'll finally have some time for ourselves." He reassures you, closing the back doors to the van once your purchases are safely inside. You scoop Arwen out of the cart so Eddie can return it, which unfortunately rouses her out of her peaceful sleep.

"Mew." Arwen whines in protest.

"I'm sorry, little one. We're gonna take you home now." You speak sweetly to her, scratching behind her ears. She starts purring again, which makes your heart melt. Eddie returns to your side, helping you get into the van. Arwen quickly falls asleep in your lap, lulled by the smoothness of the road beneath the van's tires. You pull into the driveway, finding a few more cars and some bicycles out front. It appears you're running a little tardy to the party. You've lost track of time taking care of the cat. "Shit, we're late. Mom's gonna kill me." You groan, dreading walking through that door.

"Y/N, relax. It's just a birthday party, which Dustin's a bit old for, if I'm honest." He chuckles, reaching over to stroke your knee. He leans across the console to give you a comforting kiss. "C'mon, let's go inside. You take Arwen, and I'll bring in her stuff and the gifts. 'Kay?" He offers, doing his best to put you at ease.

"Okay." You nod, hopping out with the kitten. You wait to walk in with Eddie once he retrieves everything from the back, leading the way to the front door. You go inside, finding a rather crowded living room. "Hey everybody, sorry we're late. We found a certain somebody under the dumpster at work." You announce, letting everyone take a moment to notice the ball of fluff sitting in your arms.

"Aw, it's so cute!" Max says, walking over to see the cat up close. She looks to you, asking permission to pet Arwen. You nod your head with a smile, and she reaches a hand forward to stroke the kitten.

Everyone else gets up from their seats, coming over to have their turn admiring the cat. "Alright, don't crowd her. She's a little skittish." You say calmly, letting each guest have a chance to say a brief hello.

"What the hell is that?" Mom asks as she walks in from the kitchen. Her eyes widen when they fall on Arwen, before flicking to you in accusation.

"This is Arwen. She's our new cat. I found her at work." You explain, swallowing hard. You were worried she'd react like this. Mews' passing was the hardest on her, he was her best friend after Dad left.

"Oh, I don't know, Y/N. Do you really have time for a cat? You've got work, and Eddie. I'm not going to take care of her for you." She says sternly, crossing her frosting-splattered arms.

"I wouldn't ask you to, Mom. Me and Eddie are going to look after her together. She's our cat. We'll make it work." You reply, rolling your eyes at her being so averse to Arwen's presence.

"Wait, Arwen? Like Lord of the Rings?" Dustin asks.

"Yep! She's got dark hair and gray eyes, just like the character in the books." You chirp.

"And how do you know that?" He questions, quirking and eyebrow.

"Because Eddie read them to me. You're not the only nerd in this family, you know." You retort, your eyes rolling in their sockets beyond control once more.

"Jesus, Eddie's really done a number on you." He laughs, and the others join in. You can't stop the blush that colors your cheeks. You do find it a little frustrating, however, that your brother thinks these interests hinge on Eddie being in your life. As if you have no individual thought, molding yourself into an extension of your boyfriend.

"Whatever, I've gotta give Arwen a bath. She's covered in garbage juice." You huff, leaving the room abruptly to tend to your pet.

"Ew!" Everyone squeals, rushing to get to the kitchen to wash their hands. Eddie follows you down the hall, noticing your upset.

"Sweetheart, are you alright?" He asks, setting the bags down on your bed. He digs out the pet shampoo, bringing it into the bathroom where you've got the water running.

"No. But I'm not gonna make a big deal out of it. It's his damn birthday, it's not about me." You say flatly, checking to make sure the water isn't too hot. Arwen sits patiently on the fuzzy bath mat, looking at you with her ashen eyes. She's calm now, but you're sure she'll object to being put into the shallow bath once it's ready.

"I know, princess. But you can still tell me, while we're away from everyone else. What's bothering you?" He continues, sitting cross-legged with you on the bathroom floor. He sets the shampoo bottle on the edge of the tub, putting his hand on your back to rub back and forth.

"I just find it annoying, what Dustin said. Like I'm only interested in D&D and the books you've shown me because I'm with you." You say grouchily, resenting the idea. "I've always liked plenty of geeky shit on my own. Star Wars, Labyrinth, things like that. And I asked for science kits and mythology books as opposed to Barbies and makeup at birthdays or Christmas." You continue to rant, with Eddie listening intently. "Not to mention, I'm an even bigger bookworm than he is, and that's saying something." You sigh, shaking your head as it falls to look at your feet. "I dunno, maybe I'm being overly sensitive. But as much as I'm borderline obsessed with you, I'm still my own person." You shut the water off once it's deep enough and the right temperature. You lift up Arwen, setting her carefully into the water.

"I don't think you're being sensitive, love. Look, I don't think Dustin necessarily meant it that way, but he could've been better about it." He watches as you carefully wet Arwen's fur, continuing to talk while you clean her up. "As a lifelong nerd myself, I've seen many geeky girls get treated differently than the guys. I've always found it a bit silly, but it happens." You open the shampoo, squeezing a small amount into your hands to lather it. You bring it to the cat's fur, massaging it in throughly. "But I want you to know that I see you as a major nerd, regardless if we're together or not. I know you're not my 'clone' or anything. I probably wouldn't go out with you if you were. I'm not that vain." He jokes, making you giggle.

"Thank you, Eds. I'm glad you understand." You allow the smile from your laugh to remain on your face, relaxing as you finally get to rinse Arwen's coat. "She's very good in the bath, which is odd for a cat. Mews used to scratch the shit out of me to get out of the water." You observe, giving the kitten a sideways glance.

"It's because you're her mother now, sweetheart. She picked you, so she trusts you." He speaks in your ear, his breath fanning hotly over your skin.

"Is it weird that I find it really hot when you say that?" You ask, biting your lip.

"Not at all, babydoll. You're such a responsible young woman, more than capable of caring for a cute little creature like this." He says, leaning into your well-documented attraction to praise. He's not even saying anything particularly dirty, and yet you find yourself getting warm under the collar. You suppose it's due to the constant self-doubt you hold inside your head. To have Eddie quell your anxieties in this way is oddly erotic.

"Mmm, keep going." You sigh blissfully, reaching for the towel you set aside for Arwen. You lift her as carefully as you can, bundling her up like a burrito to dry off. Eddie scoots to sit behind you, spreading his legs apart. You lean against him, holding the cat in your arms.

"You're so smart, and independent, and mature." He continues, planting blazing kisses on your neck as he speaks. "You're your own person, angel. You can do anything you set your mind to." He nips your sweet spot with his teeth, drawing a light moan from you. "Damn, you're really into compliments, aren't you?" He smirks against your skin, loving every second of this.

"Only from you, Eds. They're so sincere when they come out of your mouth." You exhale, remembering what you're meant to be doing as opposed to this. "We should finish getting Arwen settled, we're neglecting the party." You can't help coming off a bit whiny as you speak. But you made a commitment to be here for your brother, and you plan to stick to it. He only turns eighteen once.

"I suppose you're right, sweetheart. We'll pick this up later." He agrees, helping you stand up while holding Arwen.

"We better. I'm gonna be thinking about it all night." You say lustfully, handing Eddie the kitten for the time being. He follows you to your room, eyes widened at the thought of you craving him for hours on end. Just waiting for the right moment to take what you want. You both take off your matching vests, bow ties, and shoes, leaving the rest of your uniform on for the time being.

You set up Arwen's litter box, setting her inside to see if she'll use it. She stands awkwardly on her tiny paws, looking to you for guidance. You figure it'll take a few tries to get her to understand what the box is for, but you let her get acquainted with it in the meantime. You open the cat food, pouring it into one of the bowls you bought for her. You ask Eddie to fill the other with some water from the sink, setting it on the floor beside the food. Everything else you bought can wait for the time being, and you sit on the floor for a few minutes with Arwen still standing in the litter box. "How long do you think it'll take?" Eddie asks, his eyes watching the kitten curiously.

"I dunno, I'd like her to try to go before we get back to the party. It's not exactly pleasant to have a cat piss on you, no matter how cute she is." You reply, looking for any change in expression or stance from Arwen.

"We could keep her on a towel if it's taking too long. It's also a little weird to wait for a cat to poop." Eddie chuckles, his shoulder brushing yours as he leans on his hand.

"I agree. Towel it is. Worst case scenario, we throw it in the wash." You nod, taking Arwen out of the box while Eddie retrieves a dry towel. You walk back down the hall to rejoin the party, taking one of the spare chairs. Eddie sits first, with you on top of him with the cat in your lap.

"You guys didn't wanna change clothes?" Steve asks, scrunching his nose at how uncomfortable your uniforms look.

"Nah, they probably won't stay in them very long after the party anyway." Robin quips, making everyone laugh.

"Ugh, please don't talk about my sister like that!" Dustin shouts, covering his ears.

"Alright, alright. That's enough now, it's time for presents." Mom says, shutting everybody up. Dustin sits in a chair placed across from everyone else in the room. Mom holds the camera ready, waiting for someone to give Dusty his first gift. "Who wants to go first?" Mom asks, glancing around the room.

"How about I start with the package from Will and Jane?" Dustin suggests, getting up to grab it from the kitchen counter. It's been sitting there for the entire week, calling his name to open it. But since he begged Mom to let him postpone the party, she said he'd have to wait.

"That's a great idea! I know it's been hard to be patient with that one." Mom replies, waiting for him to reveal what's inside the box. He cuts it open with a small knife from the kitchen, and pulls out the packing paper. He reveals a lemon-yellow Surfer Boy Pizza t-shirt, presumably from Jane. And the other item in the box is a folded up piece of canvas. He carefully unfolds it, his eyes widening as he finds a highly-detailed portrait of him and all his friends in a huddle. From you, to Eddie, to Hopper, even the twins, the gang's all there in perfect likeness.

"Wow, this is amazing." Dustin says, a single tear falling down his cheek. He turns the canvas around to show everyone, and you all gasp in turn at how gorgeous the painting is. Will has always been an incredibly skilled artist, which he plans to turn into a career illustrating for comic books.

"Damn, everybody's in it! I wish Will was here so we could tell him how awesome it is." Steve says, smirking at his signature coif of hair captured in an uncanny swoosh in the picture.

"I'll make sure to call him later." Dustin replies, suddenly missing his friend very much. He sees something else in the box, a blue envelope. He tears it open, and he reads the card inside aloud. "Happy 18th birthday, kiddo. Sending love and hugs from California. We wish we could be there to celebrate with you and the gang. But we're there in spirit, today, and every day. Hope to see you soon, love Joyce, Hop, Jane, Jonathan, and Will. P.S. Here's some cash to soften the blow of our absence, don't go blowing it all on nougat!" His breath shudders on the last couple words, and you can feel everyone's hearts swell in an overpowering, bittersweet fashion. "Fuck, maybe I should've saved this one for last." Dustin jokes, wiping his eyes.

"No shit! That's gonna be tough to follow." Mike quips, drawing light-hearted chuckles from everyone in the room.

"Okay, hold up the painting, Dusty. And then we'll move on." Mom says, sniffling a little herself. She clicks the camera, and the photo spits out a moment later. "We'll have to get a nice frame for that. Okay, who's next?"

"I'll go." Steve says, handing Dustin a raggedy bundle of red wrapping paper and scotch tape.

"It's from both of us." Robin chimes in, a bit embarrassed at her lack of gift-wrapping skills. Dustin tears open the paper, and finds a Family Video vest underneath. There's even a tag with his own name on it clipped to the breast. "We know you've been begging us for a job, so we thought you could work with us over the summer." She explains, smiling wide.

"Hell yeah! I can't wait!" Dustin exclaims, holding up the green uniform for Mom to snap another photo. The next gifts go as follows. He receives a hardcover compilation of all the Watchmen comics from Lucas and Erica, an Oingo Boingo cassette tape from Mike, a Walkman from Max, and a case of 3 Musketeers bars from Ian and James. Dustin thanks every single one of them for the presents, and Mom takes a photo of each item.

Next up is Nancy, who bestows him with a Caltech sweatshirt. She had Jonathan send it over all the way from California, as it is the prestigious school Dustin has chosen to attend in the fall. "I know you'll fit right in the second you walk through the door, but I figure this should help, too." She says sweetly.

"I'll wear it as much as I can, Nance. Thanks." Dustin smiles, and it's now Eddie's turn. He hands Dustin a large gift bag, which houses a black leather jacket that matches his own. "Oh, wow! This is so bitchin', Eddie!" He cheers, standing up to give him a high five.

"You know it, man. And just a heads up...total chick magnet. You wear that, and you'll be beating them off with a stick." Eddie says cooly, and Dustin nods in understanding.

"I don't recall you exactly drowning in girls, Eddie. Hell, you're lucky to have Y/N sitting in your lap right now." Steve interjects, slightly offended at not being the one giving dating advice.

"Maybe not, but Dustin is also a lot more...approachable than I am. If he has the badass look to go with it, he'll be unstoppable." Eddie retorts, narrowing his eyes at Steve.

"Okay, I don't think I need to hear anymore of you two trying to corrupt me sweet baby boy. Y/N, it's your turn." Mom cuts in, gesturing for you to keep things moving.

"Mom!" Dustin whines, embarrassed at your mother calling him such childish things. She just shoos her hand at him, and you carefully pass Arwen over to Eddie to present your gift. You gingerly remove the item you purchased from the greenhouse box you've kept it in, bringing it over so your brother can see. "Oh, wow! A Venus flytrap! I've always wanted one of these!" Dustin cheers, smiling ear to ear as you give him the carnivorous plant.

"Now, be careful with it. There's instructions in the box on how to water and feed it properly. But I know you've begged Mom over and over for one. And now you don't have to." You explain, returning to Eddie's lap after taking Arwen in your arms once more.

"I just think they're creepy, that's all." Mom says, but she can't necessarily argue against you gifting him one. "Okay, my turn!" Mom claps her hands in excitement, picking up the box beside her. She lays it in Dustin's lap, taking her seat a second later.

Dustin opens up the box, finding a brand new Nintendo Gameboy inside. It comes with Super Mario Land, Baseball, Tennis, and Alleyway. "Whoa, a Gameboy! That's frickin' sweet!" Lucas says, totally jealous of his friend's new present.

"How'd you get one? They've barely been out and most stores sold out almost immediately!" Dustin asks, looking at Mom with amazement.

"Angie happens to have some connections, people she met after moving in with your father. She managed to snag one just for you, so I suppose this also counts as her gift." Mom explains, taking one last photo before everyone makes their way to the snack table.

You're about to stand up, when you notice a small brown pile on Arwen's towel. "Oh, well, looks like she finally went to the bathroom. I'm gonna grab a fresh towel." You say to Eddie who's still sitting beneath you.

"No problem, princess. I'll tell them to wait before lighting the candles." Eddie says, getting up after you. He heads for the dining room, while you go down the hall to freshen up Arwen's make-shift restroom. You return shortly, standing beside Eddie as Mom begins to ignite the candles on Dustin's cake. Eddie wraps an arm around your waist, holding you close. His free hand briefly strokes Arwen's head, drawing a small, happy meow from her.

"Alright, here we go, Dusty." Mom says, before leading you all in the traditional birthday song.

"...Happy Birthday to you!" You all cheer as the song ends, watching Dustin blow out the candles to make a wish. Everyone claps, and the candles are removed so the cake can be sliced up.

"Can I hold Arwen for a little bit, Y/N?" Dustin asks, pleading with his eyes.

"Sure! Just keep her bottom covered with the towel, she's not box-trained yet." You instruct, before allowing your brother to hold her.

"No problem." Dustin replies, giving Arwen's head the gentlest of pats.

"Y/N, can I talk to you for a minute?" Mom asks, nudging her head for you two to talk in the kitchen. You nod, leaving the party behind to see what she wants.

"What's up, Mom?" You ask, leaning against the counter with your arms crossed. Your eyes flick to Eddie's across the room, and he silently checks with you to make sure you're okay. You nod, and he moves on to talk to Steve and the others.

"What the hell were you thinking bringing that kitten here?" She asks, trying her best to hide her annoyance.

"I found her out in the alley all by herself, Mom. And we would've had her live at Eddie's, but his uncle Wayne is allergic. But like I already said, we..." You point your finger at yourself and in Eddie's direction. "...will take care of her. What's the big deal?" You ask, not even attempting to control your attitude.

"The big deal is that this is still my house, Y/N. You could've at least run this by me first, but you didn't. You just stroll in here with a filthy cat, drawing the attention away from Dustin on his birthday..." She rebuttals, her voice raising slightly.

"I didn't plan on this happening. I would never want to steal his spotlight, Mom. And he seems to really like Arwen, so can you lay off a little bit?" You reply, matching her volume. You notice a couple pairs of eyes flicking in your direction, you really don't want to turn this into a fight. But Mom seems to have other ideas.

"No, I can't! You can't just make decisions like this without asking me!" She gets a little louder, drawing a small crowd. Perfect, a dreaded mother-daughter showdown on Dustin's special day.

"I don't need your permission for every choice I make! I'm twenty-one, for crying out loud! I'm not a little kid anymore! I said I'd take care of her, and that you don't have to do anything! You're being totally unreasonable!" You shout back, killing any and all outside conversation. Everyone is looking at you now, watching silently as your faces scrunch in anger.

"I don't appreciate you talking to me like this, Y/N! I'm your mother, and it wouldn't kill you to check in with me once in a while! But you're so concerned with work, and Eddie, and now this damn cat! I barely see you around anymore, and you have the nerve to say I'm being unreasonable?!" Claudia yells.

"Forgive me for wanting to have a life of my own, Mom! I've barely dated or had any friends my entire life, always staying home and studying! I'd think you'd want me to get out of the house! Eddie makes me happy, my job makes me happy, and Arwen is a part of that now. You used to be so supportive of me, and now you're getting on my case about everything!" You're almost screaming by the end, heart pounding and chest heaving as you feel your skin turn red. Your stare breaks hers, trailing around the room to find the gobsmacked faces of every party guest looking at you. No one says a word, and you're absolutely mortified for making a scene. This is the last thing you wanted to do, and yet you've managed to do it anyway. You stand in awkward silence, before deciding to flee to your room. You walk briskly down the hall, hoping nobody is following you. You shrink into your room, slamming the door shut and clicking the lock.

You slide down the wooden wall you've put up to keep everyone out, sitting with your knees tented in front of you. You pound your fists into the carpet, needing a way to release your frustrations. The shag below stings your flesh as your balled hands collide with it over and over. You let out small, stunted grunts through clenched teeth in an attempt to keep the noise down, allowing a few tears to fall hotly down your cheeks. If it wouldn't make this situation worse, you'd bang your head backwards against the door.

You can't think, or speak, all you can do is be angry. Angry at your mother for berating you like a child, for doubting your capabilities as a person, in front of everyone. "Y/N." You hear a muffled voice speak from outside your window, and you look up from your fit to find Eddie standing outside. Arwen's nestled calmly in his arms, her teeny tiny face showing an absurd amount of concern for you.

You sigh, getting up from the floor to open the window. You slide the pane along its track, sniffing harshly. "What?" You say flatly, not particularly in the mood for company.

"Can we come in, sweetheart? I noticed you locked the door." Eddie asks cautiously, as he can see you’re boiling mad inside, threatening to blow your top at any moment.

"Why? You gonna yell at me, too?" You ask, unable to control yourself. You know he only wants to help, but something inside you wants to spit venom at anyone and anything that comes across your path.

"No, princess. I just want to be here for you, like always. And Arwen misses you." He replies, lifting her slightly to emphasize his point.

"Ugh, fine. But I don't wanna talk. I don't wanna do anything." You step aside, taking the cat so Eddie can climb into your room.

"That's okay, baby. I just didn't want you stewing all alone." He speaks gently.

"I don't need a babysitter, Eds." You snap, sitting on your bed with your back turned to him.

"I know you don't. I didn't mean it like that. But I can go if you want...wait with the others until you've calmed down." You can hear Eddie gaining some frustration of his own, and you don't blame him. You're not being very nice, quite the contrary. He's the one person you should never treat this way. You know that. But you feel like shutting everyone out, you can't handle being around people right now.

"Please do." You regret the words the second they leave your lips, deep down you want him to stay. As awful as you're being right now, you want him to talk you down, to make you okay again. 

His breath catches slightly, you've never told him to go away before. His heart aches at hearing you say that, but he nods. He supposes you don't need him to fix all your problems, or to hold your hand through every little thing. But he wants to, so badly. And to have you deny him, it definitely hurts. "Okay. We'll be waiting for you, Y/N. I love you." He says glumly, heading back to the window to climb out again.

"I love you too." You reply, not wanting him to leave without hearing you say it back. You listen to the window shut once more, leaving you and Arwen all alone in your room. She stares at you, her pupils following the tears falling freely from your eyes. "I know, kitty. I've made an ass out of myself, huh?" You say to her, letting out a weak chuckle at the thought of talking to your cat.

"Mew." She replies, but you have no idea what it means. You don't speak feline, unfortunately.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'. What am I gonna do, Arwen? I yelled at Mom again, and I made Eddie go away. I feel like I'm back at square one. The same girl who locks herself away from anyone that wants to help her." You sigh, bringing your hand up to pet the kitten's head.

"Mew." She says again, no change in tone or inflection whatsoever. A low purr comes from her at your soft touches, and she tilts her head to allow you better access to her left ear.

"Well, you're certainly making me feel better with how cute you're acting right now." You giggle, allowing a chunk of the wall you built up be chipped away by the magic of an animal bonding with their human.

"Mew." Arwen meows again, still as one-note and shrill as every meow before it.

"Yeah, I'm gonna have to go back out there sometime. Hopefully I haven't killed the mood too much. It's also meant to be mine and Eddie's anniversary today, you know." You continue conversing with the petite kitten before you, but you don't imagine she's listening all that well. Her eyes are held shut as she enjoys the scratching of your fingertips along her cheeks and neck.

"Mew." She replies, rolling onto her back to expose her tummy. Her paws stand straight up into the air, and she looks at you expectantly to grant her request.

"Alright, you spoiled little thing. I'll rub your belly, and then we go back to the party, okay?" You offer, taking a page from Eddie's book to speak childishly to Arwen.

"Mew!" She says enthusiastically, louder than before. You giggle again, bringing your fingers to the soft flesh of her stomach. You give her some tickles, which she reacts to in the most adorable way. Her paws come down to encapsulate your hand, the claws digging in slightly. You don't mind, she's just being playful. You continue like this for a while, letting the stress of the day gradually evaporate.

"Okay, Arwen. We've had enough alone time, I think. I've got some apologizing to do." You state, rolling the cat onto her stomach once again before heading for the door.

"Y/N!" Everyone cheers from their seats as you re-enter the room. You allow a small smile to creep across your face. You're surprised they've missed your presence, and that they aren't totally pissed at you. You notice your mother is missing from the group, wondering where she went off to.

"Where's Mom?" You ask, the smile fading slightly at the thought of how you spoke to her earlier. Sure, she started it. But you certainly took it upon yourself to end it poorly.

"She, uh...decided to go to the Hideaway for a bit after you stormed off." Dustin explains uneasily. "Don't sweat it, though. She needs to cool off, she'll come around." He says, a bit more cheery now.

"You want some cake, sweetheart?" Eddie asks, bringing a paper plate with a large slice of Dustin's chocolate cake to you along with a plastic fork.

"Yes, please. Some empty calories would be great right now. And I'm sorry for being so awful earlier, you were just trying to help." You say apologetically, leaning into him to plant a warm kiss to his lips. He happily meets you halfway, earning 'OOH's and grotesque noises from the others.

"It's alright, love. I know you didn't mean anything by it." He grins, moving closer to speak in your ear. "We're still on for later, right, princess?" He smolders, making your cheeks heat up.

"Always, Eds." You reply, eyes meeting his with burning intensity.

"That's what I like to hear. Eat up, darling. You're gonna need all the energy you can get." Eddie instructs, exchanging the cat for the cake. You take the flimsy plate in your hands, and promptly dig a large bite out of the slice. You bring the fork-full of fluffy cake and thick frosting to your lips, opening nice and wide as he watches you put it in your mouth. His smile grows wider, and he doesn't have to utter another syllable. You know exactly what he's thinking, two simple words meant just for you: good girl.

"Ugh, can you guys stop flirting for five minutes? We're trying to have a party here." Erica expresses her disgust.

"Sure thing, Lady Applejack. My apologies." Eddie replies, bowing dramatically. You giggle at his antics, following him over to the couch to finish your cake.

"You sure you're alright, Y/N? Things got pretty nasty earlier." Robin inquires. She unsuccessfully attempts to lick some icing from her upper lip, her eyes crossing as she tries to find its exact location.

"Yeah, I'm alright. And I'm sorry for making a scene. It was really embarrassing." You sigh, keeping your eyes on your plate as you wait for forgiveness.

"It's fine, Y/N. Everyone fights with their parents sometimes, no biggie." Steve assures you, walking over to clap a hand on your shoulder. You meet his eyes, finding kind understanding there. The others nod and verbalize their agreement. You let the tension slip away, allowing yourself to sit closer to Eddie and fully relax.

"Okay. I'll try not to overthink it." You reply, shoving another large bite of chocolate overload into your mouth.

"You? Overthinking things? No way!" Dustin quips sarcastically. You all share a hearty laugh at this. It's a well-known fact within the group at this point that your brain works overtime in every aspect of your life.

The remainder of the party goes smoothly. You play a few rounds of charades, and Dustin sets up his Gameboy. Lucas, Max, Erica, and the twins watch over his shoulders as he tests out the games. You talk casually about work and life in general with the other adults, which you find a little mind-boggling. A couple of years ago, you were a bunch of crazy kids worrying about prom, and graduation and college applications. And now here you are, talking about video rentals and annoying customers. The majority of you still live at home, however, which just adds to the awkward confusion of this transitional time in your life. 

"So, it's your anniversary today, right?" Nancy asks.

"Yeah, three whole months with this nutcase." You joke, giving Eddie a quick peck on the cheek. He shoots you an offended look, but you just roll your eyes. "You know I wouldn't have it any other way, Eds." You giggle, and his smiles too.

"It's alright, princess. I'll get you back for that later." He replies, wrapping an arm around your shoulders.

"So you're halfway there, then?" Robin asks, not fully realizing that she's potentially spilled the beans. Your eyes widen, and the others fall silent.

"Halfway to what?" Eddie questions, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing!" You exclaim, trying to save your ass. You don't want to spoil the surprise, but it might make Eddie suspicious that you're up to something bad.

"Okay, I can see there's something I'm not supposed to know yet. It's a good mystery, though, right?" He looks at you to cast his fears aside. He has no idea what Robin is referring to, but he's had an inkling that you've been planning something for him.

"Yes! I swear that it is, but I don't wanna say just yet. I'm not so sure it'll happen now." Your tone falls sullen, remembering how angry Mom became earlier. If she really thinks so little of you and your choices, especially regarding Eddie, she might just snatch her promise away in the blink of an eye.

"I'm sure it'll be fine, Y/N. Don't worry about it." Robin insists. "And sorry for my...loose lips." She bows her head like a scolded dog, feeling guilty for almost ruining your plans.

"It's alright. I'll just have to deal with three months of Eddie trying to guess what it is now." You laugh, picturing him writing down a laundry list of ideas, begging and pleading with you to tell him 'yes' of 'no' to every single one.

"And I won't rest until I figure it out! It must be pretty good if you're trying so hard to keep it from me." Eddie replies, nudging your shoulder with his own. The motion startles Arwen out of her third or fourth nap of the day.

"Mew!" She shouts, growling lowly at being woken up.

"Aw, I'm sorry little baby. I didn't mean to wake you. Will some belly rubs make it all better?" Eddie coos at the kitten in his silly voice. The cat rolls over, accepting his apology. The others' jaws drop at seeing him talk this way. Even Dustin and his friends stop paying attention to the Gameboy to confirm that the founder of the Hellfire Club was, in fact, speaking childishly to a small animal. They've never seen Eddie be so soft before, except when it comes to you. He notices their staring, clearing his throat. "Um..." He tries to come up with a cover, but nothing springs to mind. "Shut up." He says, not wanting to deal with being ridiculed for this.

"Who the hell are you, and what have you done with Eddie?" Mike asks, utterly stunned at what he's witnessed.

"Don't listen to him, baby. It's so sweet that you love Arwen as much as I do. She likes it when you talk like that, it's cute." You try your best to comfort Eddie as his cheeks burn bright red.

"More like nauseating." Lucas says, scrunching his face.

"Lay off, guys. You're just too immature to understand." You warn, glaring at the kiddos to intimidate them into behaving. They stick out their tongues in response, effectively putting an end to this conversation.

"Alright, well I think we're just about done here. Robin, Nance and I will take the kids home. Thanks for having us over, we should do it again sometime." Steve says, attempting to corral the younger party guests towards the door. They whine and groan in protest, but he hears none of it. They don't call Harrington 'The Babysitter' for nothing.

"Bye guys, see you 'round. Thanks for coming." You reply, watching as they march out the door to load into their various vehicles. Dustin follows them to give more thorough good-bye's, closing the door once he's finished.

"Thanks for hanging out tonight, guys. It means a lot." Dustin says, walking over to you. He bends down slightly to pet Arwen for a moment. She purrs at his touch, her eyes closing in contentment. "She really is adorable, I'm glad you guys found her. I know you'll be amazing parents for Arwen." He says sweetly, making your heart swell.

"It was a lot of fun, Dusty. Well, besides the fight earlier. And yeah, we're glad we found her, too." You reply with a blissful smile.

"Well, I'm gonna go to my room and enjoy my gifts. Goodnight, guys." He says, standing upright once more.

"'Night, Dustin. Happy birthday." You say softly.

"'Night. Happy birthday, buddy." Eddie replies. Dustin leaves the room clutching his gifts, and it's just the three of you now. "Looks like we're on our own now. You wanna put Arwen in her cat bed and go outside with me?" Eddie asks, noticing the kitten in his lap has fallen asleep yet again.

"What's outside?" You ask, unsure what Eddie's talking about.

"Your anniversary present. Well, it's actually in my pocket. But we'll have to go outside to use it." He shuffles around as carefully as he can, not wanting to wake the cat up again. He manages to pull a blunt out of his pocket to show it to you. "I figure we can finally try fucking while we're high. I know you've been wanting to, sweetheart." He says, using his dark tone to tempt you.

"Mm, yes please." You coo, leaning in to give him a hungry kiss. You pull away a moment later, resisting the urge to tear his clothes off right here and now. "C'mon. Let's put her in my room." You stand up, waiting for him to follow you. You can't hide your enthusiasm, you need him as soon as possible.

"As you wish, darling." He replies, eager to get your anniversary celebration into full swing.

Part 18.2: Dazed and Confused

"You feelin' it yet, sweetheart?" Eddie asks as you inhale the final drags of your anniversary present.

"I think so, only one way to find out, though." You say through a giggle, obviously staring at his lips. You've been sitting barefoot in your backyard for a while, smoking the joint Eddie showed you earlier as the sun begins to set. Mom still hasn't come back yet. You're not sure when she'll return, or what particular mood she might be in when she does. You don't really care at the moment, however, as you're about to kiss your handsome boyfriend while under the influence of marijuana.

"My thoughts exactly." Eddie chuckles, leaning over to press his lips to yours. Immediately, you can tell that the drug has begun to take effect. This kiss feels absolutely amazing, all warm and fuzzy. You both let out low moans at the sensation, opening your mouths to play around with your tongues. You instinctively lay down in the grass you've been sitting on, allowing him to hover over you. His hands drag slowly up and down your body, lighting fireworks beneath your skin through your clothes. You do the same, starting with tangling your fingers in his hair.

You scratch your nails around his scalp, and he breaks his mouth away from yours to kiss your neck. "Fuck, Eds. This is incredible." You sigh, in total awe of how powerful everything feels. Your hands leave his thick locks, running down his back until you reach his ass. You squeeze the firm rounds of it, causing him to groan as he bites harshly on your throat. "Everything feels so fucking good, baby. We should go to my room, I need to feel you. All of you." You hate how goddamn needy you sound, but you can't help it. Every rush of hot breath or graze of fingers over fabric is amplified immensely.

"You sure we can't just stay here? I don't wanna leave this spot." Eddie says in an attempt to convince you to stay put. If it weren't for potential nosey neighbors peeking from their windows, or grass stains ruining your uniform, you'd absolutely let him take you right here.

"We can't, Eds. We'll get all dirty, and someone might see. C'mon, I also have a twig poking into my ass." You tap his shoulders, waiting for him to get off of you. He whines petulantly in response. But he knows you're right, despite his drug-addled brain telling him to keep going. He backs off, inelegantly standing on his own two feet before assisting you. You make the ill-advised decision to forgo walking through the whole house, opting to make an attempt at climbing through your bedroom window instead. You slide the pane along its track, and almost fall flat on your face as you clumsily climb over the sill. "Oh, fuck!" You yelp, catching yourself just before your head smashes onto the carpet. You laugh at your silly display, and how wobbly your body is.

"Take it easy, sweetheart." Eddie chuckles, enjoying your ass on full view for him as you haven't gotten up yet. He climbs in after you, lifting you off the floor. You both slump onto the bed, him laying behind you as your legs hang sideways over the edge. "I hope we don't wake Arwen again, I don't want her to see what I'm gonna do to you." He says breathily, trying to contain his laughter at the bumbling nature of your movements.

You poke your head up to look over at the kitten's bed, finding that she hasn't stirred one bit through all your racket. "She's still asleep. Can you shut the window, Eds?" You ask, beginning to undo the buttons of your dress shirt.

"Sure thing, doll." He replies. He hops off the bed with a grunt and slides the glass over to close you off from the world. You lay down flat on the bed, scooting yourself backwards with kicking feet as your fingers pop each button through their holes. By the time Eddie returns to you, you've got your shirt open, the sides splayed loosely on the bed. A sexy, pink lace bra you bought for this very occasion is on full display, making his eyes blow wide with lust. "Damn, princess. You wear that just for me?" He asks in a cocky tone, knowing full well the answer to that is a big, fat 'yes'.

"Mhm." You nod, biting your lip. You beckon him over with your finger, and he takes this as his cue to crawl across the bed like a prowling animal. "I wanted to wrap myself up all pretty for you, Eds. Even though I know you'll take it all off pretty quickly."

"Don't get me wrong, angel, I love the way you look in lingerie. You're absolutely gorgeous. But I enjoy what's underneath so much more, because it's you. Just you, baby, that's all I need." He says as he crouches over you now, his thick tresses hanging down on the sides of his face.

"Oh, then I guess you won't be needing the other present I got for you." You reply with a cheeky grin.

He scoffs, giving you a curious glance. "Hey, I didn't say that. What'd you get me?" He bites his lip, eager to know what your brilliant mind cooked up this time.

"Well...I guess you can have it, since I put in so much work to make it happen." You say in faux-defeat, reaching up to undo Eddie's shirt buttons as you speak. "I convinced Mr. Biggs to let us have a private screening of Heavy Metal after hours next Saturday. Just me and you, all alone, watching a silly, sexy movie together. Sound like fun?" You quirk an eyebrow, pulling the final button through its sewn loop.

"Sounds perfect, sweetheart. I look forward to it." He smirks, bringing his lips to yours in a thankful kiss. Your eyes slip closed, and you push the fabric of his shirt to shuck it from his shoulders. He tosses it away, and it lands somewhere nondescript on the floor. "How'd you know about that movie anyways?" Eddie asks, bringing a hand up to cup your breast as he waits for your answer.

"Well, I didn't...at first. I know you like those magazines, and I was asking Robin and Steve if there was anything similar in film form. Now, there's no VHS of it, apparently. But Robin said she'd been to a couple random screenings of it in Indianapolis before." You explain, gasping at Eddie's hand massaging your tit. He nods, wanting you to continue. "Then, I asked Milo if there was a copy laying around at The Hawk. He said it's one of his personal favorites, so I was in luck. All I had to do after that was promise Mr. Biggs that we would clean any mess we make, and lock up afterwards. And voila! Perfect anniversary present." You grin in satisfaction, moving to discard your own shirt. You awkwardly shuffle your arms, pulling the sleeves down to throw the garment away.

"I can't believe you went to so much trouble, just for me. You're the best girlfriend ever, you know that?" Eddie asks, cupping your cheek once you lay back down.

"Oh, I know. But it's only because you're an amazing boyfriend, too." You giggle, rolling your bodies over so you're on top. You're straddling his lap, and you can feel his stiff cock straining through the layers of fabric between you. You grind yourself against him, letting out a breathy moan at the friction between your legs. You're already so wet, and you can barely think straight. Eddie's hands move to your ass, massaging the flesh roughly through your slacks. "Fuck, Eddie." You whine, your head falling forward as you continue to roll your hips. He leads you to go harder in his grip, drawing more noises from you. The weed is taking full effect now, and you feel as though you're moving through molasses.

"You're so beautiful, angel. A perfect, moaning mess for me." Eddie coos lazily, barely keeping it together himself. He doesn't like to get high without you now, not since that first time at your father's funeral. He used to do it almost every day, trying to numb the loneliness he felt so strongly until he found you. It's something you get to share now, something you can use to enhance your closeness and intimacy.

"All for you, Eds. We're still wearing waaaaay too many clothes, though. I need to touch every last inch of you, feel your gorgeous body with my hands...and my mouth." You're surprised you can manage to be so coherent as a thick fog surrounds your mind.

"Does that mean you're gonna kiss my ass?" Eddie jokes, making you both burst out laughing.

"Maybe!" You cackle, letting yourself fall over him. The two of you continue to giggle like children as your mouths find each other again. You hum into a clumsy kiss, the laughter soon forgotten as you melt into one another. Eddie unclasps your bra, tossing it aside.

"Fuckin' gorgeous." He praises as he takes hold of your beautiful tits, rolling your nipples between his fingers.

"Oh, Eddie. That feels so good." You moan, breaking your mouth away from his. You lower your lips to kiss and suck his neck. He groans at the contact, pinching your sensitive buds a bit harder in response. "Jesus, everything shouldn't feel this fucking good. I can see why weed isn't legal, nobody would get anything done." You observe with a light laugh, reaching to open your pants to discard them. You undo the button, and slide the zipper down. You struggle to get them all the way off, unsure how you actually figure it out a moment later. You're left in nothing but a tiny thong that matches the bra you had on before.

"Damn, sweetheart. I've seen you like this at least a hundred times, but I swear each time always feels like the first." He says in a husky tone, licking his lips at how delicious you look now that you're pretty much naked.

"You always know exactly what to say to make me feel special, baby. I love you." You reply, blushing wildly at his words. He's quite the charmer, but nothing he says ever feels like a line, unless it's a genuine joke. You wonder every day how this is actually happening, how Eddie is truly yours and treats you like a queen. It all feels like a dream sometimes, but you're so grateful that it's real.

"I love you too, princess. Wanna help me with the rest of my clothes?" He asks with a kind smile.

"Don't mind if I do." You giggle, fiddling with his belt to get it open. You flick open the button and zip, yanking the pants down his legs. You remove his boxers afterwards, his dick smacking against his stomach before standing at attention. You take off your thong as well, leaving no barriers between you. You follow what your delayed mind demands, straddling his thighs as you lean down to kiss him again. Eddie's tongue slips into your mouth shortly after your lips meet. You want to take your time, to enjoy every single second of this.

Eddie breaks the kiss when he thinks of something that could enhance your experience even further. "Should we put on some music, sweetheart?" He asks, stroking your sides with his large hands. The metal of his rings drags cooly against your bare skin.

"Sure thing, Eds." You reply, understanding why he's asking. Having steady sound in the background can lead you through every touch and kiss and as the weed tantalizes your senses. You reach over to your bedside table, flicking on the radio. It just so happens to be set to the rock station from the last time you and Eddie listened to it, and the opening notes of "Dazed and Confused" by Led Zeppelin begin to fill the room.

"Mmm, perfect timing." Eddie chuckles, before rolling you both over onto your side. His lips meet yours again, following the echoing strums of guitar to roll his tongue against yours. You moan into his mouth, arousal spreading rapidly between your legs. His hand drags along your silhouette at the same time, making the skin of your shoulder, elbow, waist, stomach buzz. As Robert Plant begins to sing, Eddie wanders between your bodies to feel your slick folds.

"Eddie." You whimper, a shock of pleasure jolting through your body. Your pussy is very sensitive, and wetter than ever before. You can feel your juices dripping down your thighs and onto the blanket. You lift your leg to lay over his, allowing him better access. He grins at you, stroking your cunt in slow, exploring circles. "Feels so good, baby." You sigh as your heart rate picks up. The languid yet foreboding music intensifies every sensation, sending pleasure signals to your brain in rapid succession.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, angel." He speaks lowly, eyes glued to your face to watch your every reaction. "I love making you cum, watching all the pretty faces you make, hearing all your filthy noises. It's one of the most beautiful things in the world. You're such a good girl for me, my perfect little slut." He pushes two fingers into your pussy on his final word.

"Oh, fuck." You gasp, arching your back instinctively.

"God, you're fuckin' soaked, Y/N. Already making a mess, just for me." His cock throbs against your stomach, the slightest amount of friction making his head spin.

"Just for you, love. Shit, I feel like I'm dissolving or something." You observe dumbly, unable to keep your eyes open at how amazing this all is. It's overwhelming in the best possible way, you swear you could lose it any second now.

"You gonna cum for me, darling? I can tell you're already so close, makin' it hard for my fingers to move inside you." He's absolutely right, your walls have begun to flutter around him, threatening to strangle his digits altogether. You can't help it, everything just feels so good.

"Uh-huh. Keep going, Eds." You moan, needing him to push you over the edge. You wonder how he's able to stay so articulate, saying dirty things to you to spur you on. You can barely string two words together as your mind is mixed up by electric beaters with every swell of the music. Eddie does as you ask, even increasing his pace. He wasn't moving very fast to begin with, which only proves beyond a reasonable doubt, that what you're doing right now is a fantastic idea. "Can't believe I'm gonna cum when you've barely touched me. You sure there wasn't anything else in that joint?" You ask through a lustful whine.

"I promise there wasn't. I'd never give you something without you knowing, sweetheart." He says calmly, finding entertainment in your disbelief of your own reactions to the pot. His free hand takes hold of your tit, massaging the flesh to give you even more. You moan loudly at the sensation, arching your back again. Your abdomen brushes against his dick, making him groan. A streak of precum rubs onto your skin, the idea of Eddie marking you with his release pushing you over the edge.

"Oh, god! Eddie!" You cry out, losing all control you once had over your body. You convulse around his fingers, trapping them inside as fluids spill out of your pussy. It runs down either side of your thigh to soak through the top layer of your bedding. Your eyes roll back into your head as you let out truly unholy noises. Your orgasm works its way through you mercilessly, and all Eddie can do is watch every second unfold in slow motion. If he didn't know any better, he'd blow his load all over your stomach at the sight before him.

"That's my good girl." He praises, caressing your sweat-drenched face with the back of his hand. He pulls you into a kiss, setting you on fire again before you've had a real chance to cool off. He removes his fingers from your cunt, bringing them up to your mouths. He sticks them between you, allowing you both to lick the sweet nectar from the moisture-wrinkled flesh.

"Mmm." You moan simultaneously at the taste, frantically licking every last drop away. Your teeth and tongues clash against one another repeatedly, though neither of you care how clumsy you're being. You just want to keep touching, and kissing, and devouring each other. When the musky flavor of your release has gone, you push Eddie's chest to make him lie down. He bounces harshly on the bed from the force, smirking at how aggressive you've become. You straddle his lap like before, bringing your hand to his throat. You wrap your fingers around his neck, not yet pressing down.

"You gonna choke me, baby?" Eddie asks, absolutely loving the idea.

"Do you want me to?" You ask, smiling ear to ear at the concept. You've never done it before, you only hope he'll let you try. But even more than that, you want him to like it.

"I would love it, sweetheart. Go ahead, I know you're dying to try it." He bites his lip, waiting for you to follow through on your promise. You gently start to squeeze the sides of his thick neck, cutting off the blood flow ever so slightly. "Fuck. Harder." He begs, groaning as his head lightens at your touch. You do as he asks, overtaken by a dark thrill as you increase the pressure. He moans again, but it comes out a bit garbled from you choking him.

"Such a good boy for me, I think you deserve a reward." You say darkly, leaning to speak into his ear. "You wanna fuck me, Eddie?" Your hot breath flows against his skin, turning him on even further. You loosen your grip a bit so he can answer you.

"Yeah, I wanna be inside you so bad. You're so hot and wet, shit, I can feel you dripping all over me." He replies desperately, dying to have his dick plunge deep into your velvet insides.

"That's right, Eds. I just can't help myself, you make me feel so good." You let out an exaggerated whine, rolling your hips once across his torso. Your clit rubs against him, smearing a trail of your arousal on his stomach. "You want me to ride you, love?" You ask in that same seductive tone.

"Please. Let me fill you up, angel." He begs, you've got him wrapped around your little finger at this rate.

"You got it, babe." You briefly bite his earlobe, shifting your lower half downwards. You take Eddie's length in your hand now that you can reach, working him painfully slow.

"Shit, you're always such a cock-tease, Y/N." He breathes out with a grin as he tries not to cum. You frown at his words, wanting him to submit to you completely. You squeeze his throat again, harder than before. Another strained moan leaves his lips, and more of your juices trickle from your pussy at the sound.

"Naughty boy, you know better than to talk back. I'll fuck you when you've earned it." You say through gritted teeth. You stroke him faster, noticing his stomach already beginning to tense. "Gonna cum so soon, baby? You wanna make a mess all over me?" You question mockingly, aiming his tip towards your stomach as you continue to pump him. Eddie only manages to nod, your grip on his throat makes it impossible to speak. His eyes stare deep into yours, wide and doe-ish as his release takes over.

"Fuck." He barely squeaks the word out, his mouth falling open helplessly. His hips buck upwards, and his sticky load lands in hot spurts all over your tits and belly. It drips down sloppily, the white droplets gleaming in the light. His toes curl as he empties onto you, and his large hands bunch the blankets below in sweaty fists.

"Mmm, good boy." You grin in satisfaction. You let his throat and softening cock fall from your grasp, and you look down your body to see the evidence of his orgasm splattered all over you. You wipe up one of the streaks from your breast with your middle finger. You bring it up to your lips, accepting the entire length of it into your mouth. You moan at the taste, keeping your eyes on Eddie the entire time.

"Fuck, that was hot." He pants as his chest heaves, struggling to catch his breath.

"Sure was, baby. You wanna clean me up until you can go again?" You ask politely, slipping off his body to lay beside him.

"Of course, sweetheart. Trust me, I'm just getting started." Eddie chuckles, angling himself so his mouth can reach every bit of the sticky mess he left on you, while keeping his legs next to yours. He leans over your torso, dragging the flat of his tongue over each streak of his release to wipe them away. He licks one off your nipple, playfully biting the hardened bud afterwards.

"Fuck." You murmur. You follow his head traveling downwards while he cleans every last drop of cum off your body. It's such a filthy sight. Whimpers and moans leavE your lips at how warm his tongue feels against your skin. He keeps going, putting himself between your legs as he spreads them. It seems he's had an ulterior motive to doing as you commanded, secretly wanting to make you cum on his face. "You sneaky bastard." You laugh, rolling your eyes at his unrelenting sexual appetite.

"Don't pretend you aren't loving this, babydoll. Is it so terrible that I wanna please you?" He asks, teasing you while his hands grip your thighs.

"Not at all, Eds. Knock yourself out." You lay your arm under your head to prop it up, wanting to see everything he's about to do to you. The song changes, a glam rock tune that you recognize instantly. "Lady Grinning Soul" by David Bowie, naturally. It appears whoever is in charge of acting as local radio deejay tonight, has taken part in the same substance as you and your boyfriend. They may or may not be a bit horny, as well. Eddie's eyes meet yours, and he brings his mouth to your drenched pussy to lick a small stripe along your slit. "God, that feels amazing, baby." You sigh, legs twitching at the overwhelming sensation.

"You're so unbelievably pretty like this, sweetheart. I don't think I'll ever get enough of you." Eddie speaks sweetly. He takes his time, pressing wet kisses to your inner thighs at random intervals between slow strokes along your clit and entrance. He's playing around with you, but in a most pleasurable way. It's far from teasing, as everything he does has an intense impact on you. He's savoring it, savoring you. The saccharine tang of your arousal coats his lips, his teeth, even his throat as he swallows every last drop. You're an ever-flowing fountain to him, your offerings slaking his thirst for love and companionship. "You're everything to me, Y/N." He says earnestly.

"You're everything to me, too, baby. You doin' okay down there?" You ask in kind concern, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah! Yeah...I'm fine. I just一" His breath catches, almost like he might cry. He shakes his head, keeping the tears at bay. "You're just perfect, that's all." He says with a smile, rubbing your thighs to ground himself. This never happens when he's high, but he can't shake the dialed-up emotions swarming over him. It certainly doesn't help that his brain is twisting and turning, due to certain mind-altering drugs you both smoked earlier.

Eddie's been on his own in almost every way for as long as he can remember. Sure, he has the club, and Wayne. But when he's not leading a campaign, or his uncle is sleeping or away at work, he's left alone with his own thoughts. The dreadful, awful thoughts of not being good enough, of being a worthless asshole who doesn't deserve love or happiness. Booze and drugs can only do much to block said thoughts out, often leaving him immobile in bed for hours on end. Staring at the wall or ceiling, his heart aching in his chest for something more. He never once thought he'd be so lucky to have someone like you in his life.

"You're perfect, too, baby. C'mere." You beckon him to you, wanting to hold him close. You can see it in his eyes that he's feeling so many things at once. He crawls back up the bed, laying on his side next to you. You mirror his position, his face just a couple inches from yours. You watch his troubled expression, knowing he's holding back from you. "Tell me what you're thinking." You coo, cupping his cheek.

"I-I didn't think I'd meet anyone like you, princess." He stutters at the thought, recalling how unpleasant life is without you in it. "I didn't think I'd meet anyone at all, really. At least, nobody worth...sticking around for." His eyebrows knit oddly at those two words in particular, his voice dipping to an ashamed whisper. 'Sticking around'...

"What do you mean? Like...staying in Hawkins?" You ask, confused as to why he'd say it like that. Nobody thinks all that highly of this sleepy little town, most plan to get out by the age of five, and give up by the time they're thirty.

"No." Eddie replies, his mouth staying open as if he's going to say something else. He closes it again, averting his eyes. He shakes his head, he can't possibly tell you this. You'll hear him say this terrible thing, and you won't love him anymore. "Nevermind, it's not a big deal." He says shakily, wanting to drop the subject.

You're watching closely as fear, almost panic spreads over his features. He's breathing unevenly, his heart pounding in his chest. He can't possibly be saying what you think he's saying. But given his behavior, you suspect the worst. Regardless of what it is, you intend to stay by his side and support him. You take his hands in yours, reeling him back to you before he disappears inside his head. "Eddie, please tell me. I'm here for you, you know that. Don't hide this from me, you promised we wouldn't do that." You say as calmly as you can, not wanting to scare him away. His pupils flick to yours again, finding your empathetic face. This makes him relax a little, and he nods. He takes a deep breath before continuing.

"I'm sure it's no surprise that I've always been...kind of a loner, Y/N. I'm not a popular person, friends are few and far between for me. I dunno if Dustin told you, but after we graduated, and my bandmates moved away, I've been on my own a lot." He pauses, feeling the sting of tears pricking his eyes. "And, uh...that's not great for me. I don't think very highly of myself, quite the opposite, actually. I won't bother you with the details, I'm sure you can imagine." He chuckles dryly, clearing his throat after. "So, being alone leads to lots of...dark thoughts. Thoughts I've never shared with anyone. Not Wayne, not the kids in Hellfire, nobody." He sniffles, a couple salty drops rolling down his cheeks.

"Would it help if you told me, Eddie?" You ask, offering every ounce of comfort you can give.

"I have a feeling you already know what I'm getting at, sweetheart." He says, his tone stiff and unwilling. He doesn't want to say the words aloud. He's never dared to do such a thing. It's like they're forbidden to fall from his lips.

"I think I can hazard a guess, love. And I'm sorry you've felt that way. No one should have to go through that. Especially not alone." You squeeze his hands and wonder if you should ask the question bubbling inside your head. You don't want to push him too far, but it's only natural to be curious. "Did you ever try to一"

"No." He cuts you off, shaking his head emphatically. "I couldn't do that to Wayne, but I thought about it all the time. How I'd do it, when, where, what my 'last meal' would be, of all things." He explains, his eyes squinting shut as more tears fall. He opens them again, red and glassy as they gauge your every reaction to his words. You keep yourself calm on the outside, but internally your heart is cracking at the seams, breaking for the crying man before you. You've known about his rough childhood, and the bullying through school and afterwards. But the idea of Eddie being suicidal, it just makes everything else all the more harrowing.

"Do you still think about doing it, Eddie?" You ask, willing to accept whatever the truth might be. You'd love to think that being present in his life has helped him feel better. And you're sure it has, to some extent. But it's unfair and unreasonable to think he would be one-hundred-percent 'normal' all because he started seeing you. You of all people know that love can't magically make your problems go away.

"I'm not gonna lie, Y/N. I still do sometimes, but a lot less than I used to. You've helped me feel so much better than before, I promise you that. But I'm fucked up, angel. I'm not sure it'll ever fully go away." He sighs, hoping he hasn't disappointed you. "Do you think less of me? I understand if you do." His thumbs rub mindlessly over your knuckles, steadying his state of mind while he waits for you to answer.

"Of course not, Eddie. I would never judge you for something that isn't your fault. I love you so much, baby. And nothing is ever gonna change that, okay?" You give him a gentle kiss, bringing a hand up to stroke his hair. He softens against you, his tense body loosening to accept your affection. You can feel more of his tears raining onto your skin, and you just let him work through everything he's feeling, kissing him tenderly and repeatedly through it all.

"I love you too, Y/N. Thank you for being here for me." He wipes his eyes, letting out another deep sigh.

"Any time, darling." You flash him a kind smile.

"Fuck, sorry for ruining the mood." He groans, flopping onto his back in annoyance with himself.

"It's okay. We've fucked many times before, and I'm sure there'll be many more opportunities after today. But for now, we can put some pj's on and watch a movie if you want. We can eat some cake, cuddle with Arwen on the couch." You suggest, sitting up in bed.

"That sounds perfect, babydoll." Eddie replies, getting off the mattress to get some pajamas from his bag. You do the same at your dresser, the sound of which disturbs Arwen's nap.

"Mew!" She cries as her eyes open to blink at you.

"Aw, poor little baby. I'm sorry we woke you up, but we're gonna cuddle and have cake." Eddie coos at the kitten, slipping on his lounge pants and an old band tee before scooping her up into his arms.

"You're so sweet with her, it's fuckin' adorable." You giggle, watching the cat's eyes close blissfully while Eddie scratches behind her ears.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Further evidence that I'm a big softy. I can't believe I talked like that in front of everyone at the party." He laughs, rolling his eyes. He has a reputation to uphold, and here you are making him so vulnerable, even in public.

"Yes, you are a very soft man." You start, making his head whip to you in offense. You continue, explaining what you mean. "But that's not a bad thing, Eddie. It just means you're a good person. You're loving, kind, and understanding. Those are things most people struggle with, and it comes to you naturally." He nods in response, realizing you were only giving him a compliment.

"It's nice that you think so, sweetheart. I don't always feel like a good person." He says sadly, pulling his eyes away again.

"I've found that the best people typically put themselves under a lot of scrutiny. Any little misstep, and it makes them question everything. But that's good, because bad people never really think about their actions, or how they affect others. People like that go through life justifying every move they make, as opposed to weighing the consequences." You explain, trying to get through to him that he's not as bad as everyone says he is.

"You know, you'd be great at public speaking, baby. You're very convincing, and smart as hell. I could listen to you talk all day long." He smiles, turning this conversation back onto you. You can tell he still doesn't quite believe what you've told him, but self-esteem can't be rebuilt in a day.

"Thanks, Eds. But I don't think my anxiety would allow such a thing." You giggle, reaching for his hand to walk down the hall together. He gives it to you, holding Arwen up in the other to go sit on the couch. You cut two more slices from the cake, bringing the plates over while Eddie picks out a movie. You're both still a bit stoned, but you sense you're on the precipice of the come-down. You plop down beside the kitten, who's waiting for you and Eddie to shower her with attention. "Hey there, furry little thing. You're just too cute, it makes my heart wanna explode." You say to her, in that same silly voice only meant to be heard by her fuzzy ears.

"Mew." She replies, her tiny mouth opening briefly to let the sound out.

"She's very talkative. Have you noticed that?" You ask Eddie as he pulls his choice of VHS from the drawer below the TV.

"Yeah, she's got a bit of an attitude, too. I imagine she's very smart, despite being just a baby. How's this one? I figure we could use something comforting tonight. It's been a long day." He says, showing you the worn paper cover of Labyrinth.

"That's perfect, Eds. Pop it in and get over here." You smirk, patting the spot next to you on the couch. He slips the tape into the VCR, hopping enthusiastically onto the sofa once it begins to play. You hand him his slice of cake, and the two of you dig in as the movie starts.

About halfway through the film, there's a knock at the door. "Ms. Henderson, this is Chief Powell. Can you open up, please?" You hear the man speaking sternly on the other side of the door. You and Eddie look at each other, wondering what he wants. He could be here for Eddie regarding the fight with Jason, or if something happened to your mom. You swallow hard and pause the movie. You go to the door, opening it slowly.

"What's this about, Chief?" You ask, keeping the door mostly shut to block Eddie from his view.

"It's nothing serious, Y/N. We've got your mother in the back of the squad car. She tried to drive home drunk from the Hideaway. Jack, the owner, called us to stop her." The chief explains, giving you a comforting look. He knows you're worried about Eddie's standing in the Carver case, thankfully it hasn't become an issue. Not yet, anyway.

"Oh my god. Is she okay?" You ask, looking around him to see Mom slumped in the backseat. The red and blue lights flash on the roof, shining brightly through the darkness of the night.

"She's fine, and we'll have her car towed back here. But um... her license has been suspended. She managed to drive a few blocks before we stopped her, and she almost hit a couple teenagers crossing the street." He sighs, regretting every word coming out of his mouth. Claudia hasn't been this bad since George left, he can't imagine why she'd do something so stupid.

"Jesus christ. Well, I'm sorry she caused you trouble, Chief. I'll get her in bed, and I can drive her to work until the suspension is up." You reply, subtly rolling your eyes. You're absolutely pissed. What the hell was she thinking? She could've killed someone, or got herself put in the hospital or a body bag. And then where would that leave you? Or Dustin? It's also really fucking rich that she had the nerve to yell at you only hours ago about how irresponsible you are, and then she goes and does this? What a fucking hypocrite.

"It's no trouble at all, Y/N. I'm just glad nobody got hurt. We'll bring her inside for you." Powell says calmly, reading the anger all over your face.

"Great." You say flatly, opening the door all the way so the officers can escort your mother inside. You sit on the couch beside Eddie, shaking your head with pursed lips.

"Is everything okay?" Eddie asks, putting a hand on your thigh.

"No. Mom got wasted and tried to drive home. She almost killed someone before she got pulled over." You state, avoiding his eyes.

"Shit. I'm sorry, Y/N." He tries to relax you, but you can't stop the boiling rage.

"Don't be. If anyone should be sorry, it's her. She could've gotten hurt, or died! And then me and Dustin would have NO parents!" Your volume rises, almost shouting. Dustin's bedroom door opens at the sound, and he comes down the hall to see what the ruckus is about.

"What's going on?" He asks while rubbing his eyes. Fuck, he was sleeping. And now you're shouting and Mom is drunk off her ass with a DUI.

"Shit, Dusty. I'm sorry I woke you. Mom's drunk, that's all you need to know right now." You say as Powell and Callahan bring Mom inside the house. She's barely conscious, more drunk than you've ever seen a human be before. "Are you sure she doesn't have alcohol poisoning? She looks awful." You ask the cops, wondering if they got her any medical attention.

"We had her checked out, they said she should be fine. Just keep an eye on her, I'm sure she'll have one helluva hangover tomorrow." Powell replies, struggling to keep a hold on Mom. Her eyes flutter open a moment, and she looks at you.

"I'm sorry." She slurs, her face scrunching into what looks like sadness and regret. That is, until she vomits onto the carpet. It lands a few feet away from you, stinking of booze and chocolate cake.

"Jesus christ." Callahan exclaims, adopting a look of utter disgust.

"’Kay, safe to say I'm not hungry anymore." Eddie grimaces, putting his half-empty plate down.

"Maybe a stop to the bathroom would be beneficial." Powell suggests, looking to you as a way to ask where it is.

"Yeah. It's just down the hall, the last door on the left." You say, glancing at Mom in pity. A dribble of vomit sits on her bottom lip, a translucent dark brown. The officers take her down the hall, and you hear more vomiting that hopefully all lands into the toilet this time. You sigh, letting your head fall into your hands. "Great, now I gotta clean up puke tonight. That's the last thing I wanted to do." You groan, your own stomach turning at the acrid smell filling the room.

"We’ll help out, sweetheart." Eddie offers, rubbing your back with his hand.

"Yeah, you shouldn't have to do that all by yourself." Dustin chimes in, heading into the kitchen for the cleaning supplies.

"Thanks, guys. Let's take care of it before it soaks in too far." You get off the couch, slipping on some rubber gloves your brother hands to you. First, you soak up as much fluid with paper towels and toss them away. Next, pour carpet cleaner on the spot, letting it foam up for a few minutes. Then comes the scrubbing, you scrub the fibers of the carpet until you're sure there's no barf left clinging to them. After that, you wipe away any excess cleanser and let it dry. Easy peasy.

"Okay, safe to say I never wanna do that again." Dustin says as the three of you thoroughly wash your hands.

"Same here." You and Eddie reply at the same time. It really was far from pleasant, the smell alone made you wanna add to the mess. Thankfully you held it together, save for a couple compulsive gags. The officers are finally leading Mom to her room once you finish, she's been puking this entire time. She must have racked up quite the tab at the Hideaway.

"Shit, you guys work fast. Your mom must be thankful to have such helpful kids." Powell comments when he returns to the livingroom to find the mess already cleaned away.

"You'd think so, right?" You retort, still quite peeved at needing to do so at all.

"Right." He clears his throat, visibly uncomfortable. "We'll get out of your hair. Just make sure she has water and aspirin, and a wastebasket by the bed wouldn't hurt." He gives a weak smile, turning to leave.

"Will do, Chief. Thanks for bringing her home." You follow behind him, closing the door once he steps outside. "I am sooooo gonna tear her a new one tomorrow. What the fuck was she thinking?!"

"I don't think she was, angel." Eddie says quietly.

"No shit! God, I'm still high. I shouldn't be this angry!" You keep shouting, pacing around the floor wildly.

"I think you're being a bit hard on her, Y/N." Dustin says, coming to Mom's defense.

"No, I'm not! You wanna know what happened? She got absolutely wasted because of our stupid fight! And then she tried to DRIVE HOME! She almost hit some teenagers, she could have killed them! Do you understand how pissed she'd be if some drunk asshole almost hit one of us in the road like that? She'd be calling for their head and you know it! So now, her license is suspended, and I'll have to drive her to work like she's a goddamn child!" You're practically screaming now, going red in the face as you try to get Dustin to understand the gravity of the situation.

"I can drive her if一" He replies, focusing on the wrong thing. As if you actually think having to cart her around is the issue.

"That's not the damn point, Dusty! Did you not hear what I just said?" You question in disbelief. Neither of them have much to say about Mom's reckless behavior, more so they seem to want to justify it. And you'll hear absolutely none of it. "Ugh, whatever. I'm going to bed. Eddie, you can come if you want and bring the cat. Or not, I'm too pissed off to give a shit." You say with a resigned laugh, your arms clapping at your sides as you give up. You storm off down the hall, slamming the door to your room shut as hard as you can.

You flick off your bedroom light, and flop face first onto your bed. You press your head into the pillows, screaming into their fluffy bodies to muffle the sound of your frustration. You yank the blankets over your head, hiding away from the world. You don't care if Eddie comes to bed, he honestly might stay on the couch with how angry you've become. Maybe that's best, you don't feel all that deserving of comfort or cuddling at the moment. You know you're not wrong in your sentiment towards Mom's actions, but you definitely flew off the handle a bit. You groan loudly, rolling over to stop suffocating on the pillows. You face the window, letting your eyes peek out to look at the moon outside. The glowing orb in the sky gazes down upon you, the craters on its surface seemingly forming a look of shame and disappointment in your direction.

"Y/N?" Eddie says, quietly opening the door to your room. He tiptoes in with Arwen, hoping you're still awake. He feels awful for coming off like he wasn't supporting you. Of course he thinks Claudia was being an absolute idiot. But he doesn't think it's his place to say anything about it. He's certainly no angel. Who is he to judge someone else for their mistakes?

"Yes." You whisper, unable to say anything else.

"I'm sorry, love." He replies, crawling into bed with you. You turn to look at him, finding Arwen laying in the small space between you.

"For what? You're not the one with a DUI." You sigh, trying to stop a bout of tears.

"I know, baby. But I shouldn't have made it seem like I don't care that your mom was being reckless. Of course I do. Claudia's like a mother to me, despite the fact that she doesn't seem to like me much anymore." He lets out a light laugh at that. "And I know you love her so much, and you're worried about her. I'd be just as pissed as you if the roles were reversed." He scoots closer, putting the kitten into a warm cuddle sandwich. She mews happily at the coziness, nuzzling her head against you.

"It's fine. I didn't exactly let you have a chance to speak. She just一 I can't believe she'd do that. Like...what the fuck?" You say, looking to Eddie for the answer. That's the thing, more than anything else, you're utterly stumped as to why she would do this. Given the fight earlier today, and the constant lectures she's bestowed upon you and Dustin about the dangers of drinking and other serious topics. She rejected her own advice, and did something that has left you dumbfounded.

"I dunno, princess. I wish I had an answer for you. I guess you'll just have to ask her tomorrow." Eddie says sadly, tonight was supposed to be your night. Just the two of you, enjoying a nice time together. But no, instead it became about him telling you more of his deep dark secrets, and your mother throwing up all over the carpet. "You gonna be okay, love?" He asks, taking your hand in his.

"I'll give it my best shot, Eds. At least I have you here." You reply, giving him a chaste kiss. Arwen squeals in protest, annoyed at you squishing her. "Sorry, little one. I just had to kiss your daddy goodnight." You pat her head to put her at ease, and she lies down, placing herself into your touch. She purrs against your palm, settling in to go to sleep. 

"Take it easy on your mother, Arwen. She's had a very long day." Eddie says to the cat, smiling at how silly the idea of talking to an animal like it's a person is. It feels right, though, natural. Arwen is essentially your child, and you both want to love and take care of her the best you can. "Goodnight, sweetheart. I love you." He speaks to you now, taking your free hand to hold.

"Goodnight, Eds. I love you, too." You reply, closing your eyes shortly after. You really hope tomorrow pans out better than today did, but would it really be your life if things didn't go sideways?

To be continued...

[jojo-schmo]

Now I'm curious: what did your first Kirbysona look like? It's hard to imagine you not being the bubble witch!

Once upon a time… I made my very first Kirbysona in 2010! I was in middle school hehe. I was still keeping to myself in the fandom (definitely a good thing since I was so young), so I could only think of Kirby’s species as an option for myself! I loved the Beam jester hat, and I had just played Crystal Shards for the first time so I used them to tip the ends of my hat! :P Then I just straight up gave myself the Star Rod to carry around simply because I liked it! Tying a ribbon around it means it’s mine now haha. I think I had light powers or something like that.

I couldn’t find any colored pictures of her from my childhood in my short search- so this is what I think I remember her colors as. (Colors have always been a little hard for me in art. When I visualize things in my head they look more like black and white storyboards so I rarely colored my art at the time.) if I do find an old colored drawing I’ll show it hehe.

It’s nice to look back at this. This was before I learned about how people online made fun of “Mary Sues” or “cringe oc’s. (A trend that I’m happy has quieted down in recent years.) Before a time I felt too afraid to share my ideas and art in fear they weren’t “special or original enough.” This was just a pure expression of how I imagined I’d live in the Kirby universe, and how much fun I might have with my favorite characters….

I stopped drawing this little puffball shortly after starting high school. But I still thought about her sometimes.

Fast forward to 2023. I wanted a sona to represent myself once I realized my art had a small following on here. But I wanted take the design beyond a puffball, and maybe create a sona that actually looked a bit more like me while still existing in the Kirby universe. It’s not super obvious but when I was designing my Bubble Witch form I thought it would be nice to carry over a few small elements from my original childhood Kirbysona. Just as a small homage to the child I used to be. And in a way, she’s still part of me.

I can’t physically hug the little girl who made that Kirbysona… But I can definitely keep doing my best to take care of myself and create work that she might’ve liked.

[banini-pen]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞

"𝐀 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞, 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐦, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰. "𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞," 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫, "𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰 𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐩." 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞'𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐛 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬."

Author: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Dates read: August 10 - 15, 2024 Star Rating: ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ (spoiler review under the cut)

The Little Prince is a little book that shares the short yet deep truth of adults. It calls out how people, mainly adults, perceive things. It is one of those books where it has a funny and heartfelt feeling with a hint of melancholy inside. I love how this book was written, with the narrator jumping to and fro the situation and the Little Prince’s journey.

One of the things I enjoyed about this book is how the Little Prince is the epitome of childhood innocence. He is a child. With the childlike qualities of always asking questions, and the vivid imagination. However, he also showcases the maturity in children that adults often dismiss. How he understood the Rose, and how he pities the King, the show-off, the businessman, or the drunkard. However, the lamplighter was only the one he thought wasn’t silly because he had a purpose.

A scene that I found quite funny was when the Little Prince threw a tantrum. The author kept on dismissing the Little Prince and he grew tired and shouted, “You sound just like grown-ups! — You’ve got it all wrong, you get everything muddled up!”

“-and all day long he repeats just like you: ‘I have serious matters to attend to! Worthwhile matters! And that makes him puff up with pride. But he’s not a man, he’s a puffball!”

These two paragraphs show how adults prioritize things and sometimes it ends up with them being puffballs.

Overall this book was a fun and quick read, with lessons woven into the story subtly and softly. I highly recommend this book for everyone!

[startistdoodles]

Wait, ALL babies that are created by Void are super fluffy?! That’s adorable!! Do they still have fluff when they become adults, or is it like smoothed down fuzz?

Most of them are! Puffballs are usually slightly fuzzy but they can also be smooth/hairless or EXTRA fluffy.

The fluff remains with them as they grow, but puffballs with very short fuzz (like Prisma) will end up looking more smoothed out when they get older. It's only noticable when they're tiny or get into a situation that ruffles them.

Like how Kirby is slightly scruffy here xD

[seldomscilence16]

Alright so this all started with a lego set at work, turned into a long ass intro, then its 11 on Christmas Eve and I decide to just do the Christmas snippet and finish the rest/context later.

So please ignore spelling 😬 and Happy Holidays all! Also TW for a bit of Racism at one point, theres a bullying scene but a short one. "Well if it isnt..." is where it starts and "there a problem here." Is where it ends.

Hope you enjoy this snippet! Stay safe everyone and thank @autisticlancemcclain for the Bug boy Lance!

...

Lance could kick himself.

He knows better than this. He knows what happens, he knows that once they get what they want, they'll leave.

And yet, here he is, spending hard earned money, on four classmates. Sure he'd saved them for last, focusing on his families gifts first and foremost- its the main reason he got the job, part going to saving for emergencies, the rest to spend on Christmas- but he was doing the thing he'd sworn off.

No people. People hurt and use and lie and tease. Lance was supposed to he strong until college, his fresh start, but then these four had to go and be NICE and do their part and- yeah the bar was really low...

"This isnt going to end well." He mumbles, the hustle and bustle of the mall overwhelming with holiday traffic and leaving him worn out before he even enters an actual store.

He scans aisle after aisle, berating himself for putting so much thought into something he wasnt even supposed to be doing. His eye catches something green and he comes to a halt. Its legos, one of those collectors sets that costs an arm and a leg, but Lance hadn't even known Lego did THIS.

'The insect collection'.

"Blue Morpho Butterfly, Hercules Beetle, and a Chinese Mantis." He breathes in awe, eyes scanning every detail.

"Well if it isnt Mclame."

His head snaps up, a group of classmates before him, most of which are his very reason for his No People rule.

"Still a freak about bugs I see, surprised you havent married one yet- maybe even they dont want you!" He snorts when he laughs, a strange noise from the back of his throat that remind Lance of a Donkey or Pig.

"Not like he could even afford it, if you want you can have your mom come clean my house." One girl taunts from the back, Lances blood boiling at the blatent racist remark despite Lance's CUBAN heritage.

"If you do have money to spare you should buy me lunch instead, for having to be in your vecinity for this long." Another boy plugs his nose, like he showers every day. Lance sits behind him in English, and he does not.

"There a problem here kids?" A man in the mall security uniform eyes them all carefully, eyes giving Lance a once over that makes him uncomfortable.

"No sir." He replies polity, deciding another store may hold better finding anyway- at least better company.

....

Lance's budget was low to begin with, but eventually he comes up with ideas for the four.

It starts with Hunks treats. The things that get them through their library sessions when the projects blur. And Lances job allows him access to plenty of people who would love to share things with anyone who will listen. So painstakingly, Lance translates recipes to paper as the older generations he enteracts with give him a little baking show.

Shiro's, surprisingly, comes next. A single comment about how much he hates ruined shirt sleeves, as they get caught on his prosthetic port. Its winter, and tank tops simply wont do, so Lance finds himself knitting in his spare time. Doing hours of research to see what possibilities will be the most comfortable, with of course a very lame joke on the front.

Pidge's was an accident. Lance's bike- sabataged it would seem- leaves him crashing off path in a ditch on his way home from work. He ends up limping his way through thick folliage, dragging a broken bike in the late hours of the afternoon. The little squeak is almost ignored, the second one however, well its Lance.

The little thing is a puffball, Lance was almost sure it was a toupé, until it moved and blinked at him. He thinks its a dog, no idea what kind, but its tiny and fluffy and following him home. Lance has three allergic family members, but Pidge mentioned a family dog who had sadly passed away and nearly broke Lances heart. The green eyes tell him this little thing will be a lovely match.

Keith is the hardest. Lance honestly almost buys a knife, because the guy is a conspiracy theorist and gets into way too much trouble not to have a few knives on him. But it doesnt seem right.

But Lance see's how often he doodles.

Freakin gorgeous doodles.

Then he finds the brand 'Keff Artistry' and its too close to 'Keef' for Lance to pass up.

...

He almost tells his family to simply lock him up and burn the gifts, but then they'd be worried and he's trying to avoid that thank you, hes been doing an excellent job masking his turmoil thus far.

So, the day before Christmas Eve, Lance gathers his gifts in trembling hands, and slips out of the house unseen. If this turns into a mess, he'll deal with it himself this time. He has to grow up eventually, he cant keep crying about bullies to his family, its not a big deal anyway.

"What the heck happened to your face!?" Pidge's incredulous tone has everyone eyes snapping towards said face.

"Its nothing, bike accident." Lance shrugs it off, as he'd done when he'd come home with it, he had too little proof anyway. Anyone could have carved 'McLame' into the side of it.

"Accident huh?" Its mumbled by someone, but Lance cant place it and decidedly ignores it anyway.

"I uh... have gifts... for you guys." He changes the subject, directing the attention to the bags he carries.

"For us?" Hunk asks, eyes wide and sparkly, "You know you didnt have to buddy."

Well, supposedly.

"Yeah, its not much, but uh, here." He hands them out carefully, extra careful with Pidge's.

"Guess its a good thing we brought ours to you then." Shiro says, pulling a wrapped box from the spare chair.

Lance's eyebrows furrow, staring at the box in confusion, perhaps with a little trepidation,

"You guys got me something?"

"Yeah! We all pitched in!" Pidge grins at him, something she does sparingly- grin that is.

He takes it with clammy hands, still shaking ever so slightly. He holds it to his chest as he watches the others open their bags, watches their faces carefully.

Hunk holds the hand bound book tenderly, eyes shining as he flips through the pages carefully.

Shiro stares in awe at his sweater, a chuckle escaping him as he runs his fingers over the soft material.

Pidge squeaks, as the small dog bumps its head against her face, cold nose sniffing excitedly. She holds the animal close, the dog snuggling up like he always belonged there.

Keith is staring at his gift. The art set held half out of the bag, as if he hadnt been expecting it. He turns wide eyes towards Lance, and the cuban can see the emotions there.

This is one of Lance's favorite parts about giving. When he did good in the eyes of the reciever, when they LIKE what he gave, genuinely. No matter its monetary value.

"Lance, this is amazing." Shiro breaks the silence, turning wide eyes his way, smile big and bright and real.

"I cant imagine how long this took, this is amazing! I havent even heard of some of these!!!" Hunk is tearing up, book hugged to his chest, grinning at Lance like he'd been given a great treasure.

"I cant believe you got me a dog! He's just a little puff!" The excitement is so nice to hear, its practically contageous.

"I... havent recieved something this nice from anyone but family before. Thanks Lance." Keith is downright shy as he admits this little fact about himself, and Lance could cry.

"I'm... really glad you guys like them."

"Now open yours!" Hunk encourages quickly, sitting to watch him intently, practically vibrating.

Lance could almost feel scared, but....

He allows himself a little hope.

He opens the paper gingerly, savoring his first gift from anyone outside of family. A corner is revealed, familiar for some reason, another inch-

Lego Ideas The Insect Collection.

"What-" It comes out choked, shock clear on his face.

Is it a joke? Are they mocking him? It was expensive, theres no way they'd spend that much on a joke right?

"Its the one you wanted right?" Pidge asks, a slight pinch to her brow.

"We only saw you from across the mall, so we didn't know- You're crying oh Gods, whats wrong Buddy-" Shiro Panics, quickly kneeling by the chair Lance had collapsed into.

"I don- Why- I can't- "

"Breathe! Come on-" Hunk exagerates his own, encouraging Lance gently to follow as he chokes on tears and air and spit alike.

"Its not a joke right?" He finally gets out, looking pleadingly to the group, running a reverant hand across the box, "You did this to be nice?" He can hear the vulnurability in his own voice, but he's about a second from breaking completely.

"Yes, yes, of course! All 1,111 pieces are inside!" Shiro assures quickly, rubbing a soothing hand over his shoulder and arm.

It gets a wet chuckle from Lance, as he pulls the box to his chest once more.

"No ones... thank you so much, I can't... can't tell you how much this means." He wipe at his face, "I'll repay you, I promise-"

"Hey, its a gift Lance." Keith says, voice softer than ever, "We wanted to get it for you."

"Merry Christmas Lance."

"Merry Christmas."

[scrambledsun]

this thing i made but havent finished. not sure what to do with it yet. have a read anyway!

Two months. It had been two months after he had done what needed to be done. And now he teaches the two students he had perfected. The girls sat at their respective desks and dutifully took notes.

Maddie, now known as Maudine, had black yarn hair with a low puffball tail and brown perfected eyes. no more silly glasses. After all, everyone knows a perfect doll doesn’t need glasses. Wearing glasses would suggest something was wrong with their eyes, it would suggest they didn’t have proper vision, that they were broken in some way.

What child in the big world wanted a broken toy out of the box?

Moxy, or now Maxine, was a doll with sugar pink yarn hair, styled in a short cut that curled upwards at the ends. She now had the body he felt was more suited for a proper doll. no more ugly doll felt, her body was now made from the same fabric as her fellow pretty dolls were. No more of that obnoxiously loud hot pink skin color. It was replaced with tan skin; the only downside was her face.

She had pesky freckles sprinkled on her nose and cheeks now. Damn it. Oh well, he had given her that pocket concealer for a reason. He remembered how happy she was with it, how he had to remind her to stay still and calm her giggle fits as he helped her apply it for the first time. Every now and again he would have to remind her that those freckles were showing. After all, it was his job to point out awful imperfections like that.

Really, he had done them a favor.

He found himself often having to remind himself of that.

He gave them the kind of chance he would never be able to have. They, with a little more time, could soon be able to go to the big world. Their grades and performance were part of the higher grades. He was thinking about assigning them as tutors for dolls with less-than-stellar performances. It wasn’t like he couldn’t use the help.

 Try as he might he was only one doll at the end of the day, a bitter pill he had to swallow a long, long time ago. He oversaw hundreds of dolls a day. So there came times when he had to rely on other dolls that had proved to be borderline near perfect, to help the dolls that had trouble keeping up.

Truth be told, he HATED recycling his dolls, he hated hearing them beg and plead. And their screams, dear doll their screams. Often broken and desperate. He knew how the recycling process worked too, it was part of his job to know the steps just in case it broke while a doll was still in there, and for whatever reason the robots couldn’t fix it, it would fall on him to fix the abomination.

 The first step is the most terrifying to him for a specific reason. When a doll goes into the recycling machine, it is his responsibility to personally oversee them and make sure they don’t escape. That means he must watch.

 Therefore, when a doll or more is put in and shot down the chute, he ensures no dolls are clinging to the inside. He goes to the surveillance room after. A place he hates just as much (if not more) than the recycling machine itself. This room is so he can make sure that the first step is done. It was the most important part because it was supposed to ensure the victims.

Ehm. The imperfections were rendered immobile, making the rest of the process much easier.

He had to watch dolls fall into the grinder room. If they were unlucky enough to fall and land on their legs or sides, they would have to endure the worst last few seconds of their life. Those few seconds always felt like hours to him. Watching their limbs flail about as their bodies were eaten alive by the gluttonous grinder teeth.

 And he could hear everything happening. Every cry every choke every plead. because for some fucked up reason when whatever doll-forsaken maker made this place, decided that they felt like a microphone was more than necessary.

Those moments would haunt him in his sleep for months on end, only letting up with time and distractions. He couldn't afford to fail other dolls because he was too busy thinking of the ones he failed.

His mind is wandering too often these days.

“And with that class is dismissed for the day, study hard now,” he said putting down the white chalk on his desk and then grabbing a tissue out of the blue cubed box that sat next to the pencil holder and began to wipe his hands clean of the white powdery substance.

The students stood up from their respective seats and the noise began. Notebooks are put away, friends grouped back together, and his dolls begin to filter out.

He watched as Maudine and Maxine talked while they put their things away. Maxine must have said something funny because the other doll covered her mouth to try and hide a laugh. Ever since they were perfected the two were borderline inseparable, not that that surprised him.

They were close in their shared end too.

Stop thinking about it.

“Maudine, Maxine, could you girls hang back a minute, I would like to chat about something.”

“Yes, Lou!” They both replied at the same time, looking at each other for a moment before giggling about it.

Lou didn't even bother to try to stop the smile on his lips. Chuckle nuts, the both of them.

Girls stood side by side in front of him. Maudine stood dutifully still and expectant hand at her sides, while Maxine subtly swayed back and forth, arms crossed behind her.

“you girls have been making quite the waves lately hmm,” he said making sure to use one of his trademark smiles that would have pretty dolls swooning.

Maudine had a bashful look while.  

[probablyaseamonster]

your text post analyzing haters behavior is so good. I also had that jarring conclusion of oh my god . He’s tsundere. It’s so silly. and I often think about the fremergency fronfract where haters subconscious thoughts are fronted and it’s literally … he loves being good! he literally admits doing good deeds makes him feel warm and fuzzy ! and they go off and do a bunch of fun good deeds helping people?!

AUGHHH it’s so much to dissect…!

(ﾉ>ω<)ﾉ :｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:♪･ﾟ’☆

you get me! Hater is honestly just primed for a confesses-while-drunk fanfic and didn't that kinda already happe in one episode? WOY characters are so fun to dissect and like Hater and Wander don't have explicit backstories so you end up wondering why they are the way they are and it's so funny!

My vision for season 3 is that Hater finally has that long-awaited redemption arc but Peepers refuses to join him on the side of good, choosing villainy over his Lord (mostly because i always got the impression that Peepers has this vision of what he wants Hater to be and it frustrates him anytime Hater falls short of that grand plan). Peepers is like "fine! Ill show you! Ill be my own villain!" But due to his overall stature he has a Monsters University moral episode where he just fails at making it on his own. It's really sad but then Peepers gets recruited by this new villain who is actually as evil as Peepers desired in a partner. This villain would be the lawful evil to Dominator's chaotic evil, probably some kinda lord-dictator whose both quite than Hater AND smarter than Peepers (another idea i had was that since Hater eventually gave in to Wander's friendship while Dominator refused to be good even at her own expense, this new villain would put a sick twist on the ideas of love and friendship by being this creepy yandere type. Wander would be confronted with a type of love that is impure and hurtful, and if Dom ever comes back she'll be aromantically dishusted with them). This new villain gives the Commander all this praise and affection, but Peepers soon thinks "if im not the brains of the operation, what good am i?" So then either Peepers leaves or finds out some dark secret about why he was hired in the first place and needs to be rescued by Wander, Sylvia and Hater, and then FINALLY at the end of the season starts his own redemption arc.

Oh my God I'm so sorry, I completely went off there. I was supposed to be talking about Hater! So uh, um... The Warm Fuzzies is my fake episode idea. The premise is that a a cutesy puffball-like literal manifestation of Hater's subconscious feelings manifests in his chest and Peepers takes Hater to a bunch of different medical centres to try and get it out. Hater acts like he's a kid home from school the whole time.

Wander is so right that Hater has a soft side and Wander tries so hard to pull it out its honestly so tropey but I still love it and I know I'm not the only one!

[cits-kirby-brainrot]

May I request some more tidbits about Majesty and their relationship with Galacta Knight?

Oh boy, time to elaborate on Galacta’s traumatic childhood in general!

The Ancients had divided themselves into two sides, one that worshiped His Divine Terminus, Void Termina, and the other that feared it, wanting it to be sealed away for their own safety. Majesty fell into the latter half, and would later have a vision about a powerful, pink puffball that would end Void Termina’s reign of terror.

Galacta, much to his misfortune, checked all those boxes.

When he was found by the Ancients, he was taken away and placed under the care/ surveillance of Majesty. The Ancients that sought the demise of Void had careful plans to raise Galacta Knight to be a warrior for them, but only saw him as a weapon, a means to an end. Galacta, being a puffball borne of Void who thrives off of love and affection, greatly suffered from this.

Galacta Knight grew extremely attached to Majesty due to the frequency of her appearance in his life. With most others’ presence being fleeting, Majesty was the only one he could get attached to. He wanted her attention desperately because he’d been basically starved of it since early childhood, yet is met with scolding and rejection every time he tries to spend time with her.

Majesty sees Galacta as little more than a toy at best, something that is fun in short moments but gets boring or annoying after a while. She is specifically training him to be a weapon, she is not supposed to get attached. Yet she believes she is doing right by raising a weapon, and demands respect because of it. She thinks Galacta Knight should be thankful for simply having some sort of parental figure in his life, never mind the fact that she doesn’t see him as a person. She only sees the future warrior fight for her cause, not the current child suffering from emotional neglect.

This is the majority of Galacta’s life after being taken by the Ancients. A constant cat-and-mouse game of trying to win affection from those he perceived as parents that is destined to be lost because those he loves with all his heart doesn’t love him back in the slightest.

[nokk0]

oceanic, tides, and whirlpool for any if your sillies!! <3

Second ask by @cauli-flawa

[The ask game]

Alright!! Time to answer these questions!! ( ✧ω✧) Sorry for takin' so long, i tried to draw somethin' for the asks, but i don't have anything... Sorry...

OCEANIC - What are your OC’s view on the world around them? Do they see it as something vast and beautiful, or something deep and terrifying? How does their upbringing and culture relate to how they see things now?

★ For Fal, everything is beautiful and wonderful, although naturally there are times where the world seems terrifying. For someone who has only been a spectator, a hologram unable to interact with his surroundings, Fal has a mixed vision: He wants to do many things, explore places and try new things but is also aware and afraid of dangers. i find the part of “How does their upbringing and culture relate to how they see things now?” A bit complicated, but… i guess more than culture, Fal tends to associate specific people and places with individuals and past experiences… Look at it this way: The different faces he sees are classified and arranged in a “closet”. He divided all the humans, Puffballs, and other creatures he had met by type and kept them in drawers of a cabinet to take out when necessary. There aren't two people that are completely identical, but they were similar in some ways. Even with a person he had never met, he would respond to that person based on the information in his drawers. Still, he tends to be somewhat reckless and clumsy in his interactions due to his anxiety

TIDES - How do they cope with change? Is it something they welcome, or is it something they avoid? Do you have any examples of a change they’ve had (long or short term) and their reaction to said change?

★ i would say when Fal was given his body. For those who don't know, Fal was originally a hologram that resided in a device called the "Master Terminal." Zero left him in a very bad state, but luckily, Lor found him and convinced Susie and Magolor to repair it. In the end they built a body for him... At first, he was confused and greatly terrified by this. Now he has a physical form, he could touch things and people could touch him. For Fal that was an abrupt change, even today he is not completely used to it. This is one of the reasons why he has haphephobia. Let's say that in the long term, it is a change to which he has not adapted very well. As for how he copes with this, well, he has a hard time... Considering his haphephobia, i don't think he's doing well...

WHIRLPOOL - Was their ever a point in your OC’s life where they felt like it was spiraling out of control? What caused it? Were they able to recover from the event, or did it permanently change them?

i will include Snow here

Fal:

Many, many events affected him, several of them caused by the same thing: Trusting and not being informed of the situation. There have been countless times in which Fal did not have control of the situation, or he did not have the full picture and this led to unfortunate situations. Starting with the lies of his creator that ended in the death of innocents, the death of Snow White, Marx's pranks and some other moments in the tournament, such as the confrontation with Zilla or several of his conversations with Dolos that ended in disasters. Absolutely everything has affected him, and perhaps we will see the impact that all that had on him in the future...

Snow White:

The event that affected Snow the most and that she had no control over would be the survival game. You can watch clips on Youtube or the anime of Magical girl Raising Project to understand what i couldn't explain, just watch this and get an idea of ​​the things Snow had to go through in her youth. Another moment that severely affected her was the death of her mentor. It was during the survival game that she lost several loved ones, including her... Snow has seen herself as someone weak for being a dead weight because she wasn't a fighter and it was for this reason that she trained to the limit to be able to protect people and avoid losing her friends again

CORAL REEFS - Does your OC depend on anyone? If so, who and in what way? Is this relationship one sided, or do both parties benefit from each other? If they don’t depend on anyone, why not?

★ i think that Fal, even with his knowledge and competent skills, is not someone who could live by his own. Maybe he can defend himself, but he definitely couldn't become independent. He is a virtual assistant, an AI designed to serve others. Being useful and helping others is the most important thing for him

He is too emotionally and psychologically dependent on Snow White. She is his best friend, the first who treated him as a person and not as an object and also to whom he swore loyalty. In Dreamland Fal depends on others because he is not familiar with the place or its people. He is dependent on Magolor, Susie and Lor out of necessity. Snow actually depends on Fal right now because he is the only person she can trust and guide her while also, she is attached to him. Magolor and Fal always talk about the Ancients, so Magolor is always happy to have Fal around. They talk for HOURS

WAVES - What is one healthy method your OC uses to relax? What is one unhealthy method?

Snow White:

She is not one to relax, in fact she is quite similar to Wolfbell in keeping things to herself and appearing calm even when she is not well. i don't think she has any healthy or unhealthy method to relax and if she does, she doesn't resort to this method when she needs it. The correct words are: She has unhealthy cope mechanism

Fal:

To summarize: Fal has several methods, the most normal and healthy would be the classic ones: Breathing exercises, doing some productive activity to distract the mind and body, he also uses his hobbies to relax, like stargazing...

On the other hand, other more unhealthy methods would be: eating when stressed, biting things... He tends to eat things he shouldn't too :/

Another one is break things when he is EXTREMELY angry. There was a time were he couldn't leave the Lor because of the damage he was doin' to the Whispy Woods

[yttsimp]

Ranmaru fans come get y'all food

Random Ranmaru Headcanons

Flavor: Ranmaru Kageyama x gn!reader

Warnings: mention of scars

Headcanons under the cut v

You know that "who fell first and who fell harder" trope? Yeah, he's both.

Honestly, I don't think it's *that* easy for him to fall in love.

It takes a particularly special person to get him to fall, but once he comes across them, it's game over.

And you just so happen to be that special person.

So yeah, needless to say, he's obsessed with you.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, he is incredibly shy when it comes to romantic relationships.

Even just your hands accidentally brushing makes him nervous.

Teasing him is so. Much. Fun. I promise you this.

He pretends he hates it, but he gets so flustered when you call him your lil puffball.

I have also said this before, but it's important to say that when he gets flustered, his voice cracks. It is so. Damn. Cute.

Names that will get him flustered immediately: Puff/cotton/fluffball, babygirl, pretty boy

Honestly, he can't even pretend to hate it when you call him pretty boy. He just instantly goes red and shuts up, looking away to hide his face from you.

And knowing that you know makes it even worse for him as he just resorts to hiding his bright red face in his hands.

He is very nice to nap on, just saying.

He gets stiff when you first lean your head on his shoulder, but he soon relaxes and finds himself admiring your resting face.

He may also find himself leaning his head atop your own for his own short nap. Oops.

He also pretends to hate this, but PET HIM. After his initial protests he will find himself relaxing as you run your fingers through his fluffy hair.

Kissing the shuriken charm on his necklace has a 100% chance of instantly flustering him.

He loves loves LOVES cheek kisses. He gets shy about initiating it but he completely melts when you kiss his cheek.

He also loves it when you caress his cheek. He won't outright admit how much he likes it, but it's clear through the way he leans his head into your touch and closes his eyes that he finds it so comforting.

You in general are a major source of comfort for him.

If he's had a hard day, just seeing you instantly brightens it a bit.

Please let him lay his head on your lap as he rants about his rough day. It makes it so much better.

Honestly, you are one of the biggest lights in his life.

As shy as he is, he's very much a huge cuddler. He loves to be in your arms.

He's a little spoon most definitely. He finds immense comfort in being held as he buries his face in your neck, fluffy hair tickling your cheek.

He also really enjoys laying his head on your chest and listening to your heartbeat.

Honestly, he ends up falling asleep a lot when you're cuddling. How could he not when he's so comfortable in your arms?

Wanna send this boy to heaven? Cup his face in your hands and call him your world. He'll go crimson red as he stares at you in awe. If you look real closely, you may be able to see hearts in his eyes!

When he finally gets bold enough to start initiating affection himself, he really enjoys hugging you from behind and resting his chin on your shoulder as he watches whatever you're doing.

He may even kiss your cheek!

At the beginning of your relationship he would always go stiff when you hugged him. But now, the moment you wrap your arms around him, he melts into you and sighs, loosely wrapping his arms around your waist as he buries his face in your shoulder.

He thinks it's cheesy as hell and thus will never admit it but he really likes slow dancing. Just gently swaying with you to some soft music makes him melt.

Okay, he is very, VERY embarrassed about this fact and does everything he can to hide it, but he likes to draw little doodles of you and him together.

God help him if you ever find them, he'll be hiding his face from you for WEEKS.

He likes it when you play with his hands. Very nice to him.

If you have any scars, he'll sometimes gently run his fingers over them.

BITE. HIM. Amazing way to mess with him as he gets startled and tries to bat you away while telling you off.