#live day trading chat room

[hella1975]

there's a very specific kind of vibe that comes with living with your friends in final year that it just does not have in first year or even second year. like as a fresher it's usually the first time any of you have lived away from home let alone with SO MANY people your age and it's terrifying and exciting and randomised to boot so it's generally carnage for a whole year in the best and worst ways, and then second year you pick who you're living with and it feels like for the first time you're doing this adult thing PROPERLY. you have a place of your own now. these are the people you've chosen to live with. studying gets serious etc. but it's still fresh. it's still new. you still don't know how to navigate it. but final year? final year is when you actually get it right. you know how to manage your time better. you know what works for you and what doesn't. studying is the main focus and you've been out in the world for three years now and it's not loud and boisterous like it was in first year and you're not exciteable and awkward like you were in second year. you're comfortable. every single one of my flatmates has their own friend group and we mainly keep to our own social circles, but we'll still meet each other back at the house after a night out and sit in the kitchen or my room to do the debrief. sometimes i'll go days not seeing either of them despite sharing a house but every now and then someone will softly call up the stairs that 'the heating's on!' or one of us will sneeze and the other two will yell 'bless you!' through the walls. the lack of interaction isn't interpreted as dislike in ways it would have been even last year, because we're all just old enough to be past that now and settled enough in our friendship not to worry about it. idk. uni is very loud and unsettling a lot of the time so it's been really sweet to see how almost boringly comfortable final year is.

[verstappen-cult]

Could you do a Lestappen one where they act as her voice after reader is advised not to speak due to a sore throat that has left her hoarse

Your phone lights up with an incoming facetime call from your mother, Charles is grabbing it before you can even reach for it.

“Charles?” Your mother’s voice cuts through the air. “Hello, darling. Where’s my daughter? What did the doctor say?”

“He advised her not to speak or it may get worse. He also prescribed her some medicine.” That’s when Max enters the living room, a glass of water and your pills on his palm. You see him waving at your mother before joining you on the couch.

“Take this, baby. It will make you feel better.” You kiss Max’s cheek before accepting the pills and water. “Good girl.” He says, making you blush. You mouth to him to stop, pouting to your phone. You’re definitely never going to be facing your mother again if she heard him. But she doesn’t say anything, so you relax.

Charles chats animatedly with your mother for a few minutes while you cuddle next to Max and look for something to watch on the TV.

“How is work going, darling?” Your mother asks. You’re going to open your mouth to answer her, but Max beats you to it.

“Everything’s good. Next week she’s going to Paris for a meeting,” Max explains, hand on your knee. “something about making some changes to one of the last projects.” He shrugs and you feel your heart hammering in your chest.

It’s unbelievable how much they care about you. Ever since you’ve been like this they have not leave your side. And it is not like they don’t do that every day but now it’s just extra special. And kinda funny because you can talk, the doctor said you can’t raise your voice and need to drink lots of water, but can communicate verbally. It’s them that won’t let you.

The call ends with your mother telling you to take care and thanking your boyfriends for being so attentive with you.

“How are you feeling?” Charles asks and, knowing they will scold you if you talk, you give him a thumbs up. Your throat doesn’t hurt that much anymore.

The bell rings and Max is up in no time, when he comes back there’s a smiling Lando by his side.

He waves at you and Charles before handing you a bag. “I got you this. They bullied me into buying it because it is my fault you can’t talk now.” Lando looks down when he meets Max intense gaze, he looks like a scolded child.

When you open the bag you find a whiteboard and a pen. It makes you laugh and decide to use it. They wait patiently as you take your time to write, making them believe you’re actually writing something important. Once you finished you turn it around to reveal a ‘you’re all idiots’.

You know you will be using the whiteboard a lot around them because it’s impossible to get them to understand that you are fine. It may be a little annoying but you wouldn’t trade them for anything.

[sp0o0kylights]

Part Two / Part Three

Ao3

It's 8:45 am. 

The Red Barn, which is neither red nor a barn, has been open since 7, catering to the early morning crowd with rounds of coffee and pancakes.

It was no Benny's, but given the size of Hawkins and the lack of alternatives?

No one was complaining. 

They were all too happy someone had opened up another watering hole for the working class man (or lass, as Foreman Shelly will dutifully remind you) which meant the place was packed with both day and night shift regulars, passing each other in staggered waves. 

It also meant Wayne was sharing the packed breakfast counter with a warehouse worker by the name of John Cheese on one side and Police Chief Jim Hopper on the other.

He doesn't mind it.

Wayne's a man on a budget thinner than his shoelace, but he's also a man who understands that small indulgences need to be made in life or you didn't truly live it.

This is how he convinces himself to get a coffee at the Barn after work everyday, reading the morning newspaper and chatting with the other regulars before he heads home.

Bonus, it gets him out of the rapid-fire franticness that is his nephew in the mornings.

(All the love in the world wouldn't change the fact that all that Eddie came with a lot of noise. 

The kind of noise that was a tried and true recipe for a headache right after a long shift.)

As a trade off, Wayne went to bed early so he could wake up in time for dinner with Eddie.

 It was a nice little system that worked for them. 

A routine Wayne was reminiscing fondly on, when the pager on Chief Hopper started to chirp. With a sad moan, the man fished out a few crumbled bills and threw them on the counter, abandoning his coffee to trudge out to his truck.

This was not unusual.

Particularly recently, given they were but a scant few weeks past that whole mall ordeal. A fact all too easy to remember when one caught sight of the Chief’s still healing face. 

What was unusual, was when he came storming through the doors a minute later, face now a furious shade of red with his hat clenched in his hand. 

The energy in the room shifted, taking on something a little watchful as Hopper swept his gaze from side to side, like a dog on the hunt.

Judging by the way he stilled when he caught sight of Wayne, the latter assumed he found what he was looking for and could only pray it was the person behind him. 

(He liked John, but Wayne had enough trouble this year and he wasn't looking for any more.) 

"Munson." Hopper called, striding over and dashing all his hopes. There was a choked fury emitting off him, and given the way John audibly scooted his chair away, Wayne knew everyone had clocked it. 

"Chief." Wayne greeted, inclining his head towards him.

Idly he wondered what the hell his nephew had done this time.

'So help me if he stole all the town's lawn flamingos and put them in that damn teachers yard again….'

Wayne didn't even get to finish his threat, the Chief was already next to him. 

"Mind if I have a word outside?" 

Dammit Eddie.

"Ah hell, what's he done now?" Wayne asked with a sigh, eyeing the coffee he had left morosely. 

There was still almost half of it left and the pot had tasted fresh for once. 

"What?" Hopper said, and then Wayne got to watch as the man ran through an entire chain of thoughts, each one punctuated by things like; "Oh," and "No. " 

"This is something else." He finished, flushed and fidgeting, anger making him antsy. 

Wayne stared up at him. 

"Something else?" He repeated, not sure he heard.

"Yes, something else." Hopper snapped impatiently, before leaning forward, voice dropping low. "This doesn't involve your nephew, but we both know you owe me for how many times I've let that kid off, Wayne. That's a damn big favor I've been doing you and I'm calling it in." 

If it were any other cop, it'd sound like a threat.

It was Hopper though. The same Hopper who Wayne had gone to school with.

They'd never been friends exactly, but they had been friendly and remained so. Even now, after Wayne had taken Eddie in, who’d gone on to be an undeniable pain in the local PD’s ass. 

Hopper really did let the kid off easy. 

Wayne really did owe him. 

So he put down his coffee with a sigh, passed his newspaper over to John and stood up, motioning for Hopper to lead the way. Got into the Chief’s truck when he waved him in, and didn’t make a big fuss when Hopper tore out of the parking lot like hell was about to open up under them. 

"Not a lot of the kids involved in the mall fire could be identified, but a few of them were." Hopper started, which felt nonsensical given the utter lack of context. 

Wayne hummed to show he’d heard. 

“Some of them got banged up more than others, and a lot of people wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t make it.” 

A pause, Hopper white knuckling the steering wheel as he swung the truck hard around a turn. 

“For certain people, those kids dying is the preferred outcome.” 

A mix of fear and warning swopped low in Wayne’s gut. 

"Jim." Wayne said, dropping the use of a last name because if any situation called for it, it was this one. "What exactly are you saying here?" 

The Chief chewed on his split lip. 

"I know you're smart, Munson. I know you, and plenty of others are aware that something's happening, been happening in this town." 

Which was a hell of an understatement if you asked Wayne. Plenty of the upper classes might be able to bury their heads when it came to the military parading about and the flow of “accidents” they brought in their wake, but then, they didn't see all the other signs of trouble. 

The absolute oddity that was Starcourt’s construction. 

How it had been built using primarily outside crews and anyone who'd taken a singular look at the site could tell you they were building it weird. 

Weird as in it looked like it would have a multi-level basement, and not what a mall should have. 

Then there were the constant electrical problems. The backups upon backups that failed. The late night delivery vans headed out to the Hawkins Lab. 

The things in the woods that kept spooking all the deer and the weird markings they left behind that unnerved even the hardest of hunters. 

This didn’t even touch the Russian military that more than one reputable person swore was hanging around. 

The very same Wayne himself had seen, on more than one occasion. 

(And you couldn’t deny it; those boys were military. Past or present, it didn’t matter. They moved like a threat, and Wayne treated them like one, staying well clear.)

"Yeah." Wayne admitted. "I also know better than to stick my nose in it." 

"That makes you a smarter man than me.' Hop complained under his breath, but the anger was self directed. 

"The point is, there are some government types crawling around, doing shit they shouldn't be doing, and more than a few of them are in the business of making people disappear.” 

This was absolutely not where Wayne had thought this was going. 

Hopper took a breath. Than another.

A third.

It was starting to make Wayne nervous, in a way he hadn’t felt since a social worker had brought Eddie to him for the last time and final time. It was the feeling that things were about to shift in a way that would change the course of his life. 

"Steve Harrington is sitting in my office right now, beat to absolute shit.” Hopper admitted.

Wayne gave him the floor to talk, letting him go at his own pace without interruptions. 

“He's there because some of those government types finally figured out his parents are never fucking home.” 

Wayne sucked in a breath. 

"We both know his parents, Wayne. Harassing them to come back and take care of their kid won't work, and frankly, I’m beginning to think all the phone lines are tapped anyway.” He winced here, like voicing such a thing pained him, and Wayne understood.

It sounded a little too out there, a little like he was buying into a conspiracy. 

Except he wasn’t. Wayne knew he wasn’t. 

Jim Hopper might have been an alcoholic, a man living in pain and unconcerned with his own life, but if there was one thing he was solid for, it was shit like this.

He didn’t jump to conclusions. Didn’t believe the first thing people told him. Even at his worst, he did the work to see what was really happening, and made his decisions from there. 

(Even if that decision was to accept the occasional bribe, or drive an intoxicated 13 year old Eddie home instead of hauling his ass into the drunk tank.) 

“Harrington won’t admit it, but he’s got a hell of a concussion if not a full blown brain injury and he’s not reacting as well as he should to Suites trying to run him off the road.” Hopper continued. Angrily, he added, “Damn kid didn’t even come to me until they tried to break into his house last night.” 

His fingers squeezed the wheel so hard Wayne heard the leather creak in protest. 

“I’d take him, but my cabin is being renovated from…” He trailed off, heaving a sigh.

 “A storm, so me and my kid are bunked with the Byers right now and we’re full up.” 

Hawkins hadn't had a storm like that in years, but Wayne wasn't going to call him out on the blatant lie. 

“I need a place to stash him for the next few weeks, until I can work with some of the higher ups sniffing around, and get them to call off their attack dogs.” 

“And you want to stuff him with me.��� Wayne finished. 

“I know you don’t have the room.” Hopper admitted easily, stopping his truck at a red light and locking eyes with the other man. “But I also know you’ll be the last place anyone would look for him.” 

'Ain’t that the damn truth.'

“You’re really gonna go this far for a Harrington?” Wayne asked, instead of the million of other questions leaping to the forefront of his mind. 

This one, he figured, was the most important. 

“He’s not his dad.” Hopper said, as firm as Wayne had ever heard him. “He’s not either of his parents, and he saved my little girl.” 

Wayne hadn’t even known Hopper had another little girl, but he also knew better than to ask where the guy had found one. 

It wasn’t his business, just as nothing else Jim was involved in, was his business.

Except, apparently, Steve Harrington. 

“I’m gonna need my own truck if I’m takin' Harrington home.” Wayne said easily, instead of bothering to ask anything else.

If Jim said the kid was different than his daddy, then he was--because when it came to things like that, Jim didn't lie.

No point in it. 

“I know. Just needed to talk to you first, without anyone overhearing.” Jim said, before swinging the police truck around and heading back to the Barn. 

“I’ll stay in contact with you, and I’ll make sure Harrington pays you for the pleasure of your hospitality. Just--” Here Jim cut himself off, looking like he was struggling an awful lot with the next thing he wanted to say. 

Once again, Wayne waited him out.

“Don’t let Steve fool you. He’s good at fooling people, letting them think he’s okay. Too good at it, and between the two of us, I have a real good idea of the reason why.” 

A memory came to Wayne unbidden, of Richard Harrington and Chet Hagan, beating some poor kid in the highschool bathroom bloody. The grins on their faces as the poor guy wailed for them to stop.

How they almost hadn’t. 

“Alright.” Wayne agreed.

Hopper swung back into the Barn's parking lot, and Wayne moved right to his own beat to shit truck, ready to follow Jim back to the police station.

He wasn’t a praying man, not anymore, but Catholisim wasn’t a thing that let you go easy. 

He found himself sending up a quick prayer, fingers flicking in a kind of miniature version of the sign of the cross. 

Considering his own kid’s history with Harrington, and the sheer small space of the trailer? 

Wayne had a feeling it was needed.

[acowardinmordor]

You Left Me - You Miss Me - 4

Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four

Hi, time for more, arguably making things better, but also arguably making things much worse.

----

There was a diner a block and a half from their apartment. Steve found it when the sky opened up during his jog one morning. Snow, he could have handled, he was dressed for it. Slushy sleet mixed with hail was another matter. He ducked inside to hide until it passed, chatted with the owner for a bit, and brought Robin with him the next day because they had an amazing spread of waffle toppings, including crumbled bacon, and Steve knew she’d go crazy about it.

He was correct, and it was their go to spot, not just for breakfast. 

At the end of January, Rebecca sat down to join them, and handed Steve an application. 

Steve was already working at a JC Penny in the stock room, and picked up a few hours at a roller rink filling in when someone called out. They had enough money to live. Not decadently, but they could cover all their bills, and keep gas in the car, and buy supplies for Robin’s classes.  

“Uh, Rebecca, I’m- thank you? But. My memory sucks, and my hearing isn’t great, and if someone starts getting rude, I’m going to get rude back to them, and --”

“This is a diner, hun,” she stopped him, “You write the orders down, you can always tell someone to say it again, and the fact you can shut down anyone that gives you lip is why I think you’ll be good at it. Like I said, it’s a diner. We don’t have to be all sunshine and daisies here.”

“I’m working at another--”

“Over at the mall and the rink, I know. And I know you’re free Monday through Wednesday mornings. And,” she stressed, “staff gets free meals and first dibs on the day olds.”

“Dingus!" Robin gasped and grabbed his arm. "Do it, do it. Stevie. Please, oh my god, please, you have to take it. You can bring me the brioche buns. And that apple butter. And that thing with the nuts! Steeevveee, don’t you love your soulmate? Please? I cou--”

So Steve took the job, and worked a few mornings a week. By the third week of February, he stopped feeling like he was going to fuck up any second. He understood why Rebecca liked his ability to get bitchy in the face of difficult customers, and he and Robin had cupboards well stocked with random take homes. 

He liked it. Starting at five in the morning took some getting used to, but he was done by one, and traded off with a middle aged mom named Susan after the lunch rush settled down. Was it a ton of money? No. But he got more tips than he expected to, and the brioche really was delicious. 

The last week of February, he was working alone on a Tuesday, at the start of the lunch rush, expecting Susan to arrive soon, and an easy day. 

“Be with you in a minute,” he called to whoever just came inside, bussing half a dozen empty plates from table two after dropping off more creamer at table four. He looped back, ducking behind the counter to put the plates on the pass through for Nick to grab. 

He dropped the entire stack before he got there.

His hands clenched down, his muscles locked, and even though it should have made him hold harder, everything slipped, and either shattered on the tiles or banged into his feet.

Jim Hopper winced from his seat at the counter. “Sorry, kid.”

The couple of other diners glanced up to check on him, and John looked around the window from the kitchen. Steve didn’t move. Couldn't. Could barely breathe.

“Is it back?”

“No.”

His exhale shook out of him before he shoved down the panic.

“Then whatever this is can wait.” 

“I’m just here to talk.”

“And I said it can wait.”

He swept up the broken dishes, shrugged off John’s silent offer to throw Hopper out, and reminded himself there was no reason to think that the Upside Down was back. That meant this was going to be more awkward and less dangerous, and he was going to hate it, but it was still the better version of the day. 

“What’ll you have?” 

“Kid, I’m here to talk cause I didn’t think you’d want me at your place.”

“And I’m at work, and this is a diner, so what’ll you have?”

“Steve--”

“I’ll bring you coffee. I’m not talking about this while I’m working.”

“Coffee’s good. When are you off?”

Steve gave his bitchiest smile, didn’t answer, and went to seat the couple that just walked in. 

The lunch rush was a mercy. Susan handled Hopper, and gave him the iciest service anyone had ever gotten under that roof. Hopper took it gracefully, but he didn’t shift, or push, or give any indication that he wasn’t willing to sit there til midnight if he had to. 

Normally, Steve would get some lunch to go and head home. If the weather was bad, he ate at the booth in the corner to wait it out. With the way his stomach was twisting, unable to separate Hopper from what his arrival could mean, he wasn’t going to keep food down. He filled a glass of water, then silently gestured Hop to follow. 

“Good to see you, Steve,” he said when they sat. “You and Robin doing okay up here?”

“We’re fine. Why are you here? If it isn’t something to do with, you know, then why are you here?”

“Maybe I just came up to check on you.”

“Did you?” Steve snorted into his drink when that question made Hopper’s face twist up. “So what is this?”

“I am here to check on you. There’s something else, but I came here because I’m checking on you. Me and you weren’t all that close, but you had Mrs Buckley give me your info so I’d know where you were.”

“Yeah, in case of an emergency. And you said there wasn’t any emergency. Plus, you had my phone number, so you could have called, which would be way less weird than showing up while I’m at work, you know?”

Hopper scratched at his cheek. “It’s not an emergency compared to all the reasons you wanted me to be able to find you, but if you ask those kids, this may as well be the end of the world again.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right.”

“Yeah, well. Henderson is gonna get himself arrested if he keeps trying to steal the mail and find something addressed to you. Max keeps pushing El to try and find you. The only reason they haven’t gone completely crazy is because of the Buckleys telling them that you’re fine. She gave me your address and number, and she talked for a little bit about the kids.” 

Steve smiled at that. Mrs Buckley had never talked a ‘little bit’ about anything in her life. Either she was holding the line on being rude to anyone that might bother them, or Hop was pretending he hadn’t listened to a solid hour of rambling.  

“Still haven’t told me why you’re here.”

“Want to ask if I can -- shit, I don’t know. I can route mail back and forth so they never have your address or something. I’d rather give them your info so I don’t have to be involved, but I already know you won’t agree to that.”

Steve ignored the pause that Hopper left there. Conversation and good manners said he should concede to something so he wouldn’t inconvenience the man too much. The last month with Robin supporting his choice kept his mouth shut. She’d be pissed at him if he folded, and worse, she’d help him get through all the pain it caused if he did talk to the kids again. Then he’d feel guilty and sad. 

“Alright,” Hopper grumbled, “Didn’t think you would, but you know how those kids can be. Can’t fault me for trying.”

“So, we’re done? You sat here all this time just to talk for three minutes?”

“Almost.” 

“So….” At least Steve could enjoy the fact that neither of them were enjoying this.  Hopper winced a bit before he spoke. 

“I didn’t tell any of the kids I was coming up to see you. None of them knew, and none of them are gonna know. Didn’t even tell Joyce why, just that I was driving up to Indy. Already had a plan in case they tried to tail me up here. So, had a surprise this morning when I got to my truck. it might change your answer.”

“Didn’t know you were so dramatic about stuff.”

“Side effect of two hours with that surprise, I guess. Eddie Munson came up with me.”

Any of the kids would have hurt. 

Henderson might have made him cry. 

Eddie Munson? That didn’t make sense. 

They weren’t friends, never had been. The Upside Down meant they were connected, but they were never more than acquaintances, even when Steve was desperately trying to keep them all close. Sure, he’d taken over as the chauffeur for the kids, and everyone’s new best friend, but that didn’t explain why he’d bother to come up to talk to Steve. 

“What the hell? Why?”

“He asked.”

“And you said yes.”

“He said please.”

That was not the whole story. There was something getting skipped over, left out. Hopper tolerated Munson, but he wouldn’t do him a favor if there wasn’t some kind of monster involved. 

“Wait, you’ve been here for two hours.”

“Yep.”

“Did you just leave him in your truck this whole time? That front came through overnight. The high is thirty four today.”

“Yeah, I did,” Hopper said flatly. “He told me he wanted to come up so he could talk to you. Told me a little bit about why. And I said yes and I let him come, but I told him that I was gonna talk to you first. If you said no, he was gonna stay in that seat clear back to Hawkins, and keep his mouth shut about this whole thing.”

“How’d he know what you were doing?”

“No clue.”

“What does he want to talk about?”

“Not gonna say it for him.” Hopper shifted towards the edge of the booth. “So, want me to tell him to buckle back up, or tell him to get his ass in here?”

A quick consult with the imaginary Robin in his head left him just as confused, but curious as hell. He agreed, and fidgeted with a napkin, struggling to think of any reason why Eddie Munson would want to talk to him, or what the hell he said that the kids hadn’t that convinced Hopper to drive him up. 

Stuck in his head, Steve jumped when a mess of a man in denim and leather slid shivering into the seat opposite. The scars on his face and hands were less vivid than they were last time they saw each other, but they still worked as a thermometer. Steve's did the same.

“Why the hell were you sitting in the cold, man?”

Eddie blinked, and froze where he was rubbing his hands together trying to get feeling back. “Hopper took the keys.”

Steve’s turn to blink. This was the guy taking care of his kids. 

“Susan?” He called, gesturing for two when she lifted the coffee carafe in a question.

“You don’t need to do that.”

“Dude, I don’t know what the hell you’re doing here or why you care or what the hell is happening, but I’m not gonna let you sit there shaking cause you’re a dumbass who doesn’t know what gloves are.”

Steve watched packet after packet of sugar pour into Eddie’s, while he stirred a splash of half and half into his own cup. Eddie took a gulp, hissed at the heat, and clutched at the mug, eyes glued to the nicked surface of the table. 

“I’m sorry.”

“For rotting your teeth out? That’s your choice, Munson.”

“No,” Eddie insisted, voice hoarse, “I’m sorry about the kids.”

Steve took a breath, took a sip, took another breath. “Look, man, that’s not on you. You play D&D with them, and you like all their nerdy shit. I was -- They grew up. We got through everything, all of that, we won, and they grew up. It’s not your fault that they like you more than they liked me. So, thanks, I guess, but--”

“Steve. No. They didn’t. They -- those kids did not suddenly grow up and decide they didn’t like you anymore. You are their favorite person anywhere, ever, you will be for the rest of eternity, and they don’t understand why no one will tell them how to reach you. They put on a really good show about being mad about it, but, come on, you know what they’re like. They want to apologize cause they know they hurt you, and they want to fix it, and just, you gotta let them try, Steve. You gotta let them talk to you. They miss you so fucking much.”

“Look, I know how they get, and I know how dramatic they are, but it’s still not your fault--”

“It is. Steve. It is my fault. That’s - That’s why you have to talk to them. Cause they didn’t grow up and get over you or decide they didn’t care about you. Those kids are crazy about you, and they never stopped, and they’re hurt right now cause they don’t understand why you left them, and you gotta fix it with them, please.”

Something pinged weird in his ear when he heard the way Munson’s voice cracked. Not just worry, not just helping, not just caring about the kids. Guilt. He was taking the blame for it, even though that didn’t make any sense. The kids were - brats, gremlins, terrors, the most stubborn people he’d ever met, and he knew Nancy Wheeler. If they wanted to be around him, they would be around him. 

It wasn’t Eddie’s fault, or anyone’s fault. It hurt like hell, and Steve wished it wasn’t true, but this was just life. Kids grew up, their interests moved. Friendships changed and ended. 

But that crack of guilt…

“How is it your fault and not theirs that they stopped wanting to ever see me?”

Eddie’s hands stopped shaking from the cold before he got the coffee. 

His hands were shaking again.

Trembled in the time between Steve asking, and Eddie managing to respond.  

“I, uh, I asked them to.”

----

Don't be too mad at him yet. He has a lot more to say.

Part Five >>>

[juanbodyswapstfs]

Fair Trade

David was a hard working father trying to provide enough to maintain his son. The downside to this was he wasn’t spending a lot of time with his son martin.

Martin was an attractive young man but doesn’t know the potential he has in his body. It pained David that Martin wouldn’t use his body to its full potential.

One day, David came home early from work. “Hey Martin, im home early!” Said David. David didn’t get a response and headed upstairs. He saw the door to his bathroom opened and saw Martin jerking off to his briefs. “Dad!” Martin proceeds to slam the door in a hurry.

A few hours later..

Hey bud, You doing alright? “Dad, please go away.” Said Martin. “Son, I know how you feel, when I was your-“ “Dad just stop it! you don’t know how I feel.” Said Martin angrily. “Alright, Ill give you some time to calm down, when your done, come to the living room and we’ll have a chat.” Said David.

A few minutes later..

“Hey dad, Im sorry for how I talked to you..” Said Martin. “Don’t worry bud, I get your sexual desires hehe.” David said. “I love you but sometimes I just wish we could feel more connected.” Martin said. “Yeah, Hehe I wish you knew how good and strong your body is martin.” David said. “And I wish I could spend more time with you dad.” Martin said. “Well, goodnight my son.” David said. They both head to bed and sleep until the next morning.

In the morning

Martin wakes up feeling a bit sore and clumsy. “Woah why do I feel so big all of a sudden.” Martin opens his eyes and sees a huge bulge in his briefs. “Oh my god dad, why didn’t I know you had such a huge package.” Davids package was girthy and long with his balls big and manly. “Damn my armpits smell fucking good.” Martin whips out his new package and starts jerking off. “Ooohh yeah that shits good.” Martin then cums all over his dads chest.

On davids side..

David woke up and already knew something was wrong. He stood up and looked at himself in the mirror, “Hey handsome, Im gonna treat this body how it should be treated.” David Takes off his socks and smells them, “Mmmm” David takes out his package and jerks off. “Oooo fuck yeah im your country boy.” His hot steamy sperm squirts on the mirror. Martin then knocks on the door, “Hey Dad, you like your new body?” Martin says. “Dad?” “Im your son Dad.” David says in a cheeky tone. “Oh dad, im gonna use this body to its full potential.” David says. “Hahaha son, me too.” Martin says. “Alright im going to work” Martin says then leaves.

At the construction site..

Martin was trying his hardest to fit in as his father, He had to take a leak and went to the restroom. At the restroom there was an attractive construction worker guy pissing next to him. “Mind If I give you a hand haha.” Martin said. “Uh David?” The man said. “Just joking with ya haha.” Martin said a bit disappointed. The guy zipped up and left the restroom in a hurry. When Martin finally finished he walked out and saw his manager. “Hey david, Im sorry to say this but, your fired.” “Wait what?” “You harassed one of your coworkers.” The manager said. Defeated, Martin headed back home.

At Martins school.

David was having a blast in his sons body, winning every game and scoring a lot in gym class! “Haha beat that suckers!” David says. “You changed so much martin..” says martins crush. “People change my dude.” David says says. Martins Crush walks away sad. The bell rings and David runs home in his new youthful body.

At home

David and Martin arrived home in each others bodies. “Im sorry Dad, I got fired.” Martin said. “Oh thats fine, its your body now anyways.” David said. “Im doing well in school so fair trade haha.” David Said. Both Martin and David were satisfied with their bodies, David joined football and graduated with a athletes scholarship and Martin got a job as a Gay stripper.

So sorry for not posting stories in a while, I was kinda blocked on what to do next.. Message me if you have requests! peace out.

[merotwst]

CAN I GO WHERE YOU GO? ‹ . first years›

· bulleted hcs

⇝what happens to you five years after graduation?

[ n: another 135 followers celebratory post. as promised, i have now made an sfw fic in contrast to that other uh,, more sinful one i posted last night. thank u again for all ur support everyone ! ]

⑇

⑇

ace trappola ‹ heartslabyul ›

. wow, you've come this far with ace?

. you're planning your future with him? seems like only yesterday you both were bickering in front of the seven statues.

. you started dating on your second year at nrc and boy was it a wild ride.

. year one after graduation was the year you told crowley you were going to stay at twisted wonderland for good.

. it was also the year you, ace and deuce started looking for a job.

. it was a pretty rough start littered with failed interviews and long nights—but you and ace always had each other's arms to fall back into at the end of the day

. year two was the year you and ace took a very memorable trip to the scalding sands

. where he underestimated the spiciness of the curry you ordered and regretted every singe decision he's made in his life as he sat at the toilet for hours on end that night, much to your amusement

. you did warn him

. but the scenery, the people, the beautiful cultural colors embodied by the silks being sold at the market while you wafted through the busy crowd holding hands as to not lose each other

. that trip was a core memory and you both considered moving to the scalding sands at some point when life was more stable for both of you

. year three when you asked him to move in with you. why'd it take you this long to move in with each other? well, because ace was the one asking you to move in to his crappy apartment and you always refused

. he spends most of his nights at your place anyway. he was just too lazy to be the one packing boxes and cleaning up

. when he finally caved, you didn't even try to hide your fist bump and squeal of excitement earning eyerolls from your boyfriend in the process

. deuce helped you guys pack and move and you three spent the night in the living room drinking and reminiscing and just chatting away

. it felt like the sleepovers you had at ramshackle back in your nrc days

. year four was the year you passed by a newly built animal shelter on your way to visit his family one summer

. it was really just supposed to be you guys checking the place out and maybe giving donations

. but this one australian shepherd was sat in one of the cages and he was giving ace a look that he couldn't ignore

. ughhh he hated being soft. but he couldn't help but reach into the cage and give the pup a little pet on the head

. when i tell you his heart skipped a beat when it did a little happy dance as he approached, i mean it full on stopped for a full minute because of the cuteness

. so you arrive at the trappola family home with a new addition to your own little trappola family, happily seated at the backseat of your car

. year five when you and ace were laying in bed, talking about all the years you spent together

. you've never felt luckier to have him by your side through thick and thin

. you couldn't imagine wanting to be in anybody else's arms than the ones holding you right now

. a scratch at the door and you both gave each other knowing looks of amusement. ace got off the bed to open the door

. the hyperactive, large fluffy boy, no longer a puppy. no he's gone way past that he was so big now and you both adored him.

. he zoomed into the bedroom and made himself comfortable by your side—shamelessly stealing ace's spot on the bed causing his dad to get all pouty and whining about wanting his spot back next to you but the dog wasn't budging

. you laughed

. this was your life now and you wouldn't trade it for anything in the world

⑇

deuce spade ‹ heartslabyul ›

. deuce and you have only started dating after you graduated

. and everyone's huffs of ‘it's about time’ could be heard once the news reached them

. deuce desperately wanted to give you the life you deserved and you constantly reassured him that no matter what life you both would live, you would stick by his side

. especially on the first year after graduating. out of the three of you (you, ace and deuce), deuce had the hardest time finding a job that he liked and felt comfortable being in

. it was a huge adjustment and he had a hard time, but you were always there to remind him that no matter what happened, you weren't leaving. that was all he needed to keep going.

. a lot of this year was also spent getting to know his mom. at her insistence, you and deuce stayed at her home for the first year

. she was a lovely woman who treated you just like her very own child. she loved you and deuce dearly and likewise you've grown to love her as though she were your own mother

. the second year, you and deuce got an apartment and moved out.

. it took a lot of convincing for mrs. spade to finally let you two leave (she couldn't help but tear up a bit seeing as how her two lovelies were all grown up), but she finally caved

. it was a medium sized apartment in the middle of the city and not far from where ace worked so he would often come by to visit you guys or sometimes he'd crash at your place since it was closer

. you guys ended up just giving him a spare key at this point as he was so often visiting anyway

. year three was when a reunion was held at nrc. everyone you knew and were close to had come by and no words can express how much you all missed each other

. everyone gathered around chatting and catching up, deuce grabbed you hand and squeezed it three times

. you looked up at him and he gave you the most loving smile you'd ever seen. it almost even seemed like he was about to tear up. a soft whisper of ‘i love you’ escaped his lips, just for you to hear

. he's never been more grateful for anything in his life. amazing friends, a loving mom and the love of his life by his side

. year four when you got your promotion and you had to move for your job. that was another big step in your relationship.

. a long distance relationship? could you guys handle it?

. you guys had a long talk and decided that deuce would move with you. where you went, he would go.

. he left his job, you left your apartment.

. ace acted as if you both were breaking up with him. where was he supposed to crash now?

. well, that was for him to figure out.

. you and your boyfriend moved to a new place six hours away from the main city and got a new apartment, it was smaller than the last one but it was comfortable for you both.

. and this time around, deuce got a job faster than you both expected and you celebrated with the bottle of wine his mom had given you as a little congratulatory gift when you got promoted.

. everything was perfect between the two of you.

. year five was when one of deuce's cousins went on vacation and asked if his family could stay around your apartment for a day.

. you didn't mind a little company so you agreed.

. the next week, his cousin came with his wife and his two kids.

. the way you handled the children, cradling the baby in your arms and playing with the older one made him think of a future where it's more than just the two of you.

. could you be able to pull it off? would he be a good father?

. but when you turned to look at him after gently cooing at the small infant in your arms and smiled, all doubts faded in his mind.

. you both could pull anything off together and someday, hopefully, maybe even a family.

⑇

jack howl ‹ savanaclaw ›

. you and jack graduated without ever telling each other how you felt.

. so your first year after graduating was spent separately. you were with ace and deuce in queendom and he was all the way over in the northern shaftlands.

. you both looked for jobs and occasionally you both would think about each other and wonder how each of you were doing and what you were up to.

. he often thought of reaching out, but decided against it. there were too many ‘what ifs’ for his liking. plus, what was he supposed to talk to you about? no, it was too risky for him so he just opted not to do anything rash.

. the second year, he got an email notifying that he and five other alumni would be in charge of the reunion next year.

. when jack went to check who the other four he was supposed to be working with were, he wasn't expecting to see your name and his heart started racing.

. this was his chance—your email was right underneath your name. of course, it would just be for planning the next reunion and nothing more but it also wouldn't hurt to catch up...

. as he was typing out his email to you—deleting, replacing, drafting—hey, should he attach a picture of himself? would that be too much? oh boy, his thoughts were going way too fast his hands couldn't keep up.

. a notification. and email. your name. jack having a mental stroke.

. you said you were emailing because you were both in the planning committee, but asked how he was and attached a photo of yourself.

. and wow you got so much more gorgeous.

. he responded and before you both knew it, you exchanged numbers and started texting instead.

. the late night texting turned into calls and you were talking each night.

. and when the reunion finally happened on the third year, you were both so nervous to see each other again. after a year of talking on the phone, you were both physically able to touch each other and talk face to face. way too many things could happen but you knew one thing was for sure—you would tell jack how you felt.

. even though you were a working adult, it felt like you were about to confess to a middle school crush. and you couldn't even see each other as often.

. but when you both finally saw each other, you couldn't help but run into his arms in a tight embrace. you fit there perfectly, as if you were always meant to be there.

. and to your surprise, jack confessed first and butterflies fluttered in your stomach.

. the rest if that reunion was spent chatting and catching up with your old classmates and being held by jack in his arms.

. now that he has you, he's never letting go.

. year four was spent the same way as the second year. you lived apart from each other so late night video calls that lasted hours were your bonding time for a while.

. until one day, you came home and jack was in your apartment.

. the way you dropped your groceries on the floor was all caught in video by ace.

. your friends decided to surprise you by flying jack all the way from shaftlands to queendom to celebrate your birthday.

. so you blew your candles, drank a bit and talked with everyone in the room.

. when ace and deuce went home, jack and you were the only ones left.

. he pulled out a little box from one of his bags. it was a snow globe. at first you thought it was an ordinary snow globe, but upon further inspection you noticed that the two characters inside were—

. “that's you and me. i had it custom made,” jack said with a blush on his cheeks, “i know it isn't much, but that's supposed to be how you and me are gonna look like if ever you visit my hometown.”

. year five was the year you got off a plane at an airport in shaftlands. jack was there with a girl who looked similar to him.

. it was hid sister. and though you'd only seen her and talked through video calls, she hugged you as if you were a long lost friend.

. you got in jack's truck, driving north away from the city. his sister talking and asking about you. she shared many silly things about jack when they were growing up, much to jack's embarassment.

. the paved roads soon became covered in white and the temperature grew colder. suddenly, everything around you was covered in snow. it felt like a winter wonderland.

. when you arrived at the howls', you were greeted by the warmth of the fireplace in the cabin, away from the city and near the mountains.

. the embrace of his family also welcomed you. mrs. howl was delighted to finally meet the person that made her jackie so happy.

. you now call him that just to see him blush.

. one night, he took you up the mountains nearby. he didn't explain why, it was supposed to be a surprise.

. you trusted your lover. so you took his hand and he helped you navigate the roads around the woods.

. it wasn't a long walk and jack kept offering to carry you on his back if ever you got tired—which you honestly didn't. in fact, it was quite delightful talking with jack while having a little midnight climb.

. once you reached the peak, you saw the view. the stars were littered in almost every inch of the sky. it was the most beautiful sight you've ever seen.

. “get ready for the main event,” the wolf grinned, grabbing your hand, “look up.”

. and right as you did, you saw the first aurora borealis streaks form in the sky. you caught them right above you and you couldn't help but gasp, mesmerized by the sight.

. he squeezed you hand and you squeezed back.

. the week passed you by in a flash. it was a great trip. jack didn't want to let go at the airport, but you had a flight to catch.

. you went back to your daily routine of video calls, but this time, everytime you see the picture frame beside the snow globe he gave you—the picture resembled the two characters in the snow globe the exact same way.

. you couldn't help but think how you wanted to come back there and, just maybe, even stay for good.

⑇

epel felmier ‹ pomefiore ›

. similar to deuce, you and epel started dating shortly after you graduated.

. your relationship was quiet and only a few other people knew about it at first, but it didn't come as a shock to them when they found out.

. you two have always seemed close anyway. it was only a matter of time.

. the first year after graduation, he took you back to his hometown in harveston for a little visit.

. it was such a small town and most of the population were elderly, but it was quite a lovely place.

. everyone was welcoming and happy to finally see epel's significant other.

. his grandma was the most excited out of all of them. she couldn't stop going off about how beautiful you looked and how epel was lucky to have someone as intelligent as you.

. she told stories about epel when he was younger—pulled out the photo albums and all and epel was desperately trying to save himself from embarassment.

. his grandmother was having none of it and sent him to go prepare you some apple pie while she continued to talk to you.

. it was also the year you decided to extend your stay at harveston to help out at the orchards. you learned how to make apple delicacies, juice and others.

. you hadn't even realized it's been a year since you decided to stay.

. and year two was the year you decided to stay permanently in the small town.

. you quite enjoyed the quietness and simplicity of everything around you.

. epel's family adored you. from the little kids to the grandparents. it was as if you've always been part of it.

. you started working at the little flower shop in town and helped out at the apple farm as often as you could.

. it was a quiet life with epel so far and you liked it that way.

. year three, was when one of the elderly residents passed away peacefully. she had owned a cat who now needed a new home.

. so, you and your boyfriend volunteered to take her home.

. the cat didn't like epel at first, hissing at him when he got close. but you were a natural and the animal loved you and purred whenever you scratched and pet it.

. epel, however, only got growls and scratched on his arms from the fluffball.

. so you made it your mission to have your new daughter and boyfriend to get along.

. so while epel was fast asleep and your cat was also drowsily napping in your arms, you gently placed her on his stomach while he slept.

. she didn't object. in fact, she started purring against him.

. after that, she didn't seem to mind epel as much anymore. of course, she was still much closer to you, but she didn't scratch or hiss at him anymore. and occasionally, she'd even sleep beside him.

. year four was the year you and epel got yourselves magical brooms.

. you had the idea of using the brooms to pick the apples much easier and more fun.

. epel loved the idea seeing as how he was excellent at flight.

. he would zoom around the orchard and you would carry the basket on your own broom following after him as he tossed the apples into the basket.

. you were both a team, even after he got tangled in one of the tree branches and fell—injuring his arm in the process, you were there for him.

. you took over his duties and helped around the house doing his own chores for him. and he thought that was pretty sweet.

. often you'd see him in a bench with your cat as he watched you sweep at the leaves in the backyard, a content smile on his face and a ball of fur purring contentedly beside him.

. year five was when ace, deuce and jack came to visit harveston.

. it was time for one of the festivals and it had gotten quite busy. all the hustling and bustling of the small town filled you with excitement, as it did every year.

. but with your friends coming over this year, it seemed twice as exciting.

. you and epel gave them all a warm embrace after the got out of a taxi and welcomed them to the town.

. the residents greeted the men with happy smiles and warm embraces.

. you had so much fun, it felt like you were back at your nrc days again.

. and at the peak of the festivities, epel had managed to get you alone in your bedroom—well, except for your cat who was sprawled out on the bed in a starfish position.

. but you expected that. what you didn't expect was epel pulling out a ring from behind him.

. there were no fancy candles or roses. no fireworks, no orchestra. just you, him and the constant purring of your cat.

. but you didn't hesitate to say yes.

. because this was just how you wanted it to be. simple, happy, content and in love. you couldn't ask for anything better.

. when you told everyone, they all cheered adding one more occasion to the festival. the congratulations, the best wishes and the embraces from your friends.

. everything was perfect and you couldn't be happier.

⑇

sebek zigvolt ‹ diasomnia ›

. bitchless

. still holds out hope malleus would date him instead

. sorry sebek stans, but yall keep losing with this man

. only benefits u get from him are free dental checkups from his dad

. bye 👋

⑇

© merotwst 2022 · do not copy, translate or reproduce.

[belokhvostikova]

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 | Swearing and smoking.

It was Steve Harrington’s twenty-ninth big birthday palooza.

Well, at least that’s what the giant, colorful banner called it, that hung across the foyer of his home. That’s what happens when Dustin Henderson plans your party. But the kid—who was beyond the definition of a kid now—had told Steve he had no right to complain about it being childish. Steve did shoot down the first option of “Big Birthday Bash,” terribly unaware that palooza was the next best thing for Henderson.

Had he known, he surely would have stuck with the first option.

Steve was correct, though. The banner was childish, and it had garnered all the fascination from the mini Munson that walked in with a gaping mouth of pure awe at the bright sign. At the very least, the actual kid would enjoy it.

And “palooza” was really selling it out. It was merely a group of adult friends simply hanging out like old times. Only the new addition was the three-year-old hanging off your leg, who adorably looked a lot like your husband.

Not fair. You did most of the work.

But it was worth it, staring into those baby cow eyes every time you crouched down to your kid. And once you stood up, you’d find them again from Eddie Munson, himself, who peered at you lovingly.

Of course, you had to show off your baby and bring him to the party. He was already a crowd favorite. Being the first baby born into Hawkins’ infamous clan of misfits gave you that right. And they all loved that tiny Munson.

Especially after that “Happy Birtday, Uncle Steeb!” It was enough to make icebergs melt.

And having a child at an adult hangout wasn’t all bad. Keeping the beers separated from the juice boxes, and having a yard big enough for the child to run was sufficient enough. Bonus points for Steve Harrington’s dog, Rufus, who took up all your kid’s attention.

By the end of the night, the group had naturally separated into two; the men left smoking outside, while the women conversed in the comfort of the living room. This had come after the cake celebration. Once the candles were blown out, Steve had joked that he wished to keep all his hair throughout his thirties. In reality, he’d wished to start a family as loving as the one his friend had.

He would end up confiding this to Eddie during the relaxed smoking session. That he wanted the whole package; a wife and kid. In fact, he dreamed of having many of them. Eddie blew out the smoke from his cigarette and smiled. “It’s the greatest fucking feeling ever, man.”

Because when Eddie looked back through the glass doors of the patio, he saw you. Sitting and chatting, beautiful as ever. But the cherry on top was seeing his tiny kid straddling your lap. His curly head of hair buried into your neck calmly asleep, as Eddie’s leather jacket draped over as a comforting blanket.

“I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” Eddie beamed, as he stomped out his cigarette.

One day Steve would get that. Whether it was with the pretty lady he was currently seeing or a future soulmate, he’d get that.

Eddie had walked in, strutting over to the quarter of cake that was left after everyone had gotten a slice. Not you, though. You were busy cheering on Steve from the couch, as your baby used your chest as a bed. Cutting a slice, and plonking it onto a paper plate, Eddie meandered his way next to you on the couch.

“You deserve a piece.” He forked a triple chocolate portion into your mouth, where he smiled, as your face contorted into delight. “Good?” He knew it was, he devoured two slices earlier. You could only hum with pleasure, before he leaned in and whispered. “Should we feed the monster?”

It was a risky move. One taste of sugar, and your three-year-old would turn into the Hulk. But it was a risk worth taking, your baby was too cute not to feed treats to.

Eddie managed to slowly insert a small piece between his tiny puckered lips, as he slept. And in true Munson fashion, your baby chewed in his sleep, eyes closed but mouth surely moving.

Then, those baby cow eyes tiredly opened at the sudden sweetness. “Choclat?”

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫’𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞 | I don’t know why I keep making Dad!Eddie blurbs. It’s an addiction that can’t be stopped.

[rouzuchan]

The Crush Culture

𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈(𝐬): Todoroki Yosuke x Reader(ʏᴏᴜ/ʏᴏᴜʀ) 𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: oneshot, fluff 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔: gender unspecified; todoroki being a S.I.M.P.

“Fuuuck.”

The only word running through Todoroki’s mind. They were either prolonged or short under his breath. His breath was labored, spending prior moments working out in his room, the dumbbell still within his hard grasp.

His forehead coated in thin sheets of sweat as beads fell from his damp hair. He snatched the nearby towel, roughly running the cloth on his sensitive skin while attempting to calm his rising pulse. 

“Fuck” He muttered again.

The time read 7:12 PM, already behind his routine. He’d spent the day as normal, but something about recent events had his presence somewhere else. 

Throwing the towel somewhere, he grabbed his phone. Inputting his passcode before clicking straight into his messages. 

The screen’s light illuminated his sharp features, his lips cracking into a smirk as he scrolled up into the message feed dating back from last week.

Damn. You just had to prance around his mind, huh?

Who knew getting dragged into his gang’s matchmaking rendezvous would lead him to now? He still remembered standing broody whilst everyone else chatted and danced around, light strobing and flashing in his eyes making him want to escape. 

In his silent ruminations, he was late to notice another suffering individual at his side, a little too uncomfortable in their skin. You were definitely in the same boat as him. 

And the rest was history. 

Because you lived on the other side of town (and went to an actual school), you both opted to text for weeks, promising to jump at any free time you guys had.

It was better than nothing, he thought.

Amid his floating, fluffy daydreams, a notification slid down from above the screen with a ding. His chest palpated when he read who the delivered message was from.

Hey, I’m heading downtown. Can’t sleep and I wanted to take a break from home :>

He bit inside his lip. Todoroki clicked on the message, sending him down to the very bottom of your chat room. His fingers hovered and deleted message after message, word after word. The chat bubbles danced for a while until he unintentionally pressed send. 

He lurched forward with wide eyes, reading his sent message.

Sure,     I’ll go shower rn

“Fuck!-- Nice going, Yosuke.” He breathed out, pinching the bridge of his nose as he dragged it down.

Another ring came from his phone, feeling his dread quickly pushed away as his throat banged as if he could choke his heart at any moment. 

He peeked over the screen. 

Haha, okay ^^ see u [NAME sent a location]

Seeing your lighthearted message, Todoroki released a breath he didn’t know he held. Crisis averted. Would you even mind? Did you get in the same situation as him some time ago? He kinda hoped so…

Brushing the embarrassment off, he got up and made his way to his shower, hoping to clear his muddled mind. 

After dressing up nicely, Todoroki walked down the cool and uncharacteristically quiet streets downtown. 

It only occurred to Todoroki that this would be your first time hanging out in person since the party. Hard to believe, sure, but with your schedules and his intent on never breathing a word about you to his gang, that insignificant time frame of one month suddenly became precious moments he’d never trade.

Todoroki shook his head, sighing as he curved the corner, hands stuffed in his leather pockets. He shouldn’t jump to conclusions. You were technically still acquaintances… Unless sending memes and funny cat videos were a sign of your affection— it was still too soon to call any shots unless this date– hang-out went well. 

What were you planning? You mentioned something about cafe dates being a go-to, but would cafes even allow caffeine during this time? What do they sell in cafes other than caffeine? Is there anything you’d like? 

“Over here!”

Todoroki raised his head and followed the voice, straight to you. Standing underneath the streetlight, you waved toward him. The fluorescent warmth made your features shine in the treacherous sea of strangers.

You didn’t look tired, or was that just the grin on your face? Todoroki couldn’t tell. He felt like he could drop all his worries now. You were there. Mere feet away.

Fuck… he was in deep. And as his body practically gravitated towards yours, Todoroki knew he wasn’t escaping from your fingers any time soon.

But, he’s honest with himself. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

The midnight grind doesn't stop 🙌 /j but anyways... um, listen I don't know either. Words just... spat out... as always. Ugh, why can't I be this sappy on command!? (〃＞目＜) Being fr right now: That image with Todoroki working out has been eating me up, it's insane <(_ _ )> behold, the crew 😎🥂: @airbendertendou, @star2fishmeg, @straysugzhpe, @simpforchuchu, @strxwberrychocolate, @prodbyblush, @thatpoindexterpixy

[luckybyrdrobyn]

Chapter 1 draft 1 (its technically draft 2 but we don't talk about that one)

It was a pleasant night in Miyazaki, the wind was low and the temperature of the air was a pleasant chill. The full moon illuminating the few corners untouched by the streetlights. The only shadow cast came in the silhouette of the stranger who made their way swiftly down the street, long striding steps causing their cloak to billow around and behind them despite the non-existent wind.

There is the vague outline of a bundle, disappearing in and out of folds of black fabric. The stranger holds it close to their chest as if to shield it from view of their surroundings. Not that anyone who might catch a glimpse here would care much more than to gossip the oddity over a lunch break the next day. But the strangers appearance alone is enough to spike that curiosity.

-

Further down the street is the hose of Kuroo Tanoshi and Keriena, marked by a goofy Halloween skeleton with a now empty bowl in hand and a sign reading "take one" in spiky characters.

Kuroo Tanoshi was a well built man with neat black hair and warm brown eyes that could see into your soul. He was a kind man who valued the comfort of those around him, often more than his own, much to his wife's chargin.

He worked at a small chemist, preparing prescriptions and identifying worrying customers' maladies. While the pay was not the most ideal, he would often state that he "wouldn't take any jobs over it", finding happiness in aiding those who came to him.

Keriena Kuroo was a confident woman, with a toned body that didn't quite match the heavily pregnant silhouette she currently supported. Her long dark brown hair was cropped short underneath and her eyes were dark enough to be black. Tanoshi would often declare that they held all the stars of the night if their depths.

While currently on maternity leave, Keriena had still been burrying herself into her work, unable to stay out of the loop for even a week, let alone three. She worked as a detective and field agent in the local law enforcement with a 89% success rate in her field.

Keriena is seated at their dinner table as Tanoshi stands in their kitchen, cleaning the plates from the evening's meal. They chat amicably about Tanoshi's day and plans for their unborn son.

The conversation finds its way to forgein politics and Keriena mentions that it's been a year since the end of the mass murders in London. The news had spread quickly around the world at the time. The sudden end to an eleven year war was bound to cause ripples, even in Japan.

No one was certain how the cult leader had died. There were speculations in Keriena's workplace of course; bombs, gas leaks, structural damage enough to crush the leader, even the occasional suggestion it was suicide for one reason or another.

The Potters had been the only ones home that night, the young couple and their son. At the end of the incident, the only member left unaccounted for was 1 year old Harry. Neighbours had heard him crying in an upstairs room after the incident but when responders got up there, there was no baby in sight.

It sparked a huge search at the time. But no reports or reminders had been put out about it since June. One baby, no matter how symbolic, wasn't worth the time and money when you were rebuilding from a war after all. The boy who lived, forgotten, reduced to a title to stir action.

A quiet fell momentarily as the couple sat in contemplation. Tanoshi with his mouth set in a grim line, never one for such sour endings, as he finished in the kitchen and moved back towards the table. He bent to hold his wife for a moment, to thank the spirits that both her and their son were safe, that they had no need to fear such dangers.

A knock echoed from the front door. Three strong raps and then silence.

The couple traded looks, not expecting anyone at this time, moat of the trick-or-treaters having dwindled off an hour ago. Tanoshi, slightly spooked but never one to let others down, stepped away to answer the door anyway. Keriena a short ways behind him, curious and cautious.

There was nothing visible through the peep-hole but Tanoshi proceeded to unlock and open the door eyes automatically scanning the front garden and along the street for figures. It was Keriena's gasp that made him look down. Following her gaze to their doorstep his eyes found a small bundle.

Neatly wrapped in green cloth, clutching a letter in one small chubby hand was a little boy with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead. He couldn't have been much older than two, tiny face, framed by messy black hair scrunched in some sort of dream as he sat there, no other person in sight.

Picking up the child carefully, neither of the Kuroos noticed the soft crack as the stranger across the street turned on his heel and disappeared, only a corner of his cloak waving behind as he left. Harry Potter was safe for now, their job was done.

[swissboyhisch]

Cupid Cousin

A/N: I didn't reread this after I finished. Pretty sure it all good but it's late for me so I couldn't be bothered. But yay for this being my first imagine written in years!!!

Pairing: Nico Hischier x Reader

Summary: First game against his old team for your cousin. Luckily some of his ex teammates are cute.

Word Count: 1161

Warnings: None I think. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

THE MASTERLIST JOIN THE TAGLIST HOCKEY DISCORD

You hadn’t seen Taylor in god knows how long. After his trade, it was a struggle being in Newark by yourself. You had moved for college and your cousin was more than happy to have you living closer. But now he had left, you were alone once more. It was only a matter of weeks between you settling into your apartment to the news of Taylor being traded to Boston.

Taylor has his first game against his old team and of course, he wanted you at the Prudential to watch. As much as you loved your cousin, you weren’t a fan of the Bruins. So instead, you dawned your Devils’ Hall jersey. A simple pair of jeans with a hoodie underneath was all you needed. You got there just as the doors opened, two hours before the game. Taylor being Taylor had gotten a glass ticket next to the Devils’ bench.

Boston skated out to do their warmups in front of where you sat. Taylor was quick to spot you, having memorised your seat number. It had been too long since you both had seen each other. He slammed on the glass in front of you. A laugh and wave was exchanged before he noticed one of his favourite ex-teammates skating over to greet him. Nico Hischier and Taylor were close during his time on the Devils. 

Taylor lit up at the sight of Nico skating closer. Both hugged and shared some words. Taylor pointed to you and said a couple words to Nico. The Swiss boy smiled and waved at you. You waved back to him, I mean he was cute, who could deny that. 

As you waited for the stars to be announced, you got a message from Taylor to find a worker in the club section and ask them to take you to the visitors locker room. You had no clue where you were going. The Prudential was a new place for you. The only reason you knew where the club section was because you had come through that to find your seat. 

“Uh, excuse me?” 

The worker turned to you and smiled. “How can I help you?”

“Um, Taylor Hall told me to find a worker to take me to the visitors' change rooms. That's literally all he told me.” You showed her the message then pulled out your ID. Luckily you two shared the last same last name. “I’m sorry, I know it’s weird. I just… It’s all he just told me.”

“Just give me a moment,” The woman apologised. 

You just nod, looking around the bar while she went off to do what she needed. Fans were hanging around having a drink before they went home. She came back with another younger woman who smiled. The new woman looked to be a part of Boston’s crew.

“I was told…”

“Not a problem love, Hall wanted me to take you down, that’s all.”

The walk down to the visitor’s locker wasn’t long, surprisingly. Despite how big the arena actually seemed. She left you standing outside of a locker room, awkwardly by yourself, alone in the corridor. Every now and then a worker would walk by but you stood there scrolling through your phone. 

“Waiting for Hallsy?” A voice spoke up, making you jump.

Coming towards you was Nico Hischier, dressed back in his game day suit. Looking mighty fine. You smile and nod. “Yeah, I think we’re going to dinner. All he said was to meet him down here.”

“Hallsy said we’re going to this diner we were regulars at. It has great burgers.” Nico then smiled bashfully, “I’m Nico by the way.”

You giggle at his words and reply with your name. “It’s nice to meet you. Taylor has told me about you.”

The pair of you chat quietly waiting for Taylor to come out. And surprisingly, he was one of the last of the team to exit. Players like Marchand and Bergeron walked by, giving the pair a point glare. Whether it was you or the fact Nico, star of the New Jersey Devils, was standing beside you.

“Taylor mentioned you are going to college out here,” Nico started.

“Yeah, studying media.” You pull up some of your work for the college’s sports team. “I put in my application here when Tay was still on the team. Got accepted and just after I moved, bam the team traded him.”

“That sucks.”

You shrugged, “Not a lot he could do. He had to be on the next flight to Arizona. Then traded to Boston not long after that.”

“Do you have many friends at school?” The brunette questioned.

“Kinda,” you replied. 

The door opening once more pulled the pair of you from your conversation. Charlie McAvoy was one of the few people you had met through your many calls with Taylor. You shared a smile and wave.

“Hallsy, your cousin is out here with Hischier,” McAvoy called back into the change room after he exited. 

Taylor was quick to exit after that. The three of you made your way to Nico’s car and to downtown Newark. You guys were quick to settle into a corner booth. Privacy for the boys mainly. You took the window seat with Taylor across from you. 

“In you go,” Taylor smirked at his old teammate, nodding at the seat beside you.

Nico slid into the booth beside you, taking the menu from your hand. “Thank you.”

The three of you ordered your meals and caught up with each other. You asked how Boston was, despite not liking the city. Nico talked about how the team was going and having a new roommate, the young Jack Hughes. Taylor asked you about your life, making sure you were okay being in the city by yourself. By the end of the night, Nico had offered to drive you back to your apartment. That was after dumping Taylor at his hotel with the team. 

“If you need anything, you can always just hit me up,” Nico offered as he pulled into the apartment car park. “I don’t do much other than train and do anything hockey. Would be nice to have a friend outside of hockey.”

“Sounds like a date then,” You smirk. 

You held out your phone, allowing him to insert his phone number. He made sure to text himself from his phone to make sure he had your number as well. He wasn’t going to fuck up this chance. Especially after the speech Hallsy had given him whilst you were in the toilet at the diner. He wasn’t going to risk anything.

“Thanks for the lift.”

“Anytime you need,” Nico responded.

You laugh, “Says the guy who travels a lot.”

“Not the greatest I know, but I’ll try my best.”

You blushed at his words. Instead of replying you leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. Without saying another word, only giving him a smile, you exited the car.

A message came through later that night as you were laying in bed.

Hallsy: You're welcome ;)

TAG LIST

@findapenny @mp0625 @hischierhaze @11zegras @lvrzegras @francesfarhadi @cixrosie @daisysthings @jayrami3

[the-red-thread-that-strangles]

Rei is late for the first time since he's started working at Poirot.

Neither terrorism attacks nor hostage crises have affected his being on time. Not even a runaway horse managed to keep him.

But he spends one night with Akai Shuichi, and his perfect record is ruined. Asshole.

Despite his calling ahead, Azusa gives him a worried look. He stops briefly to give her a mock-embarrassed apology, turning up the charm. Promises he won't be late again. Then he's off to the storage room.

He needs to fetch his ingredients and get to baking.

Rei's going to find Akai and strangle him, just as soon as his shift is over.

.

Roughly 12 hours earlier.

There's a gun aimed right between his eyes.

That in itself is nothing unusual. The situation could be worse, really.

After all, his own gun is pointed right back at Akai Shuuichi's annoyingly smug face. At this distance, he'll be able to read his movement, react in time. He'd rather talk, but if the sniper fires, Rei will drag him into hell too.

Blood for blood. Mutually assured destruction.

(His excitement is slightly dampened by the fact he's rather certain Akai won't kill him.)

"Caught you." Rei can't help the satisfaction slipping into his voice.

Finally. After three years, their game of cat and mouse is over. He'll have his answers.

The most pressing of which-

"Where's Scotch?"

The words cut into the silence, sharpened by fear. His best friend might still be dead, after all. (If he isn't, why hasn't he contacted Rei?)

It's not like he has much to go on to suspect he's alive, besides the fact that Akai himself came back from the dead. Rei can only hope he brought Hiro along.

Before Akai answers, there's a click. The world becomes dizzyingly bright, expanding past the muzzles of their guns.

Rei blinks the disorientation away. Spots silhouettes from the corner of his eyes. He hasn't met them before, but he's familiar, of course, with the owners of this house. How long have the Kudos been watching them?

While he's busy processing that revelation, Akai holsters his gun. Part of Rei hates how nonchalant Akai is about all of this, exposing himself so easily. Like Rei isn't a threat, won't put a bullet in his head because of a couple of witnesses. (Hates that he's probably right.)

"I propose a trade. For old time's sake."

(The words leave a bitter taste with Rei. They haven't exchanged anything, not goods, not words, not warmth, in years.)

Akai snaps open a cheap flip phone - likely a burner. His thumb hovers over the call button. The fingers of his other hand, long and dextrous, wrap around the barrel of Rei's P7M8, tugging gently, but insistently.

Rei considers his options. He holds no illusions - without his gun, he won't be able to dispatch Akai. But he's more than capable of holding his own for long enough to escape, if need be.

(He could just fire, right now. It wouldn't have to be lethal. Could take the phone by force. But chances are, whatever information Akai has, he'll be much less willing to share it with a bullet wound.)

Rei looks up at Akai, meets his green, green eyes. The part of him that shows genuine emotions, some days. (Not that Rei is one to talk.)

Finds Akai looking...tired. He wears a small smile, but it's worn around the edges. There's no open mockery, no quiet amusement. It's just the two of them, and an offer.

Rei lets go of the gun. He hopes he won't be needing it, tonight.

.

Akai helps him up, his hand warm and steady. As soon as he's upright, Rei lets go - he can walk perfectly fine by himself, thank you very much.

The FBI agent shows him to the living room, tells Rei to make himself a home. After all, the Kudos have promised to give him some privacy, for his chat.

For a moment, the sniper lingers, gaze caught by the phone. Then Akai casts his eyes down, and leaves Rei alone.

Silence, if not for the crackle of the damned fireplace, fills the room. Rei hesitates for a moment. Then he presses 'call' for the only number in the directory.

The phone crackles with static, beeps as it establishes connection, then-

"Hi, Zero."

The world stops moving. Relief floods his system, sapping the tension from his muscles. He leans against the soft backrest, breathing freely for the first time in a good long while.

.

Their talk is short. Rei asks some questions to establish it's truly Hiro, not an imposter (though that would make a very poor basis for the negotiation the Kudos have planned).

Hiro tersely explains some things, although he isn't allowed to give away much. He's in the FBI's witness protection program. That they're talking at all is a massive bending of the rules, authorized only because of Akai's insistence. He claimed it was of critical importance to their mission.

It certainly is, to Rei.

.

The next hours are a blur.

The sofa dips when Akai sits down at his side, the Kudos already having taken their seats on the other side of the small coffee table. (He wishes Akai would sit farther away. That he be less reasonable in his assumptions and demeanour.)

It's somewhat surreal to think that celebrity actress Kudo Yukiko of all people gives him a steaming cup of chamomile lavender honey tea. Good thing working with Vermouth has knocked most of the starstruck behaviour out of him; his younger self would have made a fool of himself.

He can't afford that. After all, they are seeking him out in an official capacity, requesting PSB senior agent Furuya Rei's cooperation.

It certainly is strange for them to reach out through him, considering his known enmity of Akai. But he's a professional - he might be reluctant to work with the man, but it's not his decision to make. He'll relay the offer, unless it's utter garbage.

So he pays attention while they share what they can of their plan to take down the organisation. Listens to their pledge for equal contribution, and their promise of crediting the PSB with a successful operation; an obvious play intended to soothe the wounded pride of the Japanese, after years of illegal activity. But it's the least they can do.

If one were to ask Rei, the offer is certainly worth considering. The PSB has been working the case for five years now, and while they have gathered intel, and managed to place Bourbon as a vital asset, they're barely closer to shutting the organization down than when they started. It's sprawling, interconnected with various businesses, and, worst of all, active internationally. If they don't cut off all its heads at the same time, odds are the members will simply flee to a different branch. Maybe lie low for a bit, and then go about their business with renewed vigour.

It seems like an international cooperation might just be necessary to achieve this task. So he'll be their messenger; it's above his pay grade to decide whether to take them up on the offer or not.

Though privately, he hopes his superiors agree; every day they lose ground to the organization. By this point, Rei doesn't really care anymore whose plan it is that finally does the organization in, as long as it gets done. (And as long as he and the PSB are finally treated with the appropriate amount of respect.)

Still, he can't help thinking they wouldn't be having this conversation now, if these foreign agencies had respected the official channels ahead of time. Maybe Hiro could be hiding in Nagano then, with his brother, instead of being confined to the other half of the globe. In the US, of all the terrible places to be. He shivers.

.

By the time they're done it's very late. Rei is already half-dozing off, despite his best efforts to stay awake. It would be highly irresponsible to drive in this state, so he's asked their hosts for a coffee (he's sure a place housing Akai will have more than enough of it to go around). He'll just rest his eyes for a moment, until they're back.

.

Something light is being dropped on him, almost stirs him to consciousness. But it's warm, soft, and smells of huddling together in an abandoned apartment.

(Of long-forgotten small comforts.)

Not a threat.

Thus satisfied, his body collects its due, and he's dragged back under, into deep, dreamless sleep.

.

Which brings Rei to the reason he's late.

Someone, and he has a very good idea of who it was, put his phone in airplane mode, drew all the curtains shut, and kept the rest of the house quiet.

(Let him sleep for as long as he needed to.)

So Rei wakes up with a start, in a barely familiar place, the digital clock on the wall indicating it's way past opening time for Poirot. Shit.

He grabs his belongings, pistol, clothes and keys and all, and dashes out the door. He swears he can see Okiya - no, Akai, he was right, damn it - look down on him from that favourite window of his. Asshole. Contrary to him Rei has a job, a cover to maintain. He'll get back at him, yet.

.

It should probably worry him that he can perform the drive to Poirot on autopilot. Too many late-night stakeouts turning into impromptu naps, requiring him to drive straight to work after. So much trouble, over nothing. If Akai had just cooperated sooner-

Then, what? Rei hadn't managed to track him down before his supposed death, and the less interaction there is between Okiya Subaru and Amuro Tooru, the better for both of them. He grinds his teeth, barely manages to brake in time for a redlight.

(Hates that he understands the caution, to a degree.)

.

The universe really is conspiring against him, today.

After the lunchtime rush, a certain pocket-sized detective is ushered in through the door, followed by his guardian and her best friend. The kid gives him odd looks all throughout ordering lunch, too sharp in a way that makes the hairs at the back of his neck stand in up. Rei gives him his sunniest smile, and an extra packet of sugar. He's played games with Gin and Vermouth in worse conditions; he won't yield to a particularly precocious six-year-old.

Despite getting more sleep than the last three nights combined, he's not feeling too well. A single good night's rest can't undo weeks of insomnia. If anything, it only makes apparent what he's lacking.

He finds his mind wandering, glad the preparation of food comes automatically, by now. Whisk and mix and pour. Fry, remove from the pan...

"...uro? You seem unwell."

Too-familiar green eyes stare back at him, bags under the eyes and all. Rei barely manages not to flinch.

Of all the people to catch him spacing out, it just has to be Akai's little sister. The gods must truly hate him.

"Ah, miss Sera. I apologize, I was just pondering some new options for our menu." He winks, gives her his most dazzling smile. "The chamomile lavender honey tea cake has me under its spell."

In response, she just wrinkles her nose, unimpressed. Squints at him with those jade eyes that always see through him too easily.

"Are you sure you're not running a fever? It seems a little warm in here already, yet you're working in a sweater."

Rei blinks at that. The temperature seems fine to him. Azusa hasn't said anything about it either.

"I appreciate the concern, but I assure you, I'm perfectly fine. Now, what can I get you?"

One slice of red velvet cake (of course - why did they even keep that on the menu?) and a macchiato later he's rid of her.

For now, at least - she's joined her friends at the window seats, and judging by the way she keeps sneaking glances at him when she thinks he isn't looking, he hasn't seen the last of her yet.

Still, her questions are odd. Surely he doesn't look that terrible?

(Vermouth has taught him some of her secrets; he's been concealing the shadows under his eyes for a while now. Nobody's ever found him out. Why is it now that people notice?)

.

He continues to work mindlessly, unfocused. This damn shift just doesn't seem to want to end.

He just about manages to avoid knocking Ran out for leaning over the counter, into his space. She remains blissfully unaware of the danger she just escaped, smiling brightly, kindly.

"Excuse me, I have a question."

Rei closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, counts to four. Smiles at the girl. "Go ahead", he says, continuing to whisk some cake batter.

Ran leans in closer, conspiratorially.

"Masumi is too shy to ask" - that's a bold-faced lie, if he's ever heard one, and he's something of an expert on the matter - "but she'd love to know where you got that sweater."

Now, Ran's a lovely young lady, always eager to help. It's a pity she's being manipulated for Sera's gain. Because there has to be more to the question, even if Rei can't see it yet.

Of course, he can't tell the girls the truth - Kazami bought it for Bourbon's cover. But the best lies are closest to the truth, so-

"I apologize, but I do not know where it was bought. A friend gave it to me." His best calculated-apologetic smile smoothes the blow, hopefully.

"Oh. I see." Ran visibly deflates. Still, her good manners prevail. "Thank you, though!" And with that, she's heading back to her table.

Strange. What could Sera possibly want with his sweater? If she wanted to track him down, surely there's more efficient ways, and it's not like he doesn't have a dozen similar cream sweaters-

Wait. Cream?

Rei's pretty sure he dressed in black to infiltrate the Kudo manor. He's not been home and he hasn't changed for work.

He manages to supress a groan, but he's sure there's some unpleasant emotion visible on his face.

...he must have grabbed the sweater along with the rest of his belongings in the morning rush.

Now that he's looking at it, it's clearly a little too large for him. It's also warm, fuzzy, soft, and utterly unoffensive. That's probably why it didn't register, before.

The sweater does smell decidedly of Akai - cigarettes and a hint of his obnoxious aftershave. The warm scent of curry is new - though unsurprising, given his foray into cooking. Great. That's why they've been staring at him. Sera likely recognizes the sweater and Conan spends enough time with Akai to know the scent.

His gut instinct is to go change, right now, get rid of the damning piece of connection to the man he has too many conflicting emotions about. But a long-sleeved black turtleneck is hardly appropriate work attire for Poirot. Besides, if he changes now, the pair of detectives watching him will just have their suspicions confirmed.

So he grits his teeth, takes in a deep breath that smells too much like Akai, and gets back to work.

.

Rei does change out of the sweater as soon as he's done with his shift.

(It doesn't help. The scent lingers.)

.

He's tempted to just toss the sweater, but can't help feeling like it would be a waste. It's quality craftsmanship, well-worn but taken care of - this kind of sweater would pill, otherwise.

It really shouldn't be faulted for its owner's flaws.

So he puts the sweater in a bag, intending to have it dry-cleaned and give it back later.

He should really hunt down Akai, too, but if he's honest, he's just too tired. He probably shouldn't even drive, in his condition, but he needs to get to a safe place, to think about the developments of the night.

.

He reports to Kuroda, showers thoroughly, and falls into bed.

.

Rei can't have slept long. The sunset colours the world in blood red hues by the time he wakes up, out of breath, heartbeat too fast.

Visions of smoke and ash cling to him. Explosions, destroying him one by one, until nothing remains but death alone.

Hagiwara and Matsuda, taken by violent flame.

Hiro's remains, crushed and burnt beyond recognition.

Akai's smile, grimly defiant, as he's shot by Kir. He too finds his end in a blaze, lacking glory.

They're gone.

Consumed by the inferno that seems to follow Rei around. Which burns everything he cares about, leaves him freezing in its wake.

(He can't even cry, his tears evaporating in the heat.)

Rei shivers, draws the blankets closer. Hopes for a little bit of cover, a little bit of warmth.

Please. If he could just shake off the nausea. If he could stop his spiralling thoughts. Logically, he knows that's not all true, even if his heart burns. Akai and Hiro aren't dead.

It's a lie, they're alive, it's a lie, they're alive, it's a lie a lie a lie a lie-

A set of sharp barks rips him out of his thoughts, back into the present.

Oh. He's woken Haro.

The little guy stands in front of his bed, ears tucked back and hackles raised. A defiant ball of fluff that cares so much, trying to growl the nightmares away.

(It might just work.)

Slowly, shaking and somewhat off-balance, he reaches down to scoop up his dog. Wiggles the blanket off his shoulders so he may cradle the whining bundle of fur to his chest. It's soothing, to feel the warmth of another living being by his side. They sit, the silence permeated by Haro's huffed breaths. His body heat seeps into Rei's chest, nestles in his heart.

"I apologize for worrying you. I'll be fine, soon."

He's not alone.

Haro nudges his hand, demands to be pet. Rei obliges, of course he does.

He's not alone.

.

Still, the headache is a pain. He won't be able to go back to sleep like this, will need to grab a painkiller.

He makes his way to the kitchen counter, keeping to the walls because he's still somewhat unsteady, carrying his bundle of warmth along.

The dog throws a fit as they pass the bag with Akai's sweater, growling and yapping at it. Despite the circumstances, Rei can't help but smile.

"I'm glad to see we feel the same way about him."

Wait.

Inspiration strikes in the form of a very stupid idea.

Because that sweater, with its stupid mixed scents, reeking of Akai, is proof he didn't just imagine last night's events. Tangible and olfactory and physical proof. If he were to wake from a nightmare, with it by his side...the anger at Akai would surely keep the pain at bay.

It's worth a try.

.

As he goes back to bed, Haro lies down beside him. Rei keeps petting him, one-handedly. With the other, he holds on to a cream sweater that isn't his.

When he breathes, it smells of too-long stakeouts in windy apartments.

Of Rye's extra blankets, the ones he started to bring when he noticed Bourbon always freezing; irritating to no end, how he was always better prepared for cold weather than Rei.

(It smells of Bourbon's cooking, given in exchange for soft blankets.)

Scents of a tentative alliance, as thread-bare as the fabric between them.

Grounded between the warmth of Haro, and the scent of Akai, Rei falls asleep, waiting for the dog days to finally be over.

[desertfangs]

The Chameleon - Armand/Daniel - The Chase Years - 1000 words

Written for @vcmicroficmay for the prompt "performance." Daniel is thrown a small surprise launch party for his book, Interview with the Vampire, and special guest crashes the party (you'll never guess who!)

Full text posted here or read it on AO3.

It’s awkward being the guest of honor and Daniel wishes he could escape back to his hotel room. People keep coming up to him and shaking his hand while his editor makes brief introductions that leave his mind almost immediately. 

He’s curious about these people, of course. Some of them are authors with dozens of books to their names, or editors, or journalists. The sort of people Daniel would love to sit and chat with under normal circumstances. 

But these are not normal circumstances. This is a small, semi-private “launch party” that his publisher sprung on him.

Daniel had flat out refused to do public signings for his book but he finally conceded to signing copies in the publisher’s New York office that they could send out to bookstores. He’d arrived last night and gone straight to his hotel. He half expected Armand to be there to greet him, as this trip had been planned for over a week, and he’d inadvertently thought about it while Armand was pestering him about the various brands of soda in a vending machine outside his motel room in Tulsa. But the vampire was nowhere to be found.

Daniel spent the day in a boardroom in the publisher’s office, signing copies of Interview with the Vampire until his wrist was numb and his hand cramped. When he finished, relieved to be done and looking forward to going out on the town for some dinner, they’d surprised him with this launch party at a hotel down the street.

The decor is a little gaudy. Gold and red balloons that match the colors of the book cover float against the high ceiling of the rented ballroom. The cover itself has been enlarged and printed on poster boards.

There’s a bar on one end that Daniel only manages to make it over to once before his editor claps him on the shoulder and a non-stop line of introductions and small talk begin. He shakes the ice in his empty glass, hoping maybe someone will offer to refresh it for him. No one does. 

“How did you come up with the idea?” a woman asks. He thinks she’s a copyeditor but that might be the woman to her left. “Interviewing a monster, how clever!” 

Daniel laughs out of sheer discomfort. He’s worried that these people will sense that he’s a fraud. That he didn’t come up with anything. 

He repeats a party line he’s been giving: “I was interviewing people about their lives. A friend of mine was reading Dracula and I joked it’d be cool to interview him.” The crowd laughs.  

Daniel sips at the dredges of his drink, tiredness sinking into his bones. 

A hand touches Daniel’s shoulder and he turns, expecting to see someone else he needs to meet, only to be met with the familiar shock of auburn hair. His pulse quickens. 

Armand is wearing a blue suit, crisply pressed, with a white shirt and dress shoes. His hair is cropped short and he’s wearing glasses. His skin is pale but he’s fed enough to give it color. Like a chameleon, he blends right into this crowd. 

He hands Daniel a glass, a Jack and Coke, trading it for his empty one. Daniel takes it gratefully. His editor gives him an expectant look. He needs to introduce Armand. God help him. 

“This is my—” Daniel falters. What the hell does he say? Stalker? Vampire shadow? Friend? Armand is not his friend, surely. 

“Assistant,” Armand supplies. He gives a fake name and shakes his editor’s hand. 

“Ah, yes, I believe Daniel mentioned you.” 

Daniel definitely did not. 

Armand is charming and fits right in. Incredible how one minute Daniel is showing him something like how a vending machine works and the next, Armand is effortlessly hobnobbing at a publishing party, making clever small talk and enthralling everyone around him. 

Daniel finishes his drink too fast and slips off to the bar. He orders a double. 

“What a lovely celebration of your book,” Armand says. Daniel startles. Armand has moved silently beside him without Daniel even noticing. 

“Yeah, it’s great,” Daniel says. He’s counting the minutes until he can leave without being rude. “What are you doing here?” 

“How could I miss it? You’re the guest of honor,” Armand says with a wicked little smile. “Though I must admit, I enjoy knowing these people know who I am, and yet they have no idea I walk among them.” 

A shiver travels down Daniel’s spine. Imagine if they knew the leader of the Theatre Des Vampires was real and at this party! An unhinged laugh bubbles up out of his throat. Armand puts a hand on his arm, steadying, and strangely familiar. Well, they are familiar now, aren’t they? They’ve been playing this game for long enough. 

And though he’s loath to admit it, Daniel is glad to see him. He feels out of depth at this event, being praised as a creative genius for a true story he merely relayed. He’s a phony. 

You’re not a phony, Armand says. 

Daniel blinks, surprised. He knows damn well Armand can read his thoughts but sometimes it still catches him off guard. It’s not my story.

Of course it is. And you told it skillfully. 

Daniel considers that. The book was a lot of work, writing the descriptions of the interview itself, the editing… Armand often pestered him in various hotel rooms while he was working on it, though they rarely discussed the contents of the book. Daniel always expected him to ask that he edit things or leave things out, but he never did. Anything cut was done so at the discretion of Daniel and his editor. Armand played no part. 

Daniel starts to ask what he thinks of the finished product, but his editor comes over and ushers him toward a new group of folks he has to meet. Armand is right on his heels, effortlessly playing the role of his assistant as the night goes on. 

[larakb117]

LONDON ADVENTURE

Joseph Quinn & female y/n

Summary: Just smutty smut with Joe & female y/n.

Content warning: rpf, smut (18+), oral (female & male receiving), fluff

Part 12

The next few days were packed with appointments for Joe. You attended his Tonight Show appearance and actually got to know Jimmy Fallon himself. He was a funny and polite guy, introducing himself to you the moment you and Joe arrived at the NBC studios, right after you had went on top of that building: Rockefeller Center. The view from up there was mindblowing. Looking at Central Park, the Empire State Building and the stunning One World Trade Centre in the background let goosebumps run down your whole body.

The tonight show was really fun, a newcomer band performed, you were able to sit in the crowd right at the front. A few minutes before the show officially started some scattered seats got filled with some more people. You got a glimpse at one of them, who wore a Joseph Quinn shirt, crying in her seat. Joe sat in his seat, answered Jimmys questions and just looked so handsome. They both played Mad Lip Theatre together, which was hilarious and actually one of your favorite challenges they do on the show, so it was pretty cool to see it live. After they had finished filming the show, you were guided back to Joes backstage room. You rushed into his arms as soon as you stepped into the room: “Babe, you were amazing!”, Joe hold you close and kissed your forehead. “Thanks, love.” His hands rubbed your back up and down. You looked up to him, he stood really straight while you kind of sank into his arms, that’s why your little height difference multiplied by, what felt like, 5. Joe hold you for a couple of minutes. “Wanna grab something to eat?” You nodded and loosened the tight grip on his upper body.

Just some streets downtown from the NBC Studios you and Joe took a seat outside of one off the restaurants on the side of the street. Like always Joe hold your hand with his, they laid right in the middle of the table between you. After a bit of chatting and eating the food you had ordered you just sat their together and watched the most diverse people walking by. Suddenly one of those persons stopped rapidly and looked at Joe in disbelief once she perceived him. “Oh my god, you are Joseph Quinn!” Joe smiled shyly and ran his hand through his hair: “Yeah.”, he simply said. The girl chuckled nervously and stared at Joe for a moment. “You want to take a picture or something?”, Joe obviously tried to break the awkward silence between them. “Oh, yes. Hahaha!”, the girl laughed and her face turned red immediately. Joe stood up, laid his hand on her shoulder and they took a selfie. “What`s your name darling?”, Joe asked. “I´m Cara.”, she answered, shaking because of her tension. “Can I hug you?”, Cara asked. Joe went straight in, and hugged Cara. It was a long hug, definitely distant but you still felt a little sting in your chest. He also rubbed her back, not like he did with you, but still, the little sting was there. Joe broke the hug and sat back down at the table: “Have a lovely day, Cara!”, he winked at her and waved, when she turned around and continued her walk.

Joe looked at you: “You okay?”, he obviously had recognized your nervous hand scratching, that you always did when you felt uncomfortable. He tried to reassure you with a tiny smile and a little hand squeeze as he took your hand again. “Yeah, yeah…”, Joe did not believe you for sure. He knew exactly what was going on, you could see it in his eyes. Just a few days with him, but you already knew each other that well. “D´you know what? We should get to the hotel now.” He cheekily smiled at you now. You immediately understood. The sting was gone. Joe chuckled, grabbed your arm and ran to the next available cab with you.

The moment the backdoor of the cab got closed and Joe had told the driver the address of the hotel, he attacked your neck by roughly kissing and und running his tongue up and down, your head fell to the side to give him better access. His tongue touched your earlobe where he started to nibble a bit. Everything he did with his mouth made you moan, no matter which part of your body he touched with it. His hands got caught in your hair, you clenched your thighs together, you needed him right now. The cab driver cleared his throat at the front seat and Joe and you, separated right away. “We´re here.”

Joe paid and again grabbed your arm, teared you out of the car and into the lift at the hotel lobby. You were alone, so Joe kissed you again and again, your body stuck between his and the lift wall, this time it was sensual kisses on your lips. The fast switch from rough and passionate to slow and soft made your head dizzy. The lift door opened, Joe ran down the hall to your room and opened it with the key card. In chuckles you entered the room, Joe rapidly pushed you to the nearest wall and kissed you. His mouth wandered from your lips, down your jaw and neck and over the blouse you had decided for this morning. He pushed the waistband of it a little bit up, to gently kiss your lower stomach.

Roughly he pushed down your jeans and panties underneath at the same time. They were wrapped around your ankles now while Joe started to kiss you where you really needed him. You bumped your head to the wall in your arousal. Joe lifted your left leg up on his shoulder, he was on his knees for you. The little pressure of his tongue on your clit while he grabbed your thighs made you cum fast and hard. Your hands were tangled in his curls, trying to push him even more into your pussy, riding out your high against his face. His name escaped your throat several times, mixed with loud moans and sighs.

Joe removed your leg from his shoulder and guided you to the bed, where you laid in front of him. He removed your jeans completely, and opened the buttons of you shirt, until you were displayed entirely naked for him. He bit his lower lip and looked you deep in the eyes. “Damn, you are the most beautiful human I know, love.” You shyly smiled and sat up to undress him too. You could see his bulge clearly forming in his pants.

His shirt went to the floor, his pants followed them, then his boxers, his cock sprang free and for the first time, you felt like you wanted to try one of those things you were afraid of the whole time. “I want to blow you.”, you said to Joe staring at his hard cock right in front of your head. “You… what?”, Joe heavily exhaled. Now you looked up to him: “I want to blow you, Joe.” “You want my dick in your mouth?” “Yes.”, you were so sure, but Joe was obviously unsure about it. “You don’t want it?” “Oh I would love to, y/n. But are you sure about that?” You hectically nodded and touched his length, to start off, with your right hand. He moaned into the touch, which made you smile in pride. Your hand pumped his cock a few times, precum leaking out of it.

Then you wrapped your lips around his tip. Joe couldn’t contain a loud grunt. His hands were in your hair, slightly pulling at them. You loved the effect it had on him. You slowly started to get some more of his cock into your mouth, your tongue playing with it too, Joe letting out the filthiest sounds. “Oh, I´m so close.” You sucked him harder, taking more and more of his hard cock into your mouth, almost your throat, until your gag reflex kicked in. His breathing got heavier, which made you pussy throb. You needed him, very bad. “Y/n, I´m cumming. Where?”, was everything Joe managed to get out. You wanted him right inside, so you did not let go, when you felt his cock twitching in between your lips. The hot rope of cum shot down your throat, a weird but good feeling, you swallowed all his cum straight away.

Joe let out the loudest groan you ever heard from him. His hands were still in your hair with a tight grip, pushing your head more onto his cock which let it touch the back of your throat. He tasted amazing. You would have never thought that you would do something like this: deep throating a man in a hotel room in New York City.

Joe giggled a bit, and pulled his cock out of your mouth. “Damn, that was great.”, he sighed and sat down on the floor, aligning his face with yours. The entire time he had stood, while you kneeled on the bed. Joe smiled at you: “Thank you.” He cupped your cheek and pulled you in for a kiss. It was loving, long and intense. You wondered if he could taste himself in the kiss. “Already excited for the next time.”, you cheekily smiled back at Joe.

You hadn’t thought that it would be so enjoyable for yourself to give somebody a blowjob, but it was, at least with Joe. “It´s your turn again now.” He pushed you on your back onto the bed, and crawled on top of you. His hands next to your head at first he started to slow kiss you, running his tongue around your lips and then into your mouth, when you slightly opened it. One of his hands left the position to gently touch your clit.

Your whole body clenched together, you moaned into his mouth, deepening the wet kiss even more. “Joe.” “Yes?” “Please…” Joe interrupted your kiss and went straight down on you. His arms spread your legs, you tried to watch him but your head fell back the moment he laid his mouth on your clit. Moans, grunts, sighs, groans left your throat. He was so good at this, he never missed. Now it was your turn to bury your hands in his hair. The noises he made, while sucking you down there made you crazy in the best way possible. His head was trapped between your thighs now, your hands pushing him more and more in. His hands had a tight grip on your thighs as well. You slightly pushed up your hips, hovering over the sheets underneath. You were close, very close.

Joe added one of his fingers in your throbbing hole, a second one joined just a few seconds later, hitting your sweet spot instantly because he curled his fingers just the right angle. That made you scream his name. Your hotel neighbours were probably pretty annoyed by the constant sex noises from your room, but you didn´t care. All you could think about right now was the orgasm building up. You came hard, and loud, obviously. Joe left your soaking temple and hovered right above your face with a wide smile. “Was it good?” “You dumbass!” , you both bursted into an uncontrollable laugh. After some cuddling, kissing and making out you decided to have a pee, safety first. Your girlfriends always told you about that, but the sex you and Joe had within the last week never really led up to you leaving for the bathroom. You simply really had to pee.

To be continued…

@eviethetheatrefreak

[pradaxstyles]

“Okay, maybe I have a crush on you! So what?” 

This would totally work for Ellie, after Santa Barbara, cause I think she'd be a complete and total emotional mess and wouldn't know how to handle her feelings..

Collateral

Pairing -> Ellie Williams x Fem Reader

Warnings -> Some game dialogue (second game, Tommy made me so mad when he came to Ellie with this. like let the girl live in peace please), brief mention of Ellie's missing fingers, swearing, end is a little rushed, not proofread, fluff at the end bc I said so <3

Word count -> 1.3k

Playlist -> Unbroken, Gustavo Santaolalla

Alexa's notes✨ -> Caroline!!!!! Thank you so so much for requesting something! It means the world to me. I really hope you enjoy this and that I did it justice! As always, please come chat or leave some feedback! love yall xoxo

Your relationship with Ellie wasn't something that was clear cut. It didn't have clear lines, it wasn't black and white. It was more of an array of muddled colors that somehow worked together seamlessly. You knew how she felt about you, and you her, so there wasn't a question as to whether you would go with her to Seattle in search of Abby and her friends.

When that was all said and done you both agreed on starting a life together outside of Jackson. The farmhouse had been one your favorite places you've lived in, partly because Ellie was right by your side.

That was until Ellie left for Santa Barbara.

The day Tommy came by, you could see the wheels turning in Ellie's mind. You had done so much to get where you were, and he was threatening that stability. You knew Ellie struggled with what happened to Joel. You knew it. Ellie tried so hard to hide everything from you, even now.

You'd been by her with everything that happened in Seattle, putting your life at risk every damn day because you loved Ellie. You've had the front row seat to everything that is Ellie Williams, and here she was, debating Tommy's words.

"This new guy heard my story," Tommy began. "He told me about a woman that he traded with while he was moving through California." He unfolded the map and laid it down on the table, smoothing out the creases. "Described her as built like an ox, traveling with a kid with scars across his face."

Ellie was hanging on to his every word.

You stood off to the side trying not to eavesdrop, but how could you not? Ellie sat up straighter, leaning in slightly to take a glance at the map in front of her.

"He said they were livin' across this coast, in a beached sail boat," Tommy reached over and pointed a single finger on the dusty map, "Right here."

You could tell Ellie felt torn, her eyebrows knitted together as she glanced around the room. Her gaze landed on you for a split second, and you could see the internal struggle that raged within the girl.

Moving to place yourself next to Ellie, "That's enough," you articulated, "We're done with that and you know it."

Ellie reached to place her hand on the small of your back. Shaking her head, she whispered a small, "I'm sorry."

The scratch of the chair against the wood filled the brief silence, followed by Tommy's scoff. "Reckon it's easy to forget about her. Sitting all comfy way out here-"

You took a protective step in front of Ellie, "Tommy-"

"'I'll make her pay.' That's what you said when we got back to Jackson."

Placing a strong hand against his chest, you gave him a shove. The look in your eyes lethal, "That is enough!" you exclaimed. "Get the hell out of my house and don't come back with that shit, ever again. Do you hear me?"

Tommy scoffed again, "What a joke." He shuffled toward the door while mumbling things under his breath.

You placed a gentle hand on Ellie's cheek and ran your thumb across her lips before stomping after Tommy. The screen door smacked into the side of the house with the force of you pushing it.

"You're a real jackass, you know that? How dare yo-"

"How dare I? She made me a promise! Don't you think that should mean something?"

A sarcastic laugh fell from your lips, "Are you fucking kidding me? Do you not realize what she's been through?" barely taking a breath, "What we have been through? We almost died in Seattle and I'll be damned if you pressure Ellie into going back out there for some stupid lead."

Soft pants came from your parted mouth. You were absolutely seething at Tommy's audacity. Why couldn't he just drop it? So many lives were lost in the search for Abby. It wasn't his life he was putting at risk, it was Ellie's. He'd have to shoot you dead before you allowed that.

Tommy gave you a sharp look before turning his back and leading his horse to the front gate.

You watched him ride off as you caught your breath.

Pulling the screen door shut behind you, you turned to find Ellie still seated at the table.

"Els, I'm so sorry he did that. He had absolutely no right to show up here and treat you like that."

Ellie warily glanced up at you, a bleak look painted her features. A sigh escaped her lips as she grabbed your hand and led you to the seat across from her.

"Babe, I think-"

"Please tell me you're not actually considering this. Please."

Ellie snapped her gaze down to the map and back up to you. "I can't live like this anymore, knowing she's still out there. I don't eat, I don't sleep."

You blinked the tears away that were threatening to slip. "Ellie.." Your voice broke slightly as you rose to stand. "You need to know that I've grown to care for you, deeply. But if you walk out of this house, I don't know if I'll be here waiting for you to come back."

Ellie rose and stood to face you, inches between you both. A pained expression covered her face, "That's up to you."

With that, she took her backpack and walked out the door, leaving you in the beloved farmhouse alone.

‧⋆ ✧˚₊‧⋆. ✧˚₊‧⋆‧‧⋆ ✧˚₊‧⋆. ✧˚₊‧⋆‧‧⋆ ✧˚₊‧⋆. ✧˚₊‧⋆‧‧⋆ ✧˚₊‧⋆. ✧˚₊‧⋆

It had been three months, and there was still no sign of Ellie. You waited every day for her to walk through that door and into your arms. The old calendar in the kitchen had been marked up, serving as a tracker for the days that molded into one.

It was easy to grow weary, to sit in silence most days and reminisce on the months prior. The ache was a deep, constant feeling in your body.

There was one day, the sun's embrace warm as you sat on the porch swing that you saw it.

Ellie's slim figure making its way up to the front gate, backpack in hand.

Your eyes fell into a sharp squint thinking your mind had been playing tricks on you.

The gate clanked open, and you knew she was home.

Standing up, you scampered towards the girl.

"Ellie?! Is that you?"

Ellie's own footsteps broke into a run after hearing your sweet voice. God, she missed that voice so much.

You slammed your body into her strong frame, wrapping your arms tightly around her neck. "Ellie," you melted, "I'm so happy you're back home."

She picked you up off the ground slightly, inhaling the scent of your freshly washed hair. "I missed you so much, baby. You have no idea."

Placing you back on your feet, her cool hands met your cheeks and you leaned into her touch, relishing the feel of her skin against yours.

Opening one eye at the unfamiliar sensation, "Uh, Els? What the hell happened to your fingers?" You all but ripped her hand off your cheek and brought it up to your face to inspect.

A deep chuckle fell from her lips and she smiled at you, "I'll explain everything, I promise. Let's go inside before you get cold."

Slinging her backpack across her shoulders, she intertwined your fingers in her good hand and led you back to the house. It felt right being back home with you. Ellie realized a lot of things while she was gone and was finally able to process some of those feelings. Not that she wouldn't tell you eventually, but Ellie loved you from the moment she first laid eyes on you all those years ago in Jackson. It took her a while to decipher those feelings, but she's never been so sure of something as she is this.

Glancing down at you, she gave your hand a slight squeeze, "I love you, sweet girl. More than you'll ever know."

[dispatchvampire]

Accidentally in Love (Chapter 3)

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Bucky Barnes x FemaleOC

Warnings: Potentially lethal levels of fluffiness right now, potential for smut later. A little blood, canon levels of violence potentially. Plus size female OC, body descriptions.

Rating: PG-13 (right now for language, but look for this to change)

WC: 1800-ish.

Summary: 

Echo's living a normal life in NYC, a 911 dispatcher, the most excitement she gets is from the calls she takes. And then love comes crashing in one day when she's riding her bike through Central Park.

Steve and Bucky weren't looking for anything on their daily run around the park besides fresh air and exercise. The streak of purple eye candy on a bike that lapped them pretty regularly was a nice addition but not mandatory, at least until some impromptu roughhousing results in some civilian casualties in the form of the most beautiful woman either of them had seen in a long, long time.

A/N: AU, Post CACW, Bucky’s Chill and we have always lived in the Tower. Just call this a throwback to the found family, everyone lives in Stark Tower fics.

This is supposed to be a super-fluffy love story. Still undecided if I'm gonna keep this one going but posting now for giggles and grins. It's got some CSI:NY characters crossing over because why not.

I'm just messing about and playing in my WIPs folder. Not Beta'd: we die like men! (honestly, I tried but if you catch something I missed, let me know)

Chapter 3

One Week Later

“Is he hot in person?”

“Who?” Echo slipped her lunch into the breakroom fridge and pulled out the two cold bottles of caffeinated water she’d left in there the previous night. Late afternoon as it slipped into evening was always a busy time and she needed the fortification. 

“Spongebob Squarepants,” Kalenda, her work bestie, scoffed as she crossed her arms with an impatient frown. The curvy brunette was Echo’s age, about two inches shorter but making up for it with feistiness. “Who do you think? Bucky freaking Barnes! Christ, it’s like you don’t even know me at all.”

 “Lord…” she rolled her eyes as she held the door to the break room open for her friend to pass in front of her on their way into the main center. “Yes. Yes, he is just as beautiful in person, and he and Captain Rogers together are, in fact, as kind and stupidly hot as advertised.” After the visit at the hospital where they’d returned her replaced or repaired belongings—including her bike—Echo had traded numbers with Steve and Bucky, and the guys had texted her a few times in the intervening days to check on her and chatting a little, but it felt weird reaching out to contact them just because. It wasn’t like they were friends or anything. 

Not that she wouldn’t have minded being their friend, or… well, or. They were gorgeous, sweet, funny so far as she could tell, and of course heroic and selfless as hell. The way they smiled at her made her knees weak and her pussy may never recover. What’s not to like? But who was she kidding, really. They were the objects of desire for over half the planet, she guessed, and she was a dispatcher for the NYPD. In no way were those worlds truly related, outside of the most superficial ways, much less were compatible. 

“The hair and those eyes, I’d get so fucking lost in them you’d never find me again. And all those muscles,” she sighed lustily. “Fuck me, that’s before we even talk about that metal arm,” Kalenda carried on, now in full swoon as they made their way out to their stations. “Gods, the things I would let him do to me…” 

Echo snorted at her friend’s obvious heart-eyes in regards to the Winter Soldier. She didn’t blame her at all, but still, their coworkers didn’t need to be privy to their depraved bestie conversations. That’s what the chat was for. “Annnnnnd that is how we end up back at the supervisor’s office for inappropriate work conversations.”

Kalenda scoffed, waving off her concern with a dismissive hand-wave. “Oh, like you’ve never said anything filthy.” Her wicked grin should have been the warning. “Something something ‘star-spangled cock could split you open any time he wanted’? Something something ‘break him down to the frame’... any of that sound familiar?” 

Her leering green gaze as she slipped on her headset made Echo giggle even as heat rushed to her cheeks. “You could shut up any time now.”  

The laughter was shortlived, though, as they settled into their workday. Having a headset on meant that it was time to serve the citizens of NYC and the officers of NYPD to the best of their abilities. They were one of, if not the, largest comm center in the country and Echo was proud of the work she did, contributing to the safety of her town. 

It was easy to get lost in the work, one call at a time, one radio run at a time. Her focus, scattered as it could be at any other time, easily fell into the rhythm of call and response, action and reaction, hours slipping by unnoticed. 

Voices behind her and down at the end of her row drew her attention, their familiarity abruptly yanking her out of the zone. 

One pair of eyes zeroed in on her immediately. “Well, if it isn’t the crash test dummy.” 

Boisterously loud for the locale, Tony Stark was the walking definition of ‘all eyes on me’. He may have been in a crazy expensive suit and tie, looking all prim and proper and what have you, but the curve of his lips promised the most interesting kinds of mischief. 

Echo swallowed hard as she made herself unavailable for calls, her eyes quickly darting left and right to the unabashed gawking of her coworkers. Oh, they were still busy as hell, but the nosy bastards were never above a good spectacle. “Mr. Stark.” 

“Did the phone meet your standards?” he demanded with a smirk that seemed a little too knowing. He stopped behind her chair, spinning her around to face him. 

She nodded hesitantly. “It did, thank you. I mailed you a thank you note. Did you not get it?” 

Yes, it had been an old school touch, but sending him an email seemed a little impersonal, especially since he’d gone to the trouble of transferring all her stuff over in addition to giving her a top of the line bit of tech. And it wasn’t like she could just show up on his doorstep with a casserole.

He snorted, his billion dollar smile on full display as his eyes crinkled at the edges. “I did, but then, I expected nothing less considering you hang out with the geriatric set.” 

She was about to ask what he meant when another voice cut her off. “Tony, Jesus, man. Quiet down, people are working here—oh, hey Echo.” 

She sincerely hoped the whimpering squeak as she spun quickly to face him she heard was just in her head, though Kalenda’s snort behind her indicated no such luck. “Hi. James. I-I mean Bucky. Um…” her eyes met her bestie’s just behind him for some help, but only found the kind of mocking encouragement born from years of friendship. “Nice to see you. Here. At my job.” 

“Um yeah, about that…” The brunet smoothed his long bangs back out of his face behind his ears and grinned bashfully as he rubbed the back of his neck. Under other circumstances, she and Kalenda would be ogling him for the way the seams of his deep blue henley were barely clinging to life across his shoulders and around his massive arms and the skinny jeans that were all but wrecking her concentration. “Cap and Tony had a meeting at 1PP and Stevie wanted me to tag along.” 

“I’m glad he did.” The way her compliment made his cheeks flush felt like winning an award, even if the normal filter she kept up at work slipped a bit. 

“Me too.” The tiny shy grin that danced at the corners of his lips was killing her slowly, even as the somewhat awkward silence stretched out between them. 

Kalenda’s obvious throat-clearing seemed to startle her back into herself, reminding her acutely of both their location and their audience. 

“Well, it’s always good to see you.” The platitude was automatic, off her tongue and into the space between them before she even thought about it, her nerves robbing her mind of anything but decent manners. Good gods, she was never gonna live this down. 

“You look good.” His eyes widened a moment later as he flushed bright red, clearly that hadn’t been what he’d meant to come out of his mouth. “I mean, that is… you look better than when I saw you last time.” 

“Hard not to,” she conceded, her mind bordering on hysterical the longer this conversation went on. It felt like the whole world was watching this junior-high level farce and she was stumbling through it, quite badly. 

“Well, on the upside, you’re wearing more clothes this time,” Tony interjected oh-so-helpfully, looking like he was avidly watching the best telenovela ever and doing nothing to quell the likely overheating rumor mill that had just kicked into gear around them. “And there’s less blood.” 

“Alright, thank you, Mr. Stark,” Shelly, the floor supervisor’s breathlessly cheerful voice sounded like she’d rather eat broken glass than let that conversation continue as she rushed across the room to join them. “Echo, Mr. Stark, Sergeant Barnes, and Captain Rogers—”

“Hello, Echo.” 

She was almost afraid to look, though Kalenda’s dreamy sigh left her no other choice. Sure enough, the gods of horniness were testing her and pretty much every woman in the five boroughs with these three Avengers out together. In a black t-shirt under a green button-down and jeans that gave her the most impure thoughts possible about his thighs, the blond Avenger with the pink cheeks grinned at her warmly from his spot behind Tony. The fact her panties didn’t burst into flames right there was a miracle of modern physics. 

“Hey Steve.” 

“As I was saying,” her supervisor huffed, bringing all of the attention back to her, “they’re here to tour the center, so we should really be on our way.” 

Sounded reasonable to her, so long as they were there, Echo doubted there’d be much work done anyway. “Alright then.” Echo turned back to her console to take stock of her district. “It was good to see you. Be safe out there.”

“Before we go though…” Buck’s half-grin as he met her eye over her shoulder warmed her to her toes. “You out of here soon?” 

“A few hours. Why?” 

“Wanna meet up for a late dinner?” 

His hopeful expression tugged at her heart. It was the kind of thing that made her want to give him the world, even if she didn’t know him like that. “It’ll be after ten,” she hedged, perched on the fence between really wanting to spend time with them because who wouldn’t, really, and knowing that she’s no one special and didn’t have any business tagging along with them. 

“Then we’ll leave a light on for ya,” Steve replied cheerfully as he and Bucky were led further into the center and away from her desk. “See you tonight.”

“Always a pleasure, Crash,” Tony called, following behind him. 

Echo sat blinking at her console as she watched the group retreat, only spurred to action when she caught Steve’s eye as he winked at her before leaving the room. 

“What just happened?” she asked the Universe at large as she typed in the login code for her phone from muscle memory.

“Looks to me,” Kalenda replied lightly dropping off a new bottle of caffeinated water, “like you have a date after work.” 

“Huh.” The very idea was mindblowing. Quickly, her mind was shaken from its haze by a bank robbery that required both her and Kalenda’s attention for quite a while. 

“And had the nerve not to introduce me.”

[obsidiancreates]

Robin Hood: Man In Vents

@pineapple-psychic

"Gus." Shawn whispers as quietly as he can into the little mic pinned to his collar. "I see you flirting with the receptionist."

"Heh, one second." Gus's smirk slips right off as he turns and whispers back "You told me to say I'm security!"

"So no-one would question the mic and earpiece! Not to creep out some poor girl taking this jerk's calls all day!"

"I'm not creeping anybody out!"

"She's literally holding a tiny lipstick taser in her palm."

"Wh- where are you?!"

"The vents. ... Top of the wall to your right."

"Shawn, you're supposed to be in this guy's office already."

"I had to take a pit-stop, man, you were totally ignoring me!"

"Just get in there, if someone we know spots me we're toast."

"Dude, Lassie and Jules are totally busy with that other case with the dead bull or whatever."

"It was a dead matador, Shawn, and they're only busy because you put them on the wrong lead!"

"Yeah, so we're covered."

"Just get into that office!"

Shawn watches Gus turn back around with his 'Smooth Gus' smile and keep chatting with the receptionist- who's relaxing more as Gus talks to her, actually, and she realizes he's just Not As Smooth As He Thinks He Is rather than Trying To Be Creepy.

Shawn crawls through the vents, wondering not for the first time why Santa Barbara seems to make all their air vents big enough for over-30-year-old-men to crawl through with room to spare, and makes it to the office. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his little uses-actual-tape vintage tape recorder, stolen from his dad's house, and hits record.

"No, look, if we sell more than this it'll look suspicious. ... I know, I know, but our payout won't be worth shit if we get caught. Just- have you taken care of the severance situation? ... Well, cripes, Monty, if you don't find a way to avoid paying out severance after this we'll have done it all for nothing! ... That's it, I'm coming down to your office. No, I don't give a crap if your wife is there, kick her out or I'll beat her ass along with yours. ... You'll take this talk from me as long as you live, if you don't want to become my next scapegoat."

The phone slams back into it's receiver, and the CEO storms out of his office.

Shawn tests the vent grate- if he did it right when he pretended to be the building inspector a few days ago, it should just-

CRASH!

... Whoops.

Shawn slides out of the vent and lands in a heap on the floor, springing back up as quickly as possible and going for the computer! This office is relatively isolated, but someone will have heard that. Gus posing as security can maybe buy him twenty minutes, but after that he's risking everything.

Gus would kill him for saying so, but all that makes this even more fun.

He copies the password he saw being entered in the reflection of the window when he came in to sabotage the vent, pulls out the list of keywords Gus's jotted down for him, and starts combing through the files as quickly as possible. He plugs his pineapple-shaped hard drive into the PC unit and begins downloading everything relevant to the insider trading and company self-sabotage.

"Dude, hurry up, I just got told over the walkie that there was a loud sound in the CEO's office," Gus hisses through the earpiece.

"I'm hurrying!"

"Hurry harder, Shawn! Oh, uh, hello, fellow security team. Yeah, Im uh, going to check out the disturbance myself. no need for all of us, right?"

"You're in fire, dude."

"Yeah, well, I'm a uh, black belt in taekwondo, so I really don't need any backup. Might get messy."

"Black be- okay I know that's not true, but I also know you've been sneaking out of cases more often than usual. Gus, are you taking martial arts classes without me? How is our partnership supposed to work if you become a lethal weapon of flesh and blood and I don't?"

"I'm not taking any classes, I'm buying you time," Gus hisses again. "Quit distracting me!"

"Fine. ... But we should sign up for some classes together after this."

"I agree, but shhh!"

"Fine. ... Okay, okay, I got it!" Shanw unplugs everything, makes sure his gloves didn't rip or leave any fibers behind- and then looks up at the vent. "Oh. Oops."

"Oops?!"

"It's uh- it's a little high to reach."

"Oh my go- you didn't measure a way up to your only escape route?"

"I was a little focused on the entire rest of the whole plan!"

"Figure it out fast, we're almost at the elevator!"

"Ah- stall for time! Pretend to pee yourself!"

"No, stop using that as a go-to distraction!"

"Well do something!"

"Ah- HEY! Ahem, hey, guys, uh, you know, I read in Men's Digest last week that elevators have been linked to Kidney Stones."

Shawn looks around frantically for something he can use to get up to the vent that won't leave a suspicious trail- nothing. Unless...

"Dude, I'm taking a risk."

"Another one?!"

"Trust me!"

Shawn pulls the wheely chair over to the vent and stands on it. It's just enough for him to leverage himself into the space. He hops off and grabs the vent cover, puts it on top of the headrest, and turns. He puts his feet on the wall, walks them up to the vent opening, and slowly walks his hands up to the top of the chair to leverage himself into the exit.

As soon as his hands reach the top he hears the elevator ding down the hallway. He hears Gus's rambling coming closer, and knows it's now or never. He takes a deep breath, winces in preparation for the on coming pain, and pushes off of the chair! He just barely manages to grab onto the vent as the chair goes flying across the floor back into place!

His push gets him halfway into the vent, the wind knocked right out of him, but he has no time to recover. He squirms the rest of the way in, and managed to re-affix the loose vent cover right as the door to the office opens.

Gus glances up at the vents and they lock eyes. Shawn gives a thumbs-up, and begins scooting backwards out of the line of sight.

"I'm never helping you with one of these again," he hears Gus mumble over the earpiece.

They both know Gus is lying. They're partners in crime-solving and in crime, and they always will be. Especially when it's something like this.

Now to figure out if blackmail or exposure is the best use for what they've gathered...