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stevie-petey · 7 months ago

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episode one: suzie, do you copy?

Steve sighs. “Those kids are manipulating your power over me to get what they want.” “You call it manipulation, I call it bonding.” Another sigh escapes Steve. “You’re going to be the death of me.” “And yet you stay.” You tease. “And yet I stay.”

Summary: you help nancy sneak through jonathans window, the party uses you for your "in" with steve, and you sorta become the reason dustin almost blinds lucas. meanwhile, steve tries, and fails, to make you his girlfriend (this will happen all summer), but have no fear ! dustin intercepts a russian code and makes everything even harder for everyone. what a sweet brother <3

Rating: general, swearing

Warnings: allusions to violence, swearing, fem!reader, use of y/n

Words: 9.6k

Before you swing in: shes here !!! season 3 of come home <333 im so excited for yall to read what i have planned, and thank you so much for being so patient as i planned the season out and started the chapters :) season 3 is pure chaos and i hope yall love what ive created, im proud of the changes i made <3333 we get some more insight into bug this season, which i also hope yall love !

June 27th, 1985.

A summer breeze gently creeps into Jonathan’s room, bringing the scent of dandelions and your childhood with it. It’s early evening and Jonathan hums to himself quietly, laying in his bed as he lazily skims through a comic he stole from you last week. You’re next to him as you carefully cut pieces of construction paper to glue onto the posterboard. Dustin comes home from camp in a few days and you want his welcome home banner to be perfect.

In the other room you hear the floorboards creak, followed by the sound of Joyce and Will laughing at whatever movie they’ve put on in the living room. Hearing their laughs makes you smile; it’s been so long since you’ve heard them laugh.

The tune that Jonathan hums now becomes a familiar one, and absent mindedly you begin to hum along with him. The cool summer night’s air encases the two of you, as if it senses that you want to freeze this moment forever. You’re in the Byers home, pressed against Jonathan’s side as you hum together an old song from when you were both fourteen and thought you had the world all figured out,

It’s nice, having this moment all to yourself with him. Moments alone with him have become few and far between, and it saddens you to think about.

There’s a new mall in town, Starcourt, and within a few months of it opening, Bookstrordinary has slowly been edging out of business. The entire town of Hawkins quickly fell in love with the mall, but with this love came the abandonment of downtown Hawkins.

Mrs. Waters can barely afford to have you work more than a few hours a day, so you’ve been spending your days visiting Nancy and Jonathan at their internship at the Hawkins Post or hanging at Scoops Ahoy to see Steve and Robin. While your friends have been lovely, you can’t swallow down the fear that you’ll lose your job by the end of summer.

As if somehow reading your thoughts, Jonathan puts down his comic and pokes your cheek. “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask if you and Nance thought of anything else to try and save Bookstrordinary.”

You glue down a letter and try to distract yourself with the miniscule task. Nancy has been brainstorming a million ideas to try and help Mrs. Water, and while you appreciate her effort, it’s no use. Swallowing down even more dread, you shake your head at Jonathan. “No, nothing. Nancy offered to help organize a book drive to get more customers, but…”

“It wouldn’t be enough.” Jonathan finishes for you.

“Not nearly enough,” you sigh, desperately wanting to change the topic now. “But besides me possibly losing my job soon, how has yours been at the Hawkins Post?”

Now it’s Jonathan’s turn to sigh. “It’s… okay? I guess. I–I mean, definitely not what I expected it to be. The hours suck and the men are awful, but…” he shifts uncomfortably and looks away from you, embarrassed. “A job is a job.”

You rub his arm, understanding what he means. The Byers have always struggled with money, but ever since Will went missing two years ago and Jonathan lost his last job at the Hawk movie theater, it’s only gotten worse. They’ve tried hiding it, but last week you sneakily paid for Will’s ice cream at Scoops Ahoy while no one else was looking.

“I get it, bee.” You reassure him, hating that he even feels embarrassed in the first place.

Jonathan smiles and leans into your touch, appreciative of the fact that you know his family well enough by now to understand all he’s too ashamed to say. The two of you sit quietly for a few moments before he tries to lighten the mood with something else. “You excited for your birthday, bug?”

“Ugh,” you shake your head in disgust, which Jonathan laughs at. He knows you’ve never really liked your birthday. “Don’t remind me.”

“It’s in a few days, so you gotta suck it up.” Jonathan flicks your forehead and you swat your hand at him. “Besides, I bet $5 that Steve has some grand proposal planned for your birthday this year. He’s spent the entire summer drooling over you.”

His words make you blush furiously. “He has not–”

“He definitely has,” Jonathan tries to flick you again but you dodge, giggling. “I’m surprised he hasn’t publicly declared your love for you yet. I think there’s a betting pool going around the party.”

You gasp. “You’re lying!”

“Nope. Lucas and Max both lost last week, they bet mid June. Now it’s only me, Nancy, Will, and Dustin in the running.”

“What about Mike and El?”

“Mike didn’t want to encourage you dating Steve and the party agreed it felt unfair to have El gamble seeing as how she’s, ya know, still getting used to being in society.”

Despite yourself, you laugh. The idea is so bizarre and lovely, knowing how invested everyone is in your alleged love life, and it makes the worry you’ve been feeling fade away. “Can I join the pool? If I actually lose my job, I’ll need the money.”

Jonathan scoffs at you. “That goes against every gambling rule–”

“Please? I could be poor soon!”

“No, it’s not going to happen–”

“But–”

A knock on the window cuts you off. The two of you look up at the sound and find Nancy standing outside, waving and smiling. You hurry over to let her in, happy as always to see her. She’s been spending more and more nights at Jonathan’s, always sneaking in through the window.

It’s disgusting, and you couldn’t be happier for them.

Jonathan helps the girl climb through the window and greets her with a kiss to the forehead. “Hey, Nance.”

She smiles up at him with a shine in her eyes, and you know it’s time to leave. It’s getting late, anyways. You start to gather your banner supplies as you greet Nancy yourself. “Welcome back, Wheeler.”

“Hello to you too, Henderson.”

You wink at the girl and quickly ruffle Jonathan’s hair. “I’m going home, bee. My mom wants me to help prep Dustin’s room and I wanna have his banner done by tomorrow.”

“Bike home safe, please.” He says with a stern finger pointed at you.

Rolling your eyes, you give a mocking salute to Nancy and Jonathan. “Use protection, kids. I’m too young to be an aunt.”

Nancy gasps while Jonathan practically trips over his own two feet at your words, and you laugh. You leave them alone to compose themselves, closing the door to Jonathan shouting, “That wasn’t funny!”

You’re still giggling to yourself when you walk into the living room and see Joyce and Will sprawled on the couch. Their movie has just finished, the credits are rolling as you stand next to the TV and wave goodbye to them.

“You leaving so soon?” Joyce asks, surprised to even see you leave Jonathan’s room in the first place.

“Yeah, gotta finish up Dustin’s welcome home banner,” you hold up your supplies. Then, through the house’s thin walls, you all hear Nancy’s soft giggle. At the sound, you lean in close to Joyce and Will and dramatically whisper, “Plus, between the three of us, company came, so…”

Will’s eyes widen. “Yuck!”

Joyce chuckles, remembering how in love she was at Jonathan’s age back then. “Would I be a bad parent if I told Nancy she could just use the front door?”

“I don’t think so, but it’s fun watching them think they’re getting away with it.” You steal a piece of candy from the bowl Will had been eating out of, and he holds it up higher so that you can grab more. “Thanks, little bee.”

“You think it’s fun teasing Nancy and Jonathan now, Y/N, but when you’re the one sneaking in through a boy’s window one day…” Joyce shrugs, a twinkle in her eye. “You’ll understand.”

Will looks up at you with his own evil glint in his eyes, and before you can stop him, he turns to his mom and says, “I wonder how high Steve Harrington’s window is.”

You pretend to attack Will and he giggles as he flees his seat and runs to the other side of the living room. “Will Byers I will spit in your cookies–”

Joyce covers her mouth and gasps. “Y/N, are you hiding a boyfriend from me?”

Quickly you stop chasing after Will, terrified of the idea of the woman thinking you’d hide anything from her. “What? No! I’m not dating Steve–”

“Yet!” Will exclaims from across the room, but his retaliation is followed by a shriek as you chase after the kid again.

“If you keep this up, I’m telling Steve to stop letting y’all sneak into the movies!” You threaten as you chase the boy around the room.

Joyce watches in amusement, she’s never been able to take her eyes off of you when you’re with her boys. Will dodges a grab and you stumble, giving him just enough time to hide behind his mom’s armchair.

He pokes his head out at your threat, his eyes now uncertain. “You wouldn’t really tell Steve that, right?”

Catching your breath, you collapse onto the couch and shake your head at him. “No, little bee. I wouldn’t.”

You’d never do that to Will. He’s been so keen on spending as much time as possible with the party this summer, spending each and every moment planning DnD campaigns and biking all over Hawkins to spend mere seconds together. Will has spent all summer trying as hard as possible to be a kid again because so much of his childhood was stolen by Upside Down.

Will slowly gets up from behind the armchair and sits next to you, relieved. “Okay, good. We wanna see a movie tomorrow night and I already promised everyone you’d get Steve to let us in. That would’ve sucked.”

You and Joyce laugh at the boy’s response, and it feels so good to have this moment with the two of them. You allow it to wash over you for a second, the Byers home has always had such a comforting effect on you, before getting up and gathering your things once more. “I really should go, though. My mom is waiting.”

Joyce and Will say goodbye and tell you to be safe on your way home, and it warms something within you. As you bike down their driveway home, you inhale the summer night’s air and wonder, days before you turn seventeen, how much longer you have left of just this: being a little kid going home after a long day.

–

When you get home, Tews greets you with an angry meow.

The cat had been a Christmas gift for your mom from you and Dustin, seeing as how you accidentally killed Mews. Your mom had cried seeing the little kitten, and had cried even harder when your brother suggested the stupid name “Tews.”

But it stuck, and now Tews glares at you as you take your time feeding her.

In Dustin’s room you can hear your mom rustling around, frantically cleaning the place as if it currently isn’t the cleanest it’s ever been since the kid has been gone all month. After you feed Tews, you make your way over to your brother’s room to help with cleaning.

A few hours later, you’re laying in bed, exhausted from your long day. Dustin’s banner sits on your desk, right next to the phone that resides in the corner. Yawning, you glance at the clock, but when you see the time, you smile.

The phone rings.

“Right on time, honey.”

“Aren’t I always, angel?” Steve’s voice soothes your aching bones, his words like honey, the very thing you’ve come to associate with him.

Phone calls have become more and more common between you and Steve. You’re not sure when this tradition formed, but when you aren’t at Scoops and he isn’t at your house infiltrating your family, you’re on the phone with one another.

Hearing Steve’s voice puts you at ease, and it wasn’t long before you started calling each other before bed every night.

“How was your day?” You ask him, spinning the phone’s cable around your finger as you lay in bed.

Steve lets out a dramatic groan. “I swear, after you left today, Robin intentionally amped up her taunts. It’s like you’re her buffer or something. The second you leave,” you hear him snap his fingers, “she turns against me!”

“Robin would never do that.” Your voice is monotone as you say this, which only makes Steve groan dramatically once more. Robin would most definitely do that; you both know this.

“You two are the worst together.”

“Yeah, well,” you pull your blankets up to your chin and readjust into a comfier position. Your eyes feel heavy and Steve’s voice settles over your body. “Prepare for more pain tomorrow night. Will and the party have grand plans to sneak into yet another movie.”

Steve sighs. “Those kids are manipulating your power over me to get what they want.”

“You call it manipulation, I call it bonding.”

Another sigh escapes Steve. “You’re going to be the death of me.”

“And yet you stay.” You tease.

“And yet I stay.”

You bite back a smile; you can almost perfectly envision Steve laying in his own bed, phone pressed to his ear with his hair messy and eyes half lidded as he talks to you. You wish, more than anything, that you could be there with him right now; instead, you fall asleep to the sound of Steve’s voice, slightly raspy from his own exhaustion.

–

The next day you wake up to an empty house. Your mom has been spending her summer at Hawkin’s pool, like all the moms in town now do, to admire Billy at his new job.

It grosses you out to no end, and when your mom comes home some days swearing that Billy winked at her, you have to swallow down the phantom pain of his fingers wrapping around your windpipe.

By the time you get to work, Downtown Hawkins, as always, is a ghost town.

It’s been this way ever since Starcourt opened, and as you park your bike and lock it up, you can’t help but be unnerved by how quiet everything is. It was only a few years ago that you had to scream at a crowd of onlookers when Jonathan and Joyce had had that fight when they had found Will’s body in the quarry.

Now, walking slowly towards the front doors of Bookstrordinary, all you hear is silence in the once lively area. There are posters scattered throughout the old town, but they’re worn from the sunlight and torn from the weather. It’s a depressing sight.

Mrs. Waters greets you kindly when you walk in. “Hello, dear.”

“Hi, Mrs. Waters.” You give her a quick peck on the cheek as you quickly swipe your card to clock in. The bookstore is empty. “Any new shipments today?”

The old woman shakes her head forelonly. “Afraid not. We still haven’t sold last month’s shipment.”

You duck your head down and curse. This is the second shipment you weren’t able to sell. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Waters.”

“Oh, don’t be!” She walks over to you, her wrist shakes as she uses her cane. She has aged so much these last few years. “I’ve owned this store for thirty years, dear. I’m just happy that I can give you and Alex a job before you kids go off to college. Besides, it’s given me something to do these last few years without my husband…”

The woman’s eyes glaze over, something that has started to happen more and more now, and you grab her arm gently and give her a little shake. “Hey, Mrs. Waters. You still with me?”

She blinks, looks around in a confused daze, before breaking into her old smile once more. “Of course I am! Now, sort some books while I ward off those debt collectors with this cane.”

Despite the gravity of the situation, you can’t help but laugh at Mrs. Waters as she waves her cane around madly and gives you a wink. She hobbles back to her office and leaves you alone with the books and the ghost of Downtown Hawkins.

Only two customers come in during your four hour shift, and by midday Mrs. Waters releases you so that she can give Alex a few hours of work as well. She’s trying her best to keep you both hired for as long as she can, so she splits your hours. What she doesn’t know is that Alex now has a job at Hawkins’ pool and only comes into work because he just can’t bear to quit, and neither can you.

You bike to the mall, sad and needing a pick me up. Jonathan’s teasing from last night echoes in your head. How could you possibly think about your birthday when your boss is slowly losing both her mind and her business?

At the mall, your feet unconsciously take you to Scoops as they always do. This has become your favorite part of your dreary days: going to Scoops after work. The smell of ice cream greets you as you walk into the shop.

Robin sees you first and waves excitedly from the register. “Y/N!”

“It’s me!” You run up to the counter and lean over it to squeeze the girl into a tight hug.

There’s a loud crash from the backroom and just as you’ve pulled away from Robin, Steve bursts through the doors and leaps over the counter to join in on the hug. “Thank God you’re here, Robin was about to make me clean the tables.”

You giggle while Robin scoffs, pulling away. “It’s your turn, dingus.”

Steve, still hugging you from behind, hums. He begins to rock you back and forth in his arms, which only makes you giggle more, while he pretends to think about what the girl has said. “Nope, don’t remember it being my turn.”

Robin gives you a pleading look to back her up, and you reluctantly slide your arms over Steve’s and release his grip. He groans in complaint at the loss of your touch, and you roll your eyes at him as you turn around to now face him. “C’mon, let’s go wipe the tables so dear Robin can man the register in peace.”

Steve groans even louder now as Robin cheers, and you snatch the rag from his pocket and begin to wipe down the tables. He follows eventually, moaning and groaning as he cleans next to you, and you hit your hip against his. “Hey, at least you’re getting paid for this.”

“I give you free ice cream!” He argues, pieces of his hair falling out of his adorably dorky sailor’s hat that he has to wear for this job. It’s incredibly endearing, and as he hunches over to scrub at a particularly dirty table, his thighs strain against his probably too short shorts and you can’t help but stare at them. As you admire this spectacular show, Steve catches you and flicks your nose. “Quit ogling me and get back to your free labor, angel.”

“I wasn’t ogling, I was simply admiring.”

Robin gags from behind the register. “I can hear you guys, you know!”

You and Steve both stick your tongues out at her before going back to work.

The hours pass by quickly after that. The midday rush of tweens and teens alike infiltrate Scoops, so Steve helps Robin fling ice cream while you get comfortable in your designated booth in the corner. You’ve hidden a supply of comics underneath one of the booth’s cushions and you spend your time catching up on the latest Spider-Man arc.

You’re so engrossed in what you’re reading that you don’t notice a body slide into the booth next to you until the person speaks.

“Spider-Man, huh? Heard he’s a pretty cool guy.”

Startled by the stranger’s voice, you almost drop your comic in alarm. When you see that it’s just Jason Carver sitting next to you, you place a hand to your chest and inhale quickly, trying to settle your rapid heartbeat. “Christ, you scared me.”

“Sorry!” He genuinely looks apologetic, so you wearily set down your comic and straighten up.

You’ve never spoken to Jason before, even though you’ve been in the same classes ever since eighth grade. He’s always ran with the popular crowd, being a jock and all, and you’ve always ran with Jonathan. However, despite being on the basketball team, Jason has never been mean to either of you, so you figure it’s safe to offer him your attention.

“Can I ask why you’re here?” You cock your head at him, feeling your hair fall over your shoulders.

Jason smiles at you, in a sort of cute and charming way. “Stopped by to get my little sister some ice cream,” he points to a little girl next to him, who waves at you, and you wave back. “Then I saw you sitting here all alone reading one of my favorite comics, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to say hi to such a pretty girl.”

You blush at his bold words. You’ve never received such attention from anyone before, at least not anyone normal thanks to Billy, and you’re not really sure why Jason seems to be paying attention to you now. He’s had years to do this.

Jason sees your sudden shyness and chuckles. He stands up and offers you his hand. “Why don’t I buy you some ice cream, maybe you could help me show my sister around the mall–” Steve’s shoulder collides roughly into the teen’s, causing him to stumble into his sister’s ice cream cone and get chocolate ice cream all over the front of his pants. Jason looks up at Steve and balls his fists in anger. “What the fuck, Harrington?”

You quickly cover the little girl’s ears, though she giggles.

Steve shrugs as he looks at Jason. “Sorry, man. Didn’t see you there.” Then, he turns to you, and offers his own hand. “Anyways, I think it’s time for your daily free ice cream, angel.”

Jason’s eyes narrow as you accept Steve’s hand and spare him an apologetic glance. Before you leave, you dig some cash out of your overalls and hand them to him. “For your sister’s new ice cream cone.”

He sighs and accepts the money. Jason knows that Steve is still holding your hand as he stands behind you, but he has nothing else to lose at this point. He takes a deep breath and shakes his head. “I didn’t stand a chance, did I?”

Steve twirls you with your interlocked hands, causing you to giggle, and guides you to the ice cream counter. As he leaves, shouts behind him, “Not at all, buddy!”

You know you should feel bad, but Steve twirls you again and all you can do is giggle breathlessly as Jason Carver walks out of Scoops with his sister in tow.

–

Later that night the mall is busier than ever, and as you’re gossiping with Robin about Steve ruining Jason’s pants, you’re interrupted by Mike’s grubby little hand repeatedly hitting the bell.

Seems it’s time for their movie.

You flick the kid’s head, which Lucas, Max, and Will snicker at. “Enough!”

“Ow, Y/N!”

“Thanks,” Robin sends you an appreciative smile before she calls towards the backroom, “Dingus, your children are here!”

Within seconds, Steve opens the sliding windows and sighs when he sees Mike and the party. “Again? Seriously?”

“I warned you.” You say, shrugging at his annoyance. “Let the kids have some fun.”

Mike rings the bell again. “Do what Y/N says.”

Steve sighs in defeat and motions for the kids to follow him behind the counter. “Fine, but only because I’m nice, not because Y/N said so.”

“Right.” Everyone says, not at all believing him, which Steve chooses to ignore.

You all follow him through the back entrance of the mall. Checking to make sure the coast is clear, Steve waves the kids inside. “I swear, if anybody hears about this–”

“We’re dead.” The kids all respond, voices monotone with annoyance after hearing this threat a million times.

However, before they all leave, Will gently tugs at your hand to get your attention. “Are you coming with?”

You want to say yes, but then you catch Steve’s eyes and he silently pleads with you to stay, and you know you can’t tell him no. Squeezing Will’s hand, you shake your head. “Sorry, little bee. I promise I will next time, though.”

Mike scoffs in disgust, disappointed in you. Your relationship with Steve has always confused him, and you’ve only gotten closer to the teen since Dustin left for camp. He pities what the boy will think when he comes back to his sister all lovey-dovey with an idiot like Steve Harrington.

Once the kids leave, you go back into Scoops with Steve and settle into your booth once more. Grabbing your comic, you flip to where you left off before looking up at the teen and saying, “you have me for another hour. I can’t be out late tonight, Dustin comes home tomorrow and I promised Mike I’d be up at like seven to let everyone in.”

Steve salutes you and hops back behind his counter to help Robin with some customers. You smile at his antics and go back to reading. A few minutes pass, Spider-Man has just kissed MJ, before the lights above you start to flicker and then go out completely.

Everyone in the mall gasps and murmurs in a slight panic as they’re thrown into darkness. The hair on your arms stands up; you no longer trust lights that flicker. Robin catches your eye and gives you an odd look when she sees the fear on your face.

“Scared of the dark, Y/N?” She teases, not understanding what you really fear: what lies below Hawkins.

“That’s weird,” Steve mumbles to himself as he goes over to the light switch. He starts to flip the switch repeatedly, and you roll your eyes at him. He’s an idiot sometimes.

“That isn’t gonna work, dingus.” Robin says, looking over at you once more as if to silently ask, why are you attracted to him?

You shake your head at her as Steve continues to flip the switch, now only quickening his movements. He stares Robin down as if to challenge her. “Oh, really?”

Nothing happens, because contrary to what Steve may believe, he can’t fix what is likely (and what you hope) is simply a blackout from the summer heat. He flicks the lightswitch a few more times before the generators kick back on and Scoops Ahoy is once again lit up.

Steve raises his eyebrows at Robin and smirks at her, pleased. “See? Let there be light.”

You drop your head to the table, now also questioning why you’re attracted to the guy.

However, when it’s time to head home and Steve walks with you to your bike outside, he kisses your cheek and wishes you a good night; you know that this is the reason you’ve fallen for him: his kindness. With his kiss lingering on your cheek, you bike home.

–

When Steve gets back from saying goodbye to you, he’s met with a nosey Robin.

She stands against the counter with her arms crossed. There aren’t any more customers in the shop, they closed about ten minutes ago, and Steve was really looking forward to driving home and taking off his stupid uniform.

Robin, however, clearly has other plans.

“What did I do now?” He asks her, not daring to take any step closer.

“Why haven’t you asked Y/N out yet?” Steve’s eyes widen at the question and Robin knows she’s got him cornered. “I’ve spent hours with you guys, and it’s driving me insane that you haven’t manned up!”

“‘Manned up’?” Steve sputters out, completely offended.

Robin throws her arms out in front of her. “Yes! I mean, it’s so obvious that you’re in love with her and that she’s in love with you. Just… Just get it over with!”

Blushing, Steve slumps against the wall and closes his eyes. As much as it pains him to admit it, he knows that Robin is right. “It’s… complicated.”

“Well, go on.” The girl now hops on the counter and sits on it. “Explain it to me, then.”

“Y/N used to be in love with…” Steve stops, unsure if you’d want him to be telling Robin this. “Someone.”

She rolls her eyes. “Everyone knows she was in love with that Byers kid.”

“Right.” He clears his throat, uncomfortable with the reminder that at one point, everyone in Hawkins truly believed you were destined for Jonathan. “Well as I’m sure you know… He got with Nancy, who–uh, I had been with.”

“Okay, so what?”

“I–” Steve isn’t sure what Robin doesn’t understand. “I needed… time?”

Robin frowns. “After Nancy dumped you?”

“Technically I dumped her–”

“What does this have to do with Y/N?” Robin presses.

Steve groans and rubs at his eyes. He’s tired and wants to go home to call you and go to bed with your soft voice in his head. “Y/N understood that the breakup with Nancy hurt, and–well. She told me she’d wait for me. I guess. While I figured my shit out.”

Robin thinks this over for a minute. “Okay, I think I can understand that, but–wait, when did this all happen again?”

“... December.” He closes his eyes, bracing himself for the girl’s inevitable anger.

“Harrington!”

There it is.

“I know, okay?” Steve tugs at his hair in frustration. “I’m over Nancy, I’ve been over her since at least April, but… But what–what if Y/N has lost interest in me now? What if–maybe I made her wait too long, or–or what if she thinks she’s just Nancy’s replacement?”

Steve is rambling now, months of his anxious and insecure thoughts now spilling out. “I mean, it’d kill me if–if I ever made her feel second to anyone! She’s… She’s incredible and–God, I don’t even know why she likes me and I’ve spent this entire summer trying to–I don’t know… Figure out how to confess my feelings to her in a way that matters, ya know? Like, a grand proposal to show her that I’m crazy about her.”

Robin is silent for several minutes after Steve’s frantic spiel, he’s panting by the time he’s done. Then, finally, she says, “Dude… You’re way overthinking this.”

Steve winces. “I mean, her birthday is in a few days. I can… I can ask her to be my girlfriend then. That’s romantic, right?”

“You’re hopeless.”

–

“Dusty comes home today!” Your mom’s shrill voice wakes you up as she prances around the house getting ready. You roll over in bed and stretch, tired but excited to see your brother again after a month of being apart.

You get out of bed and press a kiss to your mother’s cheek before telling her to drive safe. Glancing at the clock, you see that you have just enough time to shower before the party arrives. The entire thing had been Mike’s plan and you were more than happy to help arrange everything.

After you’ve gotten ready, you hear three swift knocks on your front door and you answer it. “Right on time, Wheeler.”

Mike salutes you as he and the others walk in. El gives you a hug and Max high fives you as the boys start setting up the robots. The six of you get started on the plan: place all the robots in Dustin’s room, all hidden in various corners, and then use El’s powers to control them and guide him to the living room so that you all can surprise him.

It’s a brilliant plan, one only a Wheeler could think of.

It takes you, Lucas, Mike, and Will to successfully hang up Dustin’s banner that took you all week to make. There’s cursing, yelling, a few trips, and multiple snickers from El and Max while the four of you struggle to hang the thing, but eventually you manage to secure the banner into place in the living room.

Just as you’ve finished hanging it up, you hear your mom’s car pull into the driveway and you quickly shove the kids into a closet. “Quick! That’s my mom’s car, hide!”

Lucas yelps and Max punches his shoulder to shut him up, but thankfully you manage to close the closet door just in time before Dustin walks in. You hide behind the couch, quiet so as not to be seen by him, and carefully listen for his footsteps to retreat down the hall and into his room.

Once he’s gone, you scramble towards the closet and open the door. “Okay, he’s in his room, time for step two.”

“Did we all really have to hide in the closet?” Will asks, rubbing at his shoulder that had been shoved into a hanger.

“Yes, now shush and hide behind the wall so he doesn’t see you.” You order, and the kids all listen. Once you’re all pressed against the wall, you nod at El. “Ready?”

“Ready.” She responds, closing her eyes. Static fills the air and you hear one of the robots turn on in Dustin’s room. Then the other one turns on, then the monkey, and soon all the toys have been activated by El’s powers.

Mike pokes his head around the corner. “Okay, now start leading the robots here.”

Blood slowly begins to drip from El’s nose and you feel bad that she’s doing this, but the kids all look excited, and you’d be lying if you said you weren’t a little giddy yourself. The noise from the robots grows louder as El draws them out from the room and towards you guys.

You hear Dustin’s uncertain voice following behind them. “It’s just a dream… You’re dreaming.”

Then Mike whispers to El, “Now!”

The robots all die in the center of your living room and slowly everyone starts to creep out from behind the wall. Lucas is holding his own poster he made and you hand everyone party noisemakers. Dustin is investigating the robots and doesn’t hear you stalk up behind him. Max silently counts to three, and on her signal, you all blow your party noisemakers and surprise him.

Dustin screams and immediately holds up his Farrah Fawcett spray, blinding Lucas as he continuously sprays it. The poor boy screams as well and the rest of the kids back away, out of the line of fire. However, as soon as your momentary shock wears off, you manage to snatch the hairspray out of your brother’s hand and save Lucas.

“Why is Farrah Fawcett your weapon of choice?” You exclaim, shoving a still screaming Lucas towards your kitchen so that you flush the spray out of his eyes. Max joins, rubbing soothing circles into the boy’s back.

“Why would you scare me like that after the hell we went through this year?” Dustin shouts back at you, clutching at his chest.

Dustin’s words make you stop for a moment and think. Huh. He has a point. “Yeah, we should’ve thought about that, honestly.”

“A little help here?” Lucas brings the attention back to him and you apologize, helping him once more to flush his eyes out. As you and Max tend to him, Dustin tells the others to follow him to his room so he can show them what he built at camp.

Max splashes some more water in Lucas’ eyes. “Better?”

The boy stands up and wipes his face, though he’s careful not to touch his eyes. “Still stings.”

“I feel like I should call someone…” You mumble, Your first aid knowledge doesn’t include Farrah Fawcett in the eyes.

Lucas blinks a few times and looks around. He leans in closer to Max’s face and for a moment you’re scared he’ll kiss her, but instead he chooses to be an idiot. “Is that a new zit?”

You wince and Max’s eyes widen in disbelief. She looks at you and you both seem to come to the same agreement: grabbing the back of Lucas’ neck, the two of you shove his face back into the water. “What is wrong with you?”

Lucas screams again and you leave Max to deal with him, laughing to yourself as you go see whatever creation your brother has brought home. You love Lucas, you do, but you have no idea how Max puts up with his boyish antics.

Inside Dustin’s room, you find him and the others hunched over a collection of wires and metal pieces. You walk in and join them.

“I would like you to meet Cerebro.” Dustin presents his creation, but you honestly have no idea what it’s supposed to be.

You squint at it. “It’s… Pretty?”

“What exactly are we looking at here?” Mike asks, unimpressed.

“An unassembled, one-of-a-kind, battery powered radio tower!” Dustin explains with a proud smile on his face.

A beat of silence passes before Will carefully asks, “So… It’s a ham radio?”

Dustin’s excitement only grows. “The Cadillac of radios.”

“Still not understanding, buddy.” You now voice, usually always lost when it comes to the more AV stuff the party likes.

“This baby carries a crystal-clear connection over vast differences.” Your brother clarifies for you, and you nod along. “I’m talking North Pole to South. I can talk to my girlfriend whenever and wherever I choose.”

You, Mike, El, and Will all look at each other in shock at the word that has just left Dustin’s mouth. “Girlfriend?”

Your brother nods, looking all smug, and you immediately berate him with a million questions. “What’s her name, where is she from, how long have you been dating. Tell me everything, now!”

“Relax, dear sister. Her name is Suzie, and I’ll explain in a second. We can even talk to her if you guys help me set Cerebro up on Weathertop hill.”

You’re the first to start grabbing all the supplies, giddy and eager to hear more about your baby brother’s girlfriend. It’s almost too good to be true. Mike, Will, and El follow along and soon you’re all holding materials for Cerebro as you follow Dustin out of the house.

As you all leave, Mike starts asking questions again. “Wait, so her name is Suzie?”

Dustin nods. “Suzie, with a ‘z’. She’s from Utah.”

“People from Utah actually exist?” You ask, which the others laugh at.

“Girls go to science camp?” Will asks.

You give him a stern look. “Anyone can go to science camp, Will.”

“What Y/N said,” Dustin continues explaining his girlfriend. “And Suzie does, she’s a genius.”

“Is she cute?” Mike can’t believe what he’s hearing.

“Think Phoebe Cates, only better.”

You re-adjust one of the poles for Cerebro in your arms. “Can we focus on her being smart instead? I think she sounds lovely.”

From the kitchen, Max sees the four of you open the front door as she helps Lucas with his eyes. “What’s going on?”

“We’re going to talk to Dustin’s girlfriend.” Will informs them.

Lucas whips his head up from the sink as he and Max exclaim, “Girlfriend?”

“I know, right?” You say, motioning them to follow.

–

“Alrighty, one scoop of chocolate. That’s a buck twenty-five.” Steve hands the ice cream cone to the girl he’s currently serving. She’s pretty enough, and when he notices her Purdue shirt, he can’t help but say something about it. “Ooh, Purdue! Fancy.”

The girl smiles and hands Steve her change. “Yeah, I’m excited.”

“Yeah, you know… I–I considered it. Purdue.” He types the code into the register and places the change inside. “But then I was like, you know what? I really think I need some real life experience, you know, before I hit college. See what it’s like.”

The girl and the friend she’s with exchange weird glances, and Steve knows he’s rambling like an idiot. “Uh, what I mean is… You’re girls, right? How would the two of you like to be asked out by a guy?”

“I’m sorry?” Purdue girl asks, looking at her friend, creeped out.

The cash register begins to beep at him and Steve hits it a few times to shut it up. “Sorry, uh… Anyways, say you’ve seen this guy every day for like, months, and feelings are shared, you know, as they are. Then time passes and the guy never makes the move because he’s, well, he’s an idiot–”

“Yeah, totally.” Purdue girl interrupts him and her friend giggles.

“Exactly, so… This was, like, so fun. This little chat. Anyways, what do you think? How would you want the guy to ask you out?” Steve puts on his most charming smile, hoping that the girls will say that maybe he isn’t crazy for waiting so long to ask you out. As he hands them their change, he drops part of it. “Oh, sorry about that. Uh…”

“Yeah, we wouldn’t wanna be asked out.” Purdue girl says as her friend snorts.

“Sure, but I mean, it’s complicated, you know? And–”

Purdue girl interrupts him once more. “No, I’m sorry, but it sounds like you missed your chance and you’re like, really weird.”

“But the guy isn’t me!” Steve shouts as the two girls leave, only embarrassing himself even more. He sighs, closes his eyes, and wonders how he got here.

“And another one bites the dust.” Robin announces from behind him. He turns around and watches as she marks another tally underneath the you suck column of her whiteboard. Next to it is the column you rule, which currently has zero marks. “You are oh-for-six, Popeye.”

Steve crosses his arms. “Yeah, I can count.”

“You know that means you suck and that Y/N isn’t the problem here, you are, right?”

“Yup, I can read, too.” Steve swallows down his annoyance, he knows he’s only done this to himself.

“Since when?”

“It’s this stupid hat,” Steve complains, as if this is the only appropriate answer. “I’m telling you, it’s making everyone think I’m some pathetic guy who can’t ask a girl out.”

Robin leans against the window. “Yeah, company policy is the reason that you’re an idiot for not asking out Y/N.” She thinks for a moment and tries to offer the teen some advice. “Ya know, it’s a crazy idea, but have you considered telling the truth?”

“What? That I’m hopelessly in love with her? Sure, I’m such a catch who couldn’t even get into Tech and whose douchebag dad is trying to teach a lesson, now making three bucks an hour with no future.” Steve laughs at himself. “A catch who, by the way, could’ve been hers back in December had he not been a complete moron? What a great truth.”

Robin frowns, now feeling bad for making him feel this way. While she doesn’t understand everything, she gets that Steve has had a difficult few months. Taking pity on him, she points out some girls approaching and tries to lighten his mood. “Hey, twelve o’clock! Maybe they’ll see your side of things.”

Steve turns around and sees the girls as well. “Shit, okay. Okay, I can do this! I’m going in.” He quickly snatches the sailor hat from his head and tosses it to Robin. “Screw company policy, I’m getting advice about Y/N one way or another.”

For a second, Robin has hope for him, but then he opens his Scoops Ahoy greeting way too loud and then immediately starts to ramble about you, and she sighs in defeat and marks another tally underneath the you suck column.

–

Hiking up a giant, grassy hill in ninety degree heat while hauling heavy equipment for a giant radio that your brother built to talk to his alleged long distance girlfriend definitely wasn’t what you had in mind today. In fact, you mourn the fact that you aren’t working today.

You’re only here to hear about Dustin’s girlfriend, honestly.

“Aren’t we high enough?” Lucas pants, voicing what everyone else is thinking.

Dustin shakes his head. “Cerebro works best at a hundred meters.”

“You know, I’m pretty sure people in Utah have telephones.” Max quips.

You wipe sweat from your brow and cringe, you feel disgusting. “Max, you’ve always been so wise.”

“Suzie’s Mormon.” Says Dustin, and you almost trip over a rock.

“You’re dating a Mormon?”

Lucas talks over you. “Oh, shit. She doesn’t have electricity?”

“Oh, that’s the Amish.” Max corrects him, and you get flashbacks to when you had to correct Steve about Nazis and Germans.

Will frowns at you. “What are Mormons?”

“Scary people–”

Dustin interrupts you. “Super religious white people. They have electricity and cars and stuff, but… Since I’m not Mormon, her parents would never approve.”

“Please don’t become Mormon,” you beg, dripping even more sweat. “I need someone sane in our family.”

“I won’t,” Dustin reassures you, though he has a far off look in his eyes. “But it’s all a bit Shakespearean, don’t you think?”

“Shakespearean?” Max laughs and you also can’t help but giggle.

Dustin doesn’t let your teasing deter him from reminiscing, though. “Yeah, like Romeo and Juliet.”

“They both die, Dustin.” It’s important to you that he knows this.

“But they were also star crossed lovers.”

“Who killed themselves.”

Below, Mike shouts to the rest of you, “Hey, guys!”

You all turn and you frown when you see just how far he and El are, both of them empty handed and dry as a daisy in the summer heat. When Mike sees that he has all of your attention, he taps at his watch. “This is fun and all, but, uh…”

“I have to go home.” El announces, her arm intertwined through Mike’s.

Dustin points towards the top of the hill no less than a few yards away. “We’re almost there.”

“Sorry, man. Curfew.” Mike shrugs, he isn’t really sorry and you all know it. He then grabs El’s hand and they descend down the hill, giggling and enamored with one another.

With a gleeful laugh, El says goodbye. “Good luck!”

Dustin looks down at his watch. “Curfew at four?”

You’re startled by the time, having assumed it was at least closer to six. Hopper may be an overprotective grump of a man, but not even he is crazy enough to enact a curfew for El at four in the afternoon. “That… Doesn’t sound real.”

“They’re lying.” Lucas explains, frustrated.

“It’s been like this all summer.” Will says bitterly, something that you take note of.

Max nudges you with her shoulder. “I think it’s romantic.”

“It’s gross!” Will voices again.

You bite your lip. “I don’t know, it’s your guys’ last summer before high school and…”

“It’s bullshit.” Dustin finishes for you, hurt in his voice. “I just got home.”

You flick him. “Language! But… I agree.”

Dustin watches with annoyance as Mike and El walk down the hill hand in hand. While he’s incredibly hurt that they’ve ditched him after being gone for a month, he remembers what Steve has taught him. People can suck, but there’s nothing he can do about it. “Well, their loss, right? Onwards and upwards, Suzie awaits!”

Max and Lucas groan at the idea of continuing the hike while you admire your brother’s perseverance. You’re proud of him for not letting Mike and El ruin his plans with the others. He’s excited to be home, and you’re more than happy to go along with whatever schemes he has planned.

You’re about to follow the others up the hill when you realize that Will hasn’t joined. You turn around and see that he has his hand around the back of his neck as he stands there, frozen. Then, he turns and faces Hawkins, stumbling back a bit as he does so, and you watch with a frown on your face.

“Hey, little bee, are you okay?” You gently place a hand on his shoulder, which seems to break him of whatever spell he’d been under.

“I’m fine,” he lies, and you don’t at all believe him. Will looks uneasy, as if he’s just seen a ghost. A part of you begins to worry, but you don’t push him. For all you know, it could be about Mike and his growing distance from the others.

“Well, c’mon, then.” You grab Will’s hand and together you ascend the rest of the hill.

At the top, Dustin drops his bag and sighs. “Made it!”

“Yeah, only took five hours,” Max pants out, stumbling the final few steps up the hill.

You collapse onto the ground and fight to catch your breath. “I run almost every morning. I think I lost a lung back there.”

“Why couldn’t we just play DnD?” Will collapses next to you.

Lucas grabs the flask of water, and as you struggle to get air into your lungs, you watch as he chugs the remaining water without a care in the world. Max watches as well, annoyed, and once again you pity Lucas. He’s such a boy.

Building the radio takes longer than expected. After your short five minute break, Dusin puts you all to work. There’s a million pieces to the thing and your fingers ache from screwing bolts into slots and extending poles. The sun has begun to set when you finally push the giant radio into an upright position. It’s easily fifteen feet high, and it’s an impressive sight that you can’t deny.

“Not bad, Dustin.” You admit, walking around Cerebro in awe.

“Ready to meet my love?” He asks everyone, and you all sit down next to him and eagerly await. Dustin switches the radio on. “Suzie, this is Dustin. Do you copy? Over.”

No one answers. All you hear is radio feedback.

Dustin scratches his nose nervously. “One sec. She’s probably… She’s still there.” Again, no one answers, and he ducks his head down in embarrassment. “Suzie… This is Dustin, do you copy? Over.”

More radio static follows in the absence of Suzie’s response.

You wince, despite trying to appear supportive. You can’t help it, this is embarrassing for your brother. While you don’t doubt that he has a girlfriend, you admit that this doesn’t look good for him. A long distance girlfriend who is hot and smart and magically needs a radio to communicate with? Unlikely.

“I’m sure she’s there,” Dustin tries to explain to you guys, now even more embarrassed. “It’s dinner time, and she’s busy…”

“Yeah, sure.” Lucas tries to be supportive and play along, which you appreciate him immensely for. Max nods as well, but Will just stands there silent.

“Maybe try again?” You encourage, trying to be nice.

Dustin nods and tries once more to contact Suzie, and it goes on like this for a while. He radios, no one answers, and eventually you and everyone else lay down in the grass as you wait for nothing.

Almost an hour passes and the crickets begin to chirp as the sun goes down and the moon comes up. Dustin is still trying to reach Suzie, but Max finally has enough. “Dustin, come on! She’s not there.”

“She’s there, alright? She’ll pick up.”

“Dustin…” You sigh, unsure how to tell him that you also want to leave. You had plans with Steve tonight, he invited you over to watch a movie and you should’ve left ten minutes ago.

Will lifts his head up from the grass. “Maybe Cerebro doesn’t work.”

“Or maybe Suzie doesn’t exist.” Lucas argues.

Dustin gasps. “She exists!”

“She’s a genius and she’s hotter than Phoebe Cates? No girl is that perfect.”

You pinch the bridge of your nose at Lucas’ words and wait for Max’s inevitable offense. He truly, deeply, is such a boy. As predicted, Max sits up and looks down at him with annoyance. “Is that so?”

Lucas shuffles up in panic, now realizing too late what he’s said. “I mean–you’re perfect! I mean, like, perfect–in your own way, in your own, uh, special way!”

“Lucas,” you hit his shoulder. “Stop talking, dude.”

Max laughs, pleased with herself. “Relax, I was teasing. I’m obviously perfect and Dustin is obviously lying.”

“Okay, no,” you now sit up. “He isn’t lying, it’s just a very unfortunate circumstance.”

Max doesn’t listen and instead offers Lucas her hand to help him up so that they can leave. “Come on, Don Juan.”

“Where are you going?” Dustin follows, not understanding yet what’s happening.

“Home,” Max huffs, before remembering that you’re there, too. “Bye, Y/N!”

“Bye,” you wave at them weakly, knowing that this will only upset your brother further as she and Lucas slowly head home.

Dustin stands next to you now. “Well, guess it’s just us and Byers, Y/N,”

Will now stands up and awkwardly avoids your brother’s gaze. “Um… It’s late. Sorry. Maybe tomorrow we can play DnD, or something fun, like we used to?”

Dustin clenches his jaw. You know he’s close to tears, and it breaks your heart to watch. You stand up and rest your arm around him as he responds to Will. “Yeah, sure.”

“Welcome home,” Will says sadly before he starts to walk down the hill as well.

You anxiously watch as he leaves. “Be careful, please!”

“I will!” He reassures you, knowing that you’re still terrified of losing him again.

As you watch Will, Dustin whispers to himself, “Yeah, welcome home.”

His words break your heart even more. Forgetting about your anxiety over Will, you wrap both arms around your brother and hug him. He had been so excited earlier to be home and see all his friends after a month of being away. You understand that the kids are all growing up, but you had always hoped that they’d grow together, not apart.

“You still have all of July and August,” you try to comfort Dustin, desperately hoping that you aren’t lying to both him and yourself. “I’m sure they’ll come around.”

Suddenly the radio attached to Cerebro switches on and Dustin pushes you off of him so that he can get to the radio in time. He stumbles over his feet and trips, and you watch with amusement and curiosity.

He manages to finally untangle himself from the radio and answers. “Suzie, Suzie, is that you?”

You sit down next to Dustin and lean in close to the radio, excited to finally meet your brother’s girlfriend. Instead, you hear what sounds like a foreign language. It’s distinct, slightly muffled, but you know what it is. “Is that…”

“Russian.” Dustin whispers.

Everything changes, then.

–

You force Dustin to go home immediately. He wants to stay, see if he can find any more hidden messages, but you refuse. He’s elated, talking a mile a minute as you bike home, theorizing every possible answer as to why you heard Russian in Hawkins, Indiana.

“Dustin!” You yell at him, terrified that someone could be listening. “Not here, okay?”

He deflates, but pedals home alongside you.

You’re terrified as you bike home, a million thoughts are running through your head. You don’t at all like what any of this could mean; you’ve had enough sketchy government facilities and secret government agencies to last you a fucking lifetime.

When you get home, you order Dustin to go to bed.

“But Y/N, we’ve got to tell someone about this–”

“Tomorrow, okay? Just, please, Dustin.” You’re exhausted and confused and overwhelmed.

Your brother senses that you’re at your limit and reluctantly backs down. “Fine, but can we at least tell Steve tomorrow?”

Hearing Steve’s name puts something at ease within you. Tomorrow, you’ll go to Scoops with Dustin and ask Steve what he thinks about all of this. Comforted by the fact that you now have a plan forming, you begin to calm down. “I promise we’ll tell him tomorrow, okay?”

Dustin nods and heads to his room, wishing you a good night. When you hear his door click shut, you slowly head to your own room. You’re terrified, and there’s only one thing you want to do to lessen the fear that scratches at your throat. After crawling into bed, you call Steve.

He answers immediately. “Y/N? Is everything okay?”

“I’m fine,” you breathe out, his voice like an exhale of a summer’s day. “I… I’m sorry I missed our movie night.”

Steve laughs softly. “Angel, I’m just happy you’re okay. I was getting worried there.”

You close your eyes. “It’s been a weird day.”

“Did something happen?” Steve senses that there’s something you aren’t telling him, which worries him.

“Dustin… He may have found something, but I just–I don’t want to talk about it just yet. I… I don’t want to jinx it,” you squeeze your eyes tight and will away the fear you feel. “I–I’m just, I’m so exhausted, you know?”

“Y/N, are you in danger–”

“No,” you dispel any fear that Steve may feel. “I promise I’m okay, I just really need to hear your voice right now, okay? Can you just talk to me, please?”

“Of course I can.” Steve agrees without any questions asked, and you love how he trusts you enough to do this.

Exhaling the remaining fear, you allow the warmth from Steve to hold you through the night. “Thank you, honey.”

“Anytime, angel. You know that.”

And you do.

Steve begins telling you a story from today, how he dropped an ice cream cone on a toddler and enraged the mom, and you fall asleep that night to the sound of his voice over the phone.

⌑ series masterlist

⌑ if you would like to be added/removed from my taglist, just let me know :)

⌑ taglist: @siriuslysmoking @sheisjoeschateau @thytorturedpoet @innercreationflower @juhdoche @frostandflamesfanfic @goosy-goose @quinnsadilla @munsons-queen @stefansring @rice-elephant @bex22109 @bitchkeery @bex22109 @officerrrfriendly @kazunish @idkitsem @emilieluckwood @ryoujoking @criesinlies @tagakalat @dcnerd98 @sucker-4-angst @kitdjarin1 @onecojg @innazra @areiofhope @spaghetittied @cultish-corner @g8sstuff @videogamesandpoorlifechoices @hsllfirescoops @l0ve-0f-my-life @newyorkangelbaby @aliceespector @chervbs @poppet055 @bookkeeperlove @bellenotthebeast @swiftieblyth @ladyobscurus @moon-flowerss @estaticheart @dreamingofts18 @lanxsee @thecapricunt1616 @aheadfullofsteverogers @marvel-and-music @angie2274 @thescoopstroopers @xuimhao @rh1nestonecowg1rl @shelby-ren @carinacassiopeiae @eddiemunson-86-baby @ribbetzetoad @harryssideboobz

#steve harrington x henderson!reader #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x you #stranger things #steve harrington fanfic #stranger things rewrite #slowburn #fluff #angst #nya #m's writing

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n-o-eyes · 1 year ago

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some of my favorites

i just counted

ive devoted 14 paper sketchbooks to my cotl insanity over the past year

#my art #doodles #that narinder at the bottom thats from last week the rest are all months old #man my old art looked like complete dogshit but i look back at it fondly #makes me somewhat proud of how far ive come over the year

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genyawritesshizz · 5 days ago

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Promotion - Sentinel Prime X Reader

Spending your days endlessly mining energon you yearned to one day be promoted. To finally free yourself from the frame aching work of the mines. Yet when you catch the optics of the Sentinel Prime, that promotion may come at a terrible cost, maybe you should have read the fine print.

Tbh it’s very little plot mostly just smut.

Written in bullet points, may go back to further flesh out in more detail but for now it will remain in this format

IVE NEVER WRITTEN FOR TRANSFORMERS NOR HAVE I READ MUCH FIC OF IT BUT I TRIED TO GET THE TERMS RIGHT BUT YA KNOW, ITS A LOT.

Possible part 2, we’ll see how this does.

WARNING: Dubious consent, emotional manipulation, Power Imbalance, (TBH Sentinel is a walking red flag), Sexual Coercion, Size kink, SMUT, Cybertronian reader,

This is essentially just robot porn I'm sorry to all my anime followers :(

The first time Sentinel Prime had set his optics on you he knew, much to his initial disgust, he wanted you.

A miner.

Of all the femme’s at his disposal the one that at last managed to catch his gaze was a cogless, bottom level, miner.

“That thing?” With a snarled lip and multiple sets of trailing skeptical eyes, Airachnid's own revulsion was evident. Far down below the balcony on which they stood, walking the bustling city streets you at last returned to his hungry gaze.

“Unfortunately so.”

Primus, what an honor it was to be within the presence of Cybertrons protector, the bot who single handedly protected all Cybertronians from the Quintessons; Sentinel Prime.

After being approached by Arachnid and ordered to follow her you had initially feared you had broken an unknown protocol, resulting in a demotion. Yet much to your shock within the gold columned building you had been led to he was there.

The look of pure admiration within your optics as you stared up to him in awe coupled with the now quiet whir of your internal fans as your spark raced within his mere presence fed his already raging primal desire.

Such blind naivety.

"Walk with me. I’d like to discuss something important." His tone was warm but carried a weight of authority. One you could not help but blindly follow.

The two of you stroll through the empty corridors, arachnid standing guard just outside of its entrance.

“Tell me, have you always felt bound to the mines? Or have you ever imagined something greater for yourself?" You shift, pace faltering a smidge, taken aback by his directness. You're proud of your work as a miner but can’t deny that you’ve thought about rising above this level.

"The mines are… Well, they’re home. I have my friends down there. But I’ve always wanted to do more…to make a real difference for Cybertron."

Sentinel nods, his optics narrowing slightly. Searing blue scanned from the top of your dull paint chipped helm to your transfixed gaze, (noting how you subconsciously averted it away from him when noticing his search), down to your chin.

A smirk tugged at the corners of his lips, signaling his satisfaction in finding whatever he had hunted for.

Vulnerability suited you well.

"I could see that. You carry yourself with a strength that is rare, even among the most seasoned warriors."

His confident stride deviates him closer to you and he lowers his voice just a touch.

"Cybertron needs warriors with your spirit. And not just in the mines. In places where real change can be forged."

His words spark something in you. Your gaze sharpened, instantly locking with his, the once thick humility gives way to a flicker of pride.

‘Is he going to promote me?’ You hopefully thought. You had been working your frame down to the wire for the last few rotations in hopes of this.

Sentinel picks up the change in demeanor immediately. Before continuing his sweet talk, he comes to a complete stop and turns towards you.

His frame is significantly larger than yours, as to be expected when comparing a cogless to a Prime.

Though, the way he truly towered over you left you feeling far weaker than usual as he had to bend down significantly to reach optic level with you.

"Too often, talents like yours go overlooked down there. Others might not see it, but I do. Imagine if you were to rise up, to stand among those who shape Cybertron’s future. Those who ensure our planet’s place as the greatest in the galaxy." With each passing word he had leaned closer, faceplate now mere centimeters from yours.

Your spark fluttered.

His venting flowed deliciously warm against your intake.

Proximity feedback signals fired on high and energon lines pumped furiously fast.

Yet despite your system's shock at his actions, you could not look nor move away.

“You really think… I could be that?”

A set of servos planted themself around your lower chassis, their span long enough to completely wrap around you.

Your servers struggled to process exactly what was happening, focusing solely on the swirling lights of blue that threatened to swallow you whole.

“I know you can.”

The digits ensnaring your waist tightened, pulling you flush against his wide frame.

His helm delved lower, denta lightly nipping at the sensitive wires between the spaces of your minimal plating.

The second you beeped in surprise then melted into his embrace, helm craning to the side allowing him further access, he knew once again.

You were not going anywhere.

But then again, why would you want to?

When your protector was so kind enough to show you, a nobody, such special affection.

Never had you anticipated that you would ever find yourself within a Primes personal suite yet here you were. Sprawled out atop a luxurious berth, hidden away from the rest of Iacon city, with desires you had never even thought to dream of coming true.

Your gracious leader's frame was reduced to a hunched, yet still ever imposing, form as he kneels between your legs. Your modesty paneling had long since been retracted, revealing your array to his hungry gaze, and allowing you to relish in all the new sensations your Prime was bestowing upon you.

No, in all your cycles you had never found the desire to fragbond with someone. Yet now as Sentinel Prime’s silver glossa ravenously glides through the throbbing mesh of your valve and mouthpiece occasionally latching onto your external node you cannot believe your hesitancy for such pleasures.

To think you had gone for so long without.

Not to worry, never again shall you ever have to suffer such a fate.

It is extremely out of character for Sentinel to give his partner's pleasure this way or in any way/to care about it.

Normally he wastes no time in pleasuring others, he was a busy man after all. Instead focusing solely on his own release within others bodies then disposing of them.

But something about having you pinned beneath one of his arms, the other easily reaching over your head to hold your wrists down, the way you cried out for him, your Prime, and to be completely at his mercy…It has his spike twitching beneath his own paneling.

Savagely he feasts upon your now swollen valve, thick glossa entering your spasming opening, nose buried atop your external node.

“M-my, oh Primus! - My Prime I-” You were completely unfamiliar with the feeling boiling inside you, it felt as though a coil was winding. Each intrusion of his glossa only pulled it tighter.

“That’s right, say my name.” A smug smirk tugged itself into the corners of his faceplate before he delved back where you so desperately wanted him.

You looked and sounded both pathetic and desperate.

He loved it.

“Sentinel!”

Overloading into the mouth of said mech was absolutely euphoric.

Though despite your high, he was left utterly displeased to hear you leave off the Prime in your cry.

He had earned that title.

It was his name.

You would learn the error of your mistake soon.

He did not ask permission to continue.

Standing up from his crouched position, the grip that once held you down now flipped you onto your chest plate and dragged you towards the edge of his berth, allowing your legs to dangle off the edge.

Even on the tips your pedes you would still not touch the golden floor beneath.

Positioning your aft up into an arch he at last retracted his paneling, allowing his spike to spring free.

Central processor still short circuiting under the throws of overloading, you did not even notice the shift in position.

Once your intake had returned to normal your mind followed suit, catching up to the reality of what was happening.

Yet it was too late to protest as something sickeningly thick prodded at your valve's still quivering entrance.

It felt like far too much.

Trying to squirm away from it you're met with a dark chuckle and thick digits atop your shoulder, easily pulling you back down into position.

“Where do you think you're going? We're just getting started sweetspark”

The moment the head of his spike entered, you felt an immediate sense of dread wash over and a cold shiver through your struts.

“Too big...” Your vocalizer had barely returned, causing the whine to sound utterly pitiful, drowned in static and served only to feed Sentinel's ego.

“Hm? What's that?” Leaning over your form, faceplate centimeters away from your audio receptors, steam rolled with his words; fogging over the heaving metal of your shoulder plates.

“Frag…You-You’re too big.”

“Oh, do you want me to stop?” His tone was high in pitch and laced with manipulation. “You wouldn’t want to disappoint your Prime now would you?”

A strangled whimper and a shake of your head ‘no’ gave little confirmation to his taunt in ‘permitting’ him to keep going, not that he cared whichever direction your response led.

Even if you wanted to stop, you had no power to break away from him.

A deep, dominating, chuckle bubbled within his chest plate. “I thought not. You’re serving me, a great honor really.”

It felt like being pried open, the way his spike speared into your clamping valve was utterly painful.

Despite your cries you attempted to stay still as the gold winged Prime behind you continued to push further.

Each half centimeter only served to strengthen the burn.

Halfway in you had closed your optics, denta plates gritted tightly shut.

“Take it all, I know you can.”

The same four words that once filled you with hope now filled you with burning heat.

You will take what he is so graciously giving you.

Finally, after what felt like eternity, his entire spike was successfully sheathed inside.

Though this was just the beginning.

“So tight,” Your body was clamped around the intruder in a vise grip. Desperately begging for it to be removed. “So small.”

His pace was brutally fast. The servos on your shoulder and hip kept you from escaping or sliding too far away from his attack.

Surprisingly, after a few klicks, the tight inner calipers of your valve slowly loosened. His spike, now slathered in a combination of fluids, began sliding without much resistance.

At last, a few surges of pleasure coursed through your system.

Soon both of you were grunting, occasionally moaning. Though your sounds far outnumbered his.

Your servos clenched into the smooth bedding atop his berth, surely tearing the fabric though in this moment neither of you cared. However it was something he would be sure to punish you for later.

“You're mine, little miner.” His hips pistoned faster, slamming against your aft, surely to leave you sore. “All Mine.”

In response all you could do was hold on tighter, moaning louder with each intense slam.

“I’ll. never. let. you. go.” Each word sent another wicked surge into your swollen valve.

Blind sighted by the throes of pleasure bordering on overstimulation his words simply did not translate in your faltering audio receptors.

Though he meant every bit of it.

Helm falling back and a loud moan echoing throughout the gold-plated room, his overload blazed hot through his system. Filling your already stuffed valve to the brim with his transfluid.

Fans whirling on high, neither of you moved from your conjoined position for a few klicks.

After he's regained his senses fully, he removes himself from your valve, being sure to marvel at his work of completely ruining your once virgin body with a devilish smirk. Admiring the way his bright blue transfluid seeped from your still clenching valve.

Though this will be far from the last time he sees you like this.

With wobbling arms, you attempted to rise, though as you began to lift yourself up a large palm pushed you back down.

"We're not done."

True to his word, you had earned a promotion.

Fitted with only the finest armor paneling and a fresh coat of paint you had earned yourself the pristine position of his pet.

A position you held with utmost dignity, after all you were serving your Prime.

#sentinel prime #sentinel prime x reader #transformers one #female reader #one shot #smut #dubc0n #transformers fic #Wrote this instead of sleeping

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starsinthesky5 · 4 months ago

Text

you are in love IV || joe burrow x reader

description: you and joe are embarking on a weeks long trip to France for work, Cannes being your first stop

a/n: okay so this was way longer than planned but i could not stop adding to it LOL. hope you guys love it ;)

also, I tried something new and added a little instagram bit to the fic at the end! not sure how I feel about it yet, but I’m kinda digging it? that kinda thing will be in the next few fics but it’s not a regular thing :) just for the upcoming bit

word count: 17.1 k (i genuinely didn’t intend for this to be this long oh my god)

warnings: language, smut, you both are HORNY

you are in love series masterlist (has all previous parts)

———————————————————

“Did you pack everything?” you asked Joe for what felt like the 100th time as you grabbed your phone and tote bag before leaving the garage.

“Yes, I packed everything,” he rolled his eyes as he closed the car trunk. You had been on Joe for the past 4 days making sure that everything was settled for your week-long trip to France and although he loved you and your mom-like antics when it came to trips, he was getting a bit irritated with the constant ‘are you packed?’ and ‘did you get everything?’ questions.

“I just want to make sure we have everything since we’ll be gone for a week,” you smile as you place your stuff in the car’s passenger seat.

“We have everything, I promise,” he chuckles as he punches in the code to close the garage before walking closer to you and wrapping his arms around your waist. “You’re the one that is used to all the international traveling, so why are you the one that’s stressing out?”.

“Because this trip is important for you,” you say as you wrap your arms around his neck. “I just want to make sure everything is perfect,”.

“It is perfect. The fact that you’re coming with me makes all of this even more perfect,” he says as he kisses your lips.

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” you smile. “We’re going to have sooo much fun at the events and around the city,”.

“Around the city? Absolutely. At the events? Probably not,” he sighs, his smile faltering,

You watched as his smile dropped a bit, most likely because of the fact that Joe was not a fan of these types of things. He didn’t particularly enjoy public speaking, media events, or anything that required him to be out there. His anxiety would skyrocket in these kinds of situations but he still managed to put on a brave face and do what he had to do. This whole week was going to consist of that, and he was not looking forward to it. He was, however, looking forward to spending time with you in the beautiful French Riviera (which even you haven’t been to) and then the City of Love a few days later and you being with him was the only thing keeping him going.

“Hey, I know this is not the most fun and ideal situation for you, but I’m so proud of you for putting yourself out there like this. I know talking in front of an audience is overwhelming but you’ve gotten a lot better at it and I know you can do it. Branching out is never easy, but you’re doing amazing so far. Getting to walk the freaking runway in Paris is absolutely insane and I am so fucking proud of you. I’ll be with you every step of the way, so if you need anything, I’m here,” you say as you brush a few of his curls out of his eyes.

“Where have you been all my life,” Joe says as he slides his hand up and down your lower back. “I seriously could’ve used you in my corner back when I first came into the league because then all of this wouldn’t be so hard,”.

You let out a soft laugh, “I’ve been right under your nose,” you say as you press a kiss to his nose. “The universe brought us to each other at the right time,”.

“I still can’t believe how many events we went to at the same time but never met until the White Party,” he chuckled. You and Joe had been around each other many times before the White Party, you just never knew that since your paths never crossed. You called it the “Invisible String Theory”. You could have walked past each other, you could have mutual friends, or even have been complete strangers and never had heard of each other, but the universe wouldn’t have you both meet until the exact moment that you needed each other in your lives.

“The universe knew when we needed each other,” you blushed.

“The stars all aligned just for us,” he said as he tucked your hair behind your ear.

“I love that we have the universe on our side,” you said. “It’ll be good to get away from everything together, I think we deserve a break,”.

“Damn right we do,” he laughs. “Can’t wait to be done with all the boring stuff and get to enjoy the fruits of my labor with my gorgeous girlfriend,”.

“Oh yeah? What fruits will we be enjoying?” you say as you raise your eyebrow.

“Hmm, I was thinking a boat day plus private sunset dinner on said boat, walking around the city with you without any crazed fans hounding us, and my personal favorite, the massive bedroom suite they’re hooking me up with that has a gigantic bed and a jacuzzi tub,” he winks. “If you’re picking up what I’m putting down,” he adds as you feel his hand fall down to your butt.

“Ohhh,” you replied, a smirk appearing on your face. “It’s a great thing I packed extra Advil in my bag. I have a feeling I’ll need it,”.

“Oh, you will. I don’t think I’ll be able to contain myself since we have the big suite with nobody else on our floor. No neighbors in a foreign city is just an invitation to be as loud as we want” he whispers into your ear before moving past you to open up your door again, leaving you with a stunned expression on your face and butterflies in your stomach. Joe always kept you on your toes, something you needed in your life. He was equal parts affectionate, genuine, and lustful; the perfect lover and best friend at the same time.

“Shall we Mon Amour?” He asks, squeezing in a bit of French that he memorized earlier.

You turn around and smile at Joe calling you ‘my love’ in French, “Oh, so we’re going full France now?”.

“It’s only fitting,” he shrugged.

“Well then, we shall Mon Amant,” you grin, surprising him with a bit of French you picked up last time you went to France.

“Hm?” he said with a confused look as he moved aside to let you in the car.

“It means ‘My Lover’,” you giggle as you sit inside.

He leans down and meets your face, “Well then, Mon Amant, I can’t wait to do this trip with you,” he says before pressing a sweet kiss to your lips and then closing your car door. You fell back into the seat, your cheeks a shade of red that only Joe could bring out.

An hour later

After driving to the airport and loading everything onto the private jet, you get settled into the plane and are now on your way to France. You change into some more comfortable clothes since the flight is about 12 hours, Joe doing the same.

“I hope you’re prepared to be on a plane for 12 hours,” you say as you sit down across from Joe.

“If I go to sleep it’ll go by pretty fast,” he shrugs.

“And how do I keep myself entertained then?” you scoff as you lightly kick his foot.

“There is a bed back there for a reason you know,” he winks as he points back to the small bedroom. “We can both go to ‘sleep’ for a bit,” he says as he makes air quotes around ‘sleep’.

“We’ve been on here for 20 minutes and you’re already horny,” you laugh.

“Can’t help it when I’m around you,” he says with a smirk on his face. “You’re the most breathtaking woman I’ve ever seen so naturally the level of testosterone will skyrocket”.

“Anywayyy,” you say, trying to change the subject before you fold because of his words and end up in the bedroom. “I’m excited to come with you to the Sport Beach events. I can’t wait to see you on the panels all professional and social,”.

“Really? I thought you’d be bored of sitting there listening to me talk about branding and media for god knows how long,” he said.

“It may be a little boring, but I love watching you do your thing,” you smile as you pull out your water bottle to take a sip before handing it to Joe.

“My thing is playing football, not sitting at a panel and talking to strangers in front of an audience,” he says as he takes a sip of water.

“I know you hate these kinda things but I’m proud of you for putting yourself out there. I know how overwhelming it can get when you have a thousand eyes on you dissecting every little thing you say”.

“Yeah,” he sighs. “I guess this is the price of what we do,”.

“At least we have each other now,” you say as you reach for his hand across the table between you both.

“Thank god,” he groans, making you laugh at his facial expression. “Having someone that gets me and understands the kind of spotlight on me really makes all the difference,”.

“I feel the same way,” you say as you kiss his hand. “You get me and I get you,”.

“We’re like two peas in a pod,” he smiles.

“Precisely,” you nod. You understood the pedestal that Joe was on and everything that came along with what he did, and he understood the same for you. Although what you both did was extremely different, you still had a deep understanding of one another on that level.

“Did you think more about how we’re going to make ourselves official as a couple to the public?” he asked, his face scrunching up as soon as the words left his mouth. “That sounds so fucking weird,” he laughed.

“Tell me about it,” you giggled.

Before your trip, you and Joe had talked about what you would do if and when people started to spot you around Cannes or Paris. You weren’t expecting a lot of attention since you were in a foreign country, but you were sure you were going to get some since a lot of athletes & industry people were going to be in France this week. You had a pretty big international reach as well, but still weren’t expecting people to notice you that much since nobody usually bothered you. The public already saw you at a few games in January but there was no real confirmation as to what was going on between you two, just some rumors and speculation. You had been together for about 9 months now and it had been 9 months of pure joy and love. You had been lucky enough to have the leisure of getting to know each other and building your relationship away from prying eyes, and now that you two were at a point in your relationship where you were okay with letting people in (only a little bit though), you had to figure out a way to do so before that right was taken away against your will.

“I don’t really know to be honest. I haven’t really ever had the comfort of ever sharing my relationships on my own terms,” you say as you roll your eyes, remembering how the public was so invested in your private life that it was incredibly difficult to keep things such as your relationship a secret. “This is new territory for me,” you say as you smile again as you think about how you and Joe’s relationship was different than any other relationship you’d been in before.

This relationship was private. For once it was just yours.

It wasn’t placed on a silver platter like every other relationship and presented to the public for them to pick at it or dissect every piece of it. You and Joe had kept your love away from all the interloper’s glances and unwanted opinions so that your relationship could flourish naturally, which it was. It was more than flourishing, it was blossoming into something special.

The fact that you two were in a spot in your relationship where you didn’t mind willingly opening the window a little bit was exciting. You’d never had the opportunity to do it on your own terms, and now you had the chance to. You both were ready to share it with others.

“I say, just wear a shirt that says Burrow’s Girlfriend, and I’ll wear one that says Y/N’s Boyfriend,” he laughed.

Joe’s laughter was the greatest sound you had ever heard. The way his nose would scrunch up and the crinkles would form around his eyes when he laughed was the most adorable sight in the world, and you got to see it whenever you wanted.

“That would be hilarious,” you said as you started imagining it. You couldn’t really come up with any real ideas on how to approach the subject of going official, the only one really making sense was to just be spotted together.

“I mean, I’ll be at your panels in Cannes and with you during Fashion Week, that should be enough for people to get a hint,” you smile. “I’m sure we’ll get a good amount of headlines and front cover photos when they get the hint,”.

“That’s true,” he nodded. “Maybe an Instagram Post too? So that they understand that it’s not just a fling, a Hard Launch is what they call it I guess. Unless that’s a lot for you,”. Joe didn’t want to pressure you into anything, knowing how your past relationships were so public and what the negative effects were for them being so open. Posting each other on Instagram was a pretty big deal since everyone could see it and since you two were pretty private. Joe had always been private with his personal life and you had started to as well over the past few years once you realized what being open truly means.

“It’s not too much for me,” you grin. “I know how I feel about you and I don’t care what anyone has to say about it,”.

The fact that those words were coming out of your mouth was insane, but it was true. Joe brought out that side of you that you tucked away most of the time. That side of you that’s carefree, loose, and alive.

“I’m glad you feel that way,” he said as he felt himself melt away from your reassuring smile.

“Thank you for making me feel that way,” you wink.

Joe gave you a lazy smile as he felt his tiredness settle in, his eyes feeling a bit heavy.

“You can go back there and take a nap if you want,” you say, noticing his sleepiness. “I’ll join you in a bit. I just need to call my manager for a bit to talk about the Grammys next month,”.

One of the biggest nights of your career, the illustrious Grammy Awards, was next month and you were up for 3 awards. You were nominated for Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Song of the Year for your last album's lead single ‘Is It Over Now?’. Turns out people loved an album about the most gut-wrenching breakup you’d ever experienced and related heavily to a song about an on-again off-again relationship that never had any clarity in it.

“Ooo, fun,” he yawned as he stretched his arms out. “Isn’t this when you said you’d announce the new album?”.

“Hopefully. If all goes to plan and I win at least 1 of the 3 categories I’m nominated for, I’m going to announce ‘reputation’ then. If I don’t win, I’ll just drop the Instagram post announcement and leave it at that,”.

“Reputation,” he says, the word rolling off of his tongue so nicely. “I’ll never get over that name, it’s so sick,” he says. “I better still be getting one of those wristbands with the album name on it that you're selling for the album merch. I want to add it to my stack,” he said, pointing at his stack of wristbands he had on his wrist; all of which had a special meaning to him. Now he wanted to add another one, one for you.

“Actually,” you smiled while reaching into your pocket, pulling out a black wristband that had the album name in white stamped on it with a green snake on the other side. “I got this a few days ago. First ever one,”.

“This is so sick,” he said as he looked at the band, taking it from your hand and slipping it onto his wrist. “Fits perfectly with the rest and now I’ll always have you with me. And I’ll get to rep the best album in the world every day,”.

“Aww, Joe,” you blushed. “I’m glad you like it since you were my muse for about 95% of it,” you say as you get up from your seat to grab your laptop to video chat with your manager.

“The other 5% kills me,” he sighed.

“I know, but to tell the story I had to add the not-so-happy stuff into it for it all to make sense,” you said as you opened your bag.

“Fair point. I will say that even though ‘The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived’ is about someone and something I’d rather not talk about, it’s one of the best songs you’ve written,” he said, referring to your ex-boyfriend or situationship as you liked to call it.

“I knew you’d like it,” you smiled.

“I mean you really came for his neck with the bridge,” he shrugged. “Badass behavior,”.

“Being a badass is fun sometimes,” you nodded. “Besides, I don’t care what he thinks. He knows what he did and deserves to be called out for it,”.

“I love it when you get petty,” he shakes his head out of admiration, a soft laugh leaving your lips. “Wait so does this mean I get to go with you to the Grammys? Since I’m your muse?” he asked.

“You want to? Like for real?” you ask him as you start to play with your necklace, the letter “J” pendant Joe gave you for your 1 month anniversary.

“Absolutely. I want to support you just like how you support me,” he said as he got up from his seat and walked over to you. “Besides, I want to see everyone’s reaction when you sweep all 3 categories and announce next year's album of the year all in one go,” he said as he pressed a kiss to your cheek.

“We’ll see about that. I’ll be lucky if I even win 1 category,” you replied as you stared at your feet. “Having you with me would mean the world though,”.

He moved his hand under your chin, lifting your face up so that you were looking into his eyes. “You’re going to win, trust me. And now that I’m going with you, I’ll make sure of it,”.

“What are you going to do? Swap the names?” you giggle.

“Something like that,” he winked.

“I can’t wait to see you try,” you say as you lean in to kiss him, your arms wrapping around his neck and his around your waist.

After holding the kiss for a few moments, you pull away. “You go take a nap and I’ll be there in a bit,” you say as you turn around to grab him a plush blanket from your bag.

“You better hurry up,” he said as he grabbed the blanket, kissed your cheek, and started walking to the mini bedroom.

“I will but no funny business, Burrow,” you warn him.

“We’ll see about that,” he mumbled before closing the door, leaving you with a radiant smile on your face and a serene feeling inside of you.

A Half Hour later

You wrapped up your exciting call with your manager before falling back into the seat and taking a deep breath. You had just finalized your album’s tracklist and release date and now it was starting to feel real. You couldn’t remember the last time you felt so excited to release music since both times you had in the past were not very enjoyable. The release of your debut album had your stomach in knots for weeks before it came out as you were terrified that people wouldn’t enjoy it or that it wouldn’t do well. The release of your second album had you petrified at the thought of how the public would react to what the album was about. All you could think about was if what you wrote was too much and if people would resonate with your feelings or turn on you for trying to ‘push a narrative’.

When writing and working on both albums you were also second-guessing yourself every step of the way. Maybe it was because of the company around you, or maybe it was because of the things you were experiencing while working on them. This time, however, you were fully confident in what you were doing, not caring about what others thought or letting people’s opinions of you define your work. You were relaxed, enthusiastic, confident, and happy, it was the ‘Joe Effect’.

You placed your laptop bag in your bag and then had a nice stretch before you walked over to the bedroom. You carefully opened the door, trying not to make any loud noises that would wake Joe up. You saw him sprawled out on the mattress, his mouth slightly open as you heard faint snores leaving his lips.

You turned around and closed the door and when you looked back at Joe, his eyes were open and he was looking over at you.

“I didn’t mean to wake you up,” you softly said as you crawled into the bed next to him.

“I dozed off for 5 minutes, it’s fine,” he said as he opened up the blanket and covered your legs with it.

“Can’t sleep?” you asked him.

“Can’t sleep without you,” he smiled as he moved his arm around your shoulder and pulled you into his chest. “What did you and your manager talk about?” he asked while he rubbed your shoulder.

“Tracklist and Release Date,” you smile as you tangle your legs with his and place your hand on his neck, rubbing his soft skin.

“Ah,” he nods. “How's it looking?”.

“Well, tracks 1-8 are all the unhappy things and stuff that led up to us meeting, track 9 is the start of the songs about us,” you beamed.

“Track 9? Real subtle,” he blushed.

“Track 9 deserves its time to shine which is also why it’s a lead single,” you smiled.

“I feel so special,” he said, batting his eyelashes and fanning himself.

“Okayyy your majesty let’s come back down to earth,” you joked. “After that, there’s a long stretch of 9 songs just about us, then there’s like 3 songs about some other stuff and then the final 6 are about us as well,”.

Joe nodded and squeezed your hand, “What about the release date? When does the world get to hear the best album ever made?”.

You close your eyes and push your head into his neck, hiding the smile that Joe put on your face by once again complimenting you.

You pull your head out a second later, butterflies in your stomach as you think about the release date. Not only was the release date the day you were releasing what was basically a diary of memories from the past 9 months, but it was also a special day for you and Joe.

“July 4th,” you say as you meet his eyes.

“The anniversary of the day we met,” he said to you, his eyes softening as he felt his heart gush.

“Mhm,” you blush. “One of the most special days of my life. Only fitting since I wrote so many songs about you and about that day,” you said.

He gazed into your eyes for a few quiet moments, unable to come up with any other words to express his feelings other than, “I love you,”.

And that was fine. You didn’t need him to say anything else because you knew how he felt about you. After all, he never failed to show you. Although it was just 3 words, he knew those 3 words meant the world to you, especially if they came from him.

“I love you more than anyone in the world,” you say to him before you feel him lean in and kiss your lips.

You pull him closer as the kiss quickly turns heated, Joe moving you down flat against the bed so that you are lying on your back and he is on top of you. You pulled away and laughed at how Joe looked like a child who just got candy taken away from them.

“Hey, what was that for?” he grumbled.

“I said no funny business remember,” you said proudly, knowing the hold you had over him.

“I didn’t think you were being serious,” he said as his eyes widened. “We’re on this plane for 12 hours and you really expect us to not have some fun,”.

“Watching movies is fun,” you grin. “Playing games is fun. Eating the snacks I bought is fun,”.

He looked at you for a few seconds, a smirk on his face as his hand started rubbing your hip. “I could eat,” he said.

“Okay, perfect. I brought Oreos, Fruit, Pretzels…” you start to say before he interrupts you.

“None of that sounds good,” he said, his hand slowly moving down to your thigh.

“You didn’t let me finish,” you laughed. “I have more stuff in my bag. I’ll go get it,” you say, trying to get up from the bed but Joe doesn’t let you.

“I don’t think you have what I want out there,” he said, his face moving closer to yours.

You rolled your eyes, “Then what do you want to eat because I got a lot of snacks, many of which you love,”.

“You,” he purred, his eyes turning a darker shade of blue, a familiar shade of blue though. “I want you,”.

You searched his eyes for a few moments, your body feeling hot at the thought of what Joe was implying. “Joe,” you whispered, his hands now cupping your mound.

“I want to make you feel good,” he said as he leaned down to press a gentle kiss to your ear. “If you’ll let me,”.

There was nobody on the plane but you two, the pilot, and the flight attendant; both of which were all the way in the front while you were in the back. If you did something, they would most likely not be able to hear you.

“We have to be quiet though,” you said, easily giving in to his words.

“You have to be quiet. I’m just here to have a sweet treat and make my girlfriend feel good,” he said as you felt him slip his hand inside your shorts.

You rolled your eyes before pushing his head down and crashing your lips against his, both moving against each other in a sensual tango. You felt his fingers teasing your folds through your lace panty, your wetness seeping through.

“Already so wet?” he smirked after he pulled away.

“Shut up,” you said as you pulled him back down to the kiss.

He took his hand out of your shorts and rested it on your waist, using his other hand to grab your leg and wrap it around his waist as he deepened the kiss. The combination of his fiery touch and addictive lips was making you restless.

“Joe, please,” you whimpered as you pulled away from his lips.

He gave you a smile before moving down, pressing wet kisses along your inner thigh before sucking on the skin of your left thigh.

“Mm,” you whimper, stuffing your hand into his soft curls.

He wastes no time as he pulls down your shorts and panties all in one go, immediately stuffing his face between your thighs. “Ohh,” you hissed, the feeling of his scruff between your legs was to die for.

You feel him lap at your folds, his tongue then thrusting inside of you as he set a rhythmic pace. He moved his hand to your clit, carefully teasing the sensitive bud with delicate flicks and swirls.

“Fuck, Joe,” you whispered, trying to stifle your moans by throwing your head to the side into the pillow. His other hand slipped inside your shirt, slowly inching towards your breast as you pulled on the strands of his hair.

His tongue felt like fire, lighting every nerve in your body. The expert flick and swirl of his tongue sent waves of pleasure throughout your withering frame.

“Joe, you’re so good, fuck right there,” you whimpered as you used your hand to grip the sheets, then feeling him slide his hand out of your shirt, returning his finger to your heat. He starts to rub your clit again, the bundle of nerves just begging to reach its pleasure.

You toss your leg over his shoulder, gliding your foot along his muscular back as you feel Joe moan into your core, sending vibrations throughout your body. You moved your hands back into his tousled curls, pulling on the soft golden strands again as he continued to use his mouth to send you to heaven. “Mm, you taste so good,” he groaned.

“Joe, I’m so close,” you rasped, feeling your arousal building up. He started to toy with your clit even harder and moved his mouth up to it, replacing his fingers with his mouth as he started to suck on the bud.

You started to shake under him, your breaths getting shorter as you felt the tension in your belly snap and a wave of ecstasy come over you. “Fuck, Baby,” you moaned as you felt yourself reach your high, your hips jerking and your eyes rolling to the back of your head at the intense shocks of pleasure. Joe’s mouth moved back down to your folds and his hands massaged your thighs, trying to calm you down as he lapped at your folds again, cleaning up every drop of your arousal.

A few minutes later, he cleaned you up with some napkins and was now lying on your chest, your hand playing with the strands of his hair as he pressed kisses on your chest through your shirt.

“You still hungry,” you lazily chuckled.

“Nope. Dessert was extra delicious today and I'm stuffed,” he yawned.

“That’s good because I’m about to pass out,” you said as you pressed a kiss to his forehead.

He craned his head up to look up at you, “Nap time?” he mumbled before pressing a kiss to your chin.

“Nap time,” you nodded as you wrapped your arms around his body and closed your eyes.

After your lengthy nap, you two spent the rest of the flight watching movies, playing various games, eating delicious foods, taking another nap, and going over the schedule for the week. You’d be in Cannes for 4 days (not including today's travel day); tomorrow and Monday would be for you two to explore the city and have a boat day. Tuesday and Wednesday would be panels and the latter half of Wednesday would be when you both would travel to Paris. Then the rest of the trip would be spent in Paris for Fashion Week. You and Joe were incredibly excited to explore the sights and sounds of the city together when he had time off from attending the shows and events. He was walking the runway at the end of the week, which you couldn’t be more proud of him for doing, and he would be attending quite a few shows for various brands throughout the week. You were debating on going with him or not to at least one show, deciding to feel it out depending on how this whole ‘going official’ thing works out.

A few hours later

You landed about an hour ago and were now on the way to the hotel, both of you wide awake from your naps even though it was currently the middle of the night in Cannes. You looked out your window and watched the lamposts pass by, the streets empty and almost haunting because of how peaceful it seemed.

“We should almost be there,” he said as he looked out the window. “I think that’s it,” he added as he pointed out the tall massive building in front of you.

“Holy shit, they really went all out,” you said, your eyes widening as you got closer to the hotel. The impressive architectural structures of the building stood out beautifully as well as the the fact that it was beachfront.

“Beachfront too?” you gasped. “They must really love you,”.

“Told you they hooked me up,” he said as he rubbed your back.

A couple of minutes later the car stopped in front of the main door, the bellhops loaded your luggage out of the car while you and Joe made your way inside.

He held your hand as he led you through the lobby, the inside of the hotel just as grand as the outside. Beautiful chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a soft glow that highlighted the carefully crafted pillars and impressive ceiling designs. The earthy tan, white, and green hues of the lobby provided a sense of comfort and luxury.

Joe looked down at your face, your mouth agape and your eyes sparkling. “Wait till you see the room,” he said as he bumped your shoulder.

“The fact that I’ve never been here is wild,” you say as you feel Joe pull you into the elevator, not allowing you another moment to take in the design of the lobby.

He pulls you in, quickly presses the button for the floor you are on, and then hits the button to close the door. Before you could say something else, he spun around and backed you up against the elevator wall, his face just inches from yours.

“I love how excited you get over these things,” he said before he crashed his lips against yours, one hand gripping your waist and the other cupping your face. He found it endearing how you would easily get excited over things like this even though this was your life. The luxury and leisure was something you had been around for quite a few years now, but each time you were exposed to it you would still be mesmerized.

You try to pull away but Joe doesn’t let you, deepening the kiss as he slides his hand down to your thigh, giving it a soft squeeze that makes you moan into the kiss. A few breathless seconds later, you manage to pull away, a look on his face that tells you he needs more.

“You’re a little worked up,” you blushed as you pressed your forehead against his, your arms around his neck.

“The thought of us, just us, on what I would consider vacation the whole week is making me feel some things,” he purred.

“I guess it being the middle of the night isn’t stopping those feelings,” you said as you rubbed his neck.

“Oh, I think that it being the middle of the night is making them way worse,” he said as he was leaning in for another kiss but stopped as he heard the elevator ding, hearing the door behind him open, prompting him to let out a disappointed sigh.

You gently pushed him off and gave him a wink, “Guess you'll have to wait, this is our stop,”.

He gave you a slow once-over before reaching forward and picking you up bridal style, his hands wrapping around your waist and legs; the sudden movement making you let out a squeal.

“Joe, put me down, someone will see,” you laughed as he walked out of the elevator with you in his arms.

“Did you forget?” he said as he made it to your suite door. He pulled out the keycard and unlocked the door, “We’re the only ones on the floor,” he whispered into your ear as he brought you inside.

You stared at him for a few seconds before moving your eyes around the room, the very big and very glamorous room. You were standing in the doorway, in front of you was the living room with a nice dining table that was set up with a bunch of goodies such as wine, champagne, snacks, and chocolates for you and Joe. He walked further into the room, to your right was the passageway to your bedroom, and to the left was the mini kitchen and another seating area.

“Wow,” you whispered as you looked around the room. “They really love you,”.

“You haven’t even seen the best part,” he said as he slowly placed you back on your feet. He put his hand on the small of your back and guided you across the room to what looked like patio doors. He opened the door and motioned for you to go out, your eyes widening as you walked out onto the very large and lengthy private patio that had the best view of the beach and city below you.

“Oh my god,” you said as you walked closer to the railing of the balcony. You looked up and saw the stars in the sky twinkling while the city below you was absolutely still; distant sounds of the waves crashing on the beach in front of you echoed throughout the streets below you. The patio was decorated with various flower arrangements, a day bed, and a little bistro table.

“This is perfect,” you whispered as you felt a shiver run up your spine. The shorts and short-sleeved top you had on were not meant for this evening weather and you were feeling it. You felt Joe move closer to you, wrapping his arms around your waist from behind and settling his chin on your shoulder, then turning his head to the side to press wet kisses along your neck; his warmth immediately heats you up.

“Are you happy?” he mumbled against your skin.

You smiled and turned your head to look at him, his head moving out of your neck as his eyes met yours. “I think if I was any happier I would spontaneously combust,” you giggle before you kiss him again. “I’m glad we get to do this together. This is a big week for you and I am lucky to be a part of it,”.

“I wouldn’t want anyone else with me,” he said as he turned you around and leaned down to kiss you again, this time the kiss was a bit more heated than before as his hands slid down to your ass, pushing you closer to him.

“Mmm, maybe we should go inside,” you say in between the kisses.

“Don’t have to tell me twice,” he mumbled as he pulled away and grabbed your hand, yanking you back inside and pulling you to the bedroom.

“Slow down,” you giggled as he rushed you into the bedroom, not even giving you a moment to take in the vibes of the room as he was eyeing the massive bed waiting in front of you. “Wait, what about our luggage? Shouldn’t we wait for them to bring it up?”.

“They can come by when we wake up tomorrow,” he said as he backed you up until the back of your knees hit the bed.

“What about our Pj’s?” you frowned.

“We probably won’t need them,” he said as he started pressing kisses along your jawline, another shiver running down your spine.

“As much as I'd love to continue this, aren’t you tired?” you asked him as you patted his shoulders.

“Not at all. It might be 2 am here but I am wide awake. Maybe this will make me tired again,” he said as he returned to kissing your neck. “Sex is natural melatonin,”.

“I won’t argue with science,” you said as you pulled his head back to yours, kissing his lips a little rougher as he gently pushed you down onto the bed and crawled on top of you.

A few minutes later, both your clothes were in a pile next to the bed and Joe was spending some time pressing kisses around your body and nipping your skin. He pulled his head up from your chest and looked deeply into your eyes, leaning down to press a loving kiss on your lips before thrusting into your wet heat, the sudden movement catching you off guard and making you pull away from his lips.

“Fuck, Joe,” you moaned as he set a ravenous pace. With every thrust he moved deeper inside of you, igniting a fire within you that only burned for him.

The Next Morning

The sound of the bathroom door opening woke you up the next morning, your head turning to see Joe walking out with wet hair and no shirt on. You watch as he walks over to the closet, pulls out his suitcase, and opens it to find a shirt, meaning that they must have dropped your luggage off. You slowly sit up, covering your naked body with the sheets as you stretch your arms out.

“Morning,” he smiled as he turned around while buttoned up his shirt.

“Gooood Morning,” you yawned as you made grabby hands towards him, motioning for him to come over to you.

He walked over and sat down next to you, first pressing a sweet kiss to your lips and then pulling you into his chest.

“How long have you been up?” you asked as you ran your fingers along the fabric of his tan knit button-up beach shirt.

“About two hours or so. I got our bags from the bellhop, ordered us some breakfast, scoped out the beach club downstairs, and took a shower,” he said as he ran his fingers through your messy hair.

“That’s great,” you said as you tilted your head up to examine his neck, noticing a few purple marks. “Remind me to cover those up,” you laughed as you ran your fingertips along the love bites.

“You can try but I think the makeup would wash off once we get on the boat and decide to go in the water,” he chuckled.

“Oh my god, I forgot today was the boat day,” you gasped, your hand moving to cover your mouth, realizing that he would have the marks on his neck completely visible to the public eye. “I got a little carried away last night,” you said as you moved off his chest and sat up, the sheet falling and your bare chest on display.

Joe’s eyes navigate down to your chest, his eyes widening and a blush snuck up on his face. “I think I did too,” he said as he reached out to rub the love bite on your chest.

“We’re so horny,” you laughed as you dropped your head into your hands.

“But that’s good for us, keeps us on our toes,” he said, repeating one of the thoughts you had yesterday about him as he pressed a kiss to your cheek and got up from the bed.

“I’m probably going to shower first and then eat breakfast if that’s cool,” you said as you got up from the bed and grabbed the robe Joe had laid out for you.

“Yeah, that’s cool. It should still be warm since they have those fancy warmer things under them,”.

“That’s good,” you wince as you start walking over to your suitcase.

Joe raises his eyebrow at your slight limp, “Sore?”.

“Just a tad,” you blushed as you reached down to open your suitcase.

He walked over and picked up your suitcase before you could fully zip it open, “I’m gonna put it on the bed so you don’t pull a muscle or anything,”.

“Thank you,” you say as you lean in for another kiss.

“It’s the least I could do for giving you a limp,” he said as he placed the suitcase onto the bed and turned around to face you.

“You already do enough for me by just existing,” you say as you open up your suitcase and pull out a matching black bikini set with a pink sundress to wear on top of it.

He wrapped his arms around you from behind and swayed you back and forth, his heart fluttering at the thought of how lucky he was to have you in his life. “I love you,” he said as he kissed the sweet spot on your neck.

“I love you too,” you said as you turned your head around to see him, pecking his lips before reaching down to grab a change of clothes for after your boat day. You would be having dinner on the boat as well so you decided to pick out something more fitting. You pull out a strappy white dress and pair it with some gold accessories and heels.

“I love this dress on you,” Joe said as he ran his fingers along the soft fabric. “I found the beach bag and put my change of clothes in it, left it on the foyer table,”.

“Perfect,” you smiled as you pulled away from his embrace, closing up the suitcase and making your way to the bathroom.

“How’s the water pressure?” you asked as you stood in the doorway.

“Better than our house,” he nodded. “I also checked out the jacuzzi tub. It has quite a few settings and we will be having some fun in there tonight,” he winked.

“Looking forward to it,” you said as you twirled around and closed the door to begin your morning routine.

About an hour and a half later, you’re washed, dressed, moisturized, and finishing up breakfast at the table with Joe.

“This food is so good,” he groaned as he took a final bite of his muffin.

“We’re going to gain at least 10 pounds by the time the trip is over,” you joked as you took another sip of your orange juice.

“We can brush it off as healthy relationship weight if someone says something,” he joked.

“Healthy,” you smile as you lean your head back to relish that feeling. Your relationship with Joe was so incredibly healthy. Both of you knew each other’s boundaries and respected them, had the best communication possible, and were completely and irrevocably in love with each other.

“Healthy unlike this breakfast,” he laughed as he loaded your dirty dishes onto the cart to leave outside your door for the staff to take away.

“So, what’s the plan for today,” you said as you turned around in your chair and watched Joe.

“Well, I was thinking we take it easy. We can go down to the beach club downstairs and walk around for a bit since our boat is at the docks there so we can check it out and drop off the bag but we won’t be going on till a little later. If you want we can also go shopping around Rue d'Antibes and La Croisette,” he said as he opened the door to leave the cart outside.

“Nice pronunciation,” you giggled.

“I’ve been practicing. I asked the receptionist downstairs how to pronounce the street names,” he smiled as he turned around to close the door. “Then we’ll just be on the boat and in the water until our sunset dinner on the boat,” he said, walking back over to you with your beach bag and sunglasses in hand. You packed your bag with various types of sunscreens, both your change of clothes, your film camera, and any other personal care items you’d need on the boat.

“Sounds perfect,” you smile. “After dinner, we should walk to the bakery around the corner from the hotel and pick up some sweet treats,”.

“Whatever you want,” he said, holding out his hand for you to grab. “You ready?”.

“Mhm,” you smiled, placing your hand in his and getting up from your chair. “Wait, let me take care of these first,” you said, pointing at the love bites on his neck, a laugh escaping his lips as you dragged him to the bathroom.

A little later

You and Joe walked around the beach club for a little while, taking in the gorgeous sun and crystal blue water and checking out the boat before sitting at one of the beachside tables for a few drinks. You weren’t usually drinking this early in the day, but a few Mimosa’s didn’t hurt, especially if you were going to spend a few hours shopping.

Now you were in maybe the 4th or 5th store on your little shopping expedition, Joe picking out some pieces for the upcoming season and you helping him while also doing your own bit of looking.

“I wish Kyle was with us since he is your stylist for this trip. He might’ve been able to give some opinions on these game-day outfits,” you said as you looked through the rack in front of you in the Saks store, all your favorite designer clothes in one spot.

“Are you saying I’m incapable of picking out my game-day fits on my own?” he scoffed, his mouth wide open as he was slightly offended.

You stopped rummaging through the racks and spun around, “I’ve told you multiple times that your game-day outfits send me into orbit,” you say as you give him a look that needs no explanation. “You don’t need anyone’s help, but I feel like a new person’s opinion might add some pizzazz,”.

“You are the new person. You didn’t shop with me last off-season too much so I mean,” he said as he put his hands in his pockets. “The floor is yours,”.

You raise your eyebrow and flash him a big smile, “Oookay, but you asked for this not me,”.

You picked out various new pieces for Joe to try on while he insisted that he pick out some things for you as well. Joe liked more street-style outfits so you decided to follow that idea but add your own flair to it. You chose some more trendy but “Joe-like” shirts for him, new types of pants (so he would finally stop with the grey jeans), and some other things such as jackets and accessories he’d like.

When Joe came back to you, he had absolutely nothing in his hand, making you let out a laugh as you looked over to the pile you and the assistant had set aside for him.

“Couldn’t find anything?” you teased as you pulled him closer.

“Actually, I found too much that they couldn’t carry it over,” he winked.

“We haven’t even made it to Paris yet and we already shopped so much,” you said as you dropped your head onto his shoulder.

“We get a free pass this one time,” he said, rubbing your back before giving your butt a soft pinch which makes you pull away.

“Joe, if someone sees,” you laughed, giving him another look that needed no explanation.

“We’re fine. The staff knew us and didn’t say anything to us the other people in the store seemed to be minding their business, although I did notice a few stares and whispers but it is what it is,” he shrugged. “It’s just you and me. Pretend that nobody’s here,”.

“I guess this is what we wanted to happen anyway. Only a matter of time before a picture of us pops up online,” you smiled, feeling comfortable with the thought of people seeing you out together.

“Good thing we look good today,” he said, pressing a kiss to your cheek. “Now, come see the stuff I picked out for you,” he said as he grabbed your hand and led you to the other side of the store.

An hour later, you were walking out with a concerning amount of bags and were on your way back to the hotel to drop them off; the rest of the stuff from the other stores was delivered to your room so you didn’t need to worry about those.

“Wait, can we go in there for just a sec,” he said, stopping and pointing at the Cartier store.

“Don’t you have enough sunglasses,” you say, rolling your eyes and walking towards the store.

“Not going in here for those. I actually have something to pick up,” he said, acting mildly suspicious as he opened the door for you.

When you walk in, a worker immediately greets you both and leads you back to the Jewelry Counter, Joe walks in front of you and whispers something to the assistant before turning around and grabbing your hand.

“Joe…” you say as he pulls out a chair for you.

“Yes, ma copine parfaite et chaude?” he smirked, squeezing in some more French he learned the other day.

“Hm?” you asked, incredibly confused as you sat down in the velvet red chair. When did he have the time to learn all this French?

“Yes, my perfect and hot girlfriend,” he whispered in your ear before sitting down next to you.

A blush crept up your face and you felt yourself get hot from his words, trying to keep your composure and figure out what you were doing here. “Um, why are we here?” you struggled to get out.

“I told you,” he said as he looked forward at the Jeweler walking in with 2 trademark red Cartier boxes. “I had something to pick up,”.

“Welcome Mr. Burrow and Ms. Y/LN,” the man smiled as he sat down in front of you. “I hope you have been enjoying Cannes so far,”.

“We’ve been having a lot of fun,” Joe smiled at the man. “Thanks for doing this Roger,”.

Roger, his name was Roger. Why did Joe know Roger? And what was in those boxes in front of you?

“Ah, no problem Mr. Burrow. Anything for the best Cartier-wearing Quarterback in the NFL,” he smiled as he turned the boxes around to face you both.

Joe laughed at his response and threaded his fingers through his hair before looking over at you, studying your stupefied facial expression.

“Are you going to tell me what you’re up to?” you asked.

“I think he should show you,” Joe said, Roger grabbing your attention as he unhooked the clasp of the boxes, opened them, and showed whatever was inside to you.

Your mouth dropped as you looked at what was in front of you. It was two bracelets, 1 of them having a black braided band and the other being a gold band, like a bangle you could clasp on. The bracelet had a gold letter “J” and “(your initial)” attached to it, one on the left of the bracelet and one on the right. In the middle, holding both letters together, was a gold infinity symbol decorated with diamonds.

“Joe..” you whispered as you felt your heart flutter at the jewelry in front of you.

“Custom made to Mr. Burrow’s liking using our finest gold and jewels,” Roger added.

Joe was looking at you the entire time, taking note of how your eyes softened when he opened the boxes and how your cheeks turned pink when you realized what you were looking at.

“When did you…How did you..,” you said as you turned your head to face him.

“Mhm, I think I’ll leave you two alone for a moment,” Roger said as he got up.

“Thanks, Roger,” Joe nodded as he turned back to you.

“When my agent told me about this whole Cannes and Paris thing. I wanted to do something special for us and I wanted to make it memorable so we’d remember this week. I thought about just surprising you with another necklace or something but that didn’t feel special enough,” he said.

“Joe,” you said, choking up a little as you felt tears forming in your eyes.

“Sooo, I found a Cartier store closest to where we would be staying and talked to Roger here, pulled a few strings, and designed the bracelets with him, and well,” he added as he picked up your bracelet, opening the clasp and grabbing your hand to put it on your wrist. He closed the clasp and turned your wrist around, running his fingers over the initials and infinity symbol before pressing a kiss to it. “This is it. You and Me. You know how I feel about you and I know that it hasn’t even been a year yet but I couldn’t imagine doing anything of this without you. I’ve never felt this way about a girl before and I’ve only felt it for you, and I intend for you to be the only girl that can make me feel like this,”.

How was it possible that you were falling even more in love with him? You thought that you’d already reached maximum head over heels-ness, but here you were feeling your heart grow and the amount of love you had for him increase.

“I love you. I love you so very much, Joe,” you sniffled before leaning in and kissing him, keeping it innocent since you were around quite a few people.

“This is the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for me. You literally keep beating yourself every time you do something like this,” you laughed as you wiped the few tears falling from your eyes.

“And I plan to keep doing so for the rest of my life,” he said as he grabbed his bracelet. “I chose the braided black band for me because it felt more like me. The gold band is definitely you,”.

“I don’t plan on ever taking it off, just like the necklace,” you smiled, referring to the initial necklace he gave you for your one month anniversary. You never took it off, not because he ‘owned’ you and needed people to know, but because he really knew you and you wanted people to know. “Wait if you got the braided band..Please tell me you don’t plan on wearing that in a game,” you gasped.

“No, definitely not. I would never risk it getting damaged out there. I will however be wearing it as much as I can when I'm not on the field or doing anything physical that could damage it,” he said as slipped it onto his empty wrist. “Wait, I almost forgot. Take your bracelet off real quick,”.

“Okay?” you chuckled as you unclasped it and handed it to him.

“I got something engraved on the inside. Here, look,” he said as he opened it up a bit more for you to read the text on the inside of the band.

⋆｡°✩ The Stars All Aligned ⋆｡°✩ - J.B.

Didn’t he say that to you this morning? How long had he been waiting to say that to you?

“You’re perfect. Quite literally crafted by Cupid and the Angels. I don’t know what the hell I did to deserve you but I'm so glad you’re mine,” you said as you looked back up into his love-struck eyes.

“I love you,” he said as he kissed your cheek.

After a few more moments of fawning over the bracelets and his adorable romantic gesture, you both found Roger and personally thanked him for helping orchestrate the surprise, especially since Cartier rarely did anything custom like this for clients. After a few moments of chatting and wandering around the store, You and Joe walked out of the store with two more bags in your hands, one with the boxes for the bracelets and the other filled with stuff Joe bought.

“You and them damn Cartier shades,” you said as you shook your head.

“Listen, I couldn't resist. They looked really good. The pink ones I got for you are going to look so good on game day,” he shrugged.

“Whatever you say,” you laughed as you spun around and started walking backward, still facing him. “I can’t wait to get on the boat and be wearing minimal clothing. It’s hot as hell right now,”.

“Forget Minimal, you don’t have to be wearing any clothing on the boat if you don’t want to,” he winked.

“Joe!” you gasped as you stopped, causing him to bump into you.

“What? I’m sure everyone would enjoy the view. I know I do,” he teased, your mouth hanging open as he was standing so incredibly close to you, his face just inches from yours.

You were about to say something but saw a group of girls and guys stop a little bit behind you, their hands seemingly over their mouths. “Oh my god. Is that them?” one of the girls gasped.

You looked at Joe, a smile on both your faces as you listened to the group, acting like you weren’t eavesdropping by turning around to face the buildings in front of you. Joe nonchalantly snaked his arm around your waist and whispered into your ear, “I think we’ve been caught,”.

“Dude I think it is. Holy Shit I didn’t think the rumors were true,” the other girl said.

“Damn, Joey B is really winning at life,” one of the guys laughed. “Y/N is hot as hell,”.

Your eyes widened when you heard the teenage boy, probably somewhere around the age of 17 say that. “Oh my god,” you whispered as your cheeks turned pink.

“You know what? I’m not even mad that he said that. You are hot as fuck,” Joe whispered into your ear, prompting you to bump into his shoulder.

“Wait because this is insane. I would’ve never thought they’d end up together but I’m so here for it,” the other girl whispered, or tried to whisper at least.

“I mean she was at the games in January. What’d you guys expect? I heard she liked football before she went to the Bengals game but that wasn’t her favorite team,” the other guy added.

“Well, it definitely is now,” the first girl cooed.

“I guess the cats outta the bag. Oh well,” you whispered into Joe’s ear, no other thoughts in your mind. You didn’t care if people saw you together. You were happy and that’s all that mattered.

“You wanna keep going?” he asked, softly squeezing your hip.

“Yes, please. I’m melting right now,” you laughed as you placed your hand around his waist.

After reaching the hotel and dropping off your bags inside your room, you walked back down to the beach club and had a quick bite to eat before making your way to the docks where the boat was waiting.

Joe got on first, extending his hand to help you on. “Thank you,” you said as you reached up to kiss his cheek. While Joe was talking to the captain, you slipped into the bathroom to take your dress off, the lovebite from last night fading but still visible making you blush. While you were in there you clipped your hair back and put some sunscreen on your frontside and legs, not being able to reach your back so you’d ask Joe to do it.

After freshening up, you went back out to the boat, noticing that you had departed the docks and were now out on the crystal blue Riviera waters.

“You look incredible,” Joe said from behind you. You flipped around, your heart skipping a beat as you saw him in just his swim trunks and sunglasses, his chiseled chest on display and his muscular arms making you feel hot all over.

“Not too bad yourself,” you purred as you sat down on the tanning chair. “What’d the captain say?” you said as you pulled out the sunscreens from your beach bag.

“He said we’d be circling around the Riviera but stopping at a good spot if we wanted to get in the water. Then I told him for dinner to stop at the docks a little further down from our docks because there’s a good beachfront restaurant that said they can serve us on here,”.

“You really planned everything out,” you smiled at him.

“That I did,” he said as he sat down next to you.

You pulled out the lotion and put it in front of him, “Can you get my back, and then I can do you?”.

Joe raised his eyebrow at the offer, his mind wandering to some other things that this innocent task could lead to.

“No funny business, Joe,” you said as you sent him a look. “I mean it this time,”.

“I got you,” he laughed as he sat down on the chair next to you while you lay flat on your stomach. He squeezed out a good amount of sunscreen before placing the bottle down. You felt his big hands start at your shoulders, rubbing the lotion into your skin before sliding down your back. His fingers expertly massaged your skin the way you loved, a few innocent moans leaving your lips making Joe laugh.

You turned your head to the side and looked up at him again with the same look, his face going back to seriousness which made you let out a little laugh. He then slid his hands down to your butt, softly squeezing it as he worked the last bit of sunscreen around your skin.

“You’re good,” he smiled as he moved his hands off of you.

“Thank you, Joey,” you said as you sat up. “Now lay on your stomach so I can get your back,”.

“I think I’ll be fine. I want a nice tan,” he said.

“Absolutely not. You burn too easily and there’s a big difference between tan and burnt,” you said as you got up from your chair and grabbed the bottle. “On your stomach,” you motioned.

“Fine,” he sighed, admitting defeat as he turned around.

You placed a leg on each side of his waist, straddling him as you squeezed out a dab of sunscreen before tossing the bottle to the side. You started at his shoulders, working your way down as you gave him a nice massage at the same time, a few groans leaving his lips as he closed his eyes. You smiled at the sounds leaving his lips, Joe loved a good massage.

“This would be nice with no clothes,” he joked.

You rolled your eyes as you moved your hands to his arms, first grabbing the bottle to squeeze out more sunscreen, “Why are you extra worked up this week?”.

“You tell me,” he said, turning his head around and giving you a good look up and down.

He never failed to make you feel extra good about yourself. His looks, his touch, his comments. All of it made you feel like a diamond.

“You’re sweet,” you replied as you sent him an air kiss as you quickly rubbed the last bit of sunscreen on his arms. “Flip over,”.

You sat up on your knees so that he could turn around underneath you, then once he got settled sat back down, still straddling him. “This is all too familiar,” he said as he pushed his sunglasses down. You on top of him like this was a little too risky but you had to make sure he didn’t burn in the sun.

You shook your head as you squeezed more sunscreen onto your palm and spread it along his perfectly crafted chest and torso, pressing a few kisses to his chest while you were at it. His hands settled on your hips, kneading your plush skin as you made sure to get every corner of him protected by the sunscreen.

“If you put any more on I think I'm going to turn the same color as this chair,” he joked.

“Okay,” you said as you dropped the bottle in the bag. “I’ll stop but at least now you won’t get burnt,”.

“Thank you,” he said as he moved his sunglasses to the top of his head. God, he looked so good right now. His hair was in the perfect position, his skin was glowing, his eyes were twinkling, and he was all yours.

“You’re welcome,” you mumbled as you leaned down to kiss him, his grip on your waist tightening as your hands cupped his face.

You were all over each other for what felt like an hour, not caring about anything since you were out on the open waters, just the two of you. You don’t even remember when he picked you up and laid you down on the daybed because you were so lost in his lips you had zero coherent thoughts in your mind.

Suddenly, he pulled away, a cheeky grin on his face. “What’s got you so worked up?” he said as he raised his eyebrows. “You’ve been on my lips for almost an hour,”.

“Really funny, Joe,” you laughed as you turned to lay on your back, the sun now covering your body.

“Wait, I didn’t mean to stop,” he said, sadness creeping up on his face.

“Mmm, I think we need a second to breathe so that we don’t die from heat exhaustion and lack of oxygen,” you joked as you threw your leg over his.

“Fair point,” he said as he wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you into his chest, your bodies fitting together naturally making you both instantly comfortable.

A few quiet moments later, Joe spoke up. “I still can’t believe this is real life,”.

You moved your head up to look at him, his eyes looking off into the sky. “I’m playing football in the NFL, people know who I am, I’m in fucking France right now, and I’m dating the most extraordinary and talented woman to grace the earth and I get to spend all of my time with her. Literally, what is my life,” he mumbled.

“Joe…,” you cooed. As crazy as his life was, he could never be able to comprehend that this was his life.

You turned to lay on your stomach again, resting your chin on his chest which made him look down at you. “You know what the one thing that really stuck out to me and made me fall in love with you was?”.

“What?” He smiled.

“The fact that you’re such a softie. You’re such a sappy softie in there,” you said as you pointed to his heart. “But on the outside, you’re this calm, cool, collected, smoke show Quarterback. You can do both and that’s what made me fall for you. And you let me see that sappy part of you, which makes it even more special,”.

As you were talking, you saw how his cheeks turned a little red, something that would often happen when you started talking like this.

“I know I’ve said it at least 15 times today, but I love you,” he said while picking up your hand and kissing the bracelet on your wrist.

“I love you too. Like a lot, if that wasn’t clear,” you giggled.

“Oh, it’s clear. Very clear,” he nodded as he started to get up. “Since you love me so much, you wanna go make some drinks with me and lay out in the sun so I can get a little tan?” he asked like a little kid.

“Sounds like a plan,” you smiled as you got up with him, the smile on your face the biggest it’s probably been in a long time. Joe made you happy, truly happy and everything that came out of his mouth just made it better.

Two hours later

You spent some time lounging on the chairs, tanning, and sipping on some cocktails you whipped up in the mini bar inside while talking more about what the rest of the week would look like. You also spent some time taking in the distant view of the City, seeing all the beautiful architecture and scenery from a distance, making a note that you should come back here at some point but spend a whole week here rather than a few days

Then, the boat stopped in the middle of the Riviera; they also brought out a few floaties and water mats for you both to use out on the water. Joe dragged you in with him, insisting that you take a dip in the cool water for just a bit, but you insisted on using his body as a floatation device the entire time.

After swimming around for a bit, or well, letting Joe swim around while you were stuck to his back, you were sitting on the floating water mat. Joe was sitting criss-cross and you laid across his legs on your back, soaking up the sun as he was absentmindedly rubbing your thigh.

He looked down at you, seeing how peaceful you looked with your eyes closed when an idea popped into his head. He carefully slid his hands underneath you, almost as if he was picking you up bridal style. You didn’t say anything because you thought he was just re-adjusting you in his lap, but then you felt him lift you into the air.

“Joe..What’re you…Ahhh!” you screamed as he gently dropped you back into the water.

You swam back up to the surface, wiping your hand across your face as you watched him laugh and your disheveled appearance.

“That’s not funny,” you frowned, trying hard not to give him the satisfaction of laughing at the situation.

“Aw, does someone not like the water,” he laughed as he watched you try not to laugh, which you were struggling to do.

“I don’t like not being told when I’m being thrown into the water,” you huffed.

“You’re so cute when you're mad,” he grinned.

“And you’re cute when you're not throwing your lovely girlfriend into the water without warning,” you said as you batted your lashes at him, purely out of teasing.

“Fine,” he sighed as he extended his hand out to help you back onto the mat.

You put your hand in his, getting an idea while gripping it tightly. You use all of your strength to pull him down into the water with you, “Y/N, what are you-,” he said before his big body made a splash into the water next to you as you broke out in a fit of laughter.

You laughed for a few seconds, expecting him to come back up a few seconds later but when you don’t see him come back up, you get worried.

“Joe? Where’d you go?” you said before you felt two hands wrap around your legs underneath you and lift you into the air, sending you backward into the water. Joe came up, another grin on his face as he watched you come back up from the water again.

“Two for Two,” he winked.

“No fair,” you laughed as you splashed him with water. “You’re like 50 times stronger than me,” you said as you swam closer to him.

“Join me next time I’m in the gym and we can buff you up more,” he smiled as he pulled you closer.

“Us, in the gym, with nobody around, sweaty, and all worked up? I don’t think I’ll be getting buff, I think I’ll be burning calories doing something else,” you purred.

“And I’m the one that’s worked up,” he said as he raised his eyebrows, you shook your head as your hands found their way into his hair and you pulled him in for another sweet kiss.

“You wanna go back inside and make some more drinks?” you asked him.

“Sure, but we’re going to be so drunk by dinner time,” he said as he swam you both over to the steps. “Those tropical rum margaritas are strong as hell,”.

“I think we’ll be fine,” you smiled.

Evening Time (Around the Sunset)

You, in fact, were not fine.

You both had one too many drinks after you got back onto the boat that you could barely stand up in the shower when you went to freshen up for dinner. You got lucky and managed to do your hair and makeup without any mishaps occurring, but you were still very tipsy and the drinks being served with your dinner tonight were not helping.

They had set up a nice spread of food on the little dining table on the boat, Joe sat across from you as you spent a few spare moments taking pictures of him on your treasured film camera. “The sunset looks good behind you,” you giggled as you tried to take a picture of him, but the alcohol in your system made it hard for you to focus.

“Oo, get a picture of the food too,” he said pointing at the delicious spread in front of you.

“Part-time food blogger. I like it,” you nodded as you pointed the camera at the food, snapping a few shots before putting the camera down.

Joe grabbed his phone, opened the camera, and snapped a few pictures of you. "You look so beautiful," he smiled as he continued to snap some pics.

"Love you," you said to him, a rosy blush on your face that wasn't from sitting in the sun today.

You grabbed your glass of wine, taking a nice gulp before placing it back down, Joe doing the same before you started to dig into the food in front of you. You don’t remember how many glasses of wine you went through with your food, all you knew was that by the end of the dinner, you could barely remember why you were in France in the first place.

Joe got up from his chair, almost stumbling back down into the chair as he shook his head. “Whew, I am so drunk,” he laughed as he helped you out of your chair and brought you back over to the day bed.

“Join the Club,” you giggled as you plopped down.

“Do you think the Aliens like France?” he asked you as he dropped down next to you, grabbing your legs and placing them in his lap.

“Hmmm,” you thought as you twirled your hair. “I think they’d like it if they came here,”.

“You don’t think they’re already here?” he drunkenly asked you.

“Nope. I think they like to stay over where we are because we don’t bother them. I think French people would freak if they saw an alien and probably throw macaroons at them,” you mumbled as you played with the wristbands on Joe’s wrist.

“I mean, we did try to storm Area 51. I think they were probably pretty mad about that,” Joe nodded.

“Trueee,” you gasped. “I hope they aren’t lonely in there. They should be free and get to live life like we do,” you frowned.

God, you were so drunk.

“What if they are? You remember the farmer aliens in that one Spongebob episode we watched last week?”.

“Yeah,” you giggled.

“What if we have farmer aliens out in the midwest and just have no idea since we never go out there?” he said, being 100% serious about what he was saying.

“Oh my god, you’re probably right,” you gasped. “I wonder if they play instruments like the ones in SpongeBob,”.

“We should go farmer alien-hunting when we get back,” he smiled as he pulled out his phone.

“Oh, 100%,” you nodded as you watched him tap some things on his phone.

“I need your opinion on something,” he said as he looked back up at you.

“Shoot,” you said as you leaned back.

“Should I get these?” he said, turning his phone around to show you the very expensive Lego Eiffel Tower and Milky Way set he had added to his cart.

“Joe,” you laughed as you grabbed his phone. “This Eiffel Tower one is 10,000 pieces and 700 dollars and the Milky Way set is 3,000 pieces and 200 dollars,”.

“So,” he shrugged. “I’m rich remember,”.

Normally you’d shut this down real fast because you knew he didn’t have the time to put these together so it would be a waste of money, but you were so drunk that all your logic and sense went out the window.

“Okay!” you chirped as you handed him back the phone. “Order them now so we can build them when we get back,”.

“Great idea,” he nodded as he quickly purchased the Lego sets.

It was a terrible idea. You should pray for your future self when she comes home to 900 dollars worth of Legos at the front door that neither of you had enough time to build.

While he was tapping away on his phone, you looked out onto the peaceful open water, lost in a trance before you saw the boat lights turn on, brightening your once-dark surroundings.

“The lights,” you gasped as you looked up and the fairy string lights and lamps, the soft music playing in the background adding to the scene. You got up from the day bed and started twirling around, dancing to the song in the background as Joe sat there and watched you, his eyes watching your every step, his heart growing bigger every time you looked back at him.

He was out of his mind drunk right now, but he was sober enough to mean what he was just about to say.

“Let’s get married,” Joe said, making you flip around with your eyes wide open.

“What?” you giggled, the alcohol in your system in full effect so whatever he was saying wasn’t really registering in your brain.

“I said, let’s get married,” he mumbled as he got up.

“Joe, we’re drunk as hell,” you laughed as he grabbed your waist.

"I'm totally, absolutely, not at all drunk at all. Like... at all,” he said, stumbling over his words.

“Mhmmm,” you nodded. “And I’m a princess,”.

“I’m serious, Y/N. I know we’ve only known each other for a year, but marry me. It doesn’t have to be today, it doesn’t have to be tomorrow, but marry me,” he said. “You’re the best thing that could’ve happened to me and I never want it to end. I need you,”.

Although he was drunk right now, part of you knew he was being serious when he said that. Everything he did for you and said to you made what he was saying right now absolutely genuine.

“It’s you and me for infinity,” he said, looking down at your bracelet. “I love you in this life and in every lifetime after,” he smiled.

“I love you too, Joe. In every universe and every…uhh..dimension? Yeah, dimension,” you nodded, making him laugh at your drunken expression.

“So what do you think? Would you want to marry me one day?” he asked you, his face absolutely adorable and sincere. “Unless this is too much for you. I don’t want to push you into an idea that you’re not ready for even if it is a bit into the future,”.

“If you asked me the same question 2 years ago, I would’ve thrown a drink in your face and bolted like hell. But you’re asking me now,” you said as you looped your arms around his neck. “Me now is happiest she’s ever been in all aspects of her life, in love love, comfortable, and is pleased with where she is,”.

“So to answer your question, Okay,” you smiled.

“Really?” He said, his heart fluttering.

“Mhm. As long as we get to have a bigggg cake and we get to invite allll our friends and family,” you say as you break free from his grasp and spin around to the music. “And for reference, I like princess cut,”.

“I’ll make you the best damn ring money can make,” he whispered to himself.

“Oh my god,” you gasped as you stopped dancing.

“What?” He asked.

“Can we get a dog? We should get a dog,” you said as you moved back closer to him.

“Only if I get to name it ‘Gary’,” he said, a throaty laugh leaving his lips as his pupils dilated from the alcohol in his system. He was sooo drunk right now and neither of you would probably remember this conversation tomorrow morning.

“Deal,” you chirped. Another gasp left your lips and your eyes lit up.

“Now what?” Joe chuckled as he pulled you closer.

“Can we have kids?” you pouted. “Pretty Pretty Pretty Pleaaaseee,”.

“Uhh, duh. Obviously, we’re going to have kids,” he agreed.

“Yayyyy,” you squealed as you jumped up and down.

“We’re going to have a mini quarterback and a mini musician running around at some point,” he smiled.

“I wonder if they’ll get both sets of talents. Mini QB can be an expert guitarist and vocalist while Mini Musician can kill it in sports just like her daddy,” you beamed.

“We have one hell of a genetic pool,” he joked.

“That we do. Like I said, you’re Troy from High School Musical,” you said as you bit your lip, knowing how he felt about that since he discovered his piano talent.

“Not again,” he said, dropping his head.

“Okay, I’ll stop..for now,” you said as you stumbled back, almost bumping into a chair and falling over, but Joe grabbed your hand and pulled you back forward.

“How did we get so drunk?” he sighed.

“I blame the aliens,” you huffed.

“Oh, so the aliens were the ones who kept making the margs?” he questioned.

“Duhh. It obviously wasn’t me,” you denied as you looked out to the water again, this time seeing your hotel and dock get closer.

“How did we already make it back?” you said as you walked over to the ledge.

“I didn’t even notice when we left,” Joe said, joining you.

“It’s probably a good thing. We’re so far gone right now we need to be on land,” you said as you looked up at him.

“Oh, I can’t wait to get back on land,” he said as he looked back down at you with his intense eyes, his hand slipping around your waist. “Have I told you how stunning you look right now?” he whispered into your ear.

“Have I told you how sexy you look in this baby blue button-up?”. He was wearing a blue button-up shirt with white shorts, the buttons on his shirt all the way open exposing his broad chest.

“We’re a hot couple,” he laughed.

“Very hot,” you say as you lean in to kiss his cheek.

After the Boat reached the dock, you and Joe thanked the captain for taking you around today. You grabbed your stuff and started to walk to the exit of the boat, but again you were so drunk that you were stumbling around and the heels you had on were making it worse. Joe slid his hand around your waist, firmly holding you as he helped you down the boat and onto the dock.

“Thanks for that. I’m one wrong step away from face-planting,” you said as you held onto him.

“Honestly, me too but at least we’d fall together,” he smiled as you both stumbled back to the hotel.

“Oh wait, did you still want to go to that dessert shop you were talking about this morning?” he asked as he stopped.

“Hmmmm,” you thought as you looked at Joe, feeling a flutter inside your belly when you looked at him up and down. He looked so good right now, a literal piece of art.

“We can wait until tomorrow. All I care about right now is getting back inside our room,” you winked.

“Oh really?” he said, squeezing your waist before dropping his hand to your ass.

You were about to say something else before you felt your phone buzz, pulling it out to see a text from your manager.

“Who is it?” Joe asked as you two reached the door to the Hotel.

“Oh, it's my manager. She said..

There are photos of you and Joe online from earlier, reaction looks pretty positive and a lot of people are confused but pleasantly surprised! Glad to see you two having fun :) Enjoy the trip!

“Well I guess everyone knows now,” he said as he opened the door for you.

“Hm, I guess they do,” you said as you tucked your phone away, then pulled Joe toward you by his arm, crashing your lips against his and backing up against the wall.

“Y/N, what if someone sees?” he asked as he pulled away.

“Let them see then,” you smiled against his lips, watching his eyes scan yours for a few seconds before feeling his lips against yours, this time harder than before.

You felt him move down, pressing kisses down your neck to your chest as you threaded your fingers through his hair. “Joe,” you whimpered.

“What?” he looked up at you with heart eyes.

“Room. Now,” you urged as you felt him grab your hand and pull you over to the elevator, luckily nobody was inside so you could get up to your room as fast as possible. You pushed the button for your floor, Joe’s mouth going back to your neck as you tilted your head back to give him more room.

His other hand grabbed your ass, softly squeezing your plush skin through the tight fabric of your dress as he left another purple spot on your neck.

“Joe,” you moaned loudly as he touched your sweet spot, your cheeks turning red at the sound that left your mouth.

You then heard the elevator stop, the doors opening as Joe moved off of you. “Thanks for the preview,” he smiled as he pulled you out of the elevator, once again picking you up bridal style just like last night.

“I could get used to this,” you smiled as he walked over to your door, quickly unlocking it and rushing you to the bedroom without giving it a second thought.

He gently placed you down on the bed, your eyes looking over at the bathroom. “What about the Jacuzzi Tub?”.

“We can save that for tomorrow night. I need you, now,” he said, desperately flinging his shirt off.

“Okay,” you smiled as you sat back up, Joe walking out of the room without saying a word.

“Hm, weird,” you said as you started to slip the straps of your dress down and untie your heels.

A few moments later, he walked back in, a little silver bucket in his hand.

“What’s that,” you said, his eyes looking back up and seeing you in your matching white lace bra and panties, one of his favorites on you.

“Ice,” he said as he placed the bucket on the side table next to the bed, heat rising up your body at the mention of that.

“Cool,” you smiled as you grabbed his bicep, not bothering to ask him about the ice, pulling him onto the bed and on top of you as you fell back against the pillows, your lips on each other again.

Joe reached behind you, unclasping your bra and gently slipping the straps off your shoulder before returning back to kissing your chest. He wrapped his lips around your nipple, swirling his tongue around the sensitive bud causing soft moans to leave your lips. While he was doing so, he reached his arm out to the table, sticking his hand in the ice bucket to grab a cube.

He pulled away and brought the ice cube into your view, your cheeks turning another shade of pink because you knew what he was going to do. He pressed the cube to your collarbone, the icy cold touch making your breath hitch.

“Joe,” you whined, feeling the ice cube travel down to the valley of your breasts, his lips returning to your skin, pressing feather-light kisses as you squirmed under his touch.

The cool wet trail the ice cube was leaving behind was making you even more needy, wanting nothing more than to feel Joe in every way possible, but he was taking his time.

He grabbed another ice cube, this time pressing it against your nipples, “Fuck,” you cried out.

“You good?” he asked, making sure you were okay.

“I’m…great,” you whimpered, the ice sending jolts of pleasure throughout your body,

He then moved the ice cube down your stomach, your hips jerking at the feeling of the sudden coolness, your core feeling slicker as he continued to work his way down your body. The ice makes your skin tingle, and the feeling of coldness intensifies your already heightened thoughts which creates a numbing sensation.

“Mmph,” you moaned as you bit your lip, feeling the ice move down to your core, a cheeky grin on Joe’s face.

You then feel him press the ice cube against your folds through your lace panties, another moan, this time a little louder than before, leaving your lips.

“Joe,” you moaned, immediately covering your mouth with your hand because of how loud that was. The alcohol in your system mixed with the feeling of ice on your bare body was making you feel like you were floating on a cloud of ecstasy.

“No need to be quiet,” he said, popping the remains of the cube into his mouth. “Remember, it’s just us,” he smiled as he grabbed another ice cube, popping this one into his mouth as well.

He leaned down, gazing into your eyes for a few seconds before pressing his cool lips against yours; the taste of alcohol was still evident, mixing with the coolness of the ice.

You put your hands in his hair again as you pulled him in closer, the ice cube slipping in between his lips and entering your mouth.

“Mm,” Joe hummed as he smiled into the kiss, the shared coolness between you feeling like a breath of fresh air. The feeling of the ice between your lips which were pressed against his was unlike anything you’d felt before, and you loved it.

You pulled away from the kiss, both your cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling, ��Joe, I need you,” you rasped.

You didn’t need to say anything else for Joe to get off of you, kick his shorts and boxers off while also sliding your panties off. He settled on top of you, giving you another kiss as he slid his fingers through your drenched folds.

“Damn,” he laughed.

“Joeee, please,” you pleaded as you pulled on the strands of his hair.

He moved his head down to press kisses along your jaw as he guided his cock through your folds, pushing into your core without warning.

“Fuck,” you moaned as you threw your head to the side. Joe set a hungry pace, thrusting into your core with no interest in slowing down, sending you further into the bed each time.

“Oh,” you moaned loudly as he pounded into your slick core, no coherent thoughts in your head at the moment as he was focused on sending your body to its pleasure point.

You moved your hands to his back, scratching his soft skin which would surely leave a few red marks. “Y/N, you feel so good,” he hissed as he cupped his hand behind your knee, lifting your leg and opening you up more.

“Baby,” you screamed as he continued to fuck you senselessly, his cock hitting every single sweet spot with each thrust.

You looked down, watching where you two were connected, the sight of his cock slipping into your wet heat making your eyes roll back to the back of your head, “F-Fuck,” you whined.

He moved his head back down to yours, his sweet lips finding their home against yours as you moaned into him.

After a few more rough thrusts, you felt your pleasure building up inside your body. Joe always did most of the work when it came to sex, not because you didn’t want to, but because he always wanted to make you feel good but now you wanted to let him sit back while you did the same for him. You pulled away from his lips, “Joe, let me ride you,” you whimpered.

“Are you sure?” he panted as he slowed his thrusts.

“Mhm,” you nodded as you took a deep breath, your core gently clenching around his cock.

He pressed a final kiss to your lips before sliding out of you and falling back against the sheets next to you.

You quickly got up and straddled his waist, giving his cock a few pumps before guiding it back inside of you, “Shit,” you moaned as you threw your head back.

Your hands settled on his chest as his hands settled on your hips, guiding you back and forth as you slid down his length.

“Y/N…god,” he moaned as he looked up at you, watching you take control and letting him relax. His hands moving up to cup your breast, giving it a soft squeeze as you let out another moan.

“Joe, I’m so close,” you panted as you picked up the pace, digging your nails into his skin at the same time. Soft moans and praise came from his lips, making you smile and feel more confident each time.

“I’ve got you,” he said as he gripped you tighter and started to thrust up into you.

You felt the tension in your stomach increase, your breaths coming out in short gasps, and your cheeks heating up. “Oh, Joe,” you moaned as you fell forward, your lips crashing against his as you continued to move against him, the sounds of your wetness filling the room.

A few seconds later, you felt your orgasm rip through your body, almost feeling like you were about to black out by how your walls were convulsing around his cock, which was still moving inside of you.

“Mm, I’m close,” Joe moaned.

You used your hand to move his messy hair out of his face before kissing him again, picking up the pace again even though your knees were about to give out. Your walls were still clenching his shaft and you were still trying to come down from your intense high, but you had to make him feel good. You sucked on his bottom lip as you ran your fingers around his neck, a few seconds later feeling him coat your walls with his cum.

“Oh my god,” he moaned, his hands running down your sides as you peppered kisses along his jaw.

“You are a dream,” Joe said as he squeezed your waist, grabbing your hand and pressing kisses all around your palm.

“Fuck, Joe,” you panted as you carefully slid off of him, then fell forward onto his chest as he wrapped his arms around your body, pressing a few kisses on your cheek while you both tried to regain your senses.

“I love you,” you whispered into his ear.

“Je t'aime,” Joe said to you, saying ‘I love you’ but in French.

You pressed another kiss to his face before feeling your eyes flutter shut, your heart exploding from love and happiness.

An hour-ish later

You both took a power nap for a little bit to recover from your activities before hopping in the shower to rinse off. Right now, both of you were in your robes in the kitchen, trying to beat the morning hangover by drinking a glass of lemon water.

“I’m never drinking this much again,” you said as you leaned against the counter. “I don’t feel the hangover yet but I already know it’s going to be bad,”.

“I’m just glad the panel isn’t tomorrow. I’d actually be screwed,” he said as he placed his glass down on the table.

“That would for sure be the biggest headline. ‘Joe Burrow has a massive hangover during a Rare public appearance at a panel in Cannes’,” you mock.

“Bigger headline than our relationship? I peeked at my phone and it’s blowing up with texts from people that don’t know about us and notifications from news articles talking about you and me. People apparently think we just started dating or that we’re just hooking up and it’s not serious,” he laughed. “We should probably make our Instagram post soon,”.

You nodded, “Ohhh, are they in for a treat when I drop this album,” as you turned around to put your empty glass in the sink behind you, Joe doing the same.

You turned back around and were standing in front of him, face to face. Although you were still drunk, you felt a bit more in your senses than you did on the boat and Joe’s mention of wanting to marry you was still lingering in your mind even though you said yes. Was he being serious?

He studied your facial expression, instantly knowing that you were thinking about something that was bothering you.

“What’s wrong?” he asked as he placed his hands on the counter on each side of you.

“Nothing,” you smiled as you met his eyes.

Joe tilted his head and raised an eyebrow, “Joe, seriously. I’m fine,” you deflected.

He continued to look at you with a quizzical look, eventually your front breaking.

“Fine,” you give in, making him smile. “Were you being serious earlier?”.

“Being serious about what?” he asked.

“About wanting to marry me?” you asked him, your voice a little quieter as you felt a little nervous asking him. If he brushed it off, that meant he was drunk and wasn’t being serious. You felt like he was being serious, but that doubt was still in your mind.

He looked deeply into your eyes for a few quiet moments, your stomach churning as you were waiting for him to speak up.

“Of course, I was being serious,” he said. “I told you, it’s you and me. That’s all it is and all that there needs to be. You’re what I’ve been waiting for my entire life and I don’t ever want to let go, I don’t need anything else,”.

You felt your eyes well with tears at his words. He wanted to marry you. One day, he would be your husband. You’d dreamed of meeting your prince charming one day and living your fairytale, and each time you thought you did, you’d end up living a nightmare instead, up until you met Joe.

He was your real life Prince Charming and you were living your Fairytale.

“You’re everything to me,” you said as you cupped his face. “I love you more than you can imagine, Joe. Thank you for changing my life,” you said to him, seeing his eyes become a little glossy because of your words.

"No, Thank you for changing my life," Joe smiled.

He leaned forward, pressing a sweet kiss to your lips which quickly became heated as you stuffed your hands into his hair. Your lips moved against each other in a beautiful rhythm as you felt him cup your ass and lift you up onto the counter, his hands messing with the ties on your Robe as he moved down to your neck.

“Joe,” you moaned as you threw your head back.

You felt him untie your robe, your nude body now exposed to the cool air of the suite. “Round 2?” he asked as he ran his big hands down your hips and to your thighs.

“I’d be mad if we didn’t,” you smiled as you grabbed his robe tie and yanked it so that it came undone, his nude body now on display for you.

You felt him thrust into you, hard and fast, as he peppered kisses on your bare shoulder. “Jesus, Baby,” he moaned into your ear, making you lean further back which gave Joe access to your breasts. His lips attacked them with gentle kisses and nips as he sank deeper into you, sounds of skin-hitting skin filled the room along with the noises coming from your mouths.

“Fuck, Joe,” you whimpered as a smile rose onto your face. There was no place you’d rather be right now. You were truly the happiest you’d ever been, and Joe was the reason for it, and now you had the comfort of knowing he wouldn’t be going anywhere.

—The End—

(instagram post bit below)

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liked by joeyb_9 and others

tagged: joeyb_9

y/n_y/ln: we heard a rumor 👀

comments:

joeyb_9: i heard from a friend of a friend

——— y/n_y/ln: actually i heard it from aunt susan’s coworkers ex girlfriends sisters fiancée

lahjay_10: about damn time

fan_52: IT’S TRUE?

fan821: oh my god the albums going to be about him isn’t it.

——— fan 9822: it’s over for us.

y/bsf: heyyy lovebirds 😍😍

fan453: i’m so happy for her! joe is an amazing guy 🥹

fan662: this makes so much sense.

fan6227: JOE BURROW? WHAT THE FUCK?

fan18811: OH MY GOD OH MY GODDDDDD HOLY SHIT

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liked by y/n_y/ln and others

tagged: y/n/_y/ln

joeyb_9: 🚀

comments:

y/n_y/ln: launched straight into the stratosphere

——— joeyb_9: 👩‍🚀🧑‍🚀

y/n_y/ln: this caption is perfect for you

——— joeyb_9: you’re perfect for me

————— fan4: not them already flirting online 🤭

lahjay_10: yall are too cute

fan98: OH? OHHHH????

fan11: cincys royal couple 👑

fan197: see i knew i wasn’t crazy when i said we saw her around town these past few months

fan272: she’s gonna look great in stripes 🧡

fan8: WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?? AHHWUFUEHF

sam_hubbard_: nice 😎

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#joe burrow #joe burrow x reader #joe burrow fic #joeburrow #joe burrow imagine #nfl imagine

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kyri45 · 2 months ago

Text

✨ISAT Sky: Cotl!AU Q&A ✨

Welcome to the Q&A! A space where I can answer related or similar question about the ISAT Sky: Cotl!AU! If you submitted your ask anonimously, then you’ll have to check the whole post if it’s answered here, if it’s not, worry not! Your asks might have been used for a future comic or just in the queue~

Anonimo ha chiesto: sometimes when im bored i just go to your profile to position your pfp to siffrin's hands so it looks like they're holding you

I feel threatened bc if Siffrin would know what I'm making them pass through with the next comic updates he would crush me insteantly with a fist.

Anonimo ha chiesto: Damn Siffrin is dying and no one will ever remember them. 😔 Oh Loo~ooop!

Loop coming to save the day even tough they aren't paid enough for this shit

Anonimo Siffrin isn't aware of the hole in the wall you can go through for those two statues without having to get pelted by rocks smh my head. (said jokingly) ((Love your comic btw!! Thank you for this AU, I love it))

THE

WHAT?

YOU CAN GO THROUGH A WALL TO GET THEM WITHOUT RUNNING FOR YOUR LIFE?????

Anonimo My reaction to this chapter of ISAT COTL CROSSOVER AU (10/9/2024) GO BBG YOU GOT THIS IN THE BAG!! OH YOU DO NOT GOT THIS IN THE BAG.. oh now you're out of the bag oh god ruh roh

Oh yeah he does NOT have this.

Anonimo pst hey hey are you gonna pose the statues, it would be funny i swear totally not more heartbreaking for siffr- WAIT HOW WOULD THEY REACT TO THE FACT YOU CAN BARELY SAVE ALL OF THE STATUES WHEN YOU REACH THE FOREVER STORM PART-

he has enough memories that he should recover a good amount of statues. It's not a matter of wheter or not he can save everyone, but mostly themself....

Anonimo ha chiesto: Hey so I cannot believe I am so late to see your ISAT and Sky AU because I love!! Both of them!! So much!! And I just wanted to thank you for making it and sharing it with us because it’s really cool! And both fandoms need more attention imo <333 @ucorpwhalingyaoi ha chiesto: I know NOTHING about cotl but my god your isat au of it has made me want to play it so bad 💔 (very /pos…) @primrosechronicles ha chiesto: HEYYYY ITS BEEN A WHILE SINCE IVE SENT AN ASK!! Ive been silently reading the isat comic since my last ask and im very very proud of you for making this far!!! mwahh!!! Thank you for inspiring me to play sky again, cuz if not i wouldn't have able to meet my sky friends Anonimo ha chiesto: first of all, I came here from the shadowpeach au but your comics dragged my ass to the ISAT fandom second of all, HOW DARE YOU PLAYED WITH MY HAPPINESS LIKE THAT (love your art and story telling, I wanna eat it like a fancy dinner) @prince0fghosty ha chiesto: It's been hard for me to find Sky: Children of the Light content anywhere! I found you through a friend and not only are you interested in Sky but also Lego Monkie Kid this is truly the best day ever!!! I got back into the game because of you. I like to help moths out in Eden @phoenix-is-here ha chiesto: You are the person who introduced me to the ISAT fandom and I gotta say thank you for that. That's one of the best games I've ever played and I would have never known about it without stumbling onto your account first (because of a strong hyperfixation on a show about monkeys ofc) so.. Accept this virtual cookie and glass of milk as a gift : 🍪 Anonimo ha chiesto: I followed for the shadowpeach, stayed for Sky CotL, keep cookin

HIII!!! AND TYSM!!!!!

@elianaroselight ha chiesto: This feels a little silly, but what is ISAT? I read through your ISAT Sky AU comic and I feel like I am missing half of the story. I love what I'm seeing so far and want more, but I also don't know or completely understand who the characters are and why I should care about them (more than I do already at least). Sorry if this is silly. I just want to understand.

ISAT is short for "In Stars And Time". It's an RPG game made by @insertdisc5. ABsolutely go check it out otherwise you wont understand a thing about the characters of the AU!

when i was reading the most recent page of the In Skies and Time™️ comic I had the most hilarious image in my head of just a bunch of sky kids smacking down on the same area and making this. sky kid pileup????? [since it seems liek theyre all gonna come back like that..] it was super funny to imagine 30 CAR PILEUP 🔥🔥🔥

AWWW SKY KID MOUNTAIN!! Lol probably it would happen? Like when you do Eden just after reset and when you get reborn there's like 7 other players clipped in you rebirth animation in the aviary /home space

Anonimo ha chiesto: Awwwww Bonnie was so excited 😢

poor Bonnie they will get their comfort moment eventually

@sohrleas ha chiesto: YOU YOU'RE THE REASON WHY I got Sky 'cause I saw your isat sky au and got super curious about the game Your art is beautiful and I love it 💚💚💚

LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOO!!!!

Anonimo ha chiesto: HOPEFUL STEWARD WOOOOO-

IT'S MY BOY!!

@o0mochacoffee0o This isn’t related to you Bio dad AU Like my usuals- I just saw in your abut that you like CotL! Now you share two of my interests!! I’m curious to know your favorite parts of the game, if you have any ships, head canons, etc!! I always love listening to people’s opinions on things I love!

About Scotl? I don't have any specific headcanon, but I do ship Moments Guide and Reassuring Ranges. The only thing that I crave for that game is MORE LORE GODDAMN IT

Anonimo ha chiesto: When I said the fun was dying. I did not expected this. I'M SCREAMING AND PUNCHING THE BED NOOOOOOOOOOOO SIFFF

*sips coffee* welcome to hell (literally)

Anonimo ha chiesto: "is that thing a sadness?!" sweet summer child that thing is a menace of death

It absolutely is

Anonimo ha chiesto: Poor Siffrin’s gotta be absolutely TERRIFIED Big scary beast thing spotted them AND suddenly getting bathed in the color they associate with bad stuff? I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t be quaking in their boots.

He is in desperate need of comfort that wont come in like- a irl month I think

Anonimo ha chiesto: I know you won’t be doing the golden wastelands but… Once the party discovers that the groundwater has the same effect as the forest rain, Isabeau decides to bridal carry Siffrin the whole way. Leaving Siffrin a blushy mess. Also, almost if not everyone is scared shitless of the Dark Dragons/Krill (totally not projecting)

ooooohh that is soooo cute i'm dying!!!!!

Anonimo ha chiesto: THE FAKE ACT 4 LOOKING SMILE . THE ACT 5 EDEN MOMENT. THE PARTY BEING SENT BACK . DIES "oh yeah if I still have energy I can loop back" ← me when I'm lying

@starlight-and-clockwork ha chiesto: bawling and kicking and screaming and pulling my hair out THAT PANEL OF SIFFRIN ASKING HIS FAMILY TO REMEMBER HIM WILL HAUNT ME FOREVER YOU ARE SO TALENTED AND CAUSE ME MUCH PAIN THANK U<3

@aro-aces-world ha chiesto: I just caught up with ISAT sky au Fuck you /affectionate

Thank you! Be ready to be even more destroyed by the following updates!

@cherryblossomventi ha chiesto: I’m gonna go feral, Sif did that because he knows he can kinda come back from this with the shooting star thing Im guessing but the others cant/might not because they aren’t from this land,,, oh buddy why didn’t you tell them stop being cryptic idiot

Sif doesn't really remember that he can be reborn like in Sky. He knows only that, if he can reach the light right at the base of the cataclysm, then maybe he can return as well.

#isat sky cotl au #ask box #kyri45

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death---dealer · 5 months ago

Text

Noa x Human ! Reader Imagines - Part Three.

well its about dang time em geez ive been working with these ideas for a hot minute.

PART ONE. PART TWO. Fandom: ( Kingdom of the ) Planet of the Apes. Pairing: Noa x Human ! Reader. Rating: T. ( Just for safe measure. Some mentions of sensual actions. )

Meeting Dar formally. ●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・

“Would you… Like to join… for a meal?”

Simple enough question and you beamed at the prospect. It wasn’t like you didn't share meals with him. You often found yourself encased in Anaya’s presence when the sun began to dip in the sky, signaling to the Clan that communal dinner was mere minutes away.

The assortment of berries, freshly roasted fish with seeds, and sometimes even apples, green and red, always left Anaya in a good mood, his arm holding onto your shoulders and dragging you along as he urged you to come with him to sit with Soona and Noa instead of sitting in pensive ‘Echo silence’ he had dubbed it. The trio had become a quartet in the blink of an eye, and your usual spot was rested between Soona and Noa, having to take the force of the male Ape next to you when he swatted away Anaya from stealing any of his food.

The next words to fall out of his mouth were that of explanation, “No, no.” You stopped moving your hands against the twine you were using for a necklace and looked over at him with a doe-like expression, like he had just caught you in his grasp on the hunt, “I--- With… Mother?”

The stare Noa was getting from your direction was… Undetectable as far as emotions went. It was like you had gone and turned into the most brittle form of metal, scoured from the depths of the Echo Ruins. A clean slate, but speckled with moss and rust from years upon years of exposure to the elements. He knew how to read you in most instances, but right now, you were giving him nothing to work with as you thought about the posed question he just presented you with. You eyes were widened, he got that. That often meant surprise, shock. Your lips were semi-parted and Noa lingered on the plump and soft-looking nature of them. Your brows were smoothed, no indicative to him of the previously mentioned emotions. It’s like you were frozen before you finally managed to belt.

“You want me to join you and your mom for dinner?”

Nodding in response to your put together question, Noa thanked the highest elders in the sky that you were able to formulate what he was beckoning. How was he, as the Leader of his Clan, proud and endowed with much knowledge ( that he still admittedly had to learn about ), ask an Echo… to join his Mother, who was undoubtedly the most weighty presence in Noa’s life, to share a meal? In fact, he had spent nearly the entire day thinking about and finally just rested and tried to grapple with the idea that asking you instead of throwing you into it would be the better option from his very selective plate of offerings.

It wasn’t like you hadn’t met her - In fact, you and she shared many conversations in passing, one of the more important being when she questioned you as Noa expected she would when he offered you to stay with the Clan. She figured, in all her wisdom and adoration for her only child, that you were not a threat and you were granted the ability and flexibility within the community to do things. She even taught you how to summon Eagle Sun when Noa wasn’t around to make the bid for his bird. But this? To share an actual meal? Something incredibly theological to the Eagle Clan, was a terrifying thought.

Just because she didn't see you as a previous threat did not by proxy mean that she liked your presence. Maybe, she just tolerated it because it’s what Noa chose. You tried to tell yourself that time and time again, almost afraid of the Matriarchy.

“What… if she doesn’t like me?”

You were ultimately left with that question still at the tip of your tongue as Noa had told you that it wasn’t something you needed to stress or worry about. As reassuring as his words were, as soft and gentle as he grasped at your shoulders to tear you away from the inner workings of your anxious mind, you still found yourself lingering on it as you feet trailed you along the dirt path of the village, directly towards the sweeping bonfire that captured your attention.

Smaller fires rested to the side, used for roasting the seeds and the meat caught by either Eagles or the Apes themselves. Trying to focus on something other then the usual gait of Noa, bi-pedal and directing you with his body, you found it difficult when he moved with such ease, like this… Wasn’t an issue. That you eating with his Mother was not a big deal.

Your mind was racing.

What if… she found your eating weird? I mean, it was. You thought to yourself with raised eyebrows and stepped over a small rock that would have otherwise left you on the floor had it not been for Noa and your steps mirroring his to an exact tee. It was weird by association because you were the only Echo around, only one to join them ever for a meal. You tore your food apart before eating with your hands, Apes… did not.

They ripped, almost in a very hypnotic way, with their teeth and it left you feeling almost numb when you had seen Noa do it for the first time seated next to him. He was aggressive, canines digging into the flesh of a fish and tearing without reserve. You felt grossed out at first, turning away but you couldn’t stop yourself from gawking at the nature of which his jaws moved with such power and force.

What if… Oh no, you grumbled inside of your head, what if you needed to commence in small talk? You had no adequate training as far as Chimp etiquette. What did they like to talk about? Well, you supposed you could always resort to the Eagles. After all, her Husband had so diligently spent his life, and her life when they got married, taking care of them. She knew things about them that even Noa didn't know.

Bumping into Noa’s back, you gasped as you came into reality once again. Not even realizing that you had been so in-depth with introspection, you caught a brief look from the Leader of the Clan before he directed his gaze, asking you to silently follow, to his Mother. So elegantly seated on the ground in front of the sweep of the bonfire, the flames flapped the blue threaded shawl over her shoulders. It looked like wool - and it looked incredibly comfortable as she watched you come around her son, who was gesturing with one hand a place for you to sit.

Smiling at her, the nerves fluttered around the back of your head like tiny butterflies as you drew your body down onto the ground, cross-legged and watched with baited interest as Noa sat - not next to you, not next to his Mother, but in front of the two of you so all three of your bodies created a triangle, good for communication with speak and sign.

“Echo,” Noa said to his Mother while advertently signing along to his phrases, “Is called (Name).”

You tried to see the nature of the sign he used for your name, if there was even one. The motion was towards you and then towards his chest, his heart. You blinked at that, transfixed but maybe it was the light playing tricks on your eyes.

He introduced you, the fluttering of insects that you felt crawling in your head only magnified at the sound of your name from Noa. It was rare, but you liked the sound.

“(Name).” Two times? You felt like you were going to fall backwards as you looked over at his Mother with kind eyes. At least, that’s how you hoped they looked. There was no clear way to tell as the blaze of the fire surged against you, giving you a good means to cover the redden nature of your cheeks as she looked right back at you.

It was easy to see where Noa got his intense stare from. And the cartoon-heart shaped nose. And the freckles that lined along her and her son's brow bones. All things passed to Moa, proudly, you hoped as he was impeccable all around. Especially to the eyes.

“This is… my mother,” He shuffled on his feet in a crouched position towards her and then towards you, “Dar.”

It felt like you were being watched with intense scrutiny. Was your back straight enough? Did she care if it was? Were you being too forthcoming by sitting cross legged, like you were familiar with her? It was obvious in the way that Noa moved next to you, his shoulder barely grazing yours for a fleeting moment, that the tense nature of the introduction finally hit him and he had an inkling now as to why you were worried about his Mother liking you. A bowl was suddenly placed in front of you. By Dar. Her movements were svelte, almost undetectable in your flurried anxious haze.

“So glad,” She started and gave you a smile. You felt a weight off your shoulders at that, like you could finally breathe, “That Noa find someone… To hold him to the ground.”

Noa scoffed at that, looking at his Mother with eyes that said ‘what’s that supposed to mean?’

She just looked at him, grasping the back of his head and bringing it forward so they were kissing brows. As quickly as it happened, they broke apart and she clarified, “So much like his Father.” You laughed under your breath as Noa began shifting on his feet again, obviously embarrassed that his Mother was going into this, “Always, head in the clouds. Like Eagle. You,” she gestured towards you with a pointed finger, “Keep him on the ground. For all of us.”

Riding Horseback. ●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・

From the moment that Noa grasped your forearm and hoisted you upwards to sit on the back of his horse, it felt like your heart was sitting very precariously against your lower esophagus. No matter how many times you tried to swallow it down, it lingered and it preserved and only seemed to cause more discomfort when you attempted to breathe but caught it stuck in your throat. By all means, you were more than capable of riding alone. You had done it many a-time using Soona’s horse who had a lesser temperament than Anaya’s. Like owner, like horse, you laughed at that inside of your head, setting your hands down on the saddle behind you that held you back in position, along the thickened twine that was used to hold provisions to the rear of the animal.

You lifted and adjusted yourself for comfort in the straddling position and shuffled forwards a bit so the semi-circle opening from your spread-legs was resting closer to Noa’s tailbone. He shifted in front of you, the broad movements of his shoulders leaving you even more breathless than the journey it took to get you to sit behind him. Grasping your right leg in his large hand that could surely take the entire circumference of your calf in one grasp if he truly wanted, he helped you position it properly before mirroring the action on the other side. Your bones of your legs felt like they were on fire, and he had only grazed them through the fabric of your fading cargo pants.

You were somewhat jealous at how simple it looked for Noa, the way his muscular legs bent around the shaft of his horse and tucked into the sides, the way his fingers held onto the reins so delicately, but with such underlining power. All captivating and done with ease, it left you almost in a trance. You had to shake yourself out of it with the remembrance that he had been riding since he was a child, the idea of him and Anaya absolutely going crazy in their young youth on horseback admittedly a bit comical inside of your head, especially when you thought about the reaction it would have garnered from Soona. Now- just because you were able to ride the horse did not equate to being able to ride them well. Surely you were better on your feet and Noa knew this, even though your feet sometimes faltered and you stumbled. He didn't watch those moments, he knew it would only cause you embarrassment if he gawked at you falling on your face. Noa always found that a bit strange - the premise of embarrassment being such a contention with you but he let it slide, deducing it to that simple notion of ‘Echo Behavior’.

‘Good?’ Noa had signed to you with his one free hand, and turned his head so he could see you from his periphery. His other hand pulled back the reins to get his horse friend into position to take off.

You staggered against him from the movement and drew your arms around his tapered waist, playing with the fur under your fingers as you did so, almost outlining the muscles that you knew were buried underneath with unspoken carnal want that was forbidden to both of you, at least, that’s what you told yourself. That’s what Noa told himself but it just drenched the moments when you were close with tooth-rotting sweetness, like someone had poured honey all over them.

Noa didn't mind at all - in fact the tickling sensation was more than adequate for the Ape and he found himself perked with almost primal pleasure at how you slid right against him, chest to his back. You placed your hands straight to his chest, palms down against it.

His fur hadn’t thickened yet for the winter months that were coming, it was easier here to feel the rip of his tendons under your touch. He swore his heart jumped a bit, curious if you were able to feel that against the pads of your fingers but you were quick to flee, moving away from that position, wildly dangerous on its own and even more so when you were on horseback and Noa was unable to look around at you to deduce your emotions from your face. Instead, you found your hands now cupped around him like a loop and placed them gently by the satchel he had tied around his hips for stability once you started moving. Fluttering your eyes forward towards the lush landscape that sat in front of you. The greens blended into the gold of the sun rising against the horizon. Like Noa’s eyes, they were in a fierce battle of dominance between the coloring, but as the sun continued its rise, you knew that the grassy green would come out on top and all you wanted to do was feel it against your bare back in the most deletable pose, like you were naked before Noa in a grassy meadow. Your destination? You were unsure, Noa was taking you to some place he had sought refuge from when he was on the hunt to find his Clan when they had been taken.

The notions of Raka fluttered in your mind, that Humanity and Apes had once lived side by side, you wanted to know more about that. About what he had found there, the remnants of humanity, so scared and faded. The remnants of a past you didn't want back, how could you think that when you were so placed so perfectly against the Eagle Clan’s leader. Placing your face between his shoulder blades for a moment and drenching yourself with his fur along your cheeks, you drew a deep breath in and shut your eyes. His smell eradicated your senses and left them all numb. The delicious vine smell that clung to the very tips of his fur all the way down to the Earth and how it would feel against your bare toes that rested beneath the upper layers of essence.

You clenched him tighter, crushing your breasts against his back in anticipation. Noa looking down at your hands, small and bare of any fur or scars, so snug against his waist with some flurry of satisfaction. You nodded against his back, turning your head to the side so you could rest against him like a pillow. Noa had told you the journey was long, but worth it, which meant you were going to be positioned against him for hours at a time to make the trek. With one gesture of his hand, Noa urged his horse forward, almost relishing in the small gasp and subdued tightening of your grasp as the two of you set off towards the rising sun.

Watching the Sunset. ●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・

The pure strength of a Chimpanzee became abundantly clear the moment you mounted Noa’s back. He barely faltered at the sensation of your weight against him, the only time he shifted outside of the norm was when he noticed how tightly your legs were drawn shut around his waist, how soft your arms were around his neck, a grazing connection happening when you set forth that motion and he could still feel it against his fur lined cheek.

It wasn’t much of a complaint that cause him to ruffle beneath you, just the fact that you were so near to him. Your very core, given the circumstance of your position, was resting against his mid-back as he helped hike you onto the broader nature of his torso. A shiver tore down your body as you placed your face near to his, like you were inside of his body as a secondary pilot. Your chest crushed against his back, near the sloop of his shoulder blades, your breath encasing his senses as your heart beat accelerated, felt even though the thickness of his fur and your jacket.

The climb upwards itself was always a ride, feeling the shift of Noa’s muscles under your forearms as he swung and captured his body along with yours, catapulting it off rusted beams and grown out trees. It was a skill he possessed very well; to climb without knowing where his next grip point would be. You figured all Apes had that innate instinct, but seeing it so close, seeing the actions of his hands grasping for air and then settling for a grip point, the tendons themselves of his fingers flaring with each hold… You focused on that as you embarked upwards, afraid to look down at how far he was taking you into the heavens. If he was ever nervous to carry you, it never showed on Noa’s face or movements.

As soon as it began though, the Chimp who had given you a ride planted his spread out toes along a sturdy concrete roof. It was secure under him, no falling for either of you. He dipped his body into a crouch, a courtesy to you so you could slide off of him in the most practical, not meant to be pretty, manner. Your shirt rose against his fur, catching all the right spots on your way down that you were both blessed with just a fleeting seconds worth of your bare skin hitting against the very tips of his dark brown fur. You fluttered at that, dangling your feet before pushing your weight off Noa with a small ‘thud’ to the ground below accompanied by a rather yummy ‘uff’ from your mouth that Noa ate up. At first, in your haze to get situated so far off the ground, you thought it was a tree. The green lush of Mother Earth took back what was hers, all the way into the blue sky as toppling sky-scrapers reminded everyone of a time long ago. “What are we doing?” You asked him softly, watching as he hunched onto all fours and was urging to follow him. ‘Up here?’ You asked again in sign, this one a little different in phrasing as your signing was rudimentary at its best. Noa just scoffed at your impatience, signing at you to just wait, and that he was taking you to see was more than worth the wait. So typical of Echo to want to know where they are going before they go, always ruins surprises, he thought to himself with a chuffed laugh in your direction as he crawled himself up a fallen beam that was angled upwards, resting against an embankment of another level of the building you were on.

Graciously, he held a hand out for you to take and helped you with the beam, one of your hands grasping at the side of it so you didn't teeter on your unbalanced legs trying to follow his movements before Noa yanked on the arm he had held securely in his fur lined hand. He grunted as he hoisted you, more aggressive than either of you realized until you came barreling right into him, your chests meeting, his arm instinctually grasping at your waist before you crunched your knees to stop yourself from completely taking both of your bodies down by force of momentum.

That only lasted a second as you looked at him with widened eyes, still smacked together, his mouth forming an ‘O’ shape as he hooted out of laughter at the reaction he got from you.

Scared. Senseless? Never with Noa. Out of your mind for being so far up the ground and one slip of your hand, or even his, was going to end in your impending doom as you fell to the ground below? Oh yeah.

You brushed off him and muttered a small, ‘I could have died’ as your fingers trailed along his own, twirling around the calloused pads and detailing them with your grasp, searching for more leniency, more yearning brooding right at the end of your fingertips. Your words must have struck him as even funnier as his head tilted backwards with a huff and ragged mouth breathing, indicative of amusement. Noa raised his free hand and gave you a rather grasping ‘dramatic’ with his fingers in response to your statement. You tried to give your eyes a rest from the feast that was the Ape in front of you, but the expression across Noa’s face was drawing you in as you chuckled alongside him. Still entracing your hand in his, the only part of the previous actions that made it to survive, you weren’t begging yourself to take away from the embrace as Noa led in front of you, past fallen debris, past overgrown tree leaves that would rival you in size, up, up, up. The only distance between the two of you being that of your bent in arm, extending into his own as he trailed forward bi-pedal now. Less than two feet, you figured, was lingering between you and you could smell his essence wafting off him with each swift move of his shoulders. You soaked it in selfishly, enjoying the bounce of his fur with his movements, how it caught the light from broken shells in the ruins around you as it drifted between appearing black and appearing honey-soaked brown. A giggle bubbled to the surface of your lips as he tugged a bit harder, the excitement of what he was pulling you towards coming to a bittersweet end as you two rounded one more corner. “Noa, you’re going to rip my… arm… off…” You came to a dead stop. Feet unable to move forward, your eyes widened at the scene in front of you. If only you had the proper words to describe to Noa what you were seeing, what the two of you were experiencing. You had the feeling that you were going to chatter about this to him for days on end once he got you back on solid ground. Beyond the valley of where the Eagle Clan had made its refuge decades upon decades ago, spanning so many generations, beyond the flushed nature of the greened landscape that was kissed by grass, shrubs of variety, trees and flowers… Was a vast panorama of blue, splattered against the backdrop of the sun as it began its routine descent in the sky.

The sky itself was holding onto the last remnants of soft pastel azure, speckled deliciously with whitened clouds that reminded you of the white feathers the Eagles would shed once they came to age. Swiftly, right before your eyes, the Heavens dove into the greater beauty of fluffy clouds with tingles of orange and pink clinging to the edges, more vivid in the center of them as the Earth above turned from the regular day into a set. The sky, alight now with purple near the horizon, flirting against the brisk of the blue you could see, pink enthralled the capsulated lid above the sun itself. Your lips parted. Noa, as much as he wanted to see what you were seeing, was unable to tear his hazel gaze from you. He had found this place by accident on a personal search for what Raka’s words meant, a journey of self-reflection he took once the Clan was back to some normalcy after what happened. You swallowed gently, trying to find words but there were none to describe this. Feeling a prickling at the corner of your eyes, you moved away from Noa. One step at a time was taken, Noa watching with haze as you shifted away from him as if you wanted to become one with the sun itself.

He held his arm out for you in case you slid your feet against something slick, in case you came too close to the edge and he needed to pull you back in but you stopped, inches away from the ledge. A few pebbles of concrete bursted from the weight, trickling downwards in a spiral. The blue you were seeing… right along the curve of the Earth... It was the ocean, it had to be. There was no way… That it wasn’t. The laps you were seeing, crisped with a white top as they hit into each other, were waves. You could swear that the smell of sea-salt hit your nostrils, but that could have just been wishful thinking.

A gasp escaped your lips when a tear slid down your cheek. Noa rounded you, coming to stand beside you on your right side. He was sure you had seen his movements, but just in case, to make himself known to you as you admired the beauty set before you by his truly, the side of his hand delicately placed itself against the smoother nature of the side of yours. “Noa, I---” You were grappling for something to say, instead you just gawked in amazement. Another shift occurred, the sun dripping itself away along the ripple of the blue. The sky was lit up now with more of a purple hazed tone with underwashing of midnight navy and some delectations of pink if you were really focusing. “You,” He was looking at the side of your face with devotion, eyes flickering from the softening of your eyebrows, to the curl of your lips as you backed into a smile of sorts, trying to ignore the tears that exploded on your tongue as a result, “You like… Where Noa brought you?”

“I’ve… I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.” You tried to get that pushed out of your mouth before you were put under the hypnotic state of the sunset again.

“You… are…” Noa whispered more to himself as you gave him a locking of the eyes for a moment with a tearful grin to thank him for bringing you here before you looked back forward to savor everything that your eyes had been blessed with.

Everything else to you faded away, your hand having realized that he was so near, went to grasp his fingers into your own to relish the moment. Inappropriate? Maybe. Did you care? Not anymore. You wanted to share this with him, and only him. Noa’s eyes dropped from the stare he had on the side of your face, down to your hand, snuggled into his own as he muttered so gently, you could have sworn it was murmured into the shell of your ear in a second of sparred intimacy. “So… beautiful.”

#noa #noa x reader #noa pota #noa x human reader #pota #planet of the apes #kotpota #kingdom of the planet of the apes #owen teague #emmy writes #fanfiction #fanfic #planet of the apes x reader

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deepestnightcolor · 5 months ago

Note

https://www.tumblr.com/forrest-onfire/749854472357953536/so-ive-got-the-date-night-redux-mod-for-sdv-and

saw this and thought of you immediately!! it sounds so cute

ᴀ/ɴ: First of all, thank you SO MUCH for thinking of me! I tried my best with this one, and I hope you will enjoy it! I think I got a little carried away, hehe... Thank you for your time and thoughts, love!

ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢ: Sam (SDV) x Fem!Reader

ᴡᴄ: 4182 words.

ᴍᴅɴɪ ✧ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ: sloppy sex, unprotected sex, teasing, despair, semi public sex, Sam still has a dick piercing (fight me), drool, biting, mentions of oral (male receiving)

☾ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ ɴɪɢʜᴛꜱ ☽

Being a farmer was in direct relation to being incredibly busy. Getting up early every morning; caring for all the hungry mouths that needed to be fed, tending to crops that either required watering or harvesting. Sure, your husband, Sam, was often of great help, getting up even before you to give you a hand, but that didn’t mean you could just relax for the rest of the day. A livelihood needed to be made, after all. Sadly, being a farmer also meant that you hardly ever had time to come up with ideas for dates. You tried really hard to compensate for that with thoughtful gifts or tasty dinners for your husband, yet still, sometimes you wished it was different.

That was also why your heart had leaped in your throat when Sam stopped you as you were just about to leave the house. Green-blue eyes sparkling at you with the excitement they always held when he came up with a new project or idea as he asked you on a date to camp out in the woods. “I will get everything ready; you and your cute ass just have to show up,” he had smiled. And how could you have said no to that? There was no way in hell you could have done that either way, but now he underlined his words with that cute little pout he used when he tried to convince you of something (often of something stupid, you had to admit). Instead, you had wrapped Sam in a tight hug and kissed his cheek, then his lips as you said yes, leaving the man on the porch with a bounce in your step.

And really, Sam was so proud of himself for coming up with the idea. It was going to be perfect, he found. So right after you had vanished in the barn to begin with your daily routine, he shouldered the heavy backpack that contained everything he would need to make his way to Cindersap forest.

He chose the spot close to the river, making sure to be far enough from both Leah’s and Marnie’s homes – after all, he wanted you all to himself tonight. He dropped the rucksack to the earthy ground, excitement rushing in his veins when he pulled out the bag that contained the tent. The user manual was the first thing that smiled at him when he opened the sack, but why would he, Sam, need a user manual? It was just a tent, after all. Pitching it would be self-explanatory, right? And besides, how hard could it be? Those wilderness explorer kids he sometimes saw on TV could do it, so…

It turned out that it was way fucking harder than it looked and those wilderness kids were probably a scam. At least that was what Sam’s bruised ego would have liked to believe, given the fact that he had dropped the metal bars on his toes more than once already and that he had even gotten himself caught in the canvas that was supposed to offer the two of you shelter tonight. Sam was huffing and puffing as he finally managed to untangle himself from the fabric, sweat glistening on his forehead. Where the fuck was the user manual when he needed it? He lifted the canvas again, only to be met with the pile of metal laughing at him. Why did a tent even need this many bars? It was a tent, not a mansion, for fuck’s sake! What had he been looking for again? Right, the manual. He lifted the backpack off the ground, letting out a relieved huff as he saw the booklet resting right beneath it. He was just about to reach out for it, yet a gust of wind proved itself to be faster. The booklet was picked up by the invisible force and dropped in the cool of the river. As if to add insult to injury, Sam was able to watch it drift along the stream, slowly vanishing out of his field of vision. Exhausted, he allowed himself to drop on his butt, hollering as the hard metal bars met his tailbone. What the fuck was this tent’s problem? He got up again to give it a good kick, just to regret it when his toes actually hit the hard material – even he had to admit that he could have guessed that outcome.

A glance at his phone revealed that it was nearing ten AM, and the tent didn’t even have the decency to be halfway pitched. The blond decided that harder measures were needed. Pulling out his phone again, he searched for the only solution he could think of: “Dad? Can you teach me to pitch a tent?”

Sam’s father had appeared surprisingly fast, and after getting the first few questions out of the way -very good questions, admittedly, like why he was trying to pitch a tent at ten in the morning, and where the manual was –, the tent found its master. Kent was quick in setting it up; it didn’t even take him half an hour. Sam was watching in disbelief as his father worked because he made it look as easy as it seemed on TV. “We will practise that again,” Kent offered, smacking his son on the back affectionately. “So you don’t need to call me out here again.” A grin was plastered on the otherwise stern face. “Treat her well tonight.” Sam was left blushing in the Cindersap forest as Kent made his way back home, the blond staring at tonight’s shelter. “Why the hell wouldn’t you act that way for me?”

After staring some more daggers at his newfound mortal enemy, your husband decided there was no more use in crying over spilled milk. You would arrive in about six hours, and Sam wanted this to be perfect. He carefully put up the fairy lights he had brought before he began working on the fireplace for tonight. He had brought a pot and some veggies, hoping he would be able to make a good stew for later. The rest of his plan was executed more smoothly, especially since he didn’t have to make a fire from scratch but instead had the support of his lighter.

“Sam, wow,” a voice, so soft, so full, completely in awe came from behind him. He quickly dropped the ladle he had used to stir the stew, turning around to see the love of his life. His heart swelled in his chest, seeing you like this. You had put on a dress and Yoba did you look pretty. You always did, of course. But every now and then he had moments where the realization of just how pretty you were sunk in for him; hitting him like a ton of bricks at full speed. Sometimes it overwhelmed him, to know that you, you of all people were married to him; it made him want to kick his legs, jump around, holler out the excitement that squeezed his heart in a grip full of love. He pulled you in his chest and kissed your head, allowing himself to take in this moment and quietly thank you for showing up. You felt so right in his arms, and Yoba, he would have done anything for you, just to see the look of happiness on your face. Just so you could catch a glimpse of how much he loved you.

“Come on, I made dinner,” he smiled, leading you to the fireplace. He pulled out two bowls from his rucksack – for once it seemed that Sam hadn’t forgotten anything – filling it with the hot stew that he had been preparing ever since he had been done with setting up. The two of you cuddled up near the fire as you took the first sip, a small moan leaving your lips at the taste. If Sam knew how to do something, he always managed to rock it. This stew was a recipe both he and you knew inside out, and yet it always amazed you how delicious it turned out when he cooked it. Sam was so full of pride and love that he felt himself ready to burst. When your head rested on his shoulder, he knew he had done everything right; and fuck, how he wanted to please you. Dinner was mostly silent aside from the sound of you humming happily as you did that little bobbing motion you always did when you were happy about food. It was those little things that had made Sam fall for you hard and that had him in an iron grip even after a year of marriage.

The bowls were long empty as the sun had finally settled in its bed behind the hills, but your head was still comfortably resting on Sam’s shoulder. The blond had his arm wrapped around you tightly, fingers brushing through your hair. He was mindlessly picking up pebbles off the ground as he held you, flicking them into the river. Some bounced across the surface, which always managed to get you to coo out in awe. “You know, I never figured out how to skip rocks,” you murmured into the silence of the night. Sam gasped at your confession, eyes immediately snapping down to you. “You didn’t?” “Nope. I tried once or twice, but my rocks always sank right away.” “That will definitely change tonight.” There was no time to protest because Sam had pulled you to your feet faster than you could have reacted. Just mere seconds later you were standing near the river, pressed up against your husband’s chest with a flat rock in your hand. Sam pulled your hand back gently, just to guide it forward, sending the rock bouncing over the water. “Oh wow, what the-“ you laughed, tipping your head back so you could look up at him. How was someone being so undeniably cute fair? “Now you try,” Sam urged, but what he didn’t expect was the feeling of your ass grinding into his dick as you suddenly bent down, picking up a rock that seemed flat enough to be skippable. “Like this?” You asked, pulling your hand back and then twisting it forward, just like he had shown you. The rock had the mercy to bounce twice before sinking with an audible plop.

“I did it!” You called out, jumping up and down on your heels. Sam wanted to be excited for you, seriously, he tried! But the pressing and grinding of your ass against his crotch was… a distraction. One that made his cock stir against the fabric of his jeans. “You did it!” He strained, only barely able to hold back the moan at the tip of his tongue as you bent down again. This time your ass was flush against him, having his head roll back. Sam had always been down bad for you, and Yoba did you feel good. He knew you probably had figured out by now that he was hard and that this was part of a little game, but did he care? No.

His hands wrapped around your waist, and it took him nothing but mere seconds to pull him flush into his chest again. With a strong grip on your hipbones, he thrusted forward, allowing himself to inflict friction on you this time around. His voice was husky as it met your ear, and you could feel the smile that was plastered on his lips as you shuddered against him. “I know rock skipping is fun once you’ve got it figured out, but I have got something that could be much more fun.” “Oh, do you now?” It was a weak attempt at biting back, yet there was no way to blame you. Sam’s erection was now grinding between your legs, and you could already feel that delicious cock entering you, drooling all over your squishy walls. You could feel the metal of his piercing bump against you while he fucked into you, praising how good you took him. You could already hear his shaky little whines that always escaped him when he mindlessly and sloppily bucked his hips into you, always like a bitch in heat. It was undeniable that you could feel yourself growing wet, your clit throbbing under that arousal that ran down your spine. You hadn’t thought your teasing would bear fruit so quickly, yet your mouth was able to do much better things, you believed. Like shamelessly bellowing out that shaky moan as Sam rubbed against you much faster, with much more vigour as his hands held you to him with an iron grip. Sam’s thoughts were definitely going in the same direction, his head tipped back, your question long forgotten. He wasn’t even ashamed that he was rutting against you out in the open, illuminated by the innocence of the fairy lights he had put up just hours before. Your moans simply were so delicious, so precious. He could have fed on them for hours, starving as he was. Usually, Sam would have taken you right then and there, not minding if your screams awoke the whole valley. Though tonight, he didn’t feel like sharing.

Sam’s body moved backward to the tent, one of his hands always staying on your hip bone, as the other simply began to tug and rip at your clothes. He simply didn’t have time to be careful with how incredibly hard he was for you, his heart thundering with both arousal and love for you. “Sam!” You gasped out as you heard the seams of your shirt rip, but a muffled “sorry” had to suffice. After all his lips were busy kissing all over your neck as he dragged you to the tent, a set of sharp fangs sinking into your freshly exposed shoulder while his other hand worked on undoing your pants. The urgency within his movements finally made you snap into motion, the fingers that had been curling in the fabric of Sam’s blue jacket now finally working on discarding the bothering piece of clothing.

When the two of you finally stumbled into the tent both of you were breathless, and you were already half naked. Sam clumsily zipped the tent shut, before slowly turning around to you. You had already dropped to your knees on the ground, looking up at your husband with those big doe eyes of yours that he had fallen in love with. He let out a shaky breath, roughened-up palm reaching out to pin back a loose strand of hair. He had to close his eyes for a second when you leaned your head into him; the feeling of love that rushed through him was almost unbearable. “Sam,” you suddenly cooed, your own palms reaching for the tent – that one he had been able to pitch easily – in his pants, “I...I am so wet. Please, please hurry.” It was a mere murmur, but one that sent his stomach into tight twists. He knew his cock was leaking in his boxers, the wettened fabric clung to the shaft in a way that had him embarrassed. Sam licked his lips as he unbuckled his belt, half-opening his eyes to see the look of anticipation on your face. And really, your eyes were glued to his crotch as you rocked your own against your legs. He really was the luckiest man on earth, wasn’t he? Being gifted with a literal angel. He allowed his pants to pool around his ankles, his boxers soon following suit. Sam almost stumbled as he tried to approach you, but your hands on his hips guided him into a steady position. The sweet smile you gave him made his pierced tip leak more globs of pre-cum – at least he hoped it was only pre-cum. He had to hold himself together, to feel your sweet, wet cunt clench around him, hug his dick like a glove. Which, again, was harder than he had deemed it to be, especially now that your tongue darted out and pressed flat against his tip, just to turn to kitten-licks in an attempt to clean him up. His breath was already shaky in his throat, and he was surprised he was able to inhale air with how tight his whole body felt already. “Fuck, babe, no- I- I asked you on a date,” he tried, lowering himself to his knees. He was surprised you didn’t whine as he took in a criss-crossed sitting position, though he soon found out it was only because you busied yourself with getting on his lap. You had pulled off your panties by now, the fabric hanging loosely between your teeth.

“Did I ever tell you how lucky I am to have you?” Sam breathed, leaning forward to grip the string of lace between his own teeth, just to drop them on his lap in favour of kissing you. The kiss was hard and sloppy, teeth clattering against teeth as your tongues licked at one another’s. The moan you two shared made Sam shiver, his cock so painfully hard this felt like the most pleasurable torture on earth. His hands reached for your pretty tits, only to find them still held up by your bra. Your husband grunted into the kiss; a sound of dismay while his hand reached around your back. You could feel his fingers work against his skin, and just seconds later your breasts bounced free. After all, if Sam had acquired a skill, he was good at it. “Pretty, pretty wife,” he whispered against your lips, tugging on the lower one gently. “Fuck, I love you so much, baby. So, so much,” he murmured. You giggled into the silence of the night, but the sound quickly shifted into one of a moan as the blond’s lips wrapped around a perky nipple. You needed Sam; you needed him so, so badly. Your mind had been whirring for him all day, and now you could feel him; smell him, touch him. Usually, it was Sam’s patience running thin, but this time it was yours. You lifted your hips while your fingers wrapped around the base of the man’s heated up shaft, guiding the leaking tip to your drooling hole. It was like you froze Sam in place, his lips still wrapped around your nipple, but his tongue did no longer swirl around it. He was too busy moaning your name, the high-pitch in his voice only turning you on more. Fuck, he really tried to give you the reins tonight, but you were so wet already and your pretty sweet pussy was clenching around him already, as if it attempted to pull him in. He would have been an absolute monster if he didn’t oblige! He needed to, or he would go up the wall. “Saaam!” the whine was long and drawn out as he bucked upwards, his thribbin g dick gliding along your walls. And he had to swallow down the dryness ruling in his throat caused by that glorious sound, Adam’s apple bobbing up and down at the strained motion of his throat. He loved you. Shit, he loved you so, so much- and he simply couldn’t resist. His hips moved upwards, the stretch his length caused only making his eyes roll back. You always felt so perfect around him, and it never did not feel like a betrayal when he had to pull out of you. He could have stayed forever like this, buried to the hilt inside of your beautiful cunt. Yet your hips shifted upwards, and he could slowly feel the tightness wrapping around him so snugly vanishing. This time it was Sam who whined until he felt you slide down on him again. He had to keep himself from fucking into you whenever you lifted your hips, so his arms wrapped around your hips tightly. “That’s my girl,” he cooed, his head thrown back, just for him to crane it forward in an attempt to catch your bouncing breast. “Takin’ me so well again, aren’t you?” His words were already slurred; feeling you around him like this just always had him so incredibly pussy-whipped. He could hear the wetness of your pussy squelching around him in protest whenever you moved upwards, and your moans just mixed so beautifully with that sound. Sam knew he was big; he knew it was always a stretch for you and that it never was easy to take him, but you just fucking did. Fucking yourself on him the way you liked, looking like an absolute goddess as you were bouncing on his lap.

The greenish blue of his eyes was filled with admiration, neigh worship spreading out in the sea of them. And the way you looked down at him – eyes holding the same love for him he felt for you, freckles of lust having them glazed over. He could have cum from nothing but looking at you, yet your pretty pussy felt so incredibly good around him, too. He barely was able to breathe as the cocktail of emotion swirled around in his blood, a trail of drool leaving at least a trace of all these feelings on your chest. “That’s my girl, my good, good girl. Think you can- ah- think you can handle me a little faster?” The beg that was underlying in his words was obvious; Sam simply wasn’t ashamed to beg. His arms were still pressing you to his body as you rocked back and forth, your jaw slack when you felt his pierced tip bump into your sweet spot. And it felt so incredibly good around him, feeling you leak all over him, moaning out his name in a sense of pride, with so much need accompanying these pathetic little sounds. The more high-pitched they grew, the closer you were. Sam knew it- and he just couldn’t hold back anymore. His hips snapped upwards while you rocked yours, tearing that cry from you that never failed to make his world go black. He himself was teetering incredibly close to the edge; each clench around his shaft, each begging whine of his name, each brush of your hands along his neck, soon to be followed by your lips leaving reddening spots behind; it all pushed him closer. His thumb found your clit to rub sweet little circles on, his lower lip now bitten in an attempt to keep himself from filling you to the brim. Not yet, he told himself; he had that carnal need to make you cum first. “Sam! Babe! Oh, fuck! I am going to- I need to-“ A sob escaped you before you could silence it by biting down on his shoulder, yet the whimper that left your husband only made the twists in your tongue tighten. The blond wasn’t able to produce words anymore, only your name left his wettened lips. A trace of drool ran down his chin, tongue lolling out as he licked down along your cleavage, thumb unwilling to come to a halt on the throbbing bundle of nerves. The whisper of your name, so full of…everything, simply was too much for you. The knot in your stomach snapped, making you shoot upwards and press into Sam, your thighs shaking as they wrapped around his tender hips. You were sobbing quietly while your orgasm rocked through your body like a storm tormenting the sea. You were barely even able to feel how tight you clenched around your husband, who struggled to aim his sloppy thrusts upwards. “Saham!” You cried when his tip bullied further into you, earning a groan in response. “Fuck- shit, so tight,” he yapped, only managing one last buck upwards before he himself came undone.

Only your name left his lips in tiny whimpers as ropes of cum painted your walls, his eyes halfway closed as he tried to overcome the wave of pleasure that seemed to take a never-ending hold on him. His hips were still giving tiny thrusts upwards, unable to hold still under the pressure of his orgasm. You were still sobbing against his neck as his hips finally halted, sloppy thrusts having milked everything out of him he had. And you were full – so fucking full of your husband’s cum that mixed with yours.

Your head tiredly dropped against Sam’s chest, shaky breath nothing but an effort to ground yourself. Sam wasn’t in much better shape; his body still quivered from the orgasm that had just wrecked through him. Still, that didn’t keep him from beginning to run his fingers through your hair, tiny little “I love you”s were sent your way as soon as he had been able to find the words. Sam kissed your head, giving himself permission to slowly drop back onto the sleeping bag that he had brought, his arms locked around you still.

The two of you lay there for a while, allowing the sounds of the night to wrap around you like a warm blanket, basking in the afterglow of your orgasms.

“Take me on dates more often?” “Fuck yes.”

#sdv #stardew valley #stardew valley fanfic #stardew valley farmer #sdv fanfic #sdv sam #fanfic #sdv sam x reader #stardew valley smut #smut #sdv sam x reader smut #sdv sam x farmer smut #sdv farmer

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hughesluver43 · 2 months ago

Text

“𝐈𝐦 𝐬𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮“ (Quinn Hughes)

Warnings: oral sex (m receiving)

Summary: Quinn and the Canucks clinch a playoff off spot, and reader thinks he deserves a reward.

Word count: 817

————————————————————

I waited for Quinn outside of the arena by his car. The Canucks just won their last ‘game’ of the season, the next game they would play would be for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

I was looking down at my phone when I heard him call my name.

“Y/n” I heard him all out behind me

I immediately turned around and through my arms around him. This was his first time clinching the playoffs as captain. I was so happy and excited for him.

“Im so proud of you.” I say into his jacket, my head tucked into his neck.

“Thank you baby.” He says. I can hear the excitement in his voice.

I pulled back from our hug and both of my hands are on his cheeks, cupping his face.

I pull him to a long awaited kiss.

After a few seconds I pull back and rest my head against his. As we relish in the moment I can’t help but have a huge smile on my face, and so does Quinn.

After we pull apart we get in his car and head back to his apartment, the place Ive been staying at for most of the week.

Once we get back to his apartment we lay on the couch with a movie on in the background, cuddling in each others embrace.

“I love you, and I hope you know how proud I am of you.” I say looking up at him and into his eyes.

“Thank you, I appreciate you and I couldn’t have done it without your support.I hope you know that.” He responds, kissing my forehead.

I smile into his neck and move one of my legs to go on the other side of him, straddling him. As my head is in his neck I start kissing him under his ear, kissing his sweet spot. Both of his hands move to my waist and he pulls me closer so our bodies are flushed against each other.

I start kissing lower down his neck before I say

“I think you, captain, deserve a reward for how great you played tonight.” I whisper in his ear.

“Oh do you?” He says in my ear.

“Mhm” I mumble as I slowly slide down to sit between his legs. I play with the band of his sweatpants as he leans down and kisses me hard, and full of passion.

I rub his hard on through his sweatpants and I hear him groan. I tug at the band if his sweatpants, hinting at him to take them off.

He lifts his hips up so I can slide his pants and boxers down to his knees.

His rock hard cock springs free from it’s restraint inside his boxers. I smile up at him from my spot between his legs and grab his cock with one hand while the other rubs up and down his thighs.

I jerk him off with my hand and gently run my tongue along the slit of his tip. Quinn throughs his head back and groans. His hand comes down to pull all my hair into a make shift ponytail with his hand.

I wrap my whole mouth around his cock as he pulls my hair back. Once he does he throws his head back against the hard backing of the couch.

I feel Quinn push my head all the way down, till my nose is nuzzled against his pelvis. I gag a little then Quinn pulls my head back up and I take back over, running the bottom of my tongue down his cock, while make a vacuum with my mouth, sucking him.

“Fuck” I hear Quinn mumble

“Don't stop baby, i’m almost there.” He adds

I suck him harder, if I even can.

I bring my head all the way down so i’m gagging around him and I feel his muscles twitch under my arm that’s resting on his thigh. He’s close.

I keep my head down as far as I can but I guess Quinn doesn’t think it’s far enough down because he pushes my head down more, my nose is smushed all the way down into his pelvis as I feel him come down my throat.

Once he takes his hand off my head I come up and he cups my face and pulls me in for a kiss.

He pulls his pants and boxers up and pulls me onto his lap and wraps his arms around my waist.

“I love you.” I hear Quinn say into my neck, where his face is nuzzled.

“I love you too.” I say into his neck when my face is rested against.

We stay like that for the rest of the night, cuddling each other, with a movie playing in the background. We don't even move to the bed to sleep, we just stayed on the couch resting in each others arms.

————————————————————

With lots of love -Jazzy 🎀🧸

#quinn hughes #quinn hughes x reader

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wolftoken · 4 months ago

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bunny • vessel x reader x iv

a/n: i slept like 4 hours last night, im sick, but at least i have smut. i also made bread. i don’t think i’ve written a threesome fic before so im sorry if this is awful lol

word count: 1667 • tags: gender neutral reader, reader has the petname ‘bunny,’ threesome, unprotected sex, oral sex, creampie, face fucking, deepthroating, praise, rough sex, edging, dom vessel, sub reader, sub iv

• masterlist •

you felt pretty exposed like this, fully naked on all fours with your resting on Vessel’s lap, who sat in a plush chair in front of you.

“you look so perfect for us, bunny,” Vessel’s soft voice interrupted your thoughts and you felt his hand come down to cup your cheek. he was always so soft with you, physically and with his words. he stroked your cheekbones with his thumb and grinned down at you excitedly, momentarily forgetting the other figure in the room.

you felt IV come up behind you, his hands coming to rest on your hips. he was fully naked and fully hard, his dick poking up against your tummy which made you both shiver in anticipation. the two men looked at each other, and you wondered what they were thinking. Vessel felt you press your face on his thigh impatiently and brought his gaze back down to you, taking a deep breath before he gently sat you upwards.

lifting his hips up off his chair, Vessel slid his boxers off to reveal his hard and aching cock that had already started dripping for you both. he was so excited to do this with the two of you, but neither of you could match IV’s eagerness to get started. he loved to be in charge of your pleasure while also taking orders from Vessel.

“go ahead, pretty boy. fuck our little bunny,” Vessel barked at IV while stroking his hand slowly over his leaking cock. your mouth watered at the sight and you so desperately wanted to slide your tongue over his tip but every thought seemed to vacate your mind as soon as you felt IV’s dick slowly sinking into you.

he was thick, and it burned slightly before the pain turned into overwhelming pleasure. of course they’d prepped you before hand but it was always a struggle to take the guitarist’s cock for the first few moments. shuddering at the feeling of you so tight and warm around him, his breaths quickened slightly as he awaited Vessel’s permission to begin fucking you. you couldn’t see, but he was staring up at the man with those pleading eyes that Vessel loved to see.

redirecting your attention to his own cock, Vessel took your chin in his hand and pressed his thumb into your mouth. wordlessly, you sucked on the digit, eagerly awaiting for it to be replaced with something bigger. the singer groaned at the sight of you, stretched out on his friend’s dick and sucking on his fingers.

“you have no idea how perfect you are, pretty thing. now open wide for me, yeah, that’s good-“ Vessel had to pause when your tongue rolled out to taste his dripping tip, trying to focus on keeping steady so you could take him into your mouth. you heard IV whine behind you, surely straining to keep himself back, too. to have both men like this, naked and staring at you like you’re the only thing in the world, it excited you beyond belief. you wanted to make them feel good, you wanted to make them proud, so you took as much of Vessel into your mouth as possible and pushed back on IV’s aching cock at the same time.

a symphony of moans filled the room as the three of you began to get lost in each other. you whimpered around Vessel which caused him to grab a hold of your hair for leverage so he could thrust up into your mouth. he didn’t go to far or fast just yet, preferring to enjoy what you were giving him in the moment. however, IV was quick to tighten his hold on your hips with an almost bruising force and shove his cock as deep inside of you as he can get it.

IV is the kind of guy to fuck you however you want, slow or fast, rough or soft, as long as he gets to be deep inside you. he swears the feeling of being buried to the hilt is the closest he’ll ever get to heaven.

he’s he swearing under his breath and so entranced at the feeling of you he almost forgets what Vessel had told him earlier. that is, until, Vessel takes it upon himself to remind his guitarist of their agreement.

“IV, you remember what i told you, fuck- what i told you before this? huh?”

the man only looked into Vessel’s eyes with desperate hunger, keeping up his erratic pace.

“you only get to cum after i do. you’re gonna keep fucking our pretty bunny just how they like it but you’re gonna keep control of yourself. can you do that or do i have to make you?” Vessel asks, an edge of ferocity in his tone but you both know it’s only because IV likes it that way.

“fuck, Vessel, i can- ahh, i can do it. please let me do it!” he begs, beginning to slow down his thrusts as he calms himself down.

“good boy. now bunny,” Vessel paused to take your jaw in one hand and your hair in the other, “think you can take all of me? wanna feel me fill up your throat?”

you can only nod with pleading eyes as he smiles softly at you, taking his dick in his hand and guiding the tip to your lips. you think he’s going to go straight into fucking your face but he drags the leaking tip across your lips, watching his hooded eyes as his precum glistens on them like lipgloss.

“so pretty, yeah? let me ruin you.”

you don’t have much warning before he’s shoved past your lips and down your throat. it’s nothing you haven’t taken before but it’s a feeling you’re still getting used to. you do your best to lick along him but he lets you know it’s easier for you to just relax and take it like a good little toy.

feeling IV’s hands smooth up your spine, you squeeze around him just to hear the breathy groan he lets out for you. you know he loves this, having Vessel tell him what to do while he fucks your face relentlessly.

“you’re making us feel so fucking good, baby. shit, i cant take this much longer,” IV whines, and you appreciate he’s taking the time to sing your praises in his current state of desperation. you can feel Vessel getting closer, the way his thighs tremble under your hands and his ragged breathing let you know it wont be long until he’s painting your throat with his cum.

you let out a high pitched moan that reverberates into Vessel’s cock, making him let out something akin to a growl as he holds your face flush against his pelvis, burying himself as deep as he can go. you feel his cum fill your throat as he twitches inside you. both your chests are heaving when he pulls out, smiling fondly at your tear stricken face and beautiful shining eyes looking up at him when you swallow. taking your face in his hands he leans down to press lazy kisses to the top of your head.

“you’re so perfect, our little bunny taking us so well. you think IV’s just about ready to burst, hmm?” he teases, directing his heady gaze to the man gripping your hips intensely. he’s still awaiting permission, but also waiting for you to recover from Vessel’s ministration. resting your head on one of Vessel’s soft thighs, you push back on IV and clench around him again. the singer only chucked darkly and nods at IV, bringing a hand to rest on your head to brush stray strands of hair out of your eyes.

more desperate than you’ve ever felt him, the guitarist picks up his pace to fuck you as hard as he’s been wanting to all night. all day, really. you’re all he could think about and now he finally gets to have you the way he wants he’s not wasting any time. he’s still sweet to you, though, stroking his strong hands up and down your back and praising you between sharp breaths and whined expletives. you look back up to Vessel, who’s already got his eyes on you. grinning wickedly, he looks back up to IV to give him one last order.

“hey pretty boy, why don’t you play with our bunny, hmm? make them cum nice and hard around you. you’d like that, sweetheart, right?” Vessel asks both of you but IV doesn’t need to be persuaded. his hands practically flies down to stroke at you, focusing on getting you to feel as good as he does. spurred on by your pretty noises, his perfect fingers find a rhythm that has you seeing stars and twitching wildly against your lovers. you whine in sync with him, your thighs tensing up as he gets you closer to your peak and you don’t even have to capacity to warn him before the dam breaks and you squeeze his cock and paint his fingers with your cum. leaning over you now, he has an arm around your waist and he’s going thank you thank you thank you but if it’s to you or to Vessel you have no idea. with a loud groan he slams his hips into yours and cums deep inside you, his pelvis stuttering and legs shaking as he fucks his cum into you until you’re both whimpering from the over-sensitivity.

Vessel slides down from his chair to join the two of you on the floor, leaning your body against his while IV hugs your waist.

“my perfect little bunnies, you’ve worn each other out. lets get cleaned up and head to bed,” he says, pressing kisses to both your heads as his soft hands run over your back and IV’s hair. neither of you make any attempt to move and Vessel can only smile affectionately at the sight of you both.

he could probably carry both of you, right?

#sleep token x reader #vessel x reader #iv x reader #sleep token vessel x reader #sleep token iv x reader #sleep token smut #vessel smut #iv smut #my writing #sleep token fanfic #sleep token fanfiction

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hearts4werka · 19 days ago

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Graduation Surprise

- 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐆𝐎𝐑𝐘 : 𝐅𝐋𝐔𝐅𝐅 -

Summary: Today was the day you’ve been working for very hard, graduation day. You don’t know how but managed to graduate with the highest GPA in your class, if you couldn’t think things could get bad now, they did. After some issues occurring in your family, none of your family members attended your graduation. Thankfully there were your friends who could attend and filled up the spots in the room, cheering me on the whole day as I finally gave the biggest speech of my life. A surprise celebratory graduation dinner is hosted by your friends at a fancy restaurant, but little did you know there was more to come in the surprise…

Warnings: mentions of suicide, grief over the passing of a loved one, family issues, ?mentions of verbal abuse?, swearing and possibly more that may trigger some readers!

- > This was requested by this anon request so big thanks to them for the idea!

Today is the best day of my life, and the worst. Its graduation day. Its not like I havent done good in school, quite the opposite actually, I'm graduating with the title of the top student with the highest GPA in my class. With this big of an achievement, I couldnt be more happy with my life but for as much as I am feeling eternal happiness with myself, theres this small pit inside of me that dreaded this day for as long as my mother was not speaking to me.

After the one unfortunate day I've had enough of her blaming for evey small little misfortune happen in her life, finally standing up for myself and telling her how I feel about her constantly victimizing herself like she isnt the problem, now slightly backfired on me. From how bad the argument ended up to be she refuses to attend the most important day of her own daughters life, graduation day. Even with all of my success achieved at my age she still calls me acomplete dosgrace to this family and a failure, Ive done all in my power to prove her wrong and I did but her opinion seems to remain the same about me.

I've cried and vented about it all to my best friend, Chris who seems to be the only person who has my back and always denies any of my mothers hurtful words, always cuddling me in his arms until my sobs calmed down to a substainal level or until out of exhaustion I fell unconcious, it wasnt our first fight but it never was this bad as it was this time to cut off any speaking words between us. We all used to be the perfect picture family everyone wanted to be like us, looked up to us but ever since my father left us and not awhile after commited suicide it all has flipped my world around, only bad things came my way after that unfortunate event accured and I used to agree with all of my mothers claims that it was all my fault, that I wasnt a good enough daughter to him and that I ddidnt love him enough.

I loved him more than I could love anyone ever, he was the man I looked up to everyday and wanted to be him one day. To make him proud of me, I hope he is looking down at me and smilling at my accomplishments with me. No matter how hard I fight back the pricking tears swelling in my eyes whenever I think of him, I just cant fight them long and would go so far to have a breakdown when I'm hanging around Chris cause I know he;s the one person who wont judge me and instead of asking if im okay, will just scoop the sobbing mess ive made of myself and cradle me until I calmed down.

• 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

As I nervously stand in the line to finally receive my diploma, my fingers fiddling with my gown I glance around the crowded area filled with the rest of the students parents and loved ones I spot Chris, Matt, Nick, Quen, Larray and Madi sitting in black chairs as the amazing people I am glad to call my friends with full proudness spread across all of their faces, cheering me on from the distance and silently reassuring me everything is fine. I chuckle silently as a small smile rises on my face, the nervousness still swirling on my face but now overcomed by the excitement and pure happiness the most important day has finally came.

Next to all of them is a single empty chair left as I imagine my father sitting down on it, or his deceased ghost, smilling and clapping with all of the others. I feel his looming presence in the air which makes it just sweeter and better to breathe into my lungs. As I stepped closer and closer to the final point, I breathed in a sharp breath before steppng onto the stage and being handed the diploma ive wanted to hold in my hands for so long, I am ripped out of my thoughs as I hear very loud cheering and my eyes rip away from the piece of paper in my hand and notice all of my friends standing up, applauding and cheering as loud as they were allowed to.

My face immediately lights up at the sight, giving them a quick wave before proceeding with the remainder of the graduation ahead of me. Shaking the professors hands with silent 'congratulations' and 'thank you's passed by before I take a seat next to the other honoured students next to the stage, getting ready to at the end of the event present a speech. Not all of us are giving one since not everyone wanted or agreed to do one, I keep on thinking of what I could possibly say on the stand, which words to let fall from my lips and whic are inappropriate to speak out loud.

I listen to the other students speeches, most of them thanking their family for all of the support they received during this path in their life up until this moment, how they achieved what they managed to in this journey. Before I know it, its my turn and my name gets called up on the stand for now my speech, with a shaky breath I stand up from my seat and make my way over to the last thing I need to do before finally graduating from college and moving on with my life.

Clearing my throat to seek any hidden motivation and confidence in the dark shadowy corners of my mind to put it towards this speech but the only positive thing thats surrounding the tense air around me is the comforting presence of my father, oh how I would love for him to witness this moment and live in it with me right now. I'm doing it again, I'm thinking about my father too much that I wont be able to speak, I take another deep breath to regain the lost confidence before I finally begin my speech and loose myself in the words which just start to flow past my lips.

"Um Hi everyone, so today is an inportant day for all of us which is graduation day. Thank all of you for coming here and supporting your child, finally receiving that diploma they worked so hard to achieve and hold in their hands. I would really love to thank my amazing friends who came along to give me the support I needed in this day, but there is one more person I would like to thank..." I let out a shaky exhale before I continue on. "I would love to thank my dear father who didnt have the fortune to be here today due to a very sensitive topic for many of us so to not make this too long I wont get into detail."

"He was my hero, the person I looked up to all my life and the best father you could ever ask for. I know he is looking down at all of us and is so proud of evey child inside of this building, even if its not his, he always made sure to include everyone in the smallest little things who to the average person wouldnt matter as much as it did to him. If youre somewhere here with us dad, I just have one last thing to say to you before they kick me off this stage for making this too long. I love you with all of my heart and dedicate this whole journey and diploma to you." raising the diploma in my hand into the air, small tears prick my eyes as the whole room breaks into cheers and everyone applauding me and I havent felt better in my life.

I step off the stage and reunite with my friends, passing through the crowded area before I immediately fall into Chris's open arms. Everyone joining the hug and continuing to praise my beautiful speech with all kinds of kind words that just go straught to my heart as if taking it into warm arms and never pulling away. "That was absolutely amazing, like im shocked by how heart-spoken those words were" I hear Nick state in a proud tone with a slight undertone of joking to lighten up the mood as the rest of the others chime in with their own words as we all pull away from each other. "Girl we are so proud of you." Larray speaks up louder than the others and pulls me into a seperate hug of his own, soon everyone else follows behind now with Chris being left for last.

Without hesitation he grabs ahold of my waist and pulls me into his chest, his face burying into my hair and inhaling the sweet scent left behind from my shampoo i've used this morning. I nuzzle my face into his chest and breathe in the scent of his cologne I always love smelling, its my favorite out of all of the previous ones he had in the past. "I am so proud of you, sweetheart. You totally nailed it at making the whole room cry, including us." He admits while speaking against my hair, a soft chuckle following suite which also makes me chuckle as well as the others around us, we stand in each others arms fir a few more minutes before finally pulling away.

"Now its time for celebratory dinner!" Matt cheers as the group chuckles at his enthusiasm, we wait for the whole ceremony go come to an end and everyone will be allowed to go home before we make our way out of the building alongside all of the others. All of us split and go out separate ways to get ready for the dinner, I don’t know what to expect since they didn’t tell me much besides the fact we’re going to a dinner at some kind of restaurant after my graduation but they informed me before-hand to dress up elegant so my mind started to assume the different places we could go dine at.

! -- boom boom -- !

I relax under the hot water spraying onto my body from the shower head secured to the marble wall, there’s about an hour before they will be knocking at my door to pick me up. Still, I take my sweet time with my shower as it washes all of the stress and nervousness away in the form of hot water droplets dripping from my nude body. Switching off the shower and stepping out of the shower I wrap a fluffy tower around my torso, absorbing the water that was left behind on my skin as I scout around the room, finishing up the business I needed to get done in the bathroom before I leave my towel to dry and walk out of the bathroom.

My eyes land on the black asymmetrical dress lying down on my bed that Chris gifted me not so long ago, now got me guessing if he was planning this before-hand. Alongside with a white pearly necklace with matching earrings that was also a gift but a bit of an old one now coming from my father before he passed away, I still kept the suicide letter he left for me and put them on top of it so I am reminded of how valuable this gift actually is each time I put them on. Now lastly a silver watch with two rings - 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤 https://pin.it/2tcBbHAtN

I’ve precisely lied down my outfit to get a visual of it, expecting I would use most of my time in the showerWalking over to imy wardrobe I pick out a fresh parei of underwear with a bra to matcabd a bra, quickly slipping both ite,s onto my body before now moving onto the official outfit. I havent had the dress on yet since I didnt really have a specific reason to put it on but today its a special day and that calls for a special outfit, the dress fits my body like a glove and is tight in all of the right places. walking to stand infront of my full-body mirror I become immediately obsessed with how it looks on me, and quite surprised on how did Chris pick out thus dress possibly all by himself? maybe i underestimaded his knowledge about me all along.

I complete the whole outfit with putting on the rest of the accesories before moving on to my shoes, I've got there old red-bottom heels from my mother which she gave to me for a 'special date with a special someone' but I already know what she was implying and I wasnt so much against it. the idea. I put them on and now go to the next step, makeup. I step back inside my bathroom and start on my makeup, in the same time thinking of what I could possibly do with my hair and in what style I can style it today, especially for my graduation dinner. For some reason I feel like I need to look my best no matter what, so I really take my time whit perfecting my makeup and deciding to do a basic blow-out with my hair once again making sure everything is in place.

Moving onto the final finishing touches, spraying my favorite perfume on my pulse points where it will ill give off the mossmot scent. i check the time on my watch and realize I dont have hvae much time left so I quickly get out of the bathroom, disconnecting my phone from the charger in my bedroom and drop it into my purse which was laying down next to it. With a rush in my move and few minutes to spair before expected knocks on my door, I take some pictures in the the mirror to appreciate how I look tonight. I basically dart to my door as the 'were waiting in the car outside' pop up on my phone screen and revealing the cute wallpaper I have of a photo with Chris, I admire it for a second before moving onto the tast at hand. Exiting the building I see Matt's car waiting outside with everyone inside but with just enough room left for me, they all great me with simple hi’s and hello's but the tone of their voices changing the meaning of them, turning them into more heartfelt greetings. Matt turns the engine back on and we leave from under my apartment complex, chatter and small banters starting to rise in the air of the car.

! -- boom boom -- !

We pull up into a parking lot of a very fancy restaurant and the building from the outside looks already amazing, we all step out of the car. Chris quickly walks up to my side of the car and grabbing my hand, helping me get out of the car. I chuckle with the rest of the group who witnessed it, as all of us are out of the car we make our way up to the front entrance. Nick turns to look at me walking with Chris in the back, "We hope you like it here, it legit took us a month to get a resarvation here." he states with an uplifting tone to his voice, silently appreciating all of the good energy and how they took the time out of their day to scheduel this is so heartwarming to me. "This place looks absolutely amazing, I dont know how you guys did it." I admit, admiring the outside in awe at how it looks in the night with all of the lights turned on, the slight dribble of the waterfountain outside is heard in the background as we finally enter the restaurant.

One of Chris's hands is resting on the small of my back, a warm fuzzy feeling lingering behind it each time he takes it off. I notice for some reason all of the others whenever see our closeness with each other today, it seems like they know something I dont and I'm just itching to ask and admit Ive noticed it but I bite my tongue back and dont say a word about it. Observing the interior design inside, we sign in for our reservation and a polite lady walks us to our table. All of us sit down and have the menu already infront of us, picking it up and flipping through the pages to find something I might enjoy here since I’ve never eaten here before so it will be good for me to try something new from time to time.

I glance around the restaurant, still admiring all of the guests nicely dressed in suits and dressed of all sorts and the interior just screaming luxury and money in general. Ots not my first time seeing luxury in my life but by the looks of the restaurant you cant tell someone has taste in interior design. My eyes go back down onto the menu and come to a desicion on what I should try here, soon the waiter approaches us and takes everyones order before walking away. The table errupts into chatter, some banter and laughter being thrown around evetywhere, positive energy flowing through the air and rising the atmosphere. Everything was perfect so far, amazing even, sjtting at a restaurant with all of my friends I deeply care for while having fun at the same time is such an amazing feeling to have inside of you and hope the others are experiencing it as well.

Before we get the grasp of the time flying by, soon our food arrives and everyone goes in. Tasting the various flavors and textures delivered in the meal, the sounds of satisfaction fill the air as all of us consume our prepared meals while chatting in between. We’ve been in the restaurant for quite awhile now and our stay is soon going to come to an end as we finish our meals then wait for our check to arrive, as we wait I notice the groups eyes shifting from me to Chris and confusion clouds my mind as of what’s to come next and it is nothing I’ve could have ever expected. Chris also places his eyes on me, me now realizing he has something hidden behind his hands and my curiosity rising almost instantly, the others whispering and giggling to each other while I remain oblivious.

Suddenly he stands up from his seat and walks over closer to where I currently reside in my seat, his hand reaches out in a gesture for me to take his hands and i oblige. Softly placing my hand in the palm of his, feeling the warmth of it envelop my own as he makes me also stand up and rise to my feet, his other hand remains hiding the mysterious object behind the enclosure of his fingers trapping it inside. The exact hand comes into view to finally reveal what is the surprise. “You’ve been through so much, yet you’ve managed to pull through it all. Since you graduated with such success, I just had to get you something personally to congratulate my favorite girl finally getting what she worked so hard for.” He confesses before taking his hand away and revealing a small white box, I grab the box and open to find what’s inside. My eyes are met with a stunning diamond ring which shines in the soft glow of the chandelier in the room.

I stare in complete shock and awe, not knowing how to react nor what move I could possibly do to safe the awkward silence. Before I get to wrap my head around any kind of ideas, he lifts my head by grabbing ahold of my chin to look back at him, smiling at my expression. “But there’s one last thing to do…” He speaks again, his eyes darting between looking into my eyes or staring at my lips. “What do you me-“ before I could finish my sentence as well as not getting that much time I needed to think of any possible meanings he meant behind his words, he pulls my face towards his and smashes our lips together in a searing kiss. I could feel the other tables glancing at us but frankly I didn’t care right now, becoming lost in the sensation of his lips on mine.

I melt right into the kiss as my arms fall around his neck, pulling him down closer to me as his arms attach to my waist. Never did I think I would be kissing my best friend in the middle of a restaurant, our friends start to erupt in cheers and the other tables starting to join the moment. After a few minutes passing of the kiss, we pull away from each other and I chuckle at the remains of my lipstick now left on his. “I love you, I really do.” the words leave my lips first as I see the smile widening in both of our faces, our breaths mixing together with each other by the close proximity of our faces in the moment.

“Even if I was a worm?” He jokes, lighting up the tense and intimate mood surrounding us, I giggle at him trying to squeeze in a joke in almost every situation he gets the chance to. “You’re so fucking stupid, it’s starting to get cute” “Yeah maybe, but I’m your stupid, am I?” I roll my eyes playfully, knowing what he’s saying is completely true before pulling him back into another kiss. The others cheers slowly fading into the background and the only thing I could hear was the flowing thoughts and pictures of this moment, everything around us becomes irrelevant as both of our minds get lost in the immaculate chemistry coursing through our bodies.

@hearts4werka

authors note: after working on this for quite some time now, a few crying nights while listening to cas to be exact, I finally finished writing this request that literally was such a good idea. I loved writing the story and it is kinda more story in general in here but overall this was such a fun thing to write. I hope y’all enjoy this kinda change of pace, luv y’all so much

& love and peace, V

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stevie-petey · 8 months ago

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episode eight: the gate

“Drop me and die.” Your knuckles are white as they clutch the rope, your body shaking with exhaustion as you try to ease your way down without further injuring your ribs. Steve laughs and tightens his grip on your waist, steadying you as you finally inch the rest of the way down and land with a gentle thud onto the ground. “Like I’d ever dream of letting you go.” This time, you know it’s his words that cause you to shiver, not the exhaustion and pain.

Summary: you encourage nancy to take your place (everyone is shocked), you and steve are the newest babysitters in town, billy ruins things as always, tunnels are weird when youre concussed, you remind jonathan of an old promise, and when the snowball comes you make your own promise with steve that you know you can keep.

Rating: general, although very violent

Warnings: use of y/n, fem!reader, intense violence and blood, weapons, monsters, probably more im forgetting

Words: 20.1k (no one speak to me)

Before you swing in: this is it ,,, the final episode of season two <3 this chapter was both the easiest and hardest one ive ever written. there are scenes in here that i put so much into, and im so proud of where everything landed. handling so many relationships and dynamics was so incredibly difficult, but i adore where they ended up. i hope you guys do, too :)

“Eleven,”

“Mike.”

The two kids embrace, Mike holding desperately onto El as if he’s afraid she’ll disappear again any second, and she’s holding onto him just as tightly as their tears mix together.

You watch them with a hand over your heart, your own tears spilling over. You can’t believe this is real, that El is standing in Mike’s arms alive and real.

The way they cling to each other brings more tears to your eyes. It’s obvious to everyone how much they love one another. You think about the endless batches of brownies you baked for Mike, how many nights you spent in his basement standing watch, looking for any sign of grief, in case he needed you there to remind him that it’s okay to cry.

“Is that…?” Max asks Lucas, and he nods.

“She’s back.” You exhale, feeling Dustin’s fingers slip between yours. He knows how much you missed El, he’s spent just as many nights keeping watch over you, reminding you to cry as well.

Mike pulls away, his eyes shining with tears. “I never gave up on you. I called you every night. Every night for–”

“353 days.” El finishes for him, you’ve never heard so much emotion in her voice. “I heard.”

You think about the nights you found Mike huddled underneath the fort he once built for El in his basement, clutching the radio to his chest, passed out from exhaustion. You never mentioned it to the boy, knowing he’d simply deny and tell you it was nothing, but hearing El confirm what you already knew still hurts.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were there?”

You look around the room now, wondering the same as Mike, and then your eyes land on Hopper. While everyone looks surprised or confused at El’s reappearance, Hopper’s face is one of resignation.

Everything clicks.

He knew.

Hopper sees that you’ve pieced it together and steps forward. “Because I wouldn’t let her.”

You step forward as well so that you’re next to Mike, knowing that this will only upset him more. “You knew.”

“What the hell is this?” The chief ignores you, now speaking only to El. “Where’ve you been?”

“Where have you been?” El’s eyes darken, but she immediately melts when Hopper pulls her into a hug. By watching their body language, you can tell that they love each other dearly, and distantly you remember hearing about the daughter Hopper once had.

Though you’re angry he hid El from you, you’re thankful they found one another in the end. You’ve never seen Hopper so tender with someone, and El seems to feel safe within his embrace, far from the skittish girl you found in the woods last year.

“You’ve been hiding her!” Lost in your thoughts, you momentarily forget about Mike, who launches himself at Hopper and punches the man’s chest. “You’ve been hiding her this whole time!”

Hopper flinches away. “Hey–”

“Mike,” you grab his shoulders, knowing his anger will only do more harm than good, but he struggles against you as he tries to continue hitting the man. “We can all talk about this–”

“Let’s talk,” Hopper grabs at Mike’s shirt, finally forcing the kid to stop. Then, looking directly at you, he adds. “Alone.”

You look at Mike, silently asking him what he needs from you. You know the two of them need to settle their differences, that he feels Hopper’s betrayal the deepest and you trust him to make his own choices. However, with one headshake from him, you would prevent Mike from being alone with Hopper in a heartbeat.

Mike knows this, he doesn’t have to even have to ask what you mean when you gently nod your chin at him. Taking a deep breath, the boy sighs and nods at you, indicating that he’ll talk with the cop.

You let go of Mike and gently push him towards Hopper. “He’s all yours, but try not to kill him, please? I unfortunately like the kid.”

Hopper doesn’t play into your words and promptly grabs the back of Mike’s hoodie and marches him towards Will’s room. The door closes behind them, leaving you to deal with El.

Her nose is bleeding and she looks upset having Mike taken from her, there’s an exhaustion behind her eyes that you’re all too familiar with. You wrap an arm around her waist and pull her into you. “C’mere, sweetheart.”

El leans into the kiss you press upon her cheek and closes her eyes, relishing in the tenderness after the night she’s had. “Missed you.”

“And I missed you.” You place another kiss on her head. “The hairstyle suits you, by the way.”

This seems to lighten the girl up a bit, who giggles and quietly thanks you as she wraps her arms fully around you now, securing you into a hug. You allow her all the time she needs to collect herself.

When you hear Mike’s heartbroken screams at Hopper, calling him a liar, you squeeze your arms tighter around El. “They’ll be fine,” you promise her, feeling the need to reassure her of this, though hearing Mike’s screams breaks your heart.

You understand why Hopper hid El, it wasn’t safe for anyone to know about her being alive, but Mike spent the entire year grieving for her. He lost a year of his childhood mourning the loss of a close friend, of someone he loves, and it isn’t fair to expect him to accept this.

El nods at your reassurance before you’re suddenly shoved away from her.

“You’re hogging the former dead girl, Y/N!” Dustin exclaims as he engulfs El into a hug.

Lucas flashes you an apologetic smile before hugging the girl as well, focusing his attention on her. “We missed you.”

“I missed you too.” She responds, squeezing both boys tight.

“We talked about you pretty much every day.” Dustin pulls away before pointing at you. “Y/N usually just cried.”

You elbow your brother, causing him to wince. “You say that like I don’t normally cry over things.”

Dustin opens his mouth to argue, but suddenly El’s fingers are pinching at his lips as she pries his jaw open. Your brother looks at you in alarm, and you’re too stunned to do anything besides watch in bewilderment.

“Teeth.” El finally says,

You giggle, while Dustin simply stares at her as if she’s insane. “What?”

“You have teeth.”

Dustin breaks into a smile. “Oh, you like these pearls?”

When he makes an obscure purring sound with his mouth, you scoff at your brother and roll your eyes alongside Lucas. “Please, never do that ever again.”

“Eleven?” Max now approaches with a warm smile on her face, the most open you’ve ever seen the girl, and extends her hand for El to shake. “Hey, um. I’m Max. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

El looks at you and tilts her head, which you assume means she’s unsure what to do, so you step in. “Max is a friend, sweetheart.”

She eyes Max’s hand, looks up at her again, before bypassing the girl completely and going straight into Joyce’s arms.

You frown, confused by El’s unusual dismissiveness, and look over at Max. Her head is ducked down, embarrassed, and you make a mental note to remind yourself later to ask El what happened. Max is a good girl, they deserve to be friends and you know they’d get along if given the chance.

Joyce cradles El’s head and greets her with tears, and the girl responds the same. After they’ve hugged, El pulls away, her tears now ones of worry. “Can I see him?”

Joyce’s eyes flash to you, and the two of you seem to realize the same thing: it’s no coincidence that El arrived when she did. You think about what Dustin and the kids deciphered in morse code, Will’s hidden message.

Close the gate.

El is the only person you know can do it.

“Go take her to him,” you tell Joyce. “I’ll catch everyone else up.”

The woman nods, her eyes appreciative, before gently guiding El towards Will’s room.

“I’m assuming I’m ‘everyone’.” Steve says as soon as Joyce and El have left.

You laugh, finally rejoining his side. “Yeah, pretty much.”

“Alright, catch me up then. Who was the girl and why does she have a bloody nose problem?”

“Her name is Eleven, or El. Besides the Demogorgon, and Demodogs, did we ever discuss El?”

Nancy speaks up from the corner, timid. “I, uh… Didn’t tell Steve a lot. We kinda just, we–we didn’t ever really–”

“I never let Nancy explain, and I was too afraid to ask.” Steve kindly saves Nancy, and something both you and Jonathan take note of.

“Well,” you clap your hands, dispelling away any remaining tension for both your sake and the kids’ sakes. “El has these powers, she can make things move with her mind, and when she uses them she gets nose bleeds.”

Steve stares at you. “Okay…”

“Mhm. It’s just as insane as it sounds. Remember the whole Upside Down story Dustin and I told you about yesterday? Well, she can travel there and has a connection to it. With her mind. Somehow. I don’t actually know the logistics of it.”

“You’re doing great, bug.” Jonathan’s voice drips with sarcasm, but Dustin hits his chest to shut him up.

“Thanks, Dustin. Anyways, El has these insane powers and she’s the sweetest, softest person I’ve ever met. We…” your voice trails off now, still getting used to the fact that she’s alive. “We thought we lost her last year, when she killed the Demogorgon and helped bring Will back.”

“But she’s alive.” Steve concludes.

You nod, a natural smile spreading across your face. “She is.”

“If you say she’s the sweetest person you’ve ever met, then I definitely believe you.”

Steve’s words make you blush, the pure and honest way he says them, and both Dustin and Jonathan cringe. The two boys share a look, both for once on the same page in a long time, and make gagging motions.

You see this and flick both of their heads. “I know where you both sleep.”

Both boys stick their tongue out at you, and for a moment everything feels normal. Jonathan and Dustin are teasing you, Jonathan’s eyes are lit up, and your brother is carefree again.

Then Joyce returns to the living room with El and the mood becomes somber again.

They stand over the kitchen table, El stares down at the piece of paper with the “close gate” on it, and Joyce asks the question you’ve all been wondering. “You opened this gate before, right?”

“Yes,” the girl responds as you and everyone else now join her and Joyce.

“Do you think if we got you back there, that you could close it?”

El looks between you and Joyce, her gaze stony and resigned. You wonder what else she’s gone through to put such a void within her; like all the other kids, she no longer has a sweet naivety to her.

Then, slowly, El nods.

–

“It’s not like it was before. It’s grown. A lot.” Everyone stands in the kitchen, circling around Hopper as he explains exactly what the gate now is. “I mean, that’s considering we can get in there. The place is crawling with those dogs.”

You grab Dustin’s shirt and yank harshly at it. “Don’t you dare–”

“Demodogs.”

Hopper looks at him, sighing. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Please just ignore him.” You plead with the officer, knowing he’s already in a bitchy mood.

Dustin doesn’t pick up on the anger, though. “I said, uh… Demodogs. Like Demogorgon and dogs.”

“Oh my god,” you groan, rubbing at your temples. You’ve heard this explanation of the word play a million times within the last twenty-four hours. If you have to hear Dustin explain what Demodog means one more time, you think you may murder the kid.

Dustin, unfortunately, continues. “You put them together… it sounds pretty badass–”

“How is this important right now?” Hopper snaps at the boy, which only makes you more annoyed.

You put your hand up at the old man, closing your fingers together to mimic a mouth being shut. “One more aggressive comment to the thirteen year old and I will show you that Nancy isn’t the only one who can shoot a gun.”

“Uh, Y/N…” Jonathan nervously mumbles, unsure what Hopper’s reaction may be.

However, the chief simply raises an eyebrow at you, stares you down for a few seconds, before finally seeming to decide that he’s impressed with your bold comment. “I’ll make sure to remember that.”

“I can do it.” El suddenly voices from the other end of the table.

“You’re not hearing me.” Hopper’s shoulders slump. You can tell by his now defeated stance that he has yet to win an argument against El, something that you’re incredibly proud of her for.

“I’m hearing you. I can do it.”

“Even if El can, there’s still another problem.” Mike speaks up, looking around the table to ensure everyone is listening. “If the brain dies, the body dies.”

Max frowns. “I thought that was the whole point.”

“It is, but if we’re really right about this…”

“Will,” you breathe out quietly with dread, understanding where Mike is going with this.

Mike continues explaining. “I mean, if El closes the gate and kills the mind flayer’s army–”

“Will’s a part of that army.” Lucas finishes as he looks over at you, now knowing why you’ve just exhaled the boy’s name with grief.

“Closing the gate will kill him.”

Jonathan tenses at Mike’s words, and you place your hand against the back of his neck in a grounding manner. You can feel his rapid heartbeat against your hand, even from this position, and you play with his hair to try and soothe him.

He’s terrified of what may happen to his little brother, once again struck with pure terror that he could lose him. You’re not sure how many more times Jonathan can grieve his brother without losing a piece of himself.

Steve, standing on your other side, sees the way your fingers intertwine in Jonathan’s hair. The same way they did earlier with his own hair as you hugged him.

He frowns, looking away.

Everyone else falls silent as well, Mike’s words hang in the air. Your gaze shifts to Joyce, who has a deep frown on her face, and before you ask her what she’s thinking, she stands up from the table. “Follow me.”

No one says anything as you all follow the woman to Jonathan’s room, where Will lays motionless on top of the bed you’ve slept in for years. His body is stiff, the hospital gown swallows him, and the sight disturbs you.

You walk over to the boy and kneel next to the bed. It’s in your nature to take care of Will, you do this without even thinking about it. Stroking his forehead, you place a kiss against it as you watch his mom in the doorway.

“He likes it cold.” Joyce mumbles, eying the open window in the room.

“What?” Asks Hopper, standing behind the woman.

Joyce looks over at her son now. “It’s what Will kept saying to me. He likes it cold.” Then, as her voice grows stronger, she walks over to the window and slams it shut. “We keep giving it what it wants.”

Nancy and Jonathan walk over to you now, the girl remains standing while Jonathan kneels down next to you. The two of you take turns caressing Will’s forehead as Nancy starts to speak. “If this thing is a virus, and Will’s the host, then…”

“Then we need to make the host uninhabitable.”

You turn to Jonathan, not at all liking what he’s saying. “What does that even mean? He’s a kid, how do you make a child’s body uninhabitable?”

“He likes it cold.” Nancy says, as if that explains everything.

“But–”

Joyce clenches her jaw and spits out, “We need to burn it out of him.”

Everything about what Joyce has said makes your stomach twist. You look down at Will’s body, at how small he still is despite a year of trying to get him to recover, and his pale skin is almost translucent in the bedroom’s lighting.

You hate everything about what’s happening, but you hate the way Will looks lifeless even more.

If making his body uninhabitable can save him, then you have to try; you’ll simply be there to pick up the pieces when it’s done, as you always are.

The kids begin planning now.

“We have to do it somewhere he doesn’t know this time.” Mike says.

“Yeah, somewhere far away.” Dustin adds on.

“Last I checked, none of us have a hidden hut in the woods.” You say, at a loss for where else to possibly take Will. Then, Hopper clears his throat and shifts his weight. “Oh, no fucking way. You would have a hidden hut in the woods.”

“It’s a cabin.” Hopper corrects with annoyance, though there’s a slight glint in his eye as he looks at you. “Joyce and Jonathan will take Will there.”

“Well, go show them the cabin, then.”

Jonathan grabs your hand. “You’re not coming with?”

As if there’s a string tugging at the back of your head, you turn around and catch Steve’s eye. He’s standing in the doorway, eyes alert yet sad, and you know with everything within you that you can’t leave him behind.

Not when he was shaking in your arms only twenty minutes prior.

Steve doesn’t want to be alone, especially not when you’d be leaving him behind with Nancy after it’s become clear that she’s with Jonathan now.

Now, as Jonathan’s open and expecting eyes stare into yours, you do something you’ve never done before. Something you’ve needed to do ever since you were twelve and grabbed the boy’s hand on the Wheeler’s porch that fateful night.

You let go of Jonathan.

“I can’t,” you tell him, the words of denial feeling foreign on your tongue. You’ve never told him no before, never left him behind, but saying the words isn’t as difficult as you once feared. “I’ll stay with the kids, I’m better with them anyways.”

Jonathan watches you, his eyes trace over your face again and again as if drinking it in for the very last time. When he seems to find what he’s looking for, he takes a deep breath and nods. “Yeah, okay.”

His understanding of everything you don’t say almost makes you take it all back, but you don’t. Instead, you squeeze his hand and nod towards Nancy. “Why don’t you take Nance?”

Something shifts when you say this, you know Jonathan feels it as well. There’s an ease within the shift, almost akin to a soft exhale in December’s cold. It parts you with a gentle farewell, strokes your cheek as it departs, and you can faintly see its outline as it floats away.

A thread, one that has tugged within your chest in a painful ache since last year, finally loosens.

Nancy looks at you, her eyes wide. “Me?”

“Mhm,” you nod at the girl, a kind smile on your face.

It’s a monumental shift, you’re willingly encouraging Nancy to be next to Jonathan’s side rather than you. It’s an exchange of powers, trusting her to take care of the boy you love so dearly.

For once, it doesn’t feel like you’re tearing off a piece of yourself. Instead, you’re simply sharing the weight of it, of this trust, rather than losing it.

“I… I think I’ll stay here.” Nancy finally says, looking away in shame.

You don’t blame her, you know she carries a weight of guilt within her for things she couldn’t control. There’s a lot you want to say to her, a lot you have to say to her, but for now you simply nod at her, understanding. “Then I’m happy you’re here.”

And you mean it.

Steve, still quietly standing in the doorway, sees everything. He felt the shift, too.

–

“You should go with him.” Steve picks up a spare heater, he and Nancy have been sent outside to retrieve whatever they could find from the Byers’ yard.

The shift weighs heavily upon him. Your words ring in his ears.

Nancy spares Steve a glance. “What?”

“With Jonathan.” He bends down to dig through some old Christmas lights, and seeing them reminds him of you. Everything reminds him of you. “Y/N’s right. You should go with him.”

“No, I–” Nancy scoffs, uncomfortable. “I’m not just gonna leave Mike.”

Steve thinks about you, about how you’re always the one who stays. “No one’s leaving anyone.” He walks over to Nancy and helps her with a radiator she’s struggling with. “I may be a shitty boyfriend, but… I realized I’m actually a pretty damn good friend and babysitter.”

Though he never says your name, Nancy can feel it hang over the two of them. The unspoken confession that it’s because of you that Steve now accepts what has happened between them. It strikes her then, how different he is now. How differently you and the girl came to know Steve.

Nancy stares at him, her eyes are filled with more remorse than he’s ever seen from the girl. It hurts, seeing her so upset, and he wishes that things could’ve been different. He recognizes now that they didn’t stand a chance, though he’s happy they tried anyways. It was always going to end like this between them.

Steve doesn’t hold any anger towards her, he doesn’t hate her, because he still loves her.

How could you possibly fault the person you love for finding their own love?

“Steve…” His name comes through as an apology.

“It’s okay, Nance.” Steve means it, he gives her the same blessing that you did. She’s allowed to be happy, you both want her to be happy, and you have each other to lean on now. “Y/N and I will be okay.”

He leaves Nancy standing there.

–

You’re waiting to say goodbye to El, standing patiently behind Mike as the two of them make promises about coming back. It’s sweet, watching them, until they slowly start to lean in for what you fear is a kiss, so you intervene.

“Hate to ruin the moment, but I’d like to say goodbye to El, too.”

Mike glares at you. “Couldn’t wait five seconds?”

“A five second kiss is shameful, Wheeler.”

El giggles softly and pulls you into a hug. “I will be careful.”

You kiss her cheek. “Come back this time, okay?”

“I will.”

Hopper calls the girl over to get in the car so they can leave, and you quickly run over to Jonathan’s car before he can get in.

When he sees you approaching, he extends his arms out and pulls you in as he always does. No words are needed, he simply holds you so that you’re chest to chest and he can feel every breath you take. “I’ll come home to you.”

You bury your face in his neck, inhale the scent you’ve come to associate with your childhood and warm, sunny days. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

The words ease between the two of you, finally warm after months of being cold.

Nancy then appears, and when you notice her you break away from Jonathan. “I see you’re joining?”

“I am.” She nods. “Seems I have you to thank.”

You smile and grab her hand. Your grip is firm, but sincere. “Don’t make me regret it, okay?”

Your words are teasing, but Nancy senses the undertones of a warning. Jonathan is your best friend, she has always known this, and she knows how much weight has gone into your trust for her. Nancy understands that you’re giving her something precious to you, and she will forever be indebted for it.

“I won’t.” She promises. “And good luck with Steve and the kids.”

“Oh, I’ll need it.” You laugh, and any remaining tension that has hung over you and Nancy finally disappears.

Once Jonathan and Nancy get into the car, you stand on the porch with Steve and everyone else as you watch the cars drive away.

–

You poke around the Byers’ kitchen for some food; your stomach has been rumbling for hours and you’re sure the kids are hungry, too. However, like usual, you come up with nothing. As you dig through a cabinet, Dustin walks into the kitchen and starts clearing out the fridge.

“What are you doing?” You ask, knowing that this can’t be for anything good.

Dustin doesn’t answer, continuing to carelessly throw racks of food onto the floor.

“Hey, stop!” As you walk over, Steve suddenly comes rushing in, holding a very dead, and very disgusting, Demodog.

“Is this really necessary?”

“Absolutely not.”

Dustin groans at you. “C’mon, Y/N! This is absolutely necessary, it’s a groundbreaking scientific discovery.”

“It is a dead creature, from an alternate universe–”

“We can’t just bury it like some common mammal, okay? It’s not a dog–”

“Oh, so now it’s not a dog after you’ve stated a million times that it’s a Demodog–”

Steve steps in between you and Dustin. “Alright, alright, enough!” He begins to shove the Demodog into the fridge before you can stop him. “But Dustin, you’re explaining this to Mrs. Byers, alright?”

“You both are idiots,” you mumble, watching as Steve and Dustin pathetically try to make the giant Demodog fit into the fridge. “I’m leaving.”

You’re seriously starting to regret their friendship.

However, you know when to pick your battles, and as you watch the two boys try to maneuver the body into the fridge, you know that this is not a cause worth fighting for.

Instead, you exit the kitchen and instruct the rest of the kids to start cleaning the house. It’s a mess, glass shattered everywhere from the dead Demodog and papers thrown haphazardly around during the morse decoding.

The mess will only add more unneeded stress to Joyce’s life, so as Lucas and Max groan at you for making them do work, you stand your ground and shove a broom into their hands.

“You suck, you know.” Lucas grumbles, but Max hits his shoulder and holds the dust pan as he sweeps.

As they get to work on the shattered glass, you figure it’s best that you call your mom before you forget again. You know she’s probably worried sick about you and Dustin for disappearing so suddenly without a word.

However, when you walk over to the wall where the phone normally is, it’s gone.

“Hey, uh. Where did the phone go?” You ask Dustin, who has finally left the kitchen. “I need to call mom.”

“Oh, Nancy threw it when it rang. She went kinda berserk.”

You look towards where Dustin is pointing and see the phone, in fact disconnected, on the ground across the room. The sight makes you snort. “Guess she really likes throwing phones, huh?”

Your brother doesn’t understand the joke. “What?”

“Nevermind,” you shake your head. There’s no use explaining to the boy about a quick, five second moment from last year. Nancy had done the exact same thing when Steve had tried to call the cops when the Demogorgon originally attacked you.

Dustin mumbles something about your blood loss making you delusional, but you ignore him and begin sweeping the hallway. You order him to help, and soon the two of you are cleaning the Byers’ home.

You’ve just finished sweeping when you notice Mike pacing around the room. He’s anxious, that much is obvious, and whenever he begins to pace: trouble soon follows. He’s brewing up a plan, you can feel it.

After the fifth time the boy has paced the room, Lucas has finally had enough. “Mike, would you just stop already?”

“You weren’t in there, okay Lucas?” Mike stops pacing. “That lab is swarming with hundreds of those dogs.”

“Demodogs–oomph!” Dustin corrects, only to be cut off by your hand clamping over his mouth.

“Say it again, I dare you.” You warn him before turning towards Mike. “Look, I know it’s nerve wracking, but all we can do right now is trust El’s abilities and wait.”

Lucas nods. “Yeah, the chief will also take care of her.”

“Like she needs protection.” Max quips from the floor, dustpan still in hand.

You feel a hand place itself on the small of your back. The weight of the palm is starting to become familiar to you, the length of the fingers and the way they splay across the span of your back are slowly becoming recognizable.

Without turning, you know that Steve has joined you.

“Listen, dude,” he says in a placating voice to Mike. “A coach calls a play in a game, bottom line, you execute it. Alright?”

You wince. While you’re impressed that Steve is trying to intervene and reason with Mike, you know immediately that his approach will fail. Trying to reason with the kid using a sport analogy is like trying to explain magic to a mathematician.

“Okay, first of all, this isn’t some stupid sports game.” Mike rolls his eyes, which you expected. “And second, we’re not even in the game. We’re on the bench.”

“RIght! So–so my point… My point is…” Steve stumbles over his words and Mike’s unwavering insistence. When he can’t think of a better response, he lets out a defeated sigh. “Yeah, we’re on the bench, so–uh, there’s nothing we can do.”

You pity Steve, honestly. It takes years of careful analyzing and strategic planning in order to prepare yourself for an argument against Mike Wheeler.

Patting his shoulder, step in to help. “What I’m sure Steve means is that while we may be benched, that doesn’t mean we can’t keep the homefront secure.”

“That’s not how sports work, Y/N.” Steve whispers obscenely loud, but quickly shuts up when you glare at him.

“Stupid sports analogy aside, there’s nothing we can do besides keep watch here and wait for everyone to return.” Even though you know you’re saying the right thing, that it’s best you follow Hopper’s order of staying put, even you don’t believe the words you’re saying. “We may not be able to help right now, but later, I promise we will be the best damn homefront ever.”

Dustin clears his throat. “That’s not entirely true.”

You turn to him and a sigh escapes you when you see the plan already forming behind his eyes. “I can’t argue with you, can I?”

“Nope.”

“Great, go on then. Share with the class what you’re thinking.”

“I mean, these Demodogs, they have a hive mind.” Dustin begins. “When they ran away from the bus, they were called away.”

Lucas thinks about this. “So if we get their attention…”

“Maybe we can draw them away from the lab.” Max concludes, and you take a second to marvel at how seamlessly she’s integrated herself into the party.

However, you then remember what Lucas said. “Wait, what do you mean by ‘get their attention’? Why do those words scare me so much?”

Mike talks over you. “We can clear a path to the gate.”

You have a multitude of questions and Steve seems to be thinking exactly what you are when he loudly exclaims, “Yeah, and then we all die!”

“That’s one point of view.”

“Dustin, that’s quite literally the only way to look at it.” You flick his hat and he swats your hand away.

Steve points at you, nodding in agreement. “That’s a fact.”

“Thanks, Steve–” Mike’s body slams into yours as he runs past you. “Christ, Wheeler!”

“I got it!” The boy shrieks, running out of the room as he wordlessly instructs everyone to follow. He kneels in front of the fridge and points wildly at one of the pictures Will has drawn. “This is where the chief dug his hole, this is our way into the tunnel.”

“Into? What do you mean into?”

Mike shoves past you again and runs into the living room. “Here, right here.” He stands in the middle, where all the pictures have interlocked together to form a center. “This is like a hub. So, you got all the tunnels feeding in here. Maybe if we set this on fire…”

“Fire?” You shriek as Steve quickly follows with, “Oh, yeah that’s a no!”

Dustin, however, is on board with what Mike is planning. “The mind flayer would call away his army.”

“They’d all come to stop us!” Lucas waves his arms madly at you, as if saying this will get you to agree to the plan that’s forming.

You throw your hands up in surrender. “Look, I recognize that we could maybe do something–”

“Hey!” Steve looks astonished that you’re even considering this.

“I mean, if we can help then I don’t see why we can’t just–”

Mike shakes your arm now, deciding that your hesitation is an agreement. “We then can circle back to the exit! By the time they realize we’re gone–”

“El would be at the gate!” Max now also is looking at you. “C’mon, Y/N. You have to admit that it’s a solid plan.”

You bite your lip. It is. That’s the problem with the Wheelers. They come up with these insanely dangerous and insane plans, yet they’re also always brilliant. You know it’s risky, Hopper could barely even explain the tunnels to you without shaking in fear, but… Who’s to say that the Demodogs won’t simply go after Will and Jonathan at the cabin? Or kill Hopper and El before they even reach the lab.

It’s obvious you can’t just sit here and wait.

El has to close the gate, that much is certain, and because of this: you have to help her. You have to help everyone, keep them safe.

“It’s a solid plan,” you finally breathe out, and all the kids start to cheer.

“I knew you were my favorite sister!”

“Dustin, I’m your only sister–”

“Hey! Hey–” Steve pushes himself in between you and the kids, clapping his hands to break up any further conversations. “Hey! This is not happening.”

Mike tries to argue, “But–”

“No, no, no!” Steve places his hands on his hips like a disgruntled father. “No buts. I promised I’d keep you shitheads safe, and that’s exactly what I plan on doing.”

You don’t like the way Steve is speaking to the kids, commanding them as if he’s their parent. “Hey, no. We aren’t doing that.”

“Doing what?” He looks at you, eyes wide as he quickly gathers that he’s upset you. The fight in his voice is gone, replaced with quiet guilt.

“We don’t ever command the kids, not like that, anyways.” You step away from them and pull Steve aside with you to give the two of you some privacy. “Look, I know you promised Nance you’d take care of them, but I also promised Jonathan. We have to help, Steve.”

His face twists with confliction, and the two of you are caught between what Nancy wants and what Jonathan wants. They both want the kids to be safe, but they have different viewpoints of how they expect you and Steve to do so.

Nancy wants to keep her brother out of it, Jonathan wants to save his brother’s life.

“Y/N…” Steve breathes out, begging you to change your mind.

The confliction on his face hurts to look at, you hate that you’ve made him feel this way, but you can only shake your head at him. “I’m sorry, but we’re doing this.”

“Yes!” Mike rushes over to you and surprises you with a hug. “This is why I keep you around!”

“Okay, no.” You push the kid away and hold him by the shoulders to ensure he listens to you. “That doesn’t mean I think we should all go down into the tunnels. I’ll go, and Steve will stay here with you guys–”

“What? No! You’re not going down there by yourself, Y/N.” Steve doesn’t understand how you would expect him to ever let you do that. “We’re all on the bench, okay? We’re waiting for the starting team to do their job.”

“This isn’t a stupid sports game.” Mike groans in annoyance before focusing his attention back to you. “And no one in the party gets left behind. If you go, we all go.”

The sincerity in Mike’s voice warms you. He’s defending you, protecting you how you’ve always protected him, and you’ve never been more impressed with his bravery; it’s because of this, his bravery and admiration for you, that you know you have to go into the tunnels alone.

It would kill you if Mike got hurt, if any of the kids got hurt.

Steve sees the way your eyes shine at Mike’s words and his stomach twists. He knows he can’t change your mind about going alone, he knows you’d never, ever let anyone get hurt. That you’d lay down your life for these kids and those you love.

The bloodied cloth wrapped around your rib cage reminds Steve that he’s a part of it all now. You have laid down your life for him.

And he’s never, ever going to let you get hurt because of him again.

Steve steps forward and gently grabs your arm, he needs you to understand how much your selflessness terrifies him in this moment. “Y/N–”

The revving of an engine cuts him off.

It’s a familiar sound. You’ve heard this car before. The sound of it has seared itself into your memories. The hair on your arms stands up, and within seconds Max is at the window, looking out in fear.

“It’s my brother.” Max’s voice is terrified. Not even in the junkyard, when Demodogs had been raining down on you and the kids, had you heard such terror in the girl’s voice. “He can’t know I’m here.”

You’re at her side in a heartbeat, tugging her away from the window. You’ve seen the way Billy acts around Max, you remember the harshness he displayed in the parking lot. The same harshness that left bruises on your waist when he had you pinned against the wall on Halloween. “I won’t let him touch you.”

Your words have a bite to them. Max hears the oath within them, she has never believed anyone when they’ve told her this. “He’ll kill me. He’ll kill us.”

“He won’t.” You promise her, trying to control the pure rage you feel because of her brother. He can do whatever the fuck he wants with you, but he’s hurt Max for the last time.

Steve watches your exchange with Max and feels his hands clench into fists. Anger fizzes through his body. As you console the girl, your eyes meet his and he nods. With one simple head movement, the two of you have silently agreed to do whatever it takes to ensure that Billy never hurts Max ever again.

–

“Am I dreaming or is that you, Harrington?”

You’re standing behind Steve.

Billy hasn’t seen you yet.

“Yeah, it’s me. Don’t cream your pants.” Steve’s hand tightens around your arm as he guides you further behind him. He doesn’t like that you’re here with him. He hates the way Billy’s eyes roam over your body without any shame.

But you insisted on coming outside, and Steve has never been able to tell you no.

You step out from behind Steve and force your hands to rest by your side in nonchalance. “God, I was hoping you’d be allergic to milk.”

Billy raises his eyebrows when he sees you; you’ve surprised him. “Why, it’s always a pleasure seeing you, sweetheart.”

Steve’s clenched fists only tighten when he hears Billy’s nickname for you. He hates the implications behind it, the way he says it with such sickly sweetness that leaves Steve’s stomach feeling raw.

He can’t imagine how you feel whenever you hear it, and it only makes Steve hate Billy more.

“It’s never a pleasure for me.” You cross your arms as Billy now stands in front of you and Steve.

The teen laughs darkly and eyes Steve up and down. “What are you doing here, amigo?”

“I could ask you the same thing… Amigo.” His voice carries an air of indifference, but you know that tomorrow there will be indentations in Steve’s palms from his fingernails.

“Looking for my stepsister.” Billy lights a cigarette and smirks at you. “A little birdie told me she was here.”

“Huh, that’s weird. I don’t know her.”

Billy smirks at Steve’s words and motions over to you. “Yeah, but this little lady does.”

“Max isn’t here.” You say, forcing your anger down to play along with Steve’s indifference. “Have you checked the quarry? A lot of kids like to hang out there.”

Smoke surrounds you as Billy responds, “Don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, Henderson.”

With every dodged question, you’re only angering the teen more. If you and Steve keep this up, you’ll only make everything harder to manage. You try to think of something to distract Billy, but all you know about him is that he’s a sleazy pig with a cigarette addiction.

Then, it hits you.

His weird fascination with you.

If you use it against him, maybe you can get him away from the Byers’ house long enough for Steve and the kids to leave.

You step closer to Billy, ignoring every part of you that screams in rejection. You’re covered in blood and your hair is probably a mess, but you bat your eyelashes anyways and quirk your head up at Billy with an innocent smile. “I could show you, if you want.”

Just as you hoped, your sudden interest in him catches Billy’s attention. He presses his chest against yours and looks down at you, a pleased smile on his face. “And what would you be showing me, sweetheart?”

“The quarry, silly.” You giggle, trying not to gag at the reek of cigarette smoke. “It’s secluded… No one really goes down there. It’s, well–this is embarrassing.”

You duck your head down and act as if you’re blushing. Billy takes the bait and uses his fingers to lift your head up to look at him again. “Go on, tell me.”

You make a show of biting your lip. “Well, it’s where every teen in Hawkins goes to… Be alone.”

Billy’s eyes darken again, even more interested in what you have to say. He leans down, his lips inches from yours, and you know you have him right where you want him.

Please, you think. I just want to protect the kids.

His breath fans across your face and he’s about to agree, to have you lead him away and forget all about his bitch of a sister, when Steve roughly pushes him away from you.

“Max isn’t here, man.” He spits out, his once controlled anger now spilling over the edge.

You want to scream at him, you almost had Billy. He was seconds away from agreeing, and the stupid idiot pushes him away from you?

Billy looks between you and Steve and lets out a low chuckle. “Sorry, Harrington. Forgot that she’s yours.”

Steve moves as if to hit him but you quickly grab at his jacket, stopping him. Billy sees this and laughs again.

“You know, I don’t know… This whole situation, Harrington.” He shrugs, exhales more smoke. “I don’t know. It’s giving me the heebie-jeebies.”

“Oh yeah, why’s that?”

You’re silent, hand still clutching Steve’s jacket.

Billy exhales more smoke. “My thirteen year old sister goes missing all day, and then I find her with you in a stranger’s house, alongside Y/N Henderson, the town’s darling, all bloodied and bruised. And you lie to me about it.”

From an outsider’s perspective, you hate how much Billy makes sense.

To anyone else, this would look incredibly incriminating against Steve.

Yet, Steve still tries to deny it all. “Man, were you dropped too much as a child, or what?”

“I’m assuming he was.” You voice, looking nervously at Billy as he seems to grow more and more volatile.

“I don’t know what you don’t understand about what Y/N and I have told you. Max isn’t here.”

Billy leans in close to Steve and points with his cigarette towards the house. “Then who is that?”

You and Steve turn, and your heart drops when you see Max and the boys all quickly duck their heads out of the window.

“Shit,” you breathe out, knowing it’s over.

You really hate those kids sometimes.

“Listen,” Steve tries to make up some excuse, but Billy roughly shoves him to the ground.

“I told you to plant your feet.” Bully sneers as he looms over him. You try to help Steve up, but you’re pushed aside as Billy then stomps on Steve’s ankle with a sickening crunch that makes your own wounded ankle sting.

As he storms towards the house, you quickly help Steve up, He pushes you away. “I’ll be fine, go help the kids!”

“But–”

You can’t just leave Steve while he’s hurt, but every time you try to help him up, he bats your hand away.

“Go!”

From inside the house, you hear the kids start to scream, and you reluctantly leave Steve behind and run inside. When you enter, Billy already has Lucas pinned against the wall as all the kids scream at him to let the boy go. Lucas is hitting at the teen’s chest desperately, but nothing is working.

“Stay away from her.” Billy spits in the boy’s face, who is paralyzed with fear.

“Lucas!” You all but throw yourself onto Billy’s back as you begin hitting and pulling his hair. Anything you can think of, you try, but it’s no use. With Billy’s size and build, you’re nothing but a fucking bug to him.

“I said get off of me!” Lucas kneels Billy in the groin, sending you and the teen flying back, but at least he’s let go of Lucas.

You let go of Billy and place yourself between him and the boy, your breath comes out ragged. You don’t know what you’re supposed to be doing. All your mind can think of right now is protecting the kids, but in the midst of screaming and exhaustion and blood loss, you can’t think of anything.

Billy tries to get to Lucas again, his teeth bared with fury. “You’re so dead, Sinclair. So dead!”

In your exhaustion and fear, you call out for the only person you can think of. “Steve!”

He’s at your side in a heartbeat, quickly looking at you to make sure you’re okay, before he flings Billy away from you and Lucas. “No, you are!”

Steve’s punch lands perfectly, with a precision far from his pathetic punches thrown last year against Jonathan. It’s incredibly hot.

Billy begins to laugh in a manic manner that frightens you, but all of his attention is now on Steve, so you use this opportunity to drag Lucas over to the rest of the kids and make sure everyone is okay.

You trust that Steve has everything else handled, but you make sure to keep an eye on him anyways while you take care of the kids.

“Are you okay?” You check Lucas over for any injuries, who numbly nods as he’s still in shock, while Billy screams something about always wanting to meet King Steve.

“Get out.” Despite Steve’s leveled voice, his tone is vicious.

Billy swings again, but Steve manages to duck just in time before he lands yet another punch to the boy’s face.

“Yes!” Dustin shouts with glee, but you remember the fight from last year. How Steve had lost miserably against Jonathan. A boy half of Billy’s size.

While you’re impressed with Steve’s fighting improvement, you’re not sure how longer he’ll be able to keep this up. When more punches land on Billy and all he does is laugh menacingly, you know you don’t have a lot of time left.

You’re fucking terrified.

The kids are still cheering Steve on when you turn to them, panicked. “You guys need to leave. Now.”

“What? But Steve’s winning!” Dustin says as Steve’s fist connects with Billy’s jaw.

The sound makes you feel sick.

You’re pleading now, terror clawing at your throat as you do so; your words slur together. “Leave, sneak out, and–and go through the front door and hide. Get help, okay? Just, go and find someone while Steve and I handle this–”

The sound of glass breaking against Steve’s head alerts you that your time is up.

Billy hadn't been fighting back before. But now? He’s angrier than you’ve ever seen him.

As Steve stumbles back in pain, you try pleading with the kids again. You don’t want them to see any more of this, of what might be about to happen. This isn’t just some fight between two teen boys. You know Billy better than that.

He’s out for fucking blood.

“Dustin, take everyone outside now!”

“We can’t just leave you!” Mike shouts and the others all nod.

You want to cry. “We don’t have time for this, just–”

“Shit!” Dustin knocks against you as he dodges a punch meant for Steve.

Steve crashes into the Byers’ bookshelf and you’re practically shoving the kids out of the door so that you can go and help, but they refuse to leave you and Steve behind.

Billy has Steve by his jacket. “No one tells me what to do.”

With a sickening thud, he bashes his head into Steve’s and sends him flying to the ground.

“Steve!” There’s blood pooling from his head and you’re gripped by fear so intense that you’re afraid you’ll pass out any second.

Billy is relentless, now standing over Steve as he lands punch after punch. Every time his fists slam against Steve’s face, you feel them land against yours as well. Billy’s screaming like a fucking maniac and none of the kids are listening to you and Steve is getting bloodier by the second.

You’re torn.

Dustin and the kids are staring at you, eyes wide with fear, and the front door is open; you could take the kids and run, but Steve is lying motionless on the ground.

It’s either him or the kids.

And yet it’s the easiest decision you’ve made all night.

“Get off of him!” You throw yourself onto Billy’s back for the second time tonight.

You yank at his hair and try to scratch his face, but within seconds Billy throws you over his shoulder. “You demented bitch.”

Your head catches on the edge of a coffee table and you land with a thud on the ground. Almost immediately you feel blood drip from your eyebrow and you groan. Fuck. Definitely another concussion, but when you look over at Steve, he looks worse than you feel, and you force yourself to get up.

Billy watches as you pathetically try to stand, and he laughs with cruelty. “What, want some more, sweetheart?”

More blood drips down your face and you feel the scratches on your rib cage re-open. Every bone in your body aches, but you pull out your switchblade and extend its knives. Your fingers skim over the engraving on its handle, reminding you to use the weapon with love.

“This is your last chance.” You clutch at your side, hoping you look more intimidating than you feel. “Leave my family alone.”

Billy sees your knives and laughs at you. “Am I expected to believe that you’d actually hurt me?”

Your grip tightens around your switchblade. No one ever believes that you could be so cruel, so vicious. Billy is looking at you as if you’re some pathetic little girl, as if you haven’t killed Demodogs and Demogorgons. He’s looking at you as if you aren’t the sole reason everyone you know and love is alive.

You were once told to use the switchblade with love, that there was never any room for love when it came to violence.

Now, as the kids are screaming at you to run and the pool of blood around Steve continues to grow, the onslaught of love that is always within you overtakes the fear.

“I warned you.” With one quick movement, you swat at Billy and cut deeply into his shoulder.

He lets out an enraged scream and instinctively his fist goes flying. Pain erupts in your left eye and you know that you’ll have the worst time ever trying to explain to your mom later how you got a black eye.

“Fuck!” You groan, dodging every other punch that Billy throws your way as he starts to approach you. With one eye quickly swelling up and the other blinded by blood, you do your best to stumble away from Billy, but it’s no use.

Your foot catches on the carpet and almost as quickly as you fall, Billy is right there to wrap his hands around your throat and squeeze. You inhale sharply and panic overtakes you as you claw at his hands, drawing blood from him as well, but his fingers only tighten.

“Y/N!” Dustin’s vocal chords strain from how loud he screams your name.

Billy seems to get a kick out of hearing your brother plead for your life, and he squeezes even tighter as you flail. “Not so tough now, are you?”

You struggle to free yourself, to do anything, but you can’t.

For the first time since Will went missing, you truly believe that you’re about to die.

Steve is practically dead on the ground below you, he’s bleeding so much from his head that you’re terrified he’ll never wake up, and the kids are defenseless as they scream with tears in their eyes.

Your baby brother is about to watch you die.

Spots begin to form in your vision and it’s getting harder and harder to move your limbs. To make them do as you command.

You know it’s your brain shutting down from the lack of oxygen.

I hope Jonathan doesn’t blame himself.

Your world fades to black.

Billy screams.

And you feel your body drop to the ground.

–

The first time you wake up, it’s to Dustin huffing as he tugs at your arm. “God, you’re heavier than you look.”

You promptly pass back out.

The second time, it’s dark outside and you register that you’re cold, but your eyes sting and you’re out again.

You wake up a few more times, always in a daze, and never more for a few seconds at a time, before the feeling that you’re moving wakes you up for good.

It takes a moment for your eyes to adjust to the dark, your left eye barely even opens, and the pounding in your head is blinding in itself. Blinking a few times, you look down and finally notice that Steve is sprawled on your lap. You’re in the backseat of someone’s car.

Your head is resting against someone’s shoulder. When you try to lift it to see who it is, you feel someone gently guide your head back down. “Shh, it’s okay. Don’t move too fast, alright? Don’t want you yacking on us.”

“Dustin?” You immediately regret trying to speak. Your voice comes out hoarse and raw and the pain is so intense that it only makes your head pound more.

“Right here, sis. Try not to speak, you sound like a frog.”

You try to sit up again, forgetting that Steve is sprawled on top of you, and your movements cause him to wake up. When his eyes manage to blink open, he tilts his head at you and mumbles, “Nancy?”

“Wha–” Again your voice cracks and you feel so delirious. Are you Nancy?

Steve attempts to wipe away the blood on his face but Dustin stops him with a gentle chiding. “No, don’t touch it.”

Steve brings a shaky hand up to your face and carefully rests it against your cheek. “You’re… You’re bleeding.”

Dustin puts the hand down. “Hey, buddy. Y/N is bleeding, good job. You’re bleeding, too. It’s okay though, you put up a good fight. I mean, he kicked your ass but you put up a good fight.”

Your brother’s words ring in your ears. He’s saying so much and you’re trying to swallow down the vomit that threatens to spill out.

“Okay, you’re gonna keep straight for half a mile, then make a left on Mount Sinai.” A voice rings out, one different from Dustin’s.

Was that Lucas?

“What’s going on?” Steve slurs, trying to process everything happening. He blearily looks back up at you. “Who’s driving?”

“Not me,” you manage to croak out.

A beat of silence passes.

Then, at the same time, you and Steve realize: Max is the one driving.

You’re more awake now and you try to say more, but your throat has swollen shut from speaking and it feels like it’s on fire.

Thankfully, Steve is here to say everything you can’t. “Oh my god!”

“Just relax, she’s driven before.” Dustin reassures, slapping your hand away when you try to reach over to the driver’s side.

“Yeah, in a parking lot.” Mike says, and you notice he’s also here now.

“That counts.”

You want to scream at Max to pull over and demand the keys from her, but your bruised throat prevents you while your bleeding rib cage traps you in. While you can’t say anything, all Steve can say is, “Oh my god.”

“They were gonna leave you guys behind–”

“Oh my god.”

“But I promised that you’d be cool, okay?” Again Dustin slaps your hand away and all but shoves his leg over you so that you remain seated.

Max then presses down on the gas pedal and the car increases its speed, which only makes the entire situation worse.

Steve, rightfully, freaks out. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! What’s going on? Stop the car, slow down!”

You twist in your seat and blindly grab at Steve’s hand, both thanking him for voicing all that you can’t and also to try and prevent the poor boy from passing out again.

“I told you he’d freak out! At least Y/N shut up!” Mike shouts over at Dustin.

While you’re flattered that you’re officially cooler than Steve in Mike’s eyes, if you had a functioning throat right now, you’d be letting out some very choice words.

“Stop the car!” Steve screams again, but the little rainbow bandaids on his cheek take away from his commanding nature.

You hope that Dustin at least chose some pretty bandaids for your face.

“Everybody shut up! I’m trying to focus!” Again, Max doesn’t at all help the situation at hand.

“Wait, that’s Mount Sinai. Make a left!” Lucas points to where Max needs to go and you wonder why they trusted the girl, who just moved to Hawkins a week ago, to know where to go.

“What?”

“Make a left!” Lucas screams, and Max quickly yanks the car to the left.

You, Steve, and the kids all scream as she hits what you hope is a mailbox. As the car jerks, you topple onto Steve and let out a painful, weird mix of a croak and shriek as the car continues to turn. Dustin tries to steady himself against you as he screams and Steve fully grabs your waist and uses you to shield himself from danger.

What a hero.

Then, you almost go flying out of the windshield as Max suddenly stops the car.

“Hello!” Steve exclaims, gripping you tightly still.

Dustin giggles. “Whoa!”

“Incredible,” Mike breathes out.

Meanwhile, you think your heart fell out of your ass about five blocks ago.

“I told you. Zoomer.” Max smirks with pride.

“She terrifies me,” you whisper, and Steve nods in agreement.

The kids begin getting out of the car and seem to have some unspoken plan being set into motion. Dustin pats your shoulder before leaving you behind with Steve as the others go towards the trunk.

Not knowing what the fuck is happening, you kick Steve so that he falls off of you and onto the grass so that you can follow after your brother. When you get out the car, you march over towards where all the kids are standing and silently demand an explanation.

Mike notices you first. “What? Cat got your tongue?”

You refrain from shoving his face in the mud and point towards the goggles he’s holding. He sighs and hands it to you while Dustin ties a bandana around your neck and Max grabs a gallon of gasoline.

Seems like they’re sticking to the plan from earlier, then.

When Steve realizes this, as he is gripping onto the car for dear life, he whines. “Oh, no. Guys.”

Everyone ignores him and he continues to try to stop what’s happening. You hobble over to him, a new wave of nausea and pain washing over you, and lean against him helplessly. There’s no use trying to explain to him that the party won’t listen. For now, you simply relish in his presence and enjoy how he feels against you.

“We are not going down there right now!” Steve, though gentle to not jostle you around too much, waves his hands in the air as he screams at Max. “I made myself clear. There is no chance we’re going to that hole, alright?”

Similar to last year, Steve begins to spiral in his fear. He wraps his arms around you and places you against the car before he runs over to Dustin and throws that backpack that’s in the kid’s hands. “This is not happening!”

You slowly walk over and grab the thrown backpack, hoping that Dustin can reason with the teen.

“Steve, you’re upset. I get it, but the bottom line is that a party member requires assistance and it is our duty to provide that assistance.” When you join Dustin’s side, he helps you put the goggles on and brings your bandana up over your mouth. “Now, I know you promised Nance that you would keep us safe. So keep us safe.”

He hands Steve the backpack you retrieved.

Steve looks between you and your brother. You both look absolutely ridiculous in your get up, and he knows he has no other choice but to agree. His eyes meet yours and he silently asks if you’re sure about this, he will always look to you for the answers.

You nod, hoping that the small head shift is conveying what you physically cannot say.

I’m here, the kids need us, and I need you with me.

Steve hears it, sighs, and grabs the backpack from your hands.

“Well, let’s get going.” He motions for you and Dustin to lead the way.

–

“I got you,” Steve’s voice is soft as his hands graze your waist. He’s standing below you, already having jumped into the tunnels so that he can help you climb down the rope safely. You’re not sure if it’s his touch, or the way his voice drips with promises to protect you, or the simple fact that you’re bleeding and bruised that makes your body weak.

“Drop me and die.” Your knuckles are white as they clutch the rope, your body shaking with exhaustion as you try to ease your way down without further injuring your ribs.

Steve laughs and tightens his grip on your waist, steadying you as you finally inch the rest of the way down and land with a gentle thud onto the ground. “Like I’d ever dream of letting you go.”

This time, you know it’s his words that cause you to shiver, not the exhaustion and pain.

“Ahem.”

Turning around, you see Dustin glaring at you and Steve while Lucas is stifling laughs. You roll your eyes at them and step away so that you aren’t standing so close to Steve, and he seems to think the same and distances himself as well.

“Holy shit,” Steve breathes out, now finally examining the tunnels.

It takes your breath away as well. The tunnels are terrifying, but oddly kind of cool. There’s a dim light within them, almost ghostly, and yet it’s beautiful in a way that you can’t quite describe. Small particles float through the air, and you reach your hand out to feel them against your skin. It tickles, akin to snowflakes, and the reminder makes you yearn for winter again.

Mike’s flashlight distracts you as he shines it towards a random section of the tunnel. “Yeah. I’m pretty sure it’s this way.”

“You’re pretty sure, or you’re certain?” Dustin asks, doubtful.

“I’m 100% sure, just follow me and you’ll know.”

As soon as Mike’s declaration of leading leaves his lips, you and Steve share and look and immediately stumble towards the boy.

Like hell you’re letting him lead. He’s a child, and he’s also incredibly horrible at navigating. Last time you let him guide the way, you ended up finding El in the middle of the woods.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Steve flashes his light at Mike. “I don’t think so.”

“What?”

“Any of you little shits die down here, I’m getting the blame. Got it, dipshit?” Steve takes the map from Mike’s hands and then looks over at you. “I guide, you take the rear?”

You nod. “Good luck.”

Steve smiles, his sarcastic bravado now gone, before he suddenly clears his throat once more and shouts. “From here on out, I’m leading the way while Y/N makes sure none of you idiots get lost. Come on.”

The kids groan and roll their eyes at him, but they fall into line and do as they’re told.

Dustin walks in front of you and offers you his hand. He knows the uneven terrain will only increase the chances of your ankle acting up. “How’s the ankle?”

“Hurts,” you rasp, accepting his hand as you hobble along. He hums and helps you navigate, the goggles covering his nose makes him sound nasally. “Did I put up a good fight at least?”

Your throat strains to get all the words out, but Dustin seems to understand what you’ve said and laughs. “Yeah, you did a much better job than Steve–What the hell?”

Dustin stops walking and suddenly looks up. Unsure what he’s seen, you look up as well and gasp. Above you rests a giant flower-bud looking thing, except it’s pulsing in a very concerning and gross way and is the size of a car. When it starts to expand even larger, you realize before your brother does what it’s about to do; you tug at his hand and try to run away, but Dustin doesn’t move.

Then, in one grand blow, the bud explodes and releases what you can only imagine are pollen spores, and they spray all over Dustin. “Shit!” He falls to the ground, screaming and rolling around as if he’s just been shot, and all you can do is stand there and silently wait for him to calm down enough for you to talk to him. “Help! Y/N, help!”

You motion to your throat, but Dustin gags and scrambles to stand up before promptly falling back down again in his haste.

Steve and the others have now joined and everyone is crowding over your brother with worry. “Dustin? What happened?”

“Pollen.” You croak, and Steve looks even more confused now.

“It’s in my mouth!” Dustin spits onto the ground and coughs, wheezing every few breaths. “Some of it got on my mouth. Shit!”

Mike points his flashlight at you. “Any more useful insight from Kermit the frog?”

You glare at him, although the nickname is funny and you hate that it’s clever. You clear your throat, cringe at the sting it sends down your body, and respond, “Rose-bud thing. Exploded. He’s fine.”

Everyone tilts their head at you, not at all understanding what you’re trying to say, and you groan. It’s incredibly frustrating that Billy left you unable to say a goddamn thing without immeasurable pain. You honestly would’ve preferred that he stab you or something, because your intelligence and wit are so crucial to who you are as a person.

Plus the whole Kermit the frog thing kind of sucks, regardless of how funny it will be later.

“I’m fine.” Dustin gasps out. “As Y/N said, a rose-bud thing sprayed me.”

“You guys serious?” Max shakes her head, at a loss for why she’s even here.

“Very funny, man.” Steve looks at you and teases, “And Y/N, I expected more from you.”

You give him the finger. “Dustin, not me.”

“Mhm,” he’s starting to walk away again, resuming his leader position through the tunnels, but he sends you a wink. “C’mon, Hendersons.”

The rest of the kids follow after him while you help Dustin up and wipe him off. He’s a mess, and he’s clearly still frightened, but he seems reassured by your presence and begins to calm down. When he’s ready, you and Dustin follow.

The tunnels are long, windy, and incredibly disturbing to be in. You can’t believe that something this intricate and vast has been laying underneath Hawkins for god knows how long. The ground beneath your feet is squishy and it takes both Dustin’s hand and immense concentration to not trip.

Steve leads, his flashlight serving as a beacon to focus on despite the pounding in your head. The bandana tied over your nose only makes the ringing in your ears worse, but you’ll leave inhaling mysterious Upside Down particles to your brother.

After a few minutes of walking, you’re starting to fear that the poorly drawn map from Mike really is just a poorly drawn map. Then, Steve stops. “Alright, Wheeler. I think we found your hub.”

You flick your flashlight around and your eyes widen. It’s huge. In the center lies a mound of what you hope is just mud, but you see a bone or two stick out from it and look away. To your left, there’s easily five or six more tunnels, each varying in width and height, and to your right is the same.

Seeing how vast the tunnel system is, you’re thankful for Mike’s genius little brain.

“Let’s drench it!” Except the vigor in his voice frightens you and you consider that he may be the world’s next mad scientist.

However, a plan is a plan and you’ve already made it this far, so you set to work on spraying the area with gasoline. Between you, Steve, and the kids, within minutes you’ve created the world’s most flammable labyrinth.

When you’re done, Steve guides the kids back towards the exit and you make sure everyone’s behind the two of you. He kneels, flicks out his lighter, and turns to everyone. “Alright, you guys ready?”

“Ready,” Max and Lucas say.

Dustin tightens his hand around yours, preparing to help you run as fast as you can with your ankle. “Light her up.”

Steve flicks his lighter open. “I am in such deep shit.”

“Together.” You nudge him with your shoe, and even though his face is hidden, you know he smiles.

He takes a deep breath, winds his arm back, and flings the lighter into the center of the hub.

Immediately everything bursts into flames. In the blaze, the strange roots that had been lying dormant on the ground now come to life as they flail against the heat. They twist and whip around, writhing in pain. The tunnels themselves almost seem to come to life as it writhes in pain.

“Go, go, go!” Steve yells, pushing everyone back to start running.

You stay behind with him, making sure all the kids have started to run before you finally let Dustin tug you along as well. The boy is screaming, hopping and dodging roots as best as he can while squealing, “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!”

Steve takes the lead now, having somehow memorized the way out. “Let’s go!”

You’re disoriented. Dustin’s hand is gripping yours so harshly and it’s taking everything within you to keep up, but your ankle throbs and your left eye has only continued to swell from the punch earlier. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to follow along, and in your disorientation you lose track of Mike.

When he falls, everything within you snaps back into focus. You tear your hand from Dustin’s and you’re at Mike’s side in a heartbeat, but already the roots have started to wrap around his leg; he screams. “Help! Y/N, help me!”

Your hands shake as you reach for your switchblade, adrenaline runs through you so violently that you feel lightheaded. Mike’s screams are the only thing keeping you grounded right now. As he panics, you roughly grab his shirt and force him back before you start to hack at the root with your knives.

“Pull him back!” Steve instructs the kids, who have now joined. “Y/N, watch out!”

You have just enough time to cut through one root before dodging Steve’s bat as he hits at the other. It takes a few swings, but with one final blow, you and the kids are able to pull Mike free and help him stand back up.

“You good?” Lucas pants, patting MIke’s shoulders for any injuries while Dustin asks, “You okay?”

You pull Mike into you and quickly hug him, damning whatever time constraint you currently have against you. Your hands are still shaking, which Mike feels, and he gives you a quick pat before pulling away. “Glad you care, but–”

“We gotta go!” Steve steps between you two, bat still in hand, when a growl erupts from behind him.

Dustin shoves everyone behind him before you can stop him. He’s recognized the growl before you have. “Dart.”

The Demodog growls again. He’s bigger than ever before, now practically fully grown. His growth distracts you long enough to miss Dustin slowly starting to approach him. When you do, you immediately try to stop him.

“Dustin–” Fear overtakes you.

“Steve, hold her back.” He orders. “Just trust me, okay?”

Steve’s arms wrap around you and you try to fight back. “No–”

“Y/N,” he whispers into your ear, keeping an eye on your brother as well. “If you freak out now, Dustin will get hurt.”

He’s right, you know he’s right, but your brother is only a foot away from Dart now and he’s now smaller than the creature. One wrong move, and he’s dead.

Dustin kneels in front of Dart and you feel your heart drop. You don’t dare breathe as he takes off his goggles and mask and leans in closer to the creature. “Hey, it’s me. It’s just your friend, it’s Dustin.”

Dart slowly inches forward as Dustin continues to talk. “You remember me? Will you let us pass?”

This time, Dart’s entire mouth opens as he snarls at Dustin.

Again you struggle in Steve’s arms, but he only tightens his hold on you as you watch your baby brother, terrified, face off against the Demodog.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry.” Dustin lowers his voice, unwavering against Dart’s malice. “I’m sorry about the storm cellar. That was a pretty douchy thing to do. I blame Y/N, she’s always the one who makes me do the right thing.”

The little shit has you scared out of your fucking mind, and yet he has the nerve to somehow make this your fault.

If he gets out of this alive, you’re never, ever letting him go again.

Dustin reaches into his backpack, eyes never leaving Dart. “You hungry?

“He’s insane,” Lucas whispers in awe. Both you and Steve tell him to shut up, scared that any noise will cause Dart to attack.

“I’ve got our favorite.” Dustin waves the candy in front of Dart’s face. “See? Nougat.”

As soon as the Demodog sees the candy bar, his demeanor shifts and he happily approaches Dustin. Within seconds, your brother has managed to re-tame his weird Upside Down pet, and for a brief second you feel bad that Dustin can’t keep him.

“Look at that. Yummy!” He places the candy on the ground as a peace offering and he starts to motion behind him, waving for you and everyone else to start moving. “Eat up, buddy.”

Steve guides Lucas, Max, and Mike past Dart and through the tunnel that was previously blocked by him, but you stay behind. Your knives are drawn; you’re not leaving your brother’s side.

“There’s plenty,” Dustin coos to the creature, placing down one last candy bar before standing up. When he sees that you’re still there, he grabs your hand and starts to walk away with you. Feeling his hand, warm and alive against yours, is enough to calm you down enough to follow. Before the two of you leave, however, Dustin turns around one last time to look at Dart, a sad smile on his face. “Goodbye, buddy.”

Dart doesn’t show any reaction, too busy devouring the candy he’s been given, and you gently tug Dustin along to safety, albeit with some guilt. He really loved that little lizard thing.

As soon as the two of you are out of danger, you pull Dustin into a bone crushing hug. “You’re stupid.”

“Stupid brave,” he mumbles against you, though his arms are tight against your waist. He had been scared, too.

You snort and pull your bandana down so you can kiss the top of Dustin’s head. “Just stupid.”

“Guys, we gotta go.” Steve whispers, feeling bad for interrupting your moment with the kid. He can still feel the way your body shook in his arms, how he could hear your terrified heartbeat as he held you back. He felt horrible for doing it, but he promised Nancy he’d keep the kids safe, and Steve knows that she also wanted him to protect you, too.

At Steve’s urgent whisper, you reluctantly nod and pull away from Dustin. With one last shoulder squeeze, you pat his back and tug at his hand to start running. As you run, the ground trembles beneath your feet. You’re the first one to fall, Max and Lucas not far behind. “Fuck!”

Steve has your hand within his in seconds and he gently pulls you up. His face is obscured from the goggles and banana, yet you can see the concern when he looks at you. When he stands you back up, he pulls you close and whispers, “You okay?”

You nod, about to tell him to keep running, when you hear the first screech of the Demodogs.

“What was that?” Max inches towards your side, now long familiar with what the screeches mean.

As if almost in response to the girl, more screeches follow as they echo through the tunnels. Only this time, there’s more of them; more than you’d even want to imagine. The hair on your arms stands up as the screeching continues. You know that if you don’t run now, none of you will stand a chance.

“They’re coming.” Mike realizes. “Run! Run, let’s go!”

You snatch Dustin’s hand and practically throw the kid forward with how harshly you begin running. Lucas and Max run past, while Mike follows after Steve. Your footsteps fall harshly against the tunnel’s earthy ground and it takes everything within you to keep going. When you round the corner and see the rope, you almost sob with relief.

“Kids first!” You shout, damning whatever further damage it’ll do to your vocal chords.

Steve understands immediately and kneels beneath the rope to give the kids a boost up while you hold the rope taught and help lift them. Max is the first up, both you and Steve more so throwing her rather than helping her.

“C’mon!” Steve encourages her, and with one final shove from you, she makes it over the edge and is safe.

Everything happens so fast, it’s a blur as you help Lucas start to climb out, then Mike, and as you’re hauling Dustin up next, you hear the Demodogs drawing near.

“Oh, shit!” Steve hears them as soon as you do and he grabs for his bat and starts to place himself in front of you and Dustin, but you stop him.

“No!” You yank him back and then grab your brother, shoving him underneath the rope. The shadows of the Demodogs cast against the wall, you know you only have seconds before they’re here. “Throw him up!”

Dustin realizes what you’re about to do. “Y/N, no–”

But Steve already has a grip on him. “You’re going home.”

“No!” Dustin screams and tries to stay behind, wriggling and thrashing, but with Steve’s help, you’re able to lift him to safety before the first Demodog appears. Dustin, now safely above ground, sees this too. His heart stops. “Y/N!”

“Steve! Y/N! Climb up!” The kids begin to shout now, urging you and the teen to get out of the tunnels, fear alive in their voices.

You look up at them, see their faces alive with youth, and then turn to Steve. He seems to be thinking the same thing as you. You’ve both run out of time. He nods, you do as well, and together you’ve accepted your fate. Steve draws his bat as you raise your knives.

“Y/N!” Dustin’s voice rings through clearer than the other’s, the despair evident. You close your eyes for a second, wishing that there was more you could’ve done, but at least he’s safe.

Jonathan will take care of him, Nancy will, too.

He won’t be alone, and you have Steve with you, who is holding your hand as if it contains all the secrets of the world.

It’ll be okay.

You open your eyes.

The Demodogs, miraculously, start to run right past you and Steve. They weave between you two, not at all paying any attention. You stand as still as possible, not wanting to wake them from whatever trance they seem to be in.

However, one particularly large Demodog crashes against your leg and sends you into Steve’s side, who wraps his arms around you with a fierce protectiveness. You duck your head down, unaware just how desperately you’d been craving his presence, and he buries you further against him as the monsters continue to run.

The two of you cower, curling into one another, steadying the other, waiting for something to happen. Steve has his feet firmly planted and stands his ground as more monsters run past, and without him you would’ve fallen minutes ago, trampled by the creatures.

When you can’t hear any more Demodogs, you slowly lift your head from Steve’s chest and look around.

They’re gone. Each and every one of them has left.

You’re still in Steve’s arms, your chests are pressed tightly together and you’ve never been this close to him before. When you look up at him, you can feel his breath against your skin. There’s an odd look in his eyes, he’s studying your face as if seeing it for the first time, and his gaze makes something deep within you stir.

“Thank you,” you whisper, needing to say something. He’s once again saved your life, and your eyes can’t seem to leave his.

His fingers dig into your side, it’s the only way he can respond. The sensation causes you to shiver and your eyes slowly drift down to his lips. They’re a lovely shade of pink, flush and full. You wonder what they’d taste like, if he’s wondered the same about you.

Steve stares down at you and feels every breath you take, the rise and fall of your chest matching his. The two of you stand like this for a moment, hearts beating together as you cling to one another, until Dustin clears his throat.

“Ahem,” he draws your attention. “There are kids here, ya know.”

Lucas, Max, and Mike all snicker when you frantically pull away from Steve in embarrassment. Both of your faces are red, the air between you still hangs with something you’re not quite sure how to name.

“We’re coming.” Steve mumbles to your brother before turning to you. “Ready?”

You take a deep breath and nod, your nerves still shaky from being so close to him prior. When you’re ready, you grab onto the rope and feel Steve’s always gentle hands grip your waist. You’re slow climbing up, being the most injured out of everyone, but he’s patient with you and murmurs encouragement as you climb.

Once you’re safely up, you help the kids with Steve. The moment his feet touch solid land, he lets out a low whistle and claps his hands. “Well, I’d say that went well–”

Suddenly, Billy’s headlights begin to shine obnoxiously bright. The light increases in its intensity, glowing brighter and brighter, so much so that you and everyone else have to shield your eyes. Then, just as suddenly as it began, the lights shut off.

It’s quiet. No one says anything, unsure of what’s just happened, but you know.

“El,” you whisper, somehow knowing it’s her. Mike nods, understanding as well.

She did it.

She closed the gate.

You pull the kids into you, dragging them all in your arms in a giant hug. All you feel right now is disbelief. The plan worked. You’re all somehow still alive.

Steve stands behind you, his chest firm against your back, and you allow yourself to gently lean against him. To accept all that he’s silently providing you; there’s no point in fighting it any more. He’s here, offering you anything you need from him, and you’re exhausted from pretending that you don’t see it.

After a few moments of silence, you finally release the kids and nudge them towards the car.

It’s time to go home.

–

“So what exactly did you guys do with Billy?” Steve’s driving and you’re in the passenger seat, waves of exhaustion crashing upon you. From the rearview mirror, Steve sees Lucas, Dustin, and Mike all turn to Max slowly. He frowns. “Why are you all looking at her?”

Max shifts uncomfortably in her seat. “I handled it.”

“She sedated him and we left him on the floor at Will’s.” Dustin fills in the information that Max opted to omit, which she elbows him for.

Steve blinks, turns to you, and asks, “You heard that too, right?”

“Mhm.”

“Cool.”

When you get to Jonathan’s, Billy is sitting hunched over on the porch, waiting. He looks rough, his eyes bleary and his hair matted. When you see him, you feel your throat constrict in pain and a sense of panic builds within you. You look towards Steve, see his bruised cheek, then notice the way Max squirms in the backseat being near Billy, and the panic is replaced with anger.

He’s caused enough pain and turmoil to those you love.

Steve parks the car and turns in his seat so that he’s facing everyone. “Alright, we all see that Billy is awake, so you guys stay here while I go and–”

“We.” You correct, swallowing down the pain you feel.

Steve inhales and looks as if he wants to argue, but he just shakes his head and continues. “Okay, we go and talk to the guy.”

“I want to come.” Max says, though she still refuses to look in Billy’s direction.

You rest a hand on her leg. You understand what she’s asking for, to handle her brother herself, take her life into her own hands. Max is a brave kid, she’s shown you that much tonight, and while you trust her to make the right decision, you’re still hesitant. “Are you sure?”

She thinks for a second before nodding. Her eyes harden and she juts her jaw out. She’s made up her mind, and you get a kick out of seeing the fire within her. Max Mayfield is an incredible young girl, and you’re honored to know that she trusts you. “I’m sure.”

“Then let’s go.”

You, Steve, and Max walk side by side towards Billy, though you make sure to place the girl slightly behind you in case her brother tries anything.

When Billy notices you approach, he lifts his head up and waves lazily at the three of you. “Back already?” His words slur together and his eyes are glossy; the sedative must still be wearing off.

Max steps forward. “Take me home.”

Billy eyes her, looks between you and Steve, and then sighs. “Fine. Any other demands?”

The girl shakes her head. “I’ll wait in the car.”

And then she’s gone, leaving you and Steve alone with Billy.

He eyes you, sees the bruises on your neck, and a languid smile drawls across his face. “Seems I left a mark, sweetheart.”

Steve steps forward, but you put your hand out and stop him. You appreciate him, you do, but this is something you have to do yourself. You swallow again, feeling the tender flesh within your throat constrict, and try to make your words come out as neutral as possible. “Seems I did, too.”

Billy looks down at his shoulder, the wound from your knife is still bleeding. “So you did.”

Lucas and the other boys stand off to the side now, having left the car alone for Max. When Billy notices them staring, he sighs and wipes his hands off on his jeans and slowly gets up. “Well, my bitch of a sister awaits.”

As Billy leaves, Mike runs up the steps and unlocks the front door. “Y/N, think you could make those cookies again? I’m starving.”

You glare at him and Steve laughs. “I’m not sure she can even walk up the steps, dude.”

“Yeah, look at her.” Dustin waves his hands in front of you. “She looks like a zombie.”

Lucas makes zombie sounds and pretends to eat Dustin’s brains before Mike joins in. The three of them chase each other into the house, screaming “brains” and “die” as they mess around, leaving you and Steve alone outside.

He steps in front of you, his back towards you and he crouches down. “Care for a ride?”

You want to argue, but it’s becoming harder and harder to keep your eyes open. It’d be a miracle if you even manage up the first step on the porch. Hesitantly, you place your hands on Steve’s shoulders and jump onto his back.

“Atta girl,” he laughs, standing back up so that he can carry you inside and join the boys. You wrap your arms around his neck and nuzzle your face as you close your eyes. You’re seconds away from falling asleep. Steve seems to sense this and slows down his footsteps so as to not disturb you.

He navigates the home, remembering where to go from his time here last year. You’re warm against him and Steve’s fingers draw lazy circles onto your ankles. The boys are in the kitchen, scurrying around for any food, and Steve relishes in this small moment with you.

You’re placed down into a soft bed and the smell of Jonathan overwhelms you; you open your eyes and realize that Steve has taken you to the boy’s room. The bed is warm beneath you, the scent soothes your wounds.

“Jonathan’s?” You ask, confused as to why Steve would take you here.

“Figured it’s where you sleep when you’re here.” He shrugs, as if it’s no big deal, before grabbing the blankets and tucking you in. His movements are careful and he makes sure your head is resting on a pillow and that he takes off your shoes.

The gentleness of his touch soothes you. You’ve never let anyone take care of you like this before. You let him play with your hair, wrap the blanket around you so that you won’t get cold, and when he finally seems pleased with his work, he flicks your nose and smiles. “Get some sleep, dork.”

“Everyone is safe?”

His eyes melt. “They are. They’ll be home soon. In the meantime, I’ll rustle up some grub for those heathens outside while you sleep. Doctor’s orders.”

You giggle and grab his hand to bring to your lips. They linger against his knuckles, you inhale and breathe in his scent, and Steve’s breath hitches at the touch. “Thank you,” you whisper against his skin before placing another kiss.

There’s such a lovely buzz within your chest, holding Steve’s hand fills you with this syrupy warmth like honey, and you’ve never felt it before. It drips down your skin and into your bones, healing wounds both old and new with its kisses.

Steve squeezes your hand with his. He feels it, too. You both do.

–

A body slides in next to yours, rousing you from your sleep. A hand wraps around your waist and the fingers, long and lithe and familiar, skim your skin lazily. The sensation almost lulls you back to sleep, you know whose touch this is, whose body lays next to yours.

You open your arms and engulf Jonathan into a hug. His body lays atop of yours, reminiscent of the night a few days ago when he snuck into your room before he left with Nancy. Your body has long since come to anticipate his weight against yours, it’s become accustomed to how he lands upon you.

“What time is it?” You rasp, stroking Jonathan’s hair with your fingers as he breathes steadily against you. You’re not sure how long you’ve been asleep, but the pain in your throat has lessened, your voice is slowly returning to normal.

“Early morning,” he mumbles, pressing a kiss against your shoulder. “Steve took Dustin home, no one wanted to wake you. Apparently you had a rough night.”

You laugh, then wince at the pain it draws from your throat and ribs. “You could say that.”

Jonathan places another kiss upon your skin, this time against the base of your throat. He litters kisses up and down your neck, his breath tickling as he does so. “I’m sorry,” he says in between each kiss, as if his words will make the bruises fade faster.

Rather than respond, knowing nothing you can say will make him believe that none of this is Jonathan’s fault, you simply hum at his kisses and lean into them. “Will?”

“He’s okay, he’s safe. Mom is with him now.”

You hum again, relishing in the knowledge that Will is okay and that Jonathan is once again here with you. The house is quiet, everyone else asleep, and the two of you lay like this for a while. No more words are said, Jonathan presses kisses against your skin as your fingers interlock through his hair and you run your hand up and down his back.

Somehow, you know this will be the last time you ever have him like this.

Just the two of you, uncrossed in any boundaries. Skin against skin, kisses to wounds and fingers intertwined. You hope that your body never forgets the weight of his. You hope that it will always anticipate his impact, welcoming it after a long day. Jonathan’s touch will soon become ghosts lingering on your skin, and selfishly you never want this moment to end.

Uncrossed boundaries, threads and strings and lines.

They’re here. You can see them now, they almost glow faintly within Jonathan’s room, the same room in which you grew up in.

“Bee?” You whisper, nudging him gently to get his attention. He lifts his head from your neck and looks at you, eyes open and listening. “We have to talk about it.”

The early morning light streams through the curtain and illuminates Jonathan’s face. His eyes are a mixture of browns and reds and ambers and you try to remember what they look like now, before the words are said and nothing will ever be the same again.

“I’m scared,” he admits. You’ve made him into who he is today, with all of his quirks and humor and love. Jonathan doesn’t know who he would be without you, and he’s terrified that he’ll say the wrong thing and lose you forever.

“I know,” you stroke his cheek. “I am, too.”

“I don’t want to–I can’t lose you.”

“You’ll never lose me, Jonathan Byers.” You’re firm in your words, now grasping at his face with your hands. “We’re connected, remember? String theory, you and me.”

Jonathan has tears in his eyes. “But I slept with Nancy.”

His confession only makes you sigh. “I know, bee.”

“I–I think… I think this time it’ll turn into something more. I… I think I love her, bug.” His voice cracks, terrified of his own words. He recognizes now, far too late, all that he’s missed. “But bug… I know there’s–that there’s some things we should’ve talked about. A long time ago… but I just…”

“I know,” you know everything he’s trying to tell you. There’s no hurt in your voice, only resignation, but you knew this would happen eventually. “We missed our chance a while ago.”

“Did we ever really have a chance?” He asks, thinking back to the day the two of you met. How easily you accepted him into your life, the role you unknowingly assigned to him as your best friend. How, for years, he’d been so in love with you but terrified it’d scare you away.

You play with his fingers, thinking for a moment. “I’d like to think that we did. I think we just… We missed each other, along the way.”

He smiles, bittersweet and somber. “We would’ve been something great, huh?”

“You’re my person,” you tell him, a certain sadness creeping into your voice. It’s the truth. No one will ever know you like he does, no one can unravel you the way he can. The love you have for Jonathan is unyielding, it transcends everything else you’ve ever felt. “Of course we would’ve been something great.”

“And now?”

You bite your lip, unsure. “Now we just… We let go.”

Jonathan tightens his arms and presses himself further against you. “I’m never letting you go, Y/N Henderson.”

You feel tears beginning to form in your eyes, both from grief and acceptance. “You don’t have to, but we have to let go of our claim to one another. You’re Nancy’s, now. It wouldn't be fair otherwise. To anyone.”

“And you’re Steve’s?” He asks, hesitant to bring the boy up. While you watched Jonathan fall in love with Nancy, he’s watched you fall for Steve.

“I think I could really love him,” you admit, breathless. “I think I’ve already started to fall for him.”

Jonathan’s heart twists at the breathlessness in your voice, though he knows he’ll have to get used to this. To no longer being the reason for your bashfulness. It’ll take time, but he knows in the end that it’s for the better. “You deserve to go for it, bug.”

“Really?”

“Of course,” he playfully pokes your side. “Nancy fucked up with him, and I fucked up with you. The two of you deserve better than us, and I… I want you to be happy, you know that.”

“I know, but…” you turn to him now, needing him to understand all that you still don’t know how to voice yourself. “Remember our pinky promise from last year?”

Jonathan wiggles his pinky at you, unsure where you’re going with this. “I do.”

“We’ll always stay like this, right? You and me?” You know it’s selfish to ask, to expect everything to stay the same between you, but losing Jonathan would be the one thing you’d never recover from. He’s in your bones, now. He’s grown up alongside you, patched up your wounds as a child and now holds your hands through the nightmares you face together.

It doesn’t matter how you and Jonathan end, whether you’re lovers in this universe or simply the best of friends. Regardless of what’s happened, he’s the most important person in your life. He always will be.

Jonathan presses a kiss upon your forehead, his lips warm. “Always, and I’ll always love you the most, bug.”

“I’ll always love you the most, bee.” The words come easily to you, an exhale after being inhaled so long ago.

The world stills. Then, as slow as the sun rises after a harsh winter’s night, the strings and lines finally settle between you two.

“Let’s go to bed.” Jonathan whispers, wanting to hold onto you for at least a few more hours.

In the late morning hours the two of you will wake up, and it will be the last time you do so in each other’s arms.

–

When Jonathan drops you off at home the next day, your mom freaks when she sees you. Dustin had tried to prepare her, making up some lie about how you’d fallen down at the Byers’ house and that’s why you couldn’t come home for a few days. However, your mom still had a heart attack when you walked through the front door with a split head, black eye, bruised neck, and a bloodied side.

“My baby!” She took you into her arms and immediately set her eyes on Jonathan. “What, did you have a bear in the house or something?”

Jonathan looked over at Dustin with a helpless look on his face and your brother had sighed. He figured he’d have to be the one to take over. “Like I said, mom. Y/N just got really into our campaign and fell. She’s fine, I mean, look at her!”

You did your best to appear very fine and healthy, despite your concussion forming a horrendous headache. You forced a smile on your face, all teeth. “All fine and dandy, mom.”

Claudia Henderson hadn’t bought it.

You were placed under house arrest for two weeks.

During these two weeks, you were only allowed to leave the house to either go to work (somehow Mrs. Waters still hasn’t fired you despite missing three days of work), and go to school. It wasn’t so bad, though. You had needed the rest, and Nancy visited you a few days into your house arrest.

You’re not sure when she officially began her relationship with Jonathan, but the first time she came to see you, she had brought a giant basket full of baked goods and comics she had asked Jonathan about.

“You didn’t have to get me anything, Nance.” You had informed the girl when you saw her struggling to carry the basket.

“I stole your boyfriend, it’s the least I could do.” You stared at her, eyes so wide that your black eye almost fully opened, and Nancy had let out a loud laugh. You’d never heard her laugh so openly before, and it was a beautiful sight. “It was a joke, Y/N. It’s okay to laugh.”

“Ha, ha, Wheeler.” You took the basket from her and inspected its contents. There were more comics than you could count and the muffins smelled delicious. “This is a good haul.”

Nancy had smiled, relieved that she’d done something right. She had bugged Jonathan all day yesterday, anxious to do something nice for you because she felt this crippling need to make you like her. He had reassured her a million times that you did already like her, but Nancy has never been the best at making friends, and she knows the history between you and her is tense.

“You really like it?”

“I love it, dude.” You saw the way Nancy’s body relaxed, as if she had been terrified you’d burn the basket in front of her face. It’s only then that you realized why she was there. “You and Jonathan finally seal the deal?”

Nancy blushed, still unused to how well you perceive others. “We did.”

“Took you guys long enough!” You squealed and threw your arms around her, elated for your friends. Sure, it still stung a bit, but Nancy was trying, so you were too. “But can I say just one thing, and then we’ll bury the hatchet for good?”

“Of course, Y/N.” Nancy said, though you felt her body tense underneath your hold. She had been bracing for impact, and it broke your heart to imagine how she was feeling in that moment.

You grabbed her hand and looked her in the eye. “I’m happy for you two, I really am, okay? You know my history with Jonathan, and I’m sure he’s told you everything, but I need you to listen very carefully to what I’m about to say.”

“I’m listening,” she whispered, gripping your hand tightly.

“If anything, and I mean anything, bothers you about my relationship with him, I need you to tell me. Don’t let anything simmer, don’t swallow down any hurt. I need you to know that I will always respect your guys’ relationship, and if you ever feel that I don’t, please tell me.”

Nancy, to your surprise, had laughed. “That’s it? Geesh, Y/N. I was expecting you to threaten me with your knives or something. I understand your connection with Jonathan, I know what I agreed to.” She paused, and then added with a sly smirk, “Besides, I know you wouldn’t cross any boundaries because you’ve spent practically all year pining after Steve.”

“I did not!” You gaped at her, shocked that she would say such a thing, and Nancy laughed so hard that it took both you and her another ten minutes to say anything else. It was lovely, laughing alongside the girl you once held so much resentment over. Now there you were, rib cage aching with glee.

And that’s how Nancy Wheeler became your best friend.

After that, things seemed to settle down during the month that followed the events of Hawkin’s Lab.

While you healed your wounds at home, Jonathan and Nancy came to visit you whenever they could. It was weird, at first, being in the same room as them now that they were together, but within minutes the three of you formed your own dynamic. You and Nancy teased Jonathan while he simply shook his head at the two of you and did whatever you asked.

It was a good dynamic, really.

A week into house arrest, your mom let you finally return to work.

Of course, on your first day back, Steve was standing inside of Bookstrordinary, waiting for you.

Seeing him there, hair messy and smile warm, felt like coming home.

“Back so soon?” You had teased, walking slowly up to him.

His smile widened and he grabbed your hand and tugged you closer, impatient with how long it was taking you to come to him. “Like I could wait any longer.”

“I stack and you sort?”

“Let’s get to work, Henderson.” He winked and spun you around, causing you to giggle, a sound he’d come to adore, and the two of you set off to work.

Steve becomes a regular at Bookstrorindary again, and one day you come home from school to find him sitting at your kitchen table with Dustin and your mom. They were eating an after school snack together, chatting as if they were old friends. Your mom was even blushing as Steve charmed her. It was a disorienting sight, to say the least.

“Is this going to be a thing now?” You’d asked, setting your backpack down to grab your own snack and join.

“I invited him.” Dustin said with a mouth full of apples. “He’s cool, and mom likes him, so. Yeah.”

Your mom pinched Steve’s cheek and giggled. “He’s just so charming!”

Steve sent you a wink, basking in your mother’s praise, and in that moment, seeing him with the two people you loved most in this world, you knew.

It hit you like a warm, soft summer breeze. It swirled around you, kissed your skin the way only the sun can do, and you could almost smell the fresh summer honey that your dad used to buy for your birthday. The feeling was serene, it felt as easy as exhaling.

You were in love with Steve Harrington.

Only this time, the realization made you smile; you accepted it with open arms. You walked over to him and ruffled his hair before sitting next to him at the table. Biting your own apple, you winked at your mom, agreeing with what she had said. “He is indeed very charming.”

Dustin gagged while Steve draped an arm across your chair and stole your apple. “That I am, Y/N.”

Maybe love wasn’t so bad after all.

The following week, both Steve and Nancy asked you to attend Barb’s funeral, and of course you went.

It was a small service, and Jonathan held Nancy’s hand throughout all of it. While it hurt to see her cry, you can’t help but think about how incredible Nancy is. She’s the reason that Barb is even getting a funeral in the first place, having brilliantly exposed Hawkin’s Lab and giving her friend the justice she deserves.

Steve stood next to you, stoic and guilty, and after the service ended you had to pull him aside and remind him that none of it had been his fault. He listened, but you know he hadn’t necessarily heard you.

It’s similar to how you feel with Will, and how Jonathan feels with you, and Nancy with Barb.

You all hold a heavy weight within you, of guilt and shame and despair. There’s nothing that specifically can be done to lessen it. All you can do is allow the ones you love to carry the weight with you, to share it and accept the help that they offer.

Time can’t heal all wounds, you recognize this now, so you do things for those you love and see the good that’s still there, even if it’s hard sometimes.

And that’s what you do.

You start stopping by Hopper’s cabin to see El.

He hated it at first, but when you showed up one day with a box of nail polish and comics, El had been so overjoyed that he simply sighed and let you in.

You teach the girl how to read, having her say words out loud as you paint her nails, and it’s lovely. It’s rare to get the girl all to yourself, so spending time with her is always the favorite part of your day. Plus, she starts to get really into Spider-Man, so you’ve done your job as an avid fan.

As for Will and the boys, you start to make it a point to partake in their DnD campaigns whenever possible. While it’s hard balancing work, school, El, and the party, you don’t regret it for a single second. It’s exhausting, but a good kind of exhaustion. One that leaves your bones aching in a rewarding way at the end of the day.

You’ll never tell Jonathan this, but he had been right a few months ago. You’d been burning yourself out, running away from everything you didn’t want to confront, from your feelings to your crippling worry for the kids. You’re not sure how much you had left in you, looking back now.

You had been drowning for a long, long time.

But as you pick up Dustin and Will from Mike’s, Jonathan by your side as always, your nails painted a messy shade of blue thanks to El, and Steve waiting for you back at your house, you’re finally able to breathe.

–

It somehow takes you the entire day to get Dustin ready for the Snowball.

He’s running around the house, frantically trying to find his bowtie that he’s misplaced, and you’re currently digging through the endless supply of hairspray that Steve dropped off yesterday. There’s so much hair products within the bag that he delivered, and it actually scares you a little.

No way this much chemicals can be good for a kid.

“Did you find the bowtie?” You yell from the bathroom, finally managing to open the bottle of hairspray that Steve specifically told you to use first.

“Yes!” Dustin runs back into the bathroom and throws the piece of fabric at you. “Quick, put it on while I spray my hair!”

You roll your eyes at him but do as he asks, securing his bowtie to his baby blue button shirt. However, as he sprays his hair, he almost blinds you in the process. “Christ, Dustin! That’s practically a weapon.”

He continues to spray. “You’re the one who insisted on helping me get ready.”

“I wanted you to look handsome,” you coo at him, straightening his bowtie one final time before stepping back and admiring your handiwork. “All done, and look at you!”

Dustin sprays even more product into his hair and tries to shove you out of the bathroom, but he secretly preens. “Am I really handsome?”

You admire him and you can’t believe how grown up he is now. He’s grown another three inches since last month and with the way he’s styled his hair, he looks like a teenager. Your heart stings a bit, seeing him no longer look like the little brother you know and love. He’s changing, growing up. “The handsomest.”

He smiles at you. “Thanks, Y/N. Now go get dressed while I finish my hair. Steve will be here any minute!”

You salute him and run to your room. Nancy had asked you to chaperon alongside her at the dance, and you figured it’d be fun watching Dustin and the party failing miserably with prepubescent girls, so you agreed. However, because it somehow took five hours helping your brother get ready, you run around your room in a hurry.

You’ve just finished applying some mascara when the doorbell rings, and your heart skips a beat.

“Y/N, Steve is here!” Your mother calls, a slight glee in her voice. She’s quickly come to adore the boy, something that Steve milks whenever he can. He’s incredibly proud of it, honestly.

You run to the door and open it, Dustin is still spraying his hair to death in the bathroom.

When Steve sees you, he forgets how to speak. You’re dressed in a soft white dress and you’ve pinned the front two pieces of your hair back. You’ve dotted your lips with a berry-red lipstick and your cheeks look more flushed than usual.

You see the blush that immediately forms on Steve’s cheeks and you giggle, suddenly shy. It’s awkward, but a nice awkward between you two. “Hey.”

“H–hi.” His voice squeaks and he clears his throat. “I–I mean, hey. You, uh… You look. Wow. I mean, not wow, but also wow–”

“Dude,” Dustin now joins and looks disappointedly at Steve. “Get it together, man.”

He pats his chest and starts heading towards the car, and you can’t help but snort. “He’s so lovely, isn’t he?”

Steve holds out his arm for you to take, the momentary awkwardness now gone. “The Henderson charm is a fascinating thing.”

During the car ride, the closer Steve gets to the school, the more you see Dustin fidget in the back seat. He had been so excited earlier, but now you notice the doubt in his eyes and the way he keeps patting his hair, unsure.

You tap Steve’s hand to get his attention. When he looks over, you motion towards the backseat and he realizes what you’re trying to tell him. He nods, and the two of you silently agree to give the kid a pep talk once you get to the school.

“Alright, buddy. Here we are.” Steve parks the car and tries to give Dustin a reassuring smile, but your brother looks out the window and exhales nervously. “Remember, once you get in there…”

“Pretend like I don’t care.”

You interrupt. “Okay, no. I thought we abandoned that idea last month.”

“Technically you abandoned it, I didn’t.” Dustin responds, and Steve shrugs his shoulders at you.

“Dustin, I really want you to be yourself, okay?” You turn to face the kid. “What did I tell you last month, huh?”

“That we Hendersons are charming people.” He grumbles.

“Exactly, and I meant that. Use your charm, buddy.”

Dustin isn’t listening, instead he tries to look at himself in the rearview mirror to once again fix his hair. Steve sees this and stops him. “Hey, listen to your sister, alright? You look great, okay?”

“Such a handsome lad.”

Steve puts his hand up to stop you. “Okay, ignore her and listen to me. Now, you’re gonna go in there…”

Dustin nods. “Yeah.”

“Look like a million bucks.”

“Yeah!”

“And you’re gonna slay ‘em dead.”

“Like a lion.”

You cringe. “I’m not at all liking this language use in relation to women.”

Dustin purrs, just to spite you, but now Steve cringes and shakes his head, “Yeah, don’t do that, okay?”

“Okay.” Dustin deflates, but when Steve offers him his hand to shake, his face lights back up and he accepts it.

Steve winks at the kid. “Good luck.”

“You got this!” You shout as Dustin exits the car. He gives you a thumbs up and starts to walk towards the school, leaving just you and Steve alone in the car.

With Dustin gone, a tension creeps within the car. You look over at Steve and he catches your eye, and your stomach flutters. You can’t deny that there’s nothing there, and it’s… it’s nice, honestly.

You don’t feel the same fear you did with Jonathan. You can look at Steve and admire his beauty and all you feel is warmth. His smile doesn’t hurt you, and the way he’s looking at you so unabashedly no longer scares you.

“You look beautiful, Y/N.” Steve says, his voice honest and dripping with honey.

You blush, and he wants to kiss the pretty red until it colors his own lips as well. “Thank you.”

There’s more you both want to say, but for now you simply enjoy each other’s presence. It’s too soon, you know this. He’s still in love with Nancy, and you don’t blame him. Instead, you bask in his gaze and he admires how lovely you are. How lovely you always are.

He feels it, too. He knows what you’re thinking, and for once he feels comfortable with where he is. You’re here, next to him, expecting nothing but what you know he’s ready to give you.

You press a kiss to his cheek, and Steve’s heart aches. “Drive home safe, okay?”

As you pull away, he catches your arm and stops you. You look up, confused, and Steve’s gaze softens. He doesn’t know how else to say it, how else to ask you to stay. “Be patient with me, okay?”

You don’t have to ask what he means; you know.

Whatever he needs, you’ll give it to him. You place a hand on his face and stroke his cheek, he leans against the touch and closes his eyes. This is the easiest promise you’ve ever made. “Take all the time you need, I’ll be here.”

The words cause Steve to sigh, you’re too good for him. You’re everything lovely and beautiful and kind, and Steve can’t believe how lucky he is to know you, to have you in his life the way no one else does. That you’ll wait for him, trusting him with your heart, and he can’t believe that you’re real.

“You’re an angel.” He breathes out, feeling everything constrict within his chest when you smile.

“And you’re sweet honey.” You press one last kiss to Steve’s face and get out of the car. No other words are needed.

Steve watches you as you leave, your kiss still burning his face, the same burning warmth he’s come to love about you. He watches as you walk up to Nancy inside the school and she hands you a drink, the two of you laughing. You both look so different standing side by side.

A girl Steve loves and the girl he knows that in time he’ll come to love more than anything else.

He’s already falling for you, he thinks he has been ever since he first saw you all those years ago when you were twelve and he was thirteen. He’s falling for you, but he won’t rush it. It wouldn’t be fair to you, not after everything you’ve been through.

So Steve admires you, he watches the way your hair dances as you laugh and the way the kids around you smile in admiration. He forgets that Nancy is even there, his eyes only on you, and for the first time in a long time, Steve smiles a real smile.

Your kiss on his cheek lingers, and he presses his fingers to it and feels his body warm. You’ll be waiting for him, and that’s more than enough for now.

Take your time, I’ll be here.

And Steve believes you.

[END OF SEASON 2]

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