#low price golden retriever

[gunjanmunshi]

Golden Retrievers for Sale: Your Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Perfect Companion

Golden Retrievers for Sale: Your Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Perfect Companion

Retrievers aren’t just dogs—they’re family. Known for their gentle temperament, loyalty, and intelligence, this breed is a top choice for families, singles, and even first-time dog owners. If you’re on the hunt for a Golden Retriever for sale, here’s everything you need to know to find your perfect furry friend.

🐾 Why Golden Retrievers Are Everyone’s Favorite

Golden Retrievers have earned their reputation as one of the most popular dog breeds worldwide. Here’s why they’re so adored:

Gentle Temperament: Goldens are friendly, affectionate, and great with kids.

Smart and Trainable: They excel in obedience training and love learning new tricks.

Versatility: From being loyal family pets to excelling as therapy or service dogs, they do it all.

🔍 Where to Find Golden Retrievers for Sale

Finding a healthy, happy Golden Retriever starts with knowing where to look. Here are your options:

Reputable Breeders:

Choose breeders who prioritize health and ethical practices.

Ask for health clearances for common Golden Retriever issues like hip dysplasia.

Rescue Organizations:

Many Golden Retrievers need loving homes through breed-specific rescues or shelters.

Adopting is a cost-effective and compassionate choice.

Online Platforms:

Platforms can help, but always verify the seller’s credibility.

Avoid deals that seem “too good to be true.”

💰 How Much Does a Golden Retriever Cost?

Golden Retriever prices vary depending on the breeder, pedigree, and location. Here’s a rough estimate:

Standard Golden Retriever: ₹45,000–₹50,000

Show-Quality or Champion Lineage: ₹80,000+

Adoption Fees: ₹10,000–₹20,000

👉 Pro Tip: Always budget for ongoing expenses like premium food, grooming, and veterinary care.

🛡️ What to Look for When Buying a Golden Retriever

Not all Golden Retrievers for sale are equal. Here’s what to check before making a decision:

Health Certification: Ensure the puppy is vaccinated and free from genetic disorders.

Temperament: Golden Retrievers should be friendly and not overly shy or aggressive.

Breeder Transparency: A good breeder will openly share the puppy’s history and care guidelines.

🌟 Caring for Your Golden Retriever

Golden Retrievers are low-maintenance but thrive with proper care and attention. Here are some quick tips:

Exercise: They’re active dogs, so daily walks and playtime are non-negotiable.

Diet: A high-quality diet tailored to their age and activity level keeps them healthy.

Grooming: Regular brushing reduces shedding, and occasional baths keep their coats shiny.

💬 Final Thoughts

Golden Retrievers are more than just pets—they’re lifelong companions who fill your home with love and joy. Whether you’re buying from a breeder or adopting, take the time to choose wisely and prepare your home for this wonderful addition.

Ready to meet your new best friend? Begin your journey today and discover why Golden Retrievers have stolen hearts around the globe. ❤️

[meowpupp]

repost, im sorry. dunno what happened to the og

tw//: male oral receiving, noncon, crying, uhh i dunno

your life is practically perfect. every day you wake up and get taken care of by an owner who adores you. price gives you everything- warm meals, a comfy bed, a roof over your head. you couldn't have asked for anything better.

in the short time he's had you, he's improved your life tenfold. and so it's no surprise when he gets a call from the shelter, asking if he'd be interested in an emergency placement. 

its for another pup, a male this time. unlike you, who price assumes is a mix of a golden retriever and a german shepard, this new pup is a belgian malinoises. the lady thoroughly explains the hybrid's history. ex-military, highly trained, and extremely high needs. it would be a challenge, but one that price would be suited for. 

and so, two weeks later, your perfect little life is disrupted. price brings the new hybrid home. price brings kyle home. 

you’re not allowed anywhere near him. price has kyle locked up in the garage, keeping you two completely segregated. 

“he’s dangerous sweetheart. needs some training,” he explains when you ask. apparently, despite how good kyle tries to be, he still can’t help from being a little… rough. 

it’s torture. everything about kyle is so interesting to you. the only things you know about him are his name and his scent. 

his scent alone is nearly enough to send you into an early heat. musky, masculine and strong- gunpowder, fresh earth and something you can’t quite place. it makes your head spin and your cunt throb. 

you spend hours sitting at the garage door. hoping that if you’re sweet enough price will cave and give you what you want- it’s how it normally goes anyways. 

except this time it doesn’t work. 

days go by, then a week, then two. and in all that time, you still haven’t even seen kyle. it’s only a matter of time before you crack. 

you wait for price to fall dead asleep, then move quickly. sneaking down the stairs, and rushing to the garage. for a moment, you stand and think over your decision.

what if kyle is dangerous? what if he’s huge, with sharp teeth and mean eyes? he might just be waiting to get his hands on something sweet and pretty like you. he might hurt you 

you should turn back. but you don't.  

as you step into the garage, everything is still. there’s no noise, no movement. all you can see is prices car and some storage tubs. 

you step further inside, driven by curiosity as you look around. there’s a little bed in the corner, soft sheets and a nice pillow. you notice one of the blankets is yours. price must have been starting the process to introduce you two. 

you feel some guilt, suddenly realising just what you’ve done. not only have you disobeyed your owner, you’ve stolen his keys, broken into the garage, and led yourself into danger. 

before you can even think of darting out of the room, running to prices bed and acting like nothing happened, you hear movement. 

your body freezes, ears perking. the garage is cluttered, blocking your view as you glance around. you have no idea where kyle could be. you have no idea if its even him who made the noise. 

but all your thoughts are interrupted as a hand covers your mouth, another pulling your body into one behind you. your nose fills with kyles scent, and your brain switches off.  

every instinct to run, to kick and fight, to claw out of his grip is shut down. all you can think of is kyle. the way his hard chest presses against you, how big his hand is on your face, the sheer warmth of his body. 

he growls, the sound low and deep, “why’re you here?” you can feel his tent press against your ass. he doesn't give you an opportunity to answer, hand still covering your mouth. the other trails up your body, following your waist, pushing up your shirt. “you must be the other hybrid… price always tells me how good you are, so why don't you show me?” 

his hand gropes your tits, massaging the fat flesh. he groans, dick only growing harder as he grinds against your ass. he drops his head, nosing your neck, inhaling your scent. you're so small to him, so weak. he's trained to kill, to hunt, and in this moment you're his prey. 

kyle snaps, forcing you onto your knees. he moves to stand in front of you, your face level with his tent. “you've broken the rules, haven't you?” a smirk spreads across your face, grinning at the conflict of guilt and lust that spreads over your face, “shhh, i wont tell, okay? just gotta let me do one thing first…” he mumbles, eyes growing half lidded. his thumb swipes across your bottom lip, “let me fuck your throat raw. wouldn't want you to slip up, accidentally tell on yourself.” 

his smirk only grows as you hesitantly nod, parting your lips. 

he takes his time, slowly inching his way down your throat. he forces every inch of his thick, veiny shaft into your mouth. kyle isn't like price, he doesn't have the same control. he tries, he really does, but the way you gag and choke around his cock is too much to bare. 

the only sounds that fill the garage is his strained grunts, and the wet gagging noise you make with his every thrust. he takes what he wants, using you as nothing more than a toy. holding you in place, he fucks your throat ruthlessly. 

by the time hes done, tears are streaming down your face. he pumps his load down your throat, directly into your tummy. he denies you the privilege of tasting his cum. instead, he uses his dick to smear your drool all over your face. he tucks himself away, smirking at the way your face glistens with tears and spit, how swollen and red your lips are. 

as he leans down, he gently cups your face. his lips brush against your ear as he speaks.“go run back to daddy now. and remember, not a fucking word of this.”

follow up; here.

[river-that-whore]

Alrighty, my post blew up (at least by my standards) overnight about hippie wife of Ghost, I'm doing a part 2-

Soap with a goth/emo girl. More specifically, trad/romantic goth. Long black dresses, silver jewelry that hangs low and jingles with the slightest movement, and dark, dramatic makeup.

There would definitely be many dead animals/bones around their house, along with military memorabilia decorating the walls. Soap was no good when it came to interior design, so he simply let her work. And she did, somehow managing to integrate their styles perfectly

Most people, from children to even Soap when he first met her, were scared of this girl. She's the epitome of black cat, graceful and dangerous appearing. But underneath the looks, it's the sarcastic, dry humor that Soap fell in love with. It's the loud, chaotic, not so bright golden retriever who met his match. And it appeared in the form of a girl with a dark mystique and a cynical, sharp wit.

When Soap first introduced his girl to the others, it was at a small function for 141 only. There were few people, just Laswell with her wife, Ghost with his bird, Gaz, and Price. Of course Soaps girl went all out, in a velvet black dress with silver necklaces and chunky black heels. Though she went a little softer with her makeup, she certainly didn't look like a normie.

While everyone was shocked, Laswell and her wife greeted the other couple like nothing was out of the ordinary. Next was Simon's girlfriend, who quickly made friends with the other woman and happily chatted, swapping jokes and getting along like old friends. Eventually, everyone else got around to greeting the girl with an awkward smile

When there was a free moment, Price awkwardly pulled Soap aside and muttered

"Aye, son. Does your bird know about......" Though he didn't say it, Soap could see his eyes lingering on his birds hair, the teased up strands sticking up and intentionally messy

"Yes, cap'n" he replied with a laugh "She knows"

"Oh....." Was all Price could think of "Ok"

Anyways, the brain worms continue to clog my mind. Lmk if I should make this a series, bc I love writing these sm

(she also canonically is besties with Ghosts wife, can't convince me otherwise)

[stoutguts]

ADHD/neurodivergent 🧼 (💀🧼 too bc why not/it's my comfort ship and I love them)

(chock full of my own personal HCs and ideas, also mental health stuff/issues/problems heyo)

I am most definitely all for autistic Ghost, but what about ADHD brain/neurodivergent Soap? I've seen few people talk about this or explore it so here we go.

Like, even though Johnny's generally laid back, he still tends to be very hyper or high-strung. Maybe even overwhelming for some people, and is easily excited almost like a puppy (golden retriever Soap my beloved), (Ghost thinking it's literally the cutest thing ever). Bro has either the attention span of a nat or is so hyper-focused on something he forgets to blink.

He has APD (auditory processing disorder),—and will ask you to repeat yourself 15+ times before he finally understands what your saying. This is incredibly frustrating for him, but like Price will lose his shit, because having to repeat himself is like one of his pet peeves lmao. Same thing, with Yuri.

Even Ghost and Gaz get fed up with him on occasion. Though Roach doesn’t give a fuck because they’re just as ADHD as him, and just loves to talk, plus their echolalia helps to sort things out lots of times. Gaz will give him the silent treatment and refuse to talk to him. Usually when Simon finally gets irritated with him it's lead to a fight. But it isn't long before Ghost feels bad and apologizes, and reassures him saying "I know you can't help it". Simon tries to work on learning to be more patient specifically for him. 💕

He does the same things that Simon does to stim, (though particularly pacing and bouncing his leg). But he also likes to chew on everything, whether it’s a pen/pencil, a cap off a water bottle or other plastic drink bottle—(This pisses off Simon in particular, and they’re always scolding him about how he’s gonna end up choking on it. Not to mention, he always leaves the nasty ass, spit-covered things around and forgets to throw them away after he’s done with one. Either leaving Ghost to pick up after him much to his disgust, or forcing Johnny to throw his own shit away, (as he should). If he gets ahold one of those spiky silicone balls from an arcade machine he likes to bite the nibs on it, etc. Simon has even bought him some chewlery because he orally stims so much, to which Soap uses all the time and was overjoyed when Ghost first got it for him. Though his chewlery needs to constantly be replaced because Johnny has unusually strong and sharp teeth. It’s not uncommon for him to completely destroy shit that he gets his paws on. Simon often comparing him to a dog or a teething puppy.

I am also totally for Johnny being just as mentally fucked as Ghost.

He’s the four b's, bisexual, bipolar, bilingual, and a bitch.

Like Simon, Johnny has generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), for similar or for maybe even the same reasons as Ghost. Not nearly to the same level of severity, but panic attacks and flashbacks do happen on occasion. As with certain things he's easily triggered.

He also struggles with bipolar disorder and/or severe manic depression. His bipolar tendencies making it incredibly difficult to maintain relationships in his youth, among many other things, (his past drug abuse/addiction only making him worse and more unstable). Though these days he’s medicated and for the most part stable, only sometimes going off his meds, (particularly when he relapses or is heavily triggered by something).

No therapist has ever been able to help Soap, though he does see a psychiatrist regularly.

Mostly for anti-psychotics and other prescription refills and the like, but can vent as much as he likes to them. Either that, or Simon doesn't mind lending an ear to listen when he needs it.

Similar to Ghost, Johnny can have very low self-esteem, but can also be of very high self-esteem, (it fluctuates due to his manic depression). And Simon is more than willing to give him reassurance and comfort, but equally doesn't mind knocking him off his high-horse, and/or, taking down his ego a few pegs if need be. (Which isn't so bad, as Johnny just so happens to have a degradation kink). >:3

Johnny is a highly reserved person, (though he’s able to put on a mask/a show for other people and strangers), and pretty stoic (all things considered), due to his traumatic upbringing. He has a very unhealthy habit of bottling up his emotions until he quite literally explodes, though he's trying to get better about that. But he can’t help but genuinely let his guard down, and has LEARNED to let his guard down around Ghost, the 1-4-1, and his sisters (the most important people in his life).

This tidbit has less to do with mental health and rather his personality but I still wanted to include it here so…

Soap is highly perceptive and emotionally intelligent. You can't hide anything from him as he can always tell when someone's lying to him, and he always knows when something's wrong. A true empath. He's also a very good liar himself because of this, but he uses this secret power responsibly, and would never lie to those closest to him and/or his loved ones.

All members of the 1-4-1 having highly specific phobias? Yes please.

As for Johnny…

He is deathly afraid of needles and hospitals (Trypanophobia and Nosocomephobia), because when he was growing up and as a young kid he was quite sickly, and often was in and out of the hospital. He's immunocomprised and gets sicks all the time, most of the time nowadays when he gets sick it's just a small cold, with the occasional illness that may put him out of commission for a bit—Simon always doting over him and making sure he’s okay when he even so much as senses he’s got a runny nose—Johnny finding it incredibly endearing, but when he was a child it was horrible. When he was hospitalized he'd suffer at the hands of doctors and nurses much too often, going through one too many traumatic experiences. Mostly, because of incompetence or just straight up apathy. Getting his IV done is the worst, because he's cursed with almost non-existent and small veins. Oh so jealous, of Ghost's huge and bulging veins. Someone will stick him upwards of 10 times or more, or until his arms are swollen, until they finally get it right usually. Not to mention, Johnny also has Hemophilia, and so he bleeds a lot which only makes it even more distressing. Soap specifically underwent medical and first-aid training, just so he could avoid going to medical himself as much as possible. His medical knowledge and training has happened to pay off lots of times in the field, for himself or for his teammates or squad’s sakes. Despite his aversion, he's not squeamish at all when it comes to mending his own wounds, or others weirdly enough. Even if he's severely injured he refuses to go to medical. Simon used to get really mad at him for this, because of not only his stubbornness, but seemingly his cockiness was what really pissed him off. And they know Johnny’s skills only go so far, and he's immunocomprised and a hemophiliac for crying out loud. Eventually Ghost confronted him about this, and after Soap explained everything it was a lot more understanding and sympathetic. Though it didn’t change the fact that it will borderline harass him if he’s seriously hurt and won’t go help himself, or just straight up force him to go to medical. Johnny always protests but ultimately he gives in, and Simon makes sure to give him emotional support and stay with him when he needs patched up.

Thank you for reading my ramblings, next post will be about my take on Ghost, his mental health, his autism, etc, probably!

[marsspeedway]

COD HEADCANONS! (1?)

This is translated from Spanish so I'm really sorry if there is a translation error or a word that shouldn't be there!

SIMON RILEY GHOST

His casual outfit is really simple: jeans and a t-shirt or hoodie, his shoes of choice (usually his sneakers or boots) and a leather jacket if it's a more "formal" outing (a date?) or if he feels like dressing up.

Yes yes, balaclava on the base and cloth mask off the base.

Due to his past he has developed a defense mechanism of making jokes to "get over" or lighten his trauma.

After the betrayal of his team and his capture by Robas he basically got used to survive with very little. Therefore: he doesn't eat much, doesn't sleep much and is always in alert mode.

His chuckles are low, deep and feel mocking 99% of the time even though they are not. Instead his real laughter, his guffaws, are LOUD but very very strange to hear.

This man does NOT have a driver's license.

He has constant nightmares and/or night terrors so he tends to sleep very little.

Simon "Ghost" Riley is sleep deprived.

Ghost is the soldier, Simon is the human. So, Ghost is the armor that protects Simon, the tough exterior that protects the sensitive and too fragile interior. 

His room is simple, he doesn't have many belongings and the few he has are really valuable for him.

Ok yes, "Ghost collects knives" or "Ghost collects guns" but... Ghost collects lighters.

Bonus if you think he's a smoker.

Bonus X2 if you think he's an EX-Smoker!

Sleeping near Soap, or cuddling him, surprisingly calms him down (considering how much he dislikes and discomforts physical contact).

Soap is like his safe place, then Price follows, but he doesn't get that close to him physically (almost not at all really).

His closeness to Price has been very helpful to him, the man is a great listener and a great advisor and Simon can't thank him enough for always being there when he needs a shoulder to lean on or someone to give him good advice.

Ghost's "Fucking hell..." at the moment of meeting Soap in MW2 is mainly because he didn't expect to meet him again, he didn't expect to see him again after Makarov, let alone have to WORK with him again. It's not that he dislikes him, he just didn't expect the guy to be HIS sergeant instead of Price's.

During "Alone" Ghost tells jokes and talks to help Soap through the bad time, to calm him down and help him move forward but he also does it for himself because damn: just betrayed at the border of a country/city they don't know, with the colonel who received them captured, with a (his) wounded and messed up sergeant who is the only ally he has right now and who in turn is trying to get to him, with mercenaries nipping at their heels... I think the poor guy has a right to be a little bad. Well, Simon is bad because Ghost seems to be hiding it well.

Hairless?

He tends to eat fast, very fast.

JOHN "SOAP" MACTAVISH

He told Price that they should make varsity jackets with the Task Force logo on them...

Guess who has varsity jackets with the Task Force logo on them?

OG!Soap (2009) hates dogs (according to a line of dialogue) but personally I think Reboot!Soap (the current Soap, the one from 2022) likes them quite a bit.

He's a bit (too much) hyperactive.

He tends to gift and buy things for Ghost, little trinkets or things he knows Simon can use. It goes from clothes to some toy he thinks Ghost might like, they are usually toy soldiers, little action figures or legos (or anything that reminds him of Ghost).

Simon keeps them all. Every single one, even if it's a rock or a note that Soap left him or a doodle that Soap gave him.

He's a freaking master with butterfly knife tricks.

No, he doesn't use them to impress Ghost....

Maybe he does...

Ghost pretends the tricks don't impress him but they do.

He gives me Golden Retriever Boyfriend vibes that can send a bomb to your house.

Let's not forget he's a 30 year old man, military, explosives expert who basically operates in an elite task force... I mean, he could easily kill you. But, still, he's got a nice vibe, he's sociable and it's hard to dislike him.

Bookworm! He'll devour a book in a matter of hours and if he likes it enough he'll do an essay or summary.

He's a homebody with a big, big family. And he would love to have his own family with his own little house in the camp.

To pass the time he usually draws and occasionally writes in his journal. That thing is a little bit of everything: drawings, notes, stories, a personal diary, etc. Anything goes in there.

He cuts his mohawk himself and also usually takes care of rookies' hair, or really anyone who asks (nicely).

He can actually do more than cut mohawks or shave heads, his mother knows how to cut hair and he learned how to do it himself.

You want him to braid your hair? Of course, he's the one! He grew up with several sisters, so of course he knows how to braid. Ponytails? Go ahead. A bun? Sure. You ask and he'll know what to do and if he doesn't, he'll find it.

He can cook a little, just enough to get by and not live on instant noodles and take-out.

[icequeenbae]

Hii! This is a more slow burn request so I’m sorry if it’s a little difficult, but could I request Heartsteel Ezreal x reader who’s knowledgeable and quite sarcastic and quick witted with their replies? I just wonder how their meeting would go with the whole Black cat, golden retriever vibe!

And maybe the reader sometimes suffers from low self-esteem and burnout.

Pairing: Heartsteel!Ezreal x Reader ft. all members

Heartsteel AU, attempted humor, fluff

Warnings: grumpymanager!Reader, Kayn is annoying as fuck… language? lol

Word Count: ~1.4k

© Please do not copy/ post on other platforms without permission.

Author’s Note: Hiii~ Thank you for the Ezreal request, sweetie! I do have my favorites in Heartsteel to write for, and he is definitely at the top of that list <3 Not sure if this is exactly what you wanted, but let’s give it a try! As usual, let me know via comments/ asks/ reblogs, I try stay on it~ P.S. The stuff I post for requests is usually not beta’ed, so pls bear with me…

You rubbed your tired eyes and cursed, checking if your fingers had any mascara on them. There was an issue to resolve, and you had hoped to finish up before the Heartsteel members returned to the waiting room after their rehearsal. But your plan failed miserably.

‘Our dearest manager!’ Kayn appeared next to you, wrapping his arm around your shoulder. ‘Always working, what a busy little bee!’

You raised your eyebrow at him and stayed silent until he cleared his throat and retracted his arm, while the rest of the members scattered around the room, minding their own business.

‘Someone has to work around here,’ you replied, typing away on your laptop.

‘You should take a break and go grab something to eat at least,’ Yone suggested.

His amiable comment made you release a desperate sigh.

‘They messed up the mic backup, Yone. Not to mention that we have the music video budget due tomorrow and someone screwed up the calculations. I cannot let you film without the drones or the special effects crew. If you do everything yourselves, you’ll be dead before you go on stage again, and I will be ripped into a million tiny pieces by the company or your fans. And I don’t know which one’s worse…’

‘If that’s Sett’s fans you’ll live. They all twinky as shit, look at Phel.’ Kayn cackled, and Yone glared at him.

Sett and Aphelios exchanged looks, probably deciding to give their most annoying member a proper thrashing another time just for the sake of your emotional wellbeing. At least someone understood how dire the situation was.

‘How can I help?’ The producer asked.

Although you appreciated the offer, you knew that they had to perform tomorrow, so Yone would have to supervise the last of preparations starting early morning. You could not allow him to spend the night helping you and then go straight into tomorrow’s work. The price of a screwup was too high on this one.

‘You can help by taking them out for dinner and making sure they’re tucked in later. I don’t want anyone out wreaking any havoc while I’m not around to settle everything.’

‘That I can arrange.’ Yone nodded, giving the rest of the members a solid onceover. ‘You heard Y/N, boys. No fun for you tonight, we have a very long day tomorrow.’

‘Ugh. Buzzkill…’ Sett sighed, and Phel pinched him on the arm, hard. ‘Ow!!’

‘I think we can live with one night in, guys,’ Ezreal interjected. ‘We’re so tired anyway.’

‘Speak for yourself, young man. I am full of energy!’ K’Sante retorted.

What a traitorous blow! You’d expect it from anyone but him.

Noticing your flabbergasted expression, K’Sante quickly continued.

‘…which I can spend by working some iron in the gym before bed time.’

You shook your head, trying to focus on your spreadsheet again. It was a little- no, it was extremely overwhelming, trying to fix several urgent issues at once, while running on a couple hours of sleep, half a sandwich (had to donate the rest to Sett – he’s still growing, after all… or so he thinks) and way too much coffee.

‘Are you going to stay here though?’ Ezreal asked, sounding too quiet for his usual bubbly self.

You assumed he was afraid to get the short end of the stick and make you explode with his question. But you were too tired to even yell at any of them.

‘Not that I have any choice,’ you answered dryly. ‘Not everyone can teleport, Ezzie.’

He pursed his lips, probably realizing that it was best to leave you alone before you gave him the same glare that Kayn had earned earlier. Unlike the demonic bastard, Ezreal was among the members who preferred to stay away from you when you were fuming, as opposed to irritating you further to poke some fun. Yone had already spent a week negotiating for you to take back your resignation once, so they were on their best behavior ever since. Well, the best they could muster, which wasn’t that great but in the grand scheme of things… you’d take what you could get.

After they all vacated the premises, you finally managed to send the updated budget numbers for approval, and made a few calls about the mic replacement. It was unbelievable, but you really had to find someone to get the necessary equipment and fly in to bring it on time. So you stayed at the venue to be able to check whether everything worked fine right away.

But later that night, a mystery visitor woke you up while scooping you off the chair to get you onto the sofa.

‘Mhm- what… Who’s here??’ You jerked up from your uncomfortable sleeping position, accidentally hitting someone in the face with your head.

‘Ow!’ You heard someone squeak and turned around, finding Ezreal in pain, holding his hand to his nose.

‘What on Earth brings you here??’ You instinctively pinched the bridge of his nose as if that would help with the pain. ‘Wait, what time is it? Where is my phone??’

‘I took it,’ he said, wiping under his nose to check for blood.

Thankfully, there was none, and he was okay. Your nervous system, however, was not as lucky.

‘What do you mean, you took it??’ You frantically checked the time on your laptop. ‘3:23? I was supposed to meet someone an hour ago! Why didn’t you wake me up?!’

You grabbed your phone from blabbering Ezreal, but he clung to you like a koala.

‘Y/N, I-’

‘I know. You didn’t think properly, and now I will have to find a way to get that guy to come back if he isn’t sleeping in his hotel already… Shit, Ezzie, you fucked up! No, I fucked up. How could I have fallen asleep?? Stupid, stupid, stupid!’ You knocked on your own head with your knuckles to make a point, and Ezreal caught you by the wrist with his two hands, looking as if you had hit him and not yourself.

‘Y/N, I already met with him and took the mics. We ran a test downstairs with some of the overnight technicians. Everything is set up and working fine.’

You blinked at him a few times, still confused.

‘Uh- You… did?’

‘Yes. I came back earlier and you were asleep. Then someone called you, so I figured- And then I went down and checked everything,’ he delivered anxiously. ‘I also brought you a sandwich- but I didn’t want to wake you, so…’

He grabbed a paper bag from the sofa and shoved it into your hands. You looked at it, and then back at Ezreal, your sleepy and stressed-out brain still catching up with everything.

‘Um- so you brought me… a sandwich?’ You asked.

‘Yes,’ he nodded, strangely bashful. ‘And a juice box.’

His cheeks became rosy, and you couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Ezreal looked like a stray puppy, unsure about whether it was safe to express his affection.

As your laughter settled, you finally exhaled. Everything was okay, thanks to your unexpected little helper for tonight. And now that he’d mentioned the food…

‘I hope you got me an extra-large one.’ You hummed, sitting your butt down.

‘I got two,’ he beamed. ‘And a chocolate bar.’

‘Good. You look like you could have some chocolate right about now.’

And of course, after such an eventful night, as well as the previous few days, having a full belly made you dozy again. Although you did notice Ezreal’s head slowly tilting towards your shoulder through the layer of drowsiness, you didn’t catch your own head leaning onto his.

Due to your carelessness, you were in for a rude awakening in just a few hours.

‘Now, isn’t that adorable?’ Even from the depths of hell you would have heard Kayn exclaim in the most obnoxious voice possible.

‘I’m taking a picture. For the family album!’ K’Sante announced, quick to utilize the camera on his phone.

‘Or future blackmail…’ Kayn sneered evilly.

‘Maybe I should post that picture of you stuck in the vault with your pants down, Shieda Kayn.’ You mused out loud, eyes still shut.

There were a few sounds resembling muffled cursing, and then Kayn walked it back.

‘Hey man, we shouldn’t take pictures of people sleeping. It’s illegal or some shit. Let’s just go check on the preparations, come on.’

And so, they went back to where they came from. ‘Manager…’ You heard Ezreal whisper, head still laying on your shoulder. ‘You’re amazing.’

Non-EXO masterlist

Masterlist

A/N: Thank you for reading and happy holidays my sweethearts!! I have just a couple more requests to go~ I don't think I will take more for the time being but I might come up with another requests event for 900 or 1000 milestone! Please don't forget to comment and reblog if you want to support me 💜 And check out my masterlist for more of my HEARTSTEEL and kpop content 💕

[gibsongirled]

THE LA DREAM !!

description: you move to los angeles and your neighbor is like really cute !!

a/n: i feel like some of the paragraphs in this encapsulates my feelings for los angeles

You thought that moving to LA was going to be easy.

And as you struggled to carry your boxes up the stairs, you took back your words and huffed out a breath of frustration. The boxes weren't even that heavy, but the third flight of stairs made you wobble as you reached the top. Curse LA and their trends to make everything unbearable. And maybe you were slightly to blame as you picked the one building where there were no elevators- but the rent was cheap, so you were willing to look past the small hassle of climbing up three flights of stairs - everyday - after a long day of work for the sweet low low price of an apartment not costing an arm and a leg.

"Woah, there!" The top box staggered and you heard a loud exclaim, a sudden flash of hands rushed over to steady your poorly made tower of boxes. You stumbled backwards - grateful that you were not on the stairs - trying to steady yourself and the boxes, one foot back to hold yourself up. It took a moment, but you and the boxes remained still and you let out a breath of relief.

“Thank you,” you let out a small laugh as the hands disappeared back to its owner, and you placed the boxes down on the carpeted hallway floor. You glanced back up. Holy shit, that guy with the hands is so fucking tall. Pale and four eyed with a charming smile that seemed to make your heart beat fast to the point where doctors could have mistaken it for arrhythmia. You straightened back up, holding out your hand for the guy to shake and your name spilled out, a smile finding its way onto your face.

“I’m Ted,” he parroted back your name as if he was sounding it out, his hand gripping yours with a firm handshake. Wow, he has nice hands. Really, really nice hands. He broke the handshake, stuffing his hands in his pockets. You never knew what to do with your hands. Do you mirror him and stuff your hands in your pockets too? Do you cross your arms? Do you just let them awkwardly hang by your side? The options were endless! “So you moving in?”

You settled on awkwardly placing your elbow on the top box, patting it like you would with a car. “Yep, right over here.” You nodded to where you stood. “What about you?”

“No way!” Ted’s eyes shone with pure unadulterated excitement- in a way, it kind of reminded you of a golden retriever. He jammed a thumb behind him, clearly showing off the door that was across from yours. “I live over there!” What a surprise. You moved to Los Angeles in pursuit of something great that you couldn’t get in your backwoods hometown and your neighbor gives off the vibes of a “boy next door” kinda aura that you cannot seem to shake.

“Ey, that’s cool!” You cocked a finger gun at him. What are you doing? He cocked one back. Oh cool, you’re not the only weird one here.

“Are you new to LA?” Ted asked, clearly seeing that you were very much out of place, unlike him. You nodded, giving him a wry smile and a slight chuckle. “Yeah, that obvious, huh?”

Ted gave you a shrug, “Just a bit.” Well, there was no sugar coating that was there? “I can give you a tour if you want? Show you all the places you’d get scammed as a tourist? You’d be surprised at how many places do that.” Now that was a fucking offer you couldn’t refuse. Sure there was a somewhat high chance that he was luring you into a trap and then murdering you in some alley behind a Macy’s, but name one murderer who gave off the somewhat calm vibes that this guy was radiating. Actually, maybe not. God, America was weird.

“I’d be totally down for that!” You exclaimed, internally giggling at the fact that you were going to see the best places to get scammed. And to get to know your neighbor, of course. But you knew where your priorities lay. Ted laughed at your eagerness and nodded, taking out his car keys. Your eyes followed Ted as he made his way down the stairs, he stood on the second to last step, glancing up at you.

“Would tomorrow be good for you?”

“Yeah, that’d be good.”

[bitchfitch]

I'm getting a service dog in the new year! No matter what it takes. The current hurdle is the fact that the estimated cost for a service dog who fits my needs is 16k USD. Which is more than what I as a crippled tranny make in a year.

If you'd like to help, every dollar I make on commissions between now and bringing my pup home will be put towards this fund. Further information on prices and such are below the cut.

If you want to help but don't want blorbo art then here's a Kofi link. Thank you. Every dollar really does count.

An FAQ and the current progress towards the fundraiser is below the cut.

1600/16000

🟩🟩🟩🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪

What does the 16k cover?

The puppy, the training education, some supplies, and some back up in case the first pup is deemed unsuitable for the work. (1 in 2 service dog prospects don't make it to the end of training unfortunately. I will be keeping the first dog even if it doesn't make it as a service dog because I know I don't have the heart to let go of a puppy after spending a minimum of a year working with it. but I don't have the housing/money for 3 rottweilers so if the second fails too I'll just have two really well trained dogs.)

What happens if you don't get the money?

I have some things I can sell, like my van, that will close the gap.

How are you going to pay for the dog's expenses after getting it?

My own expenses are extremely low, I've already determined that the dog will not cause excessive strain on my budget.

Why a Rottweiler instead of a lab or golden retriever?

I need a balance and alert dog, basically an animal who'll act as a counterweight to help stop me falling along with a handful of less breed specific tasks. I'm 250 lbs and can pick up and carry most people, I need a large heavy dog or else they're just going to fall with me instead of helping balance. rottweilers were chosen over other breeds who could do the job because of their short coats (it gets well over 110°f/43°c here, long coats are not an option) and calm, alert, protective

Why the name Jabalí?

My dad's family is from Germany, my mom's is from Mexico, If the dog is going to be German, then the name should be Mexican to honor that. (Also it's just a cute name. It means boar, and is pronounced Ha Va Le, like in jabalina)

How are you going to go about training?

I'm going to attend a localish service dog trainer education course. It costs about the same as hiring someone to do it professionally, so I might as well be the professional since im going to need a new service dog every 4-8 years until I die.

(it takes 2 years to train a pup, and the last few years of a dog's life can often involve eye, ear, or joint issues that make them no longer suitable to be a service dog. Instead they get to retire and have a lot of treats while they help train up the next pup. Rotties have a life expectancy of 8-12, 2 years for training and 2 for retirement means only 4 of actual work on the low end, and 8 at the absolute max)

Are you going through a proper breeder?

Yes, I have a list of a handful of breeders who health test, register, and show their dogs in schutzhund. As well as one who fits those criteria and has had pups go on to be service dogs.

How many blorbos do you need to draw to make it happen?

Using my average commission sale as a baseline: 267 total 241 to go.

[shadow-0-8]

What pets do you think COD characters would have and if dog what kind? Also your posts make me laugh lol :)

awwww thank you

ooooohhhhh ok

Price: he’s basic so probably a Lab, a Golden Retriever or a German Shepherd.

Ghost: I’d go with a black cat, low maintenance and he can leave it if he has to with just bowl of food and water. Black cat because he felt bad for them at the shelter since they get adopted less.

Soap: this man can not be trusted with anything more than one of those 1 dollar pet store snails.

Gaz: definitely a Lab or a Golden Retriever too.

Roach: man has a tank of roaches

Laswell: her and her wife probably have those really pretty Mane Coon(sorry if I spelled it wrong) cats, but they aren’t really hers.

Graves: he couldn’t give a shit about pets but for the sake of the fandom’s opossum, he has an opossum.

Shepherd: all animals try to attack him.

(Ghost boyssss)

Logan/Hesh: they have Riley but have def had dogs before him.

Elias: couldn’t care for pets but lets his boys have them

Merrick: probably a lizard, maybe a leopard gecko or a bearded dragon

Kick: probably hermit crabs or something random and exotic

Keegan: he probably has a fat ass rat that he found in a dumpster like the one in the minions.

Ajax: the rat was part his until he died, he turned over the custody to his spouse Keegan when he died

Rorke: man’s has a scorpion and you can not tell me otherwise.

[blingblong55]

Hello! I hope you've had a good day or night, I have a request. Been having a bad week thanks to anxiety (fuck you) and was wondering what the 141 boys + könig's reaction would be if a member of the team, named SunBun, who has social anxiety but is usually very chatty and full of energy stopped being themselves, was closed off, didn't talk as much, wasn't constantly showing everyone funny videos, etc. After a bit they find out the new member of the team was a complete Asshole to SunBun and told them to shut and that he didn't wanna talk to the "most useless member of the team". If this makes you uncomfortable you don't have to do it. Have a good day/night

Fourth of July- 141+ König

First of all, I hope you are doing great now, so here's so a little something to help ease ya.

A/N: please ignore the title...I might change it but for now its..well..that.

R/n is the human embodiment of golden retriever energy. She is everywhere, always spreading their kindness around the base. By now everyone has gotten used to this. She is always there when you feel low she's there. She has social anxiety, making friends back home wasn't easy. But here, she tries her best to as social as possible. Always talking the ears off of her team and any soldier that's near her. She has an amazing memory, and everyday she lets her tongue roll, filling her boys with useless information. "A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out" she says while sitting on the counter top of the bases small kitchen. "read it in a book back in 4th grade."

After training and meetings you'd show the boys videos that you would find funny. They adored how you laughed so loud it made your stomach hurt, your smile and laughter was contagious, and in their line of work this was the one escape they had.

SunBun had become your new name around base, but only your boys were allowed to call you that. The name started when you had told the team how back home you have a farm, all day you could show pictures of your bunnies, and quite frankly you reminded them of a bunny, so soft to touch, tiny and fast as one too. You had quickly become their ray of sunshine on missions. That was the origin of SunBun.

However the pasty 2 weeks were different. No one had heard you tell your jokes or useless facts, or random bursts of giggles. All day today you sat and stayed quiet. Only talked when needed, no jokes or a single smile. Soap even missed his daily bear hugs from you. Ghost needed your random bursts of energy. You went from your room to the kitchen and to the meeting room, and when no one needed your help you'd be back in your room. Even some rookies missed how you'd teach the about different flowers and how they can be preserved.

Price knew you always recharged your social battery at night, you'd go to bed at 9 and he knew you needed to be alone. But a week? That was too much. When asking around Gaz found out the new team member had treated you so horribly. His nickname was Steel, he was a good soldier and a recommendation from some of Price's old buddies.

Gaz had heard from some rookies that he had called you "the useless member of 141". They had reported seeing you greet him with a handshake and your classical smile. But after you explained your roll in the team he said "SunBun? what a shit name," he chuckled "oh. um" you went silent immediately. "And your role here is useless...you give us nothing to use...you just run around like a child...seriously grow up." his voice sounded so cocky. You just stared at the ground, tears threatening leave your eyes. "I better get going" you said and walked away. Ever since that encounter you have completely shut down.

This is how each one of them reacted:

Cpt. Price:

He looked for you everywhere, all your favorite spots, but soon found you in your room, reading some book

"Steel called you useless?" "yes. and maybe he is right"

He walked up to you and cupped your face in his hands.

"You my dear are not useless, think of how much you have helped us at base and in missions. How much your kind heart has made ours feel warm."

You started to cry and he wiped every tear, he would sometimes kiss your eyes and pretend your tears were very salty and make funny faces.

You giggled and hugged him.

He caressed your hair and whispered sweet nothings.

"I will always protect you from assholes like him, because nobody hurts my SunBun."

He kisses your forehead multiple times. As well as your hands and cheeks.

Once you have calmed down he lays you in your bed.

He lays with you and tells you stories of his past and lets you fall asleep in his arms.

The next day, steel is called to his office. where price lets him know he has been reassigned to a new team.

But before he left, Price wanted to spar with him.

Safe to say he let out all of his anger on him. Nobody stopped him.

He missed his ray of sun, your random noises while trying to do an activity on the field.

His way of love is like “Since we’re alone” by Niall Horan (if you don’t like Niall…we can’t be friends tbh he’s my Irish lover)

Sgt. Gaz:

the moment he found out why you had been acting so different he walked up to Steel, he confronted him.

with help of soap, steel received what I call "military discipline" (a lot of punching and a lot of bleeding (from steel ofc)).

He then ran to your room, covered in some blood he poorly tried to wipe off.

There he found you, laying in your bed reading a book.

"SunBun?" his voiced softened once his eyes met yours.

You knew why he was there and soon your eyes watered

you told him everything he had said.

He held you in his arms as you cried a little.

He took his phone out and showed you videos of ducks in ponds, or highland cows.

He saw how your frown had disappeared.

"I will always keep you safe from this cruel world my sweet darlin'" he whispered as he kissed your forehead.

He spent all day making paper flowers with you!

"you aren't what he said you were...to me you're the most intelligent, kind, brave, generous, funniest, loyal and most sincere person I've met."

"if you only knew how much I admire your happiness"

God did he miss you. Although you were around base he missed the feeling of excitement you brought him.

That night he let you talk his ears off!

I want to srsly hug Gaz…i just know he gives the most warmest of hugs

He gives me “Lover” by Taylor swift vibes

Sgt. Soap:

You can't convince me this man wouldn't try to unlike steel

he would punch the living shit out of him and then guilt trip him to think he got that from an enemy at a mission

he'd make sure he would never hurt you again

"say it..and y'better mean it"

Steel *: "I'm sorry r/n, I'm sorry that I called you useless...I'm the one who is useless"

Soap would then take you to the kitchen and cook your favorite meal.

"Only for my sweet SunBun" he'd said as he serves your food

After you'd finish your food he'd take you to your room and read a book to ya.

You'd be cuddled against his chest, when he would feel your tears fall on his shirt.

He'd stop reading and just rub your back while giving you constant forehead kisses.

"Y'are smart. Y'are kind and y'are beautiful"

You'd cry even more

"Don't cry my angel...please don't cry"

He would tell you all about his family back in Scotland, how much they'd love you if they would meet you.

He would pull a blanket over you and make sure you stay warm and comfortable.

"If another person calls you 'useless' you tell me and I'll take care of it...because liars deserve punishment"

That night he stayed up with you, listening to you and those fascinating stories

I know for a fact this man would play Hozier’s “would that i” just to set a calm mood.

L.t. Ghost:

this man would have to be stopped before he kills steel.

he leaves him with cuts on his face, a bloody nose and so much more

he'd go and look for you, his anger would leave the moment he saw you. Like no joke he’d go soft the second his eyes found you.

His voice would go from harsh and loud to sweet and soft, as if he spoke any louder he’d hurt you

I know people say he is like emotionless but you’re the exception. You have him wrapped around your finger

He gives me cottage core vibes when he’s with you, (please tell me you get this)

When he approaches you he is slow, as if you’re a ticking bomb

Once he wrapped his arms around you, you lost it. Your tears fell on his shirt and he’d make remarks like: “such a shame..i liked this shirt” “can always buy a new one…so wipe that runny nose of yours”

God this man would be such a softie, he’d hold you close to him, and would wait for you to calm down,

He would listen to you all night and would say: “SunBun, you are the starts to my night sky, never underestimate your power, useless is the one who can’t be kind…and you my love are more than kind.”

When in his arms he’d rock you two, until you fell asleep.

He knows you are comfortable in his arms so he wouldn’t move all night.

While asleep, he’d also tell you sweet nothings.

He would probably cry a little, because how can human, as kind, beautiful, and so goddamn annoying (sarcasm babes), think they are useless?

Often while looking at you sleep, he would probably thank anything for bring you in his life.

Because of you this man knows what an angel looks like. He gives me “Take me to church” vibes yk?

König:

This man is already feared by everyone because of his height, so when he heard who was the reason for you acting so ‘off’ he immediately thought of two things

1. He had to find you, he knows how bad your social anxiety can get, he knows from first hand how that feels like, so when steel made you feel so little, he had to hug it out of your system

2. Had to find Steel, he wanted that man to pay for what they did to his “liebling”,

Price had to intervine and had steel taken to the infirmary for major damage

Gosh, the power you have over this man is insane, one second he is so close to killing another soldier and the next one he is on his knees, looking up at you

“König, get up, the floors cold” you said, still staring at some random book.

“I know what happened r/n,” his hands met your knees

“You are more than enough for this team…you aren’t childish liebling”

You started to cry, your sniffles filled the room.

”Please don’t cry” he cupped your face in his much bigger hands. He wiped your tears and proceeded to plant soft kisses on your face

You giggled a little, his heart stopped for a little. That giggle of yours drove this man crazy.

He for sure laid you down on your bed and after much hesitation laid on top of you.

He is like the best weighted blanket one could ask for.

He has always given me gentle giant vibes. Like everyone is afraid of him because of his height but not you, because you know all this man needs is a hug at the end of the day and of course a social battery recharge.

He for sure waited ‘til you feel asleep so he could get up and help you clean your room.

I know for a fact he brought some snacks and waited to you woke up.

He softly whispered “morning SunBun. I brought us your favorite” with his cute little Austrian-German accent poking through.

He make my heart melt because since he knows how bully and social anxiety do to one person, he makes sure for months on end to always be near you, always assuring you, you’re his best person (he can’t put his love for you into words…clearly)

He gives me “Fire away” By Niall horan…if you disagree..fight me babes bc i know for sure he is just..the sweetest.

I sure hope you enjoyed this!!

Tags: @g4y-gr3ml1n

Requests are open!!

[sonofatoasterwaffle]

Port in a Storm

“Hey, Buck, could you-“ Hen's hitting the top step when he hisses back “Shh!” 

She glances at Chimney for a sanity check, considering cuffing the back of Buck’s head for that, but he’s sitting on the couch, stock still, Eddie snoring gently against Buck’s shoulder. “Can’t move.” He explains.

Hen has to chuckle. “He’s not a cat, buck” 

She drops into the armchair closest to him, and he stops scrolling his phone with his free hand to look at her. “If I’m a golden retriever, Eddie is most definitely a cat.”

Chim nods like he can’t argue as he takes the seat across from them. “Hates attention except when he doesn’t, very protective over his young, great hair.” He counts off each thing as he says it. 

Hen supposes she doesn’t disagree. “He’s not sleeping at home right now, is he?” 

Buck sighs. “Based on the twitter links he’s been sending in the middle of the night, it seems like no.” 

Eddie, for his part, seems well and truly out. He’s sprawled low on the couch, boots bumping up against the coffee table, head lolled to the right against Buck and his arm slung over Buck’s leg, fingers curled under Buck’s knee like he’s afraid his human pillow might abandon him. “Has he been like this since I went to run flashcards?” 

“I literally can’t feel my arm.” Buck admits, but it doesn’t sound like he has any intention of moving. 

“You gotta feel for the guy.” Chim says, biting into a muffin from a batch someone left earlier this week. “Kid at home, dealing with grief, dealing with us.” 

Hen hums. At least he’s not alone, she thinks, catching the soft look in Buck’s eyes as he glances down at Eddie. She’s not sure if those two will ever realize what they have, but she supposes it doesn’t really matter as long as they don’t give it up. “So, you can’t help me move the medical supplies shipment.” 

“Performing a public service, here, Hen.” 

Chim snickers something about exactly what kind of servicing Buck would like to do for Eddie, but he’s resolutely ignored. Hen supposes Buck’s right. High-strung Eddie is annoying and sleep-deprived Eddie is pathetic and both at once makes her parenting instincts flare up like crazy, so it’s better for all of them if he gets a little rest. Even at the expense of Buck’s circulation. 

Eddie murmurs something in Spanish, nuzzles his nose into Buck’s neck and breathes deep. Buck’s as red as the ladder truck but he still doesn’t move, except to flip Chim off. “Leave him alone.” 

Chim throws up his hands, still grinning. “Easy, loverboy, I’m not coming for your man.” 

And Buck looks absolutely murderous but he’s powerless to stop Chimney from snapping a picture. He does leave the finger up for it. “I could easily throw you.” He threatens when his phone chimes with the inevitable group chat notification. 

“But Maddie would be so sad if you murdered me.” 

“Yeah, maybe you should think about that before doing murder-worthy shit.” 

Eddie stirs a little, and Buck relaxes back into the couch, free hand reaching over to thumb over Eddie's arm, and he immediately settles. “You guys are so gross I love it.” Chim crows, snapping another photo. 

“At some point, he’s gonna wake up, and then you’re gonna have to start running.” 

Hen goes back to her flashcards. Chim’s on his own with that one, she’s not taking the bullet for teasing she didn’t get to do. She gives Buck a sympathetic smile when he grouses “I’m never gonna hear the end of this, am I?” 

“Price you pay for being such a good best friend.” 

Buck rolls his eyes at her intoned best friend. “You’re on my list, too.” 

“Finally.” Bobby says in relief when he sweeps into the kitchen to start prep. "I was about to cut him loose if he didn't chill out." He points at Buck. “Don’t move.” 

“That’s what I said!” 

Also on ao3

[trivialbob]

All this mall walking I'm doing, a track suit and Velcro-fastened shoes may be in my future.

Today I started at Southdale. It is the nation's first indoor mall. I grew up nearby. Friends and I would bike or take a city bus to get there. The stereo store and Woolworths were my favorites.

It's not a bad place now, but like some malls these days it has low attendance. Good parking spots are plentiful.

The Apple store was the only busy place. Others were, like Bed Bath & Beyond's checking account, mostly empty.

I hate to go in and browse if I'm the only customer. Either an eager employee will want to talk to me or a sullen one will glare, thinking I could interrupt the time he or she is spending on the phone. Being lost in a light crowd is my preferred browsing experience.

Southdale isn't much of a hangout for young people. The few teens I saw mostly concentrated on their screens. Maybe the stores could have doorways that look like big iPhones, to get the kids' attention.

Having a dollar store surely isn't a good sign for a mall, nor is one that just sells candy and chips. One end of the building had a lot of vacancies. Festive signs cover windows, or clothes from other stores that are still open are displayed.

Southdale is like a 10-year-old red haired Golden Retriever, that good boy whose smiling face has turned white. I have fond memories of the mall of my youth, when it had the energy of a puppy. Now it naps a lot and has a difficult time with stairs (one of Macy's escalators was out of order). You start to wonder if it will be around next year.

The good news is that a huge athletic club repurposed a JCPenny store, and a really nice grocery store is taking over where Marshalls(?) used to be. There's still hope for the old boy.

After I walked both levels I crossed the street to the The Galleria, the mall with higher-end stores. There I had a hard time finding a parking spot.

Williams Sonoma and Crate & Barrel are awesome. A $2000 espresso has now been added to my letter to Santa. A more moderately priced martini glass also got my attention. I would have bought a pair of them, but the checkout line was too long for me for an impulse purchase.

There's a Yeti store in that mall that I hadn't seen before. That was a great place to look around. Note to young people working a first job: When a well dressed $$$ customer asks a very specific question about a $450 item it doesn't sound good to start your reply with "Uh, yeah like maybe..."

I want some new eyeglasses. Warby Parker had a few frames I liked. We'll see (hahaha). These frames look much better and not so wide in person than in this photo, I think. As I always do with glasses, I'll bring my wife with some other time for help selecting.

[papaver-decervicatus]

Headcanons- Kyle "Gaz" Garrick

Birthday, June 23, 1996

Can you tell that gaz is my favorite of the mainline boys BY FAR???

Early Life

Born and Raised in London.

His mother (Daniella) was 20 when he was born, his father was 22 (Solomon).

His Dad died when he was 5, afterward, he was raised mainly by his paternal grandparents and mother.

Not raised religiously at all, not religious in adulthood.

Was one of about 50 kids named Kyle in school, so the progression of his name was “Kyle Garrick” to “Garrick” to “Garry” to “Garz” to “Gaz”

Top Marks all throughout school, had no delinquency records, he participated in and won medals in triathlon. 

Also was part of a local thespian society for a while but would die if any of the 141 found out about it.

His favorite Role ever was Merlin in a comedy play about King Arthur

Incredibly musical even to this day, loves to show off whenever he finds an unattended piano in a mall or similar

When he was 13 his mother remarried (Oliver), then when he was 15 his little sister, Amelia was born.

His mother was a hairstylist throughout his childhood. She met his father at a club. She went to college shortly after Gaz joined the military and now works in IT. Oliver works some corporate jobs.

His mother taught him how to braid hair when he was very little because he wanted to help her, has maintained the skill to this day. 

Doesn’t really have a relationship with his stepfather, good or bad. Also isn’t particularly close with Amelia because of their age difference, but still cares immensely for her. He is more like a close uncle than a brother. 

His union jack ball-cap was a Christmas gift from her

Fucking adores that hat.

Subsequently a very good babysitter because he was stuck looking after Amelia so often. He is definitely the only person in the 141 who can stand to be around babies and who can change a diaper.

General

He has a small flat in London a few blocks from the old police station he used to work at.

He keeps in decent contact with a lot of his old mates from his Bobby days, as such he tends to have a lot of the latest gossip and rumor of what’s happening in London

Generally puts a lot of effort into his appearance.

10-step skincare routine

Has a schedule for hair washing that he sticks to religiously

Gets all his suits custom tailored

Has 4 pairs of shoes he wears regularly but frequently gets them repaired.

Firmly believe he had a minimum wage job as a teenager just for some extra spending cash, is the sweetest most understanding customer possible.

Does not buy new things if he can help it, if he likes something he will get it repaired until the shop straight up refuses him. 

Had his ears pierced when he was younger, but they have since closed up. Also has no real plans to get them repierced.

Is the sort of guy that does best when given orders, he is a bit too conservative in risk-taking to ever be a Captain like Price but still respects him immensely.

Hates the smell of cigarette smoke, and never has and never will smoke.

Not big into clubs, but does enjoy going pubbing with the SAS or 141

Gets hit on so badly when out. 

Soap is very jealous that Gaz has to practically tear men and women off of him when they go out

The only member of the 141 who has never gotten blackout drunk in front of the others

Low alcohol tolerance but high self-control to stop drinking

Takes his tea without sugar but with milk, and loves novelty teas like the ones that are supposed to taste like biscuits or pumpkin spice.

He had a K-9 companion when he was in the London police force because he was on the narcotics task force for a while.

When the dog, Barley, had to retire, she was adopted by Daniella and Amelia. 

His phone background is a picture of Amelia and Barley asleep in a silly position on the family couch

He is still convincing Price to get a bomb-sniffing dog for the 141 because he misses being a dog handler

Soap, who is known to have a fear of dogs despite being a golden retriever of a man, is vehemently against this idea

Gaz is working on this fear with him

Ghost has grunted out assent to the idea, which is basically high praise

Gaz knows Ghost loves dogs, Ghost has met Barely once and Gaz had never seen Ghost so happy (Ghost called Barley "Sweetheart," "Lovey," "Darling," "Sunshine," and "Madam Bark-ley" and Gaz could scarcely believe it, he of course swore not to tell anyone else)

Is Price’s favorite, not his protege. Price is significantly harder on Soap than he is on Gaz and Gaz absolutely exploits this by getting away with pranks by pinning the blame on Soap.

Very dry sense of humor, he tends to gravitate towards jokes where the punchline is unspoken. He has mastered the "idgaf" face for Soap specifically.

He is more of a protege to Laswell, since they both specialize in intelligence and information. He has also met Mrs. Laswell and got along very well with her.

Kind of like Alex's "stepbrother" when it comes to Laswell's mentoring.

If he ever had to retire, he would go back into the police force, probably go into detective work with Scotland Yard.

He doesn't not want a family, but he doesn't want one either. Gaz is primarily work focused, once he felt comfortable enough in his career he would reconsider that call but as of now, no plans on marriage/family.

Despite all odds, he does not have a fear of heights and would chose to take a helicopter over a boat any day of the week. His cheek scar was from he slipped off of a boat as a teen and he almost drowned. He's a great swimmer, but he does not like boats.

Gaz's most toxic trait is that he has to know. He does not deal with unknowns, he does not leave things left undone or unsaid. He needs to do it and he needs confirmation from the outside that he did the right thing, he gets paralyzed when he faces things he doesn't know how to deal with (such as the bomb hostage situation.) The greatest honor he can give someone is to leave parts of them untouched and unknown at their request and as it stands, only Ghost really gets that treatment.

Talents, special bonds ETC.

Secret and Gossip Keeper of the 141 and therefore the best gift giver, some of his best include

Ghost- 

The only person who knows his birthday on the team

Soap has been trying to get the secret out of him ever since Gaz let it slip that he knows it. Out of respect for Ghost, he swears he will never tell and hasn’t

Gifted him an expensive razor set and holiday-themed tea biscuits because he knows that Ghost has a terrible sweet tooth and for the longest time didn’t know that disposable razors are supposed to be disposed of.

Knows that Ghost is afraid of snakes after a particularly tropical and outdoorsy mission

Is vaguely aware of the Riley Massacre, and despite his curiosity, has made a conscious effort not to look into it.

Price

Knows really embarrassing stories of young John from Nikolai which include but are not limited to

The time drunk Price lost a distance pissing contest to a woman on his team (US sniper friend)

The time Price gave himself a scar on his left asscheek by walking into a hooked fishing pole

The time Price had to get stitches and broke an arm from falling off of Laswell’s motorcycle while Rick Astley was playing

Fucking hates Rick Astley now

The time in Pripyat that Price dove into a running stream, while there was snow on the ground, fully clothed, and came out with a massive Wel's Catfish in his hands.

He got hypothermia from this event but wears the nickname “Dumb Bear” that Nik gave him after the event as a badge of honor.

Nik, to this day, smiles whenever he eats catfish.

Usually keeps Price gifts simple and limited to expensive cigars, but Gaz is the only person with the foresight to buy the man lighter fluid and a cigar cutter.

Soap

Knew about the juvenile arrest record thing

Also knows that Soap cheats at card games, but hasn’t told the others because Soap still can’t beat him

Knows that Ghost’s sketchbook is the most filled out

Has told Ghost that secret and Ghost just looked sort of vacant for a moment and said something to the effect of “I don’t believe you.”

Has made several half-hearted attempts to get the two to bone, but really would rather not know if he’s ever been successful. 

Started Soap’s Bodice Ripper collection and deeply regrets it. Gifts him the most ridiculous, outlandish, awful romance novels he can find (think monsterfucking and other taboo romances.)  Also gifts Soap stuff like art supplies sleeves, kneaded erasers, and nice paper or other art supplies he can’t just make himself.

Has a supernatural sense for reading people, the 141 like to say that he can taste a lie on the wind.

He is by and far the best at ‘reading’ Ghost. He is the first to jump to his defense when he is feeling overwhelmed, he is the first to know when he’s been missing meals or sleep, and he is the last person to give him shit about an outburst.

Soap and Ghost might banter more, but Gaz knows Ghost better.

Ghost feels a lot of ease with Gaz because he reminds him a lot of Roach, as such he is really protective of Gaz in an almost “older brother” type way

The two are close in an unspoken way, whereas Ghost and Soap are close in a very loud way.

Gaz/Ghost besties for realsies and I am sick of pretending that they're not.

Gaz has a terrible habit of being places when he shouldn’t, like having a camera recording pointing at Soap the second before he eats shit on a treadmill. 

No one knows how he does it, but he’s always in the right place at the right time for an embarrassing photo or video

The most photogenic man alive, there is not a singular bad picture of Kyle Gaz Garrick anywhere.

Soap and some recruits have a bet going to see who can snap a bad photo of him, but no one can. They have even resorted to asking his mother for baby Gaz photos hoping to find something but he looked like a model back then, too.

The unluckiest, luckiest man alive. Will fall out of a helicopter one hour and win 3k off a scratch-off ticket the next

He and Ghost have created a secret bond over having chronic nightmares, it’s not uncommon for the two to just sort of quietly exist around each other in the breakroom at 3 AM after a rough night.

He sort of regrets following Price into the force because Price's convictions to his cause are that strong. Gaz knows that if it came down to it, Price would leave him for dead and not turn backwards. As magnetic as the two are to each other, Gaz can't help but worry that the loyalty he gives to Price won't be extended back. Deep down, he knows that Price wouldn't mourn him, but he would mourn Price.

Definitely the closest interest-wise with Soap, their chemistry was immediate. Within twenty minutes of meeting the two were thick as thieves, even though Gaz was faking it for about a month before he really started to like Soap. Partners in crime, Gaz is actually probably the worse trouble maker of the two but he can get away with it unlike Soap.

[astartothemoon]

Boys! Boys! Boys! II Steve II

Summary: Steve is given his dad’s auto repair shop after Mr. Harrington up and leaves Hawkins. Things go semi-great and soon enough Steve and his coworkers (Eddie and Billy) need to come up with a plan to earn some money on the side to keep the shop going. Good thing they are all hot and willing to put on a show. Stripper!AU

This is part 1 of 3 - Steve’s part 

Pairing: Steve Harrington x female Reader (nicknamed reader, little use of Y/N)

Trigger Warning: Swearing. Mention of alcohol. Mention of food. Mention of sexual acts but no full on smut. This is a stripper AU. Billy Hargrove is mentioned in this part though he’s barely in it.

Wordcount: 8.8k

A/N:  Likes, reblogs, comments are all much appreciated. I am German. Sometimes I get the tense wrong or make mistakes. I am useless when it comes to punctuation. Go easy on me, please

Not a single soul in the small town of Hawkins was particularly surprised when Thomas Harrington finally had enough, sold his car dealership, and went off to go live with his second not-so-secret family somewhere in Oregon. Least of all his son Steve.

What came as quite a shock though, was the letter the Harrington patriarch left behind. The one that said sorry, to Steve not to his wife, and that came with the ownership papers of Harrington Auto repairs, the auto body shop that his dad had acquired a while back but never got around to opening. The one that was meant to go hand in hand with the dealership.

"I know you're good with cars and bad at selling things, so have the garage instead of the dealership. If you want to open it, that would make me proud and if you want to sell it, that's okay too. It's yours."

As much as Steve hated to admit it, his dad was right and he probably knew him better than Steve had ever realized. He was good with cars but an absolute failure when it comes to selling stuff to people. Ice cream, family video membership cards, himself. He'd never get anyone to buy a freaking car.

He could fix them though. And he knew people who do too. People who needed jobs. People he wants to strangle at the best of times but that he calls his friends anyway.

Eddie was easy to rope in, the boy was as excitable as a golden retriever. And while he wasn't super enthusiastic about working a full-time job, the pay and the fact that he got to work on cars all day made it worth it for him.

Billy was a bit harder of a case to crack. Him and Steve having a bit of a strained relationship was the first obstacle. The second was the fact that Billy was a bit of an asshole. Self-centered, with an ego the size of a small country, vain, and a little bit aggressive.

But Billy was good. He knew a shit ton about cars and how to fix even the worst of the worst.  

It took a lot of groveling from Steve. A promise of good pay and the agreement to rent out the flat above the garage to him for Billy to come on board.

That was two years ago. Two years of hard work. Of sweat and (secret) tears and fighting and celebrating. Two hard but good years.

Things have changed - for better and worse.

Billy is less of an asshole now. He still has his moment but his anger doesn't cloud all of his judgment anymore. Now he's mostly just a smartass with a big ego. It's crazy what getting a kid out of a bad home can do. 

At this point, Steve might even consider him a good friend, though he'll never admit it. Ever.

That's the change for the better.

The shop though, that's barely scraping by. Bills are at an all-time high. Customers come in but with the low prices and relying mostly on locals, funds are limited.

"Eddie, that looks great!" Steve's voice echoes through the room. His eyes are fixed on the shiny blue Mercedes, an intricate silver design painted onto its side.

Turns out Eddie is not just a great mechanic but an artist on top. What started as a fun way to pass the time and something that Eddie had expected to stay a fully self-indulgent hobby, has quickly turned into a somewhat lucrative extra income for the garage.

"Yeah? I got these new spray paints in. The silver really pops against the dark blue."

"Looks great, man" Steve exclaims and gives the man an appreciative pat on the back, earning him a grin in return. Eddie thrives on praise. Golden retriever that he is.

"Hey, have you seen Hargrove? I need to know if Mrs. Hackman's Escort will be done this week.

"Oh, it's done." There's a teasing edge in Eddie's voice that both amuses and terrifies Steve.

"He fixed it already? I thought he was aiming for the end of the week. Wow, that was quick."

"Mmh, " Eddie responds and nods his head in the direction of the front desk where Billy is happily talking to the aforementioned Mrs. Hackman. He's got that saccharine smile on display, all teeth and dimples. All fake.

If there is one thing undeniable about Billy Hargrove, it's the fact that he is disarmingly charming. With his blue eyes and golden locks, he turns everyone's head. Man or woman.

Especially women though. Middle-aged ones to be exact. Like Mrs. Hackman. 

And when at first he kind of hated it. Felt used and dirty and uncomfortable with it, Billy has long ago realized that there's some money to make there. A smile means a tip, some flirting means an even bigger tip.

It's all pros and cons in life you just have to decide what outweighs the other.

Eddie lets out a huff, blowing a strand of curls away from his face. It's a terribly hot summer in Indiana this year. All, clothes sticking to your skin and air feeling heavy, kind of hot. 

They're all struggling through the heat but while Steve's hair is still looking fairly reasonable, Eddie looks a bit like a wet poodle.

"The AC bring broken is killing me, Harrington."

"I know. I know, me too. I'll — I'll go see what Bunny says."

He finds himself glancing at the closed door to the office at the top of the stairs. He can just imagine Bunny, their secretary, and the smartest person in this workplace, sitting by her desk palming her face in frustration.  

Sitting there looking absolutely breathtakingly gorgeous as ever, trying to get them out of this sinking ship, to keep the shop afloat. 

She's way too good for them, he's always thought so and probably always will. Which makes him even more grateful that she chooses to stick by them no matter what.

Maybe it's because she's Steve's oldest friend, basically his second half since kindergarten. Maybe she's got masochistic tendencies.

Whatever it is, he doesn't mind as long as she doesn't abandon them.

"Well," Eddie's voice shakes Steve from his thoughts "go ask her now because I'm literally about to die."

"You're being dramatic."

"You won't be saying that when I'm dead and stinking up the place."

"Okay, okay.'' Enough with the theatrics. I'm going."

With an overdramatic roll of his eyes, Steve pushes away from the car and drags his feet up the stairs, entering the office after giving the wooden door a swift rapt of his knuckles.

"Close the door! I don't want the hot air to get in."

Bunny is leaning against her desk, hair clinging to sweaty skin as much as Eddie's does, as much as his own does. She's fanning herself with a piece of paper while a fan whirrs behind her, blowing lukewarm air at her.

"It's just as hot in here as it is downstairs. Actually, it might even be hotter in here, now that I think about it."

She throws a bunny-shaped eraser at him, just barely missing his head. But by ty smile tugging at her lips, he can tell she knows he's right.

It's funny, he thinks looking around the office, how one small moment can change so much about someone's life.

Had he not befriended her at 4 years old she wouldn't be here today, making sure the store is going and keeping the boys out of trouble.

Had she not worn a hoodie with bunny ears that day he might've never called her by the silly nickname that still sticks to this day. She's (Y/N) to her parents and Bunny to everyone else.

"We need to get the AC fixed. Eddie is about ready to die out there and Hargrove is from California but even he is reaching his boiling point … literally."

She laughs at the joke like he knew she would. Of all the good things about her, her sense of humor is not one of them. He loves it, means she laughs at his jokes even when they're really bad.

"I know, Steve but uh - it's not looking so good."

It's not a secret. Even though he's not too involved in dealing with the financial side of the business, as the owner Steve is well aware that they are just barely scraping by.

"Shit."

"Yeah. I'm sorry Steve. We're just able to pay the electricity bill this month, don't think we can splurge on anything else."

He nods in defeat. It feels like letting people down. Himself, the guys, his dad. Everyone.

“You think we can manage to buy a fan or two at least? You know, just to keep Munson alive.”

She looks at him with that expression in her eyes that says “we really can’t but I’ll find a way to do it”. He loves her for it, for everything she does.

“I’ll see what I can do. We really don’t want Eddie to overheat. —“ a big sigh leaves her lips before she continues. “ But Steve, it’s really not looking good. I’ve been twisting and turning and pushing around numbers for what feels like forever now. I don’t know how much longer we can go on like this.”

He knows this. No matter how much he’s trying to push it out of his mind. He is painfully aware of the shot show they’re currently in. Hearing her say it, outright and with no sugar to coat it, that’s like a dagger straight to the heart. Box cutter to the jugular.

“I’ll figure something out, I promise.”

“You always do.”

She puts an unwavering amount of faith in him. Steve is not sure he’s entirely deserving of it but he’s not gonna complain.

Thanks, Buns, you’re the best. Don’t know what I’d do without you.”

When he places a soft kiss on the top of her head, the scene of her shampoo fills his nose and takes over all his senses for a moment. She always smells so good. Warm and comforting and like — well, like home. 

"What in the world is going on here?"

Loud heavy metal music echoes through the garage, it’s the one thing Eddie and Billy really can agree on. The music choice. This leaves Steve outnumbered when it comes to choosing the music being played during working hours.

It's not the music though, that confuses him, it's the fact that the boys are both shirtless as they lean against the respective cars they're working on, sipping on - water?!

Billy doesn't go out of his way to drink water usually, that boy has a sweet tooth like no other and if there's no beer there (which there isn't during working hours) he always goes for the coke. Regular, none of that watered-down, nasty-tasting diet crap.

And Eddie? Eddie eats and drinks like a 10-year-old. Soda or Juice are just fine but water? That's new.

"It's crazy hot in here, Harrington. Be glad it's just the shirts, Munson was this close to taking off his pants too," Billy jokes, indicating a tiny space between his fingers.

"Yup but I didn't want to make you guys jealous of my great ass. I know it's hard enough measuring up to a shirtless me."

"Whatever you say chicken breast." 

Laughter echoes through the hall as Billy twirls the dirty rag, he uses to wipe the grease off his hands, into a tight knot only to land it against Eddie's chest with a loud snap.

It's not always been like this. Fun and full of laughter. Their beginnings were awkward to say the least, neither of the boys was particularly fond of the others. But they've grown on Steve, even Billy. They're somewhat of a little family right now. Brotherly teasing and rivalries included.

"Wow, there are people out there who would pay a lot of money to watch this."

Robin's voice cuts through the boyish laughter and makes 3 heads turn in her direction. 

"This," she continues and waves her hand between the boys " I mean. You guys, half-naked, dancing or playing or whatever it is you're doing. Some people would pay money to see this. Not me - but I'm sure there's someone out there. "

"Are you here for another free oil change? You know you're my best friend but at some point, I'm gonna have to start charging."

"Calm down Steve, what do you take me for? No, I'm here for Bunny actually. I gotta return some records she let me borrow. So don't let me interrupt your - whatever session. Keep going, gentleman".

With a mock salute, she pushes past the boys and continues her way up the stairs and into the office. All that's heard before the door falls back into place is a loud "close the door! The cool air is getting out!".

He loves that the girls are getting along. His girls. The two people he trusts with his life. The first time he brought Robin around was nerve-wracking and sent his anxiety through the roof. For no reason, really. The girls got on like a house on fire. Now it's like they've known each other their whole life.

"Steve?" Eddie shakes him from his daydream. There's an edge to his voice now, a seriousness and sincerity Steve hasn't heard before.

"Yeah?"

"I think I have an idea."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"The shop needs extra funds, right? I think I have an idea of how we can make more money."

“Do you know why we’re here?” Bunny asks as she shuffles into the garage long after store closing, Robin and Nancy following behind her with quick steps.

By the expression on their faces, she doesn’t even need them to answer. The same confusion she’s feeling is looking back at her.

“Steve just said it’s important and that it’s about the shop.” 

“Well, that’s more information than I got. Eddie just called me and said they needed my opinion on something then hung up before I could even reply,” Robin explains.

“They? As in Steve, Eddie, and — “ 

“ — and me! “ 

Billy grants the girls one of his million-dollar smiles. The one where his eyes twinkle and you wonder what kind of secrets are hidden in the corner of his lips. Not that it works on either of the girls. Especially now that they are all way too confused and focused on the huge elephant in the room.

“Why are you wearing a suit?” 

“It’s all part of tonight’s entertainment. Would you ladies follow me to your seats?” 

“Seats? Entertainment? “

Bunny isn’t sure he even takes notice of her questions, if he does he chooses to ignore them as he silently leads them further into the room to where 3 chairs are placed neatly in a row. 

“Please take your seats, the show is about to start.” 

A questioning glance passes between the girls. Nevertheless, they do as told and sit down just before Billy hands each of them what seems to be a leaflet of some kind. Though it’s hard to tell since he hands it to them with the print pointing down.

“ You can turn this around as soon as I leave you to it. Please just — just wait. “ His cool suave image slips for a second before his lips pull back into the familiar cocky smirk “now enjoy the show. “

He has the audacity to wink at them. What the hell is going on?

“What is this about?” Nancy asks as the girls turn the papers around, almost moving in sync.

In big bold letters, the flyer reads:

This one’s for the ladies!

Witness Hawkins’ Hottest:

King Steve

Billy the kid 

& Mr. Hellfire.

“So wait, are they gonna put on a play or dance or what? “

Robin’s chuckles cut through the confusion and, between long wheezes of laughter, she forms the words: “Holy shit, I think they’re gonna strip.” 

Before Bunny’s brain can even begin to comprehend the information that just tumbled from Robin’s lips, the lights dim, and the beginning guitar chords of Def Leppard’s “Pour some sugar on me” fill the room.

One after the other, the boys step onto a makeshift stage put together from old wooden palettes. All of them wearing suits, a sight the girls are far from used to. Sure Steve’s worn a suit before on several occasions but Billy and Eddie? 

Though none of that really matters right then. All Bunny can focus on, is the rhythmic though out-of-sync rotation of the boy’s hips. There’s a lot of hip thrusting from all of them, suggestive winks from Billy, and what can only be described as borderline obscene tongue movements from Eddie. 

Hands are tracing down their necks, their chests. The suit jackets go first, then the bowties, then their hands grab onto their respective buttons up and in the matter of a blink three naked chests are on full display.

Though if Bunny is being serious, neither Billy nor Eddie are at the receiving end of her attention. 

Steve looks otherworldly in the shine of whatever cheap lights the guys have dragged out here for their little show. All perfectly shaped muscles. He must’ve shaved for this and though she doesn’t mind his usually hairy chest, this just makes it easier to see all of him. Every dip and every ridge. 

There used to be a time when seeing Steve shirtless was just that. Seeing her friend shirtless, no biggie. That changed around the time she turned 15 and suddenly it wasn’t just Steve being shirtless anymore. Now it’s the subject of all her sleepless nights, all her inappropriate thoughts, and all those times she finds herself alone with her hands under the covers.

He is cut from marble. Made to represent the best a man can be.

When his hands move to the belt buckle, and he looks at her directly, Bunny thinks she might just die. Right then and there. A one-way ticket to heaven. Or maybe hell, she can’t be too sure about this. The thoughts running through her head right now, sure don’t seem appropriate to have when passing through the pearly gates.

“I'm hot, sticky sweet

From my head to my feet, yeah”

And then the pants are gone and she’s dying a slow and painful death.

He looks so good. Like she could eat him up right there and he’d taste like the sweetest poison.

Robin's laughter mixes with the music, a melody of chaos and joy. She's having the time of her life and Bunny is sure she'll never let the boys forget about this. This will be her "remember when" card for the rest of all their lives.

Nancy is just quiet, hand going to her face every once in a while, shielding her eyes from what she could potentially see. It's not like this is anything new. She's seen Steve this way before and though Bunny hates to admit it - Nancy is her friend after all - the thought does leave a bitter taste of jealousy in her mouth.

While the girls are caught between shock, amusement, and — whatever it is Bunny is feeling at the moment, the boys take this whole thing with a surprising amount of seriousness. There are teasing smirks on their faces, masks of pure confidence, and a banner of determination and courage that seems to wrap around them.

This is a serious strip show and they make it abundantly clear. If there was ever a doubt in the girls' minds, it is being wiped away completely when the underwear goes. Those shiny black bottoms that seemed entirely too tight for either of them. Bunny wonders if Steve bought them specifically for this or had them already stuffed into the back of his underwear drawer.

That’s the moment Nancy’s eyes go wide, almost threatening to pop right out of her head. The moment Robin covers her face, laughter turns into amused shrieks. And the moment Bunny thinks her heart might stop altogether. 

It's not like they get to see — anything. The boys make sure to cover everything with both hands. Both hands. But still, it's hard to look at the man that owns half of your heart, the recipient of your undying affection, standing there completely naked, and not die a little. 

The song comes to an end and Robin, still in a fit of giggles, starts applauding, Nancy following soon after. It's the first time that night that the guys let their act drop and a certain sense of insecurity fills them as they quickly scurry off to throw on some robes. Those ropes, Bunny is sure they bought specifically for today. They're all silky and shiny. Ridiculous if not a tiny bit endearing.

"What the everloving hell was that?" Robin questions as the boys make their way back toward the line of chairs.

"That, " Steve exclaims and clears his throat as if to fill his voice with determination, " is our chance to keep the garage going."

"You're going to strip for the customers?"

"We're going to strip for whoever books us."

This is all too much all at once for Bunny to properly process. Steve has had many crazy ideas over the years, a lot of delusional thoughts. More now that he's hanging out with Eddie and Billy who all have 0 impulse control. 

None of those ideas ever came close to this. It's on a whole nother plane of existence really. And the worst part? Bunny thinks the boys might be onto something.

"Wait, let me get this straight. You guys want to start a stripping business?"

"Yes, Wheeler. That's exactly the plan. Everything we earn on group booking goes to the shop. Everything from individual jobs goes to the funds for our own special projects. Like paints for me, car radio stuff for Billy. In the end, it all ends up helping the shop."

Eddie talks about the plan with childlike enthusiasm. It’s quite amusing considering the topic of the discussion. Though his words make the gears in Bunny’s head turn. This might not be the worst of all ideas. 

“So — Robin asks, swallowing another laugh, “ I hate to ask this but where do we come in? “ 

“Well, you — “ Billy replies and points and Nancy “are here because you’re part of our target audience. We wanna know if you think this is something that could be successful. You —” he continues now pointing at Robin “are just here because we knew you’d love making fun of us for this and you’d be pissed if we didn’t invite you.” 

“What about me?” 

It’s the first time Bunny speaks up since the show started. The words feel heavy on her tongue. 

“ Oh, you —” 

“We want you to be our manager.” Steve's voice cuts Billy off mid-sentence.

Manager? It’s then when it really settles in how serious the guys are. There’s a look on Steve’s face she’s only ever seen a handful of times. No joking around to be detected. He told her he’d figure out a way to keep the shop going and this is his solution. It’s maybe a bit unconventional and not at all anything she’d have ever expected but it’s a solution nonetheless. 

“Your manager?” 

Steve’s eyes connect with hers, full of hope and uncertainty all at once. He seems to be almost pleading — not with words just with looks. This means more to him than just a silly little idea with his friends. This is his last chance. 

“We need someone to help us out here. You know how shit we are at keeping our appointments in order. How unorganized and messy we are. How much we suck at financials and numbers and all that. We need you. “

“And you think this might actually work?”

Nancy’s voice cuts through the tension. “This might actually not be the worst idea. A lot of girls that I went to High School with got married last year and they all wanted a stripper at their bachelorette parties. But — well the choice was limited.” 

“You sure you want to end up stripping for people you went to Highschool with?” 

Bunny raises an eyebrow in question.

“I mean yeah, that might happen. We want to advertise mostly around Hawkins so not directly here. Just to avoid any awkwardness. But that’s also a reason we wanted to try this out on you. If we can do this for our best friends without dying of embarrassment then —” 

“You guys really want to do this?” 

All of them answer with a determined nod of their heads. There is uncertainty there but not about trying. No one can know the outcome of this but neither of them is afraid of trying. For the one thing they all helped build. For their shop. 

“Well, I guess I can’t let you do this by yourselves then, huh? You need someone to keep you in line.” 

The smile Steve grants her as he realizes she’s in sends Bunny’s heart racing. It’s ridiculous to be so in love with your lifelong best friend. Ridiculous and hopeless and dumb. Agreeing to manage his business where he will get undressed in front of a bunch of ladies sounds like a surefire way to break your own heart. But isn’t that the fundamentals of the human experience? Isn’t that love? Putting your own heart on the line for someone else’s happiness?

“We really do need you.” 

“Okay then, guess I’m in.”

Before the words even fully leave her lips, Bunny is already tackled into a hug. Steve is not a hugger, never was. It’s a side effect of growing up with emotionally absent parents who’d rather give you a new car than a hug. So Steve's hugs are always special. A perfect little cherry on top of every cake.

He’s so warm and he smells like sweat and too much body spray. It’s disgusting but she can’t fault him for it, that man just put on the performance of his life, danced his ass off, and stripped down both literally and emotionally. 

It also reminds her of all the times hanging out with him after basketball training. The best times.

“Thank you, Buns.” 

And maybe she pulls him a little bit tighter. No one has to know. 

“So,” Eddie speaks up as they pull away from the hug. “What do you say, manager? How did we do?”

“Well, glad you asked. If you wanna do this, we’re doing it right. You guys came up with names, now we gotta make them a character. King Steve? I’m getting you a crown and maybe we can also make use of that little sailor uniform of yours. You — “ Bunny snaps her finger and points it at Billy “get out those tiny red shorts you used to flaunt around in at the pool, I know you still got those somewhere, don’t even try to deny it. Maybe some sunglasses too.” 

“Yes, Ma’am.” 

“And you, Mr. Hellfire.”

“Mmmh?”

“ How do we feel about some devil horns?” 

Word spreads fast in Hawkins, that’s not surprising. People are so damn curious about other people’s business and no one keeps their mouth shut — ever.

What is surprising, is that a small stack of flyers, just 50 of them, hung up in clubs and bars around Hawkins, leads to 5 bookings for Hawkins Hottest not even 3 weeks after the idea took seed.

The first one is a group performance. A group of girls books them to surprise their friend at her bachelorette party. It takes place in a small apartment just outside of Carmel and the stage is a living room barely big enough for all 3 men and the spectators. But they make it work. They have fun. It’s a good chance to gain confidence. To really settle into their roles.

And the pay is good. Good enough to buy 3 fans for the shop. A move that put Steve forever in Eddie’s good books. 

The second one is a bit of a bigger performance. An all-female bowling team book them for their 25-year anniversary party held at a venue just an hour north of Hawkins. 

Those ladies are scary in a way that Steve doesn’t even attempt to describe. Scary in a way that is fascinating and a little uncomfortable. But the job gets done and the pay is once again great. 

Bunny is there with them, always. Steve wonders what he ever did to deserve her. Her unwavering support. The faith she puts in him, displaced but appreciated. Her kindness, patience, and trust. 

She’s the one doing all the dirty work. Advertisement, bookings, financials. She makes sure the boys get to where they need to be on time. She books hotel rooms if needed. She provides snacks for the ride. She helps with costumes and makeup and sound and lighting. She does 12 jobs at once and she never complains. She just smiles and sometimes when Steve feels a little anxious on stage and looks for her in the crowd or backstage, she’s always there to offer him the encouragement he needs. She is everything. 

“So … are you ever gonna tell Harrington how you feel or are we all taking it to the grave?”

Eddie has a big mouth and no filter. Sometimes that’s funny, hilarious even. It makes for great icebreakers and exciting conversations. Sometimes his big mouth plucks a secret straight from your brain that you didn’t even know was there in the first place. And he presents it to the world. Those times his big mouth is less funny. Those times it scares Bunny.

"Not sure what you're insinuating here, Munson."

Her eyes involuntarily search for Steve across the room. His chest is on display, a shirt hanging loosely from his shoulder, unbuttoned and almost teasing. The boys are about to go on stage in just a few minutes and while Eddie is all cool and collected, Steve always gets a little nervous. He's a bit of a perfectionist, Bunny has realized lately. Not always, but about the important things. Especially when his future and the future of his shop are at stake.

"Mmmh. Of course, you don't. Not like you're undressing him with your eyes right this second."

"Eddie," she lets out a mix between a scoff and a chuckle "I've seen you guys strip nearly every night lately. I don't need to undress him, he's doing it himself.”

“So do I and you never looked at me like that, or Billy. Just good old Steve over there. I’ve deducted —”

“You haven’t deducted anything.”

“Just saying, I’m picking up some vibes here.” 

“Eddie —” Bunny says and fixes him with what she attempts to be a serious glare but probably ends up making her look as intimidating as a literal bunny rabbit “ — stop it. Go get some oil on that chest of yours, you guys are about to go on stage.” 

Stage. A real actual stage this time. 

The club they have been booked to perform at is small, smaller even than the hideout. It’s a bit grimy, with lots of mismatched furniture. Ripped concert posters line the wall and the dressing rooms smell like bleach and cheap air freshener. But it’s a stage! A real stage in front of an audience that paid an entry fee to see them specifically. It’s amazing to think that they’ve been given this chance only such a short time after starting this whole crazy idea. Sometimes it feels unreal. Like none of this is really happening. Maybe because it’s hard to explain to people. This insane whirlwind of an idea they’ve all willingly jumped into is not only working, it’s also fun. Most of them won't understand. Most of them will just judge. 

It doesn’t matter though. It never did.

None of it really matters when she looks at the boys as they perform their stage show. An immeasurable amount of pride fills her heart. This is something that quickly becomes more than either of them thought it could be. A spark turning into a raging fire. 

They’re all good, surprisingly. Stripped both figuratively and literally of everything. They are their characters and they’re putting on one hell of a show.

The room is filled with a sizzling static, a euphoric atmosphere. It’s sexy and fun and mesmerizing all at once.

Steve looks good enough to eat as he moves around on stage. Dipped in hues of pink and red and orange as the stage lights capture him, it’s quite the vision and not unlike some of the scenes from Bunny’s most intimate, most secret dreams. 

The baby oil that the boys have lathered onto themselves earlier, leaves a shiny gleam on his pecks. He looks delectable. For a moment she wants to scold herself for these thoughts, this is Steve. HER Steve. But isn’t this the point of all of this? These feelings of desire and lust and passion? Isn’t this what they want to awaken in their audience? 

So what if the audience is Bunny of all people.

He’s meant for greatness even if no one ever made him believe so. She knows it. Maybe that greatness is found on this stage. Or maybe it’s in whatever he chooses to do. Maybe it’s simply him.

A few weeks later 

“Are you nervous?” 

Her hand feels so warm as she rests it on his shoulder. 

It’s his first solo performance. The first time someone booked just him. Not him — King Steve.

A 21st birthday. All the way in the big city of Indianapolis.

This time it’s all on him whether the show is a hit or a failure. If he fucks this up, he fucks it up for all of them. Himself and Eddie and Billy — and Bunny.

Bunny who is sweet enough to drive to Indianapolis with him. To stay in a hotel room with him for the night because it’ll be too late to drive all the way back to Hawkins after the show. 

He can’t feed off of Eddie’s dramatic energy or Billy’s sense of seduction. Just himself and the character he is trying to create for his stripper self.

“A bit yeah.” 

“You’ll do great, Steve. I just know it.” 

He finds her eyes over his shoulder in the hotel mirror. There is no doubt in her. No one has ever believed in him like this. Not even his own goddamn parents.

“What if I fuck up?”

“You won’t!” 

“But what if I do?”

This is his last chance. This needs to work. There is no room for error when every little mistake could mean having to close the shop. He loves that shop even though he never thought he would. Never saw himself as a mechanic. But this is so much more. This is his baby. His home away from home. His friends are there. Bunny is there. 

And though it’s silly and dumb, he also wants to make his father proud. Even though his dad doesn’t deserve it. Even though he’s a huge asshole. Steve wants to make the shop work to make his dad proud.

“Steve, they booked you for a reason.”

“It’s because of the hair.”

“No, it’s not because of the hair, you dork. It’s because you’re good at this.”

He is. It’s not really something society allows you to take pride in but Steve can’t deny that he’s quite alright at stripping and putting on a show. He still wishes the boys were here too.

“You wanna go over the routine again? Would that help?” 

“Maybe.”

“Okay, let’s do it then!” 

Before he knows it, ZZ Top’s “I need you tonight” comes from the boombox they brought, perched on the desk in the corner of the Hotel room.

Bunny sits down on the end of the bed, hands resting by her side and digging into the soft, blue comforter. 

The encouraging smile she gives him makes him want to melt right then and there. He wonders if she knows just how much she means to him. When he said they couldn’t do this without her, he meant it. She is the beginning and the end of it all. 

He goes through all the moves as if his body works on autopilot. A swing of the hip, a turn, a twist. His brain doesn’t have to work to recall the choreography, it comes naturally. 

He doesn’t really register any of that. All he can see is her. Her eyes and her lips and her hands fisting the sheets. Her eyes. Her lips. Her hands. Her. 

The show continues as it would in front of the actual audience. Only it’s not the birthday girl he’s getting close to, it’s Bunny. 

It’s her body heat radiating he can feel as he stands before her and opens the buttons of his shirt leaving him bare. It’s her hand he takes to trail down his chest, to feel every dip and groove and ripple. It’s her perfume he smells.

Her eyes. Her lips. Her hands.

Her.

This is not in the performance. Being this close. Feeling her nose against his, her breath mingle with his. None of what he’s feeling right now is scripted. The tingles in his fingers. The racing of his heart. 

“Bunny, I — “ 

If the universe wants to play tricks on him, Steve doesn’t think they’re very funny. A shrill ringing sounds from the alarm clock on the bedside table making the two snap away from each other, breaking the spell and dropping them back into reality.

Steve doesn’t feel like laughing at the universe right now.

“I um — I set the alarm to remind us when we have to leave for the gig.” 

“Oh yeah. Yeah — good. Let’s uh — let’s get a move on. Chop chop.”

Chop chop? His inner voice is cringing at the words as they fall from his lips. Chop fucking chop?

She doesn’t meet his eyes while they grab their stuff, not on the way there and not as they meet up with the best friend of the birthday girl who made the booking. 

It’s only when he’s about to go on stage that she grants him a smile, though it doesn’t meet her eyes. It’s missing its usual sparkle. “Break a leg.” 

“I’ll do you one better, I’ll break two.” 

Steve, his inner voice scolds him again, sometimes it’s better to just keep your mouth shut.

But when he hears Bunny laugh. Like really actually laugh, he thinks he might just keep talking nonsense. Her laugh is his favorite sound in all the world.

“Please don’t.”

“I’ll try not to.”

“Go get them, King Steve.”

The man on stage, that’s not her childhood best friend. The man up there is King Steve, all suave and self-assured and seductive. All the dorky qualities her Steve holds are wiped away and replaced by confidence and courage.

It’s like he is two different people at once, both the best versions of him he can be at that moment. 

There’s something enchanting about watching him perform. He looks so free and liberated from all the pressure to be a certain kind of way that has been resting on his shoulders from the moment he left his mother’s womb. He gets to be whoever he decides to be. 

The girls are screaming and giggling as he moves his hips. When he loses the shirt then the pants — they lose their minds. 

She thought she’d feel some jealousy, watching him on stage, entertaining all these other girls. But it’s different. Some part of her is holding on to the knowledge that the version of him off stage, those girls don’t get. They know King Steve but they will never know her goofy, dorky best friend Steve. That version of him is hers and hers alone.

Red and blue lights paint every ripple and every inch of his body. He looks like a painting. A masterpiece.

“Sorry if this is disrespectful but your boyfriend is so damn hot.” 

The girl standing beside her isn’t even looking at Bunny, her eyes are fixed on Steve who at this point is only in a tight pair of shorts. 

“He’s not. My boyfriend I mean. No doubt he’s hot. That’s undeniable.”

That gets the girl’s attention.

“Oh so, you guys are not …” 

Things would be far easier if they were. And maybe the moment in the Hotel meant nothing but what if it did? Then again, was there even a moment to begin with? Or was this all just wishful thinking clouding her thoughts? 

“No, we’re just best friends. And I’m his manager.” 

“Okay cool.” Bunny hates the tone the girl’s voice takes on. Hates it with every fiber of her being. The girls staring at King Steve is one thing. Having one of them show interest in the off-stage him, that’s a terrifying thought to Bunny. She looks nice though, the girl. She looks like the kind of girl Steve would go for. Nice girls who let him know they’re interested and don’t hide their feelings for years until it’s too late and break their own hearts in the process.

A loud “ooooh” washes over the crowd as Steve loses the last of the fabric covering his body. Bunny doesn’t think she’ll ever get tired of seeing him like this.

And when he looks across the group of girls and meets her eyes, he throws her a wink. That one, she knows for certain. That one is just for her from her Steve. 

There’s something awfully nostalgic about sitting crisscross on the hotel bed, a can of beer in hand as Steve sits across from her with a big smile on his face, reminiscing about the show he just put on a few hours ago.

“ — and the pay? This one show is paying for the next two months' electricity.” 

“You’re saving our shop, Steve.” 

“Can you believe people are willing to pay that much money to see me? King fucking Steve.”

“Oh, I’m not surprised. You’re worth every penny.” 

Steve scoffs at her words. He was never all that good at taking compliments, even when his ego was through the roof during their High School years. 

“Wonder what my dad would think if he knew this is how I’m keeping the garage open.”

Mr. Harrington was always perfectly nice enough to Bunny. He was polite and attentive and a good host whenever she was around at the Harrington house. He asked her about her parents and made small talk about school and work and everyday life. 

None of that mattered to her though. The way he treated his own son was all she needed to know to realize that he placed very low on her list of people. Steve didn’t deserve all of the weight put on him. All the degrading comments. The snarky remarks. The sour looks and scowls and scoffs.

He did the best he could, always. Steve is a good man and while he was a bit of a shithead during his teenage years, that can be chalked up to just that — being a teenager.

“Do you want me to be honest or nice?” 

“Honest. Always.” 

“How honest?”

“10 out of 10”

“Your dad would hate this. Because he doesn’t understand it, or the time we’re living in. And also because he hates seeing you succeed without him. It would make him have to face the fact that you are doing just fine without him. He can’t come by and say I told you so, and that would make him pissed.”

“Why does that make you smile?”

“‘cause I love pissing off your dad. He’s an asshole like no other.”

“Cheers to that” 

Laughter echoes through the tiny hotel room as they clink their cans, weaving itself into a sweet harmony with the music coming from the boombox.

“Ooooh, I love this song!” Bunny announces as the opening chords of Joan Jett’s “I love Rock n Roll” fill the air. 

“You know what I think?” 

“What is that, Steve?” 

There’s an intensity in his eyes, a sense of mischief on his lips. It’s both endearing and a bit unnerving all at once. 

“You’ve seen me do my show a bunch of times now, I think it’s only fair if you dance for me this once.” 

An unintentional scoff falls from her lips. For her to put on a show — to strip — for him? It’s a bizarre thought, truly absurd. He surely can’t be serious.

He is serious. It’s written on his face as unmistakable as a light-up billboard on main street. 

“You kidding me, Steve?”

“Creative expression through passionate and erotic dance is not a laughing matter, Bunny.”

He laughs anyway. That full-on sunshine Steve Harrington laugh of his that makes you feel invincible and grand. Like for a second, all the bad in the world has vanished and there are good things to believe in. Like laughter and friendship and cute boys with great hair.

“Alright, you asked for it. I’m just telling you right now I can’t dance very well — oh and the underwear stays on.” 

“Buzzkill!”

“Hey, hecklers will be removed from the premises!” 

Steve does a zipping motion across his lips only to follow it up by throwing away an invisible key. It’s a very Steve move, no thoughts behind the action, just good intentions and unrelenting loyalty.

Bunny starts moving her body to the rhythm of the song. It’s easy enough to get lost in the music but there’s no way she can fully let go. Not with Steve watching her the way he is. She’s unable to shake the thought of making herself look laughable in front of him. Steve’s seen her in all the stages of her life, all the best and most definitely the worst, and never had Bunny felt like this. But it’s different right now. There has been a shift and this whole night feels like it could be a turning point. A crash and burn or happily ever after kind of situation.

It’s terrifying. 

“Come oooon! I know you can do better than this. Go on, move those hips a little.” 

Before she knows what’s happening, his hands find their place on the side of her hips, holding her tightly. His skin touching the sliver of her’s that revealed itself where her shirt rode up a little. He smells like body wash and deodorant and spearmint chewing gum. He radiates an all-consuming warmth. 

Steve moves her hips in time with the music, rotating motions the way he does when he’s on stage. It feels like her body is moving on autopilot, vulnerable, and all his to do with as he pleases. His eyes lock on hers and like a magnetic pull, Bunny stares right back. Mesmerized and enchanted.

“Like that?”

“Yeah, just like that.” 

He doesn’t let go, he just grabs on tighter, moves closer. There’s barely any room left between them and yet he’s not nearly close enough for Bunny’s liking. 

As if he can hear her thoughts, he pulls her flush against his body, chest to chest, heart to heart. His hands stay on her sides as if they were never meant to be anywhere else. 

“Tell me to stop.” 

There’s a saying that the flapping of an itty-bitty butterfly's wings can cause a hurricane. Bunny always thought that was utter bullshit. 

As Steve’s lips meet hers in a heated kiss, she thinks there might be a little bit of truth to the statement.

“Don’t stop!” 

Two words. Two itty-bitty words and they cause a hurricane. Change everything.

It takes a blink of a moment for Bunny to forget where she ends and Steve begins, he’s all-consuming. Mind and body and soul. 

She doesn’t even realize it as it happens when he picks her up and sits her down on the dresser as if she weighs nothing. Just a feather in his hand. 

His kisses are hot and needy on her cheeks, her lips, her neck. Everywhere. 

Bunny combs her fingers through his hair, hands trembling. It’s almost embarrassing how nervous all of this makes her. She’s touched his hair a million and one times. Not like this though, never like this. 

“Hey, hey wait a second.” 

She doesn’t want to wait. Doesn’t want to stop. What if they stop and he realizes this was a mistake? What if this is all an elaborate prank that life is playing on her? You think the boy you’ve loved since you knew what love was likes you back? Silly girl, so silly.

“Buns, come on look at me.” 

He cradles her face in his hands so gently, so soft, as if he’s holding the whole world in his palms.

“I can’t.” 

“Why not?”

“What if I open my eyes and all of this isn’t real?”

A chuckle tumbles from his lips but it’s not mocking. It doesn’t make her feel stupid or ridiculous, even when she very well might be.

All it does is fill her with infinite affection.

“Buns, what do I have to do to make you believe it’s real? Pinch you? Give your cheek a lick? A bite maybe?”

“Do not lick my cheek. — the biting though.” 

Steve’s laughter sounds so sweet. Like a song from a memory long forgotten and finally remembered. His chest shakes against hers making it impossible for her not to crack a smile. Secondhand laughter. 

“Oh, biting gets you going? Alright, I’ll remember that for the future.” 

“The future?” 

It sounds like too good of a promise to be true. 

“Bunny, look at me!” 

He’s soft in all the ways a person can be but the softest of all is the way he looks at her when she opens her eyes.

“I’ve been in love with you for an embarrassingly long time. It just never felt like the right time to act on it. Either you were in a relationship or I was or — things were just a liiiiittle messed up.” 

“So what changed?”

“I’m tired of waiting. I just wanted — no I needed you to know. Life moves surprisingly fast actually and I didn’t want to spend another minute pretending I don’t love you.” 

Those girls in the crowds, cheering and hollering, they may get to see his abs, even his ass, but they will never have this. This is all hers.

“You serious?” 

“As a doornail.” 

“That’s — that’s not how the saying goes but I love you anyway.” 

“Yeah?” 

There’s no room for an answer, it gets swallowed somewhere in the ocean of kisses he places on her lips, one sweeter than the next. 

Perhaps there doesn’t need to be an answer. Not one spoke with words at least. She hopes the kisses he receives in return are enough to silence his doubts forever. Quite honestly, she wouldn’t mind reminding him though.

“You feel that?” Eddie’s voice calls out, echoing through the shop as Steve and Bunny step inside. “The sweet sweet relief of a working air con!” 

“Well, you guys have been working your asses off to get it for us.”

“More like showing our asses off.” 

“Either way, “ Bunny says and gives Eddie a friendly pat on the shoulder. “It was all you guys. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be upstairs in my office doing some paperwork and basking in the chilly air-con.” 

Just before she takes a turn towards the steps leading to the office though, she wraps her arms around Steve’s shoulders and places a long, gentle kiss on his lips. There’s something exhilarating about being able to kiss someone you’ve wanted to kiss for so long but were never allowed to. It’s addicting. It’s magical. 

“See you later, baby.” 

“What the fuck?!” 

Life comes with a lot of struggles. A lot of dark days and bad times. It asks for so much and often it feels like it gives nothing in return. But maybe that’s not all true. There is joy to be found. In the big things like kissing the one you love, like realizing the person you always wanted wants you back. And in the small ones like the taste of his lips, the feel of cool air on your skin, the knowledge that you can do great things and overcome struggles — and in the laughter of your friends sounding through the halls as they realize that love has finally found a way to settle where it was always meant to be.

[evanyaglad]

As someone who's worked in the field with animals for a while now, I can not contain my rage for "doodles" any longer.

A "doodle" (labradoodle, goldendoodle, bernadoodle, etc) is NOT a recognized breed by any certified organization! Which means they have no breed standards, which is why every doodle you meet looks completely different from each other. In turn, that also means there are no reliable doodle breeders. A doodle is a "designer breed," which is just a fancy name backyard breeders came up with so they can sell genetically unstable mutts for premium price. There is no such thing as a pure bred doodle. It doesn't have a stable genetic pool, nor does it have a reliably known temperment.

Once a "designer breed" gets popular, everyone and anyone starts breeding them on mass! Which continues to contribute and make worse the already unstable/unknown genes and temperments of these dogs. This can cause a lot of early health and behavioral issues.

Whoever told people that these "breeds" are low-maintenance, mellow, family-dogs told the most profitable lie ever.

These dogs are mixed with poodles. The main draw of the poodles' genes is their hair. Which is known not to shed. However, doodles CAN shed (because they are mixed with breeds that do shed). However, they can't shed enough to be self-sufficient. So you may still end up with a dog that sheds and yet still has to take it to an expensive groomer every other week!

Which leads to the neglect. "Doodles" are notorious amongst vets and groomers alike for being neglected. The "breed standard haircut" that the general public has adopted is to let the hair grow shaggy and get matted. Yes, matted. For those uneducated, mats hurt, and they are known to grow bacteria. Any dog with poodle type hair needs PROPER brushing every single day. And not just with a slicker brush. There are several types of tools usually needed, especially a comb that can get all the way down to the skin in order to avoid mats. A dog that has become matted is usually considered neglected for all other breeds except "doodles." However, these dogs should not be forced to live with painful mats because backyard breeders lie to families and tell them they are low-maintenance.

The second issue that comes with poodle mixes is the temperment. Many people who adopt dogs don't consider whether the breed is right for them. Doodle owners aren't the only people guilty of this. However, because this breed doesn't have a standard nor has been around long enough for concrete specifications: we DON'T know the temperment and behavior of these dogs. Which makes it so much worse for those who may be getting a "doodle" as their first dog. At most, we can look at what a doodle is mixed with and make estimations. However, a common issue I see with backyard breeder sales pitches is that they advertise the side of the labradors and golden retrievers a lot more than they advertise the poodle side. Why? Because poodles are known to be extremely active, protective, and vocal. They also need a LOT of mental and physical stimulation. Poodles are extremely intelligent and are usually great for working jobs, agility, or showing. If they don't have some form of outlet for their high energy and intelligence, they may become a menace in the home. The average person I see getting "doodles" is either elderly or busy families. Neither may be suited for a "doodle" that has a temperment more like a poodle than a golden, etc.

Next the size... doodles are a mix. A mix advertised as a purebred without standards. Because their isn't a "standard" for a doodle, we don't know the size of them. Many "doodles" advertised as "miniatures" end up growing the size of their labrador counterparts, etc. It doesn't matter if a dog is mixed with a miniature anything if the other half is a large breed. Again, these dogs are being bred by people who don't know what they are doing. So it's a 50/50 whether you'll get a miniature or large breed dog. Not only that, but some doodles are starting to get reputations for being absolutely massive! I'm not entirely sure why, but these bad boys are starting to clock in at 80+ pounds!

Lastly, health. Again, this is a "breed" that hasn't been around long enough for concrete specifications when it comes to long-term health issues. However, what I can tell you is that these dogs are known to get things like hip dysplasia and luxating patella at as young as two years!! Not to mention the skin and ear infections they are prone to due to their coat and neglect. These dogs are also prone to neurological issues because of how much they are being bred without proper genetics taken into account.

The size, color, coat, health, and temperment of these dogs are a complete gamble. Any breeder breeding them is a backyard breeder, and anything they say should be taken with a grain of salt. Please stop purchasing these dogs for premium price from people creating genetic nightmares. Either wait for the breed to become established or rescue one. Do not participate in this marketing scheme that involves living creatures!

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk

[onmytape]

I would welcome ur thoughts on the draft if you want to share...

where do I start??

i almost missed the draft haha. I managed to mooch off of walmart's wifi and watched a stream of someone else's stream of the draft for three hours. I actually watched sportsnet's yt stream for most of it and saw some player interviews but they ran right through the actual draft and I missed half of the picks and then they just stopped streaming half way through the first round. I'm trying to catch up on all the content and find a good quality stream to make gifs of. i'd love to know what everyone else thinks about any of this or anything else!

putting this in point form because i have a lot of random thoughts here and i'm sure i'll be annoying about draft stuff all weekend

Prefacing this by saying that i don’t know much about most of the teams that these players went to so i can’t give a good estimate to how they’ll work out in the organization. i know i'm not the only person who thinks this draft has more talent than the average draft. the top five projected picks could have easily been first overalls in any other year and the first two rounds are full of players that i think will have decent careers. i'm mostly in it for the fun friendships!

not much to be said about the top five. I think carlsson will fit better in anaheim and fantilli will be better in columbus. and he wanted to go there. will smith looks good in teal. He’s got that golden retriever thing that thomas bordeleau is going to hate. Reinbacher doesn’t deserve all the hate he’s getting. I’m excited to see how he does with the habs. I’m really surprised michkov fell so low. With picks like reinbahcer and simashev, i figure the teams that drafted them have a plan. It’s interesting to see what teams decide based on what they think their organization will benefit from. 

lots of whl players that went undrafted in previous years i think deserved to get drafted and i hope some will sign as free agents but i was happy to see milic and hanzel drafted.

notable draft buddies: lukas dragicevic and caden price to seattle. I’ve never cared about seattle but these two have been two of my favourite dmen to watch in the dub and on the u18 team.

nashville gets tanner molendyk and kalan lind. i wasn’t expecting molendyk to go so high but i personally think he’s one of the best dmen in the draft. His skating is a big strength. lind is a mitch marner type. Great until he opens his mouth. i got a little bit of dylan mackinnon (qmjhl) at the prospect game and i feel like he and lind will get along. and of course samuel honzek and jaden lipinski from the giants got drafted to calgary together!! i really wish they did all the rounds on the same day just so we could get pictures of players together in their jerseys. and for literally no reason i’m excited about leonard/cristall/allen in washington together.

the flyers have some good picks. I think in a few years, after michkov joins the team and the other prospects develop more, the future of the team will be really exciting. I like hart but i’m excited to see bjarnason. 

I personally think some players from the whl went way too low, cristall and heidt are definitely steals. I think a lot of teams will regret passing on them. wild fans seem to like heidt already. but that being said, i think danielson at 9, benson at 12, and yager at 19 was really good. i think every single player was jealous after yager got that call from crosby haha.

Heidt and ziemmer: these are my guys. Was 1000% not expecting minnesota and la but could be worse. 

The jets org is looking interesting with barlow, milic, and levis but i don’t know if i can go jets. Apparently milic is going pro this next season which will be interesting and i want to see ratzlaff as the starting goalie in seattle this year. it’s always complicated with goalies because you want to love them all and you also want them to play but that’s not always possible. i’m worried about hart/bjarnason but i figure that bjarnason will slowly transfer to the flyers when he’s ready and by then hart will have been pushed out or have moved on. I do like him but i can give him up in a few years. sorry. and now we finally have levi on the sabres and i know it’ll be a while until ratzlaff is ready for the pros but i’m not liking that situation either. 

I think myatovic absolutely deserved to go so high. He’ll need more development like everybody else but he’s a big guy and i think he’ll be notable in the future. With most of the core thunderbirds players moving on, i think myatovic will really step up.

in conclusion, i think i've accepted the draft order haha and not to use the word "exciting" for the thousandth time but i think this will be an exciting upcoming season and i can't wait to see how this draft class turns out over the next few years.