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fizzyxcustard · 18 days ago

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For Her Or My Country?

Fandom: Spooks

Pairing: Lucas North x OC (Amy Holland)

Warning: Non-graphic smut, insecurity, language

Word count: 3731

Summary: Lucas has been given an assignment which means potentially sleeping with a subject who is linked to a Russian subject of interest. After discussing with Amy, will he put his relationship or duty to country first?

Notes: As always, if you wish to be added to my Forever Tag list, let me know. Or you can request to be added to a list for a specific character/fandom. Please contact me if you wish to be added or removed.

Comments and reblogs are always appreciated. :) Any comment at all.

Read on AO3 here

Masha Petrova. Beautiful. Elegant. Rich. Holder of intelligence that MI5 needed. And Lucas had been assigned to the case. Being able to speak Russian himself and having a vast knowledge of the culture and risks that were posed to the United Kingdom, it was only natural that Lucas be placed on this case.

The team of Section D were all seated in the main briefing room, watching as photos appeared on the screen, flipping every few seconds. Harry described each one and gave background to all the subjects and contexts of them.

Lucas was to go undercover in two days’ time, posing as a potential client for Masha Petrova’s prestigious art gallery. She would be hosting an auction, where paintings worth millions of pounds were to be sold, and the money then transferred to her ex-husband, Konstantin Sidorov. But the man had disappeared three years earlier. He was a ghost, with his last movement being on a flight back to Moscow and then nothing. Her motives behind keeping in such close contact with her ex-husband were being questioned.

“Jo will be on standby,” Harry began. He turned to the bleach blonde woman who sat two seats down from him. Her large blue eyes were locked on him, waiting for her instruction. “We’ll need you to mingle with the men, stroke their egos.” That normally meant sleep with them if necessary. “Lucas, Masha is known to always have a string of attractive men on her arm who wish to warm her bed…”

That was it. Amy, desk-based intelligence officer, and also Lucas’ girlfriend of ten months, felt bile rise in her throat. She looked at the photo of Masha Petrova and felt that stab of intense self-hatred rise. This was the kind of woman that Lucas should have been with, not her. He deserved beauty and elegance, not someone like Amy who rarely wore make up and dressed constantly in jeans.

Now Amy knew why she had been kept off the case for as long as she had. With Ruth Evershed on long-term sick leave, the team were bursting at the seams with workload and needed another pair of hands. Amy was the only person available.

Harry gave both Jo and Lucas a briefing pack, outlining their identities which they would need to learn over the next forty eight hours.

Lucas looked down the table at Amy and could see the bright red flush of her cheeks, paired with her inability to keep her eyes out of her lap. He could see her hands moving beneath the table, a sign of her fidgeting, which she always did when nervous. Every expression and movement was something that Lucas had become intimately acquainted with.

Once the meeting had concluded, Harry requested that Lucas stay behind. Everyone else got to their feet, stretching due to the length of time they had all been sitting. Amy dashed out of the room first, being closest to the door. Tears were prickling her eyes. For most of the meeting her imagination had been running wild, churning over a vivid vision of Lucas and Masha Petrova in an erotic position. Amy’s chest tightened, causing her to flap her arms to try and get more air.

“Are you alright?” Jo asked, approaching Amy.

Amy smiled weakly at Jo, knowing that it had always been impossible for her to lie about her feelings. She was transparent, unable to mask any negative feelings. She couldn’t answer.

“I’ll make us a coffee and we can pop outside for some fresh air, yeah?” Jo proposed.

Amy nodded, feeling as if her friend’s kindness was about to open the floodgates and the tears would never stop. But she swallowed hard, feeling the pain in her throat. That damn floodgate would remain closed, even if it killed her.

Outside a few minutes later and Jo lit a cigarette and the two of them stood on the balcony, which gave them a view of London. It was grey and overcast. The colour of the sky was threatening rain.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Jo asked.

Amy’s green eyes darted this way and that, anywhere so they didn’t have to focus on Jo. “I don’t know,” she said softly. Then she sighed, and looked out over the Thames. “I just….I always knew this was something that would probably come, but I hoped it wouldn’t.”

“Believe me, Amy, Harry wouldn’t have asked Lucas to do this unless absolutely necessary. He knows the moral dilemma and risks all of us face when we’re asked to go into situations like this.”

Amy took a sip of her coffee. “Why is it always our morals and lives that we have to sacrifice?” Amy knew all this when taking the position, but now that she was here, facing the prospect of her boyfriend having to essentially cheat on her, it was worse than she could have ever imagined.

Those words caused tears to slip down Amy’s cheeks, which she rubbed away angrily with the sleeve of her cardigan. “Lucas loves his job so much, and I should have always known that I would never be truly first.”

“Amy, it’s not that, and you know it isn’t. He loves you. But the world we live and work in is a dark one, so much darker than people on the outside ever realise.”

“I’m still human, Jo, and I think I’m allowed to feel betrayed and heartbroken when my boyfriend has been told to sleep with someone else.”

Jo watched Amy hang her head in shame and defeat. She knew that Amy had incredibly low self-esteem and had been living in constant shock for the last ten months that Lucas would even be interested in her. But Jo could see the chemistry between her two colleagues; Amy’s kindness towards Lucas, and his ability to make Amy feel seen and heard. Even before their relationship had begun, and Jo knew that they would be a perfect couple, despite Amy always having voiced how little she thought of herself. The two of them may not have looked as though they would date, when considering the way they carried themselves, but their interactions cemented the fact they complimented each other perfectly.

Back in the office a short while later and Amy took a seat at her desk. She pulled out her drawer and picked out a Mars bar from the multipack. It was the only thing that could distract her from the fact that Lucas was sitting a few feet away from her, watching. She knew that he knew she was feeling emotional turmoil. If she had to look at him then she would break down.

Tariq’s desk was behind Amy’s and he could see Lucas’ blue gaze studying her. Tariq watched in fascination for a minute and then turned his attention back to making minor amendments to Jo’s briefing pack. For once, he could see that Amy wasn’t smiling at Lucas or gazing at him, but instead keeping her gaze away. In his mind, anyone who didn’t notice Amy’s reactions must have been blind.

For the next hour and Amy took up her time in a meeting with Ros, discussing the ANPR data results for a subject they had been investigating. At least for now, Amy could put her mind elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Lucas remained quiet at his desk, feeling Tariq’s gaze burning into the back of his head. It had been common knowledge amongst all of the staff at Section D, that Tariq had a crush on Amy. All except Amy herself.

Once Amy had emerged from the side room with Ros, Lucas got up and approached her. He stood with his back to everyone else and Amy with her back to the wall, looking down at her, almost shielding her from prying eyes. “Do you want to head out for something to eat?” he asked. Then he pulled his hands from his jeans pocket and picked up her hand, feeling her warm skin against his for a couple of seconds. But he frowned when he saw her look at the floor; he could see her throat quivering. He dropped her hand.

Amy swallowed hard and looked up at him, feeling the overwhelming emotion wash over her. It was painful, so painful. Her beautiful, perfect Lucas. He was Amy’s everything and for some unknown reason, he also wanted her.

“Come on,” Lucas whispered, holding his hand out to her to take.

Amy knew she couldn’t deny him and took his large hand in her small one.

Together, they walked out of the office, and into the mid-day air. It was drizzling, forming a mist in their hair as they walked the two streets to their usual café. They were both quiet for the duration of their walk, with the hustle and bustle of the busy London streets washing around them.

Lucas grabbed his wallet from his back pocket and didn’t even have to ask Amy what she wanted. She’d already made up her mind and was on her way to grab a table. “A strawberry smoothie and a cheese and onion toastie, please,” her voice drifted back over her shoulder.

Lucas sighed and placed their order. Every now and again he would glance towards her, noticing how she still wouldn’t look at him. Instead, she grabbed her sketchbook from her handbag and began to touch up one of her latest drawings.

Suddenly Amy was taken aback as her sketchbook was pulled away from under her face, just as she rested her pencil tip against the paper.

Lucas sat down. “Look at me,” he said sharply.

“Give me my book back.”

“No, you’ll talk to me. Your drawings can wait.”

“What do you want me to say, Lucas?” Amy said, her tone low and her words to the point. “If you had to watch me go and sleep with a man as part of an operation, I’m sure you wouldn’t be particularly happy about it.”

“Of course I wouldn’t,” Lucas hissed. “But this is our job. You know what’s at stake if I don’t do it.”

“Keeping the country safe and all that crap. Yes, I know,” Amy scoffed. “I’m reminded of that every day. Funny how you’re always paired with the beautiful, elegant women.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Lucas snapped.

Amy rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

A young woman with blonde hair tied back into a ponytail came and set Amy’s food down on the table, along with hers and Lucas’ drink. She offered a quick smile, immediately recognising the familiar signs of a lover’s tiff.

“No food?” Amy asked.

“Can’t say I’ve got an appetite.”

“Just fatten me up like a pig, then.”

Lucas grit his teeth and closed his eyes, clasping his hands together on the table. He knew her defensive attitude all too well when she became overwhelmed by self-consciousness. Passive-aggression and sarcasm tainted her words as she tried to fling painful darts back at him.

“Not here, please,” Lucas begged. His voice was quiet, full of defeat.

Amy at least silently acquiesced to his request and slipped back into her seat, nibbling on the edge of her toasted sandwich. She adored the very breath of the man sat in front of her, and she was sure he knew that. But she couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eye, and instead let her gaze trace the crisscross stitch of the red and white tablecloth.

Lucas sipped his coffee and watched Amy for a few seconds before sighing, resigning his gaze toward the framed quote behind her on the wall. It was some cliché shit that seemed to belong on every mantlepiece in the UK, apart from his and Amy’s. Instead, Amy had a line of Disney character figurines across hers, and the thought of it made a smile emerge on his face. This woman he had committed himself to had no idea how amazing and beautiful she was. Curious. Quirky. The kindest person he had ever met. Unbelievably strong of mind and spirit. Underestimated herself. Broken by the arseholes who had taken advantage of her introverted and generous nature.

One way or the other, he would repair her. No ifs, buts or maybes. He would repair her.

***

The flat was dark as Amy stepped back inside. Lucas was required for a further meeting regarding the new operation with Masha Petrova, so wouldn’t be home for a further hour or two yet.

The isolation enveloped her along with the dark.

Tears flowed down Amy’s cheeks as she finally allowed the locked floodgates to open. She dropped back into a chair in the dining room and sobbed. Amy would never be good enough for Lucas, always sitting in the shadow of other women. Everything that they were reflected what Amy wasn’t. These women reminded her of the dark shadow of lack which lived in her chest.

Tension soon began to press down behind Amy’s eyes as she prepared hers and Lucas’ dinner. It felt like a huge weight was crushing Amy from above, pressing her down into the ground as her whole body became weak.

Cheesy 80’s music played on the radio in the small box kitchen, and not even that could lift Amy out of her prison of darkness. All she could think of was Lucas with Masha Petrova. No doubt he would enjoy it. Of course he would. Being ridden by a blonde supermodel of a woman, with the confidence to fully express her sexuality.

It had taken Amy a few months to become more confident in bed with Lucas. It wasn’t until they’d been together for six months that Amy could finally make love to him without the light turned off and not feel the need to shrink back at his touch. Now she openly enjoyed his touch, reciprocating it. But those whispers would still creep up on her when they lay together afterwards, telling her how unworthy she was of such a beautiful man’s love.

Amy loved Lucas with her whole heart, having never felt so drawn to anyone else. Lucas, to her, was incredibly handsome, charming, intelligent, gentle and kind. He was perfection. Even when he woke in the middle of the night, sweating and shouting out, gripped by the horror of his memories of Lushanka, eventually waking her up, it only helped her to love him more. The vulnerability he shared with her helped her move closer to him, bridging the gap which her insecurity had always created.

The closing of the front door suddenly echoed from down the hall. And Amy heard Lucas’ slow footsteps coming towards the kitchen. She felt her hands begin to shake and a painful lump rise in her throat. “Dinner’s almost ready,” she said.

“Dinner can wait,” Lucas instructed. It wasn’t often that Lucas was demanding, but when it came to digging into Amy’s insecurity and bad moods, it was the only way he could defend himself and fight for her.

Amy sighed and placed her hands on the edge of the sink and looked out into the murky evening. She could see fog beginning to descend on the world and the brightness of the streetlamps lighting up the rooftops, showing the gleam of an earlier shower.

Lucas stood beside Amy and curled his arm around her waist, then took her hand in his, kissing it. “The only thing I can say is that I love you, Aim.”

Amy felt everything crumble and she couldn’t help but break down again, becoming a sobbing mess in his arms.

Lucas held her tight, his right hand tangled in her hair and his lips kissing her forehead. “I love you more than anything.” That was all he could say, and he meant every single word, the emotion so overwhelming as he uttered them.

“I should support you, Lucas,” Amy said, sniffing as she pulled from the embrace to look up at him. “I’m so proud of everything you do, but I…”

“I know,” Lucas whispered. “Don’t you think I know? I don’t want to do this.” His eyes were locked on hers, tears swimming in them, making them look even brighter a blue.

“You’re being paid to sleep with someone. Perk of the job, I guess,” Amy said wryly.

“Don’t you dare say that,” Lucas hissed. His eyes became alight with frustration, his frown casting a shadow across his brow. “Why do you always have to turn to sarcasm and pettiness when you’re hurt?”

Amy pulled from Lucas’ grasp and stormed out of the room, casting him an expression of disgust mixed with hurt. Of course he was right; Amy knew it. Sarcasm and pettiness become her defence mechanism when hurt or cornered.

“What do you want me to say, Aim?” Lucas shouted. “Do you want me to leave my job, get down on my knees?”

“Just fuck off!” Amy hissed back. “Leave me alone.”

The room felt as if it were becoming so much smaller as Amy stood facing the wall, sobbing, with breath almost coming in gasps. More than anything, in that moment, she wanted to disappear.

“You don’t mean that, Aim. You never do,” Lucas said, placing his hand on her shoulder. “I know you enough by now. When you tell someone to leave you alone, it means ‘hold me tight’. You want people to get closer when you’re hurting, even though you push them away.”

Amy felt Lucas’ arms wrap around her middle, and she sighed, feeling that all too familiar wave of arousal spiral down her body and the butterflies swarm in her belly. She couldn’t fight off the way he made her feel. All of the attraction and love was far too strong to keep her away.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he whispered. Lucas kissed her cheek, taking in the scent of her. It was strawberries mixed with the faintest hint of her perfume from that morning, Olympea.

Slowly, Amy turned around and looked up at Lucas, sniffing over her blocked nose. Her eyes were sore and red. “It always comes back to this feeling of me not being good enough.”

“And that’s what it is, just a feeling. There is no truth whatsoever in it. It’s a dark voice, nothing more. I chose you, Amy. Above everyone else, I choose you.”

Amy threw her arms around Lucas and they held each other tight, remaining silent. The only sound was the patter of rain against the window, which gradually got louder and heavier.

Heat spread through Amy as she felt his arms encase her, protecting her from the outside world and everything evil that was in it.

The two of them kissed, the heat mounting, until Amy’s hands slipped up Lucas’ chest and she began popping the buttons of his shirt. She pushed the fabric aside to see his chest exposed, which was tattooed with William Blake’s Ancient of Days.

“You could have anyone,” Amy began, “absolutely anyone in this world. And yet you choose me.”

“Why did you choose me?” Lucas whispered. “You don’t see your beauty, and your light. Any man you choose would be blessed beyond anything he could ever imagine, and you don’t see any of that.” His finger brushed a stray hair from her brow, and then the tips of his fingers trailed down her cheek and his thumb brushed her plump lips. “You made me feel again, and I owe you everything.”

They kissed again and began to remove each other’s clothing, slowly.

As Lucas stood before Amy in only his underwear, she traced the tattoos on his chest and stomach. “I thought about getting one, to match yours.”

“Don’t,” Lucas demanded, his tone quiet but stern and saddened. “All they serve is a reminder of the darkness in the world, and I never want to taint you with that. Your skin is perfect as it is, untouched and unblemished.”

“And I want to share everything with you. The good and the bad.”

Lucas lowered Amy to the bed, her arms locked around his neck. And they kissed again, hard and hungry for every fibre of each other.

Amy gasped as Lucas slipped inside her.

A groan fell off his lips as he felt a wave of that beautiful euphoria. This was where he belonged. It was the only place on this Earth he would ever be safe: inside her, one with her, vulnerable and bare. Gradually he moved, rocking his hips against her as his hand gripped her thigh.

Amy pulled him in closer, needing him against her, the closest in physical proximity that was possible. “I love you,” she whispered.

Lucas’ blue gaze locked on hers and he stopped his movement, remaining still. He smiled. It was a content, peaceful smile. The first he had smiled since he was a child. “This is where I belong. It’ll never be anywhere else. I promise.”

A while later and they both lay on their sides, facing each other. Lucas’ arm was draped idly over Amy’s hip. He was smiling at her again. Innocence, kindness, compassion and love had always shone through Amy’s face and been left on anything she touched, a golden light lingering behind from her fingertips.

He leaned forward and kissed the tip of her snub nose.

The happiness in Amy’s face drained and a serious expression rose. “I’m sorry about earlier. I know you need to do this.” A sadness began to wash over her green eyes. Then she forced a smile.

Lucas never answered, but in his mind, he knew what needed to be done. He moved over her and drew her into another embrace, followed by more love making.

***

The next morning, Lucas stood at Harry’s office door. His heart was racing in his chest, something that rarely happened when on the job.

With one last backwards glance to Amy, Lucas knocked on Harry’s door. She looked up from her desk and smiled at him from across the room, those beautiful eyes sparkling so brightly. Lucas knew that he had made the right decision.

For her or my country? Always for her.

“Come in!” Harry’s voice came.

Lucas took a deep breath and slipped inside the office, bracing the inevitable storm.

“Lucas? What can I do for you?” Harry asked, leaning back in his seat.

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to stand down from tomorrow’s deployment, Harry.”

***

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#richard armitage #lucas north #spooks #mi5 #lucas x amy #Lucas north x ofc #Lucas north x original character #Lucas north x original female character #one shot #fanfiction #Lucas north x oc

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imyourbratzdoll · 10 months ago

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𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒑𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆

🍓the strawberry shack masterlist🍓

summary - lucas lee was pissed and in some desperate need of some release, good thing the strawberry shack was close by.

warning - smut, oral sex, gloryhole, swearing.

18+ only please, the gif and headers I use aren't mine.

Warnings and Reminders - Please do not plagiarise, copy, repost/republish, adapt, or translate any of my work on any social media platforms, apps, or third-party sites. The only platforms I post my work on are: Tumblr and Wattpad. I do not own any character of any franchise (Marvel etc.) All my works are fiction and may be dark or triggering content: READ ALL WARNINGS BEFORE PROCEEDING.

Lucas Lee was pissed, he had seen his ex-girlfriend and met her new “boyfriend”. The stupid arsehole somehow beat him and now Lucas was wandering around the streets, anger rolling off him. He stops when a sign catches his eye, the words read ‘The Strawberry Shack’ and Lucas wonders what kind of name that is and what the fuck are they selling. With a strange pull, he heads over to the building and enters through the door.

His eyes land on a woman sitting at the front desk, hers already staring at him as though she knew he was coming. “Whatcha looking for, sugar? Would you liked to be sucked or fucked?” He blinks, surprised.

“Uh, sucked.” His furrowed brows even more furrowed than before. She nods, hand out as she waits for a payment. Lucas walks closer and slaps some cash down before he follows her directions to the room where he will get what he’s paid for. He looks around the room, looking at the many holes and one calls out to him, his feet move before his mind can even catch up. Without any words, he reaches into his pants and whips out his cock, shoving it through the hole.

You lean forward, curious about this man. Your mouth salivates from the sight of his cock. So big, so perfect, veins running up and down the girthy member. Your tongue flicks out, softly licking the precum from his tip before you swirl it around, taking the whole thing into your mouth. Moaning at his taste, sucking him off while enjoying the feel of him inside of you. “Jesus fucking Christ!” Lucas groans, glaring down at his cock.

A groan slips from his lips as he enjoys the feeling of being sucked, your mouth wetting his cock and sucking him in deeper with each hard suck. “Fucking hell. No one’s ever sucked my cock this good before. Are you a fucking angel or something?” He grunts, head flying back, and eyes closed, he feels himself begin to twitch on your tongue. His balls feel heavy and full, ready to empty. “I’m going to cum, fuck. You better fucking swallow this. Any woman would literally kill to be in your position.” He growls, his hips jerk forward as cum shoots out of his tip, coating your heavenly mouth.

You moan around him, continuing to suck him dry until he’s no longer cumming. Your tongue laps his thick base, cleaning him before you swallow every drop. You lick your lips as you watch him pull out of the hole and tuck himself back into his pants. “Thanks, sweets.” With that, he leaves, a smirk on his lips.

thank you for reading!

feedback and reblogs are greatly appreciated.

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bleulone · 1 year ago

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TO BUILD AGAIN

a Chef Luca fanfiction | Fandom: The Bear. Rating: Mature/Explicit. Status: On going. Slow updates. Type: Multi-Chapters, Pre Canon. Tags: Chef Luca/Orginal Female Character, Disability, Angst and Feels, Character Study, Eventual Smut, Family and Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Mature Themes, Mentions of Depression, Romance, Romantic and Sexual Tension, Romantic drama with a happy ending, Slow-burn, Strangers to Reluctant chef partners to Friends to Lovers, Sharing Cultures, Self-Love, Traveling.

SOFIA “WARDA” FILALI, a culinary superstar, conquered the hearts of many as the darling of a renowned French cooking reality show. Blessed with her distinct approach to molecular cuisine, adorned with a razor-sharp wit and a smile that could bewitch hearts, she seemed destined for a life of triumph and acclaim. However, tragedy struck when, almost a year after opening her celebrated Parisian restaurant, Radiance, a stroke left her with a devastating loss: the use of her left arm. Despite the hope of rehabilitation, Warda faced a daunting reality.

IN THE MIDST OF HER STRUGGLES, Warda discovered solace in her long-forgotten passions of writing and drawing. Setting off on a globe-trotting adventure to craft her upcoming book and explore the depths of her personal creativity, her journey led her to the enchanting city of Copenhagen—a place of significant memories from her youth.

LITTLE DID WARDA ANTICIPATES the reunion with Luca, the effortlessly cool and tattooed pastry chef with whom she had shared countless trials and joys during their time together in Cannes and Casablanca. Unforeseen was the rekindling of a distant yet familiar warmth, awakening something deep within her and resurrecting a unique flavor of solace she never thought possible.

• Read HERE on ao3 • Listen to the playlist HERE •

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moonchildreads · 2 years ago

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small town masterlist - [in progress]

Well, I was born in a small town And I live in a small town Probably die in a small town Oh, those small communities

Spring break had come and gone in the small town of Hawkins, Indiana, and, surprisingly enough, the world hadn't ended. Yet.

Join Eddie and Dottie as they navigate what's left of the school year, graduation, D&D sessions with the Hellfire Club, falling in love, and potentially deadly supernatural encounters kicking off on a certain Very Important Anniversary no one stopped to warn them about. '86, baby. eddie munson/original female character, st4 fix-it, slow burn, strangers to friends (idiots) to lovers, found family, canon-typical violence, swearing, fluff, angst, hurt/comfort, happy ending (check each chapter for specific warnings)

word count: 188.8k (and counting!)

chapter list + extras below! ↴

chapter list:

chapter 1 - the wild boys [1.7k] chapter 2 - what you need [1.4k] chapter 3 - tonight she comes [3.9k] chapter 4 - manic monday [4.1k] chapter 5 - i've got a rock 'n' roll heart [3.2k] chapter 6 - walking on sunshine [2.7k] chapter 7 - the search is over [4.1k] chapter 8 - the heat is on [4.4k] chapter 9 - adult education [3.8k] chapter 10 - that's what friends are for [7.5k] chapter 11 - true colors [5.5k] chapter 12 - fortress around your heart [7.1k] chapter 13 - you give good love [9.5k] chapter 14 - missing you [6.0k] chapter 15 - don't you want me [7.3k] chapter 16 - let's hear it for the boy [12.2k] chapter 17 - girls just want to have fun [7.7k] chapter 18 - i know there's something going on [5.9k] chapter 19 - we built this city [7.6k] chapter 20 - self control [10.3k] chapter 21 - far from over [6.0k] chapter 22 - let's dance [10.5k] chapter 23 - cum on feel the noize [13.8k] chapter 24 - up where we belong [9.9k] chapter 25 - part-time lover [17.4k] chapter 26 - the heart of rock & roll [14.1k] *NEW* chapter 27 - kids in america *coming soon* ...and more.

extras:

[1] official small town playlist (full post) + spotify link [2] hellfire class of '86 class schedules [3] wayne's chicken rice soup recipe [4] maggie's lemon strawberry cake recipe [5] girls just want to have a road trip playlist (full post) + spotify link [6] hellfire club's d&d character sheets [7] lydia's potato latkes recipe [8] corroded coffin's kickass setlist (full post) + spotify link *NEW*

dividers: @firefly-graphics -> yellow lines & daisies

ao3 link: start from chapter 1 -> here

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zaynmirrors · 4 months ago

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A/N: Taglist open! Also short ass chapter! I decided to just break this one up to eat least just get it out.

TW: children,

Chapter 3

The car stayed silent for what felt like hours but in truth had only been a few minutes, but not for Eddie. He didn’t like the silence.

“How’s Jovie?” He asked, glancing at her. Eddie watched as her face fell, he instantly regretted asking. He opened his mouth to speak but y/n instead spoke.

“She’s good” she said, contemplating telling him how she felt. She didn’t want to bother him with her feelings but didn’t want to seem like a bummer all night. “This is the first time I’ve left her”

Eddie felt a ping in his chest, though he supposed he wasn't to blame. “Do you want to turn around?” He was more than happy to miss this concert if that’s what she wanted.

She shook her head, “no, I’ll just call Steve when we get to the motel”. Eddie felt his heart drop to his stomach. Then remembered Dustin mentioning that a Steve babysat his niece from time to time.

“Are you sure?” He looked at her, taking in her tired features.

She glanced at him. “It’ll be fine, plus I deserve a night out, right?” She was asking him. He didn’t know her well enough to say something definitively, but he could assume.

“Yeah, you deserve it” he nodded, drumming a finger on his thigh in a nervous tick. She noticed this and pushed a cassette into the player. A band he knew well began playing, he looked at her in shock. She was full of surprises.

The rest of the ride flew by, Eddie told a few jokes, which got him that laugh he was dying to hear. His cheeks stayed red and warm the majority of the ride.

Y/n pulled the car into the designated painted lines, parking and turning off the engine. “I’ll go get our room” Without waiting for a reply she slipped out the car. Eddie watched her as she walked into the office, enjoying every second of it. She was perfect. He didn’t think anyone could be.

He slipped out to greet her as she returned to him, “they only had a king bed” she said. Eddie looked down at her.

He didn’t mind this, however, but figured she might, “I’ll sleep on the floor” he’d proposed.

She grabbed her bag out of the back seat, looking at him. He didn’t miss the subtle look over. “It’s fine, I don’t mind sharing the bed” He went to argue but she spoke again, “seriously, it’s fine.”

With that she lead the way to their room, she dropped her bag in the corner and went straight over to the phone. Eddie sat on the edge of the bed, watching her dial a number she seemingly knew by heart.

“Hey Steve” she spoke, smiling as she heard her child in the background asking for her, “yeah, we made it” Eddie watched her twirl the cord around her finger. “You know me so well” she chuckled.

Eddie had no right to feel the way he did, to feel the anger that brewed in his gut but he did. “Hey baby” this lessened his anger, she was talking to her child. The child Eddie had become somewhat attached to. “I’ll see you tomorrow” he heard her voice crack.

Eddie stood, coming over and laying a hand on her back. She flinched slightly and glanced at him, offering a small smile which he returned. He rubbed a small circle on her back, trying to offer her some type of comfort.

“I love you too, bug” she smiles, a tear falling down her cheek. “I think Steve said you were gonna get ice cream?” Another fell. “Go have fun, bye baby” she hung the phone up, staring down at it.

“Man, ice cream sounds good” Eddie tried to joke, which earned him a small laugh. He figured that was win enough.

She wiped the tears with the back of her hand and sniffed, “let me get ready” he slowly took his hand off her back and nodded, moving to let her head towards the bathroom.

Eddie wasn’t sure how long she’d been in there, but when she came out, god. He wasn’t sure she was the same person. “Woah” he breathed out.

“Is it bad?” She began to panic. She hadn’t really dressed up since before having Jovie. She was really second guessing her entire outfit.

he shook his head, “no you look good, I mean you look good either way” he stammered out, causing her to smile.

She blushed, Eddie took note of that. “Thank you” she wasn’t quite used to compliments either. She liked hearing them from Eddie though. That much she did know.

She grabbed her purse off the table, looking through it, grabbing her wallet. Deciding she didn’t need the whole bag. “You ready?” Eddie nodded. The two headed out the door

Chapter 4

Taglist: @mewchiili

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unamused-boss · 11 months ago

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Boots and Trumpets

Robin Buckley x Hargrove Oc

Warning, Strong topics: homophobia, child abandonment, troubled sibling relationship, child abuse, underage drinking, Homophobic language, strong language

I will not tolerate any negativity in the comments regarding sexuality or religion!

Summary: Amelia is now facing new challenges within Hawkins. One being her having the miss her friend Tina's annual Halloween party. So to counter for what she thought would be a boring night, she stopped by a little birdie's house instead.

I are currently sitting inside your shared ride with Nancy Wheeler and Steve Harrington. I had the pleasure to have the whole back seat to myself, with my boots propped up onto the window opposite of your head. My baggy washed out jeans hanging from my ankles with my golden colored sweater tucked into my jeans with a brown belt.

“Steve, the more you complain about it and not work on it the more it’s going to suck.” I said to him after hearing him complain about his college essay for the past fifteen minutes.

“It’s not bad Steve, it just needs some rearranging.” Nancy reassured. “You just have to…” Nancy went onto this thing about how he can fix it but I truly did not care. They went onto something else about some dinner that they had to go to. Everything came to a halt when a roar of an engine stopped every word that was about to be exchanged. Both Nancy and Steve stepped out of the car to have a look at the noise while I only peered out of the window. We all saw a charged blue Camaro drive by us and parked. Our eyes still followed to see who owned it. My eyes made contact with the California plate on the back of it.

“What are the odds..” I laughed, I’m kinda happy another Cali kid is here. Maybe I can make a new friend. Two people got out of the car, a dude wearing denim on denim with curly hair styled into a mullet and a twelve year old with red hair with a skateboard. They both looked familiar. But then I saw it, it was the missing earring to my set that I had when I left in California. I thought it fell out when I was packing my bags.

“No fucking way…” I said in shock. ‘Out of every town in this country, you just had to show up here…’

“Shit.”

You gotta be fucking kidding me. Out of every damn state that those asswhips could pick. They pick my state. Indi-fucking-ana. I can’t handle this. I'm gonna throw up. I don’t have the energy to go find a new place to live. I can’t let any of them see me. I can’t live through this. This has to be some sort of nightmare. A really bad nightmare. God I didn’t change my last name either. Everyone is going to know. He’s going to figure it out and I’ll be thrown in front of a flippin bus. What am I going to do?

“Hey!” An all to perky Tina jumped up at me while I was at my locker. “How are you Amy?”

God, here it begins.

“What’s up…” My voice sounds frazzled, get it together. “I’m fine. What do you need?”

“Well as you know by now there is a new hot topic on campus.” Tina grinned.

“Yeahh.” I answered clearly to most with no enthusiasm, but not to Tina. “What does he have to do with me?”

“Well. I was hoping you could hook me up with your cousin!”

“Cousin? No he is not my cousin, we are no were near related.”

“Really?” She seemed not to believe me. “You guys just look really similar, I mean if you never took your sunglasses off I’d think you were him.” She obviously meant it as a joke. I can tell by the light giggle that she gave after making her comment.

“Well we’re not so I can’t help you there.” I stated blankly to her. “Hope you’re able to get in his pants.” I tried to end the conversation there but I was stopped.

“Hey wait!” I turned back to face Tina, who had pulled out an orange slip of paper. “Here you're invited, hope you can make it.” She said before skipping away to her next class. I looked down at the flier to see ‘ Let’s get sheet faced’ printed in bold on it. I laugh a bit at the play on words before folding it and putting it in my pocket. ‘I am skipping school today’ I made my way to the back exit of the school when a light force knocked me a few steps back.

“Oh my god! I am so sorry, that was completely my fault. Please don’t yell at me, I’m just trying to get to chem.” A familiar frantic voice called out to me. Robin Buckley.

“Robin, it’s okay.” I reassured her.

“Are you sure? Cause listen if that scary dude is related to you please don’t send him my way.” She begged.

I huffed. “I’m not related to him, Robin, don’t worry. I’m playing hooky, I’ll catch ya later… hopefully?” I say. I start walking past her to the free world from Hawkins High School

“Yeah, to-totally.” The faint voice of Robin can be heard from the closing doors.

…

Halloween Night: Friday 31, 1984

“Listen Tina, I can’t make it.” I told the bummed girl over that phone. “I’m sorry, I’ll come to the next party you throw.” I reassured her.

“But why are you flaking out on the Halloween bash! You never miss this specific party in the few years that I have known you.” That is true. Once you went to Tina’s annual halloween party you’ve never missed it. But that is changing this year. Being that your twin brother and step sister now live here, there is going to be a lot more flaking then just at the halloween party.

“Tina I told you, I’m taking Will trick or treating with his friends tonight.” You told her once again. “We can do a sleepover some time next week… okay.”

“Okay.” I heard her sigh, “I see ya around.”

“See ya later Tina.” I hung up the yellow landline. I walk over to the livingroom to see Will fixing his ghostbusters costume.

“I still can’t believe no one else dressed up this year.” Will said sadly, “Everyone dressed up last year.”

“It’s okay Will, they just think they're too cool to dress up.” I reassured the small kid. In the back you can hear Bob explaining to Johnathan how the camera works when Joyce came behind Will with his, whatever it is, backpack for his costume.

“Listen, stay close to your brother and Amy, and you get a bad feeling just tell them so you can come straight home.” Joyce told him. “You promise.” Will gave her a thumbs up. “Okay.”

“You ready to rock and roll, Will the wise.” I smiled down at him.

“Be safe.” Joyce shouted out to us, mainly to Will. We all got into the car. Jonathan driving, Will in the passenger seat, and with me in the back. We start to make our way over to Mike’s neighborhood.

“I just don’t get what she sees in him.” Jonathan says all of a sudden.

“What?” Will answered in utter confusion.

“Bob.”

“At least he doesn’t treat me differently.” Will said. “I can’t even go trick or treating by myself. It’s lame.”

“What, you think me and Johnathan are lame?” I said, trying to lighten his mood.

“No, but it’s not like Nancy is coming to watch over Mike. You know?” Jonathan just sighs. He looks at me from the mirror. I give him the same look. We both feel bad for the kid, but what are we gonna do? I don’t want anything to happen to Will. Sooner than later we are at Mike’s front yard. Will makes his way to get out till Johnathan stops him.

“Hey.” Jonathan says to Will.

“Yeah.” He answers.

“If I let you go by yourself, will you promise to stay in the neighborhood.” Johnathan suggested.

“Yeah.” Will’s mood brightened up. “Yeah-Yeah, totally.”

“And be back at Mike’s by 9:00.” Jonathan told him.

“9:30?” Will tried to persuade him. “9:00.” Jonathan said again.”Deal?” “Yeah deal.” Will rushes out of the car to go to his friends.

“Will.” Jonathan stops him from leaving the car to hand him the camera. “Don’t let any of your spazzy friends touch this.” Will laughed and took the camera to go over to his friends.

“You’re a good brother John.” I smiled at him. “I’ll see ya later.” As is tried to get out of the car but Jonathan stopped me.

“Wait where are you going?”

“I don't know, I’ll probably walk around the neighborhood.” I said. “I got a friend down that street.”

“You’re really not going to Tina’s party?” He was bewildered by this.

“Yeah John, I’m really not going.”

“But you love Tina’s parties.” He simply stated.

“Well I’m not feeling it this year.” I told him.

“Bullshit.” He called. “Why aren’t you going?”

“I just don’t want to go.” I’m sticking to this. “I have someone I can hang out with, plus I’ll be close to Will if something happens.” John and I just stare at each other for a minute.

“Okay.” He sighed. “But if Nancy gets upset that you’re not there, I’m not taking the heat.”

“Okay.” I smiled at him as I got out of the car. I walked my way over to where the boys were messing around as John left for Tina's party. “Okay turd-nuggets.” I begin.

“Really, what are you twelve?” Mike sassed.

“And are you a lollipop with that stick up your ass?” I sassed back to him, I start back up were I was interrupted. “I will be down that street with a friend, I will be back her at 8:45 to make sure you guys are fine. Okay?”

A chorus of “Okay’s” filled the air.

“Great! See you shit-heads later.” I walk off a familiar bird’s house. I walk up the stairs to the front door and give it a quick knock. I wait until the door opens.

“Amelia?” Robin says confused. “What are you doing here?”

“ I was hoping we could hang out for a bit.” I suggested. “Is that okay?”

“Oh! It’s completely fine!” She exclaimed, “I just thought you'd be at some party.”

“I didn’t feel like partying tonight, ya know.” I made my way into her house.

…

Tina’s Halloween Party: Friday 31, 1984

The party was in full swing. TP covering the lights of every room. Alcohol filling the mouths and noses of every teenager on the property. Music blasting as loud as physically possible. Someone throwing up in the front yard. The smell of weed coming from the master bedroom with each new blunt that was lit. The sound of a name being chanted in the backyard. A keg stand can be seen with an all too familiar blonde on top, like always.

“Billy! Billy! Billy! Billy! Billy! Billy! Billy! Billy! Billy! Billy!” Is chanting through the crowd as the new keg king came down from his stand. Spitting out that remaining beer from his mouth.

“That’s how you do it Hawkins! That’s how you do it!” Billy yelled. The statement “We have a new keg king, ladies and gentleman!” Being shouted along as Billy made his way into the house. His senses are filled with the atmosphere of the room. Till he sees a certain fallen king with his princess.

“Got ourselves a new keg king Harrington.” Tommy boasted.

“Yeah, eat it Harrington!” Steve looked onto the, now new, keg king. Waiting for something to happen.

“What’s wrong Harrington? Your little dyke is not here to save you.” Tommy fake whined to him. As a way to taunt him. Tommy was about to keep laughing when he felt beer splash over his shoulder. “What the? What the hell Tina?!”

“Don’t call her that!” Tina shouted at him “If she was here she’d leave you crying.”, too drunk to keep dealing with him but still wanting to defend her friend. Nancy, now done with the testerone in front of her, quickly left to get something stronger to drink. Tommy is now pissed that he is covered in pungent drink.

“Go worry about yourself before you come at me guys.” Was all Steve said then walking away from the other teenage boys. Staring off at the brunette as he went after his girlfriend.

Billy turned himself around to face Tommy. “How were you talking about that got Tina mad?” He asked, genuinely curious about the lesbian that was not present tonight at the party of the semester.

“Oh. Just some lesbo that hangs with Harrington.” Tommy retorted, making it seem like she isn’t worth Billy’s time. “She can be a fucking asshole.”

…

Laughter filled the Buckley house this Halloween. The two girls conversed with one another for the past few hours. Being comfortable with one another knowing how the other truly is.

“Wait.” Robin kept laughing. “You got caught kissing Heather Halloway from her bedroom window then proceeded to fall from the second story?!”

“Yeaah, I’m not welcomed over at the Holloway house any more.” I giggled.

“Jeez, you’ve done more than I thought.” Robin smiled. “I’m still scared to change in the girls locker room.”

“Hey I’m the town lesbo.” I calmly giggled.

We fell into comfortable silence, “Hey, I wanna ask you something?” Robin asked.

“Sure.” I said, waiting for her question.

“What was California like?” I sat silent for a second. Due to my silence Robin thought she had hit a nerve. “If you don’t want to talk about it you don’t have to!”

“It’s okay, I just haven't talked with anyone about California.” I reassured her. “ It was like a constant sunset everyday…” I started.

“The weather was always perfect. And the beaches, oh my god the beaches. They were always clear. I lived in Santa Monica, very touristy but beautiful.” I was happy I could finally talk about my home again. “Ugh that sand was so soft under your toes when you walked. And there was this boardwalk that my mom took me and my brother to all that time-”

“You have a brother?” Robin asked curiously.I stopped. ‘No I messed up’.

“Yeah.” I frowned.

“Do- Do you miss him?” Robin asked.

“Everyday… but I hope he’s living the California dream as you guys would say.” I covered my truth with a lie. Not wanting her to know that my brother is here in Hawkins.

“Well from how to describe California, it sounds beautiful.” She reassured me.

I stared back at her with a smile. “Thanks Robin.” Silence filled the room again. Comfortable silence. I liked being around Robin, even with her nervous attitude, she was truly one of a kind. I was about to say something when I glanced at the clock of the wall to find it was close to the time I told the boys I would meet them.

“I gotta go.” I sighed disappointedly, “But I’d love to spend more time together.” I am hoping her answer is a yes.

“Yeah, I would love that! Well not like love-love, but do love being around you. Not in like a couple ways cause that would be weird since we’re just friends. Yaaa know.” She panicked.

“I know Rob.” I smirked, “I’ll see you at school later.”

As we said our goodbyes, I made my way down the street to see the boys. I saw the familiar ghostbuster’s suits from where I was. I could tell that they picked someone up along the way to go trick or treating with. ‘How cute, they made a new friend’. There were two stragglers in the back of the group, by the hair cuts I could tell that it was Mike and Will. I did a small jog over to them.

“Hey shit-heads!” I yelled to them, all their heads slowly turning to me as I made my way over to them. “Did you guys get anything good?”

“What Amy, why are you here?” Mike complained.

“Cause it is close to 9:00 and I want to check on you guys, is that so bad?”

“Yes.” He answered.

“Okay you know what, you're a little shit.” I said to him, “Besides who’s your new?... friend…”

Fuck.

It appears that we have the same looks on our faces. I stared at Max. She stared back at me.

“Shit…” I accidently said out loud.

“Do you know Max, Amy?” Lucas asked me.

I took a deep breath in. “No.” I said simply. “Listen, hit up a few more houses, I’ll come get you in a minute.”

“Where are you-” Dustin started.

“I need a minute guys!” I shouted at them, walking over to Mike’s front yard. Dammit, why. Why! The last person I want to see is with the kids I watch. Shit. This is bad. She can’t tell Niel. No, she can’t tell Billy. Would they even believe her if she told them? Shit, what do I do? I was taken out of my head when a very upset Mike walked by me. I was about to ask him if he was okay when I heard a commotion in the street. I look over to see Will being picked on by some older boys.

“Hey! What the hell are you doing!” I shout at them as I run over to them. “Get back here you fuck heads!” They ran away the minute I had my eyes set on them. Will was pushed to the ground, dropping his candy and camera. I kneel down to him, “Hey Will, are you okay?” I calmly asked him. “Did they hurt you?” I kept asking. Will was not responding what so ever. He just kept looking up at the sky, like something was looking at him. “Will?... Will!” He started to get up slowly, still not answering me. He started to move slowly. Till he ran straight to the back of Mike’s house. “Will!” I shouted after him, grabbing his candy and camera. The other apparently heard me since I heard multiple pairs of feet behind me. I made my way down some brick stairs to find Mike with Will hiding behind a wall.

“Will! I couldn’t find you.” Mike panicked with worry. “I heard Amy shouting then I couldn’t find you, are you hurt?” Due to Will’s heavy breathing I could tell what was up.

“Holy shit!” Dustin yelled.

I kneeled down to his level looking him in the eyes. “Did you have another episode Will?” He was still looking around like a scared cat. “I’m gonna get you home, okay buddy.” Mike made his way to help Will up. When others tried to help he called them off. Blocking off the rest of us to take Will with him.

“Mike?” Dustin tried.

“Keep trick or treating, I’m bored anyways.” He started taking Will with him.

“What’s wrong with him?” Max asked, looking to us for an answer. The boys and I were silent, nothing to say.

“It’s something you don’t have to worry about.” I told her. “Dustin, Lucas go up there for a minute. I need to talk with her.”

“What! Why?” They both started to complain.

“I don’t want to hear it. Go!” I hardly ever get stern with them, but when I do I hope they know I mean what I say. They both, begrudgingly, made their way up the stairs. I turn myself back to Max.

“Max.”

“Amelia.”

“I go by Amy now…” Well this is awkward.

“What did you want?” She asked me, quit literally over me already.

“You can’t tell Billy I’m here or anyone.” I told her.

“What? Why not?” She was baffled. “Do you not know how much Billy misses you?”

“No Max I don’t, because I’ve been here for the past 4 years.” I stated. “Just please don’t tell him, and don’t tell anyone that we’re related. Got that.”

“Yes.”

“Good. As far as me and you go, we just met. Okay?”

“Okay.” She said a bit quietly. “Now let’s get you back up there with your friends so you can enjoy the rest of the night.” I take her back up to Dustin and Lucas. And since Johnathan isn’t here by 9:00, looks like I’m stuck here.

Jeez, the next month is gonna be a shit show. Max knows I’m here now. Johnathan is nowhere in sight. On top of that my twin brother is here too. Hopefully this can’t get any worse than it already is.

Man. I was so wrong about that…

Hello! I hope you enjoyed this part of the story! Also so sorry for my absents, I know you guys are wanting fics/stories. All I ask is that you be patient with me, thank you. If you have any kind of feed back I would love to hear it. And please tell me what you think of Robin and Amelia's interactions together.

I always love good feedback!

Thank you for reading and have a great Christmas!

@meowiemari

@b1tchy3lf

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penguinwriter24 · 1 year ago

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My first FanFic about Eddie Munson on AO3 ( for now only the first 4 chapters are published ). I don't know yet if I am also going to post it on Tumblr, so let me know if you want/prefer to read it here instead.

Iron Caravaggio

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hoppers-babygirl · 2 years ago

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Beat his ass

Author: Hoppers-babygirl

ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/hoppers_babygirl

Word count: 2316

There was still an awkward distance between Cassie and Steve but that didn’t stop her from riding along with Steve, Dustin and a couple of his friends. Everyone knew she had been seeing Billy once Steve and Nancy got together but no one ever quite spoke about it out loud. That was until Cassie asked Steve to drive her over to his house. Things had been uneasy between the unlikely couple but Cassie tried her best not to let it show. It had been two weeks since Billy last spoke to her, she was sick and tired of his silence so she took matters into her own hands.

Steve stayed silent as he drove towards Billy’s house, his knee bounced anxiously on his free leg. It struck up a bit of anxiety in Cassie but she took a few deep breaths. After Steve dumped her for Nancy; Cassie and Billy started seeing one another, even though they were an unlikely couple, the pair enjoyed one another’s company. They dated six months before this air grew tense between them. Cassie never thought he would act this way toward her but she was wrong in the end. She assumed Billy heard that Nancy broke things off with Steve, maybe thinking that he would try to swoop in and take Cassie away from him but that wasn’t the case.

The matter of the fact is that Cassie grew sick, some days worse than before. She assumed it was just a simple cold, nothing more than the flu. Only she was wrong, after taking a test the liquid in the tube turned blue. Her stomach knotted up at the sight, causing her to fall to her knees in front of the porcelain bowl as she grew sick.

Eventually Steve pulled up to the all too familiar blue house, except he was pulled off on the side of the road, across from the house. Snapping from her thoughts she looked over, her brows pinched together.

Steve spoke up. “I know you just wanted a ride but I don’t trust the guy. I’ll stay here for ten minutes and if you don’t come out then I’ll leave. Just for my sanity, okay?” He offered her a small smile.

She took a shaky deep breath and nodded before slapping a fake smile on her lips. No one except Jonathan knew what was actually going on with Cass, which she was thankful for as she knew she could trust him with her life. Even now she felt guilty asking for this from Steve especially while her little brother rode shotgun but she had bigger worries to deal with right now and that’s what she was focused on. Taking another deep breath she actually opened the door and stepped out the car, her legs felt like jello but she couldn’t stop her movement. It was like she wasn’t even in control of her body as she walked up the little stairs and up to the door.

Cassie knew Max was home as she could see her bike still outside. It helped her feel a little at ease but soon her knuckles rapped at the door. Moments later Billy opened the door, his usual smirk not prominent on his lips as he took in the sight before him. Steve's car in the distance, Cassie in front of him wringing her hands and the dark circles under her eyes. He snorted and walked back down to his room to which Cassie followed behind him. “Hello to you too, Billy. Do you know that I’ve tried calling you for the past two weeks only to have Max lie to me? Because I know it's a goddamn lie.” She started in on him soon after closing the front door.

He began to puff on a cigarette and opened his bedroom door. “Listen little bird, it's over. Whatever you thought we had going on is over, you’re a waste of my time.” Cassie scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “You think?” She sassed back. He turned and blew the smoke in her face, making her turn away and let out a quiet cough. “I didn’t fucking invite you here. You showed up, princess.” His voice dripped with venom but when the smoke cleared Cassie could see the mark crossing his cheekbone but with his attitude he wasn’t going to talk about it. “Yeah well maybe if you knew how to pick up the phone then I wouldn’t have had to come here and tell you.” Her voice began to hush. “Tell me what? That you’re not gonna be my whore of the week anymore?” He replied as he began to slip a shirt on.

She shook her head, “I guess you just forgot the past six months then huh? That surely doesn’t add up to a week.” She replied just as harshly. Billy huffed out a breath almost like an annoyed bull would. “Get to your point or get the fuck out.” His voice had risen. Cassie assumed he and his father had a fight which only added to his annoyed attitude. “Look this isn’t the easiest to fucking say, okay?!” She raised her voice to match his. Anger and hurt welling up in her chest. Max must’ve heard their yelling and slammed her door shut which on some level helped Cassie calm down. One less set of ears to share the news with right now.

“I know we’ve been pretty careful about things but uhm… well it seems that we weren’t as careful as we thought. I’m pregnant Billy. I’m fucking pregnant and you’ve been ignoring me.” She finally let it out. Billy was the first and only person to know. Billy began to shake his head and pace his room. “I knew you were just like the rest. Just a stupid whore.” He muttered under his breath. Her heart fell to the floor. Sure she didn’t expect to be spun around in his arms and given a big kiss but to be called such harsh words as if this was her fault?

“I don’t give a fuck, Princess. Tell whoever else you’ve fucked that it’s their problem because you’re not going to make it my problem.” His teeth grit as he speaks. Tears formed in her eyes and her lip began to wobble. This caused Billy to laugh. “It isn’t a problem I made by myself. You know damn well that I’ve only been with you so there’s no need to try and deny that. Just because your father treats you like a piece of shit doesn’t-” Just like that she was on the ground on her ass. Cassie sat in shock on the floor for just a moment before the pain in her jaw really hit her. Her hands shook as she stood up on jelly like legs, one hand protecting her stomach. “Fuck you Billy.” She spat at him before she turned and began to walk out the house, Billy hot on her ass, wiping his face from her spit.

“You’re a stuck up little bitch. You opened your legs and got knocked up and now I’m supposed to care?!” He yelled as he followed after her, grabbing her wrist harshly. “Get the fuck off me!” Cassie screamed, tugging her wrist back to her body as tears now spilled down her cheeks freely. “I’m not the dumbass who bought cheap condoms!” She replied, still tugging her wrist from his grip which only tightened causing her to whimper. “Don’t think you’re getting a fucking thing from me. You laid on your back and took what I gave you.” He sneered.

By now Max slipped out of her room and outside unbeknownst to Cassie and Billy. Finally she freed her arm from his grip causing her to stumble back and hit her hip into the table that was in the hallway. She yelped and began to move back to the front door. Only to tumble to which Billy used to his advantage, he pinned her hips down as he straddled her and grabbed both wrists to slam her down into the floor causing her to curse out. Her head rang, she hadn’t ever seen Billy act this way with her before but he figured that he wasn’t really fighting her but the things that angered him. She squirmed underneath him and tried to get out his hold but instead he was steadily screaming in her face, her head throbbed so badly that she wasn’t even sure what he was saying but she could hear the high pitched scream. Both Billy and Cassie looked up, Max stood in the front doorway screaming at the sight only to be replaced by Steve.

There must’ve been blood as Cassie could see red streaks but they surprisingly hadn’t come from her head. Dustin helped her up with a devastated look on his sweet features. How the hell could he and Steve have known about the fight that was happening inside the house but she figured it was all due to Max’s scream.

Meanwhile Max had gone out her window as Cassie and Billy had their scream fest. Max hadn’t realized that no one except Cassie and Billy knew about the baby. But everyone sat with a shocked expression. Steve gripped the steering wheel and questioned Max about what was going on inside but Cassie’s scream sounded through the house causing Max to run back to the house and the others to follow along. Upon opening the door and seeing Cassie on her back pinned under a screaming angry Billy, Max let out her screech alarming the rest of the group. Steve, Dustin and Lucas jumped from the car.

Soon Steve had Billy by the shoulder pulling him off of Cassie. It was the first time Dustin had ever seen Cassie so scared, he ran over to her and helped her up off the ground. She looked sleepy but sad in a way. It scared Dustin to see his sister like this. Usually she was so sweet and funny, she had only ever seen her sad when they were younger.

Cassie sat up and wiped her lip, it was split and she hadn’t even realized that the slap from earlier had caused her lip to split open. Dustin tugged her toward the kitchen to grab a rag to clean the blood. The house was loud as Billy and Steve wrestled together, Max yelling at BIlly to stop it and leave her friends alone and Lucas trying to calm her down. Cassie sighed and wiped her lip clean and gave Dustin a hug, her other cheek rested against his head.

“I’m so sorry to have to see this bullshit.” She mumbled against his curls.

“Why didn’t you tell me first?” He asked quietly. His question confused her at first but then the realization hit her.

“Because he deserved to know. Or at least I thought he did.” She replied, his arms tightened around her as they hugged.

“Come on, we gotta get Steve out of here before he and Billy get too fucked up.” She kissed his forehead and led him back out to where the guys were fighting.

“Let's go Steve. It’s not even worth it. I just want to go home.” Steve shoved Billy away and threatened him which caused the other man to laugh. Max was in tears as Lucas ushered her out the door to which Cassie did the same with Dustin.

Now stood Steve, Billy and Cassie. She sighed, “I’m sorry I ever met you and I’m glad our child never will.” Her lip quivered but she turned and walked out the door, Steve trailing behind her after a few moments.

His hand on her back caused her to jump. “Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Are you okay? Is the- is everything okay?” He asked shyly. Great so everyone knew, Max must’ve heard their fight.

“I’ll be fine. Thank you for stepping in, if you hadn’t then who knows what could’ve happened. But I’ll probably make up some lies and go to the doctors just to make sure.” She shrugged and gently tapped her lip to check and make sure the blood stopped.

“You know, if you ever need anything, I’ll be there to help you. It’s the least I can do.” He gave her a small smile to which she returned.

“Thanks Steve, I’m sure I’ll need all the help I can get.” He pulled her into a careful hug. A much needed hug.

Eventually Steve took Cassie and Dustin home, but when Cassie climbed out the car Max followed. Lucas shrugged at Steve but he waited for the redhead.

“Hey Cassie… I know you’re never going to go around Billy anymore and I’m not really related to you like Dustin is but..” The young girl trailed off.

Cassie smiled and nodded. “You’re gonna be the best aunt ever, Max.” Cassie finished the girl's sentence which caused her to smile. She gave Cassie a quick hug and ran back to the car and got back in with Lucas before they drove off. Cassie went inside and cleaned up, making lunch for herself and for Dustin. Afterwards the siblings sat and talked and even watched a bit of television to try and make the day feel any bit normal.

A few weeks later Cassie went to the doctors, thankful her tussle with Billy hadn’t affected anything seriously. She would have a little scar on her lip but she didn’t care much about that. She was just glad to hear that her little boy was doing just fine. Even after getting bumped and shook around she was beyond relieved to hear everything was doing good. Even if she was doing it on her own. But she wasn’t really alone was she? No. She had a family that she was lucky enough to have as her support.

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be-ready-when-i-say-go · 2 years ago

Text

Love in a Ghost Town: Part 3--How To Say Thank You

Eddie Munson’s become content with working his day job. After the crazy stretching of events from 1983-1986, Eddie’s grateful for a little bit of normal in his life.

That is until one day, Valeria Browns shows up in town looking for a quick car fix. And she’s more than he might’ve bargained for on the eve of Valentine’s Day. Valeria is just trying to enjoy her Valentine’s Day weekend after many years of being perpetually single. She has her fun, but it’s never serious. Maybe Eddie can change some of that.

Older!Mechanic!Eddie Munson. 2003 alternative universe. BlackFem! OC.

The Upside Down doesn’t exist in this fic. But strange things do happen to th town of Hawkins, Indianna. Major Character Death that is not canon as a result of the non-Upside Down AU.

CW: Smut (18+ Content) P in V sex described, oral (femme and male receiving).

Edited photo of Eddie by @eddiemunsons-missingnipple

Feel free to view my masterlist

___________________________________________

“Have you let Tammie know you’re still alive?” Eddie asks.

Valeria nods, the glass hanging in her grasps by the tips of her fingers. “My whereabouts have been accounted for.”

Her skin is still hot from the shower. Even she can feel some of the heat radiating off her as she stands up against the kitchen counter. Eddie leans opposite of her. In his hand is another beer. It hardly looks touched. When they arrived back at his place, Eddie offered for her to shower first if she wanted it. The hot shower is a welcome reprieve to the chill that the heat hadn’t quite knocked off the house yet. It was getting warmer, but hadn’t fully hit a temperature that didn’t cause a little shiver.

“Is that my warning to behave then?”

Valeria hisses. “You’ve been doing well on the not seeming murderous front until right now.”

“Fair enough.”

There’s an attempt, Valeria notices, as Eddie ducks his head, to hide the obvious slow travel down her body. The old college t-shirt she’d cut into a muscle tank is tighter than it was when she first made it. Her late twenties hit her harder than she anticipated after giving up softball. There’s more weight on her stomach and thighs than she’d ever anticipated given how much she worked out previously. But her post graduation life hadn’t been extremely kind with her long hours. She definitely looked her age more so now than ever before but it comes with a journey of not hating the lines of her stomach that show throw her shirts or if she wears a skirt. The coolness of the trailer isn’t necessarily helping her bralette situation either. She’d opted for it in favor of an attempt to be decent, but even she can feel the perk of her own nipples. It all culminates when her sleep shorts, newer than the t-shirt, cover just enough. From the crease of her pelvis into her hip and down are exposed to the chilly air.

It’s not a long look. If Valeria hadn’t been paying attention, she might’ve not ever seen Eddie’s gaze. But Valeria is paying attention. She is watching how hard he swallows before setting his bottle down.

Eddie clears his throat before his eyes fall back onto her face. He is nice enough to not drop his eyes when he speaks to her. “I-I’m going to shower, so feel free to use whatever—TV, grab a snack, yeah?”

Valeria nods. “Thanks.”

“Of course.”

There’s a moment where Eddie and Valeria are only gazing at each other. Valeria’s not sure if any of this would be a smart idea. It’s one thing to hook up with someone because she’d been out and looking for it. It feels a little wrong to take things with Eddie any further. He was nice. He was fixing her car. He was offering his house. Would sex be taking more than she’d been offered?

Eddie gives a nod, over the side of his shoulder, and then pushes off the counter. He passes by Valeria, head ducked down. She watches him go and watches the way when he thinks he’s just far around the corner, tucked behind the safety of the fridge, but not quite far away, he flexes his fingers in and out of a fist and exhales. Perhaps, he was unsure of where this was going too. Valeria downs the rest of the water in four gulps.

Normally deciding this isn’t hard. But she really doesn’t want to exploit Eddie’s kindness. Though he said it was okay, she still didn’t want to cross lines that couldn’t be uncrossed. Valeria sets her glass into the sink, gripping the edges of it just as the water from the bathroom starts up. Perhaps, it’s just the day. Sex would be a nice way to blow off steam. She could feel it in her shoulders how she’d been carrying herself all day stiff in her own body.

This isn’t a place Valeria could let her guard down—Hawkins as a whole was a town of ghosts trying to paint itself over. Nothing would really hide cracks that deep. In Eddie’s house though it’s different. He put her at ease. Her introduction to Steve is where the hairs had gone from a medium level of alert to full on standing. It’s easy to flirt with Eddie. It’s a distraction. But without it, Valeria can feel the inevitable crash--the descent back to reality is harsh. It travels down the length of Valeria’s spine and into her hips. She ought to go to the doctor about that pain when it radiates down her leg. It sometimes gets so bad she can’t go to work. Yet another thing on the mental list. Thankfully she’s in a stretch where it hasn’t flared back up.

“You okay?”

Valeria turns to the sound, realizing just how quiet the trailer is now thanks to the lack of the shower running. “Can I get a rain check on that question? Because I don’t think I know right now.”

“Wouldn’t blame you. Has to have been quite the day for you,” Eddie returns, leaning into the wall next to the fridge. He’s in a white wife beater and sweatpants. It’s clearer now from the valley of the shirt scar tissue across his chest, traveling up into his neck. Doctor said I’m lucky to have made it out alive. Though the curiosity bubbles, Valeria doesn’t ask.

She brings her gaze back up to his face. The stubble that’d been present before is now gone. It takes where she’d easily placed Eddie in his thirties to something slightly younger. Not a bad change, but still a distinct difference. “Oh, no, you shaved.”

Eddie laughs, rubbing a hand over the smooth surface. “It’d been a few days and it was starting to itch, so alas.”

“Thank you, Eddie. For everything—helping me with the car, letting me stay here, dinner. I really appreciate it. I don’t think I’ve said that properly yet.”

“I’m happy to do it. Really, I am.”

“Still, I want you to know I appreciate it.”

They hang again, like neither one of them can truly give into what was clearly present. But Valeria is careful with her steps. She takes them slow. Each step is a thought. Let him rest. Step. Let yourself rest. Step. You’ll be in town another day at least. Step. If you want to fuck him then, you could. Step. If he wanted too, of course. Valeria stops just a few inches shy of Eddie, one hand resting on his forearm. Underneath her fingertips she feels more scar tissue, decorated in ink, but still searing the man beneath them.

“Thanks,” she offers softly and then stretches up just a little--not much given her 5’7” stature and presses a kiss to Eddie’s bare cheek.

Eddie’s hand flies to her waist. Like springs are loaded in his elbow, he holds her right into place. “Going to bed?”

Valeria nods. “Day’s finally caught up with me.” Their whispers just barely reach each other’s ears. But they can still hear.

“A day, indeed.” Eddie cups her right cheek, taking a firm but achingly gently hold of her face. “Sleep well.”

The kiss to her left cheek is light. If it weren’t for the fact that the pieces of Eddie’s hair that don’t stay in place in the bun brush over her skin, Valeria might not think it was real. But it is. It’s so fucking real that it leaves a sting that Valeria feels well into the depths of her sleep. The sting carries her under really. The fire left behind because of Eddie’s lip makes her heart race just a little like it holds promise but the wear of the day keeps winning out in the end with her constantly fluttering eyelids.

___________________________

Valeria wakes, a clank being just enough noise to let her know it’s not her subconscious anymore. Something clatters followed by a soft but still audible, “shit!” Valeria cracks open her eyes and notices the white walls. There’s not much light coming in through the one window in the room. It’s mostly blue that fills the room and Valeria can distinguish the trying to dawn sun from the walls she knows are white.

The sheets are soft and feel a bit more lived in than that of a hotel. The clock above the closet ticks and Valeria thinks she reads the short hand near the six. She lays still burrowed in the sheets for a moment more. A drawer opens. Something metal clicks and clacks. The drawer closes harshly and loud--the contents rattle just a little too. It echoes for a second. “Whoops.”

Valeria pushes up then, tossing the sheets off her body and the air is a little cooler than the warm cocoon she’d made in her sleep. She swipes her toothbrush and toothpaste from the top of the dresser and creaks open the bedroom door. Something sizzles now that there’s not a door in the way. Valeria’s in and out of the bathroom is five or so minutes.

“You can’t be quiet to save your life,” Valeria teases, leaning into the kitchen counter.

Eddie whips around, spatula welded out in front of him. His eyes are wide but then narrow when he realizes it’s just Valeria. “You have got to make more noise, holy shit. I could’ve spatulaed your eyeballs.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

Eddie just turns back to the stove. “You drink coffee?”

“What’s the answer that doesn’t have my cause of death listed as spatula?”

His laughter is easy. Valeria notices now pancakes are on the pan. Bacon sits resting on a plate with paper towel soaking up extra grease and a carton of eggs waits on the counter next to a bowl. “The truth.”

“I drink coffee.”

Eddie turns to the cabinets, pulling a black mug down. Valeria looks back to the mugs on the wall. “So you have drinking mugs and decor mugs?” she asks.

“The mugs out there were Wayne’s. Old trailer was lined with them. He collected them. Robin and Steve basically told me I needed good mugs for guests. Which is total bullshit in hindsight. Once he died, I just I couldn’t use them anymore. They knew I couldn’t make the excuse myself. So I blame them when it’s really me.”

When Valeria turns back to Eddie, he holds a steaming cup for her. “Drinking mugs and decor mugs are never bad.”

Eddie only nods. “Sleep okay?”

“Yeah, I did, thanks. You?”

There’s a small shrug. “I’ve slept better. You’re not allergic to any of this? I’m not going to poison you?”

“I thought we had a plan to visit Robin. But no, not allergic to any of this. Thanks, again.”

“You’re welcome, again,” Eddie grins, throwing a quick glance to Valeria over his shoulder. “Also, a proposition for you: you can take my truck for today if you want rather than take the bus. You’ll have to promise to drop me off and pick me up, but it’s on the table if you want it.”

“Wouldn’t that leave you stranded?”

“I’m going to be at work?” Eddie laughs. “There’ll be a couple other guys working today so like god forbid I need something, I can bum a ride.”

“I don’t want to intrude.”

Eddie pauses on his whisking. There are three pancakes done for each of them. Two eggs cracked for each of them and now, in the midst of beating the eggs Eddie pauses. “You do that a lot.”

“Do what?” Valeria asks. She’s only trying to be cognizant of Eddie literally allowing her into his space and routine. The least she could do was disrupt it as little as possible.

“Make it seem like you’re not worth the time or space or effort people give to you. You basically apologize for existing.”

“I’ve got a lot I’m making up for,” she answers. It’s not lost on her how Eddie is using her words against her.

“Not here you don’t.” Eddie raises a brow. A dare, Valeria knows after the 18 hours or so she’s spent with him.

“What time do you open up shop?”

“8.”

Her eyes slide to the time on the microwave. 6:28. “Good thing I can drive a stick,” Valeria notes.

Eddie had nearly forgotten it wasn’t an automatic. He laughs at even his own oversight. “Yeah, good thing for certain. How do you like your eggs?”

“Scrambled. Hard.” The tease that she likes them that way for both her eggs dangles on her lips, but she sucks it back down with a sip of her coffee. It’s too damn early. And she really needs to understand where he and Steve are settled.

“Backdoor pitch, got it.”

Valeria quirks her brow at the term. She told Edide yesterday after she managed to regain her composure that she pitched for her team. She wasn’t a starter, having saved that for Goldie Locks Marie. Though Valeria did pitch an entire season as starter while Marie recovered from a shoulder injury suffered in conditioning. It was the team’s best season, on a technicality of one win in their record, and it coincided with Valeria’s last year at college. The goal wasn’t ever to outside Marie, but the thing Valeria couldn’t stand was losing when it was her at the helm of the ship. So she worked her ass off that year to carry the team well.

“I don’t even want to know,” Valeria returns with a laugh into the mug.

“Who taught you to drive stick shift?” Eddie asks, turning from the stove just a hair.

“Grandmother. Well, technically, a friend of my grandmother, but she was basically like my second grandmother. She has a lot of land and when it came time to teach me to drive, I spent my whole summer in the country on a tractor.”

“Sure you’ve never been to Hawkins before?”

Valeria grins. “Positive. There were corn fields.”

“Oh, we definitely don’t have those,” Eddie tacks on. “Hawkins is rural, but not that bad.”

It’s a noncommittal shrug Valeria gives and a hum leaves the back of her throat. “Can I ask a potentially probing question which you can literally not answer if you don’t want?”

Eddie nods at her question, adding “Sure,” to seal the sentiment. Eddie waves her over to the stove. “First, tell me if your eggs look good.”

“Another minute,” Valeria answers, noticing still a small bit of run in the eggs.

“They’re gonna basically be bricks!” Eddie huffs.

“When I said hard I meant hard,” Valeria returns with a tiny laugh. It’s just a shuffle moving her weight from one foot to the other but the change in her lean presses her closer into Eddie’s chest. He steadies her with a hand on her back, thumb swiping over her t-shirt but it makes her skin hot where his hand is.

“What’s your question Ms. Eggs As Hard As Rocks?” His voice is soft, words feeling gooey as they fall from his lips. Valeria has to resist the urge to stretch up, press a chaste kiss to his plump lips. It would be so easy. She shouldn’t. And she doesn’t reach up. But she doesn’t move. God forbid she leaves the cocoon of Eddie too soon.

“Why a rough night’s sleep?” she asks.

The smile that crossed Eddie’s face is sad—it only lifts one side of his face. His eyes fall back to the pan. She’s not sure if she’s done too far but before she can retract her statement, Eddie answers, “Evaluating things really.”

“Is the vague answer so I continue to probe or so that I don’t?”

“Both.”

Should she take the bait? What was it that Eddie did and didn’t want to tell her? They’d only just met—still essentially strangers to each other but perhaps revealing more about themselves than they had anticipated. Perhaps it’s the terror really of the situation. How easy it might be to tell more to strangers than the closest people to them. Strangers don’t hurt you in the same way friends, or family, or lovers, or almost lovers can. They hold very little value in the grand scheme of lives. Strangers can be forgotten moments after they’ve crossed paths. “Evaluating what things?”

It is out there now. Eddie would either answer or he wouldn’t. He plates her eggs and she leans into him as he starts to part but then he recenters. They’re chest to chest. Valeria’s mindful of the mug on her hand, it’s not full anymore. She’s gotten about a fourth of it down. But she is careful as his arm slips around her waist to ensure place the mug onto the counter behind him.

“Of course you’d ask,” Eddie laughs. “Just evaluating things. March sort of brings up a lot for me and I know it’s ages away but every year I sort of dread it. Guess I’m doomed to be brooding forever.”

It’s not that Valeria is not thinking, but it’s that she doesn’t want to say it. She reached up, hand cupping his cheek and it asks what she can’t utter. Is it this? the action hints too. Eddie nods, chin wobbling in her hold. Whether or not he gets it, Valeria wipes at the apple of his cheek. “You’re alive.”

“Yeah, yeah I am.”

Valeria wants to swallow his sadness whole. Whatever had happened she wants to take it back from him. Yeah, maybe it changes trajectories, but his big brown eyes are wet with tears he doesn’t let fall and Valeria’s pushing in. “Tell me to stop and I will,” she whispers and then hovers. She’s close enough now to Eddie’s face, his breath fans her face. There are only the sounds of their breathing, a wet sniffle from Eddie, and exchanged breaths. Valeria is stuttery--she moves in closer and closer with a pause between each centimeter she covers. It’s every chance for Eddie to say no. It’s every chance for Eddie to tell her to stop.

But it never comes.

Eddie never utters the word or shuts down when Valeria slots her lips around his. He holds her, first just with palms on her waist and then as their lips part and meet again, he wraps her into his chest. The coffee is bitter on her tongue but Eddie is sweet. Valeria’s insides melt, body buzzing at the feeling of Eddie’s palms running under the hem of her sleep shirt. The smack of their kisses echoes around them.

“I’m glad you’re alive,” Valeria whispers after pulling away from the kiss. Valeria’s not thinking with her head anymore. Not with the way her cunt pulses, and she can feel her own arousal starting to flood from her. Eddie stares up at her with his eyes big and holding her in wonder, like he can’t believe someone would say that, and she swears she’s going to swallow him whole--right here in his own kitchen. Eddie presses in for another kiss. The first time he’s not had a comeback, Valeria does note.

There’s no need for a comeback though. Not when Valeria takes hold of his face and inhales the smell of coffee on his breath. They are nothing more than flesh--sinful, and selfish. But it’s always right what is needed. The stove barely gets clicked off before Eddie’s tugging Valeria up and she hitches only one leg up onto his hip at first. Eddie’s not satisfied though, his grunt leaving him with a purse of his lips.

“What are you hesitating for?” Eddie asks, gripping her legs.

Valeria laughs, giving a small hop up and landing securely into Eddie’s grip. “Waiting on your word, that’s all.” She gives his bicep a squeeze, prominent more than that he’s carrying her weight. “How much do you bench, huh, baby?”

Eddie’s amused smile tells Valeria everything she needs to know before she stretches down again to kiss him. Eddie’s cadence is sure as he travels out of the kitchen and into the short hallway. Her nails trail more, caressing ever so gently over his skin and each time she presses in a little harder into the muscle of his shoulders Eddie groans into her mouth. She likes the way it sounds, the way it fills and shakes in her mouth before she swallows it down, pressing the feeling of Eddie’s voice into her stomach.

He’s safe there, tucked away, pulled away from whatever said precipice he’d been teetering on. She’s safe with him too, when his fingertips gently caress her there’s no malice. Nothing that makes her feel like she should flinch, tuck away a piece of herself. It’s reverent, the way they fall into the mattress together. All sighs and pleads. It will only ever be a momentary distraction, but that doesn’t matter.

What matters is now. The taste of their shared kisses. The whines that slip from throats. Warm hands pressing into flesh--call it selfish. Call it sinful. But Valeria knows that in the end, she will be satisfied. Eddie’s kisses are her neck, the swell of her breast even over the t-shirt, and then when the shirt is shed takes a nip at fatty tissue. Her fingers tangle in his hair, pulling the strands free from the elastic.

“Impatient, aren’t you?” Eddie teases, resting his chin into her chest.

His weight rests fully into her, like they’ve somehow always fallen into bed together. Like it’s natural for Eddie to wrap his arms around her waist. Like it’s normal for Valeria to run her nails over his scalp. She reaches down to cup his cheek, tilting his head even further back. “I know what I want.”

“I guess I shouldn’t keep a woman like you waiting then, huh?”

“It would not be advised,” she laughs. She’s glad she doesn’t have to say it twice. Maybe it’s better to say she’s glad that Eddie’s just as eager. It’s only ever a distraction. She feels safe enough to assume they both know that.

The headboard taps into the wall behind it, and though the sounds are accompanied by Valeria’s own gasps and sighs, her skin is hot with Eddie’s moans. It’s not necessarily tame. Eddie spent god who knows how long between her thighs, kissing at the sensitive skin, lapping at her cunt. It was all too easy to dig into his hair, and hold him there as her body heated up, first in her toes and then wrapped up around her throat, the coils in her stomach tightened until they snapped.

And all that is easy, even as Valeria coated Eddie’s length in her own saliva. The gentle trace at her hair, the press--firm and demanding without being rough--for her to take more and more of him down her throat, the sting of tears as she choked is easy. It helps too when Eddie praises her, tells her just how good she’s making him feel, there’s always a hesitation. Eddie stops himself at times, starting a string of words but never getting them together coherently enough. This all could be projection, of course. Valeria may just want so much that she’s hoping Eddie says it first.

But the reality comes peeling back when Valeria yips at a particular hard thrust. “Fuck,” she whines. It makes her clench down just a little, in a way that unlocks the ache she’s tried to keep tucked away. “I can take it. All of it.”

Eddie pulls himself out of her neck. Valeria’s hands cup his face. His hips are still flush against hers, still moving, but not like before. Valeria doesn’t care if she sounds desperate or looks it too. She is desperate. Valeria doesn’t do much of anything half-assed. She expects the same in return and so far, Eddie’s been so far from half-assed she wouldn’t be able to face herself if she’d somehow let this happen and did get to see it all.

“Insatiable, aren’t you, honey?” Eddie laughs. Shifting his weight to his knees, Eddie crouches into her space. Eddie takes one hand, pressing down on her lower abdomen. Valeria gasps beneath him, head throwing back slightly into his pillows. “Already in your guts and you just want more? Greedy little thing,” he chuckles.

She inhales deeply, before letting the whine release from her throat from the press of Eddie’s hand still into her stomach. She can feel him so deeply. He’s invaded very sense she’s had but she wants more. Valeria shakes her head, mindful of the cotton pillow case under her head. “That’s-that’s not what I mean.” It falls high and a little broken from her throat because Eddie keeps pressing down.

“What is it that you mean then? Hmm, tell me.” Eddie kisses her jaw. “I need words, love.”

“You’re-I don’t need you to go easy,” Valeria hums as Eddie’s hand travels between their bodies, thumb flicking over her clit.

He sighs into her throat before kissing the thin skin. “Don’t want to hurt you,” he answers.

“What if I asked for it?” Did Eddie want her permission first or did he not want to hurt her at all? She’d taken no as the answer. She’d been satisfied with it. She’s already satisfied with it. But if she can have more, why wouldn’t she ask for it?

“Oh,” Eddie pushes up, kneeling between her legs now, still buried into her heat. His hands trail up the back of her thighs until he’s got the back of her knees in the space between his thumb and forefingers. “If you asked for it?”

Valeria nods. “Yeah, if I asked you not to go easy on me.”

His fingers dig into the flesh of her thighs, but only for a moment. It’s not a bruising grip and she’s positive she’d never get that unless they’d discussed it well before. But it is hard. Eddie’s palm feels like he could quite possibly feel the thumping of her pulse with the tight grip. “Then ask for it. I’ll give it only if you ask for it.”

“Can I have it? Can I have you not go easy on me?”

Eddie slips his hand from her left thigh and crouches in, nose brushing over hers. “Yeah, yeah you can,” Eddie whispers. His lips brush over hers, not quite a kiss, but not not a kiss either. Just as Valeria goes to chase one down he peels back, taking the elastic she’d slipped onto her wrist and tying back his hair. It’s a taunt. She knows it. Watching the way his forearms and bicep tense with the quick work. She carries her gaze down his chest, the scarring on his left side more visible than the scarring on his arms.

She hadn’t missed the damaged nipple. She dares a hand up from their joined pelvis’ to Eddie’s waist. Just as she gets her elbows pressed into the mattress to sit up, Eddie knocks her elbows out, causing her to slip back down into the mattress. “What are you doing?” he asks, grinning.

Valeria uses the moment of Eddie’s proximity to hug him into her chest. “Wanted a touch,” she breathes out. “Just a touch.”

There’s only a moment of tenderness. Eddie tracing her outer hips, kissing over her jaw and Valeria inhales so deeply the smell of Eddie into her nose. Earthy and like a bit of Old Spice, but dancing around it too is the smell of motor oil and gas. The tenderness doesn't last nearly long enough just as Valeria thinks she can sink into that moment, Eddie’s snapping his hips into her. It’s not necessarily rushed, but each thrust is pointed.

Around them the sounds of skin slapping into skin echo over the tap of the headboard into the wall. “Oh God,” Valeria chokes out. The end of it turns into a hum at the strong sting. It marries with the sign of her growing orgasm--second of the ordeal-- but it feels heavenly. “Yes, just-shit-,” the rest of it dies in her throat.

Eddie pushes up, using her thighs now as leverage, pushing her knees into her chest. “This what you wanted?

“Hmm, yeah, yeah it is, shit, Eddie,” she cries.

“Look, goddamn, I need you to look at me,” Eddie commands, own voice panting with his exertion.

Valeria drops her head down, blinking her eyes open to the visage of Eddie above her. “Yes?” There’s just enough of a sting that makes the corner of her eyes wet, not not enough stuff so that it feels like too much.

“There you are,” Eddie grins. “Keep your eyes on me, okay?”

Valeria nods. It should be easy. But the drive of Eddie’s hips are driving her to the brink of insanity. Her grip on his forearms turns from a tight touch to a desperate cling. The moans that escape her echo in her ears and the grins they earn her from Eddie, like he’s all too smug about his actions, makes her drip even more onto the sheets below. His eyes never leave her though. It’s not animalistic, doesn’t make Valeria feel like she’s been stalked and then hunted. But it makes her feel alive when Eddie tuts at her. Her jaw slack at the gasps of her impending orgasm leaving her throat.

“Sound so pretty,” he hums--content, it sounds, from his throat.

“Like me like this?” Valeria asks.

“I’d like you sideways, backwards, and upside down, honey.” It leaves him with a breathy chuckle.

“Lest we not tempt,” Valeria laughs and the end of it pitches up into a moan. Her second orgasm blindsides her, where she wants to get over her lips please don’t stop, please her mouth just hangs open. Her eyes squint, but she tries not to close them. Then she’s gone. Her cunt pulse, spine arching as she grips one hand into the sheets and the other clinging to Eddie.

His weight settles onto her, chest to chest and she thinks he’s saying something. If Valeria had to guess it might be something like, There she is. Maybe he’d even feel bold enough to claim her as his, There’s my girl. But Valeria’s not got enough brain to fully decipher what’s been said. It’s all fuzzy. Except for the feeling of Eddie against her. That’s the most clear thing to her body right now. She buries her nose and face into his shoulder, nails digging into Eddie’s back. If only she could get closer, and closer, and closer, possibly even crawling into his chest in the space between ribs next to his lungs.

“Shit, shit, shit,” Eddie chants.

She hears it clearer now, legs locking around his waist. “Please,” Valeria whispers against the shell of Eddie’s ear. His pace stutters again. The thrust hit hard once, then twice. On the third one, Eddie’s words fall incoherently from him. But Valeria brings his face up and watches the way Eddie’s brows knit together. His mouth falls slack, the moans leaving from high up his throat. All Valeria can do is smile, feeling Eddie’s body convulsing against hers.

Though she can’t card her fingers through his hair, she gently rubs the pads of her thumbs over Eddie’s cheek. He returns from the brink. It’s slow, eyes still closed. But every so slightly the corners of his mouth turn up. He shifts up, to his knees for a wobbly second before Valeria releases her lock around him. Eddie’s eyes peel open and they ooze with tenderness. “Sorry about your pancakes probably going cold.”

“Just the way I like them,” Valeria laughs.

“Because you know what you want, don’t you?” Eddie seals the sentiment with a tap to the end of her nose. “You okay? Not too rough?”

“No, I’m okay. You?”

“Never better,” Eddie grins, kissing the corner of her mouth.

____________________________

“You don’t actually like pancakes cold, do you?” Eddie asks, situated in the passenger seat. Valeria asked if she could drive him to work, get acquainted more with the town. It wasn’t a hard town to navigate so far. But she still needed more details filled in, which she’d fill more if she was the one driving. Eddie gave into the polite request without much fuss and that landed him here, overalls and work jacket filling up the space of the passenger side of his own truck.

Valeria laughs at the question. “No, I don’t actually like my pancakes cold.”

“Okay, good. Because if I somehow had sex with a psychopath I feel like I needed to know as early as possible.”

“Do you like your pancakes cold?”

Eddie directs her to the next left turn out of the trailer park. “I can only eat certain things hot. Pancakes do make the list of foods that have to be warm for me to enjoy.”

“So is there a hot, warm, and cold foods list?”

“Exactly.”

Valeria slows at the turn out, clicking on the turn signal for the left she wants to take. The road clears once a burgundy BMW passes and she takes the dip slow out. “What’s acceptable hot food?”

“Soups, cookies are more enjoyable hot, but have to be cooled a little which makes me a little sad.”

“Warm foods?” Valeria questions.

“Keep through this light. You’ll go for another mile, mile and a half before you need to turn again,” Eddie instructs. “And cold foods is a shorter list than warm foods. Like almost everything else is fine warm. But I don’t know what it is about vegetables, if they’re too warm they're too mushy for me. It could be a texture thing.”

“Like is it more slimy? You don’t go for that?”

“Sort off. I can’t get behind fried okra even though Wayne tried so hard.”

“Oh, it’s so good,” Valeria retorts. “C’mon, it tastes good.”

“It tastes fine, but the strange texture just turns me off. Can’t do it. Go pass the schools and make the next left.”

She nods again, checking her lanes before making the switch to the correct lane. The parking lot of the school is full and perhaps, it’s so silly to think that it wouldn’t be. But school had been so many years ago for her. It was all slipping so far past her rearview mirror of her life that seeing the buildings--even though they looked like they hadn’t had an upgrade since maybe Eddie had attended--is a shock to her system. “Had to be crude, but you eat pussy like a God. So excuse my disbelief.”

Eddie snorts. “That’s--that’s totally different.”

“As someone who also eats pussy on occasion, it’s not exactly the Sahara if you’re doing it right, so.” Valeria makes the right and comes up to the intersection she’d been at just yesterday. She was coming at it from a different direction. She had to turn to the right and then keep on to get to the main road, but she can better orient herself now.

“It is different, for me at least. Like I’m not worried about the texture in that moment. It’s about the other person, giving them pleasure. And I’m happy to do that in a variety of ways.”

Valeria turns up into the parking lot of the garage, pulling into a parking spot with ease. Once she’s positive the truck is stationary, she turns to face Eddie. “Are you asking what I think you’re asking?”

“If I want something, I know how to ask,” Eddie snorts. He fishes his keys out of his pocket, already half out of the door before Valeria stops him, grabbing onto his wrist.

“Wait--your lunch?”

“I can walk.”

“What time do you usually take lunch?”

Eddie shakes his head, slipping out of the truck fully. “There’s no real set schedule. Sort of depends. But I’ll be alright. See you at 7, yeah?”

Valeria clambers out of the truck, door a tad heavier than she’d been prepared for. Even after getting in the first time, she still had to put more oomf to get the door closed. “Eddie, what time do you take lunch?”

The February winds in Hawkins are calmer today than yesterday. It’s still cold. There’s no debating that as Valeria sniffles and the end of her nose stings with the threatening drip. She broke out her bigger jacket to help. Somehow the stand still cold hits harder. Eddie turns to the sound of her voice, a bemused smirk on his face. “You’re stubborn, you know?”

“Thank you for noticing. Now answer the question, please.”

“I try to take it around 1 or so. Sometimes much closer to 1:30.” Valeria only nods, and then leans into the driver side door. “What-what are you waiting on?”

“For you to get inside safely. Making sure no one snatches you up off the streets.”

“Valeria, I’ve lived here my entire life. Really don’t think anyone’s going to kidnap me. Not now anymore.”

Valeria folds her arms under her chest. She’s not moving until he’s inside. It’s ridiculous she knows, but she’d do the same thing for one of her friends. There would be nothing different just because it was Eddie.

“Mind adding ointment to whatever you bring to lunch? Something scratched my back up this morning and I’m not exactly sure what.”

“Consider it done,” Valeria agrees.

Eddie moves inside the shop, flicking lights on as he goes and Valeria watches through the glass of the walls as Eddie gets his coat up. It’s early, 7:45 or so if she had to guess. But not too long after Eddie disappears to the garage and returns another car pulls in two spaces down from her as she starts to climb back into the truck.

“Morning!” the voice calls out. It’s a higher pitch when shen Valeria turns to the voice, she realizes a man with short brown hair and a wide face grinning at her.

“Good morning!” she returns, throwing a wave up too, and then hitches herself up into the truck. Valeria doesn’t waste too much time with more pleasantries. In a town this small, she figures it’s best to be cordial, but not overly friendly. It might get her labeled as a bitch, but she’s not risking anything. She is still the outsider even if she’s fallen into bed with Eddie. She’s still the one that doesn’t belong in this town. Always better to be safe than sorry. Valeria can’t afford sorries.

Tagging: @munsonology @avidreader73 @2clones-1kamino

#eddie munson #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fic #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson series #eddie munson smut #eddie munson x black female character #eddie munson x black character #h writes #stranger things #steve harrington #robin buckley #nancy wheeler #dustin henderson #max mayfield #jonathan byers #lucas sinclair #gareth stranger things

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realityparty · 2 years ago

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Title: Blade of Grass Summary: Lucas seeks relationship advice from Eddie. Characters: Lucas Sinclair, Eddie Munson Warnings: Mentions of Racism

Note: I am unsure if this chapter did what I wanted it to.

There were some things that couldn't be ignored. Like the sun was hot, water was clear, and Lucas was a black man in a town that was predominantly white. When he was younger, it wasn't something he really took notice of or the implications. Of course, he noticed that he was of the few black kids in his class, if not the only one. Yet, he never really felt out of place.

Will, Mike, and Dustin had never made him feel different. Sometimes he didn't know if that was for better or worse.

Sure, Hawkins was small and isolated. The things he heard from his parents' harsh whispers showed that violent racism was rampant outside of their idyllic town.

Lucas' own encounters with overt racism just had been from Troy and James. He was sure his being black wasn't the sole cause of their bullying. However, their verbal slurs couldn't be swept away as a side effect of bullying.

Still, just being made aware of the clear physical differences among his friends hurt. Because of the color of his skin, he would be looked at differently. People would already have notions about who he was as a man - a person. Despite Martin Luther King's words of hope that his children would be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin, proved to be a losing battle.

And now, he felt he was experiencing a different side effect of racism.

He was dating a white girl. He was dating Max. The relationship was new in middle school and the summer before high school. Despite the title of calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend, they just felt like friends that acknowledge they may have liked each other more than what was considered friendly. They weren't like Mike and El and were constantly kissing. In fact the first year of knowing their feelings about each other, they mainly swapped comics than spit. It was more about spending time with each other. They held hands and hugged more than kissed.

He thought that worked better for them. He enjoyed getting her flowers and finding a comic for her more than spending time just making out. He liked watching her with his friends as much as he liked hanging out with Jensen, and Eddie.

If he were being honest, he looked up to Jensen and Eddie the most out of their friends. Nancy and Jonathon were more reserved with their affection, but he also knew that sometimes they butted heads constantly due to the economic status of their parents. As much as they loved each other, sometimes he wasn't sure if the differences made them stronger or pulled them apart. There would always be that tension.

Lucas wasn't even sure of the last time Steve was in a relationship. Sure, Steve did provide some good flirting tips, but he didn't go to Steve to inquire about the maintenance of relationships.

Sure, he observed his parents and took his dad's advice seriously. His dad did have great advice. After all, it was his dad who had no problem showing open affection to his mother and even expressing emotions. His dad taught him the value of his actions matching his words.

Yet, there was something about watching Jensen and Eddie that was different. Jensen and Eddie were different so to speak. It wasn't as if he didn't see other couples together. It was it seemed Eddie and Jensen had found a balance. The affection between them was never too much or little. They had shared hobbies with each other, but hobbies outside of their relationship. They respected each other and their feelings. He knew that Eddie and Jensen claim they never fight, but there have been disagreements. There were times when he witnessed both Eddie and Jensen having to apologize to one another.

Yet, Lucas knew he watched them because they were the only example he had outside of Jensen's and Max's parents. They were all in an interracial relationship.

Lucas knew he was young and didn't pay attention to the gossip of others. Since he didn't have an older sibling, he wouldn't know about any of the drama with upperclassmen. Even then he would have been too young to really understand the nuisances of the situation. There were just things Max would specifically say to him that he got the impression that she was used to the looks and whispers when people saw them and her parents together. He hated that she was just used to it.

It just made him wonder what exactly she had witnessed. He felt embarrassed he never considered what their being together meant on the outside to the world. Yet, a part of him thought he shouldn't have to. They were just two people that loved and respected each other and that was all that should have mattered.

Yet, the world could never be that simple.

So he took his bike and made the trek over to Eddie's and Jensen's new place that was formerly the Byers' home. He felt that he had been over to this house more now than when Will lived here. It almost made him wonder how in the hell Will rode his bike this far. Lucas was hoping after this Eddie would at least give him a ride back home.

As he biked up to the yard, it was already becoming drastically different than how Mrs. Byers had the home. It wasn't as if Eddie and Jensen were rolling in money. They all knew that Joyce was very generous in selling them the home. Yet, the touch of Jensen was clearly felt especially as he biked up to the driveway that was becoming lined with shrubs and bushes. He found Eddie with a wheelbarrow out front smoking a cigarette. It seemed he was working on the flowerbed that Jensen wanted out front. He remembered she was wanting a butterfly garden.

Eddie turned his head in his direction as his tires crunched the dirt. The metalhead offered a wave. Sometimes, it was strange to think people thought Eddie was a conduit of the devil. For a while, he was scared for Eddie especially when the town became particularly nasty to him regarding Hellfire club and his sense of style. But now that he thought about it he wonder if the town's vendetta against Eddie was more than his curly hair and tattoos. He wondered if the pitchforks were because of who he was dating too. It was one thing to be into heavy metal and not have the slicked-back hair, but Eddie had kindled the fire even more by his choice of girlfriend.

"You're a long way from home, "Eddie mumbled with his cigarette between his lips. "Everything okay?"

Lucas parked his bike and nodded his head. "Yeah, yeah."

"You need help with a campaign?" Eddie inquired as he parked the wheelbarrow. It was filled with black mulch. Lucas almost snorted. He knew Eddie was the reason behind that as he recalled Jensen wanted red mulch.

"No, no," Lucas told him. "I…" Lucas trailed off as he wasn't exactly sure how to start this conversation.

"Is this about Max?" Eddie probed as he trailed off. He sucked on his cigarette before he flicked it over to where he had a glass ashtray on the edge of their porch. Eddie's deep brown eyes looked into him.

Lucas could admit he wasn't as close to Eddie as Dustin was. Mostly due to Lucas having tried to amass more interests outside of Dungeons and Dragons. He still played the game. He was there for every campaign. Yet, Eddie and Dustin seemed to click in the same way Dustin had latched onto Steve. Lucas believed it had more to do that Dustin didn't have that father figure in the house.

But Lucas was around Eddie a lot due to their relationship with Max and Jensen. In the beginning, Eddie had definitely intimidated him. He recalled the first date he and Max went on that Eddie and Jensen chaperoned. He remembered Eddie's eyes scrutinizing him and how protective Eddie was over Max. Lucas certainly was scratching his head as to why Jensen was with him, but he knew why now. He could see the love Eddie had for Jensen. The respect he carried for her.

"In a way."

"In a way," Eddie repeated. The man stood tall and stretched. "Well, I'm due for a break with some teenage angst."

Eddie motioned for him to follow him where they had two lounge chairs with a table between them. Eddie walked over to where a small cooler was and pulled out a beer. Lucas for a second thought Eddie was going to hand him one, but he found a wet can of Coke being placed in his hands.

Eddie cracked open his beer and took a big sip. He kicked his legs out. He looked relaxed - content.

This chill Eddie was vastly different from the loudmouth speaker in the cafeteria. He had a feeling Jensen put a ban on Eddie walking on tables with his shoes on.

Lucas picked at the tab on the can. "How…does -" Lucas couldn't get the words out because he wasn't sure what he wanted to ask. "Have you and Jensen ever talked about what it means for you to be together?"

"You're going to have to elaborate."

Lucas took a deep breath. "You're white and Jensen's not."

Eddie squinted. His ring figure tapped against the sweating can. "Someone say something?"

"Not to me directly," Lucas clarified. "I just…I just realized what it means."

Eddie nodded his head. His fingers tapped against his exposed knee in his old jeans. "You sure you don't want to talk to Mr. Thomas about this?"

"I could," Lucas said with a shrug of his shoulders. Lucas knew he would probably get a better point of view from him for sure. Yet, Lucas felt better getting advice from Eddie. Eddie had lived with Hawkins's prejudice all his life.

Eddie sighed. "It's hard to explain. Because it shouldn't matter, but it does." Eddie licked his lips. Lucas could tell he was deep in thought. It made him wonder how much Eddie did keep inside. He noticed that the reason why Eddie was loud and drew attention to himself was to keep the attention off his friends. So it made him wonder if Eddie did do some exaggerated things to keep the spotlight off Jensen. "We don't get much of it now. People are more focused on my taste in music and hobbies."

"But before?"

"Before we were officially together, we would get a lot of comments and looks. It was easy for me to tell her to ignore it. I was used to people talking about me and my family. It's why now I have no problem standing on top of lunch tables calling out bullshit." Eddie grabbed another cigarette. Lucas thought maybe this bugged Eddie more than he let on. "For me, the best thing I can do is just listen to what Jensen wants. I will never understand what you and her go through. I listen and learn."

"But how don't you let it -"

"Come in between us?"

Lucas nodded his head.

"I'm not going to say it hasn't. Because I didn't want her to have to go through anything on my behalf, but my love for Jensen is more than the hate people have."

Lucas rubbed his bottom lip with his thumb. He got what Eddie was saying. Lucas knew he loved Max. He loved her deeply, but it was hard not letting others taint that. Sometimes he wondered if it was worth it having her go through this bullshit.

"I just…I don't want her to regret being with me because of what it means to be with someone like me."

"Don't let this town make you feel like you deserve less than anyone else. If anything people should want to be someone like you."

"But unfortunately life doesn't work that way. I'm black before I am a man or even a person."

Eddie couldn't dispute that truth. "Have you talked to Mr. Thomas about this?"

Lucas shook his head. "Have you?"

"Of course. I mean there aren't a lot of interracial couples roaming Hawkins now are there?"

"What did he tell you?"

"He told me not to ignore it. That I need to see the color. I need to be comfortable with myself as a man to take on the struggle of the world because of who I love."

Lucas frowned. "That's it?"

"What do you mean that's it?"

"I thought it would be more profound."

Eddie snorted. "You're young."

"So?"

"Have you ever cried in front of Max? Told her when you were scared? Sad?"

Lucas shook his head.

"To be with someone truly means removing all those walls. It's almost like being fragile like a blade of grass. I needed to get rid of all that other bullshit and be comfortable with myself as a man. Because I can't ignore the hurt I feel sometimes because people judge me for being with Jensen. I have to tell her that. I need to be honest with that hurt. I can't protect her if she doesn't know my weakness as I know hers."

"Does she know all your weaknesses?"

"Jensen has built a fort around my blade of grass."

[4. No Glove, No Love] - [Stranger Things Masterlist]

#eddie munson #eddie munson fic #eddie munson fanfic #untilmynextstory #lucas sinclair #lucas sinclair blurb #lucas sinclair x max mayfield #lumax #eddie munson x oc #eddie munson x original female character #eddie munson x ofc #melt!verse #stranger things fic #stranger things fanfiction

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fizzyxcustard · 4 months ago

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Coming soon!

Lucas has been given an assignment which means potentially sleeping with a subject who is linked to a Russian subject of interest. After discussing with Amy, will he put his relationship or duty to country first?

(If you wish to be added or removed from my fics tag list, please contact me and let me know!)

#richard armitage #Lucas North #Spooks #MI5 #Fanfiction #Spooks fanfiction #Lucas North fanfiction #Lucas North x Original Female Character #Lucas North x OC

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imyourbratzdoll · 10 months ago

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𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐀𝐒 𝐋𝐄𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓:

♡ 𝒇𝒍𝒖𝒇𝒇 ➳ 𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒔𝒕 ❥ 𝒔𝒎𝒖𝒕 ❦ 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌

೫˚🖤❀ *ૢ🥀೫˚🌑

𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧 ♡

summary - a head canon of a man who is dark and his girl who is light.

೫˚🖤❀ *ૢ🥀೫˚🌑

#imyourbratzdollwork #lucas lee #lucas lee fanfiction #lucas lee fan fiction #lucas lee fic #lucas lee fanfic #lucas lee fan fic #lucas lee fluff #lucas lee angst #lucas lee x reader #lucas lee x female!reader #lucas lee x fem!reader #chris evans #chris evans fanfiction #chris evans characters #chris evans x female reader #chris evans x reader

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bleulone · 1 year ago

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TO BUILD AGAIN : ii. — En garde.

CHAPTER SUMMARY : Prior to her impending departure for Copenhagen, Warda elects to make a final visit to her restaurant.

THE ATMOSPHERE AT RADIANCE seemed frozen in time, unchanged since her last visit. However, a persistent thought tugged at Warda's mind, urging her to seriously consider revamping the shopfront. Something about it didn't quite align with her vision. She struggled to pinpoint the exact source of her unease. Was it the stark shade of white, too clinical and lacking warmth? Or perhaps it was the font used for the restaurant's name, its rigid letters devoid of the graceful curves that mirrored her culinary philosophy. These elements seemed to fail to capture the essence of the cuisine she passionately championed—experimental, refined, and a vibrant fusion of Moroccan flavors with a new Nordic twist. (…)

• Read the rest HERE on ao3 (or click HERE to read from the beginning) • Listen to the playlist HERE •

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moonchildreads · 1 year ago

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small town

Chapter 19 - We Built This City

IN THIS CHAPTER: Finals week, a friendly invitation, and the Hellfire Class of 86' takes a bow [7.6k]

WARNINGS: vague foreshadowing, mentions of fantasy violence? they play dnd, it's not real (again, taking the liberty of making them play 5e because i wasn't about to learn advanced dnd for this when i already play 5e)

A/N: whew! didn't think i'd ever get to finish this one lol. huge HUGE shout out to @gutterratt, who not only is a wonderful friend i was hugging and sharing the same air with just a few days ago, but also my dm (the best dm in the world, don't @ me). this chapter would have been impossible without your guidance, knowledge, and support. thank you for teaching me to dm through eddie. also shout out to brian murphy and NADDPOD for the inspiration for this chapter! check them out on spotify if you like dnd podcasts, they deserve all the love they get. onto the update!

masterlist - prev - next | playlist

We just want to dance here Someone stole the stage They call us irresponsible Write us off the page

Wednesday, May 28th - 1986

Finals week in Hawkins High was going pretty well or terribly wrong depending on who you asked. On Monday, freshman Cindy Jackson had come out of her Geography classroom sobbing, claiming that she had flunked the entire test and her GPA was going to fall drastically below average. Dustin and Mike had simply stepped around her in the hallway and headed to the parking lot to get their bikes without sparing a single thought for her. Eddie couldn’t believe how calm he felt whenever he sat down at his desk and a new test was placed in front of him. By the time Wednesday lunch period was upon them, he had already taken four of his six final exams, Dottie had taken five of her nine, and band practice had been suspended so everyone could study for tomorrow’s new round of tests, or in Eddie’s case, put the finishing touches to their upcoming D&D Friday session.

So far, their plan to stick to each other and not walk around the school alone like sitting ducks for the bullies had been working. Dottie only shared one class with Andy Humphrey, and it seemed that her threat to rat him out to their teacher had worked because no one in the basketball team had bothered them since then. At least, not any more than the usual jeers and disgusted glances they so often directed to her friends in Hellfire. Eddie had been keeping a low profile for the past couple of months, his entire thought process having been claimed by his ever growing crush on a certain short curly-haired girl; his frequent tirades in the cafeteria had been reduced to only one loud proclamation in the hallways every couple of weeks, and to be completely honest, no one cared about him or his unconventional opinions so close to the end of the school year, so him suddenly turning into a wallflower hadn’t really been noteworthy to his peers. Everyone just simply assumed that he was stressed about failing senior year for the third time in a row and left him alone to his devices.

When the group compared schedules on Monday and saw that Dottie was going to be headed to the same lecture as Andy three times that week, it was quickly decided that Donny would be her guardian since his Italian lessons were at the same time she’d be taking AP Spanish in the classroom opposite of his. Dustin and Mike were to be inseparable, and when they had different schedules, Mike was supposed to shadow Nancy as much as he could while Dustin stuck to Jeff on their way to the east wing for their respective classes. Eddie watched over Dottie like a hawk during their shared free periods, going so far as to stand outside the girls’ bathroom while she went about her private business in case any idiot got strange ideas about cornering her in a place where she was supposed to be safe. Ms. Kelly had looked very surprised to see all six boys waiting for Dottie to come out of their latest check-in session; it was strange to see how subdued they had all gotten in recent months and she knew it had everything to do with the sunshine girl that happily linked arms with the freshmen, Dustin excitedly skipping alongside her down the hallway while Mike dragged his feet next to them in protest.

It was, perhaps, that false sense of security that had her approaching the basketball team’s table after students had begun trickling out of the cafeteria, surely headed to their last classes of the day. Donny was supposed to safeguard her on their way to her second AP Spanish class of the week, but he had asked her to please wait for him near the teachers while he excused himself to the bathroom and promptly left her alone. When Dottie realized Andy wasn’t seated at the jock-filled table but one Lucas Sinclair was, she quickly forgot about her friends’ insistent requests to “lay low” until the school year was over and headed towards him without a second thought entering her mind. She stopped right in front of the freshman who eyed her curiously, brows raised in an unspoken question.

“Hi! You’re Lucas, right?” Dottie said, smiling brightly.

“Uh, yeah, I’m Lucas.”

“Nice to meet you! Would you mind giving these to Erica for me, please?” she extended her closed fist towards him and he instinctively held his palm open for her. Two pieces of shiny plastic hit his skin softly; he recognized them as part of his old dice set, the one he assumed had been gathering dust tucked away in his bedroom. “I must have accidentally taken them with me a couple of weeks ago - I would give them to her myself but I won’t see her until Friday and it’d suck if she bought a new set because she thought she lost these.”

“Yeah, that would really suck,” he chuckled uncomfortably, shifting in his seat knowing his new friends were watching the uncommon interaction unfold. “I’ll give them to her for you, don’t worry about it.”

“Thank you so much! Here, for your troubles,” she gave him a pack of Smarties as payment in kind. “See you around!”

“Thanks,” he managed to mutter before she bolted out of the room and into the hallway in search of Donny.

Lucas stared at the candy bag in his hand next to one d20 and one d4 that had belonged to him a couple of months before. They were black with gold numbers that he’d repainted himself with one of Will’s thinnest brushes, trying his hardest to cover the tacky white underneath. He hadn’t opened his D&D box in a while, the hard plastic container hidden away underneath his bed and pushed all the way back until it touched the wall. He’d yell at Erica for touching and stealing his things, but that would have meant admitting that he still cared about the part of him he’d been trying so hard to deny lately and he couldn’t allow himself to fail like that. Lucas was tired of being the bigger man; let his former friends apologize to him for once. Though, as days went on, he was starting to realize that maybe they would never come back at all.

“How do you know that chick?” asked Chance, one of his seniors.

“I don’t,” Lucas replied quickly. “I don’t have classes with her.”

“She’s a senior,” Patrick said. “I’m with her in English. She always sits with that Munson freak.”

“What does she want with you? Who’s Erica?”

“Erica, she’s my little sister. She wanted to return some dice to her, I think they are in a club together, I don’t know,” Lucas said, but he did know. He’d noticed Dottie sitting at lunch with his club members, he’d seen her wearing the same Hellfire shirt he owned, he’d heard Erica talk about her to their Mom. Lucas Sinclair knew exactly who Dorothy Burke was.

“Isn’t your sister like… eight?” Chance laughed.

“Eleven,” the freshman corrected him, but that seemed to peak Jason Carver, the basketball team’s captain’s attention.

“Your little sister is hanging out with those… freaks?” Jason asked, eyebrows bunching together.

“They play board games together, it’s so dumb-”

“She shouldn’t be around them, she’s just a kid. Who knows what they could do to her if… They aren’t good people, they- they could hurt her,” the captain said, tone stern.

“She’ll be fine, they’re just a bunch of nerds-”

“Lucas,” Jason insisted. “You’re a good friend and a good teammate to us. I’m sure you’re a good son to your parents too, but you have to be good to her as well. That’s your duty as her older brother.”

“Yeah, I-” he quickly put away the dice and Smarties in his pocket and nodded. “You’re right, I’ll talk to her about it.”

“You make sure you do that, okay? Take care of her,” the senior said, patting his shoulder in a friendly way and getting up. “Come on, guys, let’s go to class.”

Lucas walked behind his teammates until he reached his classroom and unassumingly disappeared from the group. He took his seat at the back and noticed Mike and Dustin sitting at the front, bickering with one another as usual. Bitterly, he recalled switching seats with the girl who now sat next to Dustin after Spring Break. Jason wasn’t being mean with his warning, he knew that. His captain had siblings too, he knew what being a big brother meant and he extended that same level of protectiveness towards his friends and younger members of the team. Lucas felt grateful that Jason, the current King of Hawkins High, was so willing to look out for not only him, but Erica too, if only because she was related to him. But when Mike snorted loudly at something Dustin had said, he couldn’t help but think that there weren’t people on Earth he would trust more to take care of Erica when he couldn’t watch her than Mike Wheeler and Dustin Henderson. And perhaps Steve Harrington and Robin Buckley too, but they didn’t have to know that, lest their egos got even bigger than they already were.

Friday, May 30th - 1986

The last day of finals week came towards them at neck breaking speed, causing Eddie and Dottie to stick to each other like velcro during the final three hours of the day. During third period, he’d had his Latin exam and she sat with him during every available second prior to it quizzing him on his vocab. After that, they both had had their Calc final, where they sat side by side suffering through it all together. He’d finished before her and quickly returned to his seat, noticing how her nerves seemed to be heightened every time someone got up and was granted permission to head to the cafeteria early. He slipped one of his rings off and slid it across the table until it bumped with her eraser; she smiled, thankful, and put it on her index finger to twirl with her left thumb while she concentrated on the numbers in front of her. After that came lunch and everyone was positively buzzing. Most of the student body had already finished all their exams and there was a sense of freedom in the air, a shared joy that couldn’t enter Dottie’s brain yet as she frantically reviewed her AP Spanish notes for her ninth final exam of the week. One look at her tired, wet eyes after someone had shouted a little bit too loud, and Eddie pulled her out of the room and into the back of his van where she could finally breathe and concentrate on reading her own writing before the bell rang.

After exams were finally over, Eddie headed to the woods to wait for Chrissy who had asked him if she could buy a rather unusual amount of weed considering her casual habits, and Dottie seeked refuge in The Weekly Streak’s newsroom until it was time for Hellfire to begin. She was helping Fred put together a mockup for a story he wanted to present to Nancy the next week when the editor-in-chief herself asked her if she wanted to go to the bathroom. Dottie, being well-versed in girl language, accepted without complaint and followed the blue-eyed girl into the nearest bathroom where she immediately began washing her hands in an attempt to hide the fact that she was so very much nervous about whatever she was about to say.

“Nance? Is everything okay?” Dottie asked, eyeing her carefully.

“Yeah- yes, everything’s okay. I just… I wanted you to know since you were the one that said I should just go for it so… I called Jonathan.”

“Oh,” she said, surprised that she was getting an update on the topic at all.

“We talked and he says he understands that I’m upset. We didn’t break up but we’re going to take a break, officially this time,” Nancy shut off the water tap and stepped to the side to wipe her hands dry with coarse paper towels.

“Well, how do you feel about that?”

“Good, I think. He says he has a job now, and he’ll go full-time for the summer after graduation so he might be able to save up some money to come see me,” she smiled, hope swimming behind her eyes.

“That’s great, Nancy!” Dottie said, giving a big hug to her friend. Nancy went stiff at first but after a second, she breathed out and hugged her back. “I’m so proud of you, I know that was probably a really hard conversation for you both.”

“It was but… I feel better now. I want to trust him again, and we agree that maybe this will help us get there.”

“So you’re still off the market then? Asking for a friend that’s totally not Fred,” Dottie joked, and Nancy let out a girly giggle that surprised the both of them.

“Off the market, and out of his league,” the editor-in-chief said, playfully stern.

“Oh my god, Nance!” she let out a loud snort that sent Nancy into a fit.

It felt good to laugh like this, to shoulder a silly burden together, to foster a new friendship and be vulnerable with one another. Growing up hadn’t been easy for either girl in wildly different ways, but the summer of ‘86 was right ahead of them and promised greener pastures if one could get the courage to take the first step outside. Nancy hadn’t let herself have a friend for so long. It had been easy with Jonathan - shared trauma bonds you like nothing else in the world after all - but it was undeniable that a part of her had died that day when Barb went missing. Even though Dottie wasn’t Barb, Nancy could feel like Nancy again right that moment, in that bathroom, hiding from their nosy journalist-aspiring colleagues and the junior that kept following her around like a lovesick puppy. She felt herself breathe a little bit easier almost a full year after the nightmare that still woke her up in the middle of night, prompting her to double check the guns she had stashed in the topmost part of her closet so her little sister Holly could never find them by accident.

The door to the bathroom opened and a group of cheerleaders came in, fussing over their makeup and hair before practice began. They were chatting excitedly about an upcoming party, and Nancy and Dottie moved aside to let them get access to the mirrors. They were about to leave when another girl pushed the door open in a frenzy; a slightly out of breath Chrissy Cunningham ran inside in haste.

“Where were you?!” shouted Melissa, rounding on her as soon as the door had slammed itself shut.

“I got held up by a teacher, calm down,” Chrissy lied seamlessly, but her glossy eyes were a dead giveaway to anyone that had spent any significant amount of time with the elder Hellfire members. “What are we talking about?”

“Your boyfriend’s party. What are you gonna wear?” Kathleen asked, putting away her lip gloss.

“Are we allowed to go?” Libby asked, eyes hopeful. Standing next to her was another junior tumbler, Valerie, who was downright pouting at their captain.

“Of course you are!” Chrissy said, taking full advantage of the fact that Jason would never complain about her inviting her younger cheerleader friends if she pouted at him a little. “Everyone is invited. Are you two coming too?”

It took a few milliseconds for Dottie to register that Chrissy was talking to Nancy and her, and she only realized because Nancy quickly put on a friendly smile and shook her head, a quick excuse on her lips.

“Oh, no, I’m sorry. I already told my Mom I would babysit my sister. It’s their date night and I’d hate it if they had to cancel,” she said, and Dottie knew she was lying because her eyebrows bunched upwards in the very familiar way they bunched whenever she lied to other people in the school’s newspaper about how great their ideas were.

“Aw, they still go on dates, that’s so cute,” Valerie said, ever the romantic.

“What about you, Dot? Are you coming?” Chrissy asked, ignoring the way her friends looked at her like she was inviting a rabid dog inside for dinner.

“Uh, I- I wasn’t aware there was gonna be a party.”

“It’s tomorrow night at my boyfriend’s house but I’m organizing it so it’s honestly my party,” she giggled, and Dottie swore she’d heard Gareth make that same sound whenever he was high. “We’re saying goodbye to senior year! I just told Eddie you were all invited, you should totally come.”

“You did what?” Melissa asked and Kathleen scoffed.

“It’s our last senior year party. All seniors can come,” Chrissy said in a tone that left no questions to be asked before she turned back to Dottie. “It’s gonna be really fun, we can probably convince Jason to let us play Queen at some point! Please think about it at least? For me?”

“Okay, I’ll- I’ll think about it. For you,” Dottie smiled, and Chrissy grinned.

“We should go now,” Nancy said, interrupting the awkward tension. “Lots of newspaper club things to do.”

“Oh, sure! We’ll see you around!”

Nancy guided Dottie out with a hand on her elbow; Chrissy and Valerie were the only ones that waved them goodbye. Just before the door closed, Melissa snarled “You invited the freaks? What’s wrong with you?” but they never heard what Chrissy replied. They made their way back to the newspaper club’s room in silence, each of them deep in their own thoughts. Nancy realized that she hadn’t been to a party since she’d broken up with Steve, her ex before she’d started dating Jonathan. Had it really been that long? It seemed like it had been ages since the last time Nancy tried to act like she was a normal teenager, like she didn’t need to keep a light on while she slept, scared of the shadows in the corner of her own bedroom. Like she didn’t have sleeping pills issued by a military doctor that she refused to take hidden inside a pair of old sneakers. Nancy would never be the same Nancy she was before November 8th, 1983, but she had to try.

“We should go,” she said, Dottie’s head snapping up from the papers in front of her. “To Chrissy’s party.”

“You wanna go?”

“Yeah, why not?”

“O-okay! I can ask my Dad to take us if you want,” Dottie offered.

“I drive, I can pick you up if you want.”

“Sure, if that’s better for you. Thank you!” the brown eyed girl smiled. “I actually haven’t been to any parties since senior year began.”

“We better make this one count then,” Nancy said, and went back to work with a timid but happy expression on her face.

Dottie tried really hard not to grin, but the thought of not only being invited to her first high school party in Hawkins, but also going with her newest friend and possibly her Hellfire gang made her impossibly giddy. Senior year had certainly sucked royal ass when it began, but it was definitely ending with a bang, not a whimper.

As Eddie ticked final after final on his list, he had allowed himself to think that he would be DMing his last session as the leader of the Hellfire Club that Friday. He had carefully crafted an emotional ending to the adventure they were currently on, and hoped his players would be on board to having a less action packed meeting than usual. They were, after all, not only saying goodbye to him as a leader, but also Jeff, Gareth, Donny, and Dottie. When classes started again in September, Mike and Dustin would be sophomores and the club would be in their hands, new sheep ready to be recruited walking down the hallways of Hawkins High.

The session had started, as usual, with a recap of the previous session's shenanigans. After finding out that their dead mutual friend Orfuel wasn’t, in fact, dead but instead trapped within Shadowfell, the party quickly realized what their next move was: to embark on a journey towards the Forest of Moonstone where Jeff’s character Tharivol had grown up and lived in, all in search for guidance and help of his elders. Orfuel’s partner in crime and girlfriend, Dedlock, had sacrificed him to Mask, the Lord of the Shadows, and was being kept in his divine realm inside Shadowfell - a castle known as the Shadow Keep. Dedlock wanted to rise above the ranks in the church of Mask, and this worthy act of manipulation was going to give her entry into the Circle of the Gray Ribbon, which is where his most loyal priests belonged.

The table was buzzing in excitement as they traveled through Eddie’s carefully crafted world in what would be their last time exploring it. They took their time on their way over to Moonstone, Eddie forcing them into lengthy conversations around a campfire, sharing stories about Orfuel and how they’d become such good friends with him that they were all willing to cross planes of existence to get him back in their lives. They attuned weapons and readied spells, and got a long rest in before the final challenge of the campaign finally arrived. Upon arrival to the Forest of Moonstone, they immediately seeked an audience with the druid that had taught Tharivol everything he knew. The slender elf advised them against their plan; they simply weren’t powerful enough to face the dangers of Shadowfell at this point in time. Instead, he proposed a different alternative.

The next steps were quite easy. They would wait until the new moon, which was, coincidentally, that same night. They’d hold a ritual to open a portal between the planes and bring back Orfuel from the terrible place he had been banished to. The eldest, most powerful cleric from the Circle, a halfling cleric named Portia, would guide them through the ritual, and they’d all have to contribute, each in their own time whenever Eddie prompted them to act. Between conversations and preparations, it was getting late, and so Eddie proposed a little bathroom break before the ritual began, which the boys accepted gratefully, cans of soda littering the table. Dottie inched her chair towards him, voice low like she was about to tell him a secret.

“So,” she began.

“So,” he said, curiosity piqued.

“I talked to Chrissy today and she invited me to a party.”

“Did she now?”

“Nancy and I are going.”

“Oh?” Eddie’s eyebrows rose. “Didn’t know you were interested in that.”

“I’m not but Nancy asked me to and I dunno, it could be fun. Our last senior year party,” Dottie said in a dramatic tone. “You’re going too, right? Chrissy said she invited you and the guys.”

“She did, but I-” he scratched his neck. “I’m gonna be honest with you, darling, I don’t really like those parties very much. I go to them, I sell a few ounces, and then we go to Jeff’s for a movie night.”

“But Chrissy wants us there, she said that all seniors should go. Please, Ed?” she pleaded, eyes rounded with weaponized innocence. “I like hanging out with Nancy but I’d feel so much better about going if I knew you were gonna be there too.”

Eddie sighed. I am so whipped for her and she knows it, he thought before turning to their other friends who were refilling the snack bowls while the freshmen got more sodas.

“Gentlemen!” he called, making Gareth, Jeff, and Donny look at him. “Princess here has a request.”

“What’s up?” Donny asked, sliding into his seat next to hers.

“Nancy and I are going to Chrissy’s party tomorrow night. I want you guys to go with us too,” she said, and the boys instantly laughed.

“Dot, we can’t go to Jason Carver’s house,” Gareth said between chuckles. “He hates us.”

“And also, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but no one invites the freaks to parties,” Jeff added.

“See, that’s where you’re wrong. The party is at Carver’s house, yes, but-” Eddie put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a piece of scrap paper with girly writing on it. “-Chrissy Cunningham is planning it. We got an invite this time, fellow weirdos.”

“Chrissy invited you to her party?” Gareth asked in disbelief.

“I believe she invited us all.”

“She did,” Dottie said. “She told me she told Eddie to tell you we were all invited.”

“Those are too many uses of the verb to tell in one sentence,” Donny said, poking fun at her. She stuck her tongue out at him.

“Okay, so, let me get this straight. Chrissy Cunningham, the Uncrowned Queen of Hawkins High, invited all of us to her party? And you’re actually going? With Nancy Wheeler of all people?” Gareth’s eyes were wide open.

“How much of a discount have you been giving her?” Jeff joked, implying something less illegal than simply selling her weed, but also dirtier was going on between them.

“Shut the fuck up,” Eddie threw a ball of paper at his head. “She’s a friend, and she invited Dottie too. In person, not through me.”

“Yeah, Nancy and I ran into her in the bathroom and she told us to come.”

“What is it with girls and bathrooms?” Gareth looked at Donny, the only other one at the table who had sisters. He shrugged in response.

“So? Are we all going? If it sucks we can leave, but I just thought it’d be fun to, y’know, do something different for once,” Dottie said with a hopeful smile.

“Okay, I’m in,” Donny announced.

“Dude!” Jeff and Gareth looked at him like he had betrayed them.

“Oh, come on! It’s now or never, we’re never gonna see these assholes again after graduation. And you know those rich kids always have so much beer at their parties. Are you really gonna say no to free booze?”

“Okay, when you put it like that…,” Gareth conceded. “I’ll go if we all go.”

“Ditto,” said Jeff.

“Guess we’re going to Jason Carver’s house tomorrow night, boys,” Eddie said, reluctantly.

“It’s gonna be awesome, you’ll see,” said Dottie, right as Dustin, Mike, and Erica rejoined the group and settled for the next part of the adventure.

“If everyone’s ready,” Dustin looked around the table at his friends after a lengthy discussion. “-we go to the clearing.”

“You come into the clearing right before midnight and you see everyone sitting on the grass, making a big circle around a huge oak tree. This is where Tharivol’s Circle prays to Silvanus, The Oak Father, the God of Wild Nature. You can feel energy underneath your feet, coming up your legs and into your chest as you approach everyone else. This place is sacred, and the people here are willing to help you rescue your innocent friend. Do not take their kindness for granted,” Eddie narrated, solemn voice ringing through the tension in the room. “Portia is standing next to the base of the tree in beautiful, shiny robes, her long silver hair blowing in the breeze. She beckons you to come closer.”

“We go to her,” Erica said, firmly.

“The old halfling lady instructs you to sit at her feet where the tree’s roots come out of the dirt. She looks at her Circle and begins her speech,” Eddie held his head high as he embodied Portia with a mystic drawl. “Children of Silvanus. We are gathered here tonight to help our very own Tharivol and his allies restore order and balance to where chaos and injustice has spread. Pray with us. Let Silvanus help them return a lost friend home,” in his normal voice, Eddie continued. “Portia turns around and with her staff, she draws a line into the earth where the portal will appear, if, and only if you succeed.”

“Hang on, Portia is opening a portal?” Jeff said, holding in a chuckle.

“Portia the Portal Lady,” Dustin muttered, and Mike next to him snorted loudly.

“You’re killing the fuckin’ mood,” Gareth complained, kicking Jeff who sat opposite him.

“Moving on, please,” Erica rolled her eyes and motioned at Eddie to continue. He bowed his head in acknowledgement and carried on with his narration.

“Portia starts praying loudly in a language you don’t quite understand. At first, you think she might be praying in Elven but you quickly realize she’s praying in Sylvan, the language of the fey,” Eddie said, tense silence falling over the room once again. “Tharivol,” he looked at Jeff. “You recognize a few words and it sounds like she’s requesting access to a kingdom, to a place called Shadowfell. She’s asking the Raven Queen for help in rectifying a wrong that has happened within her realm. I want you all to tell me what you do to help Portia during the ritual.”

“What’s everyone else doing?” asked Jeff.

“They are still sitting in a circle while they pray.”

“I’m gonna pray to Silvanus too then.”

“Go ahead. Let me hear what you say to him.”

“Oh, Silvanus, God of Wild Nature, Old Father Tree,” Jeff began, in character as Tharivol with his head bowed, eyes closed and hands clasped above the table. “Orfuel saved my life once. Let me return the favor. Let me repay the kindness he showed me by righting what is wrong in his name. Let him come home to us. Let him live long and prosper.”

“Damn,” said Gareth under his breath. It was showtime at the Hellfire Club, and everyone was taking it seriously.

“I’m gonna pray to Moradin for assistance,” Erica said as Boldhild. “I’m gonna invoke my Oath, and say: Fight the Greater Evil. No Mercy for the Wicked. By Any Means Necessary. Retribution. I honor these values today, and tomorrow. In your name, Moradin, the All-Father.”

“I’ll pray too,” Dottie joined them as Holly. “I’m going to lay down my quarterstaff, my symbol of Lathander touching the earth, and I’m gonna call out to him for help like they did.”

“You can do better than that, darling,” Eddie crossed his fingers and rested his chin on them. “Show me how you commune with your god.”

“O-okay,” she said, attributing her nerves to the expectation of performing an impromptu prayer in front of everyone and definitely not because of the sultry voice Eddie was talking to her with. She bowed her head and began praying. “Lathander, I come to you as a child of the light to ask you for aid in a time of need. My siblings in arms are asking Silvanus and Moradin to come together and help, but I fear their calls might go unanswered. Morninglord, I beg of you, take pity on us. Take pity on Orfuel, who has been banished to the plane of shadows. Take pity on those who cannot walk in your light like we do every new dawn, and please let us be joyous when the morning comes.”

There was the sense in the room that this wasn’t just a regular end of a campaign. They could feel it in the way Eddie had guided the session so far: minimal combat, heavy on the roleplay, distinctively interested in character growth. He was gearing up to something, and from the looks of it, it was going to be something big. With the understanding of a party that trusts their DM to bring a satisfying story to life, they gave themselves to him freely and wholeheartedly. This wasn’t just the end of an adventure. This was the end of Eddie’s reign as the leader of the Hellfire Club and he deserved a proper farewell.

“I-,” said Mike, gearing up to join his friends in the ritual as Mozikith. “I don’t think I can pray to Asmodeus for help, I mean… Doesn’t really feel right. So I’m gonna give Silvanus an offering instead.”

“What kind of offering do you wish to give him?” asked Eddie.

“Uh, a blood offering? My own blood.”

“No!” cried Jeff. “Offerings to Silvanus can’t be blood sacrifices. You have to destroy something made out of wood or wooden materials and bury it.”

“Okay, well, uh- Do I even own something made out of wood?” Mike wondered aloud as he looked down at his inventory notes.

“You have your staff,” Dustin suggested in a sheepish tone.

“Can… Can I break my staff and still keep my arcane stone?” he looked at his DM.

“I’ll allow it but you can’t cast spells simply holding the stone. You either get a new staff or do something with it, like put it inside a locket,” warned Eddie.

“It’s fine. I won’t need it anymore anyways,” Mike reasoned. “I’m gonna break my staff in two and bury it under where the portal is supposed to be created.”

“Me too,” said Gareth, making Despair join the sacrifice. “I’m gonna add my javelins to his pile.”

“How many?”

“All four of them.”

“Very well,” Eddie smiled. “Anyone else has something they’d like to add?”

“I want to offer something to the Raven Queen in exchange for her to let us through,” said Dustin as Seebo.

“Oh?”

“She collects trinkets, right?”

“That she does, Seebo. What do you have to offer to her?” Eddie leaned forward. “It has to be something interesting, remember, she doesn’t exactly care too much about cheap junk.”

“I want to offer her my father’s ring.”

A few sharp gasps could be heard as Dustin held Eddie’s eyes as if he was challenging him to say no. Everyone at the table knew what that ring meant to Dustin’s character. The heavy brass ring was all he had to remember his parents by after a war had left him and his ten younger siblings as orphans, begging on the streets for a small mercy until Orfuel taught him to run petty scams and pickpocket. At first he’d been reluctant but he had ten mouths to feed and couldn’t afford to pity those who had so much more than he did. Dustin placed a tacky ring he’d gotten at a yard sale in the middle of the table. Trust him to always keep props on his body for D&D related purposes.

“Okay, I’ll take it. Let’s see if she does too,” Eddie accepted his token.

“I’ll offer her a memory,” added Donny as Odorr. “I know she collects those too.”

“Which memory are you offering to the Raven Queen, dearest Odorr?”

“I want to give to her the night I burned down my village. That’s why I was a hermit until Orfuel found me,” he turned to the table to explain. “I was exiled as a kid because I couldn’t control my Wild Magic and set a barn on fire. It spread to the rest of the village so they said I was a danger and casted me out.”

“Shit,” Erica said, impressed that he’d kept his origin secret for so long. “Did you kill someone or what?”

“No, but I hurt a lot of people. It’s in the past now.”

“I’m sorry you went through that,” Dottie told him sincerely. Odorr had been her first friend on the campaign, and she cared for him like he was a real person. Donny squeezed her hand as a thank you.

“Okay, are we ready to proceed? Good. Since everyone has played their part in the ritual, I’ll explain how this is going to work,” Eddie brought them back to the game. “I’m gonna ask Tharivol to make an Arcana check, with advantage. To that you’re gonna add 1d6 of Inspiration for each member of your party, so that’s 6d6.”

“Can I roll Religion instead of Arcana? Since I’m praying to Silvanus,” Jeff bargained.

“Sure. Roll in front of everyone.”

Jeff grabbed 2d20 and breathed deeply, calming his nerves. He shook the dice in his hands, letting them fall to the tabletop, the two green and gold flecked pieces of plastic glinting in the moody lighting Eddie had set for the evening.

“18 and 19,” he announced.

“I’m guessing we’re starting with 19. Mozikith, if you will,” Eddie prompted Mike to start the inspiration dice rolls.

“Wait!” Dottie interrupted. “I want to cast Guidance on Tharivol.”

“Remind me again what that does, princess?”

“You touch one willing creature. Once before the spell ends, the target can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to one ability check of its choice. It can roll the die before or after making the ability check. The spell then ends,” she read with a smile. “You told me the other day that I always use the same two cantrips so I’m using a new one today.”

“I need to stop teaching you things if you’re gonna use them against me,” Eddie grumbled, but deep down was proud that she listened to his advice so intently. “Fine, Tharivol, add a d4.”

“Thank you,” Jeff said to Dottie and rolled. “2.”

“We’re at 21. Mozikith, please.”

“Shit,” Mike said. “That’s a 2.”

“We’re at 23. Seebo, your turn.”

“Fuck. Sorry guys, that’s gonna be a one,” Dustin mumbled angrily.

“Tough start. We’re at 24. Boldhild?”

“Four!” Erica cheered.

“We go up to 28! Despair, you go.”

“Please, please, please,” Gareth whispered. “SIX!”

“34! Odorr’s turn now.”

“Fuck yeah! That’s a six!” Donny punched the air excitedly. Everyone started becoming antsy but hopeful.

“We’re at 38. Holly, please.”

“Four?” Dottie said, timidly.

“That brings us to 42. Everyone in the clearing starts humming as Portia continues praying. Seebo, the ring in your hand begins burning until you can’t stand the heat anymore and drop it. It sinks into the earth beneath you as a gash appears where the line in the dirt was drawn,” Eddie began describing, his players waiting with bated breaths for confirmation of their success. “Tharivol, you feel a surge of magic from deep inside you, like a gentle warmth crawling up from your feet all the way up and into your chest. You see the oak tree begins glowing in the moonlight.”

“Holy shit,” Jeff said.

“The ground beneath you begins to shake and suddenly, Odorr, you feel a piercing pain in your head, like a needle pushing right in the middle of your forehead between your tiny horns. You fall to your knees in agony and see that the gash begins opening more, revealing fog on the other side.

“It’s working!” Dustin cried, and Mike shushed him immediately.

“Holly, you see your Lathander holy symbols begin to shine. First, it’s the one attached to your staff. Then, your armlet. It feels warm, like sunshine seeping into your skin on a cool day. The gash keeps opening and opening until it becomes a shadowy circle right in front of you. The pain in Odorr’s head stops,” Eddie said theatrically, making a pause for dramatic effect. “The DC you had to beat… was 40.”

“WE DID IT!” Erica screeched, and everyone began yelling at the same time.

“You almost gave me a heart attack, you piece of shit!” Donny yelled.

“Fuck, that was close,” moaned Dustin, bracing himself against the table, tension finally leaving his body.

“Congratulations, adventurers. You’ve just opened a portal to Shadowfell,” Eddie laughed, throwing his head back.

“Do we go in now? How does this work?” Dottie asked, wanting to continue the story.

“You have to speak the name of a creature and they’ll be sucked in through the portal towards your plane.”

“What was Orfuel’s last name?” Gareth looked at Jeff.

“Evensorrow,” said Mike.

“We call for Orfuel Evensorrow to come back to the material plane,” Jeff said, back in action.

“You see a shadow moving behind the fog, it seems like it’s fighting back the tendrils. Call out to him again, all of you,” Eddie instructed.

“Orfuel! Orfuel!” everyone began chanting. “Orfuel, it’s us! Stop fighting back!”

“The creature becomes prone when it hears your voices and lets itself be dragged into the material plane. A dirty human man lays at your feet, gasping for air after the shadowy vines retreat. Portia loses strength and the portal closes itself, severing the connection to Shadowfell.”

“I catch her before she falls,” Mike said quickly.

“Thank you, dearie,” Eddie said in a pitiful voice that belonged to an old frail lady. He continued in his normal voice. “Portia is okay, she just needs to rest.”

“We go to help Orfuel then,” Gareth looked at his friends, who nodded in agreement.

“Orfuel is a shell of the man you all used to know. His hair is long and matted, his beard is graying at the edges. He has dark circles under his eyes and looks like he hasn’t had a drink of water in days. He tries to speak, but his voice doesn’t come out.”

“I give him my water bottle,” Erica said.

“He drinks half of your waterskin in a rush and now that he feels better he looks at everyone surrounding him with fearful eyes,” Eddie began trembling, like it took a toll on his body to even utter a single syllable. “He’s coming. We have to- we have to hide. He’s coming.”

“Mask’s coming?” Donny asked.

“Mask’s just a pawn,” Eddie scoffed. “Orcus is coming.”

“Who’s Orcus?” Dottie looked around the table.

“The Lord of the Undead,” Dustin said, wary. “He’s the master of the undead that live in The Abyss. He wants to exterminate all life on every plane of existence until only his undead soldiers remain.”

“Wait, what do you mean Orcus is coming?” Erica asked Eddie, but really, it was Boldhild asking Orfuel.

“Mask knows Orcus hates the Raven Queen, so they made a deal. Mask kills the Raven Queen, and he becomes the keeper of Shadowfell for Orcus. Dedlock gave me up as a sacrifice to grow Mask’s power.”

“Shit. What do we do now?” Donny asked everyone else in the room.

“We fight back,” Dustin said, like it was obvious. “First we go for Dedlock and the Circle of the Gray Ribbon. Then we go for Mask.”

“And then…,” Mike mused. “We go into The Abyss.”

“And that’s where we’ll end our session,” Eddie said, and everyone groaned in protest.

“What the fuck, man?!”

“You said this session was the last one!”

“That’s such a non-ending, what is wrong with you?”

Eddie laughed and looked at his friends who kept begging him for more. More stories, more adventures, more guidance. They weren’t asking for entertainment. They were looking for more friendship. He moved to lower down his DM screen and hauled his prop box onto the table. Everyone stared at him curiously, wondering what trick he was gonna pull out of his metaphorical hat next. He simply reached in and grabbed two pins, putting them on the table: one said Chapter Leader, and the other said Dungeon Master. He’d had the first one for three years, and the second one for longer. He looked up at his club members with shiny eyes, and Dottie thought he’d never looked more at peace than in that moment.

“As you all know, my beloved sheep, I’m hoping I finally get to graduate this year. I don’t know if I am just yet, but in any case, this is my last session as Hellfire’s very own DM and leader. There’s more story to tell in this campaign, but I won’t be doing it here, on this throne, in this props room that always smells a little bit like glue,” he smiled when everyone huffed in agreement. “We’re going to take a break from this adventure until Dustin comes back from his nerd camp for geniuses-”

“Hey!” Dustin protested, but he looked proudly at Eddie while he did it.

“If you still want to find out what happens next after all that, I’ll be more than pleased to keep the action going outside of school grounds. But! A king shouldn’t rule over their kingdom forever, and it’s time for me to pass the crown onto the next generation. Wheeler, Henderson, please,” he motioned to the side. The freshmen followed him a few steps away from the table where Eddie dropped to one knee and bowed regally. “Michael Wheeler, you are Hellfire’s new Dungeon Master. I trust that the tales you tell will always be as grand as Mike the Magnificent was under my reign.”

“Woah,” Mike said when Eddie presented the Dungeon Master pin to him. “Eddie, this is- thanks, man.”

“Dustin Henderson,” Eddie continued, looking into the hopeful eyes of the kid he so very much admired. “The crown is too heavy for one man to wear alone, so I am choosing you to be the next Chapter Leader of the Hellfire Club. May you be as brave as Dustin the Daring was when he was under my wing.”

“I-” Dustin managed to get out before he launched himself across the floor and tackled Eddie into a tight hug.

“I won’t disappoint you, Eddie, I swear to god-”

But there was no need for him to promise anything, because Eddie knew that Hellfire was in safe hands with the two boys that had gone from looking at him like he was their Lord and Savior to simply calling him a friend. And as Eddie said goodbye to his time in high school, he was so grateful that even if he hadn’t learned a single thing valuable within those walls, he had come out of it with a group of people that he could always count on when life got too rough to handle on his own.

taglist (comment below or shoot me a dm if you want to be added!): @munsonology @kurdtbean

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wildsupernova · 2 years ago

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cupid’s chokehold | steve harrington x fem! oc

summary: delphi walker’s world turned upside down when her brother was found dead. her entire life turned into a downward spiral into social suicide, from her mother’s self-destructive lifestyle and the steady loss of her best friend. when another boy goes missing a year later, she find herself caught in something far bigger than she ever knew, and she herself down a path to a brand new life.

cupid’s chokehold chapter masterlist

word count: 3.1k

warnings: vulgar language, underage drinking, smoking, demeaning words towards women (whore, slut, etc.), mentions of sexual content

authors note

hey guys! it’s been a while since i posted anything but college has been suuuuper hectic for me lately and my motivation hasn’t been the best. i’m working on getting stuff out a bit more consistently, but i always value quality over quantity and want to make sure what i’m giving you guys is good quality content. again, sorry for the hiatus, but here’s another chapter!

words in ‘’ quotations and italics are character narration

chapter four

‘I should have taken that camera out of Jonathan’s hand. I should have thrown it to the ground and never let him develop that film, but if I had, we never would have found out what really happened to Barb that night.’

Delphi tried to stop the shaking of her hands as she walked back to her car, staring at the ground while she tried to hold back the overwhelming rush of tears she hadn’t expected to push against her eyes. Her and Jonathan didn’t say a word as they made their way out of the woods, not even giving eachother a gesture of goodbye as they got into their respective cars and drove away. She had to take a minute to collect her composure, considering she was so upset that her foot had pressed the gas pedal all the way to the floor of the car. She stopped for an extra few seconds at a stop sign, taking a deep breath and letting it out.

It wasn’t like she didn’t know why she was feeling the way she was; it was pretty obvious when she faced the problem head on. Jealousy was a killer, and had always been her biggest flaw.

‘For as long as I could remember, I always wanted to be like Nancy Wheeler. Since the day I met her, she was this perfect, unflawed person; effortlessly beautiful, smart without even trying, compassionate to a fault. She lived a perfect life, in a perfect house down a perfect street with perfect parents and a perfect future set out for her. I thought that she’d always had everything I’d ever wanted. She had money, a mother who cared about her, a father who was still around. A brother who was still alive. But I was wrong. The day she got Steve Harrington was the day she got everything I’d ever wanted.’

A drink was sounding really, really good right now. As tempting as it was to just grab the bottle from her glove box and take a swig right now, she was only a few blocks away from her house, so she held off for a few more minutes. When she pulled into the rocky, broken driveway, she noticed the extra car parked in front of her house, rolling her eyes at the fact that her mother had brought home yet another horny 18-20 something to drown her lonely nights in. She ignored her mother’s closed bedroom door on the way to her own, slamming it shut and collapsing on the bed without changing or turning on the lights. Deciding to finish off whatever liquor was left in the bottle she’d been drinking from earlier tonight, she uncapped the bottle, bringing it to her lips and chugging down however much her throat could handle in one go.

The loud noises of her mother and whatever guy she’d brought home tonight traveled down the hallway, slipping through the crack in her door as she covered her ears with her pillow. She waited a few moments for the sound to die down, but when they just continued, she opened her door and yelled out into the hallway.

“If you’re gonna be a whore and fuck someone while I’m home at least be quiet about it!” She slammed the door again and climbed under the covers, soaking her pillow with tears and staining her sheets with her running mascara.

When she finally fell asleep that night, she wished she’d never wake up.

‘Unfortunately, wishes don’t come true. I had no idea about the shitstorm that was about to hit me full force the next morning, and I really wish I had, because then maybe I could have prepared myself for all of the crazy shit I had no idea was happening right inside of Hawkins.’

Waking up with a pounding in her head and a strong urge to vomit up the little food she’d put in her stomach the night before, Delphi simply went through the motions she did every morning. Shower, get dressed in whatever clean clothes she had left before laundry day, eat yet another bowl of Corn Puffs for the 5th day in a row, and leave for school without so much as a goodbye to her mother. Unsurprisingly, the car that had been parked out front the night before was gone, making Delphi scoff and shake her head as she got into her own.

She wasn’t necessarily concerned when Barb didn’t meet her at the door to the school when she arrived, considering it wasn’t a daily occurrence that she did, but she figured that at least after last night she’d need someone to rant to about how much she hated Steve’s friends or how Nancy seemingly ditched her for a guy she changed her entire personality to be with. She found it slightly odd, but she essentially paid no mind to it.

She stopped at her locker briefly to make sure she had all her stuff, hoping and praying she didn’t forget any more books at home. As much as she would rather do anything else, she actually did want to make an effort to keep her grades up, considering she really didn’t want to get held back the second year in a row. Having to redo her sophomore year was enough, and already gave plenty of people the fuel they needed to make her hate herself even more than she already did.

The only thing she seemed to be missing were the notes for Mr. Wilson’s 8th period English class, but she was sure she could just get them from Nancy and copy them down during study hall. She waited a few seconds until the hallways seemed clear enough that she wouldn’t have to bob and weave through anyone, letting her feet carry her down in the direction of Nancy’s locker. When she turned the corner and looked up, she stopped her movements with a sigh and a shake of her head.

Nancy stood in front of her locker, but while Delphi had expected her to be with Barb, Steve was the one who stood next to her instead. While she couldn’t hear whatever words the two were exchanging, she assumed it was about last night, and she was in no mood to walk into or eavesdrop on that conversation. She decided she’d just try to get the notes from Nancy during first period, turning on her heels and walking down the hall a few steps.

She was a little surprised when she didn’t see Barb in her usual seat when she walked in, but still, at least for Delphi, it didn’t seem like there was any cause for concern. Her confusion only grew when Nancy walked in right before the bell, but Barb wasn’t with her. She sat in her usual desk one row behind Delphi, tapping her on her shoulder to force her to turn around.

“Have you seen Barb at all this morning?”

“No, I thought she’d be with you.” Delphi raised a brow at Nancy, who began looking around somewhat nervously. “You don’t think something happened to her, do you?”

“I don’t…I don’t know. I brought her to that party at Steve’s last night but she was gone by the time I left.”“Didn’t she drive you there?”

“Uhm…”

“You know what, I don’t need details.” Seeing it was enough. “I’ll let you know if I see her though. And I hope it’s not bad timing, but could I get those notes for Wilson’s from you? I left mine at home.”

“Yeah, yeah sure. I’ll just get them back from you in 7th period.” Nancy handed her a piece of paper, Delphi taking it with a response of gratitude. She slipped it into her binder and turned to the front of the classroom, biting her pencil as her mind ran wild.

‘Barb never skipped school. Even when she seemed to be deathly sick she still showed, no matter how many times we told her that if she felt that bad she should just leave. Her not being there the night after she left a party by herself was certainly something to be concerned about, and suddenly my small worry that she’d just gotten sick after last night turned into full blown panic that something bigger than anybody thought was going on in Hawkins.’

Delphi was mostly on autopilot for the remainder of the morning, barely tuning back into reality at lunch. She really wasn’t a fan of school food, so she spent most of her lunch hour drawing in notebooks or mindlessly watching the other kids around her. Today was much the same, except this time, she let her hand move on the paper in an effort to forget about the creeping dread in her gut.

Her luck had been so bad that, at the beginning of the year, she’d somehow ended up one table down from Steve and his posse, meaning every single day was filled with unwanted eavesdropping on whatever stupid conversation they were having on any given day. Today’s conversation had to do with the party last night, so she tuned it out, as was common practice these days. When Nancy brought up Barb to the rest of the group, she let herself listen, although none of what she heard seemed to be of any worth to her. The sudden change to sex jokes about Steve and Nancy made her swallow down vomit, and once she had a enough, she grabbed her notebooks and left the cafeteria.

As usual, the rest of the day went by with the same nauseating routine, complete with the grating, mindless droning of her teachers and the unwanted snickers from classmates. Once the bell rang, she practically ran to her locker, hoping to get home as soon as possible. On her way out of the building, she ran into Jonathan, stopping him in his tracks. He held something in his hands, glancing around nervously.

“Hey, what’s up with you?”

“Nothing, I’m fine.” Delphi glanced down at what sat in his hands, snatching the papers away once she realized what they were.

“You fucking developed these? Are you insane?”“What else was I supposed to do with them?”

“Throw them away, burn them, anything but this! It’s creepy, Jonathan. The photos you took in the woods? Fine. But creeper photos of people who hate you? Those should go in the trash man.”

“Who knows, maybe there’s something important in them?”

“Seriously?!” Jonathan just gave her a blank look, making her scoff and roll her eyes. “Did anyone see you with these?” Yet again there was no response, but his eyes wouldn’t meet hers.

“You’re fucking with me, right? Put the damn things in your bag and let's get out of here, who knows what problems those things are going to bring.”

Delphi hurried out of the school with Jonathan in tow, both of them keeping their heads down and staring at the asphalt. Thankfully, she had parked her car next to Jonathan’s today, so the venture wasn’t too far out of her norm, but it didn’t help any of the nerves that kept creeping into her gut. The nerves reached an all time high when they breached the hill, noticing Steve and the rest of his group hanging around Jonathan’s car. They seemed to notice the two approaching, standing a little taller and smiling wide.

“What's going on, man?” The two were forced to stop walking, being cut off by the group in front of them. They largely ignored Delphi even being there, and she shoved her hands in her pockets and rolled her eyes.

“What do you want?” “Nothing. We just heard you were quite the artist and we wanted to see…your work.”

“Come on Jonathan, let’s just go.” Carol stood in front of Delphi, stopping her in her tracks with a sick smile. Delphi glared at her, giving her the same grin. “Get out of my damn way.”

“No thanks.”

Before she could stop it, Tommy had snatched Jonathan’s bag from him, rifling through the contents and pulling out the pictures. They muttered something Delphi didn’t really care to understand, looking through every picture Jonathan had taken last night.

“Seriously? Like this isn’t creepy.”

“I told you you shouldn’t have taken those pictures.” “Yeah, I get it now.”

“What’s going on?” As if the moment couldn’t get any worse, Nancy had to walk up right then, making Delphi hang her head.

“Our little friend here decided he wanted to spy on us last night.” Carol handed Nancy one of the pictures, presumably the one of her.

“He was just looking for his brother.”

“Oh, was he? And how would you know that?” Realizing her slip up caused Delphi to be unable to answer, opening her mouth without saying anything. “You were with him, huh?” Knowing any response to Carol would only make things worse, she didn’t speak. “What, are you obsessed with us or something?”

“Don’t flatter yourself. There isn’t really much to be obsessed with.”

Steve seemed to ignore the entire exchange between Carol and Delphi, instead continuing to focus on Jonathan, who now stood, practically cowering, in front of him. He ripped up the picture he held in his hand and dropped the pieces to the ground, and once his hands were free, he picked up the camera off the trunk of Jonathan’s car. There was so much going on it was hard for Delphi to focus, but when the sound of the camera hitting the ground echoed through the air, she seemed to break.

“What the hell, Steve?!” She rushed in an attempt to pick up the pieces of the broken device, realizing the endeavor was essentially hopeless. She stood back up and placed her palms against Steve’s chest, shoving him backward a few feet. She couldn’t place the look on his face, unable to read any sort of emotion. “Are you fucking insane?”

“What, upset that your little boyfriend can’t take pictures of you anymore?” Delphi’s head whipped to Carol, using her hand to shove her against the bumper of Jonathan’s car. Carol’s face twisted in fear as her chest heaved with nervous breaths, Delphi’s own making the same motions out of anger.

“I suggest you shut that mouth of yours before I do it for you.”

After a few seconds, she backed away, Carol keeping her eyes on Delphi as she walked away with Tommy and Steve in tow. Delphi’s rough facade faded away as she helped Jonathan pick up the ripped pieces of his pictures, meeting eyes with Nancy, who was doing the same. When she stood up and turned to leave, Delphi called out to her.

“Nancy!” She turned, raising a brow. “I’m sorry. I told him not to, if it’s any consolation.”

Nancy didn’t offer a verbal response, only a nod, but it gave her a little peace of mind that there didn’t seem to be any hard feelings. She turned back around to Jonathan, who continued to stare at the ground in defeat.

“I’ll stay here in case they come out here again. You should get out of here, though.” Once again, he didn’t say anything, simply getting in his car and leaving the parking lot as quickly as possible.

‘As much as I hated Steve and his popular posse, they were right. What Jonathan had done was wrong, and no matter how many times I tried to tell him that, it only seemed to get through to him when he lost something important to him.’

Delphi let out the smoke that had collected in her mouth from the cigarette, allowing it to float off into the crisp autumn air. A call of her name had her head turning back towards the school, narrowing her eyes in confusion as she saw Nancy running towards her.

“Nancy? What are you doing out here, aren’t you gonna watch the game?” “I think something happened to Barb.”

“I don’t know, I’m sure she’s fine.”

“Will you please just…indulge me? You’re the only one I think could help.”

“Why me? Why not ask one of your new best buds?”“Because I know you’ll believe me. They don’t give a damn about Barb, so please, help me find out what happened.” Delphi let it sit for only a moment, nodding her head and tossing her cigarette into the grass.

“Hop in.”

‘The last place I expected to be that day was back at Steve Harrington’s house, let alone with Nancy Wheeler. She insisted on taking the same road her and Barb had the night before, and as if things weren’t confusing before, they were about to get a whole lot crazier.’

“That’s Barb’s car.” Nancy pointed out the window, Delphi slowing to a soft stop.

“So she never went home last night? I can’t imagine she walked the whole way.”

“Keep driving. The best thing I can think of to do is retrace our steps.”

Delphi parked outside of Steve’s house, reluctantly exiting the car and following Nancy into the backyard. She wasn’t sure what they were looking for, so she let Nancy take the lead, wandering around the area until she headed into the woods surrounding the property.

Delphi’s stomach flipped, unsure of whether it was from the nervousness of being in the woods again or the rush of emotion that had pelted her the moment she arrived at the house. She helped Nancy call out for Barb, snapping her body towards the sound of a breaking twig.

“What the hell was that?”

“Maybe it’s…just a squirrel. Yeah, I’m sure it’s just a squirrel.”

Another twig snapped a few feet away from the last one, making them turn once again. They waited a few moments until they were satisfied that it was just some woodland creature, but a large figure running in front of them caused Nancy to fall and Delphi to let out a small scream. Delphi helped Nancy to her feet, the pair running out of the woods as fast as possible. Once they were back in the car, they panted for breath, trying to calm their beating hearts.

“What the hell was that thing?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t think it’s good.”

‘We had no idea the importance of what we saw that day. We didn’t talk about it the entire drive back to Nancy’s house, and there was barely a goodbye when she left. I tried to keep the creature out of my mind the rest of my way home, hoping to sleep off the shock, but the night of rest didn’t help much. I’d hoped everything would return to a small bit of normalcy come the next morning, but it was the exact opposite.

‘Because that night, they’d found Will Byers' body.’

#steve harrington #stranger things #fanfic #steve harrington angst #steve x oc #women writers #series #original female character #fem!oc #lucas stranger things #dustin henderson #mike wheeler #nancy stranger things #joe keery #jonathan byers #steve x reader #steve harrington x reader

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