#pov: you walk into a punk store and this is what you see

[polyamorouspunk]

The Wares:

The Mascot:

[atlabeth]

geyser

series masterlist

pairing: luke castellan x daughter of poseidon!reader

summary: percy learns about the first girl luke castellan ever loved.

a/n: this is a lil sad. sorry about that. but i really like it and it came out of nowhere in like 2 days so i hope you enjoy despite the sadness. title from the mitski song

wc: 6.5k

warning(s): major character death; not shown but hangs over the whole fic. angst made angstier by fluffy flashbacks. mostly told through percy’s pov but includes luke, annabeth, and reader povs

also if you saw this before on another account DONT WORRY... that account was also me. im just doing some stuff behind the scenes right now as i figure stuff out lol i promise no plagiarism is going on

Percy thought that his head might explode. 

He didn’t know how he was still walking, honestly. His mom died, he killed a— no, the— Minotaur, all the Greek myths were real and his dad was one of them, and now he had to deal with that freak accident with Clarisse and the toilets. 

At least he would be ready next time she tried to beat him up. Percy had been the new kid enough to know there would be a next time.

All he could do was stare at the Minotaur horn in his hands, the only sign that what happened outside the border was real. The horn in his hands and the hole in his heart. 

Percy swallowed the lump in his throat. He’d been thrown into the deep end, and the only thing on his mind was when he would start to drown. 

“Hey.” Percy looked up to see the counselor he’d met earlier with Annabeth—Luke. He tossed a ziploc bag at him and he caught it, taking a moment to look at what was in it. 

“I stole you some toiletries from the camp store,” he explained. “Thought it might make you feel more at home.” 

“…Thanks.” He didn’t know if Luke was joking, but the damage had already been done. And it was the nicest thing someone had done for him so far. He set it down next to his Minotaur shoebox. “Is this the best that it gets?” 

Luke’s lips quirked up in a slight smile. “For now. We’re a little crowded, if you couldn’t tell.” 

“Just a little bit.” Percy stood up from his sleeping bag and worked out the knot in his shoulder. “Where’s your bed? Assuming you have one.” 

“I couldn’t wrangle all these cats without some back support,” he said, and he pointed to a bed in the corner. It was the only one on its own without a bunk, and he had a fair amount of decorations. Counselor privileges, he figured. Percy walked over, Luke trailing behind him. 

“Nice place,” he said. Percy picked up the Yankee’s cap on his bedside table and nodded as he looked back at him. “Nice taste.” 

“It’s for Annabeth,” Luke said. “She wanted us to match.” 

Percy nodded again in approval. “Good taste for both of you.”

Luke had various other things around — an alarm clock knocked over next to the baseball cap, a huskie sticker on the wall half-scraped off, a poster for an album he didn’t recognize. 

But the thing that caught his eye was a polaroid hanging on the wall, surrounded by a smattering of others varying in size. 

The first one had to be an old picture—Luke didn’t have his scar, and the biggest smile stretched across his face. He had a girl close with an arm slung around her waist, and she might’ve been smiling even more than Luke. A bright energy emanated around her, something that must have transferred through the picture, because Percy found himself feeling a little better just looking at her. He wondered if she was a camper. 

His eyes flicked to the next picture, which was another one of Luke and that girl. They were both laughing as she tried to put a blue hat on Luke’s head, and he protested with a hand on her wrist. They were in the forefront of a baseball game, Percy noticed.

There were other pictures, too—Luke, a girl dressed all punk, and what looked like a young version of Annabeth, most notably—but a majority of them were either Luke and that girl, or the girl all on her own. In every single one, she beamed brighter than the sun. 

Percy pointed at the picture of Luke and the girl at the baseball game, his curiosity getting the better of him. “Who’s that?”

That seemed to catch Luke off-guard, his lips parting for a moment as if he wanted to say something. It barely took him any time to get back on track, but Percy found himself frowning. 

“That’s…” Luke cleared his throat, wet his lips, shook his head. “A friend. A very good friend.”

“Does she go here?” Percy asked. 

“She did.” 

He frowned. “Where is she, then?” 

“Percy—” Luke’s voice was strained, but he didn’t really notice as he went on. 

“I didn’t see her around,” he continued, “and you look pretty close.” 

Luke blinked a couple times, and Percy swore he could see the telltale glimmer of tears starting in his eyes. A muscle worked in his jaw, and suddenly Percy was worried that he’d said something horribly wrong. He had a talent for that, it seemed. 

Fortunately, he was saved by the bell—conch shell?—and something like relief flooded through Luke’s expression. Tension still coiled in his body. 

“Come on,” he said, that camp counselor smile coming back as he put his hand on Percy’s shoulder and guided him away from the enclave. “That means dinner’s about to start.”

Percy’s frown deepened as curiosity won out again. “Was she your—”

“You don’t wanna be late,” Luke continued, ignoring his attempt. “I assume you’re pretty hungry after two days spent out?”

Well, that only made him want to push harder. But Percy figured he wouldn’t get anything out of him—especially not now. 

“…Yeah,” Percy said. “Starving.”

An odd look flickered across his face, but again, it only lasted for a second before he was back to normal. He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, “Eleven! Fall in!” 

Percy was at the back of the line by virtue of him being the new kid, and he found himself looking back at that picture of Luke and the girl. He didn’t know why, but something drew him to her. Before Percy could think about it more, the line was moving and his growling stomach drew his attention away. 

He would have plenty of time to ask Luke about it later. 

Or rather, ask him and piss off the only person who’d tried to be his friend so far. 

…Gods. 

Maybe he was going to drown sooner than he thought. 

-

“Luke—” 

“No!” 

“Luke, please!” 

“Annabeth will kill me if she knows—” 

“She won’t know!” 

“Alright, alright— stay still, you two!” 

Your mother laughed from behind the camera as you and Luke fought with each other, you trying your damnedest to get your Red Sox cap on his head as he tried his damnedest to stop you. The frantic laughter on both sides made it a little difficult for either of you to succeed in your quest, but eventually, you got the rock up the hill and the hat on his head. 

“Take the picture, Mom!” you exclaimed, pulling Luke even closer by his arms so he couldn’t get it off. “I need the proof!” 

“I knew this was a bad idea,” Luke groaned, staring at the camera as you wrapped your arm around his side and leaned into him. He could already imagine your victorious smile, brighter than the sun beating down on them in the stadium, and just the thought of it made one of his own flit across his lips. 

“Oh, shut up, Castellan,” you said. “You chose to come to this game. Everyone’s gonna know you’re a Red Sox fan now.”

“You said you wouldn’t tell her!” Luke defended, wrenching his arms free of your control to take the hat off his head. “I don’t even care about baseball!” 

“You care so much about it,” you said cloyingly, “and you’re ride or die for the Boston Red Sox.” 

“If you say a single word—” 

“Okay, kids!” Your mother pointed at the seats next to her. “The game’s about to start—you can keep arguing, but only if you sit down so I can see.” 

“Sorry, Mom.” You grinned at her as you pulled Luke over to your seats—they were a step up from nosebleeds, but they were the ones closest to the balcony so you could at least peer over the railing down to the diamond.

“It’s alright, sweetheart.” She glanced at Luke with a smile, and he could really see where you got it from. “We’ve gotta make him a fan somehow.” 

“I guess I can live with the brand.” Luke set the cap back on your head once you were seated, purposefully pulling the brim a little over your eyes, and he smiled at you. “Even though it looks better on you, anyways.” 

“You just don’t have what it takes to be a Red Sox fan in the heart of Yank territory,” you mused, pushing the hat back up so you could see. “It’s fine.” 

Luke rolled his eyes, but he could hardly bite back his smile. 

“I am glad you came, though,” you said, glancing back at him. “I’m glad you came with me in the first place. This is gonna be the best semester.”

“Thanks for having me,” Luke said. “It’s… it’s been a while since I’ve left camp.” 

“Fingers crossed for no monster attacks, eh?” You held up your hand. “At least, not during the game. I could live with it happening any other time.” 

“Don’t speak it into existence,” your mom said. “We’re going to have a monster-free school year.” 

To humor her, you made a claw over your heart and pushed out. She hummed in satisfaction, and you looked over at Luke. “It’s gonna be fine.” 

“Yeah,” he said. “Because two kids like us aren’t gonna draw any attention.” 

“Oh, I know we will,” you said. “But I know it’ll be fine.” 

Luke frowned. “How can you be so sure?” 

You shrugged with a smile. “I’ve got you.”

And in that moment, he was thankful for the freakish heat that honestly made no sense in the spring—at least it covered up any sign of what your words did to him. 

Luke thought you were joking when you asked him if he wanted to come back home with you for the school year. He didn’t know why you wanted to go back in the first place, being a Big Three kid that apparently had a death wish, but the thought of him leaving camp was almost inconceivable. 

Even after you assured him you weren’t joking, he still wasn’t sure. He was on the run with you for three years, then… 

Well, he couldn’t think about it for too long. But Luke had been on the outskirts of regular society for so long, doing nothing but fighting for his life, that he didn’t know if he could actually function at a normal school.

But it felt right for you two to get some normal time together after you were separated for so long. It took him a semester to decide, but one day during your usual Iris message conversations, he told you he’d love to spend the rest of the year in Boston with you. Luke still remembered the grin you wore, your disbelieving but victorious cheers, the apology you yelled back at your mother for your noise. 

Luke watched you as you talked with your mom, discussing Boston’s chances and player statistics and baseball jargon he didn’t think he’d ever understand, and he knew he would sit through a thousand Red Sox games if it meant he would get to keep seeing your smile.

You must have felt his eyes on you, because you glanced over at him. “Are you okay?” 

Luke smiled. Gods, he was so glad you were here. 

“Never better.” 

-

“That one nearly got me,” Luke said. 

Percy huffed as he picked up his sword from the ground—he was pretty sure he would officially lose his mind if Luke disarmed him with that stupid move one more time. One benefit to the Hermes cabin being too scared to associate with him after getting claimed was that he wasn’t making a fool out of himself in front of other people. 

“Maybe I can only beat you when I pour water on myself,” he said. 

Luke chuckled as he took a bottle from the cooler on the side and held it up. “Wanna try?” 

He shook his head. “I think my arms will fall off if I keep going with you.” 

He tipped his shoulder. “Fair.” 

Percy stared at the ground as Luke gathered himself, trying to put the free range thoughts roaming around his head in order. It didn’t help that he’d gained a million questions after Poseidon claimed him, and it didn’t help that there’s been a newest addition to his dream last night. 

He still felt strange asking Luke about it, but he had to know more about her. Percy didn’t know why it felt like his mission to find out who this mysterious girl was, or why he felt that strange connection to her. Maybe it was the way Luke acted whenever he brought her up, maybe it was that she’d popped up in his dream next to him at the very end, maybe it was just plain old curiosity. 

“I’m not supposed to be alive,” Percy said, breaking the silence. “I could die at any time in a bunch of different horrible ways. So will you tell me more about that girl on your wall?”  

Again, Luke seemed to be caught off guard by it. Percy heard the crunch of plastic as his hand clenched ever so slightly around the bottle, and he tried to cover it up with an arched eyebrow. “Why do you want to know so badly?” 

He shrugged. What was he supposed to say? 

“I’m curious,” he decided. 

Luke huffed a dry laugh before he took a sip of water, and he stared off into the distance for a while. He did a lot of staring whenever this girl was brought up. They looked like they were best friends in those pictures, but maybe whatever they had ended badly. And if she was a demigod too…

Well, it would make sense why he didn’t want to talk about her. 

“You know that phrase about curiosity?” Luke asked. 

“And how it killed the cat?” 

He nodded, drinking some more. “It goes double for demigods.” 

“Everything else wants to kill me,” Percy said. “So curiosity’s gonna have to get in line.” 

Luke’s laugh was a little more genuine this time, and he shook his head. “I guess I can tell you a little about her. You actually probably have a right to know.” 

“Is she a half-blood?” Percy asked immediately. 

He nodded. “Yeah.” 

“Who’s her parent?” 

Luke capped his water bottle and looked at Percy for a good, long moment. His face glowed in the warm afternoon sun, his scar cast in a softer light than usual. The scar used to unnerve him, but he’d gotten used to it after weeks staring at it during sword fighting. 

“She was a child of Poseidon, Percy,” he said. “Just like you.” 

Percy felt short of breath, like Luke had just knocked his sword out of his hand and shoved him to the ground. But he stood on his own two legs that somehow still worked, and Luke hadn’t moved. 

He had a sister? 

“I have a sister?” 

“…Had,” Luke corrected. “She… she died a few years back.” 

A vice latched onto Percy’s heart. He was still having a hard time breathing. No wonder Luke always used past tense when he was talking about her. 

He had a sister, he wasn’t alone, but he was because she was dead. And if Luke was one of her friends, that meant she died young. 

Gods. 

“What about their oath?” Percy asked, trying to ignore the aching in his chest. “I’m already on thin ice for my whole existing thing. How did Poseidon get away with two kids so close to each other?” 

Luke shrugged. “I’ve never known why gods do things. Her mother was a great woman, though—I could see what drew Poseidon to her against the oath.” 

One half of Percy wanted to ask every question that kept popping into his head. The other side of him wanted to break down and cry. 

“How did you meet her?” 

“We ran into each other when we were both young,” he said. “Both child runaways, both demigods, both New Englanders—we decided to rough it out on the road together. Couldn’t be any worse than doing it on our own.”

Percy tried to imagine it. A young Luke and a younger version of that girl—maybe Percy’s age—living together in the wilderness and fighting monsters. Surviving off of nothing but their wit and skill, facing death each day before they’d even reached middle school. 

“It… it didn’t happen then, did it?” he asked hesitantly. 

Luke shook his head. “Couple years later. All we did was watch each other’s backs out there.” 

Percy couldn’t help himself. “What happened to her?”  

“The same thing that happens to everyone,” Luke said flatly. “There’s a reason I’m the oldest one here.” 

“That doesn’t make it better,” Percy insisted. “It— it makes it worse, Luke. You see that, right?”  

Luke stared at his empty water bottle then tossed it back into the cooler. When his gaze met Percy’s, he was shocked by how… tired he looked. Beyond exhausted—bone-weary. Percy wanted to say more, but he didn’t get the chance. 

“This isn’t good conversation,” Luke said, “and it’s getting late. You should hit the showers before dinner.” 

The sun still beat down on them, bright and angry in the sky, but Percy provided no argument. He had a lot to think about. 

Before they went their separate ways, Percy stopped and looked back at him. “I’m sorry she’s gone, Luke.” 

Luke’s gaze went unfocused for a moment, his eyes growing glossy. “So am I.” 

-

Percy sat on the floor of the Hermes cabin in the corner that used to be his, staring at his meager belongings. He had to decide what to take on his quest, which was made easier by the fact that he hardly had anything to his name. Things could always be worse, though. At least he would have a change of clothes. 

He should’ve been doing this in his own cabin, but it felt too empty, too suffocating in its silence. Eleven was still more familiar. He heard the door open and saw Luke walk in, and his eyes lit up when he saw Percy. 

“Hey,” he said. “I wanted to see you before you left. How’re you feeling pre-quest?” 

“Like the world’s about to end,” he said. 

Luke’s lips twitched into a smile as he sat on the bed across from Percy. “Understandable. It kinda is.” 

“It’s just overwhelming.” Percy shoved the unfolded clothes into his backpack. “I have to clear mine and my dad’s names and get Zeus’s bolt back, or else war will start. No pressure at all.” 

“You were chosen for a reason,” Luke said. “You may not see it, Percy, but you’ve improved a lot since you got here. If anyone can do this, I think it��s you.” 

Percy looked up at him, and he was reminded of the way their last conversation went. He was asking before he could really stop himself. 

“I could die on this quest and never see you again,” Percy said. “So could you tell me more about my sister before I go?”  

Luke smiled wistfully and sighed. “You really won’t let this go, will you?” 

“It’s not really something you just let go,” he said. “Besides, I… I saw her in my dream last night.” 

Luke’s smile faded. “You did?”  

Percy nodded. “For a split second, but I know it was her. I felt the same way I did whenever I looked at her pictures. And… it’s the second time she’s shown up.” 

He let out a long sigh and shook his head, his gaze trailing off to the wall. He always looked so much older when he talked about this girl, like he was a war veteran reminiscing on his lost love. And from what he’d gathered, it might not have been too far off. 

“I told you we ran together when we were young,” he said, and Percy nodded. “We were both nine, and it should’ve been terrible, but she had a way of making everything better. Always found the bright side of things, was always able to make me laugh.” 

“She was from Massachusetts—right in the middle of Boston.” Luke chuckled as he looked at Percy. “Huge Red Sox fan.” 

Percy grimaced. “We all make mistakes.” 

Luke smiled, though it faded a bit. “We got separated for a while, but we found each other again when I got to camp. Things were more peaceful than they are now, so she’d been claimed at camp pretty quickly. I figure Poseidon wanted her to have the protection of him openly standing behind her after what happened.” 

He frowned. “What do you mean, ‘what happened’?” 

Luke shook his head. “That would be an awful story to send you off on.” 

Percy wanted to protest, but he didn’t. Luke was probably right—Percy didn’t want to make him relive it and then have to go on a death quest right after.

“A happier part, then,” he suggested.

“She ran away from home as a kid to protect her mom, but now that she had an idea of what she was doing, she started going back to school. She invited me to stay with her during the school year one year, and I accepted. That—” Luke’s throat bobbed, and the other hand clenched into a fist— “that was when she died.” 

In his stunned silence, Luke got up and went over to his alcove. He pulled the drawer open on his bedside table and pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper. It must’ve been folded and crumpled a million other times in messier ways by all the creases he could see, but when Luke opened it, he could see handwriting all over the front. 

A letter. 

“We Iris messaged each other constantly while she was at school,” he said, “and we wrote back and forth when we couldn’t. This was the last letter she sent me.” 

Percy’s first instinct was to say he wouldn’t be able to read it, but he realized that he didn’t really care. These were words that his sister wrote—he would sit here the rest of the day forcing sentences to make sense if that was what it took. 

So he took the letter when Luke offered it. 

To the one and only Luke Castellan, 

My mom said yes! After a very long interrogation (she now knows basically everything about you) and a million promises that you would be as careful as possible and that you were good enough at sword fighting to take down anything that could come after us, she said you can spend the year here. We spent a couple hours every day making my mom’s study into a guest room, so you have a place to stay.

I’m an idiot that didn’t bring enough drachmas so that’s why I have to send this letter—hopefully it gets to you soon enough, because we’re gonna come get you a week before my winter break is over. Mom is letting me drive down because she says I have to get my permit soon. It makes sense that my first big test is getting to you. If we don’t make it, it’s because we died in a fiery crash. 

Just kidding. I’m a great driver. But tell me some of your favorite songs when you reply and I’ll burn a CD for the ride—I figured out how to use LimeWire. Oh, and throw in a couple drachmas with the envelope so I can Iris message you next time. I miss your face and your voice, and my hand is cramping up writing all of this. 

But this is so exciting! I can’t wait to introduce you to all my friends at school, and show you my favorite places in the city, and make you into a Red Sox fan. And you can come to my soccer games— I’m the greatest forward there is. 

Jokes aside, I’m going to make sure you have the best time. We’ll spend every second together, Luke. We’re gonna make up for the time we lost. 

I can’t wait to see you again.

Your hurricane.  

It took Percy a long time to get through it with the words swimming all over, and it didn’t help that his vision had grown blurry. 

Tears, he realized as he blinked, and he did it again to make sure they wouldn’t fall. He couldn’t cry in front of Luke, not over a girl he didn’t even know—even if she was his sister. But maybe he was grieving that—the fact that he would never get to know her. 

“God, man. I— I’m sorry.” Percy couldn’t think of anything else to say. “She sounds like she was great.” 

Luke couldn’t even manage a smile this time as he stared at the wall. Percy was surprised he could even talk to him about it. 

“She was,” he murmured. “You would’ve liked her. And gods,” this time, a bit of a smile broke through despite it all, “she would have loved a little brother.” 

“I’m gonna make her proud on this quest,” Percy vowed. “I’m gonna clear our dad’s name for her.”

Something in Luke’s gaze had changed—sadness, almost regret. “You’re a good kid, Percy. I hope your quest doesn’t change that.” 

I hope I come back alive, he wanted to say. But given the topic matter, he didn’t. Percy carefully folded the letter back up and handed it to Luke. 

“Thank you for telling me about her, man,” Percy said. “I… I know it can’t be easy.”

Luke let out a shuddering breath as he stared at the closed letter—Percy wondered how many times he must have sat in this same position, reading her words. “No better way to honor her memory than helping her brother.” He glanced at Percy. “I see a lot of her in you.” 

He’d been wondering if he had anything in common with her. Percy felt a sudden flare of anger shoot through him—it wasn’t fair that she was dead. Poseidon was a god, and she was a teenager. He should have saved her. 

Percy’s mouth was drier than a desert. A part of him wanted to curl up in a ball and sob over the sister he never got the chance to know, but the other part of him knew—from what little Luke had told him about her—that she wouldn’t want him to. 

“I should get going,” Percy said, standing up from the floor. “We have to leave for the quest soon, and Annabeth and Grover are probably wondering where I am, and…” 

Percy trailed off, and Luke nodded in understanding. He turned around and took one of the photos off the wall—one of you alone in the middle of a park, wearing a bucket hat and absolutely beaming. 

“You deserve to have a part of her with you,” he said. “For good luck.” 

He felt himself choking up, and he pushed it down as he accepted the photo. “Thanks, man. It means a lot.”

“Good luck, Percy,” Luke said. “You’ve got a lot of people rooting for you.”

Percy found himself studying the picture of you once he made it outside, trying to memorize your face. With your wide, infectious smile that emanated pure sunlight, he could have mistaken you for an Apollo kid. But when he looked at you, he got that same warmth that he felt every time he imagined his father. 

“I won’t let you down,” he murmured. “I promise.” 

-

After sleeping in his train seat for half the day, Percy vowed to never complain about his bed in Cabin Three again. He was gonna be going down to the Underworld with permanent cricks in his neck. 

Grover was still sound asleep—Percy envied him for how easily it came to him in the worst conditions—but thankfully, Annabeth wasn’t. Her gaze was focused on the view as their train chugged along. 

Percy cleared his throat in a flawless attempt at getting her attention, and it worked. 

“You’re awake,” she said. 

“Unfortunately.” Percy sighed. “How much longer do you think it’ll be?” 

“Another day, at least,” she said. “And we’ve got a layover in St. Louis.” 

“St. Louis,” he hummed. “Nice.” 

They sat in silence for a while—there wasn’t much to talk about when they were coming off of two— or was it three, now?—near-death experiences. But eventually, Annabeth cleared her throat, taking a page from his book, and it worked again. 

“There— there’s probably something you should know,” Annabeth said, and that worked even better than clearing her throat. “You’re not the only Big Three kid to come through Camp Half-blood lately.” 

“I know,” he said. “Grover and Luke explained it.” 

Her eyes widened slightly and she leaned forward in her seat. “Luke did?” 

“…Yeah. You all already told me about Thalia.” Percy glanced away, suddenly feeling a chill in the train car. “Luke told me about my sister.” 

Annabeth went silent. 

“It’s okay,” he said. “I kind of annoyed Luke until he told me. Doesn’t really seem like a subject people at camp like to talk about.” 

“I’m just surprised he did,” she murmured. “They were… they were close, Percy. Her death destroyed him—Thalia and your sister. All of it’s complicated.”  

“Yeah,” he sighed, “I got some of that.” 

“I only knew her for a year at camp, but everyone loved her,” she said. “She was nice. Popular. Always helped when she could, always had the biggest, most infectious smile on her face.” Annabeth looked down at her hands. “She didn’t deserve the fate she got.” 

Percy didn’t think he’d ever grieved so much for someone he never knew. “But her and Luke—were they…?” 

“Yeah,” Annabeth said, “they were a thing, later on.” 

That seemed to be all she wanted to say on the matter. Percy decided not to push. 

“How did you meet her?” he asked. 

Annabeth’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I met her on the day I thought I would die.”

-

For the first time in her life, Annabeth Chase couldn’t think. 

It had all happened so fast. One second she was running with Luke and Thalia and Grover, praying to her mother and any other gods that would listen to make the horde of monsters let up even a centimeter.

The next, she’d collapsed on the ground, never so grateful to have grass and dirt and dust in her face. But she could hear Luke yelling, barely able to make it out in her delirious state—she didn’t know when she’d last had a sip of water, and they’d been running for at least three miles—but he sounded hysterical. 

She remembered her last clear thought: they weren’t going to make it. 

But they had. They had, so why was Luke losing his mind? 

Annabeth pulled herself up from the ground—how long had she been bleeding out of those slashes on her arm?—and looked for the rest of her friends. Luke wasn’t yelling anymore, instead arguing with someone she didn’t recognize in a bright orange shirt. Grover’s furry legs trembled as he stared down the hill they’d just gotten up, completely silent, and Thalia— 

Where was Thalia? 

Annabeth tried to get up but her legs gave out almost immediately, and steady arms caught her before she could fall to the ground again. Kind eyes served to ease some of her panic—she was older than Annabeth, maybe around Luke or Thalia’s age. 

Thalia— 

“Hey, you’re okay,” the voice said, and Annabeth’s attention was drawn back to you. “I’ve got you.” 

“Where’s Thalia?” she blurted out, because now she couldn’t think of anything else. 

Your brows creased and you glanced back down the hill—Annabeth did too, and she saw Grover and Luke arguing with each other. Or rather, Luke was yelling at him as Grover anxiously hooked his hands through his hair. 

“I don’t know,” you said, “but right now, I need to make sure you’re okay. Are you hurt?” 

Annabeth absentmindedly held up her arm, but she was only focused on her friends. Why wasn’t Thalia with them? Why was Luke so upset?

You cursed under your breath in Ancient Greek as you cradled her arm, and you looked back down the hill. Annabeth could see at least half a dozen other kids. 

“We’ve got two half-bloods and a satyr, one injured!” you yelled back. “Get Molly and Brayden!” 

“Three,” Annabeth found herself saying. “There’s three half-bloods—” 

“Annabeth!” 

Her head shot up at the sound of Luke calling her name as he bounded over, and her eyes widened at the blood steadily spidering across the fabric of his shirt. 

“Luke, you’re hurt—” 

“I’m fine,” he insisted. “It’s fine.” 

“We have Apollo kids coming,” you said, looking up at him, still cradling Annabeth’s arm. “We’ll get y—” 

Your sentence stuck in your throat, and Annabeth could see tears welling in your eyes as your brows furrowed. She thought Luke’s eyes might burst out of his skull as he stared at you, his lips parted but nothing coming out. Neither of you were able to form words. 

When he finally did get something out, it was a single name. One Annabeth knew by heart, one that he’d mourned for years. 

“Luke?” you whispered. 

Before he had the chance to do anything, two teenagers got over the hill and called out your name, the same one Luke used. He always said you were dead, but you clearly weren’t dead, because you were here and you had her arm in your grasp and while your hands were cold, they weren’t cold enough to be dead— 

“Molly’s gonna take care of you,” you said, looking back at Annabeth and cutting off her inner dialogue. “She’ll get you to the infirmary and heal you up, okay?” 

“My friends—” 

“They’re gonna be okay too,” you said. “I promise.” 

Annabeth looked up at Luke, and he nodded. “We’ll be with you soon, Annabeth. We— we have to talk about some things.” 

So she went with Molly down the hill, and Annabeth put pressure on her bleeding wound when she told her to—it had started to sting like hell now that her adrenaline was fading. 

She looked back just in time to see you and Luke share the tightest hug ever. 

The hug of two people who realized they weren’t seeing ghosts, Annabeth thought. 

-

You bolted up in bed, eyes wide and your chest heaving as you rapidly sucked in air. Your fingers found purchase in your bedsheets, desperate for something familiar—it took a second for you to recognize your surroundings, that you weren’t in an endless void, but your childhood bedroom offered little comfort.  

You ran a hand over your forehead, damp with sweat, as you tried to calm down. Your breathing slowed, but you couldn’t shake that awful feeling that hung over you in your sleep. 

Your nightmares were getting worse, you knew that much. That raspy, demented voice used to be a rarity, and now it appeared every night. You could usually deal with your nightmares, but the sense of absolute dread that voice and the pit fostered in you was too much. You hadn’t managed to sleep through the night once since you came home for the school year.

You could deal with the monsters—to you, this was the worst part of your godly blood.

A knock rattled on the door out of nowhere, and you nearly jumped out of your skin. The only thing that calmed you down was the thought that monsters didn’t knock. 

“Come in,” you croaked, your throat drier than a desert. 

Thankfully, a monster hadn’t come to make your night even more miserable. Luke stood in the doorway, his eyebrows creased in concern, messy curls hanging just above his eyes. He wore the Red Sox t-shirt you’d bought for him at the game you dragged him to, and in your addled state, you didn’t even think to tease him about it. 

“Are you okay?” He should’ve been as disoriented as you, but his alerted eyes told a different story. 

You could only think of one thing. “How did you know?” 

Luke’s lips parted for a moment, as if he hadn’t even considered it. “I could just feel it.”

You managed a smile despite every atom in your body screaming at you. “I think that means you can come in.” 

He closed the door behind him, and you shifted over in your bed to make room for him. There wasn’t much in a twin, but you made it work. Luke’s weight pressed into the mattress, making you adjust your position, and it was more comforting than any amount of blankets. 

“You’re so cold,” he murmured, laying the back of his hand against your arm. “How do you live like that?” 

“Blame my dad,” you said. “I’ve got water in my blood.” 

“I think that’s probably a bad thing,” Luke said, and you knocked your shoulder into his with a huff. 

“You know what I mean.” 

Luke let his hand fall back in his lap, and as you brought your knees up to your chest, you pulled the covers with them. 

“So,” Luke said, glancing at you, “what’s got you awake at the witching hour?” 

“The usual,” you mumbled. 

“Nightmares that might be prophetic?” he asked. 

You made a lazy gesture with your hand. “Bingo.” 

“The worst sense of dread imaginable?” 

“Bullseye.” 

“I’m sorry,” he said. 

You shrugged. “It’s nothing I can’t deal with.” 

“You don’t always have to put on a front, y’know,” Luke said. You felt his eyes on you. “You don’t always have to be strong.” 

“I’m naturally strong,” you said with mock austerity. “Comes with the god for a dad.” 

Luke chuckled and shook his head. “You know what I mean.” 

“Yeah,” you murmured. 

You leaned into his side, fitting your head into the crook of his neck. Luke wrapped his arm around you, pulling you closer, and you let out a contented sigh. 

That voice in your nightmares seemed so small when you had Luke. 

“Can you stay?” you asked softly. 

He didn’t hesitate. “Of course.” 

“Just like old times,” you whispered. 

“Just like old times,” he agreed. 

Luke ran hot, and you’d never been more thankful for it as you fully settled into his side. Icy blood ran through your veins, and you let out a shaky sigh. You could hear his steady breathing, feel his heartbeat through his chest, and the anxiety from earlier began to steadily fade. You never felt safer than when you were with Luke. 

There was something between you—you weren’t that stupid—but you hadn’t talked about it. With you and Luke, it was just… you and Luke. You didn’t have to put a label to it. 

How could you put a label to your relationship, when you’d spent your first few years together fighting for each day, and then the next few thinking the other was dead? 

Maybe someday, you would talk about it. But for now, this was more than enough. 

“Don’t worry,” Luke murmured in your ear as your eyes began to droop. “I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.” 

And by the gods, you believed him. 

[streamafterlaughter]

Fundamental Differing

gif credit

masterlist | playlist | chapter vi

Chapter VII: Soft But Estranged

summary: an off day on tour doesn’t mean an off day for partying! The entire touring family heads out for what’s supposed to be a fun night off on the Vegas Strip.

tags/warnings: so much angst it’s gross, mutual pining, rockstar!eddie x rockstar!reader, slow burn, hurt/slight comfort, pining, longing, break up, excessive drinking

a/n: i’m turning up the dial on this fic to 11. angst to the max. no fluff all pain. torture. enjoy! Disclaimer: I do not give permission to have my work reposted on other sites. Reblogs are more than welcome, but please inform me if you find my work elsewhere unless otherwise stated. Reblog to support the author!

——

October 1989

“Oh, honey, come here.” Robin pulls you into a tight hug, letting you sob and snot into her shoulder. It’s three in the morning, and you’ve been drinking yourself into a stupor. You left Eddie a week ago, and haven’t been able to breathe right since. Seeing the video for The Crawl on MTV this morning sent you into a dizzying depression, remembering the days when Eddie would sit at the kitchen table trying to put the chords together. You wished you were with him, on tour, greeting him with kisses after every set. But he left for tour yesterday without telling you, and you only found out when Dustin asked why you weren’t with him. You hadn’t had the heart to tell him you’d broken up with him, so Steve had to break the news.

“I just don’t get it. Why didn’t he try harder? Why didn’t he fight for us?” You weep into the fabric of Robin’s shirt as she rubs your back in soothing circles.

“I don’t know, love, but he’s a fucking idiot.”

Present day

Your POV

Your issue of SPIN comes out today, and your heart is slamming in your chest in line to check out. In your hands is a copy of the magazine, a picture of Corroded Coffin plastered across the cover. Eddie’s eyes seem to glare even from the glossy paper, his arms crossed over his bare chest while the rest of his bandmates stand behind him, looking equally stoic. In the top corner of the page reads, Femme Punk Takeover: An Interview with Death Dance Approximately. You read the words over and over, refusing to spoil the spread for yourself until you’re alone and safe to scream with your friends about it.

Once you exit the store, magazine clutched in your hand, you speed walk back to the hotel you’re staying in. Today is your off day, but tomorrow you play a show on the one and only Las Vegas Strip. Your plans include celebrating the magazine spread by drinking yourselves silly.

Back in your hotel room, you kick your shoes off and fling yourself onto the bed. Robin’s out shopping with Steve, and Sylvie and Lilith are getting lunch, so you have the afternoon to yourself. Instead of diving right into your own spread, you curiously turn the pages until you find the Corroded Coffin interview. It spans four full pages, including photographs and quotes in bold, big lettering. You swear to yourself you’ll only skim, but that promise is quickly broken when you read the first sentence.

Kings of Rock, Corroded Coffin, sit uncomfortably in their folding director-esque chairs, as if sitting for an interview is the least punk thing they could be doing. Their frontman fidgets with his gleaming silver rings, his lips pressed together in concentration or annoyance.

Jessie Stevens: So, on your new album Freak Show, there’s a song titled Sweetheart. It’s far different from the rest of the tracks, a calming break before the climax of Severed Thumb and Wiped Clean. What influenced this mood change?

Eddie Munson: Sweetheart is about someone that was once very close to me. It’s about love and loss, and a whole shit ton of heartbreak, and the one person that never made me feel like, the freak, y’know?

J: Do you still talk to this person?

The frontman’s face falls a little, like he’s reminded of something upsetting.

E: It’s… complicated.

You roll your eyes. It’s not complicated, the answer is a firm no. You and Eddie don’t talk, not more than you’re forced to. You continue scanning the article, until you find something else that catches your eye.

J: You’re currently touring with Death Dance Approximately, who are quickly moving up in the world of rock. What advice would you give them as seasoned rockstars?

Munson pauses, looking at his bandmates with a question in his eyes.

E: I guess I’d tell them never to let go of themselves. I lost myself for a while, honestly I’m still pretty lost. The industry is brutal, it takes so much of your soul away from you, and if I could go back and tell myself one thing, it would be not to let go of who I was. I miss that person.

You read Eddie’s answer, over and over, your eyes stinging. You miss who Eddie was, before signing, before giving in to fame and attention the way he has. Desperately, you want to believe that sweet boy is still in there somewhere. You think he is, after the events of last night, but you’re not sure how to yank him out of the steel shell he’s built around himself.

Further down, one more thing catches your attention.

J: Do you wish you’d done anything differently? Whether it be in your career, or in your life outside of it?

E: I wish I fought harder for my people. I lost someone I loved so much. I let them walk out of my life without any objection. I wish so badly that I could’ve made them stay, but… It was too late. I’ll never know now. I’ll never get to fix it.

Munson’s bandmates look to each other knowingly, clearly aware that the mysterious person he speaks of is the reason for his sour mood.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” It’s barely a whisper, despite no one being in the room with you. All he had to do was ask, and you’d tell him everything. Why you left, what would’ve made you stay, but he’d rather tell the whole world he fucked up than just apologize to you.

—

Eddie’s POV

His copy of SPIN lay open in his lap as he reads the Death Dance interview. His bandmates are god knows where, enjoying their day off while Eddie mopes in his hotel room.

J: How do you guys feel about touring with one of the biggest names in rock?

Eddie rolls his eyes at the question, knowing you probably hated hearing his band brought up in your interview.

Y: I mean, we knew them growing up. It’s really cool to see them all again, and we’re honored to tour with them.

Eddie’s surprised you’d even mention knowing him at this point, it makes his heart beat a little faster.

J: You know Corroded Coffin?

Y: Yeah! I moved to Hawkins my senior year, where I met Robin, and they were all seniors. We played DnD together, made music together. We lost touch after high school, but the world is so small.

J: Is that what Indiana is about?

Y: In some respects, yeah. Indiana was a huge change from where I grew up in Boston, a much smaller, more conservative place for sure.

Eddie puts the magazine down, and reaches for his CD player. He skips to track 5, and closes his eyes as the guitars wail in his ears. He only knows parts of the song, from hearing it live when he can stomach watching your set, but somehow it feels like listening for the first time.

I’m from a city where no one knows each other / where we walk down streets avoiding eyes and shoving by / and when I moved to Indiana, I began to understand why / I wasn’t meant for smaller towns, where everyone knows my name, / but you had been there, my saving grace, / and now I miss the comfort. / I miss the sounds of singing birds, and the crackle of a fire. / I moved back to the city, and though it’s pretty, / it’s no longer what I know. / Indiana wasn’t home, but I found my home there / In the warmth of your eyes and the smell of your hair / I let myself believe I could make my life here / and when I lost you, I lost everything. / Indiana wasn’t home, but I found my home there. Indiana wasn’t home, and I lost my home there.

He plays the song four times before he can bring himself to breathe right again. Eddie can hear your heart breaking through your voice, the way it cracks on the chorus, the way you belt the final verse. All at once, he understands why you left, why you felt you had no choice. He was drowning in the pressure of being famous, leaving you behind to watch him from the shadows.

—

Your POV

You finally throw the magazine down, and rush to shower and get ready to go out. Tonight is your night off, a night to relax and not think about the boy across the hall. It’s easier said than done, though, as your mind keeps wandering to that final paragraph. I’ll never know now. I’ll never get to fix it. All he had to do was ask. You’d tell him everything; why you left, what could have gotten you to stay. But he’s been so cold, so distant with you, and you can’t really blame him. It’s just as difficult for you to be on tour with him, but you’re still trying to be mature about it.

Your spiral is disturbed by a knock on your door. You clip your earrings in and rush to answer it, smoothing your shirt to make sure you’re presentable. You open the door to Robin and Steve, their arms linked together like best friends on the playground. Both of them are dressed up, Steve in a button down and black slacks, Robin in sequined overalls that scream Vegas! They greet you with gleaming smiles, and you move aside to let them in.

“I’m almost ready! Any idea where we’re going?” You ask them both before pulling your lipstick out of your bag.

“We’re taking the strip by storm! It’s a group outing, everyone’s coming!” Robin claps her hands together

“Everyone?” You quirk an eyebrow, looking at her in the mirror.

She bites her lip and glances at Steve, who only shrugs. “Yeah, Gareth and Jeff overheard us planning, and we figured some bonding was in order. But don’t worry! We can separate when we get there.”

You smack your lips together and shrug. “It’s not me you have to worry about.” You turn to face them, extending your arms to present your glammed up self. “How do I look?”

“Like you’re gonna rip Eddie’s soul out of his bod— Ow!” Steve rubs where Robin has elbowed his arm. “You look beautiful.” He recovers, and you stick your tongue out at him.

“Let’s get goin’ then!” Robin heaves herself off the bed, and you hold the door for her and Steve, following them out the door.

—

The casinos are the most insane thing you’ve ever experienced. The bright lights almost blind you, and the sounds of slot machines are so loud you can’t hear yourself think. It’s no wonder no one wins these things, it’s impossible to concentrate.

“C’mon!” Sylvie grabs hold of your wrist, leading you and your bandmates to the blackjack table. You glance behind you, sending a help me look to Steve, who shrugs in defeat as he follows Eddie and Jeff to the bar.

“Robin, I don’t know how to play!” You object, but she’s already sitting in a free stool by the dealer.

“No worries, babe, this is all on me. I just want you all to watch me win!” She’s buzzed, having gulped her champagne down in the car on the way here. You giggle at her confidence, knowing damn well she also has no idea how to gamble.

“Whatever you do, don’t bet our royalties.” Lilith nudges her, hiccuping on her own bubbly.

“Yeah, yeah. Hit me!” She slaps the table, and the dealer smirks like he knows he’s about to watch Robin lose all of her disposable income.

—

Eddie’s POV

“Whiskey, neat.” He orders his drink, flopping down on an empty stool. Steve sits next to him, while Jeff orders drinks for himself and Gareth. “Come hang out, man!” Jeff calls when he receives his drinks, already walking to the table his bandmates sit at with yours. Eddie nods a response, nursing his drink.

“You gotta at least try to enjoy yourself tonight.” Steve says, taking a sip of what looks like fruit punch.

“I am enjoying myself, Steven” Eddie holds up his whiskey, as if to prove the point. Steve glares at him, and Eddie takes a swig. “What?”

“You’re moping! You’re a famous rockstar on a cross country tour, and you’re moping. Had I known you were gonna be a drama queen this whole time I would’ve brought a goddamn book to read.”

Eddie groans, taking another sip. “I know, I know. I’m miserable.”

“You need to talk to them.” Steve says bluntly, not looking at Eddie.

“Why would I do that?”

“I know you want to.”

“I do not!”

Steve snorts, and Eddie presses his lips together in annoyance. “You read that interview, right?” Eddie nods. “So you know they talk about you now. You’re on their mind. You listen to the song they mentioned?” He nods again. “So you still care about what they have to say. What’s stopping you? Why are you so fucking scared?”

Eddie turns in his chair, back to where your band sits at the table, anxiously watching as Robin plays another round. Your face is pink, caused by the alcohol or the warmth of the building. Your shirt hugs your frame tightly, accentuating your features. You lift a glass of champagne to your lips, pinky extended, leaving a smear of red lipstick on the rim of the glass. Your eyes sparkle with excitement as your friends cheer Robin on. You have a happy glow to you, and it takes everything inside of Eddie to rip his eyes away. “What’s stopping me is the fact that they deserve better.” Eddie grumbles, gulping the rest of his liquor down and calling the bartender over. “I don’t want to ruin this for them. I’m already here, and that can’t be easy. I want them to enjoy this experience, I don’t want to intrude on it.”

“So, what, you’re just gonna drink yourself to death every time we have an outing? You think that isn’t causing them any distress? Your liver is gonna deteriorate soon, man. May wanna figure out a different strategy.”

“Will you get off my ass about drinking, Harrington? It’s rich, coming from the kid that shotgunned like sixty beers a week his freshman year of high school.”

Steve chuckles, and Eddie can’t hide the grin creeping onto his face. “Fair enough. But that was high school. I didn’t have a billion fans relying on me not to die of alcohol poisoning.”

“Nah, just the six hundred Hawkins High students. Big whoop!” Eddie emphasizes his point with a show of jazz hands. “Either way. If I’m gonna talk to them, I’m gonna be drunk when I do it.” Eddie gulps down his second drink in one go, feeling the effects of the alcohol starting to kick in.

“Whatever, dude. You wanna go play some cards?” Steve offers his hand, and Eddie takes it begrudgingly, yanking himself away from the bar and into the mass of the crowded casino. He’s forced to squeeze by you, apologizing under his breath as he brushes against your back, sidestepping between the tables. You don’t seem to notice. He takes his place next to Gareth, and Steve stands firmly between him and you, a bridge neither of you dare to cross. Eddie feels your eyes on him, and it takes everything inside of him not to look back. Instead, he’s dealt into the next hand, planning only to play one round as a distraction from your presence. The waiter drops off another round of drinks, and Eddie slaps his palm on the table. “Deal me in.”

—

“Okay, that’s enough!” Steve yanks on an objecting Eddie’s arm, hauling him away from the table. He’s already lost a good chunk of change, both at the table and to the expensive drinks he’s been gulping down. Despite his objections, Steve manages to drag Eddie out of the casino unscathed.

“Here,” Steve sticks a cigarette between Eddie’s lips and lights it for him. “Sober up a little.”

Eddie plucks the lit stick from his mouth and exhales, the cool night air bathing his warm face.

“Where,” Eddie’s eyes are glassy, his vision blurring as he takes in his surroundings.

“We’re outside the casino. Waiting for the car.” Steve lights a cigarette for himself, inhaling as Eddie does the same.

“Where’s Y/n?” He realizes suddenly that he hasn’t seen you in hours.

“Back at the hotel. They left a while ago, but you didn’t want to get up. Sometime around your fourth hand, when you accused the dealer of cheating.” Eddie looks down at his feet, seeing four of them, and hums in response. “They told me to make sure I get you home safe.”

He looks back up to his friend, cautiously optimistic. “They said that?”

Steve nods, a smirk on his face. “Told me they’d kick my ass if anything happened to you. So I’m keeping my promise.” The car pulls up, and Steve opens the door for Eddie. “C’mon, in ya go.”

Eddie lets his eyes slip closed as the car starts moving, promising himself he won’t throw up on Steve. He thinks of all the ways he could possibly tell you he’s sorry, how he could start to mend the wounds he’s caused you. He’s going to, he decides, as soon as he can manage to walk on his own.

—

Your POV

There’s a banging on your hotel room as you’re clawing your way out of your clothes. You pull your big t-shirt on, pause Breaking The Girl, and rush to answer it. You’re expecting room service with some wine, or Steve with tomorrow’s game plan. “Coming!” You call, finally opening the door, only to be greeted by Eddie’s wobbly figure. “Oh. Hi.” You look at his nose as you speak, afraid of what would happen if your eyes were to meet his. His face is flushed from the drinking, his eyes glazed over and his hair frizzy.

“Hi. Bad time?” He looks you up and down, causing your cheeks to warm despite your blood running cold. You realize now that the shirt you’re wearing is one that once belonged to him. “I’ll, uh, go. I can um… I’ll come back later.” His speech is slurring, and you can smell the alcohol as he speaks.

“No!” You say, too quickly. “It’s okay, I’m just getting ready for bed. You wanna come in?”

Eddie hesitates, but you step aside to let him enter. He stumbles forward, placing himself gingerly in the chair across from the bed, where you sit across from him, acutely aware of your current pantsless state. “I read the interview.” Eddie starts, looking at the floor. You cross one leg over the other, waiting for him to continue. “And I’ve been listening to the album. Your album, I mean. It’s great, by the way, really fucking great.” He won’t look at you, instead focused on fiddling with his rings. You don’t respond, unsure where he’s going. “I came to say I’m sorry.”

Your eyes widen. This was the furthest thing from what you were expecting. “For what?”

Eddie slides further into the chair. “Everything. I’ve been such an asshole since the tour started. Especially to you. I wanna say I didn’t mean it, but I did. I wanted to hurt you. Flirting with all those girls, playing that fuckin’ song in front of you. I meant all of it.”

You bite your lip, unsure of how to respond. You doubt Eddie will even remember this conversation tomorrow, so you refuse to let his words convince you of anything. You don’t answer, just blink at him as he continues searching for the words to explain himself.

“I was trying to ignore it, I guess. How I felt about seeing you again. I was hiding it, and probably really poorly. I can't imagine it’s been easy for you, either, but you seem so happy. And it’s made me realize how horrible I’ve been.” He looks up from the floor then, his eyes searching yours for an answer. His face is flushed, his hair disheveled, and his lips are set in the pout that always got your heart stalling.

You clear your throat quickly, knowing it will crack under the pressure otherwise. “Eddie, it’s not your fault. You didn’t force this tour to happen. It’s an unfortunate coincidence.” He winces at your words, and you rush to correct yourself. “I mean, we didn’t know we’d see each other like this. We weren’t prepared. The way you’ve been acting, though hurtful, is completely understandable.” You want to cry. You want to throw Eddie out of your hotel room so you can sob into your pillow. But you don’t move, and neither does he.

“Why’d you leave?” He asks after a long moment of silence. “What happened to us?”

You know he’s drunk, and you shouldn’t be indulging him, but you’ve wanted to say so much to him since breaking it off, and you’re still a bit tipsy. “I was losing you. To groupies, to the label, to whatever you had become, and I didn’t think it was fair to fight it. This is all you’ve ever wanted, all we ever talked about when we were together. And you got it! The only thing you ever wanted. And I am beyond proud of you, Eddie. Who was I to pull you away from it? I couldn’t hold you back from this, but I couldn’t live in the background either. I couldn’t make you choose between me and your dream, so I chose for you.” Your voice falters as you explain, eyes threatening to spill the tears they harbor. “You deserve everything you ever want, Ed. I truly believe that.” You don’t tell him you still wish he wanted you.

Eddie is less than graceful in his response. “I would’ve chosen you. Over and over again, Y/n. I wish I hadn’t made you feel like you were my backup, my plan B. I lost sight of us, I know that now.” You sigh, your heart breaking as he speaks. Years ago, it’s all you wanted to hear. But it’s too little, too late now. “It got to my head, having you and getting signed. I felt like I could have it all. It got overwhelming, and I didn’t realize what I was doing to you. You were right to leave, and I’m so sorry it took me this long to figure it out. I blamed you for my misery when I caused all of it myself.”

You get up from the bed, and approach Eddie, kneeling beside the chair so he’s forced to look at you. “I appreciate the apology, Ed. I know you mean it. But I needed to leave for my own sake, too. I couldn’t keep competing with you, with all of the attention you were getting. I needed to focus on my own dreams, and I couldn’t convince you to root for me the way I had for you. Now that I’m here, I’m glad it happened this way. I wouldn’t have gotten here any other way.” You rest your hand on his knee, and you feel a drop fall from his cheek onto your finger. “You’ll always be special to me. I need you to know that.”

Eddie nods, sniffling. You stand up and offer him your hand. He takes it hesitantly, and you feel the familiarity of his calloused fingers entwined with yours. You can’t bring yourself to let go as he gets to his feet, missing the way his skin feels on yours. “Let’s get you back to bed, yeah?” You lead him out of your room and down the hall. “You got your key?”

Eddie clumsily pats his many pockets before finding his key card in his vest. He swipes it, and you pull him into the messy room, the bed unmade, empty beer bottles lining the nightstand and entertainment center. Eddie collapses onto the bed, and you get to work yanking his shoes off the way you used to after a long night out. He’s still in his jeans, but you don’t make a move to take them off. He’s not yours to take care of anymore, and if he wakes up uncomfortable, it’s not your problem. “Okay. Goodnight, Eddie.” You’re about to leave when you hear him whisper something. “What was that?” You don’t want to believe what you think you heard, but he says it again, clearer this time. “I’d still choose you.” You press your lips together, stifling your sobs as you close the door behind you. You can’t bring yourself to believe him.

—

chapter viii

taglist: @children-of-the-grave @five-bi-five @wiildflower-xxx @beebeerockknot @champagne-glamour @xxgothwhorexx @therensistance @chonkzombie @brxkenartt @sidthedollface2 @bibieddiesgf @gaysludge @eddiesguitarskills @littlepotatobeansworld | send a message to be added!

[mlwritersguild]

Chloé wakes up one morning and realizes she immediately needs to talk to the heroes of Paris. at least, that would be the decent thing to do, given there must be an akuma on the loose they are unaware of. she could even help them out with its powers, if she felt so inclined, as they obviously have something to do with brain-washing or psychological manipulation. after all, what other explanation could there be for the absurdly sudden and even more ridiculous feeling that she's in love with Luka Couffaine?

A Sour Pill, by AzuriteArtist

AO3 link; POV Chloe Bourgeois, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Good Chloé Bourgeois, Chloé Bourgeois-centric, Mentioned Luka Couffaine, Chloé Bourgeois/Luka Couffaine

--------------------------------------

Chloe grabbed Chat’s arm, pulling against it, trying not to let them leave the hotel's roof.

“No, you have to believe me!” Chloe demanded.

“Chloe, you have a crush. No one else is reporting anything. We’re not judging you. I know this must be—” Ladybug said, giving a sympathetic smile.

Chloe groaned. They weren’t listening to her! She wasn’t feeling like this when she went to bed. It was an akuma!

“So the akuma is just targeting me, then! It’s obviously Luka! He’s messing with my head via brainwashing akuma powers, trying to get me to believe things that I do NOT believe! It’s awful! Utterly awful!” Chloe exclaimed, stomping her foot down on the floor.

Chat smirked, rolling his eyes. “Why don’t you tell us when it all started then? You said you woke up like this? Well, what were you doing yesterday?”

Chloe thought back.

She sighed. “I was attending Zoe’s birthday party. Her party’s decorations needed my skill and Jean-Marc’s ladder.”

Zoe’s party had been pretty good already, but Chloe hadn’t spent 14 years planning mock galas for nothing.

“And?” Ladybug questioned.

“Well, while I’m not one to be a wallflower, this was Zoe’s day, so I was on my phone by the juice bar. That was all that happened,” Chloe declared.

“Chloe,” Ladybug probed.

“Okay, fine. Luka walked up, and like, he’s always had such a weird style, but in the party lighting it honestly did work,” Chloe rambled.

She looked up to see Ladybug and Chat Noir grinning.

“Hey! I want to be a fashion designer. I can appreciate styles,” she insisted.

“Sorry, go on,” Chat said.

“Yeah, as I was saying. We were at the bar, and he just started talking at me. All about how ‘your grand organ sounds different’ and ‘it’s much less intimidating, more accommodating’. Honestly, what on earth was he going on about?” Chloe questioned.

“Luka’s just like that, he's very good at understanding people via music,” Ladybug chimed in.

Chloe rolled her eyes, “Despite my best judgement, we started chatting. He’s quite interesting, for someone who lives in the Seine. He’s got this black nail polish and eyeliner and it’s quite a cute look, in a punk sorta way—see! That’s exactly it! The akuma is messing with my thoughts!” Chloe pleaded.

Chloe scrunched her eyes. Why was this happening to her? She didn’t have a crush on him! He played guitar on a boat, and he wasn’t famous or rich enough for that to be hot yet! He was passive, he was quiet, and he wore clothes from second-hand stores and jeans that weren’t intentionally distressed!

Ladybug’s bug phone then interrupted, chiming out an alert.

“Looks like your theory might not hold water. Syren is back,” Ladybug said, holding up the news article for Chloe to see.

Chloe froze.

“But- that means that…” Chloe choked out.

Ladybug took a running leap off the rooftop, splashing down into the Seine.

“Yeah, listen Chloe. I’ve gotta jet—”

“Wait, do you need Queen Bee?!” Chloe whispered, stroking where the comb would be on her head. She desperately wanted a distraction, and hanging out under the water sounded perfect.

Chat thought for a second, before shaking his head. “Maybe just focus on calling your newfound crush,” he smirked, before leaping off the building too.

---

Chloe paced around her suite, phone in hand. She could do this, she was strong, she was brave, and she wasn’t afraid to do something as simple as calling someone.

She quickly pressed the call button before her brain could catch up, almost dropping the phone in response.

She stared in horror as the dialling tone played before it was picked up.

“Hello?” came Luka’s voice.

“Hey, it’s Chloe.”

[lottiethatcher]

What are we coming to? | Lottie x Nat ✧⁺⸜ part two

❝I know all the things around your head

And what they do to you❞

Pre-crash | 1996

Natalie’s pov ✧⁺⸜

Jackie and Shauna had planned for us, the Yellowjackets, to all hang out before school starts. After all, our last year of high school is coming up. The others like Shauna and Taissa will be focusing on their academics as well as soccer practice; our goal is to make it to the nationals. In other words, they'll be too busy to be goofing around.

We were to meet up at the food court of our local mall.

I got there a bit earlier than the others. Specifically, I wanted to check if they had more albums by Nirvana I could add to my collection.

I head over to the record store, skimming the grunge/punk rock section.

Their ‘Bleach’ album looked cool. Debating if I should get it. I looked at the back of the vinyl, revealing the tracklist.

“That's a good album. You should get it” said an unfamiliar voice.

I turn around. The unfamiliar voice belonged to a tall brown-haired boy.

We talked for what seemed like hours at the record store. I lost track of time, I suddenly remembered why I even was at our local mall in the first place.

“Sorry. It slipped my mind. I'm supposed to meet up with my friends about an hour ago” I spoke out.

“I'll walk you” the brown-haired boy suggested.

I let him walk me. Luckily everyone was still where they were supposed to be.

I bid farewell to the boy. It went on for a bit. As if he didn't want me to go and wanted to further our conversation.

As I tried to part ways with the brown-haired boy I felt an eye on me. I know she's looking at me.

I know Lottie’s looking at me. I look at Lottie’s way and I smiled at her, almost like I was signaling to her that I'll meet with the group soon. I'll meet with her soon.

I know what Lottie was thinking already. This me made further the conversation with the brown-haired boy. Whispering in his ear we should meet up sometime again before ending our conversation.

I know what Lottie was thinking already. This made me further the conversation with the brown-haired boy. Whispering in his ear we should meet up sometime again before ending our conversation.

My mind always goes there. Every time I'm reminded of Lottie, I do something like this. I meet up or plan to meet up with a guy. Maybe how I feel towards Lottie could eventually go away. But it never does.

I can't feel this way about her. Seeing her and spending time with her makes it hard to push what I feel for her away. Yet I can't get enough of her.

I’ve been a bit distant with Lottie nowadays. If only I was capable of leaving her alone completely. A part of me feels selfish for wanting her despite what I’m putting her through. As I try to act like nothing has changed. I knew she could tell that something was happening between us. Yet neither of us had spoken a word about it. Almost like we both came to an agreement to leave it alone altogether, without even communicating it.

I walked over to the group. They were all sitting down at the tables, with Lottie standing up.

“Hey guys, did I miss something?” I asked.

I didn't know what had gotten into me but as soon as I saw Lottie, I put my arms around her. She smiled at me.

That damn smile...

part three coming soon! nat and lottie ditch the group o̴̶̷̥᷅⌓o̴̶̷᷄

[lec743]

Punk! Moon Fic (Rockstar AU)

I wonder how much of this counts as angst. I don’t think I’m very good at writing angst since life in general feels too angsty for my liking, so I go heavy on fluff. Anyways, this is like, third person but it follows Punk! Moon’s POV. Have fun! Thanks for the ideas, @kaleidoscopek9.

*******************************************************************************************

            Moon was strolling down a dark alleyway of the city. He’s been out for an hour and his battery was at 45%. Not bad all things considering. He hasn’t really had to exert himself all that much to hid, so he’s been enjoying looking up and round at the buildings and petting stray cats and dogs that aren’t scared of him.

            He rounds a bend and finds himself on a deserted street. Hardly any of the streetlights were on and it looked like a residential area of the city. Some of apartments were lit up and he could see people passing by the windows.

            Moon stood there, watching the windows for a long time. He wished him and Sun could join in a family like that. To be a part of a unit of people who love them for them, not just because they like their music or because they think they’re “sexy” or because of their talent.

            Moon lets a static-y sigh escape him as he takes a right and walks down the abandoned street.

            Moon had his eyes looking up as he walked, watching out for what stars he could see.

            As he walked, he heard music blearing out from somewhere. As he got closer to the sound, he looked ahead of himself and saw a little grocery store and he realized that it was his song, Moonlight Rapids, that was blaring.

            The grocery store was called Grandma’s Bodega.

            Moon looked through the giant window of the bodega and he saw someone using a broom as a guitar/mic as they sang wildly to the song.

            Moon smiled at the sight. It always makes him happy to see people enjoying his and Sun’s music. Moon’s smile got even wider when he saw that it was you. The little star that tricked them into signing marriage licenses.

            Before the better part of his circuitry could think, Moon was walking into the bodega, smug smile plastered onto his face.

            The music was so loud that the bell over the door was muted, and you didn’t react as he stood there watching you dance with the broom. Soon Moonlight Rapids was over, and you immediately perked up as the song I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) started to play over the store’s speakers.

            You made to do a little twirl, but when you saw him, you jumped and screamed.

            Moon doubled over laughing at the look on your face.

            Soon he was the loudest thing in the building as the music was turned off and he was still laughing.

            “Are ya done yet?” you asked.

            Moon held up a finger as he reigned himself in. Then he stood back up to his full height. When he looked at your unamused face, he had to look away again and put a hand over his mouth.

            You click your tongue, “So. Mr. Moondrop. What brings you to my workplace? Can I get you anything?”

            Moon cringed at being called that.

            “Please,” he said, as he looked back at you, “Just call me Moon. Mister Moondrop’s my father’s name.”

            “You don’t have a father,” you said with a half-smile.

            Moon shrugged.

            You return his shrug and say, “Would you like a tour of my workplace, Moon, or do you need to get going?”

            He needed to get going, but he said, “I would love to see my spouse’s workplace.” He winked at you.

            You pouted at him as your face changed color, but you set aside the broom and gave him the tour.

            You told him the history of the bodega, and showed him pictures of a Mexican family and how they grew and thrived and made the bodega that the two of you are in. He saw little kid pictures of you with some of the kids, from the Mexican family in the bodega.

            He liked hearing about why there was a dint in this specific part of the bodega’s floor. He liked hearing why the shelves have to be shelved the way they are. He liked hearing about how Grandma keeps trying to set you up with her children in an attempt to make you more than just a family friend. He liked seeing all the nick-nacks and paintings and life in the store.

            It made him long for having something like this of his own even more, but it made him happy that you were willing to let him see any of it.

            “Is that my jacket,” you eventually say as you point accusingly at his chest.

            Moon looked down at himself as he blinked out of his longing.

            Looking back up at you he smiled smugly and said, “Technically, this is Sun’s. He loved the silly string and glow sticks by the way.”

            “Can I have it back please,” you asked.

            “Can Sun have his shirt back,” Moon asked in turn.

            You open your mouth, but nothing comes out. Then you close it with an annoyed grumble that made Moon chuckle.

            You roll your eyes and say, “Fine! It’s a trade then,” you stick out your hand.

            Moon takes it questioningly.

            You start shaking his hand.

            “Promise he’ll take care of it? It means a lot to me. It was the first merch I bought of you guys.”

            Moon’s smile softened, and he said, “Of course.”

            You nod, satisfied with that as you take your hand back.

            The entrance of the bodega rang, and Moon tensed up as he crouched down more.

            “Coming,” you yell, then quieter you said to Moon, “Go into the freezer. It’s the closest hiding spot.”

            You point him in the right direction, and you go to talk with the person who entered.

            Moon went into the direction you pointed and found the little freezer door you were talking about.

            As quietly as possible he opened the door and walked in.

            It was a small place, so if anyone walked in, he’d be immediately spotted.

            Moon stood in the dark for five minutes as he waited for it all to end.

            Mentally, Moon was berating himself for his stupidity.

            He shouldn’t have entered the bodega at all. He should have kept walking. If he gets caught, he’ll be leaving Sun behind. The company will take everything away from him, everything away from Sun. Sunny didn’t do anything wrong. It’s not fair. Why can’t they just live their lives?

            The freezer door opens, and Moon stiffens, but he only sees your face.

            You don’t say anything for a second as you see him stiff and scared.

            Moon tries to play it off.

            “Hey, thanks. I don’t need a group of fans following me when I don’t have security protecting me,” he said as he relaxed his stance and shoved his shaking hands in his pockets.

            You take a second longer to speak, then you said, “You’re not supposed to be out and about, are you?”

            Moon doesn’t say anything. The smile on his face is strained from not knowing what you’ll do next.

            You walk into the freezer and close the door behind you.

            “Don’t worry about cameras around here. They erase themselves at midnight every day. If you leave now, you won't be on the records by the time midnight rolls around. Will you be able to get home safely?”

            Moon stares at you for a few seconds, processing what you just said.

            You speak up again, thinking he's still nervous.

            “And don't worry about the police around here. We have their paroles memorized and they won't be coming to this neighborhood for a few hours more. You'll be able to leave freely.”

            Moon smiles softly at that and he moves forward. You back up and open the freezer door for him. You step out together.

            “Thank you. For everything.”

            You give the rockstar a sheepish smile, “I didn't do much, Moon.”

            “You did a lot for me,” he said.

            Moon walks away before he has a chance to see what your reaction would be from his words.

            Before walking out the door, he asked, “Will I see you at the next concert?”

            “Yep, I already have my ticket and everything,” you say, sounding absolutely excited for the future.

            Moon nods at you and says, “See you around, Angel.”

            Then he was out the door and heading home.

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Non Youtuber AU (5) Masterlist

part one, part two, part three, part four

Anything for a taste (ao3) - jestbee

Summary: Phil has been a TA for the last few years while completing his PhD, which has mostly consisted of paperwork and covering the occasional seminar, but in all that time he can't remember taking notice of any student in particular.

That is, until Daniel Howell walks into the second class of term wearing a ripped shirt that hangs off one shoulder, the delicate curve of his collarbone exposed to the hush of the room.

Then Phil is a goner.

Caller Unknown (ao3) - Marranje

Summary: “Well, can I scam you?”

Dan blinked.

What.

“Did you… did you just ask if you could scam me?”

“Yes. Can I scam you?” he repeated.

“… sure, you can try,” Dan replied, baffled.

or, that scam caller au nobody asked for

Change Will Come (ao3) - rainbowchristy

Summary: Dan’s a depressed university student. Phil’s just a cute coffee shop barista who writes notes on Dan’s hot chocolates.

Don't need to know your name. (ao3) - Septic84

Summary: A Thursday tradition changes much to Phil's surprise and it leads to wonderful things down the road.

fade to black (ao3) - sierraadeux

Summary: That’s the thing about Phil. He’s a tease.

or

films, flirting, and other things that start with f.

Falling In Love With The Enemy - dxnhowell

Summary: punk!phil gets dared by Chris to ask rich!dan out. They hate each other and Phil doesn’t want to do the dare but he loves challenges. He only has two weeks until the deadline to make Dan fall in love with him.

Flore Luna (ao3) - strawberrysunflower

Summary: It’s been eighteen months since Dan returned to the Wizarding world, and he’s making real strides. He’s living in his own tiny studio flat. He has a job in a failing bookshop. He’s relearning spells that kids as young as eleven have already mastered.

And he’s developed an unhealthy grudge on the irritating, black-haired florist across the alley.

Gathering Threads - lestericalphan

Summary: Miloria is changing: Louise is now finding herself in charge of a kingdom, Dan has been having strange dreams about a boy who later shows up on his doorstep along with the King of the East Crest, and Jack is now having to look after both Darcy and her Mother.

But magic is stirring again after centuries asleep and the Gods seem to be contently watching as power shifts from head to head.

give this thing a try (ao3) - pasteldanhowells

Summary: Dan is a cashier at a grocery store, and Phil is his supervisor. One evening at work, Phil surprises Dan by asking him out on a date, and of course Dan, who's had a crush on Phil since forever, says yes. Cue, the freaking out and comfort ensues.

Home - placingglaciers

Summary: What do you get when you cross a troubled runaway with a lost photographer? A mess, that's what.

i want the life i never had (ao3) - bugselfs

Summary: “I’m nervous,” she admits. “But it’ll be okay, right?”

Dan smiles at her. “Of course it will,” he promises. “And if everyone hates you and you have no friends because your old ones have all left you for the popular kids, you’ll still have me. And Miss Margaret.”

“Oh, great,” Sophia says dryly, cutting into her breakfast. “Good to know my only friends will be my geeky dad and the crazy cat lady that lives next door.”

“We don’t say crazy, Sophia. She’s eccentric.”

POV: Your 11 year old daughter wants to see the penguins but you just want to stare at the guy feeding them.

it comes in waves (ao3) - sadlybunny

Summary: Dan trembles in his seat. “And- and what shall I call you?”

He moves his thumb to grip at Dan’s chin roughly. “Captain.” His face inches closer. “Or on very special occasions, Captain Lester, sir.”

It’s 1728 in Port Royal, Jamaica. Daniel Howell, the son of Governor Howell, is engaged to be married to a woman he has never met. The night of their betrothal, Daniel is kidnapped by swashbuckling pirate captain, Philip Lester. As Dan learns about pirate life on the Liberty Galley, he discovers things about himself that he never knew before. Maybe he doesn’t want to return to his father, after all.

Midnight Garden (ao3) - silentdescant

Summary: He who plants a garden plants happiness.

In which Phil is a gardener at the palace and Dan is a reclusive prince.

No Man Is An Island (ao3) - strawberrysunflower

Summary: While drunk and desperate to get away from the creatively-stifling hubbub of London, Dan rents a farmhouse on the Isle of Man for four weeks to finish writing his latest book. All he wants is silence. Peace. Solitude.

Then he meets Phil, the farm owners’ dorky, clumsy, stupidly handsome son.

No One Less Than Perfect (ao3) - CanDanAndPhilNot (enbycalhoun)

Summary: Dan doesn't mind being a single father to his four-year-old Elizabeth, but sometimes he gets lonely. The problem is, he won't settle for anyone who is less than perfect. So maybe, he might just ask Elizabeth's (and maybe his) favorite Daycare worker, Phil on a date.

Of Paparazzi and Succulents - botanistlester

Summary: Actor!Dan is running away from a mob of fans when he runs into a flower shop. There, he meets a quirky florist who has an absurd liking towards succulents, seeming to think they have

Our House (ao3) - sierraadeux

Summary: Enemy is a harsh word. Rival sounds so immature, like Dan’s the star of some teen drama on Netflix. Competition is close, but not quite there.

In simple terms, Dan has a distaste for Phil Lester. Otherwise known as AmazingPhil in their line of business, for some reason that’s beyond Dan. What makes him so amazing anyway?

There’s a reason the network wanted Daniel Howell and Phil Lester for this specific series, and Dan guesses there’s really only one way to find out that answer.

or

And they were co-hosts. Oh my god they were co-hosts.

Sail Away With Me (ao3) - Yiffandquiff (paradisobound)

Summary: It was a fluke. Dan shouldn’t have ever gone with Sam to a party on a yacht. He shouldn’t have trusted her to go. But in a chance encounter, he ends up in bed with Phil Lester, a billionaire CEO of a luxury clothing company. When he thinks he’s screwed up enough, he realizes he’s in way too deep. Because Phil Lester has fallen in love with him. The catch: Dan gave Phil a fake name and all Phil has to remember Dan by is the tattoo on his hip and the necklace he left behind.

scratch bark bite (oh, love me, i lied) (ao3) - Tarredion

Summary: Music & Drama teacher Dan Howell has a well-known rivalry with his coworker, English teacher Phil Lester.

An unforeseen event flips everything Dan thought he knew about Phil and himself on its head. Slowly but surely, the grudge withers, and the two of them cross the line between enemy and friend. But what will happen when their true intents and feelings get revealed? And was what they had ever really a rivalry? Was it even mutual?

"Seriously?" (ao3) - Tarredion

Summary: Dan and Phil meet while candle shopping and one of them can't help but comment on how obnoxious/boring/etc the scents the other one is picking out are

-

the time Phil met a totally-not-handsome stranger and only sort-of wished they'd never meet again. Tough luck?

Song Stuck In My Head - xinyanhowell

Summary: Phil’s best friend is getting married. How can one song change so many lives forever?

Stardust - brerediddy

Summary: HS AU. Dan is not a writer. Dan just likes to look at the stars and listen to the river move and hang out with his best friend Phil. He’s not a writer, but somehow, writing changes everything.

The Other Side Of The Counter (ao3) - CanDanAndPhilNot (enbycalhoun)

Summary: Dan needs to stop pining after his bartender, Phil. Maybe another Tinder date will help. Probably not, but he can hope.

The River (ao3) - Portia331

Summary: Dan arrived in Melbourne two weeks ago with just one suitcase crammed with running gear, psychology textbooks, and a mere fraction of his wardrobe especially curated to fit both his aesthetic and the Melbourne weather.

He's about to start in the role of a lifetime on a 12 month contract, but he's barely ready for the Australian summer heat, let alone what the world is about to throw at him.

[stradlingmrstradlin]

So I enjoy writing and I this is the first story that I wrote with the intent of being posted. Constructive criticism is always welcome ♥️

Here's the story

Steven x Duff

Reader x Izzy

(No warnings, maybe swearwords if that counts, also I don't promote underage drinking)

I think I managed to stay gender-neutral

Words: 2794

--------------------------------------------------

You were on a road trip with the guys, how did you end up here? Oh well, you've known the guys for a few years as you were good friends with Steven since you were kids, but you had a falling out because he moved around quite a lot and your family did too.

When you were 14 your family moved to Seattle and stayed there for 4 years. In those years you met a blond-haired dude whose name was Michael or as you and a few other people called him, Duff. You and Duff met at a corner store when you were 15 and tried to steal a bottle of vodka. Duff was also lurking around the alcohol section, also probably trying to steal some alcoholic beverage.

But he was, according to the store manager, a suspicious punk guy...so he got kicked out before even getting his hands on anything. You felt bad for him so after sliding a bottle in the inside pocket of your denim jacket and throwing a wink and a charming smile towards the cashier you walked out.

So there you were at eighteen having to say goodbye to Duff because your family was moving away... again but now to Ireland. You had a huge argument with your family about always moving and you losing all of your friends because of them so you made a decision, to run away. Ok, I know that's a stupid idea because how the fuck will you survive on your own?

Your family was well off so you decided to take a bit of money with you, they probably wouldn't even notice.

You lived in quite a few places after that, from the back alley of the theater to Duff's place, his family loved you so it was ok. When Duff decided to move to LA to pursue his dream of being in a band you of course followed him.

You moved into a small one-room apartment together, but it was great. Living with Duff is fun. But he always moved stuff on the top shelf to mess with you, and also money was tight. You guys both worked a lot but it was alright.

He joined a few bands and played a few gigs in shitty bars but none of them worked out. You played guitar so you tried but it was the same with you, never being able to keep a band together for more than a month. Also being a girl didn't help, because many bands thought that it'll ruin their image if a girl is in the band.

Eventually, he put an ad in the paper looking for a band and that's how he met the other guys. You were super surprised to see Steven there but also happy to see him. Also, you remembered Slash from meeting him with Steven maybe a couple of times. The only new people were the two boys, who, as you later found out were from Indiana. The one who looked a bit like Johnny Thunders was hot, but you ignored that fact for now.

The first thing you noticed between your two blond friends was a bit of jealousy, at first you thought maybe they liked you and were jealous of each other, but after a while, even before they knew it, you caught onto the real reason. They didn't like you, at least not romantically, they liked each other. But for about four years they didn't act in their feelings...(later on about that)

Eventually, in 1985 they formed Guns N Roses. The guys liked you, and Axl tried to fuck you, but after a big smack on the head and an angry talking to by Duff he quickly forgot that idea.

So now in 1988 here you were sitting in the back of a van, that Izzy was driving because he was the only sober one...today. Tomorrow probably you'll have to drive.

Your pov.

We were in the car for about twenty minutes and everything was calm...for now. Led Zeppelin was coming from the radio and Axl was softly singing along, in the front seat and Izzy was driving. Duff sipping something from a bottle, probably something alcoholic, and slowly falling asleep and leaning on Steven's shoulder. Steve was smiling per usual, but if possible his smile got even bigger when Duff's head landed on his shoulder. But as all good things come to an end, the comfortable silence got broken.

"I have to pee!" Steven suddenly yelled out, causing Duff to lift his head off of Steven's shoulder and look around in confusion. "The fuck is going on?"

Axl just grumbled "Steven is a fucking baby and can't go and use the toilet before road trips...no he has to use them when we are in the middle of a fucking highways"

Slash snorted at Axl's response but didn't say anything as he didn't want to get into this argument, surprising.

Can't the guys stay still for one second?

"Izzy, can you please stop the car at the next rest stop?" I asked, as kindly as possible not wanting to further upset Rosie and listen to him throwing a temper tantrum for the next hour or so, he's annoying sometimes.

Anyways we stopped at the next stop, and Steven almost ran to the restroom. I switched places with Axl because he was tired and wanted to sit in the back, so he could stretch out a bit. Now Axl was sitting next to Slash, and Steven came back jumping in next to Duff. We're on the road again.

"Can I switch the music?" Izzy looked at me with almost puppy dog eyes, well I didn't think that was possible.

"Of course, what do you have in mind?"I replied almost laughing because of the face he was making

"Maybe Hanoi Rocks?" He again looked at me with the same stupid face.

"Fine, just stop making that face because I'll probably die from laughter" At this point, I just straight up burst out laughing and he just threw a cute lil smile my way. I was super proud of myself because I made THE Izzy Stradlin laugh.

A little background on me and Izzy. When we first met I ignored that he was hot because I didn't want to mess anything up for Duff with the band, but in the next two years that feeling grew from "oh, he's hot" to "I want to fuck him". No, we never fucked, but at a party in 87' we had a really hot make-out session which was sadly ended by a drunk Slash passing out on top of me...that was a wild party. There were no awkward feelings between us but we never took it further either. We sometimes cuddled and kissed when we needed human contact but nothing else. I always wanted more, but Izzy...Izzy is a mysterious guy, hard to figure out, the only person who somewhat is able to figure him out is Axl...but you don't go to Axl asking for advice, because Axl's advice is usually bad advice.

..My thoughts were interrupted by the opening cords for Don't You Ever Leave Me, which's one of my favorite songs. Izzy glanced at me and seconds later we were quietly singing because we didn't want to disturb our four friends who were asleep in the back. Axl and Slash were leaning on each other and Axl's face was barely visible because of Slash's hair. Duff was leaning on a window and Steve was cuddled up to him.

As I was looking at my friends when Iz asked me a question "When do you think they'll realize that they like each other because you have to be an idiot to not realize it, I mean Steven always smiles around Duff, and Duff is so cuddly with steven?" Oh boy, the problem was, that our friends were indeed stupid, at least on the topic of love. "I don't know Iz, they are after all a bit ignorant when it comes to love" As I said this I saw something in Izzy's face change, but I couldn't identify it because it was gone pretty soon. After that we didn't talk much, only glancing at each other a few times but it wasn't uncomfortable or anything, we just didn't have anything else to say out loud.

However, my thoughts were really loud... Ignorant with love? That sounds like us, maybe after all Duff and Stevie weren't the only stupid ones.

...It was around 6 pm when we got to our destination, a fairly large cabin up in the hills, between a shit ton of trees. Nice, finally we can rest without reporters, fans, and annoying paparazzi asking about the private life of the guys.

Everyone had their own room as nobody really wanted to share, we specifically looked for a cabin with 6 rooms, we love each other but sharing a room is annoying. In the beginning, when we didn't have much I shared rooms with probably all of the guys.

Axl is an annoying little fucker, he kicked me in his dream a lot of times, my back hurt a lot after. Slash is nice, he let me have my own space on the small bed we slept on and didn't bother me, well he accidentally woke me up when he fell off the bed, but that sucks for him, not me. Steven and Duff both love cuddles, Steven almost suffocated me once but other than that it's nice sleeping next to them. Izzy...He doesn't hug you or cuddle up to you when you're going to sleep but somehow you always wake up tangled together.

After we brought up our luggage to our assigned rooms Slash had the awesome idea to watch a film. Steven wanted to watch something funny but Axl quickly told him to fuck off.

"Axl, that's very rude" Duff quickly came to the help of Steven. "Yeah, well I ain't watching some shitty comedy, that's for pussies" ..Axl is an asshole sometimes

Slash had enough of arguing and just put on a horror movie and told everyone to shut up and watch the movie.

Halfway through, Steven was cuddled up to Duff, hiding in his chest.

Axl laughed every time someone died, and Slash always shushed him.

Outside pov.

As the movie went on Steven was buried under his hair, two blankets, and most importantly to him, in Duff's arms. How can they be so stupid? Not noticing something that's there?

But they weren't the only stupid ones, no there was a black-haired boy, and you. Also stupid... too stupid in love to notice what's there.

After the movie ended you made food for the guys. Duff decided to help, as the others were pretty incapable of cooking or didn't want to help.

Your pov.

"You know y/n you're blind for not noticing how Izzy looks at you." Duff stated bluntly. "Well McKagan then you're pretty blind for not noticing how Steven looks at you"

"What do you mean?" He asked with...hope? His eyes got wider and you could hear his voice shake a bit.

"Duff, are you serious? Steven likes you, he always tries to be close to you, looks at all the groupies you fuck with so much anger in his eyes, I never thought he could be so angry. And don't think I don't see you staring at him all day" I said with a sweet smile on my face.

"I don't get it y/n..he..he likes me?"

"Yes Duff, he does, he really does, so please don't mess this up, promise me you'll talk to him while we're here"

I really hope he'll talk to him because it's probably eating them up from the inside to keep these feelings locked away.

"But! Y/n, you should talk to Izzy too, you have something between the two of you" Duff looked at me with pleading eyes

"Duff, things are complicated, we.... well, we know about each other's feelings but, I don't know, I guess we're just too afraid to fuck it up"

I don't know about his feelings, to be honest, but I'm definitely scared to fuck up because I really like him. For a time I never thought I'd be able to love someone, and I know that's a strong word to use, but when he came along, stuff changed.

By the time we were done cooking the guys were all hungry and basically ran to the kitchen, I was really conflicted inside from our conversation with Duff. Should I mention it to Iz? Probably should. Whatever, I'll think about it later.

Night came around and everyone retreated to their own rooms to sleep, or in my case think.

Outside pov.

Slash and Axl were fast asleep in their rooms, but the others weren't.

Duff was sitting in the kitchen, head in his hands muttering to himself about being a coward and stupid. Steven however noticed someone downstairs and when he saw Duff and what he was muttering to himself he got sad. How could this perfect human being think that he's stupid? He tiptoed behind him and pulled Duff in his arms from behind. Duff was sitting so the back of his head was pressed into stevens chest. At first, Duff was scared but as soon as he smelled the familiar and calming scent of Steven he instantly felt comfortable, like he was at home. Steven turned Duff around and carefully put his fingers under the taller man's chin and leaned down to press a love-filled kiss onto his lips. At this moment both of them understood everything without words. Duff stood up hugging Steven and lifting him up to take him to his room. They didn't do anything else besides cuddling and a lot of kisses, but both of them felt safe and eventually, they fell asleep with Duff on his back pulling Steven close to him, almost on top of him. This is how they'll be found when you walked into Duff's room in the morning to tell him something.

What was that something?

Well after a lot of thinking you got up and went to Izzy's room. It's now or never you though.

Your pov.

My fingers softly collided with the wooden door and a rustling noise inside told me that Izzy heard it. This seemed like a really bad idea all of a sudden. Well, can't do anything about it now.

A soft "Who's there" could be heard from inside the room "Just me, can we talk?" I replied really quietly wondering if he heard me.  "Yeah, come in"

"Iz, look I'm going to tell you something, ok? Please don't interrupt me."

"Alright"

"So you know when we met, I immediately found you extremely hot. Well, those feelings grew a lot since then, and when we kissed at the party, it just, felt so...right? I know you'll probably tell me that you were just drunk all of the times you kissed me, or just felt lonely. But Iz, I like you, a lot." Silence, that's all, he said nothing. Just staring at me with his signature poker face.

"I knew it, sorry for disturbing  you, I'll just go now, forget it please!"

As I turned to walk away he grabbed my arms and pulled me back into a hug that soon turned into a kiss. When I opened my eyes again we were cuddling on his bed. This is where I felt home, felt alright, in his arms.

"I'm sorry for not responding love, it was just shocking to hear that you liked me. I thought you kissed me all those times just to anger Duff or Axl. I guess I just never thought you'd want to be with a junkie " Izzy whispered looking down at his arms sadly

"You thought wrong Iz, I don't give a fuck about what you do, well yes I don't like you doing drugs, but also you can get over that and to me you are perfect" 

"Maybe it's too soon to say, but I love you y/n, I really do."

"I love you too Iz"

Outside pov.

Maybe they weren't so stupid after all, just scared of their feelings. The two blond boys, who understood each other without words. Izzy and you, on the other hand, needed words to understand each other fully.

But what matters is that in the end, everything was alright.

[barnesandrogersfanfics]

Home - Part 11

While Bucky was bathing the girls and getting them ready for bed Steve and I were cleaning up the kitchen. I was stood at the sink arms buried in soapy water as i scrubbed the pans before passing them to Steve to dry.

"So things with you and Bucky must be good?" Steve said smirking.

"Yeah things are great actually Steve"

"Im glad, i like seeing him happy again. You know your the first woman his been with since Olivia"

"Olivia was his wife right?"

"Yeah, you guys spoken about her?"

I shook my head at Steves question.

"Not really. He doesn't like to talk about her, his mentioned her a handful of times but nothing major"

"They were going through a rough patch when she fell pregnant with Rosie, they hadn't planned on having her.... Buck had even said they were considering a divorce. But once they found out about Rosie they agreed to try again"

"I didn't know that, all i really know is she passed while having Rosie"

"Yeah it was an awful time. Since Olivia though Bucky hasn't dated at all. All his time goes into work and the girls. I'm glad he has you in his life. His been more like the Bucky i used to know and I've missed him" Steve said with a smile "you've been amazing to all of them Y/N"

"I haven't really done anything Steve..."

"You've done more than you know"

"I'll take your word on that" i chuckled quietly passing him the last of the pots to dry "i feel like I've brought nothing but drama to his life, Ms Harper acting up because she's a jealous bitch, my asshole of an ex husband showing up and now Chloe....." i sigh "i cant help but think he'd be better off with me out of the picture"

"You kidding?? He'd be devastated if he lost you"

"Don't worry I'm not planning on going anywhere. There's no way id be able to leave him and the girls.... or you" i added smiling at him "but it doesn't stop me wondering"

"Things will calm down sweetheart, i promise".

A knock at the door made us both look towards the front door, it was just after 8pm and we wasn't expecting visitors.

"Stay here, i'll get it" Steve said before making his way to the front door.

He reappeared moments later with another man walking behind him.

"Y/N this is Sam Wilson, his the one who's been looking for Jack. Sam this is our lovely Y/N" Steve introduced us.

"Its real nice to meet you Y/N, i just wish it was under better circumstances"

"You too Sam, thank you for helping with this Jack thing"

"Hey anything i can do to get this scum bag, i'll do it. Bucky told me all about everything that happened, i can't believe no one would help you before"

"No one seemed to care" i shrugged "Jack's got friends in high places"

"Don't worry, when we find him he wont stand a chance by the time we're done with him"

"Still can't find him then huh?"

"Not yet, but we will"

"Rosie! Rosie get your butt back in here" Bucky was suddenly shouting before a naked wet Rosie came running through the living room and diving at me.

"Well hello to you too Miss Rosie" i laughed picking her up "Be right back" i told Steve and Sam before taking Rosie back upstairs.

"Returning one naked child" i laughed grabbing a towel and wrapping it around Rosie. Looking around i noticed the bathroom was soaked and so was Bucky "What the hell happened in here?" I laughed looking down at Bucky who looked exhausted.

"I forgot how chaotic it is bathing 3 children is what happened here. Brooklyn insisted on wearing her bathing suit, Allie and Rosie just kept fighting and splashing..... Brooke has gone to get herself ready for bed, i got Rosie out the tub.... by the time i had Allie out Rosie had done a runner!!"

"Yeah you gotta be quick Buck" i couldnt help but laugh at the look on his face.

"It never used to be this difficult"

"Awww poor baby" i cooed at him "go get changed i'll sort Rosie and Allie out and check on Brooke"

"No its fine i can do it...."

"I know you can, but Steve's downstairs with Sam you should go down"

"Has he found Jack?"

"Not yet. Go get changed we wont be too long".

As Bucky passed he leant down to press a quick kiss to my lips "your the best".

Once the girls were dried and dressed in their pyjamas i quickly dried their hair and braided it to keep it as neat as possible.

"Lets go downstairs and say goodnight"

Brooke and Allie ran downstairs (still too lively for this time of night) while Rosie was already cuddled up in my arms falling asleep.

"Their they are!" I heard Sam say before the girls started shouting excitedly for their Uncle Sam.

"One down, two to go" Bucky said smiling at Rosie asleep in my arms.

"She's always the first down" i smiled stroking my hand up and down her back. Bucky reached for my hand and pulled me and Rosie down into his lap.

"Hey Buck you gonna get the beers or what?" Steve said from one of the sofa's where Allie was now jumping on him.

"Ive got my hands full here you punk"

"Oh i see that" Steve smirked like the little shit he was.

"go get it yourself you normally do" Bucky laughed at his friend.

"Fine! I'll get them".

Bucky's POV

Y/N was fast asleep in my lap still holding onto Rosie, i couldn't help but smile down at the woman in my arms.

It was crazy how easily she fit into our lives, it felt like she'd always been here with us.

"Look at him Sam, have you ever seen him so loved up?" Steve teased nudging Sam making him laugh.

"Honestly? No!" He shook his head smiling over at me and Y/N.

"Shut up!" I mumbled at my friends rolling my eyes feeling myself blush.

"Its nothing to be embarrassed about Buck, its a good look on you. You look happy, truly happy"

"I am, i forgot what it felt like to have someone in my life like this. I can't even remember it ever feeling like this with Olivia. I mean, i loved her of course i did... we had the girls.... but it was never this easy" i said looking down at Y/N again "its just so natural with her, even before we admitted how we felt about eachother"

"Just dont mess it up Buck, she's one of the good ones" Steve said shifting in his seat before he started picking the label on his beer bottle.

"I won't"

"Now we just gotta find her dick of an ex husband" Steve grumbled.

"You got that right. Sam, you haven't found anything?"

"Well he had been staying at the Palmdale Hotel but he stopped showing up there after the incident at the store. So he must know we're looking for him, maybe he left town.... we haven't found any trace of him still being here Buck"

"Maybe, he wont stay gone for long though. The guy is hellbent on getting her back"

"He won't get near her dont worry, even if it means one of us is with her at all times" Steve added finishing the rest of his beer and putting the empty bottle on the table.

"Yeah I'm sure she'll love that" i shook my head, i could just imagine how she would react to having one of us 'babysitting' her 24/7 until Jack was dealt with.

"Well she'll just have to deal with it"

"I'll keep looking too, any sign i'll let you know" Sam nodded "she gonna be staying here with you until we find Jack?"

"Yeah, i wanna make sure she's safe".

"Thats probably best, well i should get home before Wanda starts calling me wondering where i am" Sam laughed as he got up from the sofa "you need anything call me"

"Thanks Sam, you and Wanda should come by for dinner this weekend if your free?"

"Yeah sounds good Buck"

"I'll walk you out" Steve told him following him to the front door leaving me alone with my sleeping girls.

"Hey doll" i said quietly stroking her arm "wake up, lets get you to bed".

Her eyes fluttered open and she just stared at me as a smile spread on her face.

"Hey"

"Hey baby, you ready for bed?"

"Mmmmm, best get the girls to bed first though. Steve and Sam gone?"

"Steve's just seeing Sam out, he'll probably crash in the guest room its getting late and his had a couple of beers"

"Okay" she leant forward and pressed a kiss to my lips before getting up from my lap with Rosie.

"I'll take Rosie up, you okay with Brooke and Allie?"

"Yeah, i'll be up in a minute" i smiled as i watched her leave the room.

"You need a hand with the girls?" Steve offered coming back in.

"Yeah thanks, you take one i'll get the other. You staying?"

"If thats okay"

"Of course it is" i nodded with a smile to Steve as he picked up Allie who was closest to him and took her up, i picked up Brooke and headed towards the stairs turning off the lights as i went, setting the alarm and making sure the front door was locked before i went up. After putting the girls in their beds i said goodnight to Steve and headed for my room where i knew Y/N would be waiting for me and i couldn't wait to have her in my arms.

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[izzywrites57]

Hello it me izzywrites57 and this is chapter 2 and 3 it will say maybe half way through the story chapter 3 in the comic with setsuko and akahito. Anyways enjoy.

P.s my idiot is Akahito, insomniac bitch is Setsuko, crazy yandare is Izu, quite child is Ty, waterfall is Aratani and Goddes is Akemi . Also sorry for the bad language. Enjoy

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Izu's POV

Hi im Izu Toga yes im the sister of the yandare killer Himiko Toga but thats not important any way i woke up and did my moring routine then went to setsuko's room and i banged at her door multiple times till i heard mumbelling and foot steps then the door opened.

"Hey" i say exited

"...hey" she said tiredly

"Do you want to train with me and Ty before the sports festival arrives?" I asked the tierd freind of mine

"I can't im training with akahito, sorry" she said in a tierd tone

"Oh ok anyway do you want to wake up Tani-chan" i asked her

"Sure" she said with her monotone voice

"YAY" i skipped towards Aratani's room.

Aratani Asui is one of my other friends I sometimes hang out with, her quirk is hedgehog, she is also the daughter of red riot and froppy she also has a four year old little brother. (Izzywrites57-IZU TOGA STOP BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL!!!!!! Izu- s-sorry) Me and Setsuko arrived at Aratani's room and I started banging on the door

"TANI-CHAN WAKE UUUPPPPP!!!!" I shout very loudly.

===========================================================

Setsuko's POV

As izu is banging on the door and shouting I look at my phone and I got a text from Akahito.

My Idiot: hey if your coming over to train wait for me at the gate

Insomniac bitch: okay

I put my phone away and I see Aratani and Izu starring at me with smirks plastered on their faces.

"What?" I asked

"Who you talking too, hmmm" izu said still with a smirk on her face

"I was texting akahito about what time i should go to his house to train" i said calmly

" Yeah right 'training' " Izu quotes the word training with her fingers

"For all we know you could be planning to go on a date" Aratani says in her usal calm voice

"First no we are not going on a date second have you confessed to Akemi your feelings yet, Ara-chan? hmm" i say with a smirk. Aratani blushes at the fact of confessing to Akemi. Aratani likes Akemi Todoroki a lot and i can't blame her Akemi is a nice, kind and a little bit shy and plus sometimes me and Aratani talk about our crushes but she mostly talks about hers.

(Time skip to class also this time skip is brought to you by toga simping over deku)

Izu's POV

I'm in class not really paying any attention to this lesson so i decide to throw a paper ball at Suou Bakugou. I have i crush on him and Aratani knows cause we talked about it anyway but i think he feels the same and i'm not planning on confessing cause i know he probaly doesn't like me so thats why i'm not going to confess, anyway he then turns around and glares at me uhh i think im going to die.

Setsuko's POV

I see izu throwing a paper ball at Suou Bakugou. The dude is scary as he speaks in a low rought grumbeling voice. But all i know izu shouldn't have done that i am sure she is going to die after class. As i was thinking of what kind of trouble izu got into i feel a tap on my shoulder from behind me and i turn around it Akahito.

"What do you want?" i asked annoyed

"Why so mean setsu-chan" he whined

"I'm not asking again what do you want?!!" i asked more annoyed

"Have you heard that Izu has a crush on Suou from what i heard from Aratani-chan"

"Is that so" i said as a smirk grew on my face

"Yeah..."he said as he was suprised of my response

"Your friends with Suou-kun right??" I asked Akahito curios

"Yeah why?" He asked confused

"Ok so heare is the plan..." i said with a smirk

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Chapter 3

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(Time skip after school ended brought by me because i'm lazy lol)

Izu's POV

I'm walking back to the dorms with Akemi, Setsuko and Tani-chan when a rough hand grabs my wrist and i get pulled behind the dorms building.

Then i saw who grabbed me it was Suou i widened my eyes in fear.

"Look im sorry i throwed that paper ball at you i was bored i had nothing to d-" i got intrupted from my babeling when he began to talk

"Look i will let you off this time but don't do it again GOT IT!?" He shoted at the end of the sentance. I nodded and then i left to go back to my room. 'I am never going to annoy him again he could of killed me but leted me off, i just got lucky this time' i thought to my self as im walking through the halls of the dorm rooms.

#############################

(Big time skip cause im lazy af)

Setsuko's POV

It has been nearly two weeks since everybody trained for the sports festival we only have three days left and everybody is finished training and everybody is in the common room bored nothing to do then going on our devices, then Izu-chan stands up and speaks

"We all should have a movie night as a class as we worked so hard training for two weeks"

"Thats a great idea Izu-san we should definetly do that" Akemi says as she agrees

"Okay so Izu-chan, Ty-chan and Akahito-kun should go to the store and get snacks along with Setsuko-chan and Tani-chan, you guys need to buy some blankets and pillows also and here is my credit card use it contactless to pay" akemi says as she takes charge and gives me her credit card.

"Everybody else if you need anything from the store you can go with them if not pick out some games and movies to watch later" Akemi continues giving orders to the class.

Then i see Suou walking towards us then he starts speaking

"Can i come with you guys i need some stuff for training" he says as he places his right hand behind his head. Suou can be a bit timid at times when he isn't angry or glaring at people.

"...Sure?" izu says confused

After that i feel wheight on my shoulder and i see Akahito's arm around my shoulder and i feel my self blushing

"Looks like we are spending quality time with me while shopping~" he says in a flirty voice i roll my eyes

"In your dreams" i say annoyed

"Your always im my dreams tho" he says not stoping with the flirting

"You pervert" i shout at him walking quickly towards Ty

"You okay?" She asks in her normal bored monatone voice

"Yeah...i'm okay" i say still flustered from earlier.

===============================

Akahito POV

I really like Setsuko but she always ignores me or what ever i do but when i talk with her or flirt with she blushes a little bit which i gusse it good but i known her since we were kids and it may seem cheesy to fall for your childhood best friend but she is so cute and i want us to be more then childhood best friends but i don't know if she feels the same.

===============================

Third POV

As the six students walk to the nearest mall they chat about their training and other stuff.

This is the first time the first years will have a class gather and rveryone is excited.

Back at the dorms Akemi and some other students prepares the common room with food, sweets and decaorating the common room abit.

===============================

Setsuko's POV

I get my phone out as i am walking and i start texting Akemi

Insomniac bitch: hey can you tell everybody to pick out a scary movie

Goddess: why?? Is it because you want to get close to Akahito😏

Insomniac bitch: 1. No 2. It not for me because i love scary movies and 3. It for some other people

Godess: oh so your playing cupid. Okay can i join? And who are these people??

Insomniac bitch: yeah, and these people are Izu and Bakugou Suou

Goddess: okay also everyone picked up lots of horror movies

Insomniac bitch: good anyway bye we arrived at the mall

Goddess: okay bye

I put my phone away and everyone walks in the mall.

"We will have two groups of three and we will meet here once we are all back" izu said and everyone nodded

"Okay group 1 Setsuko-chan, Aratani-chan and Akahito" izu explained and i send her a death glare she just chukeled. I know what she is doing she is trying to set me up with akahito.

"Group 2 is me, Bakugou-kun and Ty-chan" she explained the who was in the last group. After that me, Akahito and Tani-chan seperated away from Izu's group and we walked around talking.

===============================

Izu's POV

As we were walking we talked about different stuff and by we i mean me Ty as Suou was very quite not talking.

"So where do we go first?" I asked ty and suou

"Can we go here i need some dumbells for my training" Suou said pointing to the store next to us.

"Sure" i replied back

We entered the store and we walked for about two minutes trying to find the dumbells but never found them so we stayed longer in the shop.

"Hey guys i'm going to the toilet really quickly" Ty said as she started walking in some random direction to get to her destination, i just nodded and stayed with Suou. I went to see what i could find for my training so i just went to the next isle. I was looking through some stuff when someone grabbed my shoulders, i turned around and it was some punk.

"Hey, how about we ditch this place and go back to my apartment with me." He said in a very creepy way. I scrunched my nose allitle before i pushed him off but no he had to pin me on the wall, i hear foot steps getting closer from the isle from the right...

===============================

Suou's POV

I walked towards the next isle and when i entered it i saw something that made me just to blow up in anger. I saw Izu getting pinned by a punk. I don't what i felt but this feeling just flooded over me, so without thinking my body moved on it on and i started walking towards them then my hands started exploding little explosions

"GET AWAY FROM HER YOU BASTARD" i shouted at this man

"Go away kid and who are you anyway? Her boyfriend" the man spoke back

"I am your worst nightmare but if you don't let her go she will kill you" i said with venom

"And yes i am her boyfriend so back off" i continued

I saw her starting to get fidgety she really wanted to kill this guy but she was trying not to get her yandare side out.

"What ever kid, i could do so much better than him" he said as he turned towards her. I grabbed her wrist and walked out of that isle far away from that guy.

Then i relaised she was fidgety because she was scared.

"Are you okay dumbass?" i asked with concern linhering im my voice

"...yeah i'm ok, thanks" she replaied but she was still shaking. I don't know what camed over me but i hugged her.

"I'm glad your safe" i mumbled quitely. Then i felt her hug me back. We seperated from the hug and we went to get the dumbells then gone to find her friend ty. When we did find Ty we went to the cashire to pay for what i brought. Then we exited the shop.

We walked around the shop till we stoped

"Dumbass why did you stop?" I asked

"Riiight sooo i need to get some stuff from this shop so either you come with me and ty or you stay outside" she was pointing at a clothing shop i wanted to say no but i need some more t-shirts

"I'll go with you two i need some t-shirts any way." I said as i fllowed them.

(5 mins later)

We exited the shop after we payed then we went to the sopt we were supposed to meet with everyone but since we were early the girls decided to go to the near McDonald's so all three of us got some drinks and went outside waiting for the others.

===============================

Setsuko's POV

We walked back to the meeting spot while carring large bags with blankets and pillows and snacks.

Aratani carried the bag with all the snacks while me and akahito are carrying the biggest bag with lots of blankets and pillows so i held one of the handel and akahito held the other. Me and him were talking about our quirks and how crazy there are. After loads of walking we arrived at the meeting spot and we saw Ty, Izu and Suou they were waiting for us while drinking McDonald's drinks.

"Aww man izu-chan you should of got me one too" akahito whined

"Nah, suck it bitch" she said as she showed him the middle finger i giggled at their stupidness

"Tyyy-chan please tell me you got me a drink" he said

Ty just nodded and handded him a large coca cola out of no where.

"Thank you" he said as if he was dieing and camed back to life.

Everybody laughed at his stupidness.

Oh did i mention that Akahito , Ty and Izu are the three demonic kids in UA, their know as The Deamon Kids and let me explain what they do, so these idiots cause trouble from spreading rumours to pranking the staff and snicking out at night for a trip to McDonald's for food, you wondering how i know this well i was ith them when one othese happened at it was fucking 3 in the morning and i asked them if they do this often and said yes and they only get either milkshakes or hot chocolate nothing to heavy and only happens twice a week. (Anyway back to the present)

We were nearly back to our dorms and everybody was getting tiered as we all got the chanse of carying the heavy blankets and pillows.

(10 mins later)

We arrived at the dorm and Akemi opened it

"Ho guys what took you all so long it nearly seven" she asked concerned with the amount of hours we were gone.

"Sorry but we had to stop on our way to a convinace store to get more snacks cause some morans were eating the ones we got on the way here" i said as i send a death glare to Izu, Ty and Akahito

"So whats the movie did you guys picked?" I asked curiously also knowing that it a horror movie.

"We picked Chucky"

"Thats great" i said with a bit of fear in my voice. I love scary movies don't get me wrong but chucky is...well to demonic.

After 30 minutes of everyone making a big pillow fort for 12 people we started setteling in.

I was in the fort with Ty, Izu, Suou,'why yes this dumbass was here too im gusseing because of Akemi's brothers and Akahito. Anyway back to listing' Akemi and her bros, Aratani and...Akahito and the others were either on the couch or on the floor. Akemi pressed play and the movie began.

Couple of minutes of the movie a jumpscare comes up and i jump a little but then i feel something go up on my back i jump and fall on my vack on to something or someone.

"Ahh sorry setsuko i just wanted to scare you i didn't mean this to happen" Akahito whispered

(Izzywrites57- you wandering how she fell she felled on her back on Akahito's chest cause why not 😏😋)

"I-it o-ok d-don't worry a-a-about it >\\\<" i sturttered 'why tf did i stutter' i thought to my self

"Oh thank god i thought you were about to get mad." He whispered. I sat back up and i saw izu litrally kinda cuddeling with Suou. I took a picture then sent it to the group chat with akemi, aratani, ty and me.

Dumb bitches gc

#Insomniac bitch attached an attachment#

Quite child: whos that

Goddess: OMG is that izu with Suou??

Watterfall: wait whos that ?? 🤨

Insomniac bitch: it izu kinda cuddeling with souo because of the scary movie.

Waterfall: shouldn't you be cuddeling with akahito, setsuko?? 😏

Insomniac bitch: 😳 n-no

Waterfall: how the fuck do you stutter through text??

Quite child: lmao

Insomniac bitch: this is not about me

I looked around the tent to see akemi, aratani and ty giggling quitely then i looked at izu and saw her kinda asleep on souo's houlder and he kinda felt asleep on her head. I was about to take another picture when i felt a wheight on my shoulder, i looked down and saw akahito on MY shoulder, i felt my cheeks quicky warming up but then i relaised i didn't take another picture of izu and suou so i did take another picture after that i felt really sleepy and decided to put my head on top of Akahito's and sleep slowly took over me.

Akemi's POV

I saw setsuko put her head on Akahito's so i took a picture after i did that my younger brothers tapped my shoulder and i looked at them

"We are going back to our dorms now see you tomorrow sis"

"Ok, sleep well" i said as they left.

After that i took my phone out and texted izu

Crazy Yanedere

Goddess: i see you and suou cuddeling, are you scared of the movie

Crazy yandere: yea im scared because i hate horror movies so what is it to you

Goddess: woah chill im just teasing, but are you okay you seem flustered even through text.

Crazy yandere: uh yeah i gusse im just sleepy

I put my phone away and then i saw on my shoulder aratani sleeping. I blushed for a second then i turned towards the tv and continued watching.

===============================

Izu's POV

I felt sleepy so i put my head on Suou's shoulder and thats when i felt my eyes closing slowly.

===============================

Suou's POV

I felt a wheight on my shoulder so i looked and saw izu on my shoulder sleeping peacefully. I felt my cheeks getting warm so i put my head on top of hers and slowly going into slumber.

==============================================================

Izzywrires57 here sorry i didnt post alot but to make up for that here is chapter 2 and 3 and i am sorry for any spelling errors. Thank you for reading.

Stay safe and drink water i gusee (●w●)

[sublimesublemon]

just rewatched. play-by-play thoughts below:

the visual cues are INSANE. the flickering of gwen between gwen and spider-woman just as she's walking through the world is beautiful.

love the hair. it's like an asymmetric half-undercut and i love that for her

i can't believe that not only did gwen lose her peter, but she KILLED her peter. i don't think was alluded to in the first movie, just that she lost him - that SHE was the cause is just. FnJWGNWielsFWS. so good. and that scene of spider-gwen fighting her lizard (peter) very dramatically but with music that's just kinda standard casual flashback music is. so good

is that jk simmons voicing jj jameson? yep, yep, sure is. sony really owns all the spider-man property in the world, don't they? they can kinda just do whatever they want to with all that ip. incredible

as fun as all the variations of animation was in the first movie, they seem to be amping it up even more in this one, and it's STUNNING - the renaissance vulture is (mwah) chef's kiss

i'm always intrigued when media makes a commentary on what is or should be considered "canon." i feel like it's easy to do that wrong, but simultaneously there is no bad opinion on canon

love a guy who doesn't really understand his own powers yet

jk simmons is jj jameson in literally every single universe. that's so fucking funny

"i'm not your guy in the chair" LMAOOOOO shots taken at the mcu, love to see it

we just gonna kinda handwave away this counsellor being racist towards miles and his family huh

"hypothesis: i'm going to put my head into this hole." that's not a hypothesis lmfao i love a bad guy who's a scientist but also dumb as rocks

wait hold the fuck up that's the convenience store lady from venom.

AND THE FUCKING REAL-ASS DAILY BUGLE LEGO SET THAT YOU CAN PURCHASE IN REAL LIFE????? and ofc jj jameson is still jk simmons. this is so fucking funny

there is something inherently romantic about two spidersmen swinging thru the city together

miles and gwen sitting just having a heart to heart on the underside of a balcony, upside down, looking at the cityscape, upside down. this is. gorgeous. genius.

i feel like im at an age where i understand both miles's pov and his mother's pov. this scene is making me very emotional

pavitr prabhakar yes yes yes

HOBIE YES YES YES YES YES spider punk yes yes yes yes yes yes ye yse yse syfb eysf usefvSHefeWjksfobWHEs im in love

i truly cannot say enough good things about this animation. like when they're in the presence of anything multi-universal everything just gets weird and scratchy and like a mishmash of styles and it's. lovely. it's genius. i cannot say enough good about how this movie looks, holy SHIT

i love what it says about spiderman as a character that when the 4 spidersmen are unable to stop the building from falling, they immediately jump into "get everyone tf out" mode. they don't go back to trying another way to stop the building, they don't fret or weep, they just start going. cause like, sometimes you can't stop the threat. sometimes the best you can do is protect people from being harmed by the threat. that's who spider-man is, man

all the spidersmen living upside down is silly, but c'mon. how are you not gonna have fun with this concept

why does the horse need a mask? "to conceal her face." infallible logic.

DONALD GLOVER???????? AS THE PROWLER???????? YESSSSSSSS

love that when miguel's giving his "i'm spider-man" schipel, he's melancholic about it, not excited. like that alone tells you what you need to know about him. fantastic directing

"wanna see pictures?" "she's right there" oh so he's maes hughes. fantastic

OH SHIT THEY GOT GARFIELD IN THIS SHIT. bro seriously sony understanding that they own all the spider-man media is very good. i keep saying that, but i can't get over it

TOBEY MY BOY YOU'RE HERE TOO!!!

god i love hobie

ALL THE SPIDERSMEN yes ye syes yes yes eya f

god this whole idea of a society of spidersmen is just. absurd. it's ridiculous. on its face it's so dumb. and i love it

ALFRED MOLINA

"i feel bad--" "GOOD." good. very good response.

miguel's whole thing about how miles shouldn't be spider-man bc the spider that bit him was from another dimension is, like, antithetical to the whole idea of spider-man. it doesn't HAVE TO be a special person. the fact that it's almost always peter parker is happenstance. it doesn't HAVE TO be anyone. spider-man could be ANYONE. that's the whole POINT

"everyone keeps telling me how MY story is supposed to go. nah. i'ma do my own thing." YES YES YE SYE YES this is what it's like to grow up. this is a coming of age story

this movie is so beautiful.

HOBIIIIIE love that man

"i can do both, spiderman always does both" YESSSSS that's the POINT i love this i love this movie so much

no matter how many times i see a straightup 2D spider-man in this movie i'm like yo. yooo. brilliant

"what did you do to your hair" is such a genius way of indicating miles isn't in the right universe. nothing has changed about his hair in the whole movie. he didn't do anything different with his hair, but he isn't in the right place

oh so it's a coming out allegory too

god this movie is so beautiful. it's a cacophany of animation styles and it's just. incredible.

not gonna name any specifics bc it's just out today but dude i am currently 10 minutes into spiderverse2 and it is. SO good. i was honestly not holding my breath bc the og was so good and like truly how can you make an adequate sequel to that masterpiece?

but whoops, seems like they did!

[buckyshenley16]

The Tales Of The Winter Soldeir and Winter Witch

Book1, Chapter 1

3 Years before Bucky was drafted

February 5th, 1940

Ramona’s POV

Putting my stacks of paperwork on my desk ready for tomorrow as my work day comes to an end, I find myself sighing in relief after a long day of again getting nowhere with the ‘Jeweler Case.’ It seems to be a never-ending case as this is our second week trying to solve the jewelry store robbery and who did what and when, why, and so on.

“Lover boy is on the phone Ramona.” Peggy gloats with a smug grin on her face purposely making sure the speaker was not covered.

“Like I’ve told you almost a hundred times Carter, he is not my lover boy.” I exclaim emphasizing the word ‘not’ with an eye roll and taking the phone off her. “Why hello Buck, what would you be calling to ask the 3rd time today?” I ask with a slight chuckle whilst throwing a rubber at Peggy who is winking at me.

“Just checking before I leave to walk you home doll, did you bring a jacket today? It’s freezing outside and I can see your jacket still hung up, would hate for ya to catch a cold especially when you live with someone with an immune system like Steve.” Bucky says, his Brooklyn drawl being clearer than ever.

“You know, I do have more than one coat Buck?” I ask. “Just checking Mona, I didn’t walk you today so I didn’t see what you left in. Just seen what you woke up in or should I say what you didn’t wake up in.” Bucky asks with a hint of flirting and a hint of cockiness in his voice.

“Yes, and if you carry on with your Mr, big ego act that’ll be the last time you see that, Barnes.” I retort.

“Okay we both know that’s not the truth. Anyway, I’m bouta leave doll, will be there in half an hour, will wait in the usual spot.”

“Not true but okay, see you soon Buck” I say trying not to drop the phone from between my ear and shoulder whilst locking my cabinets. “See you soon, darlin'.” Bucky finishes before putting the phone down.

Bucky and I had known each other since being 6 and 9 being introduced by our friend Steve. Steve had been like a big brother growing up, Sarah being nothing but welcoming to my family when we fled to Brooklyn from Russia. Sarah and my mother would both take turns between childcare; me, my three younger sisters and brother being at the Rogers’ every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and half the day Sunday whilst mother would go to work at the laundry where Sarah also worked.

And obviously Steve would be at our house every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Every Sunday we would have dinner at the Rogers’ with our mother. Our father stayed in Russia with mother wanting to flee a situation I wasn’t told about until I was old enough to understand. Father was abusive and an alcoholic and had a job mother didn’t agree with, but we were never told what that job entailed and whilst I found myself wondering every so often, curiosity never killed the cat and I was enormously proud of that.

Bucky, Steve, and I were best friends growing up with Bucky and Steve being stupidly overprotective of me even when I became a fully trained agent and officially full time at SSR. My mother never 100% agreed with my job and whilst Bucky and Steve questioned it at first for my safety, but once they realised I could handle myself (after witnessing me defend myself against a couple of not so nice men who got a bit too close for my comfort) they were 100% supportive of my job, especially Bucky with one less person to save from the allies and one more person to help when Steve found himself on the not so nice ends of the alleys face first into the trash cans.

It was around 18 years old I'd started developing feelings for Bucky, not that I’d never admit it to him, I was far too proud and full of denial for that because he would never go for a girl like myself; at least that’s what I thought until I found myself intertwined in his sheets with his body wrapped around mine after one passionate, unexpected night a year later.

This went from happening every few weeks, to every two weeks, to maybe once a week to every few nights and I’m still in denial that he would ever want to make things official.

I question whether I want to become his girl, especially with my line of work and seeing my parent’s relationship be the bane of their lives when I was younger. All I’ve ever seen is relationships fail and that is why I refuse to put myself through the pain of one. I care about Bucky, he’s the one person who no matter how rotten the day be I’m guaranteed to have a smile on my face when I see him.

When Sarah died both mine and Bucky's families became close ensuring two big family units to support Steve and even a year and a half after she passed; me, Bucky and Steve got a shared apartment together. Sure, it was no five stars, but it was home and as long as the three of us had each other that was all that mattered. Steve was aware of mine and Bucky's “situation” but chose not to get involved.

Stuck in my own little world I'd not realised half an hour had passed and Bucky would be waiting for me so after grabbing my coat and bag I made sure to say bye to Peggy and arrange coffee and breakfast before work tomorrow morning where we could discuss some of the cases privately, seen as though we knew we were massively undermined at SSR we got a lot of thinking and solving done mostly when we were alone together where no male could underestimate or interrupt us.

Walking down out of the doors I spotted Bucky with a glowing grin on his face, it took everything to keep my footing steady. “Hello, beautiful. How would you feel about hot chocolate and dinner on me at our spot?” Bucky asked holding his arm out to me which I gladly took.

“Gee buck, almost sounds like you’re asking me on a date!” I tease earning a nudge to my side causing a fit of laughter.

“One day doll, I’ve already asked several times but one day I will get a yes out of ya.” Bucky retorted.

“I’ll hold you to that Buck, how was your day?” I asked clinging to his arm.

“The usual, woke up to a fine dame next to me, crappy coffee, got to work. Left work, pulled Steve out of an ally, nagged Steve how he’s not ten men and should think before he acts, walked the little punk back to the apartment, read the paper and now I'm here to pick up you. How bout you doll?” Bucky explains with a hint of sarcasm.

“Same old, really strugglin’ with this case I just can’t seem to understand how a whole jewelry store could be robbed without even a fingerprint left behind nor how someone could even get a hold of that damn gas. How many men was it today? Did you or Steve get hurt?” you ask with a sigh giving Bucky's arm a reassuring squeeze.

“Hey Mona, don’t worry too much about it, we both know you’ll get to the bottom of it like always and I’m sure whoever’s guilty will regret it when they have to face the bottom of your shoe. Two guys, managed to reason with them after giving one a right hook.” he winked.

“Oh, I know I will, thanks Buck I can always rely on you for some good old confidence boosting. I give up telling the jackass he’s gotta stop this, I may as well be talking to a brick wall!” I finish with a chuckle. As we walk into the bright, retro diner Bucky holds the door open for me before guiding us both to a booth. As we take our coats off a waitress comes to us.

“Well would ya look who it is, only our two favorites! Where’s Rogers tonight?” Our waitress Nancy asks.

“Probably at home bathing his black eye, sulking about his fight whilst planning his next one.” I exclaim earning a laugh from both Bucky and Nancy.

“I don’t even gotta ask, usual for you two?” Nancy asks pointing between us both with her pen.

“Of course!” Bucky says with a grin

“That’s two hot chocolates and a portion of fries coming up!” Nancy exclaims.

“Thanks, Nance!” we both call.

Me, Bucky and Steve have been coming to this diner since we were in school. Their hot chocolates were practically the glue to our friendships. As I looked up from my hands, I spotted Bucky looking at me with a smile on his face. “What’s got you all smiley?” I ask with a grin.

“Just you!” Bucky exclaims grin turning wider.

“Are you purposely trying to make me blush?” I ask with a chuckle feeling warmth go to my face praying my blusher somewhat cancels the blushing.

“Always doll, I just like to make ya blush and to know I’ve still got it.” Bucky explains with a cocky smirk. Damn you and your godly smile Barnes!

“Glad my embarrassment gives you an even bigger ego boost Buck!” I laugh before our food and drinks get set down and we start tucking in.

*An hour later, on the way home from diner*

“Thank you for that Buck, it was fun. Was nice to be sat anywhere but that office.” I explain.

“S’alright doll, anything to put a smile on your face. I wanted to actually talk to you. This, us been goin' on a little while too long now.” Bucky stopped walking and turned me to face him taking both my hands in his.

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” I ask feeling my heart rip into two.

“Yeah, doll.” he grins.

“Oh okay, no I totally get it Buck we’re kinda not going anywhere and I’m really not ready to put myself into a relationship right now and you wanna move on or you’ve already found a girl. I get it, no hard feelings.” I say holding back the tears.

“Woah doll, no no! You’re completely taking it the wrong way. Mona, I like you, scratch that I’m crazy bout you. I understand you don’t wanna take this further just yet, but I can wait,” he says cupping my face in his hands looking into my eyes.

“Buck, I appreciate that so much but there’s so many better girls throwing themselves at you and you’re going to waste them just to wait for me? I could make you wait years and I wouldn’t want that.” I explain placing my hands over his.

“I don’t want them other girls, I want you. You’re the most beautiful, loyal, caring, and bad ass girl I’ve ever met. I will wait as long as you want me to if it means I can have you. Just please tell me you feel the same.” he begs his eyes searching my face for any sign of feeling the same.

“I do Buck, I have for a while.” I admit a small smile making its way to my lips. Bucky gently strokes his thumb across my bottom lip before pulling me in for a sweet, loving kiss. It was suddenly like it was just the pair of us that existed, nobody mattering in that moment but us two. Bucky pulled away keeping his hands on my face, placing his forehead against mine. “I got you, doll” he says before pulling me into his chest resting his chin on my head, wrapping his arms around my shoulders tightly; sighing contently.

“I got you too, Buck.” I reply wrapping my arms around his waist and smiling contently to myself.

“Let’s get home to the punk before he can’t help but lead himself to another alley huh.” Bucky says whilst linking our arms together and directing us both out of the park.

“We should probably check the alleys on our way back Buck.” I suggest

“Glad we're on the same page doll.” Bucky chuckles.

So, It’s the first of many chapters🤩 I’m so so excited!! Just wanted to give a shout out to @i-write-bucky and @jbarness for proof reading this for me!! Angels🤩❤️

[5hining-aus]

Bender AU (OT5)(Part 1)

Here’s a little something that I’ve been working on for a while: a rotating-POV A:TLA AU that was requested by @kpopfan63! It’s been a while since I’ve done a non-Reader Insert so I’m admittedly a little rusty and it kinda shows, but I hope that I’ll get back into the groove of things quickly. I hope you all enjoy!

                                             ~~~~~

There it was, Republic City, the city of progress, of innovation, and of not farming.

“We’re finally here, Tofu,” Jinki whispered to the lop-eared rabbit that was currently perched on his shoulder. “No more tending to ostrich horses for me.”

Jinki was awestruck. To a simple farm boy like himself, born and raised in Ba Sing Se’s Agrarian Zone, Republic City was like something straight out of a dream. Not even the Inner Ring, with its giant buildings and golden roofs, compared to what he was seeing.

“Let’s look around for a bit,” Jinki said, speaking once more to the agouti rabbit who had left his shoulder and was now peeking out of his bag.

Obviously, since he was a rabbit, Tofu didn’t respond, so Jinki began walking around, stopping every so often to look at things that likely would’ve been completely mundane to a Republic City citizen, but were as interesting as a horde of firebending platypus bears to the young Earthbender.

A few hours passed by as Jinki continued to meander through downtown Republic City, perusing shops and stands as he did so. He had stopped to look at some handmade jewelry when, very suddenly, somebody started yelling nearby.

“STOP THIEF! GET BACK HERE YOU PUNK!”

Now, Jinki had grown up in an area where the worst crime that happened was when somebody stole some fruit off of their neighbour’s tree, so of course he wanted to see how this unfolded. That is, until he noticed that he was the one who had been robbed. The thief probably nabbed his bag while he was distracted by the jewelry.

At first, Jinki wasn’t all that upset. Sure, he would’ve preferred his bag not being stolen, but he figured that there wasn’t anything of value in there anyway. He quickly realized that he was wrong, that there was something absolutely priceless to him in that bag.

Tofu.

Jinki dropped the bracelet he had been looking at and bolted in the direction he had heard the yell come from. He was fine with losing a bit of money, but he’d be damned if he let somebody steal his beloved pet. Luckily, Jinki was able to figure out which way the thief had gone rather easily as the man who had alerted him and given chase was, evidently, a Waterbender. All Jinki had to do was follow the puddles.

Eventually, Jinki caught up with his co-chaser at what seemed like a dead-end. It was a house that, strangely, did not have a ground-level entrance. In fact, it appeared that the only way in at all was through a door that led onto what seemed to be a second or third-floor balcony.

Jinki and the Waterbender looked at each other and nodded, neither uttering a single word. They both knew that they had to somehow reach that door and, thankfully, Jinki knew just the way to do so.

Jinki stomped his foot firmly onto the ground and within seconds a pillar of earth had risen up, making the door accessible while also terrifying the Waterbender beside him.

“A little warning would’ve been nice,” the shorter man grumbled as he made his way to the door, about to enter the decrepit building.

“Wait!” Jinki cried out. “Shouldn’t we knock first?”

The Waterbender briefly turned towards Jinki, looking at him as if he were a three-headed goat gorilla, before proceeding to kick in the door.

The duo slipped into the house with Jinki being far more cautious than his companion, who seemed as though he couldn’t care less about being stealthy.

They searched all the rooms, thoroughly investigating every nook and cranny they could find. Alas, their efforts were fruitless.

“Do you think he slipped away?”

“There’s only one way in or out, we would’ve noticed him.”

Just then, there was a shuffling noise.

“That sounded like it came from…” Jinki began.

“Above us,” the Waterbender finished. “I didn’t see any stairs though.”

“Maybe an attic?”

“Probably, let’s look for a hatch.”

The two Benders resumed their search, this time paying close attention to the ceiling.

“I think I found something,” Jinki called out upon noticing what looked like a tiny handle. There was just one problem though.

“It’s too high up, I can’t reach it.”

The Waterbender jogged over and looked up at the hatch in question.

“Give me a boost. We can open it that way.”

Without a second thought, Jinki lifted the man. Luckily, the Waterbender was able to reach the handle and moments later, a ladder descended from the hatch.

The Waterbender (who, come to think of it, still hadn’t told Jinki his name) heaved himself up into the attic from Jinki’s shoulders, finally allowing the Earthbender to scramble up the ladder after him.

Upon taking their first glances around the attic, the two men were a bit shocked. They had both been expecting a dark, dusty area filled with boxes and other miscellaneous junk. Instead, what they saw was a fairly clean, well-lit apartment that definitely looked like somebody had been living there.

They proceeded carefully, not knowing what the attic held in store for them. Was it booby-trapped? Was there a gang waiting to ambush them? The duo simply did not know what to expect.

Jinki and the Waterbender were just about to start tearing the attic apart when, out of the blue, they heard a noise. A rather joyous noise that sounded like...laughter?

Jinki took off towards the source of the noise, not even bothering to wait for the Waterbender’s reaction. When he finally found the room that the laughter was coming from he, in a moment of uncharacteristic boldness, kicked the door in. 

Why Jinki kicked the door in instead of opening it normally he would never know, but that wasn’t important anyway. What was important, however, was Tofu, who was, thankfully, unharmed and in the room. Something was strange though. Jinki was positive that he had heard laughter, yet there was nobody else in the room. Tofu certainly couldn’t have been the one laughing.

Figuring that investigating further would just waste his time, Jinki scooped Tofu into his arms, causing the rabbit to immediately let out a series of happy little chirps, and turned to leave. However, before he made it out the door, there was another noise, a sneeze to be exact. Seconds later, somebody fell down from the ceiling, right in front of where Jinki was standing.

“Uhh...hi there.”

[secretshinigami]

Masterlist of Spring Roulette 2020

Thank you everyone for giving this a go. It was a fun round and all gifts are now posted. We will return to our regular method of matching in our next exchange and we look forward to your participation.

Here is a compiled list of everyone’s prompts from this round – thank you for letting us post them, and we hope you guys enjoy them! If you use a prompt, please let us know and we’ll reblog your piece!

Prompts are organized by their submitter, so feel free to ctrl+f to find character-specific prompts.

theallknowingowlagain

Girls’ night with Sachiko and Sayu

Five times Beyond Birthday lost to A, and one time he came out on top

Office AU

A date with Naomi and Raye

What L sees in the dark

L as an actual frog, Light as whatever animal you prefer

hazblogs

Naomi Misora and BB have a fun time looking for clues for the LABB murders, with cheeky banter and Naomi getting a little attached to Beyond

L wins AU, where Light never recovers his memories, but Misa did (following canon). explore how L, knowing that Light is Kira but being unable to either prove it without making Light a criminal, deals with the whole "Light is Kira but he doesn't remember it" situation

Mello is a witch and Near is a vampire he's been hunting for a long time - maybe to discover that he was chasing the wrong target all along

Mello and Near hugging, if possible in casual clothes

Light's mind-shelter, the place in his head he retreats to when the pressure of being Kira becomes too much and he starts to doubt (extremely early in the manga or post L's death)

Naomi Misora and L wearing traditional japanese yukatas at a summer festival

missmomentss

Beyond Birthday going a blind date with A

L meeting Beyond Birthday for the first time

Misa and L have a sleepover party

A switched roles with Beyond Birthday

Sayu is Kira

Mello meeting Beyond Birthday in prison

almostsane-things

DN cast goes to college together, has some unfortunate roommate matches, hijinx ensue

The Kira case from Sayu or Sachiko's POV 

AU where Soichiro actually dies from the heart attack he had in the first arc and Light is accused of murdering his dad.

Lowlightprimed AU: The fight between B and L at Wammy's house at the end of the first arc (BBAL) 

Lidner and Misora go on an undercover mission on Halloween

Near in harajuku fashion(s), creatively dyed hair is a plus

Beyond Birthday dressed as Winnie the Pooh and eating jam out of a honey-pot.

Mourning the death of various DN characters (Who gets large crowds? Who gets one or two heartfelt mourners? Who gets mourned by no one at all?)  

Fake dating sim screenshot featuring character of your choice   

beyondplusultra

Wammy House-era Near, Mello, and Matt trying to give L something for Valentine's Day.

The origin of the "Dear Mello" photograph.

Mikami being catfished by Beyond Birthday.

Anything involving Mello, Matt, and Near hanging out (as friends, romantically, or with one of them third-wheeling is fine).

Sayu giving Light his obligatory Valentine's chocolate at his grave.

Light surrounded by chibi versions of the other Kiras, who are clambering over one another to try and be the first to give him their chocolate.

jeepersjeevas

(Anyone!) Person A comes home during a blizzard covered in snow and all grumpy. Person B warms them up with their pj’s and cuddles

Matt/Mello: They get into a heated argument over something trivial in canon. They say some pretty harsh stuff to each other, but make up later

Wammy’s Kids: In which they all sneak out one night to go to the drug store. Upon discovering they’ve forgotten their money they decide to shoplift, using B as their distraction.

B and Matt as best friends post-timeskip

L hardcore crushing on Misa, and she lowkey liking him back (canon)

Makeshift boyband in someone’s garage. Löded Diper vibes. B’s lead singer

jeevas-exe

mello & matt but they have magical powers au 

fem!light and takada but one of them borrows a book and doesn't return it so they have to find each other au

canon-compliant character study on sayu, post-canon (when Light dies); pre-canon L first getting into the kira case

au where Light and L become accidental roommates because SOMEONE forgot to pay rent 

canon-compliant Mello and Matt find each other between the explosion and the ending

Light and L in some ugly fashion, like dads-on-vacation-in-Florida fashion

Naomi Misora with lots of tattoos!

Rem and Ryuk in human form, with some punk fashion

complicatedmerary

Light and Sayu bake a cake for a birthday surprise party for either parent (Soichiro or Sachiko) of your choice. A lot of family silliness and sibling bickering.

Light and Misa's first official romantic date was a disaster. While it does not shake Misa's devotion, her feelings are hurt.

Death Note is a reality TV show. Yes, there's still a Kira to be caught, but cameras are now involved! The more dramatic, the better!

Mikami and Takada walking side by side out in the winter.

L meeting Wedy and Aiber for the first time.

Demegawa being pampered like the king he believes he is.

babelfell

Reverse!Noel AU (Noel by TzviaAriella): Light won, and threw Near in the cage meant for himself. It's been three years since his victory, and he's starting to get lonely; he goes down to taunt Near. (NOT SHIPPY. Disgusting rivals only, thank u).

Terrace House AU (or 'we all are strangers and have to live together' reality show AU) with the Death Note cast.

Pirate!AU. L is the captain of the ship, and Light is his first mate and plotting a mutiny with his most 'trusted' crew:  Takada and Mikami. It's all going well until Misa hears about the plot and wants in...

Light/Near dating sim CG.

Beach Episode feat. Light and Mikami getting iced drinks under an umbrella.

Kiyomi Takada and/or Teru Mikami in a kimono, having tea alone or with one another.

Anonymous

A holiday at Wammy's House (could be Christmas, Halloween, Valentine's day, etc)

Raye and Naomi's first date

LABB beach episode

Older Light braiding Near's very long hair

Naomi and cats

Spider-Man meme but it's L (from the anime/manga) and L (from the 2015 tv drama)

In a no!kira world, both fem!L and fem!light have a crush on misa. how do they try to impress her?

Beyond Birthday “accidentally” (its totally on purpose, he just doesn’t want to admit it) gets involved with the Kira case, and he and Misa become friends while they both annoy light.

Light Yagami wakes up in his teenage bedroom after he died at the Yellow Box warehouse. He still has all his memories, and it’s exactly one day before he originally found the death note.  

The Kira case ended years ago, the Wammy’s House is shut down. Only very few of the original Wammy’s kids are still in touch with each other. Linda hasn’t talked to anyone from Wammy’s in years. One day, Near knocks on the front door of her atelier in LA.

Light Yagami is for whatever reason a Wammy’s kid. (Pre-canon, so not even LABB has happened yet, and we’re ignoring the timeline, so L, Light, Beyond, and the other Wammy’s kids (Near, mello, matt, linda) are all the same age.) Chaos ensues.

Fantasy!AU. The noble knight Light Yagami was tasked with slaying the “evil” monster Ryuk. On his journey through a fantasy land while trying to find and defeat the beast he meets many people, like the cutesy goth witch Misa Amane, the baker’s son L Lawliet (Watari’s the baker) and his twin Beyond Birthday, or the group of 4 students from a wealthy orphanage (Wammy’s House is the orphanage, Linda, Matt, Mello, and Near are the students).

Misa posing, while Linda is painting her.  

Misa, L, and Light in modern fashion (Misa as an egirl, what fashion L & light wear is ur choice!!)

Misa’s reaction after she used the death note for the first time, viewed through the shinigami eyes. (Maybe she’d also have some blood on her clothes)  

An interaction of Mello and Near pre-canon when they were still in Wammy’s House.

A drawing of the characters mentioned the fantasy!au fanfic prompt, goofing off. (doesn’t have to be all characters, just choose the ones you wanna draw!!)  

Misa Amane sitting in a Wammy’s House foyer with the Wammy’s kids (Near, Mello, Matt, Linda). They’re all the same age, Misa’s also a Wammy’s kid.

Several years post-canon, Near decides to (or has to because circumstances) tell Sachiko and Sayu the truth about Light.

Pre-canon Light and Yamamoto hanging out at an arcade, being early 2000s teens in peace.

Actor AU. Light is a young Japanese actor getting his first Hollywood role under L, a notoriously difficult director who never shows his face. (Not Lawlight, other ships welcome.)

Near and Light playing a piano duet.

Naomi kicking ass in her wedding dress in a Kill Bill-esque fashion.

Ryuk trying to play Switch and struggling to use the Joycons with his huge hands, to Light's amusement.

[inacatastrophicmind]

hi! do you have a fic rec page? i'd love to see what your all-time fav destiel fics are

I don’t have a fic rec page. I've been thinking about making one for a long time, but I haven’t. Still, I’m going to list some of my favorite fics and add the summary.

Burden by riseofthefallenone (WIP, mutant!AU)

Mutants are considered second class citizens, or worse. Discriminated against at every turn, mutants are marked and monitored by The Registry and any deemed too dangerous are taken away to The Facility. It’s no surprise that many try to hide or choose a more permanent way out if a mutation develops.

Castiel’s parents hid his mutation and hid him away from the world. He’s grown up with the knowledge that the world will hate him, no matter what he does. If he leaves the house, he can only do it with a long, heavy coat that covers the most beautiful part of him.

It takes a pair of brothers to help him really spread his wings and live.

Cuckoo And Nest by komodobits (canon!verse)

For a long time, Castiel thought that every earthly possession other than the immediately necessary was excess to requirement. But Dean – Dean who named his car, who keeps a photograph of his mother in his wallet, some thirty-plus years after her death, who still has the crumpled ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign with a sleeping pelican emblazoned on it from the Microtel outside of Roanoke where he first kissed Castiel, clumsy and unsure, under the unsteady fluorescence of an exhausted bathroom bulb – is sentimental.

It puzzles Castiel, where Dean draws the line between what is meaningful and what it is worthless.

the cost of a thing by quiettewandering (canon!verse)

16 months ago, Cas became human.

12 months ago, Cas left the bunker and a broken-hearted Dean behind.

Now they must work a case together, where married couples are dying mysterious deaths and the only way to earn the neighbors' trust is by pretending to be married. Slowly, Dean finds that he loves being in a relationship with Cas, fake or not, and Cas finds his loneliness retreating, despite the harsh reality looming right around the corner. As Dean and Cas navigate this fake, but all too real, relationship, can they find the monster that is on a mysteriously motivated killing spree before it’s too late?

'Cause I'm Yours by FeaRauko(canon!verse)

He steps outside during Sam and Eileen's wedding reception for a breather.Dean follows him.

or

That one where Cas is so very tired of pretending that he isn't madly in love with Dean...or as though he can't clearly see the way Dean loves him back.

Scarsby lemonsorbae(punk!dean and hipster!cas AU)

Dean Winchester doesn’t answer to anybody about anything. Not about his ever changing hair color or tattoos, not his music, and definitely not about all the fucks he definitely doesn’t give. Of course, then he meets pretentious, skinny jean wearing, ugly sweater buying Castiel Edlund who’s hardest lot in life is probably alphabetizing inventory at his uncle’s record store, and suddenly Dean has to answer for everything.

Castiel, on the other hand, had long since accepted his fate as an anti-social, directionless, and misunderstood soul, with his cat, Meg, and a bottle of whiskey being the only company he needed. But then fate threw him Dean, the abrasive, infuriating punk who wears guyliner, and walks around like the chip on his shoulder is something to be proud of, and Castiel’s carefully constructed life was turned ass over teakettle.

After a heated exchange upon first meeting, a mutual loathing afterwards, and the glaring opposites in their lives, neither of them sees the point of mixing oil and water. Which would be all good and well, except neither of them seems to be able to stay away from the other.

Stand By Me by whelvenwings (post-apocalypse!AU)

Dean Winchester has been alone for a long, long time.

When he and Castiel happen to find each other - a couple of survivors in a world that’s been all but wiped clean - Dean’s looking for his brother; Castiel is looking for something to look for. They stick together, because neither of them much wants to be alone. They hate each other at first, of course. Dean hates Castiel for being weird and quiet and ironic and antagonistic and proud. Castiel hates Dean for being blunt and reckless and coarse, for drinking, for refusing to talk about how he feels and just pretending everything is fine. Most of all, they hate themselves and each other just for being alive. What right do they have to be alive? No one else seems to be.

But against his own will, Dean starts to notice things about Castiel that he likes. Starts to hope that Castiel might like him, too. And together, they start to fight for a world where they're both alive - and that's a good thing.

Rest in Pieces by xylodemon (canon!verse)

"Goddamned ghosts," Dean snaps, stabbing his shovel into the dirt. "Goddamned Heaven."

(or: the one with the Ghost Apocalypse)

A Priori by K_K_TiBal, whelvenwings (WIP, Hogwarts!AU)

Dean Winchester and Castiel Novak are headed to Hogwarts.

Castiel, as a member of the old Novak wizarding family, is fully expected to be sorted into Ravenclaw, like all of his ancestors before him. Dean, as a Muggle-born, has no idea what the Houses even are. With a surprise sorting and classes starting soon afterwards, they're both pitched headfirst into the unknown - and they find themselves in competition with each other almost at once, both of them needing to prove themselves to the people they left at home, and the people with them at Hogwarts.

Over the course of their seven years at Hogwarts, Dean and Cas learn what it means to prove yourself, what it takes to discover who you are, what it feels like to fall in love, and what it is they'll fight for - what matters most of all.

Love: A Retrospective by xylodemon(canon!verse)

Pretending Cas is just his friend has been the only thing keeping Dean's head on straight for years. He never realized how much doing that depended on him making himself scarce in the morning ─ not until Cas came back and moved into the bunker. 

where the weeds take root by loneprairies  (canon!verse)

“Are you happy? Y’know. Just—being here,” Dean says, gesturing to the yard with his beer bottle. “Being with—I mean, you used to fight in celestial wars and—and save the world. Now you’re growing vegetables and talking about chickens.”

These Violent Delights by Persephoneshadow (canon!verse)

A newly mortal Castiel wants to understand humanity, and a little Shakespeare is just the thing to help him. Of course, it takes a little bit of prodding, but soon the Winchesters (along with Kevin and Charlie) are all part of the world's weirdest reading club. Of course, the poetry starts having an effect on everyone...

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by amarillogrande(canon!verse)

Heaven is white.

Well. Isn’t that fucking stereotypical.

Dean isn’t really sure how he got here. Or even why he’s here. And hell, for all the times the Winchesters have died, he thinks he ought to know the drill by now. But what he doesn’t know is when most folks go, they find something different.

There’s a system God put in place. That when you’re gone (for good), there are a couple things you gotta do first. There are five people waiting for you.

They are the five people you meet in heaven.

Castle on a Cloud by whelvenwings (fantasy!AU)

Dean Winchester has his whole life planned out. Becoming a warrior is all he’s ever dreamed about, since he was tiny - saving people, hunting monsters; quests and deeds and swords and glory. He’s done his training and he’s ready to become a Savaşçı, a knight of the realm. All that stands in his way is the Vigil, a night-long contemplation of his past and future in the chapel just outside the city walls. The only rules: no eating, no speaking, and no opening the door.

Easy, right?

Very easy. Until there’s a knocking, and a voice from outside that pleads for his help…

So begins Dean’s journey, and his path will take him far - across the desert, through the forests, over the mountains and beyond. But his mysterious blue-eyed companion is keeping secrets, and Dean has a few of his own. Will he be able to let go of his fear before they come to the Castle on a Cloud?

Chili Peppers by justanothersong(professors!AU)

Dr. Winchester hears an off hand comment from one of his students and find himself browsing a website dedicated to rating university professors. He's not surprised by his rating -- but is a little miffed to see the department chair has an even better one. Clearly, something needs to be done about this.

Chasing Cars by ratherbehere(college!AU)

After an awkward accidental encounter at a local strip club, Castiel discovers his college roommate, Dean, has a secret career as a stripper, and their relationship begins to change and a bond begins to form. They face the joys and challenges of life together and discover along the way how deeply they've come to care for each other.

Redemption Roadby spnredemption (canon!verse)

Given that this is a huge series, and each part has a different summary, I’ll summarize it as a post season 6 fic in which Team Free Will try to save the world.

A Little Patience by riseofthefallenone  (modern setting AU with elements of High School, College and Coffee shop)

The first part summary: It sometimes feels a little wrong thinking debauched things about a guy who could very well be one of Sammy’s teachers. But then those wrong feelings go up in smoke when the downright sinful fantasies kick in just from thinking the word ‘teacher’. Those are always pretty darn amazing and Dean has a very vivid imagination.

The second part is basically Cas’ POV of the story.

Casturbatus Interruptus by smallhorizons (canon!verse)

post-9.01, in a slight AU wherein Cas comes to live with the Winchesters at the Bunker. Written before 9.03. Crossposting from Tumblr. Written for a prompt from hightopsandsharpies: "Okay, so Cas is a virgin, and has no idea what pleasure is and Dean decides to show him and Cas gets all cuddly and needy afterwards."

Dean walks in on Cas masturbating. He’s doing it all wrong, but when you’re a bazillion-year-old virgin, that’s to be expected. Dean decides to lend him a hand in a totally platonic, non-romantic way. Things get a little out of control.

Not Part of the Planby Annie D (scaramouche)  (Royalty and Human AU, this one is hard to describe. Better read all the tags)

Castiel's spent most of his adult life keeping his head down and staying out of trouble. This is a deliberate choice on his part, because as a cousin of the King, he'd rather stay unimportant and forgotten. This changes abruptly when King Michael decides that he has a better use for Castiel: he is to be wed to a noble member of the neighboring Republic, as part of an agreement between their two nations.

Castiel knows he has to obey, but that doesn't mean he won't rebel in what small ways he can. Unexpectedly, his actions end up having far-reaching consequences.

To Raise A Kingby riseofthefallenone (medieval!AU)

This must be some kind of horrible joke at Castiel’s expense. Is he truly expected to protect a King? One who has been their enemy for as long as he can remember? He is much more suited to being a part of the army, or at the very least someone who helps to train the knights. That would be far more preferred than having to watch over the King. It means Castiel would get to keep fighting – and that’s the only way he knows to give meaning to his life.

Painted Angelsby WinJennster (modern!AU with writer!cas and artist!dean)

Author Castiel Novak has finally hit the big time, with a book based on his failed college relationship with a brilliant painter. He's put all his pain behind him, but at a book signing, he comes face to face with Dean Winchester for the first time in twelve years, and the reunion doesn't go like Cas hoped. Dean's a broken man, with a lot of scars and secrets, shoulders weighed down by his demons and self loathing.Cas sees a second chance with the man he's never stopped loving, but Dean's moved on, and is about to get married. Sam launches a "brilliant" plan to reunite his brother and his best friend, but Cas is worried it will all blow up in their faces, and he'll go through the agony of losing Dean a second time.

Angel's Wildby LimonadeGaby, riseofthefallenone (Wing fic!AU)

But that’s the whole reason he’s here, isn’t it? He’s not out here hunting Humans. He’s not even hunting deer, or bears, or anything else that featured in Bambi. He’s out here, freezing his nuts off every night, because he’s hunting Angels.

Sometimes Dean wishes that Angels were like how they’re described in the Bible. How people from time too old for him to care much about thought Angels were messengers and warriors of God, protectors of Humans. He knows that how they’re really described in the Bible is actually pretty terrifying, but at least they were told by God that they’re supposed to love Humans, right?

That’s a thousand times better than what Angels really turned out to be.

The Pillow Verse byAnythingtoasted, clockworkrobots, inplayruns, nyoka, outpastthemoat, thepillowverse (canon!verse)

The Pillow ‘Verse was a tumblr-based Dean/Castiel round-robin fanfiction challenge that took place over Supernatural’s 2013 summer hiatus.

A canon-based domestic!fic shared universe set in the Men of Letter’s bunker, The Pillow ‘Verse follows Dean, Castiel, Sam, and their small cohort of rabble-rousers through stories of love, nest building, family, and healing following the 8x23 Supernatural finale Sacrifice.

This is a story of the things that happen after the fall.

[wndamaximov]

Of Love And Secrets

Part 2: First Date

Main Masterlist                      Series Masterlist

Summary: While y/n was initially stuck in the book store because of the rain, she stayed longer for the handsome stranger that kept her company. But this handsome stranger has a secret- one he’d rather not let see the light of day.

Warnings: Language, Fluff, Abusive Boyfriend, PTSD

Words: 1, 436

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

<< prev

Y/n’s POV

Y/n deftly maneuvered her way through the crowds of New York, having a heated conversation with the person on the other line. Even though they hadn't been in the weapon business for around 4 years, the publicity around the decision had yet to cease. Although it did die down, the occasional desperate reporter would try to write a critical article on how business was failing ever since the arms division was shut down. Christine Everhart was the worst- and the most relentless. 

Yup, ever since y/n's nice, relaxing time at the bookstore, her life had gone back to its usual chaos. 

"Alright, will they be needing anything else?" she asked politely, to the voice on the other end. She was nearing the Stark Tower, and really wanted to be done with this call by then. She was itching to talk to somebody about last night.

It had ended perfectly, and she'd texted Steve yesterday  just after she reached her apartment.

Y/n: Hey, would you be interested in coming to The Palm with me this Friday? I heard they have the best steak in town. No blue food though :(

Steve: I'd love to! :)

Y/n: :) 

It wasn't much, but those three lines meant a lot to y/n. 

"Hello? Ms y/l/n, are you still there?" Crap. She'd forgotten all about the person in her ear. 

"Yeah, sorry, please continue." She sighed, thinking about how today was going to be a very long day.

≿————-　❈　————-≾

Steve’s POV

Steve pushed open the door to Bucky's store, bracing himself for the lecture that was bound to come.

“How stupid could you be?” Bucky was walking towards him a book in one hand, coffee in the other, a pencil stuck through his bun and another tucked behind his ear.

“Just when I thought you couldn’t get any more stupid, you did!”

“I know, I know, it was a mistake,” he admitted.

“Oh, thank God. I thought I was going to have to do more convincing.” He was about to leave, but Steve opened his mouth once more.

“But…” Steve continued, Bucky’s glare getting more and more intense, “we’re meeting next week.”

“Jesus Christ,” Bucky whispered angrily, running a hand through his hair, forgetting it was tied. He then stomped away to the “Sci-Fi and Mystery” section, shoving the book in his hand into its proper spot.

Steve followed him, making sure to keep at least a foot of distance between them. “I’m sorry, Buck-”

Bucky whirled around, jabbing his index finger into Steve’s chest, the coffee from his cup spilling a tiny bit over the edge and down his hand. “No! You don’t get to be sorry. You could go to jail, you understand?”

Steve looked down, guilty. “I can’t help it Buck.”

“I know you can’t, punk.” Bucky’s gaze softened, just for a split second. “But don’t come crying to me when something inexplicably goes wrong.”

≿————-　❈　————-≾

Y/n’s POV

“You get ‘em off our back?” Pepper and y/n walked down one of the seemingly endless hallways of the tower discussing business.

“I got ‘em off our back.” Y/n had been able to shake the glorified blogger about ten minutes earlier. 

“Was it Everhart?”

“Not this time, no. You’d think there’d be more buzz on the September Foundation, but people really love bringing back dead news. In order to put Stark Industries back on the headlines for the Foundation, I’d suggest hosting a press conference.” 

Someone passed Pepper something and asked for her signature. After signing the document, Pepper replied. “That can be arranged. Will Tony have to be there?”

“Well, it was his idea.” 

“Okay, I’ll get Tony to come. You just concentrate on alerting the press.”

“Will do. Oh, and can I take Friday evening off?” Pepper stopped moving and turned around, a knowing smile on her face.

"And what's on Friday?"

Y/n let the words, the ones she'd been waiting forever to say, tumble out of her mouth. "I have a date."

"Oh my God, finally! It's been what, five years?" Y/n's heart suddenly stopped, remembering her last boyfriend, Brock. They'd had a whirlwind romance that was amazing before he became abusive. It was the worst year of y/n's life, and the reason why she hadn't been on a date in so long. Thank God Brock was in jail, serving out his sentence. 

Pepper realized what she said, and continued, hoping to make y/n forget about Rumlow, at least for a while. "What's his name- tell me everything about him." And just like that, everything work, and Brock, related left both of their minds. Y/n talked while Pepper listened, hanging onto every word.

"He sounds perfect." And not anything like Brock, is probably what she was thinking.

Before continuing on to the elevator, Pepper told y/n to not even bother coming in on Friday. "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything. Plus, you really need a break. I swear, even the birds and squirrels here know you too well."

Y/n pretended to look offended. "Are you insinuating that everyone's sick of me?"

"No, I'm insinuating that you work too much." Pepper pushed her floor's button, and y/n watched her friend disappear behind the closing doors. 

≿————-　❈　————-≾

Friday, Y/n’s POV

Beams of sunlight hit y/n's face, coaxing her out of a deep sleep. It was the first time in a long time that she hadn't woken up to an alarm blaring, startling her awake.

She wiped the sleep from her eyes and stretched herself out on the bed. Today was the day of her big date, and she cold feel the butterflies fluttering around her stomach.

When reading romance novels, the butterflies sound so glamorous, only being a light case of nerves. For y/n, however, she felt like throwing up.

She still remembered her first date with Brock, how nice and sweet he was, just like Steve, before turning into something dark, twisted, and ugly. All of a sudden y/n didn't feel like going on a date anymore.

Just as she was about to text Steve to cancel, her doorbell rang. It was Pepper.

"You were going to cancel, weren't you?" 

"How did you know?"

"Because I know you. Also, you look like you've been crying." Y/n touched her face, surprised to find it wet. She hadn't even realized.

"Oh, and I brought backup." 

Just then, Tony Stark passed through her door, playing Shoot To Thrill by AC/DC, and said, "It's Britney Bitch."

Y/n laughed, wiping away her tears, and walked up to hug him. "Thanks, but you guys didn't need to come."

"Yeah, we did. Pepper- hair, makeup, and wardrobe STAT! I'll stay here and make sure she doesn't cancel."

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Of course, you get the easy job." 

Y/n didn't care who did what, as long as she had her friends next to her. 

≿————-　❈　————-≾

Time of date, Steve’s POV

Steve sat at their table, fidgeting with the fork and knife. This place was so out of his budget, what with the whole fancy design and immaculately dressed patrons. He felt out of place with his rented tux. 

He took a sip of water, and mid swallow, he saw her. She looked gorgeous, with a flowery, sleeveless top that flowed into a gown cut short. It was the color of blood, a deep scarlet.

He stood up to help her get seated. "You look... beautiful."

"Thanks- you do too." They shared a soft smile.

"So, work keeping you busy?" They easily fell into the rhythm they had at the book store. It was only broken twice by the waiter taking their order. Then came the time Steve was dreading- the check came.

"I gotta be honest." Steve was almost as red as y/n's dress at this point. "This place is way out of my league," he whispered, leaning close so that only y/n could hear.

She laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. Steve sat back in his seat, unsure of what to make of the situation.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh, that was rude." She took a sip of her water, then dropped her card onto the plate containing the check. She didn't even let Steve protest.

"What's mine is yours," y/n said when he tried to object.

Other than that minor hiccup, the night was perfect. It ended with a mind-shattering kiss, where it felt like time had stopped and they were the only ones truly living. Not to mention, his secret was still safe.

≿————-　❈　————-≾

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Of Love and Secrets:  @theadventurousqueen @marvelgirl7 @ashley-unicorn

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