#punk lucas sinclair

[fandsart]

As a punk I do love punk Steve, but it is admittedly just not fit for his character. But you know which character season 4 set up really well to go punk?

Lucas.

His character arc of being tired of being bullied and trying to conform, only for him to find what “normal” looks like and is filled with a righteous rage about it? It brings him to a very punk outlook

I want him to discover punk throughout his high school experience

Edit: My design

[i-yyzw-cq]

NORMAL IS JUST A RAGING PSYCHOPATH

[fleursfairies]

i think we as a society forget that will byers is a little punk rocker

[ollielovesjisoo]

This seems like a mix of Eddie and Max and I'm absolutely obsessed

@rainbowpitofdoom.

[justanoasisimagines]

Back Off

Summary; Billy won't leave Lucas alone, the Chief's eldest daughter has had enough! Pairing; Billy Hargrove x Female!Hopper!Reader WordCount; 512 Warnings; Mentions of violence, A/N; Hey lovelies, my requests are open and my guidelines are pinned to the top of the page! Credit to cafekitsune for the banner and the divider!

Billy strode through the parking lot full of swagger, confidence and arrogance. He couldn't see the hurricane marching toward him. You were mad. Beyond that. You were fuming. Billy had threatened Lucas again. You were tired of him sauntering around the place. "Hey, Hargrove!" The crowd parted in the middle, Billy turned with a smirk on his face. "Princess." "You don't call me that! Do you enjoy picking on little kids? Does it make you feel powerful does it?" Suddenly Billy was face to face with you, your eyes were fiery, standing mere inches from him. "I don't know what you're talking about." "Are those jeans cutting off your blood circulation? I'm talking about you threatening Lucas at the arcade." "See all I heard was you'd been admiring me, Sweetheart." With a quick swing of your fist, you punched Billy connecting with his jaw. Billy landed on the ground, and suddenly a crowd gathered. A chorus of O's added to the already bubbling tension. "Chief Hopper's Daughter finally got some punk to her. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to know what you've done." "Who do you think taught me how to punch? Stay away from those kids."

Several days passed. Hawkins High buzzed about the altercation the other day. You were keeping an eye on Billy. You didn't trust him. "Hey, can you take the kids to the arcade? I've got a date tonight." Steve asked you as the ell rang signalling the end of the day. "Sure what time am I picking them up?" "Around five." With a nod, you left to get home before you had to go and pick up the misfits.

"Do I need to remind you not to punch Hargrove?" Your father asked while you were slipping on your boots and jacket. "No, but I'm tired of harassing Lucas." Jim sighed as he stepped closer to you. "Kid, I don't care if you give him a verbal beatdown. Honestly, he deserves it. But you know someday he'll get his comeuppance. So whatever you do don't lay your hands on Hargrove got it."

The arcade was busy. Expected on a Friday night. The kids were off doing their own thing as were you. You kept an eye out for the most part. You were trying to make the most of your Friday night. "Stay away from my sister Sinclair, or you'll regret it." You moved away from Pac-Man, heading directly in Lucas's direction. He held Lucas by the collar. "How about you stay away from him or was one black eye not enough? Lucas, are you okay?" "Looks like you need a girl to fight your battles." "Looks like you need to pick on someone younger than you. Does it make you feel big and powerful? Clearly, you're lacking elsewhere. You should want to be like Lucas. He's good, kind and loyal to his friends. He's the type of person you should aim to be. Not someone like you who uses their looks to hide their inner ugliness." Billy's eyes widened as he left without saying a word.

[elliewlums]

𝐛𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧’𝐬 𝟒𝐤 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐲!

this is sooo overdue but thank you all so much for 4k! i love you all more than life <33

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐝 (𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐝): joel miller, tate langdon, tasm! peter parker, tangerine (bullet train), eddie munson, steve harrington, jim hopper, robin buckley, henry creel, max mayfield, lucas sinclair, mike wheeler, billy hargrove, billy knight, tom grant, aemond targaryen, aegon targaryen ii, daemon targaryen, alicent hightower, ajax petropolus, bucky barnes, loki laufeyson, pietro maximoff, thor odinson, matt murdock, frank castle, rafe cameron, jj maybank, james potter, remus lupin, sirius black, cameron frye, peeta mellark, finnick odair, love quinn, fred weasley, draco malfoy, mattheo riddle, theo nott, ron weasley, aaron hotchner, spencer reid, daryl dixon, rick grimes, lip gallagher, any sebastian stan/chris evans characters + any poly!variations of these characters!!

send in your requests from the list below (under the cut) and they will be posted in one week. on sunday 19th february.

tagging some moots for reach! @reysorigins @buckyshattergirl @balenciagabucky @arakhnee @1800-fight-me @tvrgvryen @meadowscarlet @lucasnclair @munsonslilbunnie @mulletboystan @twl1ghtdollz @oldtowrs @oncasette @punk-in-docs @fleurfairie @wanturvideo @buckycuddlebuddy @buckyshattergirl @ghosttownwherenoonegoes @gxtitobxby @chainsawmunson @creelteeth @vampieteeth @morwap @jamespottersmommy @justsheerfilth1 @jannqt

𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞… send me a character from the above list + any au and get a blurb! (eg: rugby!james, vampire!eddie, old money!steve)

𝐢 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧’ 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲… send me a prompt from this soulmate au list + a character and get a blurb!

𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲… send me a prompt from this ‘ways to say sorry’ list + a character and get a hurt/comfort blurb

𝐢 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡… send me a dark!au concept + a character and get a blurb!!

𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧… send me a kink + a character and get a smutty blurb!

[miaisagirllover]

Hear me out

Punk lucas sinclair

yes im all ears 👂👂👂

[dangerous-disposition]

WIP Weekend!

I was tagged back by @sidekick-hero so I'm just gonna do another post but specifically as WIP Weekend!! I am still gonna answer the requests from WIP Wednesday!! I promise!!! I just got wrapped up in 'peace of mind'

THE RULES

In a reblog (or new post w/ rules attached), post up to five (5) filenames of your WIPs; not titles, file names.

Post a snippet from one of them. Snippet must be words you wrote in the last 7 days. We’re posting progress here. If you haven’t made any, go make some and come back to post!

After you’ve posted, people can send you an ask with one of your file names. You must then write 3 sentences in that file. If the filename is one you can’t share from (for example, an event fic), write 3 sentences on it anyway, and then 3 more on another to share.

That’s it! You can invite others to join in, or just post. If you tag me in your post, I will send you an ask request!

THE WIPS

Full disclosure, I'm going to be really focused on 'peace of mind' but I will still write at least 3 lines of the following WIPs if you request them!

Steve Bingo Fics (range from Rated G to E, specify ur preference if u request this)

nile (from the Strap Collection series, Rated E) Not accepting more asks for this one~*~

i'll burn that bridge when i get to it (Rated T, related to 'i could be honest, i could be human')

romcom au

askbox prompt "I don't care what they said, it doesn't mean shit!" (Rated T) not accepting requests for this one anymore this weekend either~*~

THE SNIPPET

This is from the askbox prompt, "I don't care what they said, it doesn't mean shit!"

"No offense, Steve-" Mike started with a smirk toward Will.

"Literally already deeply offended, Wheeler, so watch yourself," Steve warned darkly.

"Why would Eddie want to hang out with you?" Mike finished, and Steve tried to count backwards from 100 to stop himself from shoving the stupid punk into the ditch they were walking along. He got lost around 93, but the frustration helped distract him just as well.

"Eddie and Steve hang out all the time, asshole," Dustin barked at Mike.

"Yes! Thank you, Henderson," Steve said gratefully, grabbing the top of his capped head and shaking him lightly. Dustin grinned over his shoulder at Steve before turning to face forward again.

"Actually, I think, he hangs out with you, Dustin. Steve just happens to also be there," Lucas pointed out, and Steve cringed.

Covering up his reaction with a scoff. "C'mon, Sinclair, you're gonna team up with these assholes on this? Do I need to remind you who out of us showed up for your championship game last spring?"

"You can't keep using that to win Lucas to your side in every argument," Mike said.

"I can, and I will, and who's arguing?" Steve asked. "You said something that was incorrect, Dustin and I corrected it. No one else is arguing."

"You're literally arguing right now," Mike insisted, his voice breaking slightly.

"Am not," Steve shot back, just to see if Mike would rise to it.

"Are too!" Mike shouted, rising to it. When Steve just smirked at him, Mike deflated and pouted. Then he said, "Whatever, Steve. You can think Eddie's hanging out with you if you want, but it's not like you even have the same interests and you can't even keep up with us-"

"That's 'cos you're a bunch of dorky little geniuses, shithead," Steve interrupted.

"And Eddie isn't?" Dustin asked, and Steve stared at him, mouth agape.

"Henderson, are you actually betraying me here?" he asked, and he was surprised to feel actual hurt at that.

Dustin grimaced. "Lucas kinda had a point, Steve. Has Eddie ever invited just you over to his place before?" he asked, and when Steve didn't answer right away, Dustin grimaced again.

"Eddie doesn't like jocks," Mike supplied after a minute and when Lucas protested, Mike snickered and added, "Dumb jocks, sorry."

All of the boys broke into laughter at the joke, and honestly Steve probably would've laughed along with them or jokingly threatened violence on them normally. It wasn't even close to the meanest thing Mike had said about him. But at that moment, he was mulling over every interaction he had with Eddie, searching for a single moment that it had just been the two of them. He was coming up blank, and that just made his mood even more sour.

THE (NO PRESSURE) TAGS

@patchworkgargoyle, @scarcrossdlvrs, @sunflowerharrington, @stobinesque, @matchingbatbites, @afewproblems, @inairbinad, @scoops-stevie, @corrodedbisexual, @starryeyedjanai, @legitcookie, @spicysix, @thefreakandthehair, @pizzaqueen, @steddieas-shegoes, @nburkhardt

[ccscocoapuffs]

Hiiiiii! Wanted to make a list of everyone I write for and let everyone know I do take requests.

Stranger things:

Steve Harrington

Eddie Munson

Billy Hargrove

Robin Buckley

Henry Creel/001

Supernatural:

Dean Winchester

Sam Winchester

Crowley

Jack Kline

Castiel

Horror: Bubba Sawyer Vilmer Sawyer Tex Sawyer Jedidiah Sawyer Michael Myers (OG or RZ! version)

Brahms Heelshire

Thomas Hewitt

David (lost boys)

Dwayne (lost boys)

Paul (lost boys)

Marko (lost boys)

Chucky

Tiffany Valentine

Amanda Young

Mark Hoffman

Mickey Altieri

Stu Macher

Billy Loomis

Ethan Landry

Bo Sinclair

Vincent Sinclair

Lester Sinclair

Otis Driftwood

Baby Firefly

Corey Cunningham

Cooper Adams (Abbott) Gabriel May Jason Vorhees

Video Games:

Arthur Morgan

John Marston

Jack Marston (Aged Up aka RDR1 version ONLY)

Dutch Van Der Linde

Bill Williamson

Kieran Duffy

Charles Smith

Micah Bell

Lenny Summers

Javier Escuella

Sean MacQuire

Johnny Silverhand

River Ward

Judy Alvarez

Panam Palmer

Kerry Eurodyne

Chris Redfield

Leon Kennedy

Alcina Dmitrescu

Cassandra Dmitrescu

Bela Dmitrescu

Daniela Dmitrescu

Karl Heisenberg

Donna Beneviento

Lucas Baker

Higgs Monaghan

The Walking Dead:

Dwight

Glenn Rhee

Negan

Shane Walsh

WWE:

Aj Styles

CM Punk

Damian Priest

Drew McIntyre

Finn Balor

Ilja Dragunov

JD McDonagh

Jey Uso

Jimmy Uso

Rhea Ripley

Sami Zayn

Solo Sikoa

Roman Reigns

Tama Tonga

House of the Dragon :

Aegon ll Targaryen

Aemond Targaryen

Daemon Targaryen

Heleana Targaryen

Rhaenyra Targaryen

Criston Cole

Alicent Hightower

Game of Thrones:

Jon Snow

Robb Stark

Jaime Lannister

Theon Greyjoy

Daenarys Targaryen

Khal Drogo

Viserys lll Targaryen

Gendry Baratheon Penny Dreadful: Ethan Chandler Vanessa Ives Dorian Grey Victor Frankenstein

WILL NOT WRITE FOR:

Liv Morgan

Cody Rhodes

Ramsay Bolton

This is all I could think of I write for off the top of my head. Feel free to ask if you don't see someone's name on the list 😁

[fandsart]

A rough drawing for my punk Lucas design. I don’t think punk would be something he gets into immediately after season 4, so I have him here as 17ish, hence the facial hair

Details and breakdown will be set in a reblog

Credit to @moonlightmarvey for publishing his design before me

[ao3feed-byler2]

What Do You Want Some Kind Of Disaster?

by DeviousPaleKitten

Modern Witch/Vamp AU

Generations of Harringtons were birthed as daughters ever since the 1692 Salem Witch Trials. Each generation of those daughters getting stronger and stronger as the centuries pass. Until some kind of magick anomaly had given the family Steve, the first male Harrington Witch child born in these modern times

Steve is living a lonely life being stuck with his family, one of the most powerful in the country. He fills his time with babysitting his favorite brats, nurturing his green magick, and trying to save one of his best friends (and ex) from a harpy.

But when a couple of vampires roll into town, and there is an instant magnetic pull to Billy Hargrove, Steve's life becomes the exact opposite of boring and stale. Billy seems to be in the same boat, especially when he gets a taste of Steve's blood and his magick. But Billy also has an ulterior motive to get a very dangerous being off his back and out of his life.

Robin is always trying to get Steve to live a little, but she probably wasn't talking about him having a fling with the undead.

Words: 10740, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M

Characters: Steve Harrington, Billy Hargrove, Robin Buckley, Barbara "Barb" Holland, Jonathan Byers, Nancy Wheeler, Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair, Will Byers, Mike Wheeler, Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Eleven | Jane Hopper, Eddie Munson, Male OCs - Character, female OCs

Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley/Barbara "Barb" Holland, Jonathan Byers/Nancy Wheeler, Jonathan Byers/Steve Harrington, Dustin Henderson/Lucas Sinclair, Will Byers/Mike Wheeler, Eleven | Jane Hopper/Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Billy Hargrove/Original Character(s), Chrissy Cunningham/Eddie Munson, Eddie Munson/Male OC

Additional Tags: Modern AU, Witch/Vamp AU, Witch!Steve, Vamp!Billy, Punk/Emo!Steve, Animal Familiars, Eventual mpreg, magical babysitter!Steve, Steve's family is its own warning, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Neil is Billy's Sire, Neil Hargrove is His Own Warning, The Harrington's A+ Parenting, Everyone Is Gay, Well Jonathan is probably bi, Past Jonathan/Steve, they're still good friends, Most likely future Jonathan/Argyle, Billy's friends are OCs, based on an rp, Elemental Magic, pretty boys are idiots, and self sabotaging, Family Drama/Angst, matriarchal families, Witches, Vampires, Watcher!Dustin, werewolf!Lucas, Werewolves, Robin is Steve's cousin, Robin is a very powerful and very old witch, Salem Witch Trials, Earth!Steve, Fire!Robin, Not Nancy Wheeler Friendly

from AO3 works tagged 'Will Byers/Mike Wheeler' https://ift.tt/TjymER5

[fleursfairies]

heres my biblically accurate jonathan byers playlist

[weirdo09]

hello, may i have your top 5 stranger things characters with a side of your top 5 favorite songs, thank you🙏

ofc you can, nat :] top five st characters

will byers(my #1, my baby boy <3)

mike wheeler(my babygirl, my princess)

max mayfield(my boygirl)

lucas sinclair(my second #1, he and will are tied for that spot)

erica sinclair(the real 1st st character)

top five songs

scream my name by fousheé(slowly slipping into a punk phase)

thangs by steve lacy

some by steve lacy

your teeth on my neck by kali uchis

cariño by the marías

thank you for the ask, nat 🫶🏽

[were-wolverine]

more of punk!steve bc i adore him

steve first runs into the Party at the arcade (where he works part time because he wants to make his own money as a ‘fuck you’ to his parents and cuz it’s a chill job) and he becomes their favorite worker and they become his favorite customers. one day steve takes a smoke break in the parking lot and sees some kids bullying the Party and his older brother instincts kick in.

he walks up behind the party like “well well what do we have here?” and the Party is like “steve!! :D” and steve in his leather jacket and ripped jeans and combat boots glares down the bullies and they scamper off. from then on steve tells the kids to go to him if someone is bothering them and it becomes town-wide knowledge not to mess with byers wheeler henderson & sinclair. he basically becomes their personal Scary Dog.

the parents end up wanting to meet this young man who kept bullies away from their kids (and they’ve heard all sorts of rumors about him and he dresses like That so they’re suspicious) and steve’s like “yeah sounds great!” and immediately charms all of them because he’s a sweetheart and does genuinely care about and want to protect their kids. from then on he’s the go-to babysitter / ride to school / campaign host. steve pretends to be annoyed but he loves it and treats them all like they’re his younger siblings (especially lucas and dustin)

joyce and steve bond especially and they have coffee dates every sunday and just talk (joyce tries to get steve to come to her when he needs help or just someone to listen). at first everyone who sees them is super confused because what is paranoid mother Joyce Byers doing with the high school bad boy Steve Harrington?? but after a couple months it just becomes commonplace and people will even stop by to say hi

i also think jonathan and steve would end up being best friends in like freshman year and steve would get jancy together in s1 (steve and nancy don’t date). he’s never a third wheel though they have a great “this is my boyfriend and our best friend steve” type relationship. (plus jonathan never takes the creepy pics and the whole fight never happens so they’re all chill).

steve and robin are fellow outcasts so they’re chill. then steve beats up some guys who harassed her and they become actual friends and steve lets robin come over whenever her parents are being shitty. steve lowkey converts her into a punk and they basically do illegal shit and have a bunch of fun.

btw steve is a fully realized biromantic demisexual (or just queer whatv lol) and he has an extremely accurate gaydar which is partially why stobin become friends. anyways i’m mentioning this becauseee

steve meets will byers and Immediately Knows and pretty much comes out to him and tells him it’s okay and he becomes wills Gay Mentor (imo jonathan can either be straight or queer and just not really informed abt gay shit so steve would be the mentor in his place bc they’re basically brothers anyway (joyce absolutely tries to adopt steve multiple times)).

steve meets max at the arcade before any of the Party befriend her and she immediately becomes another of his favorite customers (the ranking is dustin, will & lucas & max, mike). she thinks he’s super cool and basically projects onto him as an older brother figure and he’s happy to play the part. he notices the way billy treats max and threatens him that if he ever treats her like that again he will kill him and hopper will help him hide the body. things are pretty peaceful for max after that. additionally neil hargrove gets arrested for domestic and child abuse and billy takes his car and leaves without a word. max’s mom still drinks so steve kinda unofficially adopts her, she has her own room in his house and ends up staying there most days. he ends up actually adopting her later but they’re still more of an older brother & younger sister dynamic than father & daughter

steve doesn’t interact with eddie until s4 but they know of each other and are on neutral terms until the byers move to cali and eddie starts DMing for dustin lucas mike erica and max (who steve managed to convince to play). they’re wary of each other at first but eddie realizes steve is actually a huge softie and steve realizes eddie is just a cute dork who reads LOTR and plays D&D.

steve isn’t on any sports teams or anything but he works out on his own, goes for jogs every morning with jonathan and nancy especially after the demogorgon and demodog shit. basically he’s fit and good at fighting (due to more experience with it) and nancy taught him how to shoot so he can do that too. most of his scars are from demo-creatures instead of fistfights, though he has a few of those too (not from jonathan or billy tho).

[maxmayfieldirl]

In honor of restoration level being at 99% here's whether or not I think the ST characters would like Babymetal

Will: Yeah I can see him liking it, like not a fav fav but he'd definitely listen to them here and there. His favorite album is Metal Resistance

Mike: he'd only listen to it around Will. I don't think he'd actively listen to them but he wouldn't hate it

Dustin: I think he'd care more about the lore than the music which, fair

Lucas: he wouldn't hate it but he wouldn't seek it out either, like a song you'd only listen to when it plays on the radio but never willingly

Max: maybe. I can't tell if it's me projecting or not. I'm gonna go yes. Her favorite album is Metal Galaxy

El: yeah, she's down to listen to anything honestly

Erica: probably not lol

Jonathan: he hears Will play it through the walls and gets some songs stuck in his head. I'm not sure he'd actually listen to them tho

Nancy: fuck no lmao

Robin: yes yes 100% just trust me on this I can feel it in my bones

Steve: no, never

Eddie: he'd rather die. As mean as this sounds he gives off 'they're not real metal' vibes but I can also see him not liking but respecting them dhhdijdjdk

[obsessive-dork]

Once again…trying something new (still Eddie related though because I mean…come on!).

In this AU, Eddie becomes attracted to a introverted woman at his college. Their friendship slowly grows into something more, but both are facing difficulties of the past, present, and future.

This is just Part 1 of many to come (hopefully). Once again, any comments/suggestions are welcome and appreciated! Hope you enjoy💜🍂

——————————————————————————

“Alright, let’s go,��� Robin said, snatching the book out of Em’s hand.

She groaned. “I was in the middle of a sentence. Way to flare my OCD.”

“Get dressed.”

Em crawled out of bed, sighing. She avoided the mirror as she washed her face and brushed her teeth. She chose the usual black jeans and black shirt with the only pop of color being her orange checkered Vans. Redoing her hair, she caught herself in the mirror and rolled her eyes. Senior year of college, and she was still miserable. One friend. No plans. Plethora of mental illnesses.

“Don’t look so morose.” Robin nudged her as they reached the porch.

The music and drunk shouts bombarded her ears. The sweat and smoke filled her nose. Her head already hurt. “The band better be good.”

“Trust me, you’ll love them.”

“Rob!” someone called, and Robin disappeared before Em could even survey the crowd.

She loved this house. It was the lime green house she passed by daily on her way to the cafe, and each time she imagined her life within it. In the winter, the house glowed against the snow, and in the spring, when the lilac and lavender and iris bloomed, they burst brilliantly against the house. She would cover the wrap around porch with wildflowers. There would be a room in the house dedicated to books, and weird, quirky art would be everywhere. She would have a writing nook in the bay window, and her days would be spent writing, music dancing through the house.

But, as she looked around, she found herself hating it, or rather how the people disrespected such a sacred place. So much wasted potential. There were two stained and ripped couches, a dining table with no chairs, and the sink in the kitchen was filled with dirty plates. College kids. She couldn’t believe she was one of them.

As she looked at the hoard of alcohol, the music cut out, and people began to cheer. She grabbed two drinks and found her way to the makeshift stage.

“Thanks for coming. I hope everyone’s having a good time.” The crowd whooped and clapped. “I see some of you are double fisting,” he chuckled, making eye contact with Em.

She smirked at him and raised one of her glasses. She liked his smile. She’d seen it before, but tonight it was different, brighter, lighter. Eddie was a close friend of Robin’s, and he was often showing up at their apartment. He’d also been in a few of Em’s classes. He was dressed as he always was: band shirt, leather jacket, vest over top covered in pins and patches, black ripped jeans, Converse, rings upon rings, a bandana tucked into his pocket.

“You all know Dustin and Lucas, but we got a new drummer tonight, Mad Max.”

A group in the front chanted her name, and Max pulled her hair up in preparation.

“And we are Corroded Coffin!” Eddie strummed his guitar, and everyone broke out into screams.

“Hey, Em!”

She was shocked by the sound of her name, and when she turned and saw Eddie approaching her, she became even more confused. He never talked to her, not even in class. “Hi.”

“You like the set?”

“Yeah, it was great.”

“Glad Robin dragged you here?”

She adjusted her glasses, laughed nervously, and nodded.

“Wanna get out of here?”

“Sure.” She glared down at her drink, realizing she’d had too much. Since when did she say sure to spending time with people?

He tucked his hands in his pockets as they made their way to the fire pit. “What classes do you have this semester?” he asked, sitting down on rotting wood chairs.

She did the same. “Some graduate writing classes, dystopian lit, and an immigration course. Oh, and my thesis.”

“Thesis?”

She poked at the fire with a stray stick. “Yeah, I’m writing about environmentalism in Irish literature.”

“You started research yet?”

“I’m five books in, about seven or so more to go.”

“Damn. Any suggestions?”

“Solar Bones. Best one I’ve read so far.” She glanced at him, and he was smiling to himself. “What about you?”

“Uhh, well, I’ve got dystopian lit, too. I’ve already read most of the stuff on the syllabus, but I like rereading. Plus I get to rant for a grade.”

She laughed. “That is one of the best parts of being an English major.”

Their eyes met. She noted the warmth in his gaze and couldn’t look away.

And then she collapsed to the ground. Eddie bit his lip, holding in laughter, and she glared at him.

“Don’t you dare,” she growled. But she couldn’t resist either, and the two burst into laughter. “I’m too drunk for this.”

He reached his hand out to her and pulled her out of the wood pile. “Your arm’s bleeding,” he muttered.

“Oh, shit.” She sucked in a sharp breath and shut her eyes. “I’m gonna barf.”

He shook his head. “It’s just a splinter.”

“Mhm.” She gagged.

“Come on.” He led her through the house and to the privacy of the upstairs bathroom, sitting her on the edge of the bathtub. He poured some alcohol on it and grabbed a pair of tweezers. “So, it’s pretty-”

“Don’t. I don’t want to know.”

“Alright, alright.” He yanked the thick splinter out, and she groaned before hurling into the tub. He rubbed her back. “Okay, it’s okay. All done.”

She wiped her mouth. “Well, this is embarrassing.”

He placed a bandaid on the cut and shrugged. She met his eyes again, and he smiled. “Okay?”

She tilted her head and observed his face. He was more attractive up close. His long, dark curls had frizzed rather adorably, and she realized he had a freckle in his left eye. “You’re not what I thought you’d be. Why’d you…” Her voice faded, and his brow furrowed. “I’ve gotta go,” she blurted, jumping up and jogging out of the house.

Unknown: You okay?

She didn’t recognize the number and considered ignoring it, but she couldn’t sleep. Instead, she was thinking about why on earth Eddie suddenly decided to talk to her.

Em: Who’s this?

Unknown: Eddie. Eddie Munson

Em: Oh

Her stomach turned. Robin gave him her number? Why had he asked for it? What did he want from her?

Eddie: You ran out so fast, I just wanted to make sure everything was alright…I don’t mean to bother you

Em: Fine thanks

Eddie: Here if you need anything

She left him on read.

“Woke up late today.” Robin handed Em a cup of coffee as she entered the kitchen. “Why’d you ditch me last night?” she asked.

“Tired. Sorry, I should’ve texted you.”

“It’s okay. Eddie told me you were alright.”

She glanced at Robin. “Why’d he want my number anyways?”

She shrugged. “He asks about you sometimes, and I think he was excited you came to his party.”

“His party?”

“Yeah, that’s his place. He lives there with his uncle. He works nights though so Eddie usually hosts the band’s gigs.”

“He’s never talked to me before.”

“Probably because you don’t talk to anybody. You’ve always got your earphones in.”

“That’s true.” She sipped her coffee, remembering the few times they’d made eye contact during class. The corners of his mouth would twitch, and Em would look away swiftly.

Her phone dinged, and she glanced down to see a text from Eddie.

***

“Why exactly haven’t you talked to her before?” Dustin asked.

“She’s quiet. And intimidating honestly.”

“You? Intimidated?”

“Em, she’s-she’s somber. Always has her head down, breezing in and out before you can even get a word in. But damn, when she talks in class, I can’t take my eyes off her. Her intelligence, her interpretations, her words, they’re just…” Eddie shrugged. “I don’t know, man.”

“Robin’s always trying to get her to come out.”

“Never does though. That’s why I took a shot last night.”

“And?”

“And nothing. We made small talk for a bit, but she uh-she kind of just ran out.”

“She goes to the cafe on Saturdays.”

Eddie’s head snapped up. “Your cafe?”

“Yeah. Religiously.” He grabbed his keys. “Well, come on. You can buy her a coffee or something.”

And sure enough, there she was, sitting in a corner booth and leaning against the window.

Eddie followed Dustin to the counter as he prepared Em’s regular. “You want one?”

“What is it?”

“Three shots espresso, oat milk, cinnamon. Shit ton of cinnamon.”

“Yeah. And a cinnamon roll.”

He watched her as she read and occasionally smiled when a dog passed by. Every few minutes, she’d purse her lips and begin furiously writing notes.

Dustin handed him the coffee and pastry, giving him a thumbs up. “Good luck,” he teased.

“What’re you reading?”

Em gasped, jumping slightly. “Gosh, Eddie. Uh…hi.”

“I come baring gifts,” he smiled awkwardly, placing them on the table.

“Thanks.” She looked at the coffee, then at Dustin who avoided her eyes, and back at Eddie. “You stalking me?”

“No! No. I just-I was coming in with Dustin, and he asked me to bring this over to you.”

She opened the lid, nodded in approval. “Thanks, Dustin! And thank you, Eddie.”

He took the invitation to sit with pleasure. “Cinnamon bun as well.” He slid it over to her.

“Stalking and bribing. Hmm.”

He chuckled. “So, what’s that, then?”

She handed him the book and sipped her drink. “Excavation of Ireland after nuclear devastation for my-”

“Thesis.”

She gave him a faint smile as he flipped through, intrigued by her notes.

“About last night…I’m sorry I got sick in your bathroom and just ran out. That was-was rude.”

He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. How’s the cut?”

“Oh, it’s fine. I’ve gotten so sensitive to blood ever since my injury.”

“Injury?”

“I fractured my leg a while back. Had to get screws and plates. They stapled the cut shut.” She shuttered. “Makes me sick thinking about it. Staples are for paper, not skin.”

He laughed. “How’d you do that?”

“Oh…uh. Honestly, I just fell. Lost my footing and went down. My sister says I should tell people I was doing some elaborate skateboard trick and that the doctor says I can never skate again so no one can prove that I never learned how to skate in the first place.” She adjusted her glasses and picked at the pastry.

“What did you mean last night?” he blurted out.

“Hm?”

“Last night, you said I wasn’t what you expected.”

“Scary. I thought you’d be scary.”

“Me?”

“You ever look in the mirror or listen to your music? And whenever you talk in class, something incredibly insightful comes out of your mouth. You’re intimidating.”

“You’re the intimidating one!”

“What?”

“You ever looked in the mirror or heard yourself? Head down. No smile. You never say or do anything not worth being said or done. Don’t waste time.”

“Can’t afford to.”

“I don’t know. I think you’re just afraid to. It’s terrifying giving yourself to something that may not work out.”

She met his eyes. “Eddie…”

He held her gaze and waited. But nothing else came.

“You gonna answer my text?” he asked after some moments of silence.

“Favorite movie? I think I’d have to say Fargo. You?”

“Oh yeah?” he said, imitating a Minnesotan accent. She giggled as he thought, but he was distracted by the smile on her face. A genuine smile.

“Well?”

He snapped out of his trance. “Spontaneous.”

“Never heard of it.”

“It’s this great horror, comedy, coming of age love story. Rather elementary of me considering that I’m a film connoisseur,” he joked, “but I can’t get enough of it.”

“Eternal Sunshine has always been my favorite love story.”

He beamed. “I recommend that movie to everyone.”

“As you should.”

He bit his lip nervously. “So, uh…if I were to invite you to another one of my gigs, would you show?”

“Yeah, yeah I would.”

“Really?”

“I actually am a bit of a metalhead myself. Probably why Robin knew I’d like your music.”

His jaw dropped. “No.”

“Yes,” she laughed. “Bring Me The Horizon. Slayer. Motley Crue. Halestorm. Black Delilah. Day to Remember. Girlschool. Hole, ugh I love Hole. Destroy Boys. Bratmobile. Bikini Kill!”

“Okay, okay.” He chuckled. “You can stop listing. I believe you.”

“And now Corroded Coffin.” She became distracted and pouted at a passing puppy. “Look at those little legs,” she squealed. As if it knew she was talking about it, the pup turned to her and began wagging its tail ecstatically. She waved as it barked and then smiled at the owner, mouthing, “So precious.” She looked back at Eddie, smile still clinging to her face.

“You’ll come?”

She nodded, glancing at her buzzing phone and stuffing her things into her tote. “I have to go, but text me the details, okay? Thank you for-for this.”

“My pleasure.” His eyes followed her out and down the street until she disappeared. He looked wide eyed at Dustin, and both began laughing.

“I’m quite impressed, Munson.”

“And I’m in absolute shock.” He whipped out his phone and texted Em.

Eddie: 10 Tuesday night at the upsidedown. Drinks on me