#stop being such a closeted dork

[cheesysoup-arlo]

Cutie (pt. 1)

fluff (pt. 2)

You and Regina had been dating for a few months now and had already broken up 6 times. This was mostly because of Regina being insecure or thinking that you’re cheating on her, then she would break up with you for a few days. She would eventually call you and tell you she missed you and you’d come crawling right back to her because you knew she still loved you but she was so worried about getting hurt she’d rather hurt you before you can hurt her. It took her about 4 months since you started dating to start trusting you a little more and this month she’d only broken up with you once.

It was Monday afternoon and school had just ended for the day. You saw your girlfriend in the hallway at her locker “Hey there pretty girl can you stop being tall for a second” you say looking up at Regina, Regina leans down to your height bending down just a little “thank you” you say before pulling Regina into a kiss, Regina kisses back the pulls away after kissing you “god you’re a dork” Regina says with a smile “ah yes but I’m your dork” you say with a wink “you know maybe I should just get you some boots so you’re a little taller because those converse are not helping your shortness” she says as she pats your head “HEY” you say with a pout and she boops you on the nose “cutie” she says with a laugh “don’t call me cute, let’s just go home please” you say trying to be grumpy “we’re not going home, remember? you said I could take you to the mall?” Regina says looking at you with her eyebrow raised “oh right, don’t be mad but I totally forgot…” you say nervously raising your shoulders into a shrug causing Regina to playfully roll her eyes “whatever, let’s go” she says heading to the parking lot assuming you’ll follow her and you do of course. You get in her pink jeep, throw your bag in the back seat then hop into the passenger seat. Regina gets in plugging her phone in the aux and putting on some music on Spotify. As she’s driving her hand finds its way to rest on your thigh, you don’t say anything but you’re definitely blushing, Regina notices and smirks. You arrive at the mall, Regina gets out and opens your door for you “aw thanks” you say hopping out of the car. You two wander around the mall, well more like Regina drags you around the mall trying to get you to try something new. “Baby come on it would look so cute on you, please” she says with a cute little pout and puppy dog eyes “ugh one of my only weakness, your cuteness” you say with a frustrated groan “yay, come on I’ll stop dragging you around, we can go home and watch a movie ok?” She says as she plays for your new shirt. The car ride home is quiet minus Regina’s soft humming to the quiet music, you feel yourself doze off like half way through the drive. “Baby, we’re home you gotta get up” Regina whispers softly in your ear, half asleep you lazily reach for her she decides carrying you in is going to be the easier option. Nobody is home so the house is really quiet “baby can you walk up the stairs? I promise I’ll cuddle with you as soon as we get up stairs” Regina asks, you softly nod as she puts you down. You very sleepily walk up the stairs tripping on the last step but Regina catches you “woah be careful cutie” you give her a dirty look “hey that’s not nice, only I’m allowed to be bitchy” Regina says playfully making you smile a little as you continued to head to her room. “Come on sleepy head let’s get you into something more comfortable then you can go to sleep” Regina says pulling you over to her closet “I thought you said you were done dragging me around today” you say sarcastically “haha very funny baby, here get changed so we can cuddle” Regina says handing you some clothes then giving you a quick kiss. You got changed rather slowly given your tiredness, you could feel Regina looking at you “ok creep stop staring at me I’m too tired to fuck you right now” you say nonchalantly, Regina doesn’t say anything she just comes up behind you and wraps her arms around your waist “I can’t stop, you’re so pretty and you’re my girlfriend I think I should be able to look at you if I want” Regina said resting her head on your shoulder, you blushed not saying anything “aw you’re blushing” she said tickling your sides “Regina NO!” You said trying to squirm away, Regina let’s out a genuine laugh tickling you more “Reggie please st- sto-STOP” you say through giggles “ok ok I’ll stop” she giggles as she kisses the top of your head “cuddles please?” You say looking up at her “yeah come here” Regina says pulling you over to her bed. Your head on her chest and arms wrapped around her while she plays with your hair and puts on your favorite movie.

A/N: I didn’t know how to cut this into two parts and i will be posting the second immediately after this 💕

[edward-munson]

"Here's your treat, Sailor" - Steve Harrington x f! Reader

Summary: It's Halloween and you're celebrating your birthday. You throw a small party at your house, but end up locked in your closet with Steve. Give him a treat, he's upset, yeah?

Warnings: A little fluff, a little smut. Oral sex, cursing. 18+ DNI

Word count: 2.6k (just a quick story)

Being born close to Halloween means it was always most likely you would throw a themed birthday party. Two days before the actual date, you were celebrating at a bar with your closest friends, always excited to gather all of them and your other friends. 

Hours before the party, you were getting help from Robin and Eddie with the decoration, while Steve and Dustin - your not-so-baby-brother - were cleaning the house. 

Jonathan and Nancy were in charge of the rest; food, crockery, cups and stuff like that. A faint rock music was playing on a boombox as you were all busy with the arrangement. 

You were pretty excited this year, for the first time after getting into college you invited a few friends you got along. Not that you weren't missing having a boyfriend, but every time you'd go out with someone, it turns out they just want sex, and you didn't like that. 

Pumpkins with wicked grins lined the path to the entrance, their flickering candles casting eerie shadows. A large, ancient oak tree was adorned with fake cobwebs and ghostly apparitions hanging from its branches, swaying gently in the autumn breeze. A fog machine sent wisps of mist rolling across the yard, setting the perfect, eerie mood.

It was 8 pm sharp when the first guests arrived. Mike with El, Lucas with Max and Will, who were not that young anymore either, they were all like 18, 19. You couldn't hold a grin to see them dressed as Ghostbusters, like every year they wear matching costumes.

You and your friends made a deal you'd surprise each other with your costumes, so a while after the kids arrived, Eddie knocked on the door and as you opened it, and it was impossible to miss. He had transformed himself into a member of the legendary rock band, Kiss. 

He was wearing a very made up costume. He even painted in the signature black and white makeup, wearing a black leather vest, displaying his flat abs.

He wore a skin-tight, leather jumpsuit adorned with studs and spikes. Behind him, Robin was wearing a camouflage outfit, along with black boots just like Eddie. 

"Wow, you took the 'dressed to kill' idea very seriously!" She said as she complimented you. As a lesbian, she couldn't stop looking at your cleavage.

You went for an Elvira look with a black, form-fitting, low-cut dress, with a slit on the side. The v-neck showed a little too much of your chest, which would make every guy look at you for more than five minutes. 

"Eddie, come on dork. Stop stripping her with your eyes!" She mocked him, laughing at the way he was just frozen, still looking at you. 

"Happy birthday, sweetheart. Nice choice. Gonna make every dude in this house get a boner" He tried to sound playful, but he only just turned himself in. 

"Thank you so much for the heads-up. I had no idea" Ironically, you weren't really expecting that. Maybe that's why Mike and Lucas got flickered in their foreheads earlier. 

Steve was more obvious and it made you laugh. He just chose to wear his Scoops Ahoy uniform, without the hat. Because that would ruin his perfect hair.

And again, what Eddie said echoed in your head, because the hairy chested guy couldn't stop staring at your breasts until you tried to pinch him. Jonathan and Nancy were wearing something very couple-like, and it was heart melting. 

There were people chatting in the backyard, some were listening to music while talking and drinking, Dusty and the kids were talking about some game. The couple was somewhere, probably exchanging saliva, and you were talking with Robin, listening to her charm about Vickie, while Eddie was smoking a joint. 

"Hey, where the hell is Steve?" She asks after a brief pause, watching as Eddie shrugs his shoulders. "I haven't seen him in like, twenty minutes, I think?".

"Probably fixing his hair or managing to get his dick wet" He scoffed. 

Both of you looked at him in disbelief, he was just trying to mock. "Ew, Munson. I know he used to be like that, but he wouldn't do this. Not at my house at least" You respond, but he doesn't agree. 

"Eh, could be. But let's be honest. The guy is charming, pretty, and has a good talk. Any girl would jump on him like that" He snaps his fingers. 

"I'm gonna look for him around here. You can go upstairs" You tell her before leaving him alone, who mumbles something about Steve "needing a babysitter" or something. 

You had no idea where the guy could've gone. He just didn't say anything before ghosting, and it's not like there was a way of communicating to him, unless he had a walkie. But this wasn't one of his gatherings with the kids. 

You looked behind the curtains, because, you never know right? Under the table, behind the couch, in the guest restroom and even behind any door, but still nothing. Robin said she didn't see him upstairs.

She went to the backyard and asked the others about him. Until you realized you didn't look for him in one spot that anyone could fit in: the closet under your stairs. 

He was sitting there with a different look on his face. Maybe tired? You didn't know. He had his back resting against the wall, fidgeting his fingers. A cup with some drink was also resting on the floor. 

"Care to explain why you're hiding at my party without saying anything?" You ask, but he doesn't bother to look at you. 

He shrugs his shoulders, pouting. "I'm sorry it's your birthday party. I just didn't feel like being around". 

You wanted to ask, but you weren't sure he would answer you. Still holding the doorknob, you reach out your hands, so he can lift himself up, but he doesn't. 

"C'mon Steve, let's try and cheer up, yeah? You want me to change the music? Is it boring?" He shakes his head. "You want something else to drink? Food?". Nothing. 

As soon as he gets up, he closes the door behind you, before you protest. What he doesn't know is that If you close the door, it locks from the inside. He just locked you both in there. 

"Steve-" You try to tell him, but he cuts you off.

"Can you not tell this to Robin just yet? It's going to sound really stupid" He asks, his tone was low and pretty hurtful. 

"Steve, you can't close this door from the inside. We're locked in here". 

He snaps his eyes and raises both eyebrows. He tries to open the door but nothing happens.

"You're fucking kidding me. I just locked the party host in the closet" He groans, yanking his head against the door. 

"Yeah, thank you. Now Robin is going to think we're either missing or messing around". 

Steve still has his head resting against the door, banging it carefully. 

"Could this night be any shittier?" You don't get why he seems stressed, but you try to ask him anyway. 

"What happened, sailor?" He chuckles lightly, almost like in a bittersweet way. 

"If you make fun of me I'll get your gift back" He threatens. "Just this girl I was talking to earlier in the backyard.. I asked her for her number and she said I was a 'stupid momma's boy and that my reputation is wrecked'" He mourns.

"You know you're not like that anymore, right?" You try to ease him and reassure you don't think of him that way. 

He still laughs sarcastically. "Seems like I still am". He sighs. "That's the problem. People still see me like that, and I hate it". 

"Just because some random girl said that to you, it doesn't mean it's true". 

Steve tries to take in your words as he crosses his arms on his chest and ponders. He hasn't been like that in ages, why would he still make it a big deal anyway? Seems like he needed to work out his self-esteem. 

"Maybe you're right. How's the party?" He still sounds like he's offended, maybe he just needs a hug.

"Well, it's been pretty good until you locked us in" You joke, watching him slightly chuckle.

"You look really good as Elvira" Steve gives you a gentle side smile and you grab his hand. 

"You look the same as always, sailor" Snorting, he gives you a death glance. Like, it's not the first time you see in that outfit. 

"Just think you missed the boobs". Oh, that was a burn. 

Walking towards him, you make sure you're pressing your sides to show a little more cleavage, and he gulps. "What, you don't think this cleavage isn't enough?" Your voice was smooth and low. 

As you reach to both his arms, he tries to not stare at you for too long or he breaks. Your pleading eyes actually hold something different and it makes his boxer feel uncomfortable already. You've always thought he was good looking, even with the stupid outfit.

"I.. uh- No, it's great" He nervously laughs, his hands never meet your body out of respect for you. 

You tease him as you lean against his body, and Steve is looking confused at you. "Eddie was right when he said every guy would get a boner with my costume".

He tries to hold a nervous chuckle and fails. "I don't have a boner, what do you mean?"

"Then what are you hiding in there, an ice cream scoop?" The taunting was terrible, but it makes him laugh as his cheeks flush. 

"You're a terrible person" This time he holds his gaze directly at your eyes and leans closer until your noses bump. "You're incredibly sexy and terrible".

"And yet you're the one dressed as a sailor with your uniform" You retort, wrapping your hands around his neck. He feels your chest pressed against his, as well as his growing crotch. 

He doesn't give you an answer, but instead he just crashes his lips against yours, holding your chin in a light grip. He tastes like beer, he smells like Calvin Klein and you don't regret this little show you're having. 

It doesn't have to be something serious right now, so you just enjoy it when he slides his tongue against yours, letting out a groan to your surprise. One of his hands slides down your body, holding your waist as he tries to bring you closer to him.

You feel his hard cock rub against your cunt under the dress and it burns your skin. Grasping his lower lip against your teeth, you let out a teasing gasp, learning Steve is just about to throw you against the wall and fuck you there. 

But before he even tries anything, you start kissing him again, feeling his hot tongue swirling around yours in a battle for dominance. It makes your brain twist and your stomach sink. It makes your entire body shiver. 

He pulls back only to breathe, his haired chest is heavily panting and his lips are swollen. "This is what they're missing. So, fuck them" You praise. 

His big squared hand grabs your cheek carefully as he uses his thumb to rub his digit against your skin. "Thank you" That's all he says. 

Watching him from that position, it makes you realize he's everything Eddie said before. He is charming, pretty, and has a good talk. He's also caring, smart and gentle. If you could, you would put him in a bubble and take care of him. 

You pull him by the collar only to give him a peck before sliding both hands down his stomach until your hands reach the elastic of his shorts.

He looks at you, confused and sort of lost with the action. "Here's a Halloween treat, sailor". You kneel in front of him.

The tone of your voice is barely above a whisper and it carries luxury, filling the air of the small closet. His throat is now dry as he gulps harshly. You pull down his piece of clothing before glancing carefully at his hardened cunt under the fabric.

It pulses when you softly touch his base and Steve almost collapses under your hands. He helps you get rid of his boxer, muffling his grunt when you hold it in your right hand. Your best hand, the one you know you can give a nice handjob. 

But this time you catch him off guard when your mouth gives him a soft open mouthed kiss on the glistening tip of his cock. He's kinda big, and thick, and it makes your mouth water with desperation. You glide your tongue until it reaches his balls and he flinches, hissing. 

"Jesus fuck" He cries. It makes you grin through his cock. 

Slowly, you swallow him until it reaches the back of your throat and you try not to gag. His reflection is to pull a handful of your hair and he slowly loses it.

Working along with your tongue, you start bobbing your head up and down, careful to not choke on his cunt. You cup his balls with your free hand and softly rub them against your soft fingers. 

Steve almost starts sliding down the wall, trying to hold himself up. He feels himself completely at your mercy, not knowing why it feels so good, considering you were good friends.

You hum while tasting every inch of him, feeling his dick twitch inside your mouth, dripping with precum.

He uses one hand to hold himself while the other one still pulls your hair. The sound of your throat against his dick is echoing inside the closet, while his breathing makes the air become stuffy. Your mouth sucks him so perfectly, your throat tightens around him.

"I'm not gonna las- Fuck-" He sttuters when you hollow your cheeks and suck him hard, the loud gasp coming off his mouth makes you feel so horny you almost give up on this. 

The way you concentrate on your movements, always switching so it doesn't give you cheek cramps, makes him want to thrust against your mouth. But he knows his limits and he doesn't want you to choke on him either.

He watches with bliss on his eyes the way your head bobs towards him and it makes him dizzy at your sight. You look at him with lust and awe, savoring his salty liquid, feeling how his fat cock stretches your mouth so it can fit in.

Your hand falls from his balls to his hairy and thick thighs, digging your nails into his skin, listening to every moan he spills against the thin air. 

"I'mgonnacum" He slurs and you feel his hips shuddering as he finally reaches his peak, washing over your throat. You swallow him entirely, his warm cum suddenly makes you feel too blissed from the moment. 

Steve can barely breathe, you watch him almost gasp for air. His chest is heavily panting and sweating, just like his flushed face.

You noticed how messy his hair is. After swallowing it all, you give him a quick peck on his sensitive tip and he pulls back from the sensation. 

He helps you get up from your knees, still staring at you amused. You quickly clean the corner of your mouth, licking the same spot. "God, you are fascinating". 

When he leans forward to give you another kiss, not giving a shit you taste like him, the door finally opens and Robin stares at both of you in shock. 

"What the fuck happened here?".

[trashogram]

Heyyyyy friendo

If you're willing can we get a fluffy hcy one shot for when reader was still pregnant? I can't get enough of her and Lucifer being an absolute dork

Like maybe reader is trying to do house work and Lucifer is trying to get her to sit down and she's just like "n o"

Not quite what you asked for, but I hope this will suffice!

***

You’ve been glowing for 5 going on 6 days, illuminating a good portion of the whatever space you occupied, and it was only that unmistakeable luminance that kept Lucifer from jolting out of bed.

The bedroom door had been kindly left open, and Lucifer hesitated only at the reminder that he had yet to take his slippers up from Hell and to your apartment. He leapt out of bed, clad in apple-printed boxers (the ones you could not stop giggling over as soon as you saw them) and sought you out. It shouldn’t have surprised him to see you assembling a bookshelf in just an old t-shirt in the middle of the living room floor. But the King of Hell stared at the bizarre picture in front of him for a long moment.

“Babe.”

You looked up at him and grinned.

“What?” His exasperation was mostly for show, already returning your smile with his own. Happiness was so contagious when you wore it.

“I couldn’t sleep.” You replied. “And the fact that this shelf was just sitting in the closet was driving me nuts. So I thought ‘why not?’. It’s better than just thinking about it till the sun comes up.”

“Better to become a carpenter than to cuddle with me, huh?” Lucifer gazed at you with too-big, saccharinely sad eyes and a quivering pout.

“Oooh, a carpenter like Jesus?” You asked. “You would bring him up, wouldn’t you my Prince of Darkness?”

“Pfffbbtt!” Lucifer waved your words away, sitting on the floor with you with legs crisscrossed. “You made that reference, not me!”

He sighed, head in hand as he stared at you with naked fondness. “You are a miracle though.”

Your arched brow and flick in the blond’s direction belied the color that rose in your cheeks. “Stop it, you.”

It didn’t stop the former Angel, continuing to make goo-goo eyes at you while you concentrated on lining up two wooden boards. Lucifer’s gaze set on the growing bump that now filled out beneath your breasts, visible even under your baggy clothing. He felt that overflowing flush of warmth through his whole body at the affirmation that you and the baby were doing well. The horror of your condition during your initial pregnancy was not gone from his mind; but he was more than tentatively hopeful that you would not only survive, but thrive. And so would your baby.

And then, once he or she was born maybe… maybe you would realize you loved him, or at least liked having him around. And maybe you would agree to see him and the baby sometimes, or even let them stay with you… and maybe he could be one of the things that made you happy in life…

“What’s that look for?” Your question catches him off-guard.

You’re not looking at him, busy twisting a nail into the bottom of the box you’d successfully created.

“Aha, hmm?” Lucifer cleared his throat. “I-uh, was just… wondering why you didn’t put any pants on to do this?”

You snorted, putting down your nail and tiny wrench. “Lucifer, you out of everyone should know that pants come off when it’s time to screw.”

“Hahaha, that’s so funn—o-oh, aha…” Lucifer went beet red with that and with your subsequent laughter.

—

You ended up washing your hands of the project when you realized your shelf was inside out. (“The instructions suck! And there’s too many labels. They want me to fail on purpose!”)

Lucifer took your hands and held you close, soothing your sore attitude with gentle words and fervent pawing as soon as you were back in the safety of your comforter together. The bookshelf lay forgotten until the late afternoon of the following day, though you fell asleep with a smile as Lucifer kissed your forehead goodnight, humming happily beside you.

[goth-mami-writer]

✨️Gojo AU Drabble✨️

{He's your ex that doesn't like it when you date other guys}

~~♡Did this for fun, and wanted to share♡~~

《 You saw your phone ringing that night as you hurried to get ready. Gojo, your ex, was calling.

....Of course he was.

Every post you made on Instagram warranted a phone call, but you knew this one particular would warrant special attention. Your new boyfriend had tagged you in a post showing the world the bouquet of red roses he had bought to celebrate 6 months of your new relationship. He was kind and sweet like a daydream, everything that Gojo just wasn't. It was a nice transition, seeing that Satoru was often none of those things.

But you noticed a difference in this new suitor that often made you hesitant when it came to dates and affection. You thought maybe it was how fast the relationship had grown. But you just weren't sure.

“Remind me why I haven't blocked you?” You said, answering the call as you unraveled the last curler from your hair in front of your vanity mirror.

You had only an hour left to get ready for your date that your boyfriend had planned, and you were rushing to be on time. A bobbi pin hung from your lips, and you realized your stockings had torn up the side of your thigh already. There was no way you could entertain Satoru right now. The jealous bullshit that he was known for with your new boyfriend was becoming a pain.

He laughed on the call after you answered. He loved it when you tried to act grumpy. You quickly grabbed your bottle of hairspray as he spoke haughtily with what you knew to be a shitty grin painted on his mouth,

“You'd never block me- shut up.”

“Yeah?-” You said, rushing to dust on your setting powder once you checked your makeup,

“And you'll never leave me alone now that I got a new squeeze, huh?”

Gojo laughed again, letting you have your little moment of fun, but his jaw tightened when you threw it in his face that you had a new boyfriend. He thought being promoted to CEO and making six figures would surely keep you from dumping him those months ago.

But, he never thought he'd be wrong.

“Oh, please-” He said, rolling his eyes over his dark sunglasses as he stood away from his desk at the office,

“Your little boyfriend is a fucking dork. He doesn't even know you hate roses.”

“I don't hate roses.” You said from across the room as the phone sat on speaker while you drug out your dress from its dry cleaning bag in the closet.

“Sure, but you prefer red tulips.” Gojo replied shortly, freezing you still as you listened to how much he remembered from your time together.

“-With the stems cut short… so you can put them in that vase in the dining room without them hanging over.”

Your mouth hung agape now, and you stopped zipping the back of your cocktail dress to come closer to the phone, almost in disbelief of how much info he was holding onto.

For what?

You thought this was all just a ploy. A mean act to get back at you for dumping him. This felt….emotional. You blinked quickly and scoffed, trying not to act bothered that he remembered something so stupid as your dining room vase,

“Did you call me for a reason, or did you just wanna just be an ass? I have to get ready.”

You heard him smile again after knowing that he had your attention now but then said concludingly,

“Just wanted to see what Mr. Smooth had planned for your…little date night- thing?”

“That is none of your business.” You fired off smartly, putting in your earrings until you painfully realized that this was the set that Gojo had bought you. Quickly, you became annoyed and tossed them back down to your vanity.

“Well. I've got a work thing tonight, so I won't bother you.” He said as you tried to find another pair of earrings.

-or literally anything else besides the thought of him remembering your stupid favorite flower.

“How gracious of you.” You grumbled sarcastically, and Gojo chuckled, loving the sound of your mouth getting tight when you became this pissed. Especially over something he instigated.

But you wanted to give him no satisfaction in this conversation and you mentioned deviously,

“Yeah, I'd call to update you later but… the bed creaking might be too loud for us to chat.”

You giggled, thinking that mental image might set him in his place but he responded fearlessly with a dickish remark that made your blood boil just right,

“Please- that accounts-receivable toothpick couldn't creak that bed if he tried. We all know who had to tell your neighbors not to call the cops at 3 in the-”

You gasped loudly in a shriek to his boldness and hung up the call with a smack. Your face turned beet red either in anger…or something much worse as you beat your fist into the dresser. He still had such a grip around you and the way you felt. You could never tell anyone, but....you dated this new guy solely to forget about Satoru Gojo once and for all. He wasn't anyone special. You hardly even tolerated him.

But, fuck, it wasn't working if this was to try and forget about your ex.

You put on a determined grimace as you slid on your high heels and told yourself that tonight was it.

If you thought about Gojo even once during this dinner, it was over. You couldn't string this guy along anymore. It wasn't right. You took a deep breath, but amid that moment of concentration, you began to laugh. Your shoulders shook the gentle laughter that grew louder with each second you tried to stifle it away.

You happily remembered the night Sato had mentioned being an ass. At 3am, Gojo stood at your door to ease the concerns of your worried neighbors who heard yelling and banging. You laughed harder, remembering his red face and labored breath, telling them whatever wild lie that might prevent a call to 911.

That's the kind of mischief you were used to with him. Together, you both laughed for the rest of that night and you knew now that you'd never find that joy with someone else.

They weren't Gojo. And that was the big ginormous difference that kept you away from committing.

Wasn't it?

"What a fucking asshole." You said with a warm sigh and a wide smile as your thoughts swooned in what you knew to be nostalgia.

Maybe your boyfriend was just a fucking dork?》

[singaroundelay]

I've been thinking about this scene for days now.

By actual RL time (and not 8-ish weeks of episodes), we're a little more than half-way through the EPL season... give or take.

It's impossible to imagine with Trent being around all the time in the offices that he hasn't seen at least one Diamond Dog mounting up. Or, if he hasn't been present he's got to have heard the barking coming from the offices. (Show-wise, we got close with the monkey sounds and Trent being called a sadistic nature documentarians — otherwise the other DD scene is sans-Trent) He's had to have seen Roy storm off like he isn't going to fucking be involved and he doesn't care about any of them except we know he really does, sorry Roy.

So you have this man who has always been on the outside looking in. We know from James Lance's own head canons that Trent was bullied by his father for being other. Growing up queer (even if we don't know how long he was closeted) he always would have been seen as an other growing up. An outsider.

Then he becomes this world class journalist, and though he might have unfettered access in the sports world, he's still on the outside looking in. He's not invited into locker rooms. He's only ever here to pass judgment on everyone around him.

And then Ted happens. Then AFC Richmond happens. And through a series of events, Trent completely upends his life for this ray of sunshine known as Ted Lasso. Ted helps him see that he's not an outsider in the way that Ted's gravitational pull is able to bring people together. He had Roy at Coach. He has Jamie acting like a team player.

He has Trent seeing the best in people.

Is it any wonder why he positively glows when he's around Ted? Why he's stopped masking his true self to the point where others can see he's a total fucking dork? (But he's my our dork...)

But even as Trent starts to gain trust of those around him, he still considers himself an observer. An outsider.

Until Roy storms out and leaves Trent in the room with the Diamond Dogs.

Beard: The Diamond Dogs are a group of men committed to supporting each other by sharing their most intimate thoughts, feelings and experiences. You in or out? Trent: Oh, I'm in.

No hesitation whatsoever. He doesn't need to know any more.

Because for the first time in his life, Trent is on the inside and he's going to grab that with both hands and never, ever let go.

That smile ❤️ It's the smile of a man who, at last, is part of something and isn't on the outside looking in.

For the record, Trent now officially knows if a marriage proposal is ever in the cards — don't do it in Paris.

[joyful-soul-collector]

Eclectic Ensemble

Pairing: Steven Grant, Marc Spector, and Jake Lockley x gn!reader (reader wears slightly more masculine clothing but other than that it's pretty neutral)

Summary: Reader decides they're going to ask the moon boys out on a date. Things do not go perfectly to plan

Tags: SFW, asking out, neighbors to lovers (is that a tag??), swearing, uhhh reader is a major fucking dork who talks to their cat like it can understand them, no TWs it's all fluff

Wordcount: 1288

Read on Ao3

You couldn’t figure out why you couldn’t stop thinking about him. You’d had crushes before, and those were tolerable, you would daydream, but you’d snap back to reality at some point, and go about your day like normal. 

With the man across the hall though… that was something else entirely. 

You tried to convince yourself it was just the mystery of him, the fact that he seemed to have three different accents depending on the day, how one day he’d be cheerful and awkward while the other he’d be suave or stand-offish or nervous. 

But you couldn’t convince yourself of that, because even after he explained to you that he had DID and was not in fact a method actor of some kind, you still found yourself fascinated by him despite the mystery being solved. 

Fascinated by all three of them honestly. 

You’d talked to each of them in the hall before, learned things about them, even visited Steven at the museum a couple days ago. That’s what started it honestly, you’d chatted for hours after he got off work, each of them periodically switching out to have turns to speak with you. Sitting next to them by the fountain, rambling on about anything and everything as the sky grew darker and darker, it was the most fun you’d had in ages. And by the end of the night, with the way you couldn’t seem to shake the thoughts of them, you’d think you were in love with all three of them.

Which is also part of the reason you were so nervous to be doing this. 

You folded the collar of your dress shirt down, sighing at your reflection in the mirror on your closet door. 

“What do you think? Too much?” You turned to look at your cat, who was sitting on your desk, not at all minding that she was wrinkling all your papers. She stared at you for a moment, then licked her paw. “Yeah. Too much.”

There’s no way they’ll say yes, you thought as you unbuttoned your shirt. Even if one of them likes me back, what’re the chances the other two will be willing to date me if they don’t like me? Even lower chances that two of them will be interested, and definitely not all three of them. This is such an awful idea, why the hell am I doing this?

As you were undoing the third button you heard someone walking down the hall outside your front door. Normally this wouldn’t be cause for alarm, but you recognized the voice drawing closer and closer. 

“Yeah, I know it’s your turn to choose dinner tonight, but I’m just saying, could you maybe not go wild with the hot sauce this time? You always do that and then leave me and Steven to deal with the stomachache after--”

A voice speaking in Spanish cut him off, and you would’ve started laughing if the panic hadn’t seized you right in that moment. 

They weren’t supposed to be home this early! You were supposed to have another hour to get ready, to rehearse what you wanted to say, to work up enough courage!

You didn’t even stop to think about what you were doing because you could hear them getting out their keys, and if you didn’t do it now you weren’t sure you ever would. So you sprinted to your front door and flung it open. 

There stood the man you’d been waiting for. It was clear that Steven was the one who dressed them that day, wearing his oversized clothes, but the perpetually frowning face 100% belonged to Marc right now. He glanced over his shoulder at you. 

“Oh, hey Y/N! How’re y--” He cut off as he fully turned around to see you, and it was only then that you remembered exactly what you were wearing. 

Not only was your shirt halfway unbuttoned, but you were wearing a rather old tank top underneath it, your bedhead was not the hot kind, you didn’t have any shoes or socks on, and of course, you were wearing a pair of fluffy blue pajama pants covered in cat fur. 

Marc was clearly trying not to smile, but it wasn’t working very well, and for a moment you were glad for it, as Marc seemed to smile the least out of the three. 

“I uh--Well I--Okay I was going to ask you something,” you said with an embarrassed laugh, running a hand through your hair as a nervous habit, but also just to try and get it under control a bit. “But just--Just hang on, lemme put on actual clothes--”

“Pfft, you’re fine, we don’t care about that, you should see the things Marc tries to make us go out in some days,” Jake said, his Spanish accent replacing Marc’s American one. “He would wear pajamas to work if me and Steven didn’t stop him. Go head, what’s up?”

You stared at him for a second, and in that moment you remembered exactly why you hadn’t been able to stop thinking about them. 

Because no matter who was talking to you, each of them had that same soft look in their eye. The one that made you feel instantly better after an awful day, that made you smile when you were worried, that made you feel like you could be yourself in a way no one else did.

The one that didn’t care at all how disheveled you looked right now, only about the question you wanted to ask him. 

“Do you wanna go out sometime? Maybe for coffee?” you said. Jake blinked, and immediately his demeanor changed, his head tilting to the side as fidgety fingers rose up to touch the strap of his bag. 

“You mean, like a date?” Steven said in his British accent. “You’re asking us out? All of us?”

You nodded and suddenly felt like looking anywhere but at their face, running a hand nervously through your hair again. 

“You uh, you guys can think about it of course, you don’t have to answer right--”

“We’d love to,” Steven interrupted. You looked up to find him smiling brightly at you, the excitement so evident in him he practically glowed. 

“Really? ‘We’ as in, all three of you?”

“Yes, yeah, er, well we've been meaning to for a while really, we wanted to ask you at the fountain the other day but… I dunno, we weren’t sure you liked any of us that way, much less all three of us.”

You gave a small laugh and leaned your arm up on the door frame, shaking your head. 

“I honestly don’t know how I couldn’t like all three of you. Really it’s a surprise that all three of you like me.”

You gestured pointedly to your rather comical outfit, and Steven laughed. 

“I dunno,” he said, tilting his head and gazing at your eclectic ensemble. “It’s kind of cute, in a messy sort of way. Jake and Marc think so too.”

“Oh? Well maybe I’ll wear this on our date then.”

He laughed again, and you chatted for a few more minutes, long enough to set up a coffee date for Sunday, before Jake said he needed to get started on dinner (much to Steven and Marc’s annoyance). 

Once you were back on your flat with the door closed behind you, you punched the air with triumph, letting out a laugh of both relief and excitement. 

“YES, yes yes yes! Fuck yeah!” 

Your cat stared at you with her head cocked as you did a victory lap around your living room, before returning to licking her fur, and you liked to imagine she silently believed in you all along. 

THE END

If you made it this far, congratulations, you have read the first x reader fic I have ever written lol. Lemme know what you think, I hope you enjoyed!

[demigod-shenanigans]

Have not posted about mine and @queenjunothegreat’s next gen kids in way too long so: Pipeyna kiddie

-Her name is Emilia McLean. Her go-to nickname is Em. When she’s in trouble, Piper calls her Lea. Yes, she‘s named after Leo. He would not stop wailing when he was told about this.

-Em is Sofía’s best friend. She’s three years older than Sofía and they grow up considering each other sisters. (Good luck trying to tell Sofía they’re not sisters because they’re not related, she’s not related to her dads either and they’re still her dads, so checkmate)

-When they were small, Sofía followed Em around like a little duckling, insisting to play whatever Em was playing and do whatever Em was doing. There’s nothing these two wouldn’t do for each other. (Also yes I gave them matching earrings in different colors because they’re dorks and they would.)

-Em loves skirts and dresses and putting her hair up in fancy braids. Reyna’s got the braiding covered due to her time on Circe’s island, but when Em asked her moms to show her how to do her makeup, they were both sweating profusely because Piper hasn’t let anyone put makeup on her since she was twelve and Reyna’s just never really bothered with it? They spent like an hour trying to watch a makeup tutorial before giving up and admitting they need help. Hylla never lets Reyna live it down, but Emilia is thrilled because “the queen of the Amazons taught me how to do my makeup” is a pretty cool thing to brag about. (There was a discussion on whether or not to call Drew instead but in the end they settled on Hylla because they knew Hylla would be annoying but not as overly smug about it.)

-Drew absolutely takes Em clothes shopping sometimes because she’s decided Reyna and Piper are both useless. Piper lets it happen because it makes Em happy but is also fuming about it. Reyna is honestly just grateful to be getting out of clothes shopping lmao her closet is almost entirely made up of work outfits.

-Piper and Reyna have a rescue dog named Kitty (Em named her when she was three, in honor of that the name is spelled in all caps in all official documents) and Em loves that dog so much. It’s entirely mutual. Kitty is wildly protective of Em and will bite people if they so much as look at her weird.

-Leo is Em’s chaotic fun uncle and they get into so many shenanigans together. Jason is a significantly less chaotic uncle than his husband but somehow always ends up caught in the crossfire of their uncle-niece shenanigans.

-Leo being the chaotic fun uncle inevitably comes back to bite him when Em takes a page out of his book and starts getting into shenanigans with Sofía. Piper is absolutely cackling in the background.

Some more lore stuff under the cut since this is getting kind of long

-Em is actually the only next gen child named specifically after another demigod. This is both because Leo is close friends with her moms and because in a universe where names have power, choosing the name of the guy who beat the odds and quite literally rewrote fate—who defied death not once but twice so he could have his happy ending—is the greatest blessing Piper can think to give her daughter.

-Leo has thought of himself as a curse for a large chunk of his life. The concept of having his name used as a blessing is something he never fully recovers from.

-Speaking of names: Reyna’s bloodline and family legacy was meant to be intricately tied to New Rome’s survival. It ruined her life and took away almost her entire childhood. She happily laid her family name to rest and took Piper’s when they married. They mostly live in the mortal world and her ties with New Rome aren’t nearly as strong as they used to be when she was growing up, but there’s a part of her is terrified that this will come back to haunt her daughter one day. She never tells her daughter about Bellona’s prophecy. She won’t allow for her to grow up with the future of New Rome on her shoulders.

-Emilia is a natural leader. Aside from her general proficiency with various weapons, her main power is a sort of motivational charmspeak—not quite Piper’s ability to control others, and not quite Reyna’s ability to project her own emotions outward, but a milder combination of both that allows her to demand the attention of other demigods, instill confidence in those listening to her and rally her troops. Everyone knows she’d be a praetor at Camp Jupiter in no time, and it terrifies Reyna.

-But Em is a legacy of Aphrodite and Bellona both. She has a place at Camp Half-Blood as well as Camp Jupiter. And when the time comes for her to choose, she chooses Camp Half-Blood and goes back to live with her moms once the summer is over. Reyna nearly cries with relief.

-Maybe Leo’s name worked. Maybe the prophecy won’t be of any relevance until they’ve all long passed, many generations down the line. But Em strays from the path that seemed so set for her. She’s free, in a way Reyna never was.

[nycbaby21]

"I really hope so."

*ends in a cliffhanger, if you guys want I can write more*

prompt: "Where do we go from here?" & "You tell me."

word count: 3,038

Rapid knocking woke me up this morning around three. In the moment I can’t tell which is louder the knocking or my heartbeat. I slowly and quietly tiptoe over to the front door to look through the peephole. As I pass the closet I grab a hockey stick Mat left me “for protection.” I argued it wouldn’t protect me much, but he wouldn’t stop until I took it. I see the hockey players outside the door soaking wet. I open the door and grab him pulling him into the house. “Barzy what the hell are you doing,” I ask voice slightly raised from the panic still coursing through me. He looks down at me to answer but his eyes drift to the hockey stick in my hand.

“Thought it wasn’t going to protect you,” he tried to joke but I could tell something was bothering him. I poke him with it while he lets out a small laugh and throws it on the couch behind us. The small joy he just had is gone and his eyes fill with tears. “She left me again,” his voice cracked and the dam behind his eyes broke. Tears began to mix with the leftover raindrops on his face. “Oh Barzy,” I say throwing my arms around him. He buries his head in my neck and squeezes my waist. I run my fingers through his dark locks, occasionally smoothing out a small knot. His body shook as he cried. I just stood there holding him, only letting go when he did. 

“C’mon let’s get you out of these wet clothes,” I whisper slipping my hand into his and pulling him towards my bedroom. He sat on the edge of my bed while I searched through my closet for clothes of his I had stolen over the years. I pull out an old Islanders shirt and some sweatpants and pass them to him. “I looked everywhere for this stupid shirt. I should have known you had it,” he laughed going to the ensuite bathroom to change. “That and about six more,” I say pulling back the sheets and throwing the top blanket I had for the cold off. Mat was a space heater and very cuddly when he was upset. So if we slept with that on we would both wake up sweating.

 Mat walks out and sees you fixing up the bed and just stops and watches you. He is so grateful to have you as his best friend. There weren’t many people who would be so kind and loving towards him when he woke you up banging on the door at three in the morning. I look up and just see him staring. “Stop being weird you dork,” I laugh tossing a pillow at him. He shakes his head and walks over to the side of the bed I was standing on. “Did you want this side,” I ask confused because he always sleeps on the other side. He just wraps his arms around me and whispers “thank you” into my hair. I take in a deep breath and hum in acknowledgement rubbing my hands up and down his back. 

When the two of us finally got into bed and settled down, my brain started to drift off. I had known Mat for about four years now and we had gone through a whole lot together. Every time I thought something would break us and make us drift apart, it only ever brought us closer. I don’t really remember when the lines started to blur between friendship and more to me. But as I am laying here next to him, I can’t help wishing it could always be like this. My thoughts were interrupted by Mat,” Thanks again for everything Y/n. You’re a really good friend.” I never knew one word could make me feel so sick.

I rolled over at ten o’clock and sighed turning over to see the bed empty. Worried Mat had done something stupid, I rushed out of my room and searched the house for him. I stopped when I heard a soft voice coming from the kitchen. “Yes I am aware that I’m not at home,” I hear him say to whoever is on the end of the call. I peeked around the corner and see Mat standing against the island rubbing his face. “Of course, I came here. She is my best friend,” he raised his voice only a little assuming I was still asleep. I could hear her voice now, the ex-girlfriend who hated me. 

We didn’t start out on the right foot and there was never really any going back from that. She cornered me at a team party and told me to back off of Mat because he wanted someone beautiful like her and not me. Safe to say I didn’t care for her too much after that. I was always friendly for Mat’s sake because he was truly happy and she was really nice to everyone else. So I held my tongue and tried to coexist.

“Don’t talk about her like that. She is the only reason I am still holding it together right now. Yes, it is fair. You promised after the last time you would stop talking to him and you didn’t. So don’t make me the bad guy here for calling you out on it.” I could hear her getting louder and he cut her off,” it isn’t the same. You dated him, you slept with him, you loved him. She is nothing more than my best friend okay,” his voice raised to match hers. His words hit me like a bullet. I tried to turn around and go back to my room, not trying to hear anything else to break my heart more. I bumped into a shelf I had in the hallway with my pinky toe. 

I let out a few colorful words and dropped down to the floor. I hear footsteps and Mat is quickly down on the floor with me looking me over. He finally sees me holding my foot and gently moves my hand to try and get a better look at it. I couldn’t really see much through my blurred vision thanks to the tears. At least I can play them off as physical pain now and not emotional pain. “Shh it’s okay, I got you,” he said holding me. He repositioned us and carried me over to the couch. He left and came back with a bag of frozen vegetables. 

He carefully placed them on my foot and looked up at me. “You okay,” he whispered. I shook my head yes and gave him the best fake smile I could. Apparently I had gotten pretty good at them over the years because he nodded and rubbed my calf. He brought me some pain meds and a glass of water. “You sure you don’t need anything,” he asks looking all over my face. I shake my head no. “Okay so what are we watching,” he says getting comfortable on the couch. I sigh wishing I could get sucked into a black hole at this very moment. “I don’t know Barzy, whatever you want,” I say looking at the TV and not him.

“Okay so you’re cool if I put on game highlights,” he asks already queueing them up. “Yeah that sounds fine,” there is no emotion in my voice. “Okay, I know you aren’t fine now. You hate watching highlights with me. Tell me what’s wrong so I can fix it,” he scoots closer to me and puts his hand on my knee. I tense up under it and his face drops. “Did I do something,” he asks voice filled with fear and confusion. “No you didn’t do anything. I told you I was fine Mat,” I hugh off already tired of pretending my heart hadn’t shattered five minutes ago. I knew it wasn’t his fault, you can’t help who you are attracted to. I know I shouldn’t take it out on him, but I just couldn’t bring myself to care at that moment.

“Mat,” his voice breaks a little and he gives me a weird look,” You never call me Mat. Y/n please talk to me.” I shake my head tears falling down my face again. He tries to wrap his arms around me and I shrug him off. “I really can’t do this right now okay,” I cry standing up and trying to walk away but the pain in my toe sends shock waves throughout my body. “No, you can’t just walk away. We promised to always tell each other everything, remember? So tell me what I can do to fix it,” he says moving to stand in front of me blocking my way around him to leave. I look up at him and I can see water brimming in the bottom of his eyes. “You can’t fix it. Okay, no one can. So please drop it,” I say dropping back onto the couch.

“How do you know that? You can’t know that unless you tell me,” I can hear the aggravation in his voice. “Please don’t make me do this okay,” I whisper pleading with him. “Okay I won’t,” he says after looking at me for a minute. He walks towards the couch and squats in front of me. “But if won’t tell me I’m leaving. I’m walking through that door Y/n,” he says sternly and looking into my eyes. I stay quiet and make no move to speak. “You know what forget this,” he says standing up and walking towards the door. “You know I came here last night because you are the only person I trust enough to be this way with. I guess I thought you trusted me enough too,” these were his last words before he walked out of the door. 

The last time I saw Mat was two weeks ago after he walked out. I didn’t blame him for doing it, hell I would have done the same thing. I didn’t tell him because I didn’t want to lose him and that’s what I did anyway. I tried to call him and left him a couple text but got nothing in response. The longer I went without seeing him the harder it was. I wasn’t sleeping and was barely eating. The doorbell interrupted my thoughts and I ran to it thinking maybe it was Mat. I threw it open to see an Islanders hockey player, just not the one I had hoped for.

“Well don’t look too disappointed,” Tito said when my face dropped. “Sorry, I just thought maybe, you what nevermind,” I said walking back to the couch and letting him stand at the door deciding if he should come in or not. He sat next to me and looked around my living room. “I mean this with so much love, but sweetheart you look like shit,” his voice is as soft as the look he gives me. I try to speak but no words come out. I just start crying again and he pulls me in. “I know,” he says. Of course he does, he is Mat’s friend way before he is mine. After hearing that I shake him off and move further down the couch. “Hey no. C’mon, we are doing this okay,” he traps me in the corner of the couch and doesn’t let me go. 

“You shouldn’t be nice to me. I hurt your best friend, you should hate me,” I choke out through my sobs. “Sweetheart you are my best friend too. Just because I see him more doesn’t mean I love you any less. And I know you would never hurt anyone on purpose, Barzy most of all. So I know you had a reason,” he looks at me waiting for some kind of sign. I nod my head yes and look up at him. “Okay wanna tell me why,” he asks quietly. I shake my head no. “Okay, you don’t have to tell me. But I will tell you this, two of my favorite people in the whole world are hurting right now. And if I can help even just a little bit I want to,” Tito had always had the biggest heart.

“You can’t tell him. I mean it Tito, not a signal word,” I say before taking a deep breath. “Promise,” he nods looking at me waiting. “I’m in love with him, Tito. And I have been for a while now. And he shows up here all sad about the breakup. I always have to help him when some girl breaks his heart. He always comes to me for comfort and cuddles and I give it to him every damn time. I kept thinking one day he would see me, as more than just a friend,” I start and finally look over at him to gauge his reaction. He is calm and just reaches down and grabs my hand,” I heard him walking to her the next morning. I guess he was talking to her ex again and that’s why they broke up again. She said something about him running to me and he said it was different. She dated, slept with, and loved him and I was just a friend. That’s all I will ever be to him. I tried to run back to my room and hurt my stupid foot and I was so mean to him. He needed a friend but I don’t know if I can be that anymore.” After that whole long rant, I broke down again and sobbed. 

He held me for what felt like hours. I finally cried myself to sleep on his shoulder. He sat right there and let me. I woke up and it was dark outside, the only light coming from the TV. “Shit is that too loud. I didn’t mean to wake you up,” he says turning it down. “No, it’s fine. You didn’t wake me up,” My voice was scratchy from all the crying. He looked down at me and smiled. “I love you, sweetheart,” he whispered bumping my shoulder with his. “I love you too. Thanks for not only being his friend but mine too,” I smile leaning back into him. “Always. Plus you smell way better than him. Well, usually not right now because wow,” he jokes and I hit him in the chest. We both laugh and it was the first time in two weeks I had done that.

Tito finally left and I cleaned up the mess I had piled up for two weeks. I took a shower and actually put on clothes that didn’t have old stains on them. Throwing them into the laundry I found Mat’s clothes from that night. I picked them up and hugged them. I really did miss him. Maybe there was a chance I could still be his friend and not break my own heart in the process. I quickly fold them up and grab my keys heading to my car. I drove to his place and sat there in for a few minutes working up the nerve to go in. His room man recognized me and waved me in. “Missed seeing you around here kid. Think buddy boy has too,” he laughs ushering me to the elevator. “Why’s that,” I ask stepping in after him. “I haven’t seen the boy smile in weeks. Is he okay,” he asks me. “I don’t know, but that’s why I’m here. Checking in on him,” I smile at him when the doors open on the right floor. “Give him my best,” he smiles and the door closes leading him back downstairs.

I took a deep breath and knocked on his door. I waited and waited but I didn’t hear anything so I turned around to leave. “Y/n,” I hear his confused voice behind me. I turned around expecting to see him just as bad as I was, but he looked just like he always did great. “You left these,” I say pushing the clothes towards him. He reaches down and takes them. “That all,” he asks, I can tell he is implying that I am going to talk to him about that morning. I open my mouth to try and speak but nothing comes out. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Goodnight Y/n,” he walks back inside the apartment and goes to close the door. “I’m in love with you,” my words rush out before thinking too much about it. 

He freezes in the doorway. His back is still turned but he quit walking. “I have been for a while and hearing you say you didn’t feel the same really hurt me, so I lashed out at you. And that wasn’t fair. But I miss you so freaking much Barzy. I know you don’t love me, which is okay really. If you can move passed it I can too,” I say walking closer to him. He slowly turns around and meets my eyes for the first time tonight.

I look past him into the apartment and something pink catches my eye. I know as soon as I see it what it means. They were back together. She was in there and I was out here looking like an absolute idiot. He follows my gaze and his head snaps back to me. “No. hey Y/n let me explain,” he starts but I shake my head. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me Mat,” I say turning away and start walking back to the elevator. I push the button when I hear his footsteps getting closer.

“Where do we go from here,” he asks as I turn getting on the elevator. “You tell me,” I say. This time he is the one with nothing to say and I am the one leaving. “I’m sorry,” he croaks out tears filling his eyes. I smile shaking my head and letting tears roll down my cheeks. “Don’t be. I’ll be okay, I promise,” I say pushing the lobby button. “What about us? Will we be okay,” he asks sounding like a scared little boy. The doors start to close and I give him one last smile,” I really hope so.”

[kandisheek]

FIC REC WEEK 45 – FAKE RELATIONSHIP

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: 27dragons

27dragons writes some of my favorite Winteriron dynamics, period. Both Bucky's and Tony's voices are perfect, and they're such dorks in love that it makes my heart melt every time. Since I especially love their fake relationship fics, I decided to rec them here, but honestly, you should just check out their entire AO3 catalogue, everything on there is fantastic.

Here's some of their work that I think you should check out:

Freedom in These Bonds

Pairing: Bucky/Tony Rating: E Words: 18,314 Tags: A/B/O, Arranged Marriage, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting

Summary: Tony’s been accepted to M.I.T., which only admits a small percentage of omegas each year. He can’t wait to get there, to stretch his intellect and broaden his horizons. There’s only one small wrinkle: omega students have to be married.

Reasons why I love it: Aaaah, this one is so good! Bucky is such a green flag all around, and I was constantly awwwing throughout the whole bonding ceremony and everything that comes after. Plus, the smut is hot as hell. This fic is amazing, and you should definitely read it!

Brideprice

Pairing: Bucky/Tony Rating: E Words: 31,974 Tags: Post-Apocalyptic, Arranged Marriage, Canon-typical Violence

Summary: An event known only as the Sundering destroyed civilization as it had been known. Now, several hundred years later, humans have banded together in tribes that war over resources and scramble for ways to deal with the occasionally-deadly mutations that the Sundering left in its wake. The Avengers thought they would be the next victims of the Hydra tribe’s steady expansion and subjugation, but instead, Hydra approached them with an offer of alliance, including a bride for Tony, the Avengers’ second-in-command, to symbolize the union of the two tribes. But neither Tony’s bride nor the alliance turn out to be what the Avengers were hoping for.

Reasons why I love it: Aside from the fake marriage – which is superb in and of itself – I really love the worldbuilding in this one. All of the lore surrounding the Sundering is super intriguing, and the way that 27dragons plays with Marvel canon here is so much fun. It's really well-paced, and the characterizations are on point. I love this one, and I really hope you check it out for yourself!

Don't Be a Disaster (Be Mine)

Pairing: Bucky/Tony Rating: T Words: 5,318 Tags: No Powers AU, Coming Out, Getting Together

Summary: Unexpectedly, Tony is alone for the holidays. He hates being alone, but surely his genius brain will come up with something. Bucky can deal with the stress of having lost his arm, or the stress of remaining in the closet with his family, but not both. And only one of those things is in his control. But coming out to them when he doesn't even have a boyfriend is nervewracking, to say the least. A chance meeting on the subway may solve both of their problems... and give them both a gift they weren't even looking for.

Reasons why I love it: Christmas with the Barnes' sounds so cozy! I love Tony's characterization here, Bucky absolutely stood no chance against his charms. And the way they meet is hilarious, I enjoyed every second of it. This fic is wonderful, and you should definitely read it!

Can't Talk (Like Real Adults)

Pairing: Bucky/Tony Rating: E Words: 30,264 Tags: Marriage Pact, No Powers AU, Idiots in Love

Summary: Bucky and Steve made a pact when they were young, that if they were both still single when they were thirty, they’d marry each other. Bucky could think of a lot of worse things than being married to his best friend. They already live together, the tax benefits would be pretty awesome, and he could stop worrying about growing old alone. That is, until he met Tony Stark. Yes, that Tony Stark. Rich, gorgeous, smart, fun, great in bed, and... actually interested in Bucky? Tony didn’t really do dating. It was too depressing to waste his time with borderline stalkers, fortune hunters, people just crossing off their bucket lists, and worse. He’d pretty much resigned himself to a lifetime of one-night stands. And then he met Bucky. Hot, nerdy, relaxed, and utterly nonchalant about the whole “Tony Stark” package in an extremely appealing way. There was just one problem: Bucky was engaged to someone else.

Reasons why I love it: Oh my god, this fic gave me everything I could ever want in a fic. They're both such fucking dumbasses – Bucky more so than Tony, but still – and I love every second of the drama. Also, the intimate scenes are just incredible, 27dragons and tisfan write these two idiots so well. Definitely check this one out, I bet you'll love it just as much as I do!

If Only in My Dreams

Pairing: Bucky/Tony Rating: E Words: 16,954 Tags: A/B/O, Mutual Pining, Christmas

Summary: Despite presenting late, Tony's father never had any doubt that Tony would follow in his footsteps and be an Alpha. So it is with more than mild dismay that Tony finally presents shortly before exams... as an Omega. Now he's got to go home for the holidays to fend off his parents' outdated notions, including his father's attempts to arrange a Bond for him. Bucky's had a crush on Tony since they first met, more than a year ago, but he keeps finding excuses not to express his interest. When Tony admits that he's looking for an Alpha to bring home to pretend to be courting him, Bucky volunteers before he can really think about what he's doing. But it's only for a few days. Everything will be fine.

Reasons why I love it: Oh man, I really feel Bucky in this one. If I saw anyone living in the kind of family dynamic Tony is living here, I'd want to take them far away too. Thank god for Ana and Jarvis! I love how Tony's relationship with Howard especially is explored here, and Bucky's reaction to everything is fantastic. Plus, the Winteriron Christmas fluff is so sweet, it makes up for all of the family angst. I love this one, and I bet you will too, so I hope you give it a shot!

[gallusrostromegalus]

What are Loly and Menoly gonna be like? In the anime&manga they didn't seem to do much besides beating Orihime up and then getting beaten in turn.

Well, until last week I did not know they had canonical names, and I cannot reliably spell "melony" so in the fic they've been renamed Cici (the black haired one with pigtails) and Vivi (the blonde with the pixie cut) , which is much cuter and fits with Aizen's weird double letter thing.

In the fic, they're aware that working for Ulquiorra is UGH, like- so lame. I mean he's kinda cute in a wet kitten sorta way but then he opens his mouth and says the dumbest shit you've ever heard in you life and you also live with Grimmjow so that's a low bar but there he goes, whining about emotions again. Like- we have, like? Prozac? Gin specifically brought you prozac from the human world boss. For you. Specifically. Complaining about being sad and then refusing to do anything about it is like, turbo-lame, you know?

(I may have also given them valley girl accents.)

But anyway, Hime-chan is like, SO COOL. She smuggled like, a ton of stuff in from the human world without Aizen noticing! ...And like half her closet but it was like? Subterfuge? Aizen got sooooo distracted by her wearing like twenty layers of clothes it totally never occurred to him that she might have stuff in the pockets so she brought all kinds of like, candy and nail polish- look how sparkly it is!! Okay, she did also bring her homework and she's kind of a dork but like? That's part of like? The charm? She's so earnest it's kinda sweet and you feel bad, you know?

Anyway, she's totes generous too! Like once she worked out that she wasn't gonna freeze to death, she said that if there was anything we liked we could like, totally have it? And she's sooo smart about like, color-matching- I'm a winter, but Vivi is totally an autumn, and there's a trick to picking out the right pinks and OH-EM-GEE! She totally knows how to tailor clothes too because uh- she's a little overburdened in the chesticular department, you know? Yeah, you know- Anyway, that's where this wicked cool outfit came from!

So like anyway, the thing I came down here for is that Hime-chan is also like, SUPER-GREAT at cooking which is really awesome because the only other person here who knows how to cook is Mr. Tousen and as you know the culinary situation is DIRE- Vivi says that yesterday, she saw Gin just like. Unhinge his jaw and swallow a raw chicken whole. He. Didn't. Even. Take. The. Feathers. Off. And worse? Last week I saw Aizen eating slices of white bread with nothing but mayonnaise.

They weren't even toasted.

So like, understandably, Mr. Tousen is like, MEGA-DEPRESSED and stopped eating which is super-sad so Hime-chan is gonna throw like, a kitchen party to see if we can get him to eat and then she was like- "we should totally invite the other girls!" Because I guess that's what humans are like, but she's really sweet and and she's so smart and she's gonna make like- what did she call them? Oh yeah! Guava-and-bleu cheese macarons! I don't know what they actually like, are? But it'll be good! C'mon it's gonna be cool and fun and there's gonna be a guava please say you'll come?

Tier Harribel, who has been doing an excellent impression of a granite cliff face this whole conversation: ...

Cici: *^*

Tier: ...okay.

Cici: OHEMGEEEEEEYYYAAAY! THIS IS GONNA BE SO MUCH FUN THANK YOU OKAY I'LL SEE YOU AT LIKE SIXISH? BYEEE!

Franceska: ...dude, what?

Tier: I have no idea, but I am extremely bored and actually borderline curious about this 'guava' thing.

[toxinoire]

I thought why the heck not share some H³+V headcanons.

• Full names are: Heather Kimberley Chandler, Heather Elle McNamara, Heather Alice Duke and Veronica Winona Sawyer.

• All four can speak foreign languages. Heather Chandler, French. Heather Duke, Italian, Spanish, German and Irish. Heather McNamara, Japanese. Veronica, French, Spanish and Italian.

• Heather Duke is both an English nerd and a Math Nerd.

• Veronica is an English nerd, smart at Math but hates it with a burning passion.

•Heather McNamara has the SCARIEST resting bitch face that you rarely ever see but when you do, you're fucked.

• McNamara, Duke and Veronica are massive dorks. Heather Chandler wonders how the heck she fell for them.

• Among the Heathers, Heather Chandler was the first one to call Veronica "Ronnie".

• You would often hear Betty and Martha tell Heather McNamara and Veronica "Can you two just flirt like normal human beings instead of hoping to die for one another thinking that gets the point across."

• That being said, these two are pretty suicidal.

• Heather Chandler and Heather McNamara are shopaholics.

• Heather Chandler will usually just arrive home with the most expensive ass gifts for her three chosen disasters.

• Veronica is a hopeless romantic.

• Heather McNamara will use any excuse to cuddle with any of them or all of them.

• Heather Duke is good with words. I feel like that elaborates it enough.

• Heather Duke and Veronica are basically the "128√e980 (equation of love)", "C8h11no2 + C10h12n2o + C43h66n12o12s2 (chemical formula of love)" kind of lovers.

• If her three disasters look at it with interest and obviously want it, Heather Chandler is buying it.

• Veronica once accidentally left her "love life" diary open and Betty ended up showing it to the Heathers. Leading to Veronica being smothered with affection from three flustered/crying stop lights.

• Martha was the first person to witness Veronica's wordy ass gay panic over the Heathers.

• Since Heather Duke is the shortest, they like to affectionately call her pocket sized and just squish her in hugs.

• Veronica has the softest hair and I will stand by that statement.

• "Could you two stop being such worrywarts?" "Only if you two stop trying to fight anyone within a two mile radius."

• They were outed at one point but Heather Chandler managed to turn the crowd to their side after shitting on the football team and saying "I'm also pretty sure a nice amount of this school are closeted people. Why so quiet? I'm right aren't I?"

• Veronica's self care routine is basically just the words "keep going bitch" said to herself in different accents.

• "Winnie" "Kimmy" Chansaw: *having a panic attack and a gay panic at the same time*

That's all.

[mickittotheman]

19 for the prompt game

FINALLY had time to write something for this. Hope you enjoy dear anon!

19. ...for luck

“What the fuck is all this shit?”

Ian looks up, meets Mickey’s incredulous expression with a blinding grin. “Mick! You’re home early.”

“No shit.” Mickey cocks his eyebrows higher and kicks his boots off, kicking them haphazardly towards the general direction of the closet. Normally Ian would be nagging him for it, but right now his husband is too preoccupied digging through the overstuffed trash bag of clothes on the bed to even notice. “Packing your bags on me already, Gallagher?”

Ian shoots Mickey a deadpan glare. “Please,” he scoffs, “I would at least pack my shit in a duffle bag, not some flimsy trash bag.”

Mickey lifts a hand to flip him off. Ian reaches out to snag it and drag Mickey closer, reeling him in for a slow, sappy kiss. 

Ian pulls back far too soon. “Debbie is clearing out the attic at the house because Franny wants to build a fort up there.”

“Good fucking luck with that. Pretty sure raccoons already beat her to it.”

A strange look passes over Ian’s face. He shudders before visibly shaking away whatever weird fucking memory he has involving raccoons. Mickey knows better than to ask. “Point is, she’s trying to get rid of some of the shit up there. Look! These are all the old clothes I grew out of,” he rifles through the bag again, occasionally pulling out random tees and flannels to present to Mickey. “Well, clothes Lip and I and Carl grew out of. Liam wasn’t too interested in any of these. You know how he is.”

“Least the kid has a sense of fucking style. Is this a fucking Captian America t-shirt?”

Ian glowers and snatches it out of Mickey’s hand. “Shut up. Comic books are cool,” he grumbles, and his ears just the slightest bit pink but the gleam in his eyes is pure happiness. 

Fucking dork. 

Mickey’s plans to mock him further are derailed when he catches sight of a familiar shade of blue. He reaches out. Picks it up. Shakes it out.

It’s funny, how fucking tiny it looks now, when back then Ian was practically fucking swimming in it.

“Oh, no way!”

Mickey’s breath catches, his cheeks heating up at being caught acting like a major fucking sap, but when his gaze darts up Ian is looking at a shirt that’s a truly offensive shade of green.

“I bet this can still fit,” Ian mutters, already tugging it on. “Yes!”

The seams on the thing look about ready to rip, the fabric straining around Ian’s muscles, around the little bitty belly pouch he’s been building up. 

In any other shirt, he would look hot as fuck. But in this…

“What the fuck is that?”

Ian beams at Mickey, then down at the shirt hugging his pecs, then up at Mickey again. “What? It’s funny!”

Mickey’s face conveys his disagreement far better than any words ever could. 

His gaze flits down to Ian’s chest again. To the garish green and the bold blocky letters spelling out ‘kiss me, i’m irish’. 

“The fuck does that even mean? Why would anyone wanna kiss an Irish person?”

“Ay, fuck you!” Ian laughs. “Besides, it’s supposed to be like, lucky or something. I think.”

Mickey raises a skeptical brow. “You? You’re about the unluckiest fucker I’ve ever met. You and the rest of your siblings.”

“Oh, you’re one to talk!” Ian goes to playfully shove at Mickey. Stops with his hands still on Mickey’s pecs, eyes finally catching sight of the blue flannel Mickey’s got clutched against his chest.

“What’s that?”

“Nothin’.” Mickey scowls, feeling his face flare tomato fucking red. He clenches his fingers around the fabrics even tighter. Ian squints at him suspiciously.

“Mickey,” he goads. “C’mon, babe. What is it?”

Mickey huffs.

Ian shifts his fingers down to twist his nipples through his shirt. It's a concerningly effective interrogation method.

“Fucking ow!” Mickey batts Ian’s hands away. Throws the stupid fucking flannel at him. “Jesus christ! I just fucking remember that one, or whatever.”

“This one?” Ian asks, inspecting the shirt closely, like there’s a mystery woven in the worn threads. “Why? I barely even remember it. I don’t think I wore it more often than any of my other shirts.”

Mickey looks at it again. Feels his lips tug up despite himself. Swipes at his nose. 

What the fuck ever. Not like Ian doesn't already know that Mickey’s a fucking sap.

“It’s uh. It’s the one you were wearing when you barged into my room with a fucking tire iron and a death wish.”

Ian blinks at him. Blinks at the shirt. “You remember that? Down to what I was wearing?”

“‘Course,” Mickey scoffs, like it's nothing. Like it isn’t everything.

Ian melts. Goes all goey and goopy and sticky sweet like maple syrup. “Mickey.” He drops the shirt onto the bed. Cups Mickey’s face in his big hands, pulls him in close, smushes his nose against Mickey’s hair and fucking sniffs. 

Mickey melts a bit too. Just a little. 

“Y’know, for being the unluckiest fucker you’ve ever met, I sure am feeling pretty fucking lucky right about now.”

Mickey flushes again. Rolls his eyes. Shoves him away. “Shut up.”

“What? You saying you don’t feel lucky?”

“Right now? Not even a little bit,” he grumbles, and Ian’s grin stretches infinitely wider. 

“Hmm. Maybe you oughta kiss me. Maybe some of my luck will rub off on ya.”

Mickey snorts. Giving into Ian’s tugging hands, melts into him again, melts into a long, lingering kiss. “Rather have something else rub off on me instead.”

Ian grabs Mickey’s hips. Yanks them impossibly closer. “Well, look at that,” he murmurs, smearing the words against Mickey’s lips and teeth and tongue. “It’s your lucky day.”

send me a number~

[legandairy-horror]

Headcannons about how the Lightner crew show affection for each other because I can't stop imagining these dorks as the world's most confusing and disastrous polycule

Kris

Feral animal in all things, including relationships. Is very particular when it comes to physical touch and other displays of affection. Instead they give out cool rocks and other shiny things to people they like/care. Has had a crush on every person in their class at one point or another and simultaneously refuses to acknowledge it and refuses to move on. Subconsciously uses their pranking and general weirdness as an excuse to get closer to people without having to admit that they like being around them

Susie

That one "Excuse me, they asked for no pickles" meme. Is willing to commit any crime for the people they care about. Absolutely refuses to acknowledge the fact that they have feelings for anyone even after going out on several dates with them. Not helped by poor self-worth issues making he doubt anyone actually liking her let alone romantic feelings. Deeply infatuated with Noelle, strong feelings for Kris. Complicated for Catti (started out real rough but thinks dark magic is sick as fuck)

Noelle

Lesbiab. Lasbein. Girls. Has such a low self-image of herself and tries so unbelievable hard to hide how weird she is that she just does not realize that every girl in class has been actively trying to date her and just assumes that they're all being nice. Not helped by some lingering Heteronormativity makes her just default to "Ah yes, boys and girls date, that's how that works".

Berdly

I cannot emphasize just how performative he views relationship. Raised on a healthy diet of Heteronormativity and Societal expectations he understands every relationship through that lens. "Of course the guy and girl get together in the end, that's just 'how it works'". Except it's not how it works, because people are often a lot more then what society expects from them. And he just never realized that there might be other options, that love isn't this destined thing that everyone one day accepts like fucking ex-caliber. That he doesn't have to do this if we doesn't want to. That he can just be friends with people instead of having to worry about all this forced bullshit. Yes I am head-cannoning Berdly as closeted aro/ace and there is nothing you can do to stop me.

Catti

Developed a crush on Kris & Noelle while she was teaching them both magic and never fully got over it. Also had somewhat of a friendship while they were younger and thus unjustly blames herself for not doing more to help them after Dess's disappearance and Kris's Possession. Combined with typical teen angst of "My parents are humiliating me by their mere existence." and she's developed a very distant and detached form of love. a very "I'm fine sacrificing my happiness if it means they keep their happiness" kinda mentality. Reason she doesn't get along with Susie at first is because she subconsciously projects a lot of her own anxieties and fear onto her leading to a lot of hostility at first.

Jockington

Token straight and is thus the only remotely competent person here. Serves as the supportive rock for everyone and especially Catti. The first and mostly likely person on the team to suggest the completely reasonable advice of "have you tried talking to them?" and "you're probably overthinking this". It's part of why Catti fell in love with him, because he's the only one here who would willing and readily admit that he cares for someone.

Bonus Monster Kid & Snowy meme (not at all serious)

"Have you ever been walking down the street with your best bro and while you're walking you accidentally touch hands? You think to yourself - That was weird, but I'm not gay. - You are, you are gay". Source

[eemamminy-art]

I'm feeling a bit better than I was earlier, and I wrote like 1400 words today 🙌🎉✨ because thinking about Mal and Alex makes me happy 🥺 I wanna share this bit that I thought was really cute

Context is that they're at the stardew valley fair together, in a relationship but still in the closet, and Alex has been going through A Time™ because of [REDACTED: spoilers] a few weeks prior

“No, I want to have lunch with you,” Mallory declared, putting up a sign over his grange display indicating he was taking a break.

They walked for a bit until the decorations for the fair faded into the distance, finding a quiet spot by the river to sit down. The sun hit it just right, making the dying grass feel warm and making the river sparkle.

“Here,” Mallory indicated, sitting down and gesturing for Alex to join him.

They sat cross-legged on the ground, side by side and shoulders touching. The town was behind them, making them feel like they were in their own little world— just like when they were kids.

Retrieving the sandwiches, Mallory was quick to unwrap his and begin eating. He was a little messy and a little bit too loud, but Alex found it to be adorable.

There was a small dot of barbecue on the edge of Mallory’s mouth, clinging to his sun-kissed skin even as he continued to eat rather voraciously. Alex waited until he had swallowed his bite, reaching over and swiping it away with his finger and popping his finger into his mouth.

Mallory blushed, knocking their shoulders together. “You’re so silly,” he giggled.

Cupping his jaw tenderly, Alex turned Mallory’s face toward his and pulled him into a kiss.

They were far enough away from everyone else that it hadn’t even crossed Alex’s mind to be cautious— or perhaps he was just so needy when it came to Mallory that he didn’t stop to consider the risks.

The kiss was sweeter now, gentler than it had been at the bus stop. Alex was always good about toning himself down whenever Mallory let him know that he had gone too far, the trouble was more that Mallory had a hard time communicating that.

Like now, for instance.

There was nothing wrong with the kiss— it was perfect, actually. Rather, Mallory was acutely aware that they were in the middle of town, and that even with their backs turned it would be obvious to anyone that they were kissing.

Despite that, he couldn’t bring himself to push Alex away.

He needed this, perhaps more than Mallory knew. Maybe it was even an intentional choice instead of a risky one, he couldn’t be sure.

Pulling back on his own, Alex remained only a few inches away, his eyes half-lidded and dreamy.

“You are so sweet,” Alex murmured happily.

“Thanks, it’s the barbecue sauce,” Mallory retorted with a giggle.

Alex roared with laughter, hugging Mallory close.

“You’re such a dork,” Alex grinned. “How do you always know just what to say to make me smile?”

“It’s just one of the perks of being in love with you,” Mallory cooed sweetly, “It makes me a hundred times funnier, but only to you.”

[ladykailitha]

Oh For a Muse of Fire! Part 10

Why yes I did devote an entire chapter of their “un-date” as Steve is calling it in his head, why do you ask? :D And yes they did both “overdress” for a meal between acquaintances (especially Eddie). If you want to see what they looked like in my head, let me know and I’ll try to draw them both.

Also Steve’s experience with D&D is what happen to my sister in college. She hates D&D.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6  Part 7  Part 8  Part 9 

*

Steve stood in front of his closet, hands on his hips in frustration. “Robs!” he called out panicked. “I don’t have anything to wear!”

She walked into the room and shook her head at the mess he’d made. “I see a lot of clothes in here. Hell, it looks like hurricane Steven came through.”

Steve put his head in his hands. “I don’t want to look too dressed up, like I’m trying too hard. I don’t want to look too causal, because then he’ll think I don’t care. I want to look nice, but not something that will show my scars. Fuck, Robs. This is hopeless.”

Robin sighed and waded through the mess, picking at the clothes. She handed him a light blue button up, a grey vest and nice blue jeans. “Here. And then pair it with your blue sneaks and tada! Everything you wanted.”

Steve put on the clothes she suggested and turned back to the mirror. He rolled up the sleeves to his elbow and nodded approvingly.

“It looks so good, Robs,” he murmured.

She smiled. “It just needs one more thing.” She reached around his neck and clasped a single silver chain. It fell to his collar bones and if he undid one more button it would show off his chest. You could still kind of see his neck scars but only if you knew they were there.

“How are we feeling about the open collar?” she asked gently.

Steve let out a slow breath. “I’m thinking it looks hot.”

Robin hugged him from behind. “I think so, too.”

He looked at his watch. “It’s about time to go, I’ll freshen up my hair a bit and I’m out of here.”

She kissed his cheek. “Good luck.”

Steve blushed. “It’s not a date.”

She looked at him fondly through the mirror. “I know, dingus. But it’s still a big step considering everything that has happened to you both since January. And it’s a little scary.”

He sighed and turned in her grasp to bury his head into her shoulder. “I know, and if I didn’t have you, I probably would have canceled twelve times already.”

She giggled. “At least that.” Robin let go of him and pushed him in the direction of the bathroom. “Go finish getting ready, you dork. Or you will be late!”

Steve laughed and went to do just that.

*

Eddie bounced on his heels as he waited for Steve to arrive. He refused to look at his watch again. The last time he looked he swore time had stopped all together.

Eddie looked down at his clothes nervously. He was wearing a black button up, completely unbuttoned, tucked into a nice pair of black skinny jeans. His hair was pulled back out of his face with a black bandanna, the sides of his hair loose to his shoulders. Over all that was his black leather jacket. Well, there was also all the loose chains at his hips, his rings on his fingers, and his lucky guitar pick dangling at his throat.

If Chrissy had been there, she would have told him he was being ridiculous. But she hadn’t been, so here he was rethinking his outfit for the billionth time tonight.

And then he saw Steve. Gorgeous, beautiful, amazing Steve. Yup. All those feelings of attraction and desire that Eddie had put inside his heart’s box, chained and padlocked to the extreme came bursting out all at once.

How could he possibly believe this man wished him deliberate harm?

“Hey, Stevie!” he greeted with a grin. “Looking good.”

Steve did a slow twirl to show of the whole outfit. “You think so?”

Eddie walked up into his was in Steve’s space. “I know so.” He put his finger under the chain and lifted it up. “Very nice.”

Steve blushed. “I don’t have as many as you, but it’ll do.”

Eddie huffed out a laugh. “You can never have too many.”

“If you say so,” Steve teased. He started walking, but said over his shoulder, “You look pretty damn fine, too.”

Eddie laughed and hurried to catch up to him. “Good to know.”

“We’re taking my car. I hope you don’t mind.”

Eddie shook his head. “I’d be more shocked if we were taking my van.”

Steve beamed at him. “Yeah. It’s so nice not having to take the bus.”

“Robin doesn’t seem to mind.” Eddie winked at him.

Steve unlocked Eddie’s door first before going round to the driver’s side and getting in. “That’s because she’s a zen master of the bus system. She always knows exactly when one is going to show up. I always get confused which one I’m supposed to get on and where I’m supposed to transfer.”

Eddie nodded, buckling his seat belt. “Yeah, it makes my head spin, too.”

Steve flashed him his most blinding smile. “Do you like Italian food?”

“Yeah, sure,” he said. “Is that where we’re going?”

Steve nodded as he pulled out into traffic. “I have a friend who’s mom owns an Italian restaurant and he’s been pestering me to come try it out for awhile.”

“So why haven’t you gone?” Eddie asked.

Steve gave a little half shrug. “Robin isn’t a fan and I only have one night off a week. So if she doesn’t want to go...”

“You don’t,” Eddie finished. “Yeah I get that.”

They pulled up to the restaurant. It was one of those nice little diner type places where the staff was all literally family and the food came from recipes generations old. Above their heads Tony Curtis crooned and the decor was like stepping off the plane onto Italian soil.

Eddie was in love already. With the restaurant, with the restaurant, he forcibly told himself. Not the boy. The restaurant.

There was suddenly this blur and it was tackling Steve. Steve barely managed to keep upright and laughed.

“Hey Dustin,” he greeted, ruffling the person’s hair.

Once Dustin stepped back, Eddie could make out who it was. He had a wild mane of curly brown hair and goofy grin.

“Hey, where’s Robin?” Dustin protested once he got a good look at the person standing next to Steve.

Steve sighed and Eddie could tell this was a long standing argument. “She doesn’t like Italian food. You know this. It’s why your mom makes meatloaf for every time we come to dinner.”

Dustin sighed. “I know. But I just want her to try Mom’s. I just know that if she had proper Italiana she’d love it.”

Steve shook his head. “This is my friend, Eddie. You know the person I did bring who will appreciate your mom’s cooking?”

Dustin eyed Eddie up and scoffed. “You do know that Mom doesn’t care if you bring dates, right? You can just say it’s a date.”

Eddie coughed and looked away.

Steve sighed. “I know that. But this is just a thank you to him for him helping to fix my car.”

Dustin wagged his eyebrows. “Yeah. Sure...”

“Can you just seat us, please?”

Dustin rolled his eyes. “Fine...”

They were seated in a booth and given menus. Steve scanned it quickly and then closed the menu.

“Already decided?” Eddie asked as he perused his menu.

Steve laughed. “The mark of a good Italian restaurant is how good their lasagna is.”

Eddie laughed, too. “Fair enough.” He continued to look over the menu and then finally set it aside it.

“Made your decision, then?” Steve asked with grin.

Eddie smiled. “The chicken penne Gorgonzola looked amazing, so I’m going to give that a try.”

Dustin came over with a pad. “So what will it be?”

“I’ll have the lasagna and a blackberry Italian soda,” Steve said, handing the menu to Dustin.

“And for you?”

Eddie picked up the menu again. “Are the Italian sodas any good?”

“Dude, they are amazing,” Dustin gushed. “They’re flavored sodas with cream and will knock your socks off. I recommend the lemon or the orange to start.”

“If you like orange Dreamcicles,” Steve suggested, “the ice cream bar, orange is the one for you.”

“I’ll take an orange Italian soda and the chicken penne Gorgonzola with no mushrooms thanks.” Eddie handed back the menu with a grin.

“Coming right up!” Dustin said and went to the kitchen to put in their order.

Eddie turned to Steve. “You really didn’t have to go this nice on dinner. I would have happily taken McDonald’s.”

Steve laughed. “Having my car back is well worth a place with waiters, I assure you. Being able to get into my car after a gig night was a god send, let me tell you.”

“Are they bad? Busy wise, I mean,” Eddie asked.

“It depends on what kind of band or solo act is playing,” Steve explained. “I love punk or rock bands. They tip well and limit the assholery to a minimum. Pop and country though? Fuck those guys. Seriously. Pop especially.”

“Do you get any other kind of music?” Eddie asked. “I know Diamond was saying that they’ve never had a metal band before us.”

Steve scratched his cheek thoughtfully. “Some. I mean rap, hip hop and R&B aren’t very big out here. We have had some more blues and jazz, weirdly enough. But they haven’t been very good.”

Eddie grimaced. “Sounds a bit...racist?”

Steve scoffed. “Yeah, from the patrons, but not Diamond. His wife, Amethyst  is black and she manages the financial side of things. She’s got a real brain on her. And she’s always trying to get more of those acts in. They’re just not interested.”

Eddie nodded.

Dustin came back with their drinks and Eddie had his first sip of Italian soda.

“Holy fuck, man,” he hissed. “That is like the ice cream.”

Steve chuckled. “Told you. You want to try mine? It’s blackberry.”

Eddie reached over and grabbed his drink and took a sip. Steve bit his lip at the sight of Eddie’s lips around his straw.

“Oh,” Eddie said. “That’s interesting. I like that.” He slid the glass back over to Steve.

“It’s my favorite.”

They chatted while they waited and just caught up with each other’s lives.

Soon enough Dustin came out with their meals, deftly placing each dish in front of them.

“Enjoy!” he chirped before dashing back to kitchen.

They started eating so the talk slowed a bit. Though once or twice Eddie went off on a tangent and Steve had to nudge his ankle with his foot to remind him to eat.

“I just don’t get why you don’t want to play D&D...” Eddie whined. “It’s lots of fun. Especially if you get a good DM.”

Steve groaned. “I had a bad experience. A bunch of friends from my dorm my freshman year of college were really big into it. And I thought, sure. At least I’d be playing with people my own age...” Eddie raised a questioning eyebrow. “Will tried to get me to play with his friends. Anyway. I build my character. They were all level ten or whatever so they let me have a level ten wizard.”

Eddie smiled. “So far so good,” he said around a bite of food. He swallowed. “So what went wrong?”

Steve gave him a pained smile. “The DM let me use fireball in a narrow hallway to see I could open the locked door.”

Eddie’s eyes went wide. “What the fuck?”

“I killed everyone,” Steve finished with a grimace. “And destroyed all their magic items. My dormmate wouldn’t leave me alone the rest of the time I was rooming with him about how I destroyed three years of work in three seconds.”

“Sounds to me,” Eddie said, resting his head on his clasped hands, “that the DM used you to TPK because he was tired of DM’ing them.”

Steve furrowed his brows. “What’s TPK?”

Dustin happened to be passing by when he asked. “Oh my god, Steve, if you would just play. You would know these things.”

Eddie frowned up at him. “Hey. He was just telling me about his first time and so what if he didn’t know. That’s why he asked.” He turned to Steve. “It stands for total party kill. It’s when the DM offs everyone’s character all at once.”

“Only dick DMs do it,” Dustin said smugly.

Eddie ran his tongue over teeth. “I’ve done it before. The group spent more time arguing over rules and which rule book to use than actual playing. So I nuked them and refused to DM for them ever again.”

Dustin’s jaw dropped. “You DM?!”

Steve rolled his eyes, smug in the knowledge that he knew something that Dustin didn’t.

He waved his hand dramatically at Eddie. “Meet Will Byers’ infamous DM.”

Eddie bowed as well as he could sitting down. “You know Will the Wise?”

Dustin’s jaw dropped. “Know him? Dude, we gave him the nickname. Back when we were in middle school it was Will, me, Mike and Lucas. Will was our DM. It was awesome!”

“Small world,” Eddie murmured.

“Hell yeah!” He looked over at his mom and grimaced. “My mom’s giving me the stink eye. And she said to tell you, you aren’t getting a bill.” He skipped back to the kitchen.

“Shit,” Steve groused. “There goes me paying you back for fixing my car.”

Eddie laughed. “You still showed me a good time. Introduced me to some amazing food, a cool drink, and I blew some kid’s mind. I think we’re pretty well even.”

Steve smiled shyly. “If you’re sure?”

“Absolutely.”

Part 11  Part 12 Part 13  Part 14  Part 15  Part 16  Part 17 Epilogue

Tag List: @artiststarme @allbymyselfexceptformycactus @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @itsall-taken @m-owo-n @zerokrox-blog @runyousillydetective @grimmfitzz @wonderland-girl143-blog @sapphirecobalt-1 @scheodingers-muppet @victor-thee-corvid @apricottree @bookbinderbitch @sleepyboosstuff @biatcgh @pixiefallingupthestairs @grtwdsmwhr @thepainisspicy @carlyv @eboyawstenn @bisexualdisastersworld @bidisastersworld @abstractnaturaldisaster @evix-syne666 @nerdsconquerall @lololol-1234 @goodolefashionedloverboi @chaoticlovingdreamer @a-little-unsteddie @val-from-lawrence @i-must-potato @elluminis @tailsfromthecrypt @danili666 @plyerice27 @alittlegreyfish  @n0-1-important @no-upper-limit-to-stupidity @maya-custodios-dionach @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @heaven428 @thedragonsaunt @ceaselessly-watching

[twoturtlesinabathtub]

Progress on Ch. 2 of Interlude, snippet below of Leon and Chris being dorks

Wesker was relatively slow to answer the door, and the waves of tension radiating from Chris were almost palpable as the other two men waited. Leon looked back at his friend. "Excited?"

Chris shrugged. "Just not sure what to expect," he said.

Leon grinned. "You're overthinking it."

The expression seemed to suck a bit of the stiffness from Chris's frame. "A little," he admitted. "Sorry."

On an impulse, Leon turned and leaned up to give Chris a quick peck on the cheek. "It's fine," he placated. "I'll bet I can help turn your brain off for a while."

"There's that confidence." Chris returned the kiss, though his lingered more. "It's kinda sexy."

"You think so?" Leon hooked a finger in the neckline of Chris's shirt, pulling him closer. "Keep talking like that and I'll have to throw you over my shoulder."

Chris actually laughed. "Good luck with that, Kennedy."

Glad that he'd been able to lift Chris's mood somewhat, Leon turned back around at the click of the door. Wesker stood framed in the entrance, expression neutral for a moment before his mouth curled into an almost mocking smile as he looked at his point man.

"Someone was speeding on the drive," he accused. Leon could tell Wesker wasn't annoyed, but the teasing seemed to have gone over Chris's head.

"You said not to make you wait," said the point man shortly.

Wesker hummed. "Yes, I'm sure that's why you were in such a rush to get here." Leon's face reddened as pale eyes raked over his frame significantly. "Please, come in." He opened the door wider and stepped farther inside.

Leon knew the drill, so he immediately toed off his shoes as soon as he'd entered the home, then shed his coat and went to hang it in the entryway closet; Chris followed suit without a word, watching Wesker ascend the staircase across from the front door.

When the two men were finished, Chris seemed at a loss, rubbing the back of his neck. "This is awkward," he whispered. "I feel awkward."

Leon bit back a snicker. "He's a little odd, but he's still just a guy. What do you think Wesker's gonna do, eat you?"

"Shoot me, maybe," said Chris absentmindedly. "You're positive he's okay with me being here? I don't want him getting all territorial on me."

Leon frowned. "Wesker doesn't own me. And this was his idea, remember? You don't have to do anything you're uncomfortable with."

"I know, I know. Hold on." Chris's eyes widened, like something had only just occurred to him. "You don't think he's expecting me to—to—" He made an obscene gesture with his hands and Leon couldn't help the loud snort that escaped him. "Like, I'm not trying to be rude, but I'm just not interested in doing that with him."

"I didn't get the feeling that that's what he wanted," Leon replied. "And if you can't say 'fuck him' out loud, then I don't know if you should even be having sex in the first place."

"He's my boss! It feels weird."

Wow, thought Leon, Chris must really want to get into his pants if the point man were willing to put up with how uncomfortable he felt at the thought of being in an intimate situation involving Wesker. More than a little flattering, that. "He's not your boss here. Just focus on me and don't let him get to you. Focus on me."

Vain as those words had sounded in Leon's own ears, they seemed to relieve Chris by some measure: he let out a long breath and his eyes stopped darting around the house, finally settling on Leon's own. "Okay," he relented. "I can do that."

"Good," Leon said, taking Chris's hand and brushing his lips across callused knuckles before beginning to pull the larger man forward. "His room's upstairs."