#struggled not to cry walking into college this morning

[poisonandpages]

So many more people are going to suffer

[stevie-petey]

episode two: vecnas curse

“Hey, guys?” Max gets everyone’s attention and points towards the boathouse.  Dustin is the first to start walking down, Robin and Max not far behind, and you stand back with Steve. “Yeah, sure. Let’s go into the creepy abandoned boathouse. Yay.” “We’ve done worse, angel.” You sigh. “It’s really depressing that you’re right.”

Summary: you and billy play marco polo, max interrupts a saturday morning breakfast at the henderson household, robin crushes steves dream of becoming a 1950s housewife, reefer rick has an odd taste in movies, boathouses are creepy in the dark, and eddie munson likes it when you pull his hair.

Rating: general, some swearing

Warnings: drowning, violence, swearing, fem!reader, use of y/n, blood mentions

Words: 10.5k (i wrote this in one day)

Before you swing in: hey gang !!! so i wasnt supposed to update so soon. and then i wrote this entire chapter in one day. so now here we are. anyways ! read the warnings, this chapter starts heavy. on another note: i start senior year of college on tuesday so updates will vary as i settle into my routine again so pls be patient !! for now, heres a very surprising and unplanned chapter 2, enjoy !

–

Water. 

There’s so much water. 

In your mouth, in your chest, burning your lungs and swallowing every scream that scrapes your throat to escape. Every breath you take, more water spills into your body and quiets the desperate cries and gags you. 

Your head breaks through the water’s surface and you inhale so sharply it burns your lungs even more than the chlorine does. You choke on the air, it’s sickly sweet, and a hand shoves you back under the water before you can inhale again. 

Bubbles encase your screams, your arms flail up, your legs kick wildly to try and reach the surface again. But the arm attached to the hand is strong, it holds your body under the water without effort. In the rims of the ripples above you, the corpse of a boy you once knew stares down at you.

“I’ve found you.” Billy sneers, his voice muffled by the water that rushes in your ears.

His eyes are cold, his skin sunken in and littered with cracks. It’s yellowed, decayed, edges of his skin have turned gray as he’s decomposed. Billy’s hair is matted and his shirt is torn and yet his hand shoves you underneath the water again and again and again.

You try to scream, you try to fight against him, but he’s always been so much stronger than you. Even in death, Billy Hargrove’s weight on you anchors you to the rushing water that threatens to drown you. 

Your head breaks the surface again. Billy pulls you up by your hair, your scalp burns. Air wracks your lungs as you struggle to inhale anything other than Hawkin’s pool water. Coughs shake your body, bile rises in your throat, and Billy shakes his head at you in disgust.

“I’ve found you.” He shoves your head under, your nails claw at his skin but he doesn’t flinch. Blood drips down his arm, stains the pool’s crystal blue, and yet you’re drowning still. Again Billy yanks your head back up, for a brief moment you can breathe, before his breath ghosts your face and he hisses into your ear, “I’ve found you.”

Water. It’s all you can feel around you. Your lungs are on fire, you scrape your nails the concrete as you struggle against Billy, but you’re dying. 

You’re dying.

Billy pulls you back, air kisses your face. Your vision darkens, more bile rises. There’s so much water. You can’t stop coughing, you think you’re crying, the chlorine stings your eyes as it sears your raw throat. Billy slams your head down onto the pool’s edge. Pain explodes in the bridge of your nose, blood stains the water even more.

“I’ve. Found. You.” You take one final gasp of air before Billy shoves you back under the water. 

You’re weightless. 

Everything goes dark. 

Suddenly your body rips forward, jerking awake so violently that it makes you nauseous. Your chest heaves, your body struggles to inhale the air that was so cruelly taken from you in your dream. 

It had been a dream, though the water felt so real. The taste of chlorine lingers in your mouth.

Panting, you force yourself to look around your room, list all the things you see. It’s become a little game you play, every time you have a nightmare so vivid that it challenges reality. Your eyes find Steve’s old basketball hoodie, draped over your desk chair. You focus on the bite of bitter cold from the charm bracelet’s silver that rests against your wrist. Breathing through your nose, you try to name what you can smell.

The scent of your mother’s famous waffles wafts through your room. Notes of freshly roasted coffee accompany it. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, your heartbeat settles down. Your fists unclench, your body finally relaxes. 

It was only a dream. Billy isn’t really here. He didn’t really tried to drown you at the pool. It was all just a fucked up, horrible dream.

“Y/N! Breakfast is ready!” Your mother’s sweet, doting voice carries through your closed door. “Come join Dusty and I, please.”

You rub your face, sighing deeply. The nightmare bears down upon your shoulders, the weight of last night crushes your chest. “I’ll be there in a second!” Your voice is brittle, exhaustion evident.

Breakfast with your mom and Dustin is the last thing you want right now, but you know it’s better not to deny Claudia. She’ll worry, ask you if everything is okay. You’re scared she’ll notice that you aren’t at Family Video for the first time in months. Every weekend you’re there to see Steve, to tease him with Robin. 

But the hurt that marred Steve’s devastatingly handsome face last night… You can’t see him, at least not right now. You’re not even sure he’d want to see you, which scares you even more. 

You take your time getting ready, your movements slow. In the shower you scrub your skin raw, as if you can cleanse yourself of the memories from last night. The betrayal in Steve’s brown eyes, Jonathan’s raspy voice asking questions that made your head spin. Lucas and his heartbreak as your brother abandoned him. Dustin’s denial of your code blue. 

Pulling on one of Steve’s old t-shirts, the smell of his cologne lumps tears in your throat. It’s all too much. You miss him, though how can you be sure you haven’t really lost him?

When you finally sit at the table, Dustin doesn’t look up at you, and your shitty mood only worsens. Only your mother brightens when she sees you. “Y/N! Here, I saved you some bacon, I know you don’t like it crispy.”

She slides some food onto your plate and you try to give her what you hope is a bright smile. Your mother can see through people in a way only you can, an ability she passed down to you. Today, you’re afraid that if she asks you what’s wrong, you’ll break. “Thanks, mom.”

Breakfast is tense. Your fork scrapes against the plate. The food looks delicious, your mother is a brilliant cook, but there’s cement in your stomach and you can’t bring yourself to eat any of it. Dustin doesn’t look at you even once, and your mother tries her best to make conversation. 

“So, any big plans for spring break?” She asks, looking eagerly at you and Dustin.

You push some fruit around on your plate. “No, not really.”

“Hm, well why don’t the two of you go and build something together? Remember that robot set from Stevie? I’m sure you and Dusty could build something with what’s left!” 

“Yeah, maybe.” As if Dustin wants anything to do with you right now. You must not sound convincing enough because your mother starts to frown. Panicked, you clear your throat and try to change the subject. “Hey, have you gotten any new toys for Tews?”

“I got her some new stuffed mice, but she doesn’t seem to like them.” Your mother responds, setting her fork down. She looks at her children in front of her, sees the tension that brews between them. Dustin hasn’t said anything all morning, and the dark circles underneath your eyes worries her. Grasping at straws, she rushes over to the T.V. and turns it on, hoping one of your favorite programs is playing. “Here, let’s watch something.”

Only the Saturday morning cartoons don’t appear on the screen. Instead, Channel 9 lights up. Hawkins’ news channel. 

“We’re at the Forest Hills trailer park in east Roane County.” A broadcaster announces as a swarm of people behind her gather around something. There are cops everywhere, and you get up from the table, curious. “We don’t have a lot of details now, but we can confirm that the body of a Hawkins HIgh student was discovered early this morning.”

Your mother lets out a strained gasp, the shock ripping through her body. Your own body stills, your heart skips a beat. The broadcaster drones on, explaining how the police believe there’s foul play involved.

Someone has been murdered in Hawkins. 

Over by the table, Dustin’s eyes finally meet yours. You know he’s thinking what you are. Monsters have plagued Hawkins for years now, but there’s never been something as gruesome as a murder. Not in the six years your family has lived here. 

Something isn’t right. The news channel interviews a plethora of neighbors in the trailer park. One woman talks about Barb, all the suspicious deaths since 1983. How Hawkins is cursed. Your eyes find Dustin’s again and you both exhale nervously. The woman is right, although she can never know what really goes on in this town. Hawkins is cursed, but not in the way anyone thinks.

Then, terrifyingly too late, you remember that the broadcaster had announced that the body was found in Forest Hills. Max lives in Forest Hills, and the body had been a highschool student. The police haven’t released the name of who it was and panic slices your nerves at the thought that it could be Max. 

“My heart can’t take it anymore. It just can’t.” Your mother whimpers, holding Tews close to her chest. Your heart aches for her, she grew up in this town and all it has endured these last few years is pain and death. 

Dustin sighs next to you and when the doorbell rings, he goes to open it. You follow, nervous and fretful as you always are.

Max stands on your porch, and the moment you realize it’s her, you pull her tightly into your arms. “Oh, thank God.” She stiffens at the touch, you notice that she’s out of breath, panicked. A terrible, horrible feeling of dread takes a hold of you. Pulling away, you force her averting eyes to look into yours. She’s scared; she’s never scared. “Max. What happened?”

Everything falls apart quickly after that.

Max drags you and Dustin into your room and collapses onto the bean bag. Her words are jumbled as she tries to explain everything. You sit motionless on your bed next to her, listening to every word she says. Dustin paces the room, both of you try to make sense of what you’re hearing.

“The body… It was found in Eddie’s trailer.” 

Your breath catches at Max’s words. Dustin’s steps falter. Nausea washes over you, you place a shaky hand over your stomach to quell it. You’ve left your brother alone with Eddie hundreds of times this year, and now a dead body has been found in his home?

“No, that can’t be possible.” Dustin doesn’t want to believe it, he doesn’t want to consider the idea that his mentor could ever harm anyone.

Max bites her lip. “The police have his trailer taped up, it’s under lockdown. And the body they found, she was-” She pauses, takes a deep breath. “It was bad, guys.”

“You can’t seriously think it was Eddie though, right?”

You catch Dustin’s arm and give him a warning look. He’s antsy, you get it, but he needs to calm down. Turning to Max, you ask the question you’re dreading. “Who was the dead student, Max?”

The girl looks down, plays with her fingers, and you can see the remorse that drapes her shoulders. Fear plagues you again, it had to have been someone you knew. After a few moments, Max finally tells you. “Chrissy.”

An overwhelming sense of grief forces any air left in your lungs out. Chrissy had always been so kind to you. She was a ray of sunlight, you shared a class together sophomore year, she had given you daisies when she heard of Will’s disappearance. 

Chrissy Cunningham was one of the few good things in Hawkins.

And now she’s dead. 

Dustin can’t believe it, either. “Chrissy Cunningham?”

“A-are you sure?” You breathe out, eyes following his pacing figure as Max nods.

“Yes, she was in her cheerleader outfit. Same thing she was in when I saw her with Eddie.”

You frown at this. “She was with Eddie?”

Max nods again, and you’re struck by how odd the entire situation is. Chrissy is, was, the head cheerleader. While she was always nice to you, she never interacted with anyone like Eddie. Hell, hardly anyone ever associates with the guy, so you can’t believe that she would even talk to him. That she would willingly step foot in his trailer, especially after the basketball game last night. 

You had overheard one of the kids on the team mention a party to Lucas before he left. Chrissy should’ve been there, next to Jason as they celebrated the win. 

“Did you tell the cops?” Dustin asks, still trying to wrap his head around it all. 

Max shakes her head. “No, but I-I can’t be the only one who saw them together. I mean, they stood out.”

“Are you even sure they were together?” You also can’t wrap your head around the fact that they’d be together in the first place. “Maybe… I don’t know, Chrissy had a friend who lives in Forest Hills as well?”

“No, Eddie and I are the only two students who live in the trailer park.”

Dustin paces again, in complete disbelief. “Eddie, the freak, with Chrissy, the cheerleader.”

“You know, his name’s not in the news yet or anything, but–”

“Eddie is going to be the prime suspect for Chrissy’s murder.” You finish for Max, understanding where she’s going with all this. It’s the only logical conclusion that can be drawn from finding a dead girl’s body in the guy’s trailer. 

Anyone would be suspicious of that, and yet Dustin refuses to admit it.

“No, that’s crazy.” He glares at you, he can’t believe what you’re implying. “Eddie didn’t do this. No way.”

Max looks at you, she has a grimace on her face, and your expression mirrors hers. Sighing, you try to reason with your brother. “Dustin, they found a body in Eddie’s trailer.”

“No way,” Dustin hisses out, eyes burning into yours. He won’t back down from this, he knows you hate Eddie but he’s furious that you’d go as low as to accuse him of murder. You’re so fucking hypocritical. “And, FYI, your annoying vendetta against him won’t get us anywhere.”

“I don’t have a vendetta against him!” You scoff, hurt that Dustin would assume you’re only saying all this because Eddie mildly annoys you. 

Max, sensing an argument brewing, gets up from the bean bag and intervenes. “We can’t rule it out.”

“Yes we can!”

“Dustin!” You and Max berate him at the same time, now standing in front of him. He isn’t listening, he’s blatantly ignoring the fact that someone died in the same trailer Eddie grew up in. He was the only one with Chrissy last night. Dustin is refusing to see the glaring red flags presented in front of him. 

“Look, you guys don’t know him like I do, okay? Y/N practically wants the guy dead most days–”

“Hey!”

“So I don’t necessarily trust her judgment on the matter.” Dustin doesn’t let you interrupt him, he’s adamant to defend his friend. “When we got to high school, Lucas made all his sports friends. Mike and me? I mean, no one was nice to us.”

Upset creeps up your neck. You had been there for the boys, offering them sanctuary their first day, but they had denied you. It hadn’t been enough for them. They didn’t want your help, not anymore. “Dustin…”

“No one except Eddie.” He finishes, eyes only on Max as if it’d make it sting any less. He recognizes what he’s saying, that it isn’t fair to you, but he’s too overwhelmed to try and clarify it all to you. Not right now.

Max’s shoulders deflate, her resolve dwindles but she still argues anyways. “Okay, well. They said the same shit about Ted Bundy.” 

“Ted Bundy was charming.” You snort, understanding what Max is trying to say, but it’s a poor example. “Eddie isn’t.”

She smiles briefly at you, the joke amusing her, but then she sees Dustin’s narrowed eyes and quickly defends herself. “I mean, he’s like a super nice guy, but then he’s murdering women on the weekends.” 

“So you’re saying Eddie is like Ted Bundy?”

“No, we aren’t saying that.” You mollify Dustin, although you can’t help but add in, “besides, Eddie could never lure in multiple women. We still aren’t sure how he even lured Chrissy in the first place.”  

Dustin is about to start yelling at you, you can see it in the way his mouth twitches and the enraged breath he exhales, but Max is quick to step between the two of you. She isn’t sure why you guys are at each other’s throats this morning, but she doesn’t have time to deal with it.

“No, we aren’t saying that.” Max glares at you, and you smile weakly back at her. “We’re-we’re saying that we can’t presume anything okay? But it doesn’t look good for Eddie.”

Dustin, now finally starting to listen, sits on the bean bag behind him. He lays there, looking small in the mass of the makeshift bed. He’s crestfallen, and your anger from earlier disappears. Sighing again, you sit next to him and nudge his shoulder. “Listen, I know it’s a lot right now, but maybe the police will find evidence that Eddie didn’t do it–”

“Why haven’t you told the cops this?” Dustin sits up, eyes on Max.

She crosses her arms, the question surprises her. “I… I don’t know.”

Dustin presses her, both of you notice how her body language changes. She draws into herself, she’s uncertain. There’s something there, buried beneath all the information she’s told you today. Something else happened in Eddie’s trailer, something she isn’t telling you. 

“Max,” you soften your voice, afraid. “What did you see last night?”

The girl’s knees find your bed and her body falls against it. Max’s eyes won’t meet yours, she almost seems scared. Her demeanor causes your stomach to drop. What could she possibly have seen that terrified her so much?

“After I saw Eddie and Chrissy go in the trailer…” Max looks up at you and Dustin, her blue eyes guarded, alert. “Something else happened.” 

She explains the lights flickering in her house. The static on her T.V., how the air felt thick. She tells you that she could hear a scream, Eddie’s fleeing silhouette ran into his car and the way the tires screeched on the pavement as he left. 

The more Max recounts, the tighter the fist of dread inside your stomach coils. Flickering lights, static… It can’t be what you think it is. You catastrophize everything in your mind, you always are the first to fear danger that isn’t really there. Hopper closed the gate last summer. He died saving the world. The gate is closed, the Upside Down is out of your life. For good this time. 

But then why does it feel like its spillage is leaking through the cracks you’ve desperately tried to glue over?

Max must see the panic on your face and she quickly backtracks. “Y/N, it wasn’t that weird or anything. Eddie always drives like a maniac and the power goes off at my place all the time. It’s a piece of shit, alright?”

“Then why did Eddie run?” The question taunts you, there’s something wrong with it. Shitty power grids and reckless driving can be explained, but why would someone scream while fleeing a crime they committed?

Max swallows. The question has been on her mind, too. “The look on his face… He was scared. Really scared.”

Dustin sucks in a breath, it’s subtle but you can feel it against you. He looks up, eyes meeting yours, and the dread that resides in your ribcage seeps into his. Max stutters out possible explanations, she tries to find something else to explain what it could mean, but you all know that it’s no use.

You realize why Max had rushed to your house. Why she hasn’t gone to the police with what she knows.

The fear on Max’s face when she arrived on your doorstep, how breathless she’d been from running over. That had been real, familiar. The same fear that crossed her face when you’d first unwillingly introduced her to the Upside Down all those years ago.

“Or maybe Eddie was scared because…”

“Something else killed her.” Dustin mumbles quietly, piecing it all together as well.

Your body is numb, your lips move but you don’t recognize the voice that speaks. “You think it’s the Upside Down.”

The words hang in the air, everything stills the moment they’re brought into the light. Beside you, Max nods, slowly, regretfully. As if she doesn’t want to believe it herself. “But, that’s impossible, right?”

Every year the impossible somehow becomes possible. Every year the wound that scabs over reopens, the blood of it chokes everyone you love. 

“I don’t know,” Dustin’s voice is soft, he’s scared, too. “It should be.”

“And yet we always end up here,” you laugh bitterly. It’s the same fucking thing, over and over again. 

Dustin’s hand finds yours, his touch is warm, yet unfamiliar now. He hasn’t held your hand in months, you almost forgot what it feels like against yours. “We don’t know that,” he squeezes your hand. He’s kind again, he’s your brother again. “There’s only one person who knows what actually happened.” 

Eddie. 

Whatever he saw, it’s important. No one will believe him if it’s the Upside Down, no one will understand that he hadn’t done anything at all. That monsters haunt the shadows of this town, that the deaths in Hawkins hadn’t really been deaths. 

You have to find him. 

– 

Steve doesn’t think he’s had a worse morning than the one he’s having today. He hadn’t slept, his exhaustion a reminder of how much of an asshole he had been to you last night. He had yelled at you; he’s never, ever yelled at you. Not in the entire three years he’s known you, not even when you’d hurt him so deeply by cutting him out of your life that fateful summer.

But last night Steve swears he saw the same look in your eyes that Nancy had in hers the night she told him she didn’t love him. He saw it, he knows he did, and he had been fucking terrified. He can’t lose you, he doesn't think he’d survive if you ever left him. Especially not if he’s the reason you leave.

Steve is miserable, and his foul mood only worsens when you don’t float through Family Video’s front door with a smile on your lips and a glint in your eye like you always do every Saturday. 

“Where’s Y/N? Normally she’s here by now.” Robin looks around the store, noting your unusual absence as she scans a movie to restock. 

Steve pretends not to hear her, he really doesn’t want to talk about it right now. He knows that if he tells Robin the two of you had a fight, she’d demand an explanation and promptly call him an idiot, regardless of whether or not he’s in the wrong. 

“Dingus, did you hear me?” Robin shoves the cart his way, causing it to hit his hip with a slightly painful thud. “Where’s that gorgeous girlfriend of ours?”

“She’s my girlfriend,” Steve grabs the cart and throws random movies inside of it as he starts to walk down the romance aisle. Fitting. 

His coworker doesn’t miss the way he avoids the question. Suspicious, she blocks Steve’s path and forces him to look at her. “You’re dodging. Why are you dodging? Where’s Y/N?”

“Robin, we should really be focusing on work right now–”

“Oh my God, did you kill her? Did all that hairspray rot your brain and cause you to kill Hawkins’ sweetheart and force the world to mourn the beautiful legacy she’d leave behind? Huh, is that it?”

“What! No, I didn’t kill Y/N. What is wrong with you?” Steve elbows the girl, he isn’t in the mood for her ramblings, yet Robin remains standing in his way. She raises an eyebrow at him, silently daring him to keep avoiding her questions, and Steve knows he has to fess up. Looking away, he clears his throat. “We, uh. Sorta had a fight last night.”

Robin frowns. “A fight?”

“Yeah.”

“But you two never fight.”

“Yup.”

“Alright, so it was all your fault then.”

Steve rolls his eyes, he knew Robin would say that. “I didn’t even tell you what it was about.”

“And yet I know it was all your fault.” Even though she’s kidding, she sees the hurt that flashes across Steve’s face and eases up. Clearly whatever the fight had been about was bad. Bad enough that you don’t show up to Family Video like you always do. Taking pity on her friend, Robin flicks Steve’s forehead and prompts him to start talking. “Alright, I’ll bite. Tell me what happened.”

Steve leans against the wall, rests his head back. He knows he should talk about this, Robin will know what to do. He doesn’t have the best track record of communicating with his girlfriends, and for the first time in his life, he wants to try with you. Steve would do anything for you, even if it means being vulnerable with Robin in order to figure out how to make you laugh his name so softly again. 

“Y/N was… Upset last night. After the game. She’s been having some problems with Dustin lately, and, I don’t know. I was trying to be funny, I guess? Cheer her up, get her to laugh.”

Robin winces. “Oh, that never ends well.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Steve huffs. He always somehow makes things worse, and last night he’d gone for a world record with you. “I just… I really wanted to see her smile, you know? So I joked about our future together, said we’d live in a shoebox apartment in New York after she graduates, and she just…”

“Lost it?” Robin shakes her head at him, trying to hide her disbelief. She wants to give Steve the benefit of doubt, but she thinks she knows where this is going. And it isn’t good.

“She told me I couldn’t come with her.” The words had branded themselves onto Steve’s chest, the flesh still raw and bleeding. You hadn’t wanted him to come with you; you didn’t want Steve anywhere near you. “She was just going to leave, without me.”

Robin stands next to him and she nudges his head with her hand, hitting him without any malice. He’s such an idiot sometimes, a hopeless, well meaninged idiot. “Okay, you’re being very thespian right now. I’m sure that’s not what Y/N meant when she said you couldn’t follow her to college. She’s like, crazy in love with you. Anyone can see that.”

“Then why was I the only one considering our future the entire time? I mean,” Steve scoffs, angry again. “I asked her what she thought we’d do after she applied to college, and she couldn’t even answer me. For months she was applying and she didn’t stop to think about us, about our relationship. She just… she was just going to leave.”

“And your solution was to… Follow her to college, unannounced?”

Steve recognizes how stupid he must sound, but he doesn’t expect Robin to understand. When you’re with someone, when you love them, your actions become theirs. How they breathe becomes your heartbeat, how they sleep becomes your solace. From the moment Steve’s eyes laid on you, he knew he’d follow you to the ends of the earth.

He just thought you’d do the same for him. 

“I wasn’t going to just show up at NYU unannounced, alright?” Steve pauses, he tries to find the right words. “But I thought… I thought she envisioned us together, for the rest of our lives. Instead she told me that I deserve better, as if I-I’m physically able to imagine a world where I’m not standing next to her, where I’m not a ten minute drive down the street.”

Robin bites her lip. She thinks she understands what Steve means, where his actions were coming from. She remembers the late night talks about Nancy, how the girl had hurt him deeply when she abandoned him. The surface level love that tainted his perception of himself for years afterwards. Robin knows that Steve clings onto any semblance of stability he’s presented. Years of being lonely and used have left him unwilling to let go of the ones he loves the most. 

But that doesn’t mean he should give up his entire life to do so. 

Robin thinks that this is what you really were trying to tell Steve, even if he’s too blind to see it right now. “Y/N wants you to live your own life. You gotta see that, Steve.”

“She is my life!” Steve throws his hands up in the air, he’s sick of explaining this to everyone. You’re his everything. You’re the blood he bleeds and the tears he sheds. His life is yours. He doesn’t care how pathetic it may sound or how dramatic it may seem. 

“Steve,” Robin places a hesitant hand on his arm, and when he doesn’t pull away, she takes it as a sign to continue. “Y/N loves you, she wants what’s best for you. Meanwhile, you have no idea what you want. You’re seriously considering abandoning everything to live in a giant, rat infested city, and you hate cities! I mean, what would you even do there? Lay around all day and wait for Y/N to come home like some 1950’s housewife? No offense, Stevie, but you don’t have the legs for a dress. Although, maybe if you wore heels and some lipstick–”

“Get to the point, Robin.”

“Sorry,” she shakes her head quickly, refocuses. “The point is that her not wanting you to follow her to college is nothing personal. If Y/N didn’t see a future with you, then she wouldn’t waste her time with you. Simple as that. But she does, and she’s totally, madly in love with you. Plus, we both know that the real reason you want to go with her is because you’re scared she’ll find some hot, 6’5 guy to replace you with and if you’re not there, she’ll be swallowed up by all those hot models and rich business men who prowl the streets of New York–”

Steve covers his ears, shoving Robin away from him. “Okay, okay! I get it, Jesus. There’s plenty of hot men in New York, you’re totally not making this worse for me.”

“So you admit that you’re scared she’ll find someone else.”

“Okay, no. I didn’t say that–”

Robin runs towards the other end of the store and grabs a VHS tape. “Ignoring you! I’m right, you’re wrong, and I’ve just found our morning movie: Doctor Zhivago.”

Steve lets her change the subject, he’s tired of arguing anyways. “You know I don’t do double VHS.”

“But it’s about doomed love.”

Of course it is. “Oh, well that’s relatable.”

“Precisely.” Robin starts to go on and on about an actress in the movie who’s hot, but Steve drowns her out as he returns the cart. She grabs the T.V. remote and clicks it on for their movie, but quickly their morning plan dissipates when Channel 9 comes onto the screen.

“... that the body of a Hawkins High student was discovered early this morning.”

Steve and Robin stare at the screen in silence, the broadcaster’s words echo throughout the room. A Hawkins student is dead. The temperature in the room drops, Robin shifts uneasily next to him and Steve presses his arm against hers, silently offering comfort. 

They stand side by side as the broadcast goes on. Neither one of them speaks, listening quietly as the details are revealed. It’s a horrific murder, from the sounds of it. The more the channel announces, the more tense Steve becomes. He doesn't like it, violence has always made him anxious. As his nerves spiral, he gets the horrifying idea that maybe the body is yours. 

He knows it isn’t, he dropped you off at home last night, but he hadn’t stayed to make sure you made it inside safely. Steve curses, he’s a fucking idiot. He left you alone last night, and if you got hurt because of his selfish actions, he will never forgive himself. 

Suddenly the front door opens and you run in with Dustin and Max by your side.

“Hey, Steve.” Dustin tries to get his attention, but the teen is already hopping the counter, sprinting over to you.

Forgetting about the fight from before, Steve clings onto your shirt and hugs you. His arms shake, you can hear his heartbeat stuttering a mile a minute. Overwhelmed with the scent of him and the feel of his body against yours, you melt into the hug as relief sags your bones. “You’re okay,” Steve exhales against your ear, his hand finding your hair. He tangles his fingers through the strands, tries to pull you in even closer. 

“I’m okay.” You whisper back, clinging onto him just as desperately as he is to you. 

The moment is interrupted by Dustin, who pounds on the counter to break the two of you apart. “Hey! Assholes!”

Steve glares at the kid, he doesn’t let you go, but he reluctantly steps away. “Someone was murdered, you know that, right?”

Dustin ignores the sarcasm. “How many phones do you have?” 

“Two, why?”

“Technically three, if you count Keith’s.” Robin adds.

You make a disgusted face. “I wouldn’t touch his phone.”

Max tells Dustin that three phones will work and the younger teen quickly takes off his backpack before sliding it onto the counter.

Steve narrows his eyes, looking at you with slight panic. “What is he doing?”

Dustin throws the backpack over the counter and Robin yells as the kid jumps over and lands with a loud thud on the ground. He brings down a pile of tapes as he does so, and Steve tears himself from your side to try and stop him, but it’s too late. The damage is already done and Dustin has sat himself at one of the computers. 

“Dude! My tapes, what are you doing?” Steve cries, groaning as he bends down to pick up the ruined pile. 

Robin glares at your brother as she huffs as well. You quickly hop the counter, an apologetic smile on your face, and bend down to help. “I’m sorry about him. He’s Dustin. That’s the only way I can explain his behavior.”

“I’m setting up base of operations here.” Dustin’s fingers fly over the keyboard, ignoring Steve’s distressed cries. 

“Base of operations?” Robin looks at you, she likes you, she really does, but sometimes she hates Dustin. “Y/N, I love you, but I’m about to strangle your brother.”

You hand her a tape and blow a strand of hair out of your face. “Ya know, I get that a lot.”

“Stop, get off!” Steve pushes Dustin, but the kid is like stone at the computer. Max is beside him now, having chosen to walk around the counter like a normal person. 

“I need it.” Dustin responds, not giving much else for an explanation. 

Steve pinches the bridge of his nose and turns to you. “Y/N, please come get your dog.”

“He’s not my dog–”

“I need the computer for Eddie’s friends’ phone numbers.”

“Oh, you mean your new best friend that Y/N and I hate? The one you think is cooler because he plays your nerdy game?”

You step in between Steve and Dustin now. You’re getting really tired of being accused of hating Eddie. While it may not necessarily be wrong, hate is a strong word. “We don’t hate Eddie, you’re just dramatic, Steve.”

“I never said he was cooler than you guys,” Dustin tries to amend, finally looking at you and Steve.

Behind you, Robin slams a tape down while she rebuilds the ruined pile. “Seriously, you guys, maybe on a Monday you can play around here like toddlers, but it’s Saturday. It’s our busiest day.”

You help her pick up a dropped sign, feeling bad for disturbing their place of work so early. “I promise I wouldn’t take them here unless it was important, please don’t hate me–”

“What Y/N is taking too long to say is that this cannot wait until Monday.” Dustin jots down the numbers he ends up finding. Steve drops his head into his hands, exhausted. 

Robin rolls her eyes. “I’m not blaming your sister, she’s an angel, but is calling Eddie’s friends really an emergency?”

“Correct!”

You drop your head onto the counter, defeated. Dustin is only making everything worse, like he normally does, and you’re tired. Steve stands next to you, allows a hand to fall onto the small of your back. Without thinking about it, he starts to rub soothing circles into your skin. 

“Want me to strangle him or you want to?” Steve asks Robin. 

“We could take turns.”

Not bothering to lift your head up, you leave your face smushed against the countertop as you speak. “Please don’t strangle him, my mom would be really sad and we can’t afford a funeral.”

“Can you just fill them in already, Y/N?” Dustin pokes your side.

“Fill us in on what?” Robin asks, exasperated.

Finally raising your head, you look at Max and swallow down any remaining uncertainty. The sooner you explain everything to Steve and Robin, the sooner you can find Eddie and figure out what the hell is going on. With Max’s help, the two of you give them an abridged version. 

“The murder happened in Eddie’s trailer.” You begin. 

“And the body was Chrissy Cunningham.” Max finishes.

Steve’s eyes widen. “What, so the freak killed her?”

“Unconfirmed.” Dustin snaps from the computer. He’s almost done writing down all the numbers.

“Not exactly. There’s some… details that we’re hoping to figure out, first. Before we go to the police about Eddie.”

Robin doesn’t like the way you say this. “What details?”

“The lights flickered in my house, I-I could feel static.” Max says, eyes downcast. Nothing else needs to be said, Steve and Robin understand immediately.

Now quiet, Steve’s hand finds yours. If it’s really happening again, he’ll be damned if he lets you go anywhere out of his sight. He’s not losing you. Surprised by the affection, you look and Steve and find that he’s staring down at you with so much tenderness in his eyes, even after you both maliciously hurt one another the night before.

It’s almost too much for you, the honey in his eyes that are meant for only you to see. Jonathan’s words from last night burn your skin. 

Do you ever wonder if we’ve made a mistake?

Steve doesn’t know what’s been said. Neither does Nancy. How could you possibly tell them what he’s done? The line he almost crossed? After everything the four of you have been through together, the deep history that divides you, how can you settle the ruins that Jonathan left in his wake? 

You can’t. Not without hurting everyone in the process. 

You’re torn out of your thoughts when Dustin calls your name. He’s giving out instructions, ordering everyone to call Eddie’s friends. 

“Y/N, you’ll call out the numbers we need to dial and write down any leads we get. Max, Robin, you’ll be with me on the phones. We need to figure out where he is, if he has any specific hiding places. Steve, you can bat your eyelashes at customers or whatever.”

Steve makes a disgruntled sound in the back of his throat and you squeeze his hand. “You heard the kid,” you lean against his chest, allow yourself to smile up at him. “Go bat your eyelashes, handsome.”

He laughs, and because he loves you, because he will always love you, Steve kisses the corner of your mouth, right where your smile line forms. It’s a quick, chaste kiss. Enough to remind you that he’s still yours, yet mindful of the fact that things may not be as easy as they once were between you. “Aye aye, angel.”

And then he’s gone, leaving you with such a rush of love for him within your bones. Later, when there’s time, you and Steve will talk, and he’ll still be yours and you’ll still be his. 

Everyone gets to work after that. Max, Robin, and Dustin spread out around the store and begin dialing the numbers that you read off from the list. Their conversations are short, all filled with the same set of questions. There’s at least eight people to get through, but dividing them up helps. 

Robin shouts at you to write down some kid named David who has a vacation home in Tennessee. Dustin tells you to cross off one of the phone numbers ending in 5823, apparently the guy and Eddie no longer talk.

Max, who stands the closest to you at the counter, hangs up the phone and turns to you. “I think I might have a lead.”

“Seriously?” Dustin spins around in his chair and Robin sets down her phone.

“Yeah, apparently Eddie gets his drugs from some guy named Reefer Rick–”

“Wait, Eddie actually sells drugs?” You thought that had only been a rumor, a stereotype from people who didn’t know any better. Why the fuck is a drug dealer hanging out with your fourteen year old brother? Alarmed, you grab Dustin’s arm and force him to look at you. “He hasn’t offered you any, right? I swear to God, I will stab his boney little body if he’s offered so much as even a whiff to you–”

Dustin rips his arm out of your grasp. “Can you not freak out for more than five seconds? Holy shit, no! He hasn’t offered me anything, he isn’t irresponsible with his business, he only sells to seniors.”

“So you knew he was a drug dealer?” You’re so going to kill Munson. 

“Guys!” Max claps her hands, breaking up yet another fight between you and Dustin. “The drugs aren’t important right now, what we should be focusing on is the fact that Eddie sometimes crashes at Reefer Rick’s.”

Robin pats your shoulder and nods at Max’s words. “Okay, that sounds promising. Where does this Reefer Rick guy live?”

“That’s the thing. No one knows. He’s more of a… a legend than someone people actually know.”

“Well that doesn’t sound suspicious at all.” You mumble under your breath, but Dustin hears you anyway and elbows your ribs. 

Ignoring your pained cry, he looks at Max. “What about a last name?” 

“I don’t know that either.”

“Bet the cops know a last name.” Steve says, back turned to you guys as he organizes some tapes. Max asks him what he means and he finally walks over. “I mean, listen, if this Reefer Rick is actually a drug dealer, I guarantee you he’s been busted at some point. Means he’s in the system.”

Dustin throws his head back in annoyance. “The cops? That’s your suggestion?”

“I mean, at this point I think they should be filled in on what we know, what’s going on.” Steve defends himself, and honestly a part of you agrees with him. 

Technically speaking, this is a lot to hide from the police. If this had been happening last year, you would’ve been the first to suggest telling Hawkins police about everything. But last year Hopper was alive, this year he’s dead. He’s gone, and the new chief wouldn’t understand or even bother listening to what you’d have to say. 

Hopper would’ve believed you. He always believed you. 

“The police won’t help,” you say, and Dustin is surprised you’re agreeing with him for once. “At least, not like they used to.”

“You think Eddie is guilty, don’t you?” Your brother accuses Steve, and a fight breaks out between them. 

Steve brings up some weak point about believing in everyone being innocent until proven guilty. “I just, you know. I don’t think we can rule it out.”

“That’s precisely what we’re trying to do here, Steve.” Max points out, annoyed by all of this. 

Dustin nods. “And maybe we’d have a little bit more luck if you spent less time ogling my sister and more time trying to find Eddie.”

You flick the kid’s head and Steve waves his arms out, defensive. “I wasn’t ogling her, and even if I did, I have every right to as her boyfriend! Besides, someone has to attend to the customers.”

“And by customers, you mean Y/N.” Robin teases, knowing she’s right.

“I’m right here, you know.” You don’t like this conversation, you don’t even know how everyone ended up here in the first place. 

“Sue me for trying to find a movie for my girlfriend, alright? We’ve got a very big selection in here. It can be super overwhelming, even if I’ve worked here for almost a year.”

You tilt your head at Steve. “You were trying to find a movie for me?”

He blushes, suddenly shy. “I mean, yeah. Figured we could… watch something later?”

“I’d like that,” you tell him shyly. Things will be okay between you, they have to be. 

Meanwhile, Robin types frantically on the computer, and Max asking her what she’s doing catches your attention. You walk over, lean down to stare at the screen in front of you. “Maybe we don’t need a last name,” Robin explains, pulling up the store’s video rental catalog. 

A list of Ricks pop up, and you quickly realize what she’s doing. “Oh, you’re a genius, Buckley.”

“Tell me something I don’t know, pretty girl.” Robin smirks, showing everyone else the screen. “There’s twelve Ricks who have accounts here.”

“That’s a lot of Ricks,” Max remarks. 

Robin nods, she expected this. “So, let’s narrow it down.” She clicks on the first Rick’s name and his movie rental history appears. “Rick Alderman’s latest rentals are Annie and Dumbo.”

“I doubt a drug deal would rent sensible children’s movies.” You say, and everyone agrees.

“Alright, Rick Conroy. Sixteen Candles, Teen Wolf, and Romancing the Stone.” In unison everyone says “no”, and Robin moves down the list. “Okay, Rick Joiner. Mask, Footloose, and Grease.”

You hum thoughtfully. “Grease, I like this Rick’s taste in movies.”

Dustin snorts. “But he isn’t the Rick we need.” 

Finally, Robin lands on a Rick Lipton, who has rented three Cheech & Chong movies over the course of a week, and immediately you all know that you’ve found the right Rick. Robin looks up the address and Dustin observes that it’s out by Lovers Lake.

Lovers Lake. Where you and Steve finally got together. 

As if thinking what you are, Steve’s hand finds the small of your back, where it permanently resides, and he shares a shy look with you. There’s fondness in his eyes, the memory from that night doesn’t burn him. The tension of your fight lingers, you both can feel it, but the memory of that July night causes you both to smile.

And it’s enough. 

– 

Steve is the one who drives, he’s always somehow the designated driver, and everyone crams into his car. You sit in the passenger seat, he doesn’t let anyone else sit there when you’re with him, and Robin complains from the backseat. 

“One of these days I’m going to sit up front and no one will stop me.” 

“You sat in the passenger seat yesterday morning, Robin.” You remind her, smirking when you see how squished she is between Max and Dustin.

“Minor details. Please drive quickly, Harrington. I think Dustin’s elbow is lodged between my third and fourth rib.”

Lovers Lake is far. The house is in the middle of nowhere, the perfect place to hide, so by the time you arrive there it’s dark. Steve keeps a few flashlights in his trunk, a precaution he’s adopted since befriending you and Dustin. He hands them out to everyone with the warning to stay close. 

“I don’t want anyone slipping away, you hear me?”

“Okay, dad.” Robin shoves past him, causing Max to giggle, and you pat his chest in pity. 

Dustin rings the doorbell, figuring if Eddie is really here then he’d want to see a familiar face. When no one answers, he starts to repeatedly hit the doorbell over and over again. 

“Guess he’s not here,” Steve says after Dustin rings the bell for the hundredth time, but the kid ignores him and starts to pound on the door instead, now yelling. 

“Eddie! It’s Dustin!”

Still no one answers, and you begin to think that maybe you’ve gotten it all wrong. There’s the woods, the abandoned Hawkins Lab, and a million other places to hide. Reefer Rick’s house may have been too far for Eddie to run off to. 

Dustin calls through the door about how it’s just him and that there aren’t any cops. Robin tries to get a look inside the house through the window while you shine your light around the house. Max seems to get the same idea and the two of you wander over towards the side, trying to find another way in. 

Only you don’t find another way in. Instead, you find an old boathouse down by the water’s edge. It’s huge, masked by the trees and house in front of it. Eddie has to be hiding out in there, then. 

“Hey, guys?” Max gets everyone’s attention and points towards the boathouse. 

Dustin is the first to start walking down, Robin and Max not far behind, and you stand back with Steve. “Yeah, sure. Let’s go into the creepy abandoned boathouse. Yay.”

“We’ve done worse, angel.”

You sigh. “It’s really depressing that you’re right.”

Slowly the five of you approach the building, there isn’t any sign of life. The door is unlocked, which is both a good and bad sign. Robin pokes her head in cautiously, calls out into the darkness. “Hello? Is anyone home?”

Steve walks behind you, guiding you gently with his hands. Everyone spreads out, Steve grabs an oar that he finds hanging on the wall. He shows it to you, raising his eyebrows as he silently asks if it could be of any use, and you nod. Following his lead, you flick your knives out, eyes catching on a boat with a tarp draped over it. 

Wary, you point it out to Steve, and he understands. Raising his oar, he brings it down onto the boat with force, stabbing at the tarp. Luckily he doesn’t catch on anything, or anyone, but Dustin yells at him. 

“What are you doing?” Then, seeing the glint of your knives, Dustin scoffs at you. “Seriously, you really think those little elbow stabbers are gonna help?

You raise them at him. “I stabbed Billy with them, don’t forget.” 

Besides, like hell you’re taking any chances this time. Even if Steve’s oar isn’t the most ideal weapon, it’s still a weapon. You’re in an abandoned building with a killer on the loose. Neither one of you is willing to risk being defenseless, not after everything you’ve been through together. 

“He might be in here,” Steve continues to stab at the tarp, and even you have to admit it’s overkill. 

“Just take the tarp off!” Dustin says through clenched teeth. Steve tells him to take the tarp of himself and again they spiral into an argument. You watch with slight amusement. Some things never change. 

Robin and Max find something over by the table, alerting you that Eddie may have been in here. Dustin waves an arm out in front of Steve, who’s still jabbing his oar into the boat’s tarp. “Don’t worry, Steve will get him with his oar.”

“I know you’re being funny, little Henderson, but considering the fact that everyone in this room has nearly died a hundred times, personally, I don’t find it funny in the slight–” A figure jumps out from behind Steve and grabs him. “Wait, wait, wait!”

“Steve!” You scream, extending your knives, following after them. The person shoves Steve into the wall, holds a broken glass bottle to his neck. Pressing yourself behind them, you bring your knife to the perpetrator’s face, digging its tip into his cheek. A mess of curly hair touches your face, the scent of leather infiltrates your nose. It’s Eddie. 

“Eddie! Stop!” Dustin exclaims, struggling against Robin’s hold. To your relief, she isn’t letting him get any closer, which you’re thankful for. “It’s me. It’s Dustin. This is Steve, and the girl with a knife fixation is my sister Y/N. She’s not gonna hurt you, right, Y/N?”

“Let go of him,” you sneer into Eddie’s ear, pressing your knife deeper into his face. The blade nicks the crest of his cheekbone, blood drips down, but you don’t ease the pressure. He has Steve in a chokehold, he could slice his neck any second.

Steve sees that you’ve cut Eddie and he knows you’re seconds away from gutting the guy, which would only escalate the situation. He needs you to be safe, he’s afraid that Eddie will turn the glass bottle towards you instead. “Y/N, angel. Look at me, I’m okay. Drop the knife, and I’ll drop my oar, alright?”

You hesitate, and Dustin screams at you to do as you’re told. Your eyes flicker between Steve and Eddie, lingering on the bottle that is pressed even deeper into your boyfriend’s neck now. A thud echoes in the room, Steve drops his oar. He looks at you again, his eyes pleading, and you reluctantly flick your wrist to put the blades away. 

The moment your knives are gone, Steve lets out a pained groan. Eddie only tightens his hold on him and the glass cuts his skin. In a heartbeat your hand fists through Eddie’s long hair and you pull. Hard. He sucks in a breath, clenches his teeth, and finally looks at you. “Cut him, and I will kill you.”

“She’s cool! I promise she’s cool!” Dustin shouts from across the room, doing everything he possibly can not to get both Eddie and Steve killed. He doesn’t worry about you, he knows you can handle yourself. He’s more concerned that you’re about to have blood all over your hands. 

“If you let me go,” Steve chokes out, careful not to move his mouth too much and cut his throat. “Y/N will be cool.”

Eddie doesn’t ease up, and neither do you. Despite the awkward angle of his head, he leers down at Steve. “What are you guys doing here?”

“We’re looking for you,” Dustin tells him, taking a cautious step forward.

Robin now speaks up. “We’re here to help.”

“Eddie, these are my friends. You know Robin, from band.” She pretends to play the trumpet to ease the tension, but it doesn’t work. “This is my friend Max, the one who never wants to play DnD. And you know Y/N, she used to hang out with Jonathan Byers all the time and I always talk about her.”

“I know all about Hawkins’ sweetheart.” Eddie sneers, flinching only slightly when you pull his hair even more. “She isn’t so sweet now.”

Your other hand reaches towards your back pocket, towards your knives, and Dustin’s heart skips a beat. He needs to resolve this. Now. “Eddie, we’re on your side. I swear on my mother. Right, guys?”

Robin and Max both swear, and Steve chokes out, “Yes, we swear on Mrs. Henderson. She-she’s great. You’d love her.”

Eddie doesn’t respond. Seconds pass, although they feel like hours. His neck must ache from the way you pull against it, and you see him staring down at you from the corner of his eyes. A crazed smile of interest crosses his face, his gaze lingers on your figure, blood drips down from his cut. You watch his every move, and when Eddie finally releases Steve, you throw him aside. 

“Are you okay?” Your fingers ghost over Steve’s neck, checking for any sign of injury. He’s panting heavily, finally able to breathe again now that there isn’t a sharp edge grazing his neck. Your touch is gentle, your hands shake, and you hardly even register that Robin is next to you. 

“I’m okay,” he breathes out, rubbing his neck. His shaking hands find yours, steadying them with your interlocked fingers. Mindful of the fact that Robin is present, he kisses the backs of your hands. “I’m all fine, angel. I promise.”

You want to carry him away, out of this town, away from anything that can harm him. You want to tuck him somewhere far away, where no one will ever find him again, alone with only you, safe and sound. 

But you can’t. Instead, all you can do is sit next to Steve, caressing his hair as your body slowly attunes to his again.

Eddie is crying a few feet away, his threatening persona long gone. His entire body shakes, his eyes are dark with haunted memories. Dustin crouches down next to him, and Robin joins. Softly, as if talking to an injured animal she doesn’t want to scare away, she tells him, “We want to know what happened.”

“You won’t believe me.” Eddie sniffs, sounding completely and utterly broken. Something horrible happened to him last night, something that will haunt him forever. The way he holds himself, how small he tries to become, how he shakes violently. They’re all signs of trauma, not guilt or remorse. He didn’t kill Chrissy.

Taking pity on Eddie, you reach out and rest a hand on his shoulder. He’s startled by your touch, only moments ago you held a knife to his face, and now your hand warms his body. “We’ll believe you,” you whisper.

He tells you everything. The details are gruesome, bloody and terrifying. 

“Her body, it just… lifted into the air and,” Eddie’s voice breaks as he cries again, and a part of you wants to tell him that he can stop, clearly he’s in pain. “And she just, she hung there. In the air. And her bones, they-they–” He stumbles over his words, but he clenches his fists and forces the rest out. “Her bones started to snap.”

Your heart stops. You can’t imagine how horrifying that must’ve been to see. The image of Billy’s body pierced by the Mind Flayer is still burned into your retinas. The same will be true for Eddie with Chrissy’s body. 

“And her eyes,” he shakes his head, he tries to get the memories away from him. “It.. it was like there was something inside her head, pulling.” 

Eddie describes the sound of Chrissy’s bones snapping, the squelching pop when her eyes exploded. “I-I didn’t know what to do so I-I… I ran away.” He stares at the ground, you see his fists tighten, he’s angry with himself. Ashamed. “I left her there.”

“There wasn’t anything you could do, Eddie.” You tell him. Anyone would’ve ran away. He’s human for being afraid, and you hope that he hears you through all the unnecessary shame. You know, better than anyone, how hard it is to hear anything over the roaring rush of guilt that floods someone’s mind. 

Eddie ignores you. “You all think I’m crazy, right?”

“No, we don’t think you’re crazy.” Dustin’s voice is gentle, softer than you’ve ever heard it. Eddie yells at him, he thinks you’re all playing some cruel trick on him. He’s stuck in a state of flight, panicked and ready to flee, and Dustin lowers his voice even more. “Look, what I’m about to tell you might be a little… Difficult to take.”

You sit next to your brother, everyone else stands behind the two of you as you face Eddie. Dropping your voice to its own soothing, comforting lilt, you lean in closer to the scared teen and offer whatever solace you can give him. “It’ll be difficult, but I’ll be right here, okay?”

Eddie stares at you, his hardened expression softening little by little. “Okay.”

Dustin takes a deep breath. “You know how people say Hawkins is cursed? They’re not… way off.”

“There’s another world, hidden beneath hawkins. And sometimes it… bleeds into ours.” You reveal, careful to make your words as clear and concise as possible. Even after all these years, it still feels impossible to explain it all. 

Dustin continues, beginning to explain the monsters that haunt Hawkins from the Upside Down. How you all thought they were gone, but that they somehow come back again and again. As your brother talks, memories flash before you. Billy’s death, Will’s disappearance, the darkness that infiltrated his tiny body. El, her powers. The Demogorgon, its cruelness and its tunnels.

Steve walks up behind you, your body falls against his, he draws you in. 

“They’ve come back before, that’s why we needed to find you.” Dustin explains to Eddie. 

Max steps forward as well. “If they’re back again, we need to know.” 

Robin asks Eddie if he saw anything that night, Max asks if he saw any dark particles. Any indicators that you’ve come to learn that signal the Upside Down, but Eddie can only shake his head. Dustin presses him further, describes what the particles would look like, but it’s no use.

“No, man. There was nothing you could see, or-or touch.” Eddie’s voice is hoarse, you can see the exhaustion in his eyes, but his words catch your attention.

“Was there…” You swallow, your mouth has gone dry. “Did you feel static in the air? Like an electric pull, almost as if lightning was about to strike?”

Describing the sensation is easy, it’s the same feeling you’ve come to associate with El. Her powers, they have a magnetic pull to them. It’s hard to miss, easy to feel. 

Eddie stares at you, and slowly, with hesitancy, he nods.

You fall back against Steve’s chest. Everyone else goes silent as the realization settles upon the room. It’s happening again. The dread crawls over your neck, settles into your throat. It will never end. 

“She couldn't move. It was like she was-she was in a trance or something.” Eddie says, unaware of the despair surrounding everyone. 

Dustin looks at you, his eyes reflect the grief that you feel. “Or under a spell.”

“Like El.”

He nods, before Eddie adds, “Or a curse.”

“Vecna’s curse.” Dustin says, eyes now on Eddie, and a cold chill creeps down your spine.

Steve asks who Vecna is, and upon hearing the name again, a pang rips through your head. Dustin explains who Vecna is, a character in Eddie’s DnD campaign, but you don’t hear any of it. You gasp in pain, the beginning stages of a migraine darken your vision and twist your stomach. Max notices, her eyes trail up your body and linger on the hand pressed against your head. 

Lost in the pressure building within your skull, you don’t see the way Max almost seems to know what’s happening. 

She doesn’t say anything.

-

⌑ series masterlist

⌑ i am no longer doing a taglist, my apologies ! however, please feel free to like, reblog, and comment instead :)

[mandarinmoons]

hi! could I maybe request a spencer x reader where reader is a college student (she's like 20 something) and her exams are coming up and she's really struggling with stress and anxiety and low self esteem and no motivation and in the process shuts spencer off but spencer is a very stubborn and caring boyfriend and tries to help her?

have a great day love! 🫶🏻

Countless papers and empty cups of coffee littered your desk as you were sitting, slouched in your chair. You’d lost count of what time it was, the last thing you remember was that it was around 8:30 in the morning when you woke up, had some toast for breakfast and dove into your studies. Now, the sun was setting and your stomach was aching because of how empty it was and yet you still stayed in the exact same position, scanning your notes and trying to memorize every detail.

You were so deep in your studies that you didn’t hear your boyfriend Spencer let himself in. Spencer looked over your apartment and saw how unlived it looked. Usually your TV would be on with a random show playing in the background and the smell of your favorite candle filling the air, but it was dead silent and no hint of magnolia was sensed anywhere.

As he walked into the kitchen he barely saw any dishes in the sink which made him concerned. Spencer knew that you were working hard on preparing for your final exams, but seeing you not taking the time to take care of yourself worried him deeply.

Spencer walked to your bedroom and sighed when he saw you resting your head on your desk, head nestled between your arms.

“Sweetheart…”,

He made his way to you and rested his hand on your head, his thumb caressing over your hair. The act of affection awoke you and you stayed put as you let Spencer comfort you.

“I think you’ve been working too much.”

“I’m okay.”

Spencer crouched down to your level and brushed the hair out of your face, “Your face says otherwise.”

You rolled your eyes at his words and a light chuckle left his lips. Spencer was always worried about your well being and especially for the past few weeks. You had a habit of throwing yourself into your work and giving it your all, but in the process you’d forget to take care of your basic everyday needs and Spencer was adamant about reminding you of the smallest of tasks, from brushing your teeth to drinking enough water.

“Spencer, I’m alright. You don’t have to keep checking up on me.”

Spencer wanted to believe you, but the tears in the corners of your eyes told a different story.

“I’m fine Spence, really,” the tears poured down your face before you had a chance to hide them, your throat burning as you tried to hold back a cry.

Feeling ashamed, you wiped at your cheeks harshly and Spencer pulled you tight into his chest, one hand still caressing your head while the other one rested on your back.

Sobs racked through your body as all the pent up stress finally had a chance to be let out, shaking from anxiety and hiccups being choked out.

After some time, your cries calmed down and you felt your body go limp in Spencer’s arms, as the crying had exhausted you to the point where you thought you would fall asleep right then and there.

Before you had a chance to let the exhaustion consume you, you felt Spencer pick you up and lay you down on your bed. He crawled down next to you and brushed his thumb over the red streaks across your cheeks. He looked so sad, seeing how your state of being affected him so much made you feel guilty. Why couldn’t you have taken more breaks? Spencer was probably scolding you inside his head for skipping lunch so many times.

“I’m not mad at you, you know.”

“You’re not?”

Spencer shook his head and rubbed his thumb over your temple, “I could never be mad at you.”

Another set of tears were burning your eyes as you took in his words. Before they had a chance to spill over, Spencer nuzzled closer and kissed your cheek a few times causing you to giggle.

“I hope you know you’re not getting rid of me so easily.”

“I know.”

“Good, now,” Spencer pulled you close into his chest, the smell of his cologne instantly putting you at ease. It's as if the anxiety attack you experienced not too long ago never even happened.

“I want you to stay put for the next hour or so, just rest and then later we’re going to take a bath and have a nice dinner, how does that sound?”

“That sounds amazing,” your face was already tucked into the crook of his neck, feeling Spencer squirm lightly as your breath tickled his neck.

It always amused you how sensitive he was and you were trying your best not to place a kiss to the skin of his neck as you knew he’d erupt into laughter, a sound that easily made even the worst days brighter, but you decided not to tease him, for now at least.

What was supposed to be an hour of cuddling, turned into both of you waking up at 9 PM, dazed and not knowing what planet either of you were on.

Seeing that it was a little too late to prepare dinner at this time at night, you both settled on frying some eggs & bacon and Spencer cut up some fruit for the side, as well as telling you some fun facts about them.

“Did you know that bananas are full of several types of antioxidants that are linked to reduced risk of heart disease and macular degeneration?”

“I do now.”

As you finished eating, Spencer wouldn’t let you go back to sleep until you had a shower. You huffed and got in the shower, letting the warm water run down your body as you lathered your loofah in soap.

Walking out of the bathroom clean & fresh, you walked to your bedroom and a gasp left your lips as you took in the sight in front of you.

The room was lit up with candles, the signature scent of magnolia in the air. The bed was covered in multiple pillows and blankets, making it the coziest spot you’ve seen in a while, while the papers on your desk were organized into neat stacks.

“How’re you feeling?”

Turning your head, Spencer walked in and held two mugs, the smell of peppermint emanating from them. Peppermint tea, once again, one of your favorites.

“A lot better now, thanks,” Spencer handed you the mug as the both of you sat on the edge of the bed.

“Y/N, you can’t keep going on like this.”

“I know, I know. I’m sorry.”

Your eyes settled on the mug in your hands as Spencer’s hand found its spot on your lower back again.

“Don’t be sorry, just try to tell me when you need some help, okay?”

“I will.”

“Good.”

Spencer pressed his lips to your forehead in a kiss before resting his own forehead against yours, as a simple act of intimacy that meant the whole world.

“Now c’mon, let’s have our tea before it gets cold.”

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[pinktyuns]

sleepy spring mornings featuring choi yeonjun

hot.

was the only thought going through your still half-asleep brain as you struggled to blink open your eyes.

it’s so fucking hot.

once you were kinda awake, with open blinking eyes you regarded what the hell was making you so hot. bright washington sun crept through the curtains, sweeping the tranquil hotel room in a beautiful light.

looking to your right, you found the heat source, the culprit.

choi yeonjun, your boyfriend, sleeping ever so peacefully nuzzled into your side, brown hair messy and tussled with sleep, his arm thrown lazily over your stomach, keeping you close to him and his goddamn furnace of a body, his leg draped and entangled with yours under the sheets.

looking at him, seeing his breath rise and fall softly, the pout that seemed to always be on his lips jutting out, you couldn’t help but smile.

it was rare to see him like this, be with him like this, and instead of running away from his heat you brought him closer, wrapping your arms around him as he nuzzled closer to you, burying his face into your neck, his soft breath tickling you.

you brought your hand up to his messy head, smoothing the brown down and running your fingers through it, scratching his head lightly. he exhaled happily and, still seeming to be asleep, moved a little bit so you could see his face.

you felt like the grinch seeing him like this, your heart growing 3 sizes bigger at the sight of yeonjun.

you watched him breathe in and out, softly tracing his perfectly shaped face with your finger. across his brow bone, down his perfect sloped nose, softly grazing his cute little cupids bow, tapping his perfect pout ever so softly.

maybe it was the early morning making you feel your emotions even more so, but seeing him sleeping peacefully, cuddled up to you, lit up by the morning sun, you felt as if you might cry.

dating yeonjun wasn’t the easiest thing all the time, his schedule insanely demanding, your college classes challenging, and sometimes it was hard to just get a 15 minute facetime call these days. which is why you jumped at the opportunity to go with him on tour, seeing him on stage with his members, in what was his happiest element, made you happy even more so.

you were suddenly brought out of your thoughts with a sigh and a stir, yeonjun seeming to be waking up next to you.

cute.

was the only word that could fit this situation. you’d seen it before, sparingly, but yeonjun waking up was the cutest goddamn thing you think you’ve ever seen in your life. a small frown on his face, hair messy but somehow still perfect, eyes still closed, nose scrunched up, the pout on his lips jutting out even more so that you felt the intense urge to kiss it.

you leaned into him, feeling his breath on yours, and placed the smallest, sweetest ghost of a kiss on his perfectly parted lips.

you pulled back, hand still in his hair, smile on your face. looking at him in this light it was insane how someone so perfect could just be walking around on this earth, even more insane that you got to be with him like this and share these moments with him.

“whyd youstop,” a small, deep mumble fell out of yeonjuns perfect lips and into the room.

you scratched his head lightly again, seeing his eyes were still closed, ignoring the fact that his morning voice was somehow deeper than how he normally sounded and it was driving you crazy.

you giggled at him, his little glare on his face over the fact that you simply didn’t kiss him longer.

“i like when you kiss me,” he mumbled again, you caught sight of his ears turning a little red and he buried himself into your neck again out of embarrassment.

you laughed then, a soft real laugh, pulling him even closer to you, wanting to feel his warmth now.

“oh my god you’re literally the cutest person alive, did you know that?” you gushed over him.

you could feel his face growing hotter with the praise and he shook his head, “nuh uh, it’s you.”

you laughed again, “oh my god you’re such a baby.”

yeonjun, finally seeming fully awake, lifted his head at that, pulling his body weight and resting on one of his arms so he wasn’t on top of you anymore, rather, laying on his side regarding you.

you suddenly felt hot again, not from the temperature. it was still crazy to you how yeonjun could go from being the cutest thing alive to staring at you like he was literally going to eat you.

yeonjun smirked, he always thought it was funny how he still made you nervous.

he decided he was done teasing you and suddenly wrapped his arms around you, rolling onto his back and laying you on top of him.

“did you sleep okay?” he asked, his voice soft with adoration but still octaves deep with sleep.

you nodded, feeling shy under his gaze, which he noticed and made him smile up at you, “the only thing is that you’re a fucking furnace, choi,” you pretended to be mad, “i feel like i’m gonna wake up sweating because you’re so hot.”

he laughed, a gorgeous, loud laugh that made butterflies settle in your stomach, and wiggled his eyebrows, “i know, right.”

you rolled your eyes, “you’re stupid.”

he grinned, his eyes practically disappearing with his giant smile, and whispered, “you love it.”

he moved his head forward and captured your lips with his, you practically melting into the soft kiss.

kissing yeonjun always had your head spinning, his lips always warm against yours, making you feel safe and making the butterflies in your stomach go crazy.

yeonjun. yeonjun. yeonjun. yeonjun. yeonjun. yeonjun. yeonjun. yeonjun. yeonjun. yeonjun.

he pulled away, admiring that spaced-out look you always got when he kissed you, no matter if it was soft and sweet like this one or rough and full of want.

he pulled you closer to his chest, your head laying on top of his heart, listening to the beating.

you both stayed like that in contentment for who knows how long, yeonjun breaking the silence with a small whisper, “i like having you here, like this, with me.”

you smiled on his chest, listening to the soft thump thumping of his heart, “i like seeing you like this, and being here with you.”

yeonjun pressed a lingering kiss to your forehead, your eyes closing automatically and you hummed in response. the both of you finally sitting up and yeonjun grabbing his horn-rimmed glasses from the side table, placing them just on his nose, making him look somehow even more attractive, which you didn’t even know was possible.

he captured your eye contact, holding your hand, his thumb dancing over your skin, “i love you,” he said softly, a big dumb smile on his face.

a big dumb matching one on yours, “i love you, junnie. even if you feel like lava when you sleep.”

he rolled his eyes at that and released you, getting out of the warmth that was your shared bed and standing in front of you opening his phone.

you took the opportunity to ogle him, as any sane person would.

a shirtless yeonjun was a beautiful one, like yeonjun was all the time, but there was something else about him like this, grey sweatshorts (whore) riding low on his hips, honey-colored skin exposed and kissed by sunlight, making him glow, glasses perched on his nose, brown hair the most perfectly messy thing atop his head.

yeonjun didn’t look up, but felt your stare, smirking, “see something you like?”

you blushed, “no.”

he scoffed, shaking his head, “okay liar.”

you giggled, finally taking the opportunity to stretch when there was a soft knock at the door. both of you knowing it was probably staff (or beomgyu coming to bother).

yeonjun grabbed a navy blue botton up shirt and haphazardly pulled it over him, sadly coving up his golden skin, as he padded softly over to the door.

soft words were exchanged and the door closed and he turned with two starbucks cups, smiling at you,

“oh my god, yes,” you said, making grabby hands towards the cups which made yeonjun smile as he walked back over to you, stopping to grab his ipad from the bedside table.

he gave you your drink, the caffeine comforting you after just one sip as he settled back into the bed next to you.

he opened his ipad and pulled up youtube, looking for something to watch. when he made his pick, he rested it on his legs, wrapping an arm around your shoulder and bringing you close.

you rested your head on yeonjuns shoulder, holding your drink and smiling softly.

you looked up at him again, admiring his perfect side profile, and gave him a small kiss on his cheek, making him turn to face you, smile on his lips.

“what was that for?”

you shrugged, “just because.”

he grinned, glasses pushing up on his nose, and kissed your forehead again, all while snuggling you closer against him.

as the sun got brighter in the room, it danced over the white comforter, and lit up yeonjuns hands and coffee cup. it was warm and perfect, just like yeonjun himself.

yea user yawnzzn killed me today so i had to write about it this was not supposed to be this long & it is unedited i just needed to word vomit about him because OH MY GOD!!!

[g1rld1ary]

a little manpower - neighbour!james potter x reader

wc: 1141

cw: none? reader moving into an apartment and meets james

an: i wish it was summer here so bad I'm struggling!!! what are 1 degree mornings!!!!

Why did nobody tell you it was so bloody hard to move out? Like, everyone talks about the money and the forms and all the confusing adult things, but why did no one tell you about the actual pain in the arse it would be to have to physically move everything you own into a flat three floors up? You didn't consider yourself the fittest person ever, not by a long shot, but you worked out and you didn't think you were weak. Yet there you were, panting like a dog after carrying another box up to your new home.

And of course, it was just your luck that you'd planned your big move-out during what may be Britain's only hot day in the whole year (only slight exaggeration). Still, you felt bad complaining. Your parents had helped you in the morning, moving in some of the IKEA furniture you'd picked out and had a good go of assembling some of it too, so you did have a bed to sleep on. Plus, a college friend had stopped by for an hour or two to keep you company and lifted some boxes with you.

So you didn't have much of a reason to complain, except that you didn't want to be doing it anymore. You were tired of walking up the bloody stairs and your arms were aching from the over-filled boxes. Plus, you had one armchair you'd found at a vintage store that had been sitting near the entryway all day, waiting for you to develop the motivation to drag it upstairs.

When your full-length mirror (deceptively heavy) had you almost in tears you decided enough was enough and it was time for a break. Not brave enough to sit in the woefully unpacked flat you trudged down the stairs one more time, crumpling on the grass nature strip until you were lying on your back.

Everything seemed a bit calmer like that, grass surprisingly cool on the back of your arms and legs. Your muscles relaxed for the first time in hours and you thought if you were in a cartoon you'd probably start fusing into the earth. The only thing that would make the moment nicer would be the peace of mind of knowing your belongings were all safely away in your new flat. And maybe an ice cream.

"Alright, love?" A male voice came from just beyond your head. You tilted it back to crack one eye open. A man was standing a few metres away, more shadow than human because of the positioning of the sun.

"It's hot," You said, "And I'm tired. And my limbs don't work anymore." You knew you probably sounded a bit like a child, but who were you trying to impress? The man laughed and it didn't quite match his silhouette; carefree and juvenile juxtaposing the muscles he clearly had.

"Understandable." You could kind of see him running a hand through his hair, "You must be the new tenant, right? I heard you were moving in soon. We heard you drop something heavy before... and cry a little." Sensing the conversation probably wasn't going to end with that, you sat up and turned to face him, still squinting from the sun.

"You heard a girl cry and didn't do anything about it? What a gentleman."

"I came out here, didn't I?"

"And you're not on the way out somewhere?"

"Touché." He had the decency to appear a little sheepish, at least from what you could see of him. He held his hand out for you, pulling you to your feet effortlessly. It was easier to see him now, the sun not being at such an uncooperative angle, and you tried not to look so surprised. The man was gorgeous, tall and muscular with dark curls, but his face was so friendly you couldn't help but smile. He was physically intimidating, but in the way that you knew he wasn't trying to specifically gain muscle, it was something he'd gotten through activity, like a sport or trade.

You stood for a minute, face to face but both silent. You wracked your brain for something to say.

"I'm sorry about the big old armchair blocking the entry hall, I can't lift it on my own and I just need a little extra manpower but I couldn't get any friends over to help today. I promise it'll be gone by tomorrow," You said, glad for both something to say and to get the guilty feeling off your chest. The man's face broke out into a wide smile.

"It's no worries," He assured you, "The people here hardly ever leave their apartment, I doubt they'll even notice. Don't you worry about it." Something about the way he spoke calmed your nerves, both about the chair and moving into the building as a whole. It was your first time properly living on your own, and you wanted to find somewhere quiet but welcoming. If this neighbour was anything to go by, you'd made a good choice. You smiled in return, weight lifted off your shoulders.

"Right, thanks. I guess I'll see you around..."

"James," He finished, shaking your hand firmly in a way that you didn't expect. You introduced yourself in return and you both hesitated, unsure of how exactly to end the conversation.

"Right, well, I've got training," James said awkwardly, gesturing to the kit bag around his shoulder. You nodded, starting to step back towards the door to the building.

"Have fun with that," You said, giving him a small wave. You waited until you were safely inside before cringing at your attempts at conversation, sending a bitter glare to the armchair as you passed it.

You didn't leave the apartment until the next morning, opting to peck at whatever you had in the pantry for dinner before passing out on a half-made bed. But you had to pick yourself up and decided you did need to grocery shop and actually fill up the pantry you'd just acquired, so you laced up your Converse and picked the keys up from the temporary table next to the door.

And there, waiting outside your door, was the old green armchair, waiting for you as if it had been there all along. You smiled, rubbing a hand along the velvet slowly. There was only one answer as to who it could have been, and James was clearly honouring whatever higher being gave him all that muscle by using it for good. You decided you'd have to make him cookies to thank him and set off for the shop.

[rainybyday]

Hedera Helix (For Real this time)

P1 | P2

It ended with a hug. 

For better or worse, Jazz always knew that she would leave her family at one point. One day she will grow up to be an adult who will apply for college and finally leave her hometown away from the craziness that was her parents. Of course, she planned to call Danny more often than her parents, come back to help him with his college journey, and have an open door for him to visit her once she gained a job and an apartment. 

She just never expected him to leave her first. 

As the eldest sibling, there was always the instinctual need to protect her brother. Yes, she would get mad at him, yell at him, or even tease him but she would always drop everything if he is ever in danger. Her responsibility as an elder sibling was more than just blood to her, more than what her parents were to her.

She loves her parents, she truly does, but they weren’t good parents. Yes, they gave her food and clothing, encouraged her hobbies, and paid attention to her academic scores but they weren’t there. They didn’t tell her stories of the tooth fairy but instead of ghost essays and grave markers. They didn’t wait to hear about her new obsession with unicorns before explaining how they would dissect one. She didn’t even get to show off her grades in peace before they praised her intelligence in Science, not remembering how she told them how much she struggled in English class. 

She understood her parent's priorities were never about her but what would become of her. Not Jasmin the girl who made a mommy and daddy friendship bracelet but Jasmin the women who will carry their legacy. 

She didn’t want that for her brother, so she raised him to be someone free. She finger-painted with him on the sidewalk, taught him how to pillow fight, and played astronauts and aliens with him. She made a cardboard rocketship for him for Halloween, woke him up with a happy birthday song first thing in the morning, and caught fireflies with him. She paid attention to every little achievement and hugged him as much as she could. 

Danny was her baby brother, sibling, and her baby boy. He was everything to her, and even as a high schooler stressed with earning money on the side with her college career coming up she still will drop everything for him. 

And the day she found out that he was protecting her instead of the other way around broke something inside of her. 

She failed, in some twisted form of negligence and teenager carelessness she had lost her brother in more ways than one. 

And now she is losing him again, this time, she doesn’t know when she might see him again. 

God she didn’t want to cry, not now. She just needs to hold it in. Just for another minute and then she could cry once he was out of sight. 

Just give her one more minute. 

Only a minute and then she can let go. 

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

It was windy today, a nice breeze on a warm spring day. The echo of windchimes drifted about, and the sound of background chatter, and the rustling of trees greeted her again on this calm Sunday. 

Jazz took a moment to sigh, a heavy thing as the smell of musk and willow wood drew her back to memories she always conflicted with. 

Home, she was home again. The same day, same time as always. 

And as always she carried two baskets with her as she walked down the streets, waiting for the same occurrences that always happened ever since Danny left. 

It didn’t take long before a teenager spotted her with their friends. They waved at her with a smile and Jazz returned it with one of her own. Like clockwork, she greeted them, handing them each a blue petunia before heading off once more.

(Blue petunias, the sign of trust and serenity. A sign of hope that has yet to be lost.)

(Just like him.) 

Taking a cue from this, more people approached her as she handed them all a single petunia each. Adults politely thanked her, children were giddy as they showed their friends their gifts, and teenagers teased each other by tickling each other with soft petals. Whenever someone approached her she always handed them a petunia from the basket on her left. 

The basket on her right was never touched, yet it was noticeable when the flowers started disappearing slowly over time. Jazz didn’t panic, instead, she only smiled and gave well wishes to those who chose not to be seen. 

A long walk later, she finally arrived at her original destination with a hint of relief. As much as she was glad to give out her flowers, it was also exhausting to socialize with so many people. 

As she entered, she noticed how the sound of her footsteps should have been the only sound in the graveyard, but there were also sounds of whispers in the wind, a hum vibrating all around, and the distant prayers of visiting residences. 

To think that this part of town was once empty and eroding into nothing, now transformed into a clean and cherished part of Amity’s history. 

A hum of content passed through her lips as she walked with a purpose. It only took her a moment before she saw the grave she came to visit in the first place. Another moment was used to place the rest of the blue petunias on the grave before the Jazz sat down besides the grave. 

“Hey, Danny,” Jazz greeted. “I’m back! Missed me?”

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

Blue eyes snapped open with a bubble of joy radiating from the boy turned man. Making himself comfortable on the plush chair he sat on the man smiled into the empty air. 

“Hey, Jazz. You know I always miss you.”

P1 | P2

Hi! finally did it! I finally remade Hedera Helix into the direction I wanted! I know many of you were looking forward to have a second part of this story but to be honest, the first additon of it all felt so fourced and I hated it. And i mean HATE. So i decided to redo the whole thing into something I can have fun into making!

And I did! I love it! I hope everyone else is excited for this new remake of Hadera Helix as well as I am because I have never been so happy right about now!

Just-

Also- before I go on I want to address this before anyone might think anything funny.

"Danny was her baby brother, sibling, and her baby boy."

I know the "baby boy" line might make it seem as if Jazz is the one parenting Danny and is seen as a parental figure and it does. Kind of. The situation I am trying to portray is how sometimes when siblings are left without a parental figure majority of their lives they all turn to their elder sibling as a replacement for their parental figure. Not because they believe they may be their new mom or dad but because they need someone to care for them.

This is an actual situation that has happened to many families before and even to mine. I am the eldest of three siblings and once my family hit a financial struggle that forced my dad to work all day and my mom all night, making only 1-3 hours of their time spent on us. So this made me the main figure in my siblings' lives which affected me and them, to the point that they even called me Mom. Thankfully the situation only lasted three years and they no longer call me Mom and see me as their sister only. But sometimes we do slip so their effects linger.

So using my own experiences I used that to create this line as a way to express the negligence that both Danny and Jazz faced in this story. I hope that makes sense.

[callmedaleelah]

— Pinnacle [ tsukishima kei university au series ]

— i’m still on that tightrope ; you showed tsukishima your vulnerable side before when you were crying in front of him, but he didn’t know that there’s another part of you that he really thinks need to be saved

author’s notes : no mention of (y/n), written in second person pov, semi alternative universe, timeskip!tsukishima, college life, not proofread, english is not my first language

[ masterlist ] | [ ask daleelah go to box box 🐭 ]

The day had finally come to check your exam results, and the anticipation weighed heavily on your mind. It was also the day your holiday began, and you knew your mother would be arriving soon to pick you up. You’d been dreading this moment, feeling a mix of nervousness and unease about your results. Your mother’s words from earlier still echoed in your head, and the thought of leaving the dorm and facing her expectations made you feel even more anxious.

Sitting at your desk, you hesitated before opening your laptop. The uni website loaded slowly, the spinning circle on the screen only adding to your nerves. When the results finally appeared, you scanned the page quickly. A- in most subjects. Relief flooded you briefly until your eyes landed on the grade for Molecular Biology—a B.

Your heart sank, the wave of sadness washing over you. It wasn’t a terrible grade, but it was a stark reminder of your struggles. You thought back to that exam, the one Tsukishima had helped you prepare for after you’d collapsed in the infirmary. The one you hadn’t been able to study enough for. A B was fine, you told yourself, but it felt like a failure in the context of everything you’d been through.

You glanced at the clock—it was nearly 1 PM. You needed to pack and get ready for your mother’s arrival. You pulled on a thick white sweater, tugging a beanie over your head, and stared at yourself in the mirror. The reflection didn’t show the confidence you wished you had right now. Instead, it showed the worry etched into your expression.

Your phone buzzed with a text from your mom: I’m here, sweetie. In the parking lot. You sighed heavily, knowing you couldn’t delay any longer. Grabbing your bags, you walked out of your dorm room, the door clicking shut behind you. The pavement outside was still damp from the morning rain, and the air had a crisp chill, signaling the approach of winter.

As you approached your mother’s car, parked at the curb, she spotted you and waved, a warm smile on her face. But before you could respond, another car pulled up beside hers. You recognized Yamaguchi stepping out of the passenger seat, and your breath caught in your throat when you saw Tsukishima behind the wheel.

Your mom rushed to greet you, wrapping you in a tight hug and kissing your temple. “Oh honey, I’ve missed you so much! How’s university been?”

You forced a smile, trying to hide your embarrassment as you noticed Yamaguchi glancing in your direction. “I told you about it almost every day, Mom.”

She pulled back slightly, still holding you by the shoulders. “Yes, but it’s different hearing it from you in person.”

You gave a small nod, trying to keep the conversation light. “It’s been fine,” you said, opening the trunk of her car to load your bags. Your mom followed closely, her eyes never leaving you.

As you were about to close the trunk, your mom’s voice broke the silence. “Have you checked your exam results, baby? You said they were coming out today.”

A surge of anxiety rushed through you. Your mom pulled out her smartphone, quickly navigating to your student account. It was always like this—her managing everything as if your grades were a reflection of her own achievements.

Your gaze drifted to Yamaguchi, who was unloading his luggage from the other car. Tsukishima was helping him, but you noticed him glance in your direction too. When your eyes met his, you quickly looked away, not wanting him to see the turmoil inside you.

Your mom gasped sharply, her eyes widening as she stared at the screen. “What is this? Did you do something wrong? Did you skip classes in Molecular Biology? Why is this a B?” Her voice grew louder with each question, irritation seeping into her tone.

You felt your stomach drop. You knew she’d be upset, but hearing her disappointment out loud stung more than you’d anticipated. “Mom, it’s just a B. I still made it to the upper ranks. It’s not a big deal. I tried my best.”

“Not a big deal?” she snapped, her voice tinged with disbelief. “This is your first semester! The first semester is supposed to be the easiest to ace. What have you been doing with your time?”

Your voice wavered, your earlier confidence crumbling. “Mom, it wasn’t as easy as you think.” You could feel Tsukishima’s eyes on you, and the embarrassment of having him overhear your mother’s scolding only made you feel worse. You knew he understood exactly what you meant, but that didn’t make it any easier.

Tsukishima stood by Yamaguchi’s car, his jaw clenched as he listened to your mother’s harsh words. He could see the way your shoulders hunched, the way your voice trembled, and it tore at him. He hated seeing you like this, knowing how much it hurt to be criticized by someone who was supposed to support you. A part of him wanted to intervene, to tell your mom to stop, but he didn’t know how. This wasn’t his place, and yet, every word she spoke felt like a personal attack on you—and by extension, on him.

Your mom scoffed, her frustration evident. “Where’s your scarf? I told you to wear something warm, or you’ll get sick.” She rummaged through your bag, pulling out the red scarf she had packed for you. Wrapping it tightly around your neck, she muttered, “Do you ever listen to anything I say?”

“Mom, I did,” you whispered, trying to appease her, but the disappointment in her eyes cut deep.

Without a word, she opened your bag and began searching for something. You knew exactly what she was looking for—the medicine box she had packed with ginger tonic and vitamins, the ones she insisted you take every day. When she finally found it, her face darkened as she counted the remaining sachets.

“It’s still twenty left,” she said, her voice cold with anger. “You should have only fourteen by now. You’ve skipped taking it for six days.”

You saw Yamaguchi heading into the dormitory with his luggage, leaving Tsukishima alone by the car. He watched you with a frown, his expression growing more concerned as your mom continued to scold you. You tried to maintain an emotionless face, but inside, you were crumbling. The humiliation of having Tsukishima witness this moment made it even harder to hold back the tears.

Tsukishima’s chest tightened as he watched the scene unfold. He remembered how he had been with you in the lab—strict, unyielding, often pushing you harder than anyone else. In that moment, it struck him how similar his behavior had been to your mother’s. He had treated you the same way, expecting perfection, giving little room for mistakes. The realization sent a pang of guilt through him, making him feel complicit in the pain you were enduring now. He wanted to do something, anything, to ease that hurt, but he felt paralyzed by the weight of his own actions.

“Mom, please, stop—” you started, but she cut you off sharply.

“No, you stop,” she retorted, her voice rising. “This is exactly why you shouldn’t be living in a dormitory. You’ve been neglecting everything I’ve told you to do.”

You sighed heavily, the weight of her words pressing down on you. In a moment of defiance, you grabbed the ginger tonic sachets from her hand. Tearing one open, you drank it quickly, the bitter taste burning your throat. But you didn’t stop there—you reached for another, and then another.

Tsukishima’s frown deepened, his concern palpable as he took a step forward, as if to stop you. He didn’t realize it at first, but his instinct to intervene was clear. When you reached for a fourth sachet, he moved to block your hand, gently taking the tonic from you. He couldn’t let this go on any longer—seeing you punished like this over something so small was unbearable.

But when you met his gaze, your expression was unreadable, and for a moment, Tsukishima’s heart sank. He thought you were angry at him for stepping in, for overstepping boundaries that weren’t his to cross. The guilt from earlier only intensified as he realized how much he had contributed to your suffering. The way you looked at him now reminded him of every time he had scolded you in the lab, pushing you just as hard, expecting nothing less than perfection. It broke his heart to think that he had added to your burden, that he had been another source of pain for you.

You took the sachet back from him without a word and downed it in one gulp, the bitterness making your stomach churn. But you didn’t care. You needed to prove something—to your mom, to yourself, to everyone who thought you couldn’t handle this.

By the time you’d finished the sixth sachet, your mom’s anger had shifted to shock. She stared at you, her face pale as she struggled to process what had just happened. “There. I took it,” you said quietly, your voice hollow. “And I’m not leaving the dorm.”

Your mom’s eyes narrowed, her surprise quickly replaced by the familiar anger. “Get in the car now,” she ordered, her voice trembling with barely contained rage. “I’m telling your father about this, and we’ll see what he has to say.”

You felt utterly defeated as you climbed into the car, your body numb and your mind racing. As your mom slammed the trunk shut and moved to the driver’s seat, you couldn’t help but glance back at Tsukishima. His expression was unreadable, but you could see the conflict in his eyes—he wanted to help, to stop what was happening, but he didn’t know how.

Tsukishima stood frozen, his heart heavy with the weight of what had just transpired. He wanted to do something, to fix this, but he didn’t know how. All he could think about was the pain in your eyes, the way you had looked at him, and how he had contributed to it.

The drive home was silent, the tension between you and your mom thick enough to cut with a knife. As the city streets blurred by, you couldn’t shake the feeling of emptiness that had settled in your chest. Your mom’s words echoed in your mind, each one a sharp reminder of how you’d failed to meet her expectations.

But more than that, you couldn’t stop thinking about Tsukishima—about the look in his eyes when he’d tried to stop you, about the concern that had etched itself into his features. It was a small comfort, knowing that someone had cared enough to step in, even if only for a moment.

As the car sped away from the university, you closed your eyes and leaned back against the seat, trying to push away the lingering sadness. But deep down, you knew it wasn’t something you could escape from so easily.

i’m sorry i didn’t post it yesterday, i was so busy spending my weekend with my friends and i just watch it ends with us and crying the whole night, i hope you guys enjoy your weekends too and please let me know anything you want to say about this series 🌸🫶🏻🥹✨🐭

tagslist (free to mention) ; @theweirdfloatything @snowthatareblack @ilovemymomscooking @nayiiryun

[shardsofmarxx]

Lost | Spencer Reid x GN! Reader

Criminal Minds Songfic based on/inspired by the song Lost by Dennis Van Aarssen. (This is a cover of the song "Lost" by Michael Bublé)

Summary: After a long case, Spencer decides to surprise you with a visit to your apartment. Once he arrives, he realizes that you've been struggling, and he does his best to comfort you.

Warnings: Talk of medication, and bipolar II. Reader is clearly going through a depressive episode.

Word Count: 1.8K

A/N: So sorry for the delay in getting a new fic out!! Between my busy college schedule, my mental health, and writers block, it took me wayyy too long to come up with a solid idea for a fic. I was randomly listening to this song one day and was suddenly hit with the inspiration for this, so I ran with it! I really hope you guys enjoy this one :)

Spencer rushed to his car, excited to see you after dealing with a long case in Florida for the past two weeks. He didn't tell you that the team finished the case because you two just hadn't talked much today. Now that he was thinking about it, he realized you two hadn't talked much at all these past two weeks, aside from casual good morning and goodnight messages. Regardless, he was sure you'd be happy to see him.

Spencer drove out of the parking garage, whistling some tunes and tapping his fingers as he winded down the road to your apartment. He got there relatively quickly, seeing as you only lived a 5 minute drive away from the BAU. He parked his car, got out, and eagerly headed up the stairs to your apartment.

Once he got to the door, he fished out the spare key you had given him when you two first started dating and unlocked the door, opening it very slowly so as not to startle you awake. He walked in, quietly taking his shoes off and placing his messenger bag by the door. He carefully walked through the hall and saw light coming from the living room, accompanied by the low sound of the TV. He stood in the doorway and found you asleep on the couch, watching Friends reruns. As he walked towards the couch, he noticed miscellaneous wrappers and bottles strewn around the floor. He furrowed his brows and diverted his path over to the kitchen, only to find the sink full of dishes and the trash slightly overflowing, along with takeout containers spread across the counter. He walked back into the living room and over to the couch, kneeling on the floor beside you. He looked over at you and moved some stray hair strands out of your face, being careful not to wake you. He saw your eyes were puffy and your cheeks were still a bit wet, which he deduced was from crying.

Spencer’s profiler brain quickly began putting everything together. He knew you had been struggling with bipolar II for a while, but things had been getting better. He made sure that you were seeing the best people in the field for your treatment. Your therapy sessions, along with the current medication you were on, seemed to be working fine, so he didn’t understand why this was happening. There was no way you would have hidden your symptoms that well from him; after all, he was a profiler. He sat there, racking his brain, trying to figure out what could’ve gone wrong.

Suddenly, it hit him.

Spencer quickly, but quietly, got up and walked to the bedroom. As he walked in, he turned on the lights and went straight to the nightstand on the right side of your bed. He quietly looked through the cabinets until he finally found your medication. He picked up the bottle and saw it was much fuller than it should be, confirming his suspicion.

You hadn’t been taking your medication since he left.

Spencer knew this feeling all too well from all the times his mother would refuse her medication. He felt a wave of guilt rush through him as he sighed and returned the bottle to the nightstand. He slowly trudged back to the couch and sat on the floor so that he was right by your face, completely enthralled by your beauty as you slept soundly.

As Spencer stared at you, his mind began to wander. He felt guilty for not realizing the implications of your distance from him over the past two weeks. Although he loved his job, he hated how busy it could get and how it could cause him to neglect the things he cared most about, like you. Most importantly, he felt guilty that he couldn't be there for you. He did his best to push all these thoughts out just as quickly as they came, telling himself that he should just focus on the present. He was here now, and he was going to do anything and everything he could for you. He sat by your side, gently caressing you until you finally awoke, stirring for a few moments until your eyes fluttered open.

“Spencer?” You croaked, your voice slightly raspy from sleep, “What are you doing here?”

“We landed a while ago, and I figured I’d come surprise you,” he replied softly, accompanied by a warm smile.

You sat up and rubbed your eyes for a few moments in an effort to wake yourself up. As you looked around, you realized the mess that was your apartment, and memories of how you'd been spending the past two weeks began to flood your brain. As this was happening, you came to the realization that Spencer has seen all this too, which means he’s definitely figured out that you’re off your meds. You immediately stand up, and Spencer does the same, a look of concern forming on his face as you lead him to the door.

"Well, Spence, this was a lovely surprise, but I have a busy day ahead of me. You really should get going,” I said, handing him his messenger bag. As you reached to open the door, he grabbed your wrist, his warm touch causing you to turn back around.

“Unfortunately for you, I can't be fooled that easily.” His voice trailed. “I'm not leaving you, darling.”

He grabbed the messenger bag from my hand and kneeled down to place it back by the door. He stood back up and placed his hands in yours, giving you a soft look with his warm, hazel eyes.

You couldn't bring yourself to meet his gaze. All you could do was stare at the floor and mumble. “Nothing's going on, Spencer, really.”

“I doubt you would go off of your medication for nothing,” he replied matter-of-factly, taking a deep breath before speaking again. “Listen, I understand that dealing with this kind of stuff is hard, really hard, but you can't keep me in the dark forever. I'm your boyfriend, and I'm always going to be by your side, no matter how hard things get. We're a team, remember?” He paused for a moment and cupped my face, making sure you were looking him in the eyes for his next sentence. "You're not alone, honey. I promise.”

As his words echoed in the room, you felt tears form in your eyes. It had been so long since you had heard those words— so long since you had someone express such genuine care and concern. You were so used to the shame, disgust, and scolding from others in moments like these, yet he displayed none of that. It wasn't long before sobs began to creep out of your mouth, and you stuffed your face into Spencer’s chest. He just held you tightly in response, rubbing his open palm on my backside and whispering words of love and care in your ear as you wept.

Eventually, you lifted my face and met his eyes once more. He gave you a small smile as he gently wiped the tears off your cheek.

“I say we go over to the bedroom and talk; does that sound good?” He asked softly.

“I think that's a good idea,” you answered.

He held your hand tightly as he led you to the bedroom. When he entered, he lay down on the bed first, motioning with his hand to the empty space beside him. You laid down, and he immediately wrapped his arms around you, pulling you in and completely enveloping you in his warmth. You both laid there silently for a few minutes, basking in each other's company. You lost yourself in the sound of his gentle heartbeat for a bit before you remembered what you two were here to do. You took a small breath, lifted your head from his chest, and began to speak.

“I didn't like the way I felt when I was on my medication; nothing felt right once I started taking it. I felt like I was a robot or something.” you began. “One morning I woke up and had enough, so I stopped taking them, and I felt great; I felt alive... Well, at least I did for a bit. After a day or two, it felt like reality just came crashing down and-” You paused, feeling a sob creep up your throat once more. "Suddenly, any trace of happiness was gone, and I crashed. I couldn't bring myself to get out of bed, leave the house, or talk to anyone, especially you. I just felt empty.” You stopped for a couple more moments, glancing over at Spencer, before speaking again. “I was lost and didn’t know what to do, Spence, I’m so sorry…” You finished, your voice trailing.

Spencer never stopped comforting you as you spoke, raking his fingers through your hair and kissing your forehead. Thankfully, it didn’t take long for him to speak up once you had finished.

“Unfortunately, that happens a lot to people when they're on medication. I’m really sorry I couldn’t be there for you, honey,” he said, holding you tightly. “We can make an appointment with your psychiatrist to discuss changing your medication as well as looking for other treatments that might benefit you.” Spencer began rambling about various treatments for bipolar II that he had recently read about. Once he got word of your diagnosis, he poured countless hours of research into learning everything there was to know about it. He wanted to make sure that you received the best treatment possible, and, most importantly, he wanted to make you feel as understood as he could. After all, he knew all too well what it was like to not be understood by anyone around you.

He began rambling about things he had found in his most recent research on bipolar II, and you felt your heart swell with joy. Even though all you could really do was nod your head every once in a while and let out a few “mhms'' and “hmms” to assure him that you were listening, mainly because you didn't understand what he was talking about half of the time, you appreciated this more than he would ever know. After all, it was his way of making you feel loved and understood. Eventually, Spencer ran out of things to say and stopped talking. He turned his head down to look at yours, moving some stray strands of hair out of your face before he spoke once more.

“Y’know, because this case took so long, we got a 3-day weekend from Hotch,” he said softly. “I could help you clean up the apartment and keep you company these next few days, if you’d like.”

You met his gaze and smiled warmly at him. “I would love that, darling.”

Spencer smiled back at you and jumped up from the bed. You were barely able to get a word out before he bent over and picked you up, wrapping his arms around my waist and holding you securely against his chest.

“Spence, what’s gotten into you?!” you said, trying to stifle a giggle.

“C’mon, let’s go get breakfast,” he said, wearing a wide grin on his face as he carried you out of the bedroom.

Thank you so much for reading! If you have any ideas for fics you want me to write in the future, feel free to send them in my ask box!

[ladylexis]

I Think You Know

Pairing: Lee Know x Reader, afab

Trope: Best friend's brother, friends to more

Word count: 3.6k

Warnings: A little suggestive, but not smutty

The pungent scent of lilacs always reminds you of home. You inhale deeply, hands shoved in your pockets, as you walk up the street a couple blocks to your best friend Jina's house. 

After months of studying hard on the other side of the country, you've returned home for the first time since starting college last fall. Jina's spring break coincided with yours, so of course she begged you to fly home to finally catch up. Laughing until you cry on video calls into the wee hours of the morning each weekend has helped soothe your loneliness, yet nothing compares to the real deal of being in your best friend's presence. 

The refreshing chill of the evening air does little to calm your nerves, though. Even greater than your excitement to see Jina is your anxiety at the prospect of running into her brother, Minho. 

After almost two years of studying abroad and traveling for internships, Minho is back at his parents' house for the first time. You've kept up with your best friend's older brother some over the years, mostly butting in when he called Jina. 

Since he left, you've occasionally engaged with each other's Instagram posts. Whether silly, artistic, or merely mundane, Minho's photos almost always bring a bittersweet clench to your chest. When you see his figure framed off-center in front of glittering cityscapes or sunset-tinged coastlines you can't help but picture yourself tucked under his arm, your head resting casually on his shoulder. 

_____

Since you can remember, Minho was a fixture in your life. While playing on the swing set in their backyard, his protective presence always kept an eye on his little sister and you, her closest friend. Minho was quick to help you up after a less than graceful jump from the swing, smirking at the glasses askew on your nose. Unphased, you spun around to push Jina's swing even higher as he chuckled to himself, shaking his head.

As teens, Minho laughed ruthlessly while playing paintball, chasing you and Jina around their shed. She sought refuge at the back of the old pickup while you made a run for the oak tree to get a better vantage point.

Before you could dive behind the sturdy tree trunk, Minho managed to squeeze a shot off. The fierce glare hidden behind his facemask instantly melted into a softer expression the moment you yelped in pain while taking his round to your back, just missing the padding of your vest.

After rushing to the kitchen to fetch an ice pack, Minho returned to the living room to find you sitting on the couch, contorting in an effort to see the source of the pain. Ever the attentive gentleman, he offered to inspect the growing welt to see if your skin was broken. You nodded and turned to face the back of the sofa, gritting your teeth and trying not to focus on the stinging pain radiating from the minor injury. Minho considerately lifted your sweatshirt just enough to check the raised bump at the base of your shoulder blade. 

Chilled slightly from grabbing the ice pack, his cool fingertips innocently grazed your skin causing a warmth to spread through your chest. Minho drew in a quick breath, hand tightening its grip on the bundled fabric for a moment. Fearing the wound must look worse than you thought, you stuttered out a quick, "Is it that bad?!"

But before you could finish the question, he had quickly lowered the hem of your top and reached over your shoulder to shove the ice pack into your hands. 

"It's just bruised," he mumbled as he abruptly turned to head upstairs, taking them two at a time. 

A sharp sting brought your attention back to the predicament at hand. As you struggled to position the ice pack on the welt, you suddenly recalled that you were only wearing your black lace bralette under your sweatshirt. Mortified, you instinctively planted your face in the couch cushion to hide the blush creeping across your cheeks. Just then, Jina stormed into the front door. Thinking she was winning for once, she finally realized she was left alone outside and came looking for the two of you. 

Ready to give you a piece of her mind, worry quickly replaced anger as Jina set her eyes on your crumpled form tucked into the corner of the couch. You reassured her that the welt was already feeling better thanks to Minho's quick rescue with the ice pack. Speaking of her brother, she asked where he had disappeared to. You weren't quite sure of the answer yourself, but you wondered for years afterwards if he had felt that same lick of heat in the moment.

_____

You skip up the familiar steps to Jina's front porch, and pause to take a deep breath in an effort to still your fluttering heart. Before you can even knock, the door flies open and Jina launches at you. She wraps you in a bear hug and hops to twine her legs around your hips. Squealing at a pitch you're sure would send her family's three cats into a frenzy, Jina peppers the side of your head with smooches and repeats how much she missed you. 

"Let her go before she passes out. She's already turning red!" 

Raising your eyes from Jina's embrace, you see him there, standing in the door frame. Although you can't quite make out his expression while he's silhouetted by the living room light flooding out the front door, Minho's eyes still manage to sparkle just like you remember. And it's back. Your crush on Minho tightens its tendrils around your heart. If only he knew the real reason your face was on fire.

Jina drops her feet to the ground with a pout. She turns to head inside, dragging you by the wrist and shouldering her annoying brother out of the way in the process. As you pass him you manage to squeak out a soft, "Hi, Min." 

"Nice to see you again, too!" he yells with increasing volume as Jina continues pulling you towards the kitchen. Shaking his head, Minho closes the front door and follows both of you to grab snacks for the TV night ahead. 

Jina settles into the middle of the sofa to share her bowl of popcorn while you stretch your blanket out enough to cover her as well. After sitting his armful of drinks down on the end table, Minho takes the last seat on the couch and immediately turns to flop his legs over Jina's lap.

"You're going to spill all the popcorn! And your legs are too heavy," Jina grunts as she pushes his thighs off her knees while you snicker from her other side. "Go sit on the loveseat!"

"Fine, fine," Minho sighs, rolling his eyes as he stands. "But I'm taking the remote with me! Hah!" 

He sprawls out on the loveseat and flicks the TV on. As the Netflix menu illuminates the room, Minho begins to scroll through the recommended shows. You can't help but eye the dancing shadows forming from the veins on his forearm as he points the remote at the television and periodically clicks buttons. Were those veins always there? 

You're shaken from your daydream by a subtle elbow to the rib. Jina leans closer to whisper in your ear, "Did you come to watch Netflix and chill with ME or my brother?"

You scoff and shove a handful of popcorn in Jina's mouth, shooting daggers at her with your eyes while she smirks, cheeks full. That damn Lee smirk must be hereditary.

"I've heard that series is really good," you pipe up as Minho passes the new releases in romantic K-Dramas. You expect a snarky retort from the reclining man, but he simply pulls his bottom lip between his teeth as he backtracks and clicks play on your suggestion.

A steamy scene opens the show before the intro even starts, and you feel your face grow warm. You begin to second guess your recommendation as this is apparently not one of the sweet rom-com shows you are used to watching. No wonder everyone has been chatting it up on social media. Jina however is enthralled, judging by her wide eyes and seeming inability to find her own mouth as she bumps a popcorn kernel into her lips repeatedly before finally succeeding to eat it.

Minho is quiet through the first episode, but movement draws your attention from the TV when you notice him resituating on the loveseat, pulling a throw pillow onto his lap. You have to admit, the show is pretty hot, but seeing his profile again in person is getting you even more bothered. It looks like he might be affected as well.

Nearly two episodes later Jina is failing to keep her eyes open, head lolling towards the comforting support of your shoulder. Unable to resist the call of nature any longer, you gently pat her hair to stir her awake. 

"Hey, Min? Can you pause it while I run to the restroom?" you ask softly as you stand to stretch. He obliges immediately and a thin smile spreads across his face as he looks up at you, hair now messy from trying to find a comfortable position on the cramped loveseat. 

"I can't keep my eyes open," Jina mumbles through a yawn. "Don't stop watching on my account, though. I can catch up tomorrow."

She shuffles down the hall in the Hello Kitty slippers you won for her at an arcade in middle school. You hear the soft close of her door as you head into the bathroom. Rather than feeling jet-lagged and exhausted like you expect, your heart seems to be racing as your mind keeps conjuring images of you and Minho in the scenes the drama characters find themselves in. You have got to snap out of it, you think to yourself. Before leaving you wash your hands and splash cool water on your face, trying to knock the blush down a bit. 

Returning to the living room you find Minho has moved to the empty spot on the far side of the couch. His arm lifts the blanket you and Jina had been sharing. You freeze at the edge of the room, unsure how to proceed. Minho cocks his head and sends a few rapid blinks in your direction. He pats the couch cushion, inviting you to join him under the blanket. "What?," he says, "The couch is comfier and I was getting chilly. Shall we continue?"

You gingerly slide under the blanket at the opposite end of the couch. Although your face seems to get warmer and warmer, you have to admit the air temperature is dropping. You pull your legs up to your side beneath the blanket. Pointing the remote at the television, he plays the next episode and you snuggle back into the cozy warmth of the plush sofa. 

As you become engrossed in the show again, you absentmindedly stretch your legs across the center cushion. Craving warmth, your toes become heat-seeking missiles and begin to work their way under Minho's thigh. You don't even realize your foot has betrayed you until he grabs your ankle. In embarrassment, you instinctively try to pull your foot back, but his firm grip gently holds you still. 

"Tickles," is all he says, eyes still glued to the TV. He pulls your foot out from beneath his leg. Mind racing, you have already planned where you are going to dig your own grave after he lets go, but he doesn't loosen his hold. Turning now to face you, he extends your leg across his lap and squeezes the arch of your foot tenderly. 

"Is this okay?" he asks, staring into your eyes as he awaits confirmation. Almost imperceptibly, you slowly nod your head a couple times before swallowing hard.

"I need you to use your words, Kitten," he whispers, stilling the motion of his hand.

"Yeah, s'alright," you manage as you avert your eyes back to the show. Even in the dim, blue light of the TV, you're sure Minho can now see the unmistakable red tinge blossoming on the tips of your ears. 

His fingers begin to move again as he massages the ball of your foot now resting on his lap. No longer able to concentrate on the show, you reflect on the domesticity of the position you now find yourself in with your best friend's brother. These thoughts only further the spreading wetness in your panties. 

You're screwed.

The episode ends rather abruptly as the main characters are finally starting to realize their feelings for each other. Arching his back and stretching his arms above his head, Minho interjects, "It's time for an action movie!"

"No! We have to see what happens next!" you yell, refusing to quit binging the new drama. Minho brings his hand to his mouth to hold a finger in front of his lips. 

"Shh, you'll wake sleeping beauty," he laughs. You make grabby hands for the remote and he shoots his arm up, holding the object of your desire just out of reach. He can't help but giggle watching you struggle to lean forward and extend your arm enough to pry the remote away, nearly clamoring into his lap.

Your movements suddenly cease and you look up at Minho through your lashes, a devilish twinkle in your eye. 

"Oh, no. That look means no good," he concedes. Before he can piece together what evil plan you have concocted, your fingers attack his exposed armpit, tickling him like your life depends upon it. 

"Gaaaah!", he cries out as he instinctively tucks his elbow to his ribs, trapping your hand in the process.  Ditching the remote over his shoulder, he leans over you to retaliate with more tickles. You squeal as you try to curl into a fetal position to protect your vital organs from the unrelenting tickle-attack.

As you attempt to roll away and admit defeat, your legs tangle in the shared quilt. Off-balance now, you fall backwards from the couch, pulling your blanket-burrito’d partner with you to the carpeted floor. You squirm on your back, Minho straddling your thighs, his hands pressing your wrists to the floor above your head. He has a wild look in his eye as he catches his breath and blows stray strands of hair off of his forehead.

Mouth agape, you notice his eyes drift from yours down to the camisole strap that has slipped off your shoulder. His gaze slowly follows your collar bone back to the taught line of your neck and up to your panting lips. 

Minho’s eyes are now blown out into black pools of lust, no doubt reflecting your own desires. You feel the warmth of his breath against your cheek as his eyes return to yours again, blinking slowly, looking for any sign of apprehension in your expression. Your glance down to his plush lips is all the sign he needs to continue his advance. As he begins lowering himself down to your waiting lips, a door creaks open at the end of the hall. 

In unison, both of your heads snap to the side and you hold your breath as you watch Jina groggily stumble to the bathroom, flip the light on, and shut the door behind her. 

Minho exhales a sigh of relief and bows his head to your shoulder for a moment. You clear your throat, bringing him back to Earth, and he releases your wrists to gingerly lift himself from you. Helping you to your feet, he can't meet your eyes as he whispers, "I, uh, should probably call it a night."

As he pads down the hallway, head lowered, you double back to the kitchen to get an icy glass of cold water. What the actual fuck was that? Did Minho really almost just kiss you? Would he have if Jina hadn't interrupted? What would have happened if Jina had caught you making out with her brother in the middle of the living room floor?!? 

You shake your head to clear your doubts before chugging the rest of the ice water in your glass. The last question would have to wait. You know you won't be able to sleep tonight without confronting Minho about the other questions racing through your mind. You steel your resolve and cross the living room. 

The bathroom door is now open, and Jina's has closed again. Knowing her, she's probably already sound asleep. You round the corner of the hall and quietly approach Minho's room. 

For a moment you debate whether you should softly knock, or just open the door to let yourself in. Not wanting to risk waking anyone else, you finally decide on the latter. Your hand reaches for the smooth brass knob, but it turns and unlatches before you even reach it. The door swings open and a stunned Minho faces you from the other side of the doorway. 

Eyes wide, he leans forward to look down the hall briefly before pulling you into his chest as he spins you through the doorway, closing the door behind him as he does. 

Your ear pressed to his chest reveals the same quickened heartbeat you have been afflicted with all day. His familiar scent washes over you, and you inhale the sweet muskiness before stepping back to stare up at him.

"Aren't you going to ask why I came to your door?" you question, finally breaking the silent tension.

"I think I know," he says, taking the smallest step towards you.

"Where were you going just now?" you muster, trying to keep your voice steady.

"I think you know," he says lowly, taking another step forward to meet you with hungry eyes. He raises one hand to caress your cheek as he lowers his other hand to your waist, pulling you in to close the gap between your bodies.

His lips finally meet yours, barely pressing together in chaste restraint. It's all you can do to refrain from devouring this man whole. Your lips part slightly and he tilts your head back to deepen the kiss. Your tongue traces his bottom lip as you shudder slightly and moan against his mouth. Something in Minho snaps and he presses you to the door as his tongue begins to explore deeper into your kiss. You slide a hand up his back. With the other you comb your fingers through his hair, tugging lightly. With that, a moan escapes Minho's lips and he drops his head back into your hand, brows knit together in ecstasy. You watch his Adam's apple bob under the milky skin of his throat as he catches his breath. The throb you feel in your soaked panties causes you to clench your legs together as your own head drops back against the door.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait," he spits out, grabbing your hands and leading you to sit on the edge of his bed.

"I need to know. Do you have feelings for me?" he asks with pleading eyes, a tinge of worry in his voice. "Because I can't do this without knowing."

"Feelings?" you scoff, incredulously. "I've liked you since we were in high school, Minho! I have a lot of feelings for you. All of them, in fact."

You smile sheepishly at your blurted confession. A wave of relief washes over his face before he pulls you into a tight hug, burying his face into the crook of your neck. 

"I've liked you for a long time, too, Kitten," Minho mumbles against your skin. "Do you want to stay here with me tonight and talk?"

"What are we going to tell Jina?" you ask, quietly fiddling with the tag in the back of his shirt as he holds you.

"We'll figure something out," he says, a soft crinkle lacing the corner of his eyes as he smiles at you tenderly, "Together."

___

The metallic click of the door latch stirs you awake. On autopilot, you roll over to try to figure out what woke you. Your stirring causes Minho's arm to tighten instinctively around your waist while he slumbers contentedly. You blush as your drowsy brain suddenly remembers where you are. Putting two and two together, you realize Minho wasn't the one leaving the room. You gasp, sitting up straight, and quickly turn to shake him awake.

"I think Jina just saw us in your room! What are we going to do, Min?!" You half whisper, half shout in his ear.

He sleepily shushes you and nuzzles his nose into the crook of your neck wanting nothing more than to snuggle you back to sleep.

"I'm being serious, Minho!" you say, smacking his arm lightly. "She's going to kill us!"

You hear another noise coming from the hall. You spin around to listen and clap a hand over Minho's mouth to keep him quiet as he confusedly rubs his arm, still half asleep.

Through the silence you hear the ruffle of paper sliding under the door. Turning to Minho with panic written all over your face, he rolls his eyes at your dramatics and pulls your hand from his mouth. 

Minho rises to cross the room, and bends down to retrieve the folded sheet of paper. Standing, he opens it and scans the note quickly before a lopsided grin creeps up his right cheek. 

Returning to flop down on the bed, he hands it to you with a smug expression. 

"I see my plan finally worked.

Come to the kitchen for pancakes.

But for the love of god, please put some clothes on first."

[ghostcathedrals]

daddy issues by the nbhd toji where every time you're on your way home from university, you see that scumbug of a guy walking across the street with either a bag of grocery, box of takeout food, or a toolbox. he looks at you sometimes, stops walking, with his free hand insert in the pocket of his loose pants. ofc with that intimidating gaze from the other side of the street sends shivers down your spine, but when buses pass by, he disappears.

then one day you finally interact, it's the time when your father abandoned you and you don't know how to earn enough cash to sustain your education while also studying. your mother is quite distraught by your father's actions, but she's too selfish to focus on providing enough for you. you're going through too much and you can already see your grades being affected

so you ended up at the nearest 7/11 store. it's late, really late, and you just got home from school + looking for jobs. you sit down and bury your face in your palms. later on, you're crying. the person behind the cashier counter felt bad for you and gave you a free cup noodles. so now you're eating while crying.

the guy you're looking at all the time ends up going to the convenience store because he ran out of food. ran out of food at 12 am, yes. he's wearing house clothes. even if the aisles attempt to cover him as he walks around to pick up his grocery list, he's tall enough that his head still peeks out atop the shelves.

you're finished with eating, and you realized it's too late and you still have to walk home, clean the apartment, and do some reading. swiftly, you pack up and grab your bag. you end up crying again, going down to crouch on the pavement. just in time, the guy comes out of the store and notices your crumpled figure sobbing and sniffling.

you look up and see him sitting down on the pavement, legs stretched out dangerously till it his ankles touch the road surface.

"well this time we're on the same street." he said. "except you're crying. blow your snot, geez." then he takes out the sealed roll of tissue from his grocery bag and pinches your nose. "blow."

just from the simple the gesture, you broke down into loud cries. "what the fuck," he says, as if taken aback by your reaction.

"sorry, i'm just so tired already," you say between sobs and sniffles. "dad left me, mom doesn't care, and now i have to... take care of myself. independent all of a sudden without any preparation."

he cheers you up by acquainting himself with you. he doesn't know how to comfort you so he's just there, sharing random stories, occasionally raising his eyebrows when he looks at his receipt. he also tells you about his struggles, well not in detail of course. he's a college dropout, banished from his family, and doesn't have much prospect with jobs either, especially since he dropped out in sophomore year years ago. his only work is being an on-call mechanic. has some side jobs sometimes, but it obviously means he's also not earning enough to be comfortably living.

"but i don't really care anymore." he shrugs. "i mean, having weird ass jobs can be entertaining, too." you both chuckle.

it's already thirty minutes past one in the morning.

he's the one who tells you it's time for you both to go. "i'm not gonna intrude your privacy, but just let me look at you from afar to ensure you get home safely, got it?" you nod.

"thanks, toji."

"nothing to thank for, kid."

but you're not walking yet. both of you are just staring at each other, and the length of this silent conversation is starting to burn your cheeks. there's something about his stare or his person for that matter that makes him dark. dark with a flickering light in him.

you feel like you're levitating when he walks up closer, head tilting to face you. "aren't you gonna go home?" oh my god, it tickles your gut when he says your name.

you snap out of your senses. it feels gloomy to go back to your sad life after meeting toji officially, the guy who always walks across you when you go home. you know it will be different after this night. but the thing is, even as you snap out of your senses, you're still staring at him. he looks away, and then walks away eventually.

"thanks."

"yeah yeah. and thanks for not burning a hole in my head with that staring contest."

"can i hug you?"

"what."

"only if you want to," you reply. "just to help me feel better tomorrow⎯"

you need to finish. he walks up to you and with his larger figure, he wraps his arm around you in an embrace, then brings his hand to your head, softly ruffling your hair. "better treat me food next time. i don't do this shit all the time."

as you walk away on the way to your apartment building, you turn to see his shrinking figure looking at your direction, then eventually starts walking to the other direction

hell yeah

[luvvyouforever]

never - sdv harvey x reader (kind of)

synopsis: harvey has to come to terms that it will always be just him, forever and always.

content: angst. no comfort. i'm deeply sorry. essentially just me exploring harvey's character and inner thoughts. some alex x reader but it's not too important, you could imagine anyone you want! this isn't long or amazing, but i was bored and needed to write.

the cool glass of harvey's glass met his lips once more that night as his eyes were glued to you in the middle of the saloon. the alcohol was sharp, bitter, but had enough of a sting to cure the dull pain in his chest that wasn't medical, but entirely real. alex's arms pulled you in for another dip and like it was nothing to him, he caught you effortlessly.

harvey would have never been able to do that at his age. maybe ten years ago, when he was alex's age, he would have been the person to dance with you in the middle of the saloon, causing your grin to grow impossibly wide as the night carried on. now too much time had passed and he was stuck watching, wondering what it would be like to be on the receiving end of one of your smiles.

since the day you walked into his clinic to introduce yourself as the newest resident of pelican town, harvey knew there was something special about you. he looked forward to your visits, or to bumping into you at pierre's. over the years, he had grown something of a silly crush on you that eventually elevated to a longing.

of course he had never admitted this to you.

he knew that, deep down, you deserved someone who was younger and could match your lifestyle of working daily, going on adventures, and restoring the community center for everyone to enjoy. what could he offer you? grunts in the morning as he woke himself up and struggled to get out of his mattress. going to bed by ten every night because his body decided at twenty-five that he couldn't possibly stay up past that.

too deep in his thoughts, harvey hadn't noticed the music of the saloon start to quiet as people returned to their seats and drinks, including you sat just a few stools down. your cheeks were flushed and your hair was a mess, but your smile hadn't faded. harvey's breath hitched in his throat when you turned in your seat to face him, an eyebrow raised.

"you okay?" you asked in a hushed tone. it was so genuine that the dull ache in his chest flared and he could have winced.

before answering, he took a sip from his drink. "yeah, i'm...uh...just tired. i think i'm gonna go home," he said. he fished out a few bills from his wallet that would pay his tab and without much of a goodbye, he left. you stared at his figure that was exiting the building, a sag in his shoulders, and made a note to check on him the next day. then, alex came up to you, asked if you wanted to go for a round on the arcade machines, and everything was forgotten.

the street lights in the town center illuminated harvey's desolate walk to his clinic and apartment. his fingers dug his keys out of his pocket and with lazy movements, he unlocked the door, entered, then locked it back immediately.

the clinic was dark, but he knew his way around enough to find his way to the stairs that led up to his lonely apartment. once he flung the door open, the first few tears fell as if they were waiting for the exact moment that they'd be safe and private. with a sniffle and another pang to his chest, he stripped off his outfit and opted for an old pair of pajamas that once made you giggle when you walked into his room with a cup of coffee for him. on top of that was a college shirt that was threadbare and had lost most of its color, but reminded harvey of the days when he had less wrinkles on his face.

when he sunk into the bed with a groan and pulled the blankets up to his chin, more tears fell until harvey's body shook with a silent cry.

he never had a chance with you, and he never would. you were clearly at your happiest with alex and that was a union that an older, boring man like him couldn't split. he supposed then that perhaps nothing like this would work out for him. maybe he was married to his work indefinitely.

as he sniffled more and made a pathetic attempt at wiping his tears, he thought about your visit that would happen in a few weeks. harvey would get to be close to you, hear your heart beating directly in his ears, and remind himself that he could never kiss you, but at least he could receive your jars of pickles and bottles of wine that he would eat and drink all by himself.

the night carried on until harvey eventually gave up into a fitful sleep. that night, he had a dream about your farmhouse, about going home to it rather than his apartment. about helping you with fixing fences and feeding your animals. it was so close to him, and yet he'd never have it so long as he was old, boring, and uninteresting to a beautiful person like you.

[vhagarlovebot]

what about a modern!aemond x reader where reader struggles with being a young, single mother. aemond sees this and wants to help out, ends up falling for her.

it all started one evening at the grocery store. it was caos, your son wouldn’t stop crying while you were trying to shop, little arms wrapped around your neck not letting you do anything. on the top of it all. you had one awful day between college and work.

you were in the verge of tears when a hand appeared in front of you, reaching the tomato sauce on the top shelf you were trying to reach for the last ten minutes without any success. and when you turn around to give thanks, you were met with the most dashing man you had ever seen, his smile making you smile too.

“i just couldn’t keep watching you suffer like that.” the stranger had said, giving you a sympathetic smile.

you no longer feel embarrassed, you have gone through a lot of embarrassing moments with your son that now you are just okay with it.

“i don’t know what he wants, i’ve tried everything.” you sighed, trowing the tomato sauce into the shopping cart.

“maybe i can help?” he seemed unsure of it and your red flags immediately went off. “i’m not crazy,” he smiled at you again. “i’m aemond and you seem like you are about to lose it in the middle of the store.”

that was the first time you and aemond went shopping together. while you were preoccupied with the groceries, aemond helped you with your son, making him laugh and forget all about you and his tantrum.

it became a routine. for the next four weeks you met at the grocery store. you started to talk more and really get to know each other. you learned about his family, where he worked at and his hobbies. and he got to know all about you and your son’s life.

until one evening your weekly encounters at the store stopped being just that. he walked you back to your apartment and you invited him to have coffee.

that was when everything really started.

aemond loved spending time with you and your son, his sister having twins really payed off. but what aemond loved the most was your pretty smile when you watched the two of them playing in your living room or cuddling together while watching his favorite cartoon while you studied by the window.

at first, aemond just wanted to help you. he thought it was going to be a one time thing, but then next week came and he found you two trying to choose between three different cereals and he didn’t even notice he was walking towards you until your son screamed his name. since that moment, you didn’t leave his mind.

aemond didn’t meant to fall so hard for you. but the tired smile you give him every time you come home from work or college just to find him with your son asleep in his arms, the way you manage to balance being a mom and one of the top students in every single one of your classes and also having a job, your sleepy head when you open the door in the morning to find him with two cups of coffee and your favorite dessert in hand, the way your laugh fills his heart with warmth, how you care about him, if he’s sleeping well, if he managed to get that big deal he talked to you about a week ago and how grateful you are was just too much. and he’s just a man. and one lucky man he is.

and you can’t blame him, not really. because you were the first to fall. that first time you saw his big blue eyes and how they shined when he looked at your son, how his entire face lighted up when he made him smile, in that moment you knew, you immediately knew, he was not going to leave your mind —and heart— ever again.

and that’s why aemond asked the question.

and that’s why you said yes to spending the rest of your lives together.

[oldiesstationlover11607]

For you - Tyler Joseph x Reader

Relationship: Tyler Joseph x Reader

Warnings: angst and cliffhanger ending, tyler crying :(

Word Count: 1710

Summary: A few weeks after graduating high school you break the news to your best friend Tyler that you're leaving Columbus.

Part 2

Summer 2006

Tyler and I had been friends since we were six, and nothing ever changed between us. It had been two weeks since we’d graduated high school, and we’d decided to go on a road trip. While most of our friends had already chosen which colleges they wanted to attend, neither Tyler nor I had made a final decision yet—except I’d just made mine that morning.

We’d parked our car at the entrance to a forest about an hour from Columbus and walked into the greenery. It was a warm day, so I was wearing a t-shirt I’d gotten on a Disney World trip with Tyler and my family, and he was wearing a black muscle shirt that showed off the tattoos he’d gotten the day we graduated, the ink still vibrant.

“I still can’t believe you got those,” I laughed, closing the car door.

“I still can’t believe my mom didn’t kill me the second she saw them,” he quipped, leading the way to the trail. “Have you thought much about what you’re going to do now that we’re done with school?”

I knew he was going to ask that question. I’d deliberately chosen not to tell him when I saw him that morning. When he realized I wasn’t answering, he turned around and looked at me, giving me a look that screamed, “I can read your mind.” His hair was short, initially buzzed to keep it out of his face for basketball, but it had grown out since. I looked into his eyes, which compelled me to tell him everything; the look on his face begged, “Please.”

“Come on, Ty. We don’t need to talk about that right now,” I muttered and continued to walk on until he grabbed my hand.

“Don’t hide things from me, Y/N. We don’t do that,” he said. I pulled my hand out of his grip and let out a loud sigh. He had a point. I’d never kept a secret from Tyler, and when I did have one, he was the first person I told. We were always vulnerable with each other, too. Whenever he was struggling, he’d come and talk to me. He’d even share his music with me despite feeling embarrassed about it because he was ‘supposed to be a jock.’

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

He laughed at that. “How on earth would you hurt me? It’s not like you’re leaving, right?” I didn’t say anything. I stood there staring at him with a saddened look on my face, which seemed to be contagious. “It’s not like you’re leaving, right?” he repeated.

“Tyler…” I reached out to him, but he moved away. My worst fear had come true. He hated me.

“You promised me… you said you’d always be here for me, Y/N. You know I need you!” His eyes quickly turned glossy with tears welling up. I had promised that. But I also knew that I couldn’t always be there for him.

“I only got into one school, Ty! What else am I supposed to do? You know I want to do film,” I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

“You’re supposed to stay in Columbus with me!” he shouted back, two tears running down his face.

“It’s gonna to be okay, Tyler,” I moved closer to him, and the tears started pouring down his face, prompting me to bring him into a tight embrace. He started sobbing, bringing the reality of how much I meant to him to the front of my mind. I really hadn’t thought we were that close. He pulled away slightly from me and looked desperately into my eyes, his hands coming up and cupping my face in the most intimate way he’d ever treated me.

“I need you, Y/N. Don’t leave me alone.” I leant my forehead against his, my right hand cupping the back of his head.

“I’m sorry, Ty,” I whispered, closing my eyes. This was the moment he decided to press his lips to mine in a quick kiss, the saltiness of his tears bringing a depression to an otherwise desperate attempt to make me his. His lips were softer than I had expected them to be. I’d known Tyler through both of his high school girlfriends, and he’d never treated any of them like this before. I pulled away from the kiss, my eyes searching for some kind of explanation.

“Stay with me. I love you,” he pleaded.

“You know I can’t,” I responded, “but that doesn’t mean I don’t love you too.”

We spent the rest of the day walking through the forest and talking about the future. I’d decided to move to California and attend UCLA’s Film School on an arts scholarship. He still didn’t know what to do now that school was over; basketball was his life in school, but he didn’t want to keep doing it forever. We’d ultimately decided to make the most of the summer and make memories while we could, which resulted in a summer romance between us—the very thing I least expected when I’d woken up that morning.

The day I left for California was hard on Tyler, but I’d made sure to prepare him.

“Are you sure you have to go?” he asked, sitting on my bed while I packed my bags.

“You already know the answer to that. But you know we’ll text every day,” I looked up at him. We’d agreed to end the relationship when I left; four years on the other side of the country would make a serious relationship between us impossible, and we didn’t want to break up on bad terms. “Hey, don’t you have that music thing next week?” Tyler had met some people over the summer who were in local bands and had started attending gigs on the weekends.

“Yeah, but I’ll be too depressed missing you to write anything at the damn workshop,” he’d now rolled over onto his back and was looking at me upside down off the edge of the bed. We both knew that every second we had would be our last, and it was bringing the feeling in the room down.

“I’m proud of you, Ty. You know that, right?” He rolled back onto his stomach and jumped up in front of me.

“Yeah, I know, babe,” he used the one nickname I’d earned over the summer. He was the only one to ever call me that, and I loved him for it.

“I mean it. You’re going places.” I smiled up at him before pulling him in for a final hug. He pressed a kiss to my right temple before whispering, “I’m gonna miss you so much.”

“I love you,” I whispered back before pulling away to grab my suitcase and getting into my car. “Text me every day, Ty, and never ever stop dreaming.”

Summer 2012

I hadn’t spoken to Tyler in three years. He stopped texting me as we both got busier with school and work. The last I’d heard from him, he had formed a band with two of his community college friends, but in a call from my mom, she had told me it wasn’t working out. Other than the occasional call with my mom, I had no idea what was going on back home. For the last few years, I’d worked in the film industry as both a writer and director for short films, but no big projects had come out of it. I was sitting in my apartment eating breakfast on my first Saturday off in a month, ironically scrolling through my emails. Everything was from producers, except for one email from an address I was unfamiliar with: “Reel Bear Media.” I laughed at the film pun before opening the email addressed to “Y/N Y/L/N.”

“Dear Y/N Y/L/N,

My name is Mark. You don’t know me, but I’ve heard a lot about you from one of my clients. I’m well aware that you’re currently based in Los Angeles, California, but I have a work opportunity I’d like to offer you. I currently work as a content producer for an Ohio band with a small but rapidly growing fan base. I’d like to offer you the job (at the request of the front man) as a touring videographer for the band ‘Twenty One Pilots.’ I’ve attached my contact information and some of my photos if you’re interested.

I look forward to hearing from you,

Mark Eshleman”

I scrolled down to look at the attached photo file to come face to face with the boy—now man—I hadn’t seen in around six years.

He’d finally done it. Tyler had finally had the opportunity to make his music. He’d met someone–who I was sure he got along well with–who could truly help him succeed. I pulled out my phone and dialled the saved number I had for Tyler, praying that he hadn’t changed it. The phone rang once, twice – I looked at the clock to make sure the time zones were right – three times. 

“Hello?”

“Tyler?” I crossed my fingers, hoping it was him. 

“It’s been a long time hasn’t it?” the sound of his voice had changed, deeper than the last time I’d heard it. I could hear the sound of his smirk, confidence sounded good on him. 

“I got the email from Mark. I can’t believe you remembered I did film, let alone even thought of me,” I spoke, the tone of surprise very clearly sounding through the phone. I could hear his laugh come through the speaker. 

“Of course I thought of you. There’s very little I wouldn’t do for you.”

I grinned.

“I take it you’re coming then?”

I nodded, knowing he couldn't see me at all but knew exactly what I was doing. “Flights are booked then. Be at LAX at 12pm and Josh and I will be at the airport in Columbus as soon as you land.” I couldn’t believe he had the power to book plane tickets that quickly and pick exactly who he wanted as part of his project. 

“I'm so excited to see you! I just know Josh is gonna love you,” he spoke.

“Sorry, who’s Josh?”

//

A/N: I really really loved writing this one. It went from something I wasn't too sure about into something super cute ngl. I'll probably write a part two if people want it so make sure to either request it in the question box or comment below if you're keen. Also, please don't repost my writing onto other platforms because I do work hard to come up with these stories!

Thanks for reading <3

[oh-stars]

All is Well

Lost

a Stobin Month 2024 prompt | 1,199 words | CW: lonliness | Rating: T

--

College sucks. 

There. She said it. It sucks. 

Growing up, Robin felt like college was her promise land. She could go to any school, learn anything, and have the freedom to be the person she wanted to be. She’d always struggled with the social aspect of school, finding a few good friends here and there to get her through classes but nothing that lasted. No one wanted to hang out on the weekends or sleepover – it was only ever for her birthday or super rare occasions. And when she was extra lonely or the girls at school were a little mean, her mother would always remind her that she’d find her people in college. 

Well, she’s here now and everyone sucks. 

That’s not exactly fair, she knows. Her roommates are decent. They clean up after themselves and every now and then, they’ll all grab breakfast together before class. It’s just clear that Robin’s the odd one out. She’s the one who isn’t clicking with the rest of them for no other reason than they just don’t work. And there are a few people from her German class last semester that she really liked, who still say hello and reach out if they have similar classes to study together. 

It’s just… tough to come back to, is all. 

The first semester felt impossible. She was all alone, with new people and no one that understood her on any level. She’d met a few lesbians, gone on a few dates, and it’s been incredible to connect with people in an aspect of her life that’s been so closed off for forever. Steve and Eddie may be together, they may understand, but they’re not lesbians. And even if she’s finally finding a community that understands her sexuality, she’s still stuck up here without anyone who understands her. 

Fine! There’s no Steve here. Happy? 

Sometimes, when she’s struggling to breathe after a nightmare, she wonders if the Russians somehow swapped out one of her lungs for his because she can never breathe without him around. It would make sense that she would need to be around her old lung, around him, to breathe the right way again. She misses him with every fiber in her being. 

The first semester was hard enough, but coming back after a month of uninterrupted Steve time? Where they spent the entire winter vacation attached at the hip? 

It kind of makes her want to curl up and die, if she’s honest. Just to stop the pain. 

Okay, she’s being dramatic. All that time with Steve meant she had to see Eddie and she’s pretty sure she absorbed some of his dramatics over the past few weeks. 

Robin checks the watch Eddie got for her, one that matches the new one he bought Steve, and sees she’s nearly late for her pre-calculus class. Shit. She doubles down on her speed walking and books it to Chapman Hall. 

The lecture hall is packed with students. It’s the first day back, so she’s not exactly surprised, but she really didn’t expect an early morning Tuesday class to be completely filled. There’s nowhere to sit other than by the windows and Robin can’t sit by the windows, she gets too distracted by the birds and squirrels (people she can zone out, but animals? They demand her attention, thank you). 

She kind of wants to cry. It’s just all too much all of a sudden and she doesn’t feel like the strong, capable woman she tries to be. She’s fought Russians and monsters and government agents, yet finding a seat in class is going to be her downfall. 

Maybe she should just run out of here, find the nearest bus station, and head back to Hawkins. She doesn’t need a fancy piece of paper to succeed in life. She just needs Steve. 

“Are you okay?” a girl asks, hugging her books close to her chest. 

Robin’s standing in the middle of the entry, blocking other students from slipping in behind her. She nods to the girl and slides to the left, away from the door, before she peers back up–

“Robin!” 

She’s hearing things. She has to be. 

A whistle sounds off, the one that could get her attention anywhere at any time. The one that has her heart racing and tears building in her eyes because that’s the sound of her soulmate calling out to her, bringing her back to safety. 

That’s Steve’s whistle. 

With the rest of the class, Robin follows the noise to see Steve waving at her, a few rows up and on the edge of the aisle, safely away from any windows. 

She runs up the stairs and into his arms before she can take another breath without him. “I missed you,” she says into his shoulder as she hugs him tight, her bookbag dropped in the process. 

Steve squeezes her back just as tight. “Missed you too,” he says. “I don’t know how to do shit without you, Rob,” he admits softly. 

Robin only pulls away when someone shuffles by them. She swipes at her eyes and only then does she realize where they are, that she’s getting ready to learn pre-cal and Steve’s just… here? And with books? 

He sits down, motioning for her to sit with him.

She does, her brow furrowed as she settles in. 

Steve’s smile turns both mischievous and shy in a way she rarely sees. She knows he’s trying to hide behind the surprise, that whatever the reason is, this is big for him. “I’m, uh, auditing the class,” he says as a blush rises up his neck. 

“Really?” Robin asks, scooting closer. She takes in the notebook and supplies he has set up in front of him, calculator ready to go. Ah! He’s really doing this! Robin has to bite her cheek as she gets her own things set up and ready, especially with the professor walks in to set up. 

“Just this one,” he continues. “But I am an official student as of today.” 

“What about–” 

“We got a place off campus,” Steve says, the smirk back in full swing. “Eddie’s been moving us in for the last month–” 

Robin swats at his arm with the back of her hand. “Is that where your bookshelf went?” 

Steve’s grin gets bigger. “It’s a two bedroom.” He lowers his head. “If you ever wanted to ditch the mean girls.” 

“They’re not mean–” 

“Dude, they purposefully ignored you. They’re mean girls.” 

Robin rolls her eyes as she picks up her pencil. “My last class is at–”

“Four, I know. I memorized your schedule,” Steve says. “I tried to get ours to align as much as possible.” 

“That’s creepy,” Robin says even though her smile is too big to hide. 

“What can I say?” Steve shrugs. “I’d be lost without you.” 

She gags. “Ew. Did you steal that from Eddie? It’s got his particular stench of cheesy, emotional one-liners all over it.” 

Steve’s laugh is too loud, especially when she joins in. But as they calm down, taking deep breaths and avoiding eye contact to stop their giggles, Robin feels her chest expand and take in all the air she can.

--

Thank you @lady-lostmind for beta reading!

Ao3 Link

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week

1. Woman who was walking to work because her car was broken finds $14k in a bag and turns it in to police, who return it to newlyweds who lost it. Crowdfund for a new car up to $14k so far.

Dianne Gordon was walking home from work on Jan. 21 when she saw a plastic bag on the ground and inside the bag she could see piles of money. Although she was in need of a vehicle-- her car broke down last year -- Gordon contacted police and returned the money immediately.

Police were able to track down who the money belonged to and discovered it belonged to a newlywed couple and have since returned the money to the couple. As for Gordon, her good deed wasn’t overlooked by people who heard her story, as the spouse of one of the police officers involved launched a crowdfunding campaign to help secure a car for Gordon. As of Thursday morning, the campaign has raised $14,500

2. Washington D.C.’s free bus bill becomes law as zero-fare transit systems take off

Washington, D.C., has enacted a zero-fare bus bill into law.

The policy eliminates the $2 fare for all the city’s buses starting this summer.

It is the largest city to institute a fare-free transit system and part of a growing movement nationwide.

3. Mom and son graduate college together, fulfilling 18-year promise

Carolyn and Immanuel Patton, a mother-son duo from Maryland, have graduated college together, fulfilling a promise the younger Patton first made to his mom when he was 5 years old.

Two years after they started the path together and about 18 years after Immanuel Patton vowed to graduate alongside his mother, they realized their collective dream.

4. A homeless mother left a note with her dog for whoever found her. An animal shelter reunited them.

This pup named Lilo came to McKamey Animal Center off the street - with an added surprise – a note.

"Please don't abuse me." Cool, totally wanted to be crying at work right now.

The shelter staff posted about Lilo on social media, hoping to connect with her owner when they got a call from someone saying they were Lilo's mom. While centers like McKamey provide shelter for dogs, they also provide resources for families who love their pets, but might not be able to keep them due to cost. Mann said they'll give food and supplies to families struggling to pay for their pets' needs. They'll even help the family find a pet-friendly home.

5. Campbell Johnstone reveals himself to be first openly gay All Black.

In a momentous moment for New Zealand's rainbow community, Campbell Johnstone has outed himself as the first openly gay player to have represented the country's most influential sporting brand.

All Black No. 1056 has publicly revealed his sexuality – in a brave bid to “open up that door and magically make that closet disappear” – for the first time on TVNZ's Seven Sharp programme on Monday evening. Johnstone, who played three tests for the All Blacks all in 2005, did confide in some teammates and his family during his playing days.

6. 92 year old flood victim reunited with lost cat

Valerie Axtens thought she had seen the last of her beloved cat Mendelson as she was being rescued through a window from rapidly rising floodwater. Valerie Axtens was rescued during the February 28 flood.

After the floodwater receded and one of her sons was able to return and check on the mud-covered house, he discovered — much to everyone's surprise — the cat had survived.

7. Slovenia becomes first eastern European country to recognise same-sex marriage

The legalisation of same-sex marriage has officially come into effect in Slovenia, in a huge win for LGBTQ+ rights in eastern Europe. 

The bill, which saw Slovenia’s Family Code updated, officially took its place amongst the country’s other laws on Tuesday (1 February). The historic moment followed a decision by the country’s top court in July, which found that banning same-sex marriage and adoption violated the country’s constitution, which prohibits discrimination

-- - -

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Have a great week ahead :)

[jsagirly]

𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧- 𝟏𝟖+ 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 & 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 ❥ 𝐆𝐨𝐣𝐨 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 ＆ 𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐨 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐩 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲, 𝐬𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐫..

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩.𝟏 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐢

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬✔︎ 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠,𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐡𝐨𝐥,𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭?,𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞/𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 (𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐭) 𝐲𝐞𝐭...

𝐖𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭! 𝟏.𝟐𝐤

It’s a calm morning. At least the calmest NYC can get. Not quiet that’s for sure but everything’s in order. Your old lady neighbor is outside for a morning stroll, the bakery across from your apartment is open and serving customers, and there's some tourists already walking the streets.

As the sunlight seeps in through your window it paints you and your apartment in a golden glow. You however seem to be the only one out of order. As you wake up groggily with a light headache, groaning as you struggle to get out of the mess of blankets.

You tap your feet on the cold hardwood floor to your kitchen. A glass of water was needed before you could process the day beginning and the contents of what had made you wake up like this.

As you slowly pass by the mirror in your hallway you stop in your tracks and go back. The girl that looks back at you can only be described as fucked up. You scrunch your brows and examine the mascara smeared over your eyes, messy tangled hair and the sticky lipgloss still somehow on your lips.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That’s when it happens. The flood of memories, oh right. The college party you went to last night, you remember your friend Utahime begging you to go with her because it’d be fun it’d get you out of the dark and up!

Even though these party’s happened practically everyday you only attended a few of them every month. You reluctantly agreed to go after her many pleas and then.. you can only remember getting to party,taking way too many shots and then… seeing them.

Satoru Gojo, your drop dead gorgeous best friend in a black silk button up, a few of them undone down his chest, strands of his hair sweat slicked to his forehead and you could swear there was someone controlling the lights as they shined on him from across the makeshift “bar”.

You’re about to go approach him and say some stupid comment about how he shouldn’t be at a party this late and isn’t it past his bedtime. But then she comes into frame. She has long blonde hair curled to prettily form her face and the red dress she wore fit better on her than the model.

Ah yes his equally drop dead gorgeous girlfriend. You watched as he said something to her and she laughed while holding onto him. Then as he turned gaze up he saw you, his eyes confused at first. He knew you didn’t like these things that much. You made a small smile and waved across the room to signal you’re okay.. yeah you’re fine here.

He smiled back and his attention threw back to her. You look over to see Utahime in the corner with some guy and just decide to go home without her. So you drunkenly stumbled out of the party and down the stairs of the complex the heels you wore definitely did not help.

Luckily your apartment was only a few blocks down. Not too far but sure far enough to make you be alone with your thoughts for a while. And the scene with Satoru just played over and over in your mind you're not sure why but the tears began to well in your eyes, no why would you cry over this….no no you can’t your not allowed to.

Before you knew it there it was your apartment door, you fumbled with the key to get the door opened before finally getting inside. Dropping everything besides your dress on the floor and just flopping onto your bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now you're here. Staring in the mirror at your disheveled figure. The smell of the bakery down your window wafts in through the air and you think to yourself. Yea I could use an aesthetic latte and a croissant. Not looking like this though.

But after a shower and a hint of makeup you threw on your black sweats, pink tank top and a pair of white converses. Not forgetting to grab your AirPods and keys as you went out the door and down the stairs of your apartment.

As you enter the bakery the ambience fills your senses. It's not too packed, which is nice. You decide on a Mocha and a pistachio filled croissant. You sit down at one of the small tables inside next to a floor length window that outlooks the bustling street and sidewalk.

You put in your AirPods to listen to music while you wait for your coffee and breakfast, then a light tap on your shoulder startles you.

You pause your music and look back to see Satoru looking down at you, he looked much different from last night, now also in sweats and a white t-shirt.

“Satoru? wha- why are you here?”. He smiles and says “hm I was in the mood for good coffee… and then I remembered you took me here that one time I stayed over”. As the surprise washed over you smiled back.

“Mind if I sit?” He says gently pulling out the chair across from you. “Yes, actually I’m meeting someone”. You grinned. “Oh what really?”. You let out a small laugh “No stupid who would I be meeting looking like this”. He chuckled a little bit before sitting down.

“Well I wasn’t gonna judge but I didn’t exactly think sweatpants were good breakfast first date attire”. He stares at you for a moment “but hey you still look good” you turn away and avert your eyes and hope a dusting of pink doesn’t show “oh thanks..”. Such a simple comment just complimenting you? Why were you suddenly so nervous?

“So I’m assuming this is you trying to revert back to normal y/n after the party?”.

“what were you doing there anyways? Not judging, it's just I don’t see you often at those kinds of things”. You smile while rolling your eyes “Well a certain someone begged me to go with her and I gave in”.

“mm yea I saw Utahime there too huh”. “yea she had some guy fawning over her”. “oh is that why you seemed kind of awkward and alone when I saw you”. “no! I was not awkward and alone. I just, I don’t know how to act at those things without a friend you know”.

You think back to that moment where you stopped in your tracks like a deer in headlights seeing them. Right as you were about to say something his phone started ringing. “Oh I have to get this, it's Evie, I told her I’d get her something from here too”.

You can faintly hear from the other side “baby, are you on your way?”. “Yea I’m just leaving, don’t worry I’ll be there in a few”. “oh okay, I’ll see you here then. bye love you!”. You avert your gaze away from him “yea, bye love you too”.

He hangs up the call and grabs the bag of pastries and coffee cup he had with him. “Well sorry we could only talk for a few! We should meet up sometime time for real I gotta catch up on your life”.

“yea for sure! I’ll see you around campus”. “oh yeah that too!”. Just as he walks out the door your food gets there. Somehow you can’t stop yourself as you sip your coffee and watch him get into his car and drive away almost as if trying to catch every last drop and glimpse of him.

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: eekk writing this without dropping anything extra is so hard! But theres more chapters to come slowly revealing each layer. Which speaking of I will try to upload once a day at least!💗