#temporary break up

[steddieas-shegoes]

i knew we'd be fine

for @steddiesongfics using 18 by one direction as inspiration

rated e | 3104 words | cw: temporary breakup | tags: modern au, high school sweethearts, break-up, second chances, getting back together, chance meetings, time skip, semi-public sex (the door is open they don't get caught), hand jobs, love confessions

also on ao3

💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

May 21st, 2018

“Eddie!” Steve crashes into his bedroom, dropping his backpack on the floor.

Eddie looks up from the exam in his hand. He failed. Again.

Steve’s excited, clearly passed all his exams. He never had any doubts. Steve works hard, studies for the tests he knows will be difficult. Does extra credit when he doesn’t do as well as he hoped to.

Eddie gets by in most classes, but pre-calculus was sent from hell specifically to torture him. This is his second year failing it, and it’s his second year being kept behind because of it.

The worst part is that he did try this time. He actually studied with Steve, and maintained a C average for most of the year. This last quarter was tough though, and he needed a B on the exam to pass the class. He stares at the 68 in big red marker on the front.

It’s not enough. He’s not enough.

“Eddie?” Steve’s voice is quieter now, and he sits next to Eddie on the bed, taking the paper out of his hand. “You didn’t pass.”

He sounds shocked, a little disappointed, maybe even a bit mad.

“Nope. Looks like another senior year for me,” Eddie says, voice shaking. He’s managed to keep from crying for the last hour, but he’s not sure how much longer he can hold off. “Third time’s the charm, right?”

Steve sets the paper down next to him and turns to Eddie, tears in his eyes.

“I got into UIC.”

Eddie’s heart drops to his stomach and his stomach drops out of his body.

They both knew Eddie wasn’t going to college. Everyone knew that. Steve was, though. He wanted to be a teacher, and he’d be a damn good one. Eddie was gonna follow him to college, find a job at a record store in Chicago, play his music when he could.

He was gonna fall asleep holding Steve every night, and one day, they’d get married, even though Steve deserves better than Eddie and always will. Maybe Eddie’d make it just big enough that he could make good money but still be around to start a family, adopt a couple kids to keep them busy and keep their house full of love.

That was their plan.

Eddie ruined their plan.

“Congrats, baby. That’s amazing. I knew you’d do it,” Eddie says, and he does mean it, even if his voice doesn’t quite show it. “You’re gonna do so great.”

Steve shakes his head. “I’m not going.”

“What do you mean? Of course you are.”

Eddie knows what Steve’s doing. He’s sacrificing because he thinks it will help, but it’ll just make Eddie feel worse, and Steve’s parents would never allow him to not go to college because of his loser boyfriend.

“I’m not going without you,” Steve’s voice breaks.

Eddie’s heart does, too, especially when he realizes what he’ll have to do.

He loves Steve so much. He has to remind himself of that as he ruins everything even more. It’s for the best.

As he breaks Steve’s heart, and ruins their future, and hurts himself in the process, he has to keep reminding himself that letting Steve go is the best thing to do. He’d never forgive himself for holding him back.

Steve leaves, tears still running down his face.

Eddie cries until he passes out and hopes he makes it through another fucking year at Hawkins High.

****

May 10th, 2024

Eddie throws his keys on the counter, wipes his forehead. The AC unit in the window is useless, and the summer heat hasn’t even really started yet. The record store’s AC is broken and the owner is trying to find a cheap fix to get through this summer while he saves up, but hasn’t had much luck. Wayne’s supposed to come take a look next week because he’s sick of hearing Eddie complain over the phone.

He pulls a beer from the fridge and pulls his phone from his pocket.

Robin texted him a selfie from last night, her birthday outing in Boston that looks like it was pretty fun. He lets her know her present is on the way, which it decidedly is not, but it will be when his paycheck hits his account on Friday.

Wayne sent him a text with his bus info so he can be there to pick him up from the station. The old man still refuses to fly, even though it would be so much faster and easier to do it. He gives a thumbs up and says he’ll call him tomorrow, just like he does every Wednesday night.

Gareth sent him a link to an open mic night not too far from his apartment with a question mark. It might be nice to get on stage. He’s only done a few open mic nights this year, and the stage is calling him. He tells him he’s in, but only if Jeff makes the trip, too. Frankie’s too far, or he’d insist on him coming.

They all still get together once a year, usually here in Chicago, but sometimes at Frankie’s place in New York if they can swing it.

A loud bang from the hall makes him jump, nearly dropping his beer and his phone on the floor. He’s used to apartment living, random loud noises are common above and below him. But he’s home early today, and most of the people in his building work regular 9-5 jobs.

He sets his drink and phone on the counter and goes to check through the peephole in the door.

A man is struggling to shove a couch through the door across the hall. It looks just a little too wide to fit, but the man is still trying to push it through.

Eddie should ignore it, finish his beer, shower, and maybe heat up the frozen pizza he’s been thinking about all day. He closed the shop last night and opened it this morning. He’s running on barely four hours of sleep and a Mountain Dew that gave him heartburn instead of energy.

He opens his door and steps into the hall.

“Not sure that’s gonna fit, dude,” he says to the man half-buried in a too-large couch.

The man freezes. Eddie can’t help but stare at the man’s ass. He’s having a hell of a dry spell, close to a year. Even before that he can’t remember the last time he was this intrigued by a dude’s ass.

The man stands up and turns and Eddie’s heart drops much like it did the last time he saw this man.

“Eddie?” Steve’s eyes are huge as he steps closer, seemingly forgetting that he was in the process of moving a couch into an apartment.

“Steve?” Eddie asks, scared to move at all.

He’s seen Steve in some pictures, of course. It’s hard not to when they share Robin like divorced parents share their only child. He’s always in the background, though, a little blurry or turned away just enough that Eddie can’t see his features.

“Do you live here?” Steve asks, which is probably a dumb question considering he just walked out of an apartment in this building, but he’s too busy staring at him to care.

“Yeah. Uh…do you?” Eddie asks, equally dumb.

“As of yesterday, yeah,” Steve hasn’t blinked since he turned and Eddie’s pretty sure he hasn’t either. That can’t be good for anyone, especially not people with glasses. Steve’s wearing glasses. Eddie’s brain stops working immediately at the realization. “I didn’t know you lived in Chicago.”

Which has to be a lie. There’s no way Robin hasn’t mentioned it at some point, especially because she’s visited him a handful of times over the last couple of years. Gareth’s even sort-of friends with him, and he’s terrible at keeping secrets. Not that it’s a secret, but. Well, he just assumed that Steve wouldn’t care what he’s up to.

“Moved here in 2022. Wayne wanted to buy his ma’s old house in Kentucky before it went to some ungrateful flippers or whatever and I didn’t find any reason to stay without him there.” Eddie shrugs. “Gareth’s in school here so he put the good word in at a record shop for a job and found this place for me.”

“Does he live with you?” Steve’s so close, Eddie could touch him. He won’t. But he could.

“No, no. This is just a studio. Can’t afford a two bedroom, even with rent sharing. He lives on campus until he graduates next May, so maybe then we can find a place. I dunno, he’s pretty serious with a girl so maybe not,” Eddie shrugs again. Why can’t he control his fucking shoulders? “Anyways! I figured you’d be in Boston!”

Steve frowns. “Why would I be in Boston?”

“Robin’s birthday?” Eddie didn’t imagine the text she sent, right? She went out last night to celebrate.

“Oh!” Steve laughs. “Yeah, I had to move, so I’m heading out there in a couple weeks to celebrate. My old landlord was a cunt and wouldn’t let me push it by three days.”

“Was it Darla?” Darla has a hell of a reputation in this area of Chicago. She owns four buildings, refuses to be bought out by corporations, and doesn’t let anyone get away with anything. Her buildings are nice, but she’s not. Eddie couldn’t afford them even if he wanted to, and he’s a little glad he can’t.

“Yep,” Steve gives an awkward half-smile. “If I’d known about her before signing the lease, I probably wouldn’t have.”

“Ah well, you’re out of it now. Daryl’s pretty cool here. He’s a bit slow to fix stuff, but he’s doing his best. Helped me out a few months ago when I was a few days late on rent,” Eddie shrugs again. Jesus, his back’s gonna be sore soon. “I’m surprised she didn’t convince you to move to Boston.”

Steve laughs. “She tried. Even sent me a few listings in her building. But I couldn’t turn down the job offer here.”

Eddie nods like he understands, like he knows what the hell Steve is even talking about. He doesn’t. He knows Steve graduated because Wayne went to his graduation, but that’s really all he knows. It’s all he’s allowed himself to know.

“Well!” Eddie claps his hands together. He’s suddenly even more exhausted and barely holding it together. “Best of luck. I don’t think that couch is gonna fit, though.”

“Oh,” Steve looks back over his shoulder at the couch as if he just remembered he was doing something before Eddie interrupted. “Right. Well, who needs a couch anyway, right?”

Eddie snorts. He feels his heart twinge in his chest. Steve was always so good at making him laugh, even when he was feeling like absolute shit. Apparently, it’s a gift he’s kept all these years.

“You could tilt it at an angle?” Eddie suggests. He’s not sure it’ll work, but he doesn’t wanna leave with nothing to offer. Not like last time.

“I tried. Couldn’t get a good enough grip to push it through.”

“I can try to help.”

Surprisingly, it does work. It’s not easy, and still takes them nearly ten minutes, but it gets through.

“Guess you live here permanently now,” Eddie huffs as he tries to catch his breath.

“At least my couch does,” Steve agrees with a small smile.

Eddie used to do everything to see Steve smile, anything at all. He finds he’d still do anything.

“Thanks for your help,” Steve continues. He’s so close. How’d he even get this close? “Probably would’ve just sent it back downstairs and let someone take it from the curb if you didn’t help.”

“Oh,” Eddie says. “Yeah, no problem. I guess I’ll be seeing you around?”

Steve nods once. He’s still so close.

Eddie wants to touch him, wants to reach out and see if he feels the same. If his hair is still soft, if his hips are still hard but he still has a pudge at his belly, if his nipples are still more sensitive than his dick.

He’s not brave, never has been. Not when it matters most.

But Steve is, Steve was always brave. He came out to his parents even though they were likely to disown him, insisted on it because he didn’t want to keep Eddie a secret. He came out at school even though the basketball team made homophobic jokes constantly because he knew he didn’t want to hide who he was. He applied for a college his parents didn’t think was good enough because they had the best education program that wasn’t completely across the country. He visited Wayne still, even after Eddie broke his heart.

Steve touches his cheek, leans in.

When their lips meet, it’s hesitant. Not even their first kiss was this delicate.

Eddie shivers as Steve pulls away. He doesn’t go far, but Eddie tugs him in by his waist so he can’t go any further.

They’re both smiling, practically glowing.

“Yeah?” Steve asks.

“Yeah.”

He pushes Steve down on the couch, kissing hard enough to taste blood. They’re both hungry, starved, and desperate to touch every inch of each other. He’s straddling Steve’s thighs, trying not to think about how much thicker they feel under him. He’s already hard, going 0-100 faster than he ever has before. Steve’s clearly not far behind, moaning into his mouth as his hips push up for friction.

Eddie bites his bottom lip and pulls away, but Steve forces his mouth to his neck. Eddie is willing to go wherever Steve wants him to.

“Need to close the door,” Steve pants.

“Just be quick,” Eddie says against his neck.

“But, neighbors.”

“No one’s here.”

Steve laughs, bunches his neck up. Eddie’s hit with something that feels a lot like the love he used to feel for this man. Back when they were both barely teenagers, back when they didn’t know how to explain to others that they were in love and it wasn’t just some stupid high school fling. Back when they first kissed, and their first kiss led to their first hand jobs, and then they had their first time together on Steve’s 17th birthday.

He knew what made Steve tick then, he knew exactly how to make Steve smile and laugh and moan. They were barely adults when he broke both their hearts, and he still isn’t sure he’s recovered from it.

“Hey,” Steve says, and it makes Eddie pull his face back to look at him. He’s smiling, soft and gentle, and his hands have gone light against his skin, no longer digging into his muscles and bones and very being. “We’re here, right?”

Eddie answers with a kiss, a gentle press of his lips against Steve’s, a silent agreement that somehow, some way, they are here. The universe threw them back at each other because it couldn’t accept a world where they weren’t together.

“Are you getting psychological?” Steve asks.

Eddie beams, kisses him again because he knows Steve knows the right word. He went to college, learned a lot of big words. Eddie’s pretty sure he always knew them anyway.

“I suppose I am,” Eddie replies.

His hand drops to his jeans and unbuttons them, wraps a hand around himself. Steve knocks his hand away and takes over and it’s far better than when they were teenagers, so much better than when they were still learning how to stop being embarrassed about what they liked and wanted.

He’s been with a few guys since, nothing more than casual hookups, but it was enough to learn that he’s good at this. He knows what he’s doing, he’s confident. He likes making people feel good, he learned that with Steve first.

But Steve has always been a giver, generous in bed and out of it. He’s glad that hasn’t changed.

Steve remembers him, somehow gets the rhythm and pressure just right to have him on the edge in less than a minute. He’s whimpering, bucking up into his touch.

“You too,” he gets out before he comes. “Let me touch you. Been so long.”

Steve’s somehow thicker than he remembers, though maybe he’s just lost in the moment or his memory isn’t as good as he thought it was. Hard to lose the memory when Steve’s been the one he always goes back to in his mind when he’s alone at night, trying to take the edge off with spit and his right hand.

They work each other up, edge each other so it doesn’t have to end. They’re kissing lazily while their hands work faster, then slower, occasionally squeezing drops of precum from the tip of their cocks. They’re sweating and making small noises that echo in the emptiness of Steve’s still mostly empty apartment. The door naturally closed most of the way, a small gap still visible, but neither of them care.

“Come with me.” Steve doesn’t wait for him to respond, just twists his grip so that Eddie has no choice but to come all over them both. Steve follows within seconds.

They’re breathing heavy, both of them shaking as they come down.

Steve brings his fingers to his lips, licks the cum off of them, leans his head back like he’s savoring the taste and the adrenaline high. Eddie watches him, can’t believe he gets to see Steve like this again.

He doesn’t want it to end.

“Did you really not know I was here?” Eddie asks quietly, not wanting to completely ruin the moment.

“I really didn’t,” Steve says without opening his eyes or lifting his head up. “Think it’s a sign?”

Eddie kisses his jaw, curling his head against his neck when Steve wraps his arms around him to hold him close.

“Pretty sure the universe knew we’d get here,” Eddie answers.

He’s not really one for believing in miracles or higher powers of any kind, but it’s hard to ignore this.

“I knew I’d find you again,” Steve admits.

“Could’ve asked Robin and saved us a lot of time,” Eddie teases.

Steve pokes his cheek, but he laughs. As long as he laughs, as long as Eddie can make him laugh, he thinks they’ll be fine.

“Still love you, you know?” Steve asks after another minute of silence. “Don’t think I’ll ever stop loving you just as much as I did when we were teenagers.”

“Good.”

“Good?” Steve’s smirking, he can tell.

“Yeah. Loving you alone was a little pathetic.”

Steve kisses the top of his head. “At least we can be pathetic together.”

[redlegumes]

Eddie Month week four: Corroded Coffin

@eddiemonth

The Prompts (each page uses all of that day's prompts)

Oct 22nd: First concert | Triumph of King Freak - Rob Zombie | Eager

Oct 23rd: Mixtape | Nothing Else Matters - Metallica | Earnest

Oct 24th: Drama | His Kiss the Riot - Anaïs Mitchell | Magnetic

Oct 25th: Songwriting | Snuff - Slipknot | Melancholy

Oct 26th: Corroded Coffin | I Wanna Be Somebody - W.A.S.P. | Hopeful

Y'all don't even know- I've been working on the prompts since Eddie Month was announced but with kink/ink tober and the holiday exchange and the big bang and my regular WIPs - these were always gonna be late ╥﹏╥

[friendlylifecherry]

Chapters: 16/? Fandom: Shall We Date?: Obey Me! (Video Game), Shall We Date?: Obey Me! (Anime) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Diavolo/Lucifer (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Demon Brothers & Lucifer (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Demon Brothers & Demon Brothers (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Lucifer & Simeon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Lucifer/Simeon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Lucifer & Mephistopheles (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!) Characters: Lucifer (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Mephistopheles (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Diavolo (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Mammon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Leviathan (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Asmodeus (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Satan (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Belphegor (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Beelzebub (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Barbatos (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Main Character (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Original Demon Characters (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!) Additional Tags: Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Isekai, Isekai AU, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Human, Transmigration, There are 2 Lucifers, that's why the romance tags are like that, Tags May Change, Cancer, personality changes, Disowning, Survivor Guilt, Five Stages of Grief, Grieving over a still living person, Tags Contain Spoilers, Not Beta Read, Break Up, Temporary Break Up, Getting Back Together Series: Part 10 of Tumblr Ask Series Summary:

Still ongoing, written over 1 year and counting

Premise: Lucifer Hoshino, a young-ish salaryman, has unfortunately died in a traffic accident and woken up in the body of Lucifer Morningstar: eldest of the Morningstar Brothers, Prince Diavolo's fiancé, and the terribly-written villain of "The Throne of the Damned", a crappy (in the way that it could be fantastic but the author's clear biases ruin it) webnovel a coworker recommended.

Faced with the very real threat of being banished to live in disgrace, Lucifer decides to work together with Mephistopheles, a coworker who also died in the same accident and is now Diavolo's childhood friend, to get the fuck out of this crappy plot and save themselves. Only that's much more difficult than expected, since the original author is doing re-writes and has to keep the plot going, as well as a terrible new context for the original Lucifer's OOC actions neither of them know about.

[learties]

slightly shaka brah coded

[aroaceleovaldez]

rip Kelli you would have loved Hot To Go

[myrkulitescourge]

can i just say, it still makes me feel a little crazy how astarion, come act 3, still can’t quite put a name to his relationship with his partner, but he WILL tell them he wants to keep them both safe.

he won’t say i love you just yet but he will say forever, for good.

[haleyincarnate]

I’ll meet you in another life, okay?

[rheakira]

Today, May 23rd, is Robin's birthday!

Happy birthday, Robin!

[frostedpuffs]

* If you want them to break up but get back together/get together as a different side of the love square, that still counts as a "Yes"

[patrice-bergerons]

Mmm I can feel that i am very close to plunging into an "everything I have written is shit and should be burned in a bonfire and I should never touch a word processor again" spiral, I would really rather not, but i also don't know how to stop this train in its tracks.

Fellow writers if you have tips to share re what has worked for you in a similar place in the past they would be much appreciated.

[whentheresidentsareevil]

The things that would happen if 9-1-1 made more sense and followed through with narrative threads vs what will actually happen plague me every day

[deathbypufferfish]

Haru you dumb bitch

[redlegumes]

Close up of my Week Four @eddiemonth comic, last page last panel but with .°˖✧sparkles✧˖°.

Full Comic

[unironicallytes]

Dear Brother: Ch04 Supplemental Lore - Inactive Duty Siblings

In the setting of Dear Brother, some of the ranks within the Dark Brotherhood have been altered or are wholly new. Below, you will find explanations for those who do not carry out Sacraments. Inactive Duty Siblings mostly remain in the Sanctuary to learn doctrine or provide support to their Active Duty Siblings.

Crowcaller

A Crowcaller is a specialized role responsible for hatching*, training, and caring for the Deep Eyed Crows. Crowcallers are spiritually-sensitive and able to interpret the needs of Void-blessed creatures. They must possess some level of Conjuration training, as they also craft “Crowstones” for their local Speaker and Silencer. These fragile runestones are carefully carved into shale and carried by traveling Claws - rather than keeping a crow on their person throughout their journey, they break a stone to instantly summon one to their position as needed.

In special cases, Crowcallers may be asked to manage alternate courier arrangements.

*No one is entirely sure where the eggs come from.

Providers, Menders, & Healers

These roles actually make up the majority of a typical Sanctuary. Sometimes, these are Siblings whose expertise is something other than combat; other times, these may be Siblings who cannot complete Sacraments for various reasons. Regardless, they are full members of a Sanctuary and Family: they are still given basic defensive training and taught to uphold the Tenets just as those who carry out Sacraments are. A Sanctuary could not function without these necessary Siblings supporting its very foundation.

Providers handle the Sanctuary’s meal-prep and supplies of clean water. Menders are the Sanctuary’s craftspeople, managing the creation and upkeep of weaponry, armor, and art. Healers tend to the physical well-being of others within the Sanctuary, whether that be through the magicka of alchemy and Restoration or through physical means of doctoring.

It's common for these Siblings to hold undercover positions in nearby towns. For example, a Mender might work in a town's forge or tannery, granting them further access to tools and supplies which any given Sanctuary needs but might not have.

Initiate

This is a newly-arrived member of the Family who has proven their commitment to joining. However, they are not yet full members, and are thus disallowed freedom of movement before baptism. To put it bluntly, the Initiate role is used entirely for brainwashing: they are isolated from laity and opposing viewpoints, provided support only through other Family members, and fed a strict diet of Brotherhood doctrine.

If an Initiate resists strongly during this stage, they are killed. The killing of an Initiate is regarded as a failing on the part of the teachers rather than the Initiate themself. Following an incident like this, Family is encouraged to mourn the death as they would for any Sibling and to use it as motivation in future cases.

After an Initiate undergoes their Woeful Baptism, they are welcomed into the Family as an Unblooded Murderer. The quality of their first Sacrament will determine whether they continue training as an Active Duty rank, return to an Inactive Duty role, or a secret third thing (die).

[butts-bouncing-on-the-beltway]

Anyway, personally, I have always thought that the best remedy for getting dumped is to go on another date with someone you're not emotionally invested in yet [this is probably the polyamory and borderline talking but stick with me I swear it makes sense for at least some of us]

So when you CARE about a person and the relationship dynamic shifts, now you're in mourning right because you started to imagine them in different places in your life and it's emotionally painful to uproot those. But like. If you temper that pain with a person you KNOW that you aren't emotionally invested in (yet) it's a lot easier to challenge the weird thoughts a post-break up funk puts in your head.

Do I feel like a freak of nature who will always be alone because that's reasonable or because Jean-Paul over there told me he's got too much going on right now to keep going out with me? When I'm crying alone in my room, the answer is way less helpful! When I'm on a date with Steve From Accounting Who's Fun But Not My Type it's a LOT easier to remember that lots of different kinds of people are attracted to me, and my boundaries/choices in interaction with others can have a lot to do with how I experience them. See, Steve From Accounting can say and do a lot of things that just Do Not Bother Me, because. Well, why should they? And the reminder that I'm capable of setting down frustration or hurt, the reminder that I can mark lines with people on a case by case basis that I don't want them to cross, and it can be different for different people and that can be a GOOD thing, all that stuff makes it easier the next time I'm alone and feeling shitty to say "hey, these are sensations in my body that I deserve to tend to, but they are not Truth Coming Out Of Her Well To Shame Me Specifically and I can chill about it."

Honestly it's also really validating to remember that there are MANY kinds of affection and connection from others in the world. The loss of affection/connection that often comes with a break up can rattle me, and it's helpful to have the PHYSICAL IN MY BODY reminder that this will pass as I reorient within the other systems of affection and care I participate in. A break up hurts less if you're not also wondering where you'll get your needs met in the meantime.

Anyway it's day two of post-"let's be friends" stabilization and the playlist evolves with me so today's song is Perfect with Sam Smith and Jessie Reyez

[noodleblade]

how do you feel about g1 soundstar and do you have any fic ideas for them?

(sorry for the week long delay haha)

I think they are interesting! But I admit, any interest I have for them is just an off-shoot of my love for them in tfp and their dynamic there. I don't know if I have any g1 specific fics in mind for them, mostly just tfp/continuity soup ideas....

I think a funny g1 idea for them would be them already together and having to break the news to Rumble/Frenzy and Skywarp. The comedic potential there....is enough for me to put that in my "maybe one day" list.