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13uswntimagines · 7 months ago

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The Royal Playbook (Alessia X Leah X Royal!R)

Summary: It wasn't often that you used your name or your titles, but to see your girlfriends, you would do just about anything. Even if it means going head-to-head with your new security.

Warnings: Slightly suggestive, but otherwise nothing. It's a fluff piece.

Your life was complicated. Well… that may have been putting it lightly.

Everything in your life had been planned for you since well before you were born. You had a tutor, an etiquette instructor, and an equestrian coach from the moment you came screaming into the world. Along with a security detail and a personal team of butlers to help you navigate life.

It was simple, you would be academically trained, coached in diplomacy (and swordsmanship as was customary on Braavos), and exposed to different cultures so that you could continue to lead your country like your father and his mother before him. You would marry a foreign diplomat, and make political bonds that would strengthen your little island nation’s place in Europe.

Falling in love had never been a part of that plan.

Neither had your absolute obsession with football. Specifically, your obsession with English football.

But your parents had taken it in stride and were far more accepting than you had any right to believe they would be. They were supportive even after they found out you preferred the fairer sex, and they absolutely adored the women who had stolen your heart.

You happened to adore them too.

Well, something stronger than adore.

You would do anything for them.

They made you willing to break all of the carefully constructed rules you had grown up with. They made you forget the weight of responsibility that had been balanced on your shoulders since your coronation date was set the day you turned 16.

They treated you like Y/n instead of Her Majesty the heir to the throne. They made you feel normal.

It killed you that you couldn’t be… open with your relationship. That having the world know would put them in the firing line.

You sighed, leaning back into the leather seat as the SUV slowed, turning in front of the Emirates. The dark window tint blocked out the flashing lights, and the thousands of pounds of armor plating dulled the chanting from the throngs of people. The little flags on the cars in your motorcade told them all who was inside, even if they didn’t know which of the 4 cars you were in.

You shifted, tugging at the hem of your jersey. “Do you think we’ll make it in time for warmups?”

The new material was still tight on your skin, so much different than the cotton dress shirts you normally wore, and the two little names above your favorite number felt unnaturally… weighted.

They were in a way. As soon as a photographer caught a picture of them, your secret would be out.

“I’ve sent a team ahead to clear your entrance and the box you’ll be staying in, so as long as we can get through this crowd we should make it,” Davis said, glancing up at you in the rearview mirror. “I know they’re your favorite part,”

You hummed, glancing back out of the darkened windows at the masses of people dressed in white and red.

A part of you envied them.

You would never be able to walk into a stadium through its entrance. You would never get to see the mural of the team that existed in the main hall of the Emirates. You would never get to sit in the supporters section, surrounded by the various chants.

The other, larger part knew how much you despised being surrounded by people. How claustrophobic it made you feel, and how hard it made it for you to breathe.

But you still wondered if it would be different if those people weren’t carrying cameras and screaming for your attention. You wondered if watching your girlfriends do the things they loved would negate how incredibly uncomfortable you got when people were too close.

“It just completes the whole experience,” You mumbled into the glass.

Davis made a noise of agreement. “Yes, it does,”

He knew that one of the reasons you loved it so much was because it gave you time to not have to think. To just exist in a space where you weren’t the air to the throne. Where all that mattered was what was happening in front of you.

You didn’t have to say it for him to know.

He could read you like a book. He had experienced every day of your life with you. He acted more like a father than your own father did, and you trusted him implicitly.

The car inched forward, past another gaggle of people holding their phones up to video the caravan.

“We might have to go with plan b if Her Majesty wishes to see the warmups,” Your driver said more to Davis than to you.“There’s an obstruction ahead,”

Your eyebrows pulled tightly together as the car crawled forward through the growing crowd.

Your head of security made a gruff sound, already lifting his phone and speaking rapidly into the receiver.

You barely paid attention to what he was saying. It didn’t really matter anyway.

You knew he would explain when they had a plan, just like he had always done before.

The car came to a stop, and men dressed in bright yellow jackets came pouring out of an entrance you hadn’t recognized, forming a human tunnel.

Davis turned in his seat to face you.

“We’re going to go in a different entrance. I’ll guide you, Gabriel and Tomas will flank us,” He explained. “It’s 16 steps to the door. Stadium security will make sure that they’re unobstructed,”

You hummed. “Will you cover my back?”

It wasn’t that you were ashamed to wear your Loves names.

It actually made you incredibly proud and had a warmth blooming in your chest that was hard to explain.

But you weren’t quite ready to share that with the world yet.

You wanted to protect them from your world for as long as you could. To prevent the people who didn’t agree with your family’s policies from hurting them to get to you.

“My jacket will block you,” Davis assured you, understanding glinting in his eyes. “We’re ready whenever you are,”

You leaned back into the leather seat, glancing at the little walkway that had been created. Fans pressed against it, and you could imagine the wall of sound that would meet you.

You flipped your sunglasses down over your eyes. “Let’s get this over with,”

“I’ll get out and open your door,” Your security chief said, reiterating the protocol you always followed when you had to exit your car in a crowd.

You nodded, never looking away from the window.

You took a deep breath when the car door opened, letting in the onslaught of screams and cheers. They only got louder when Davis opened your door and held his hand out to help you out of the car.

He shielded you as soon as your feet were both on the ground, wrapping an arm over your shoulders, directly blocking the names on your back.

You tucked your face into his chest, closing your eyes at the roar of squeals and cheers that met you.

You never did like crowds.

You felt Tomas take up your other side and counted down the steps in your head as they guided you through the crowd. You didn’t look up at the calls of your name, or the blinding flashes of light, or the jostling that your security tried to protect you from.

This was routine.

The press didn’t pay for photos when your face wasn’t clearly visible.

You let out a long breath when the entrance doors closed solidly behind you.

“It’s over little commander,” Your burly chief of security mumbled into your hair when you didn’t immediately begin to untangle yourself from him, running his hand up and down your back.

You really didn’t like crowds.

You sucked in another long breath before carefully pulling away from him.

“Thank you,” You said, straightening your hair and jersey. Smiling just a bit at the name he had given you after an incident involving your country’s general and an assassin when you were five.

“I don’t think anyone caught a photo of your jersey, your majesty. The Captain's jacket was covering the lettering,” Gabriel added, glancing out the glass doors. “Though I think it’ll be harder to hide if we leave with guests. We’ll also need extra security,”

It made you sigh.

Gabriel was not a bad person, but he was young, and far too serious all of the time.

He hadn’t learned that you didn’t need to know all of the inner workings of their operation yet, or that you were the one who would dictate what you wanted.

You hadn’t even decided if your girlfriends would be leaving with you yet, and when you did, Davis would work it out.

He always figured it out.

“We’ll cross that bridge later,” Davis said, glaring at the younger guard (they would pull the SUV on the fucking field if that’s what it took), before his eyes returned to you, softening. “First, I believe your attendant is waiting to scan your ticket,”

Your eyes lit up at the prospect, looking past your burly squad towards a very shy looking girl.

“I can scan you in,” The girl's voice shook as she spoke, her eyes darting towards your guards before meeting yours again. “Your majesty,”

You rolled your eyes at the title.

You hated it as much now as you had when you first learned you would be your fathers successor. As much as when people started using when you were 16 and your coordination date was set for the day you turned 22.

Davis passed you a paper ticket and nudged you forward.

It was a superfluous detail that your girlfriends had teased you mercilessly about.

No one used paper tickets anymore, they said. Everything was mobile, not that you had ever needed an actual ticket.

You stepped towards the girl, holding out the ticket with a grin.

She very gently took it, running it under the little scanner. You walked past her after it beeped.

It was nice to get the full experience, even if it was a bit outdated.

“We’ll take that back,” Davis said, as the girl turned to throw the scrap of paper away.

He reached for the ticket, tucking it into his jacket for safe keeping.

“To the box little commander?” He asked you directly, stepping past the girl.

You shook your head, a smirk playing at your lips. “I think a little… exploration is in order first. Especially since we’ve never come into the stadium this way before,”

“Lead the way then,” He matched your smirk, gesturing for you to head down the hallway. “The mural you’re obsessed with is to the left,”

Your eyes brightened again and you looked down the hallway he had gestured to.

You would definitely have to check it out before warmups started.

******

Alessia and Leah were… distracted, even as they passed the ball back and forth.

Warmups had barely started and they couldn’t help the way their eyes kept falling to the box now occupied by a tall, bald man in a well-tailored suit, his aviators reflecting the field back at them.

They should have expected it. Tomas was always the first of your personal team to arrive to a location, but usually, you followed closely behind him.

“The queen has arrived,” Millie chuckled, intercepting the ball Leah had passed towards Alessia.

“She’s not queen yet,” Alessia huffed.

“How could I forget? The coronation isn’t for 2 more months,” Millie said, waving her arm dramatically.

Leah rolled her eyes. “3 more months, actually,”

“And Y/n isn’t exactly counting down the days,” Alessia added, stealing the ball back. “She doesn’t seem too keen on the title,”

“I’m not surprised,” Ella said, catching the ball when Alessia tried to pass it to Leah. “She got mobbed coming into the stadium,”

Leah’s eyebrows furrowed. “I thought she was using the player entrance,”

You had discussed the plan with them in detail during your nightly phone conversation, asking about the location of the locker rooms in relation to the entrance your security wanted you to use.

They weren’t sure if you intended to surprise them before or after the match, but it didn’t really matter.

“Apparently not,” Ella said, skirting around the forward's outstretched leg and passing it to Millie. “I saw the clip before we came out here. Looked like they formed a wall of security and then ushered her in the front gate,”

Leah and Alessia shared a look.

They knew how much you disliked being in a crowd.

They could picture you tucked into your security chief’s chest like a small child, trying to hide yourself from the noise of the crowd. It was an image that had been splashed across front pages of newspapers more times than they could (or wanted) to count. It still never failed to break their hearts.

“I never realized how big her security team was,” Ella mumbled, glancing up at the box again. “Like physically. They’re fucking mountains,”

More of your team had joined Tomas, all wearing the same black suits and dark aviators, tall, and muscular.

They looked intimidating. Like they could take down any threat that would come at you.

Neither Alessia nor Leah had any doubt that they would.

Alessia shrugged. Frankly, they had both been very nervous too until you had actually introduced them to your security. They learned quickly to expect pranks from your security when they weren’t on duty, and that their protectiveness extended to them as well as you when they were.

Considering all 12 members of your team had given them the shovel talk, they knew you were in very good hands. Hands that looked out for your mental health as well as your physical health.

“Looks like she only brought half her team,” Leah hummed, counting the men in the suite, noting your missing head of security. He would certainly be wherever you were, and she found it slightly strange you weren’t in the box yet.

You hated missing warmups.

But then a group standing near the benches, behind Serina caught her eyes.

There were 4 tall, burly men surrounded by stadium workers dressed in bright orange vests.

“Maybe not,” Alessia mumbled, her gaze also falling to the growing crowd behind the benches. “She doesn’t usually try to come down to the field,”

“She’s never had to come through the front door before either,” Leah answered.

Ella wiggled her eyebrows, shimming between them. “Maybe she wants to do something wild before she has the weight of a country on her back,”

“She already has that,” Both blonde women said in unison, eyes snapping away from the sea of orange towards the midfielder.

“She’s had that since her father put her in charge of their trade negotiations,” Alessia added. “And their UK commerce,”

Frankly, you had been taking more and more responsibility for years. Trying to gain the trust of your people so the transition of power was an easy one. A safe one.

An uncontested one.

“And she’s been doing a bang-up job,” Leah said, just as Davis appeared in the mix of security next to a blonde man she had never seen before. “She’s actually coming in the field,”

“You mean we finally get to meet the Queen?” Millie said dramatically, standing on her tiptoes to catch a glimpse of you, the ball forgotten at her feet.

Alessia slapped her stomach. “You’ve met her before. You tried to get her drunk after our Euros win and convince her to fly the England flag on her father’s palace,”

“Details,” Millie rolled her eyes, shoving the striker. “How can she see through the mass of people though?”

“It’s a special formation,” Leah grumbled, pushing Millie, and stealing the ball they had all disregarded as she moved it forward she saw Davis shift and the flash of a pair of aviators. You were certainly on the field. “Designed so she can see out but no one can see her. They’re trying not to draw attention,”

Ella snorted. “Well, they failed at that,”

It was true.

The fans in the stands seemed to be clamoring over themselves to see why there was a substantial crowd near the benches.

Leah and Alessia shared a look.

They both knew how much you hated attention. It was why you usually stayed in your box and came in through back entrances. They joked you were like a ghost coming to their games, never seen or heard.

But this. This was different.

Before they could respond Geriant clapped his hands, “Alright ladies let’s do some through balls on goal. Lineup,”

Leah tapped him the ball and followed Alessia to the back of the line.

There would be time later to figure out why you had come down in the field.

Right now they had to focus on beating Australia, especially if they wanted a good game kiss from you after the game.

You only kissed winners.

******

You shifted awkwardly as you leaned against the cool, stone wall outside the locker rooms, playing with the identification lanyard around your neck.

It wasn’t often that you used your… status to get into areas no fans could. That you finagled your way into the tunnel of the stadium after a game.

You were much more prone to letting your security whisk you in and out so you weren’t seen and no one knew if you were actually there, but today, you had been feeling bold.

Well, kind of.

Davis had been the one to suggest that seeing warmups at field level might be fun if you were going to venture to see the mural.

You had agreed.

And he had been right.

You had gotten to chat with Serina about tactics and formations while getting a close-up view of your girlfriends in action, even if it was just warmups.

You had gone back up to your fancy box for the game, but couldn’t resist Serina’s invitation to wait for the team in the tunnel after.

That’s how you ended up here, shifting nervously from foot to foot while the players made their mandatory lap around the field.

It wasn’t really being in the tunnel that had you on edge. It was that Davis had gone to coordinate your motorcade out of the stadium, and left you with Gabriel. You didn’t feel as… safe with the blonde man, and his seriousness was really starting to set you off.

You would have to very carefully bring it up with Davis later, though you hated doing anything that could potentially make his job harder.

“Can you, um, not stand so close please?” you mumbled, as he pressed more closely to you as players from the Australian team started to make their way down the tunnels. “I want to say hello to the players,”

Gabriel shook his head, standing firmly. “They haven’t been checked through security,”

“They just played a match,” You rolled your eyes, pushing him away from you, trying to create some space. “I doubt any of them are smuggling a weapon between here and the locker room, or have Ill intent,”

They were your friends. People, your girlfriends played with every day. People you had spent a lot of time with. People who saw you as a person and not as a title. They wouldn’t cause you harm.

“We can’t take that risk, Your Majesty,” Gabriel answered, already pressing back to pin you between his back and the wall, as his head whipped back and forth.

You shoved him off of you more harshly, stumbling with the force. “I told you to go away. Why don’t you go stand at the front of the tunnel if you’re so worried,”

You would have face-planted had strong arms not caught you.

“Whoa there Princess,” Leah’s warm voice chuckled in your ear, using the term of endearment that annoyed you when it came from anyone but your girlfriends. “You only had to fall for me once,”

“Leah,” Your shoulders instantly relaxed at her voice, and you looked up to meet her eyes. “You guys played so well!”

She smiled brilliantly at you, and you leaned up to place a gentle kiss on her lips.

It only lasted a second before a large hand appeared between you.

“No physical contact please,” Gabriel said, looking incredibly uncomfortable. “It’s policy,”

You glared at the side of his face.

You were definitely going to have to talk to Davis about this.

“What about me pretty girl?” Alessia asked, materializing to Gabriel’s right. “Do I not deserve a kiss too?

“You definitely do. That goal was a fucking banger,” You said, pulling away from the defender, and throwing out a foot mocking the way Alessia had smashed the ball. “Lee crossed it in and then woosh,”

You threw your arms out, mimicking the goal celebration that Alessia did. The one that reminded you of an airplane, right into her waiting grasp.

She leaned forward, brushing your nose with her. “You’re adorable,”

You closed the last millimeter, connecting your lips in a gentle kiss.

She tasted like mint gum, and blue Gatorade, and something so… Alessia. She tasted like home.

“And you look very fit with our names on your back,” Leah added, running her fingers across the bold letters across your shoulders before she wrapped her arms around the two of you.

You buried your face in Alessia’s chest to hide the red blooming across your cheeks, earning a giggle from both women.

“Your majesty, I don't feel comfortable with this situation,” Gabriel said, clearing his throat, and stepping into your space. He leaned down and lowered his voice like he thought it would prevent Leah and Alessia from hearing him. “We’re in too public of a place. It’s not befitting of the crown,”

You froze, your back going rigid.

It was one thing for him to not understand personal boundaries. For him to be hyper-vigilant.

You could chalk that up to his… newness.

But this. This you could not tolerate.

Your fingers caught Alessia’s top before she could pull away, forcing her to stay pressed against you, as your other hand reached back to hold Leah’s hip. You didn’t need them to move. You didn’t want them to move.

You took a deep breath before pulling your face out of Alessia’s chest to stare daggers at the bulky, blonde man.

“Call for backup,” You said, your voice deadly calm.

He raised an eyebrow at you. “There’s no need. I have it-“

“It wasn’t a request,” You cut him off icily. “Call for backup now, or I will do it myself,”

He paused at your tone, glancing at the teammates and friends that had been on their way to the locker room, also frozen at the foreign chill in your voice.

It was the tone you saved for meetings with world leaders you didn’t particularly like. Ones with foreign dignitaries who thought they could walk all over you, your family, and your country.

He took a step back, lowering his voice like he was talking to a child. “Your majesty, I don’t think this is a proper conversation to have with an audience,”

You weren’t in the mood to be scolded.

“And I don’t care what you think,” You bit back, letting go of Leah’s hip to reach up to your necklace, pressing the bottom button hidden on the pendant twice.

The signal that you needed assistance, but it wasn’t emergent or life-threatening.

Still, within 30 seconds Tomas was rounding the corner near the locker rooms, speed walking towards you. The crowd of white and yellow jerseys parted for him like he was Mosis.

You were slightly disappointed it wasn’t Davis, but Tomas would do.

“Little commander,” He nodded his head in greeting, his eyes flickering across the scene before returning to you. “How can I be of assistance,”

You appreciated that he had addressed you first.

That he acknowledged that you were the one in control here.

But Gabriel didn’t seem to get that message.

“Your presence isn’t needed,” The blonde security man huffed, “Her majesty is throwing a temper tantrum,”

Alessia’s fingers tightened around your hips, and you didn’t have to look at her to see the scowl pulling across her lips. Leah’s arms similarly squeezed around your shoulders and you knew daggers were being thrown his way.

Had this been any other circumstance you were sure the growing crowd of footballers would have oooed.

Not that you needed them.

You had this all under control.

“Take Gabriel to the exit,” You said evenly, command and… dominance, radiating through the simple words. “or to the dumpster or the Thames. I don’t really care but get him away from me. He is relieved of his duty,”

The blonde security man sputtered. “You can’t do that. I’m-“

“Actually I can,” You cut him off. “I can do whatever the fuck I want. Tomas, please remind Gabriel of the terms of his service,”

Tomas cleared his throat, suppressing a grin. “We serve at the pleasure of our charge, Her Majesty, Princess of Braavos, heir to the throne,”

Your chest puffed a bit at your full title.

One you generally despised, but it served its purpose here.

“And you certainly have not… pleasured me. Not that you’re capable,” Your lips turned upwards in a cruel smirk, as Alessia and Leah, and the surrounding crowd didn’t hold in their giggles. “Perhaps you should work on your listening, and little things called consent and common sense,”

“Let’s go,” Tomas caught Gabriel’s arms before he could protest or argue with you, not that there was anything he could say. The taller, balder security man made eye contact with you before he hauled Gabriel away. “Davis and Matthew will be by shortly. I’ve left Carson at the top of the tunnel and I’ll have him perform personal security until they arrive,”

You sent him a stiff nod, standing at your full height until they were out of sight before you let yourself collapse back into Alessia.

You would never. Could never truly be alone.

“I fucking hate doing that,” You groaned into her chest, and Leah leaned forward to press a kiss to the back of your neck.

“We know love,” The defender hummed into your soft skin, and Alessia made a sound of agreement, shooing the crowd of football players around you to go about their way.

“But on the bright side, you did look proper sexy,” Alessia said, gently pinching the skin just beneath the hem of your jersey. “Her Majesty, Princess of Braavos, heir to the throne,”

You couldn’t help the giggle that bugged from your lips at her terrible rendition of Tomas’ heavy accent. The one you worked incredibly hard to suppress.

It had come out slightly in the exchange, the only indicator that English was not your first language.

It was something that happened when you were annoyed, which was rare in itself. You didn’t like to wield your power, and thankfully, you usually didn’t have to in your personal life.

��For a second I thought you were going to yell at him in Valyrian,” Leah said, her lips working from the back of your neck up to just behind your ear.

You hummed. “I try not to do that in mixed company,”

Despite how much you had pushed against the mold of your upbringing, your impeccable manners could not be changed.

Plus you knew how much Leah and Alessia loved when you spoke in your native language. How… wound up… it made them. You didn’t want to associate your annoyance with that. Ever.

Alessia smirked. “So he can’t pleasure you?”

You rolled your eyes at the change in subject.

“No. He was only on my team for 3 days, and I wanted to strangle him for most of it,” Your lips pulled up in an impish smirk. “Plus I could tell that he’s never given out a feminominon in his fucking life,”

Leah mirrored the expression against your neck, and Alessia’s eyes sparkled.

“I think we could definitely show you what we know about feminominons,” Leah said, pressing a kiss to the sensitive skin just below your ear.

“Would you like to shower with us?”Alessia’s thumb ran over the skin just above your pants. “We promise we won’t bite, “

“Unless you ask nicely,” Leah finished, her teeth grazing over the wet skin she had just kissed.

It was sometimes scary how they could finish each other's thoughts, though you weren’t convinced that this had been their endgame all along.

You melted into them, the rest of your annoyance fading.

“I would love nothing more,”

They nodded at Carson as they dragged you towards the locker room, the shorter, muscular man shifting to stand by the door, already talking into his earpiece.

You just needed some time with your girls.

It’s what you wanted and the security team would respect that and leave you undisturbed.

They served at your pleasure after all, and so did your girlfriends apparently.

Well, at least at the moment, they would serve to pleasure you.

#woso x reader #woso imagines #alessia russo x reader #alessia russo imagine #leah williamson x reader #alessia russo x leah williamson x reader #royal!reader #Royal Playbook Universe

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deadbeetleblog · 2 months ago

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the batkids finds a box with shitton of VHS so they plug them in and to their surprise is just a bunch of Christmases,birthdays,graduations, party's,etc that Bruce recorded

the first one is dicks 10 birthday (none of this is chronological or anything I'm making shit up as I want)the camera quality was shit all grainy,it was in the manor and part of the league were there and Donna,Roy,wally,Garth are there with their mentors plus superman and the gordons and there's like this cheesy decoration and theres gifts bags for the kids and ice cream and I'm thinking dick is going to have a mj obsession so all of micheal Jackson's songs are playing on the background and the kids are all trying to do the beat it dance

then there's a shot of Dickies small kid face covered in cake and ice cream and he looks gross,off camera a voice says (Bruce) "you're liking your party lad?" his voice is so soft and young and so dad "yeS! thank you Bruce this is the best party ever!!" and he goes away running to superman,he looks young too, mullet and all as he catches Dickie laughing. the video ends, the next tape rolls

It's Christmas,it seems like Bruce is hiding while he records, the tv is on, "can't touch this" is playing and a young Jason Todd is clumsily trying to do the dance, you can hear Bruce's giggles as he watches the kid, he stops hiding and enters the room, Jason looks at him,his smile wide "look! dad look! I'm doing it!!" he isn't doing it but Bruce claps anyways "good job Jaylad!! you look just like hammer!" Jason squeaks, the video ends.

this time tim is on view,he's in the cave doing his homework on the floor, he looks like he's 13-15 at least all sparred on baggy jeans and a too big shirt,this was from a digital camera very clearly, the quality much better, on a monitor of the batcomputer, Britney spears was singing,he was humming along softly, Bruce made his presence clear Clark In front of him with a cake, singing softly "happy birthday to you....happy birthday to you.... happy birthday dear Timmy,happy birthday to you" Tim looked back a bit shocked before smiling wide,his braces all clear for the camera

next tape was toddler damian bouncing and clapping while watching toy story 3 bruce giggling as he danced, "dami,dami, I love youu" his voice was so incredibly soft "I uv yu" Bruce awed as baby damian talked, all chubby limbs and big green eyes,"Dami papa loves you" bruce keep repeating and he keep getting i love yous back when a new set of footsteps interrupted him "hey sugar" clarks midwester accent break through the quiet ambience "hey you" Bruce focused the camera on him "got anything to say to your baby?" Bruce asked humourous,Clark had a tiny baby strapped to his chest ,Damian squeaked loudly getting Bruce's attention back on him "I'm here baby no need to spit" Clark laughed and the video ended

they watched the black screen for a while, it was heartwarming in a way,dick no longer danced thriller on Halloween with his friends, Jason no longer tried to copy vanilla ice, tim no longer had a fringe or a myspace account and Damian was no longer a baby. Bruce was getting older and older and the only thing left of those days were these videos.

the complication of videos grows bigger and bigger with dukes graduation,Cass first recital, Barbara's wedding, Steph's birthday, and eventually they found two curious videos

one was marked "olly,lexie and brucie 72" and the other "happy together 81", turns out lex Luther not only had a beautiful head of red locks but he also had a complete disco choreography with oliver queen and bruce wayne for their graduation, Bruce had the most adorable crooked teeth and straight nose,he really changed with none of his original teeth and multiple rhinoplasties.

the other one was a short video of Bruce combing his hair, humming softly until he caughts the cameraman, he turns with a smile " if we're late for your fault I'm going to be so pissed" the cameraman laughed warmly, "I just have to get my shoes on, I'm waiting for you,it's been an hour you don't need to comb that much" Clarks voice bombed through the speakers "it's my wedding Clark,of course I have to comb that much","you know I love your hair no matter how it is" Bruce pouted and turned pissed, going to the bathroom "Bruce please, don't get pissed" the video ended.

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apomaro-mellow · 7 months ago

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This was such a cute mermay idea I had to do it

Nancy watched as they took the first mer out of the tank, nicknamed 'Billy'. His tail was a deep blue but she knew better than to attach too much connection between the coloration of the tail and their personality. He was anything but calm and soothing. If anything, she would call him a brute, but it was hard to even say that regarding an animal.

Sometimes fish could be aggressive. And clearly putting two males in one tank had amped up that aggression. Poor Steve had yet to leave his cave after Billy's last attack. They'd need a diver to help coax him out and tend to his wounds.

It takes a couple of weeks for him to recover and in that time, the team brings in a new mer, another male. Robin was vehemently against putting him in the same tank as Steve.

"He just got over what happened with Billy. What're you gonna do if this one tries to fight him again?"

"Steve isn't totally helpless", Nancy said, remembering the wounds inflicted on Billy as well. "Besides, we need to figure out if it really is just instinctual, territorial stuff or if there's something else going on."

And so the second male was put into the same tank as Steve's. At first, he was appropriately cautious, as was the other mer. They both kept to opposite sides of the tank. Then Robin began to notice some odd behaviors in them.

The new one, dubbed 'Eddie' by his wrangler Wayne, would sometimes poke and prod at Steve. He would do so and then immediately swim away, like he was bold but shy at the same time. Steve didn't lash out the way he had with Billy, so perhaps it was some form of play? It was times like these that she wished they knew more about these creatures.

Then Steve did more than just not lash out. He appeared to be playing along. Steve had never engaged in play. Honestly, to Robin he seemed a little haughty, like a prima donna of a fish. The gossamer frills of his tail, almost like a betta fish, gave him that look of someone above it all. But when he played with Eddie, he looked, well, goofy.

But he seemed happy. Healthy even.

Then, one day, while passing by on her lunch break, Robin noticed something she had never seen Steve do before. Eddie floated nearby while Steve swam in an alluring display, his tail undulating in a way that made Robin feel like she shouldn't be watching. So she didn't stay for long. There were always cameras on the tanks just in case something happened while no one was around anyway.

But she brought it up to Nancy immediately. Because if her suspicions were correct...

"It looked like a mating dance to me, Nance."

"Don't be silly, they're both males. And if that was possible, then why didn't Steve perform for Billy?"

"Uhh, he kept biting and clawing at him? Not very romantic. And let's not pretend homosexuality is a purely human invention", Robin pointed out.

Nancy was still skeptical. "Well, even if they are engaging in courtship, the fact remains that they can't reproduce together."

Unexpected babies could complicate things in the tank when they knew so little about mers to begin with. How did they even raise their young? It was the kind of question they'd learn the answer to sooner rather than later.

A few days after Robin took notice of the supposed mating rituals, a diver noticed that Steve's belly appeared to be a bit more full. They tried to get closer to inspect but in his first act of aggression, Eddie pounced with the intention to bite their head off. Thankfully, they were fully covered and got away with just a chunk taken from their goggles. Unable to inspect up close, the research team chalked it up gaining weight. It could either be from preparing for winter or having less stress to effect his appetite.

About a week after that, during a routine clean up, Nancy saw that the moment a diver went into the water, Eddie stood sentry at the cave and Steve was nowhere to be seen, presumably inside. Not wanting to agitate him, they waited until he was asleep to send a camera down. Through its night vision lens, they saw the two adult mer and what appeared to be a clutch of about five eggs, the size of grapefuit settled between them.

When the evidence came back, Nancy pointedly kept her gaze from Robin's 'I told you so' face.

"Don't look so smug unless you can tell me how this happened", Nancy said.

Robin shrugged. "I have theories."

It took about three weeks for the eggs to hatch, after doubling in size. The team kept their distance as Eddie's territorial streak rivaled Billy's when his mate was in a vulnerable state. But they checked in whenever they could. Only two of the eggs grew to full term and hatched, the other three deflating not long after being laid.

Nancy chalked it up to it likely being Steve's first mating and having come from a stressful situation. She was proven correct when a year later, he laid again, six this time, and they all made it to full term. She and Robin watched as Eddie and Steve floated together, tails in a twist and holding hands, letting the current carry them as their eight children chased each other around.

Robin nudged her partner. "We're gonna need a bigger tank."

#kinda wanna write steve/eddie pov too #apo writes #stranger things #steddie #mermay #mpreg #robin buckley #nancy wheeler

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fallout-lou-begas · 11 months ago

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As a comic artist myself (read @ikroah), something that I keep stopping to admire about Dungeon Meshi so far is its use of vertical bleed in page composition. It's usually just used for extra room on complicated panels, or for emphasis, like this spread demonstrates quite well:

And usually these vertical bleed panels are just one or two per page, but sometimes they'll be the main type of panel on a page. On the page below, you can see the way that the vertical bleed both exaggerates the descent in the top row of panels and gives extra room for very narrow "camera angles," and then crucially, the vertical bleed on the bottom row of wider, more square panels balances the overall composition. If you remove the bleed from the bottom panels, not only do you crucially iss out on half of Laius' pose, but the whole page seems like it got misaligned at the printer:

Vertical bleed panels will very often be used as the first or the last panel on a given page because they can have a transitory effect between pages or scenes, especially when used to introduce a new location or scene. These two pages from the first chapter, and then the two pages that immediately follow the page above, demonstrate:

And horizontal bleeds, while less common, are also present (see the above page on the right, and the top page on the right). This next page has a particular use of a full horizontal bleed combined with vertical bleeds that really impresses me because of how elegant it splits the page composition artistically and tonally, with vertical bleeds on opposite corners of the page for balance. You can see how without the full bleeds, not only do those panels feel way too tight individually (even the first one, where the bleed was mostly empty space anyway), but the whole page gets a lot more claustrophobic. And while it's not bad, it's definitely a bit more staid and boxy than the dynamic, full-bleed version in the actual comic.

The shape of Senshi's knife and the (implied) trajectory of the mandrake head are incredibly subtle eyeguides built into the artwork!

One final note about full vertical bleeds is that their use often reminds me of the way that newspaper comics will elide panel borders entirely for similar utility: more space in the individual panel, more interesting composition overall, and that effect it has on establishing or transitioning to a scene. Here's come Calvin & Hobbes strips that do it, for example:

And while full bleeds (except occasional splash pages) are much less common in my own mother tongue, classic superhero comics (mostly due to how they were and to a degree still are printed, I figure), you can still see some of these principles displayed in this sample of incredible pages from one of my favorite single comic book issues, Amazing Spider-Man #229.

#dungeon meshi #loumeshi #calvin and hobbes #spider-man #the amazing spider-man #advice #comics

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umahumahumah · 6 months ago

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How do you recreate the Hetalia artstyle so well

ok so.. .uhhhhhhhhhh honestly i dont even know how. which is why i am obviously qualified to make YOU, yes you, the person reading this, a tutorial

i psoted an incomplete tutorial on the hetalia art style some few months back and when i look back at it now, some things are just straight up wrong or need clarification (also its the same post where i accidentally sent multiple death threats to a random sex worker thinking they were just a porn bot oopsies) so if you guys still remember that, forget about it! all of it!!! this is a brand new, more accurate guide on how to draw himas style!

(quick warning though im just a weeb not a professional teacher by any means so dont take this as gospel and dont get mad if i got something wrong or something is confusing)

himastyle tutorial! (the better one) part 1

(link to part 2 here)

ok lets start off with the

HEADS

this is just the way i start drawing my heads personally. if i had to describe it, its basically a simplified stylized version of the loomis head method. proko has a good video on it! just give that a quick watch then take a look at my step by step guide

but besides this, there are some important things about the head that you should remember

the shape of the head is generally rectangular

compared to more typical ikemen styles, hetalia characters have a more rectangular head. HOWEVER their chins taper off to a very triangular shape. rarely do the chins flatten out like the guy on the left.

2. shorter face = younger/more feminine appearance

well... self explanatory. you can see in the diagram how changing the length of the face gives a character a more feminine/childish look.

if you feel that something looks kind of off, feel free to change it, but if it looks okay then lets move onto facial features!!!

NOSES:

ok so this might seem a little weird but i like drawing the nose first. its right in the middle of the face and is generally the easiest to get right. it also kind of acts as a divider between the eyes, especially useful when you're drawing in a 3/4 angle

which kind of look something like that i guess.....

or that if you want something less extreme

anyways while hetalia noses are kind of inconsistent they generally have the shape of these three lines. feminine/childlike characters have a smaller and subtler nose though

noses also never face fully straight ahead, so when drawing a front view, the nose slightly faces right or left (tbh himas characters rarely face the camera head on, so id refrain from drawing frontal views altogether but thats just me)

anyways lets move on to my second favorite part of the hetalia art style

EYES:

the eyes are the most important part of himas style. if all else fails, you can always recognize the style by the eyes. luckily for you, the eyes really arent complicated compared to other anime styles :D here is how i do it:

(feminine and childlike characters have bigger eyes)

you have probably noticed this but the pupils hima draws now has a more squiggly teary-eyed look compared to the pupils he drew then...

i subcounciously do a mixture of the two because i got used to drawing the old type, but if you wanna draw the new type of pupils just take note of their squigly shape and that they have one dominant highlight in the upper-middle area. uhhh.. or if youre like me just draw the old eyes as if you have parkinson's

anyways heres a step by step guide

and some fun eye variations!!! you can try using variants if youd like to give an oc a more unique look (you can also try making your own variants too but be careful of straying too far from the style)

so now about the eyebrow and the eyelid.... uhhh the eyelid doesnt really have a consistent length so just draw it however. feminine and childlike characters have thinner eyebrows but even then eyebrows should never be drawn as just a single line

we are close to finishing the face!!! now we can move onto

MOUTHS:

if you know how to draw a typical anime mouth, then hima mouths is easy peasy!

for closed mouths just draw a curved line with two dark blots for the corners of the mouth

i think that giving them a shaky look makes them look more expressive

open mouths are just random blobs, dont close off the bottom though, and theys till have those dark blots at the corner of the mouth

now then i'll move onto the

EARS + CHEEKS:

i decided to combine these two since these are probably the easiest parts of the face

hima's ears are pretty round and don't really vary in shape. inside the ears though....

it isnt very consistent, so don't think too hard about "getting them right". above are some ear variations i drew from one of the latest chapters of the manga

the cheeks are just a bunch of lines that can appear fully, or only on one cheek, or don't appear at all. i think it depends on level of detail, angle, or the character's emotion

these lines do not appear on rendered pieces

also if a character feels especially displeased they will gain heavy eyebags

so yay! we're pretty much done with the face!! look forward next time to where i cover hair, the body, and other stuff idk... i'll link the other parts to each other when i complete them

#hetalia #aph #hws #hetalia style #this ask is like a month old already i think im sorry anon 🙏

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featherandferns · 6 months ago

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daylight - ten

jj maybank x fem!reader | part 10 of the daylight series | read part 9 here

content warnings: mentions of abuse and bereavement

word count: 1.5k.

blurb: fulfilling your promise to Barry, what starts as a photoshoot for his website turns into some well-meaning advice.

“What’s biting your bark?”

You lower your camera down from your line of sight so you can meet Barry’s eyes. You hope that way you can decipher what he just said, but no. “What?”

“What’s the matter?” he translates with an eye roll. You shrug.

“Nothing. Why’d you ask?”

A small smirk starts to show as he nods to your camera. “Because you’ve just taken about five pictures with the lens protector still on.”

Frowning, you look down to your camera to find that he’s telling the truth. “Oh.”

You take it off and pocket it. How did you not notice?

“Something on your mind?”

“It’s not important,” you politely dodge, flashing him a smile. Barry raises his brows and you get the feeling that he’s not easily discouraged.

“This might come as a shock to you, but I was young once too,” Barry says. “So what is it? Boy trouble? Girl trouble?”

The apparent gay-rights ally Barry stands stoic, brow quirked and hands stuffed in his overall pockets, as he waits for your reply. You’re a little alarmed how easy he had your number down.

“Boy trouble, I guess,” you sigh. Shaking your head, you renew your smile. “It’s really not a big deal though. Let’s get these shots done before we lose the light, huh?”

To distract your busy mind from thoughts of JJ, you had gone to Barry’s to fulfil your offer of completing promo shots for his website. He was more than happy to indulge. He even went to the effort of putting on a fresh pair of overalls.

“Is this that Maybank kid?”

Okay, can this guy read your mind or something? The bewildered look on your face must be answer enough as Barry lets out a raspy laugh. His voice sounds like he’s been gurgling gas and inhaling smog for most of his years on earth. It’s weirdly comforting, like the smell of warm, fresh sawdust.

“Come on, kid,” he says, wandering over to one of the plastic lawn chairs that sits outside his garage. “Indulge me.”

For some reason, you do. You take the seat next to him, your camera turned off and placed in your lap.

“We, uh, got in this dumb fight the other day,” you find yourself saying. “You see, we’ve been spending more and more time together and just getting closer, I guess you could say.”

“Close enough to leave space for Jesus?” Barry wonders. Your face burns hot red.

“Me and you aren't good enough friends yet for you to get that kind of info, Barry,” you jokingly return, hoping your fluster doesn’t show. Barry bobs his head, your joshing response seemingly answer enough.

“Like I said, I was young once too,” comes his coded reply.

“Anyway,” you say, redirecting the conversation, “I started to get all twitchy about it ‘cause I didn’t know where we stood. And I’ve never been good at complicated. You see, I sorta dated this guy back when I lived in Canada and I guess you could say he did a number on me.”

“He mess ya around?”

“To put it nicely, yeah,” you say, smiling smally. “So I’m not very good at opening up to new possibilities and stuff. It doesn’t help that JJ’s so hard to read, either. He’s the kinda guy who says one thing but does another. And I know people tend to see what they want to see, but I swear to God, sometimes I catch him looking at me in a way that makes me think that maybe there’s something more there.”

“Would that be so bad if there was?” Barry wonders, slouching back in his chair.

Frowning, you look at him. His question passes in and out of your mind as realisation dawns upon you. “I can’t believe I just told you all of that.”

“I’m easy to talk to, kid," Barry shrugs. "My wife always said I was given God’s gifted ears: always good to listen but never much to talk."

You laugh softly.

“Yeah, she always came through with the good-enough advice for the both of us.”

Pursing your lips, you ponder his earlier question. You can’t seem to settle on an answer. “I’m not sure if it would be a bad thing. I guess I’m just scared that whatever the answer is, things might change. I don’t know if I want them to. I like how we are now.”

“And yet, you don’t,” Barry observes.

Chuckling, you nod. “Yeah. Guess I can’t win, eh?”

Looking down, you fiddle with the buttons and dials on your camera. Barry’s quiet for a while and you can practically hear his rusty cogs turning in his mind.

“You met that kid’s dad yet?” he asks, out of the blue.

“Who? JJ’s? No, I haven’t met him yet,” you say. “I’ve heard a bit about him though.”

“He’s a troubled guy,” Barry sighs. Shaking his head, he says, “I was friends with him a while back but some people just wanna drown, and sometimes you gotta swim away before you get taken down with ‘em. But that poor kid: he got stuck with two shabby parents. His mama up and left, and before that she was a lying, cheatin’ son of a bitch - not to speak too out of turn. His papa probably has a closer relationship with a bottle than with the kid.”

You think back to the other night, sat in JJ’s house, surrounded by trash and tumult. JJ’s own drinking and smoking habits were easy to catch onto. It worried you plenty but it felt wrong to lecture. He omitted his parents from most stories and anecdotes but you suppose you didn't notice all that much as you had a habit of doing the same.

“I say all this ‘cause I think you gotta understand something. That poor son of a bitch didn’t have the best example of what love was growing up,” Barry says with a sad shrug. “Sometimes that means you don’t always know it when you see it. So, maybe he don’t know how to tell you ‘cause he don’t know what it is.”

You sigh and look out to the desolate road that sits outside his garage. “Y’know, JJ told me about your wife and daughter. I’m really sorry.”

Barry goes quiet but the air doesn’t feel tense. You take it as space to continue.

“Your daughter was really pretty. I saw her in that photo in your shop.”

“She were an angel. God just needed her back home,” Barry quietly returns.

Looking to him, you smile, small and sympathetic.

Grunting, Barry leans forward. “Look, I’ve known JJ since he was yea-high,” he says, gesturing with his hand to the height of a small child. “He’s got a good heart but a short fuse. He runs.”

“That maybe explains why I haven’t heard from him since our fight,” you mumble. Barry’s smile feels like confirmation.

“But I tell you one thing that I do know. Just like my little angel: that kid is loyal to the bone. If he cares for someone, he sinks his darn talons in and don’t let go - no matter what. Even his dear old pops he’ll defend to the end of the earth if someone dare say a bad word ‘bout him, despite all the beating and berating.”

Your brows knit with that and your heart lurches.

“So, if you come a’callin’ then he’ll come a’runnin’, I’ll tell you that now,” Barry assures you. “You just gotta know what you’re callin’ for.”

Nodding, you take in his advice. It helps ease the anxious insomnia that has been eating away at you these past few days. You start to feel as though a path is being carved out for you, fresh and foreign, different to the one you tread with Tyler.

“Why are you so nice to me?” you ask Barry.

His eyes hold the weight of the worlds within them as he smiles kindly at you. “Cause you remind me of my daughter. I like to think that if she had lived to be your age, she’d have been just like you.”

That mark of high praise etches itself into your brain. You wear it like a badge of honour the way a wartime soldier might with his medals, and sit in quiet disbelief that someone would say something so generous to you.

After Barry’s well-guided advice, you get back to the photoshoot. You feel as though you saw him different through the camera lens after that. Every wrinkle on his forehead formed a map of his life: of hours spent at gravesites; of restless nights, alone in his house; of hard work at the garage, fixing and pimping out cars and trucks. Whilst some might say Barry wasn’t book-smart, he didn’t need to be. He was smart in the things that mattered. People and problems. With that intelligence, you find that as you walk back into your house, things feel less cluttered in your mind. It’s like he gave you the boxes to help organise all the thoughts you’d accumulated about JJ.

As you approach your bedroom door, that content smile that had stitched itself to your skin the whole journey home fades as you find it closed. You distinctly remember leaving it open. Slowly cracking it open, your mouth drops with your bag when your eyes land on the person sat on your bed.

“Mimsy?”

read part eleven here!

taglist:

#jj #jj maybank #jj x reader #jj maybank x reader #obx #outer banks #outerbanks #obx fic #outer banks fic #outerbanks fic #jj fic #jj maybank fic #jj x fem!reader #jj maybank x fem!reader

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thebestbooksaround · 2 years ago

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This is a Buddie fic rec list where "one of them isn't a firefighter" That makes me warm and happy every time I read them <3

Part 1 || Part 2

Exploding Coffee Machines by inkinmyheartandonthepage (@inkinmyheartandonthepage) | 9k | General

Buck couldn’t be blamed for falling in love with his neighbour. He was powerless against the Diaz boys and wanted nothing more than to be swept up in their everything. Buck thought that Eddie felt the same, that their feelings of more than just being platonic best friends was mutual. Buck had been hopeful that Eddie inviting him to his boss’s house to meet his friends and co-workers meant that they were taking a step in the right direction.

A step that now Buck was going to be late for OR Buck gets burned at work and worries that he's blown his shot with Eddie when he runs late to meet his friends.

What is Love For $2000? by fayevian 17k | Mature

On the screen, the camera pans down as they introduce the contestants. Mary, on her 3rd day winning streak, is a dowdy teacher type. Center stage is occupied by a graying man with loopy handwriting named Auggie. And all the way to the right is… Evan. Damn. --- One night when Eddie can't sleep, he discovers the hottest Jeopardy contestant of all time (objectively). With the "help" of his team and his fairly good working knowledge of Twitter, they devise a plan to get Evan (from Jeopardy) to slide into Eddie's DMs. It works surprisingly well.

i like you so much (it's kinda gross) by brewrosemilk, stardustbuddie (@gayhoediaz) (@wh0re-behavi0r) | 10k | Explicit

Buck Buckley (@/firefighterbuck): @/eddiediaz I’ll never be able to tug your hair now, huh?

Eddie Diaz (@/eddiediaz): @/firefighterbuck It’s against the rules, anyway. You don’t look like a fighter, though. What situation would we be in that would make you want to tug my hair?

(Or: Eddie is an MMA fighter and Buck thirsts on twitter.)

you make the world taste better by farfromthstars (@buckactuallys) | 11k | Teen

They follow the room numbers down the hallway until the last door on the right. It’s slightly ajar, and when Eddie knocks politely, it opens further.

“Hey,” a cheerful, male voice says. “You guys are early!”

When Eddie spots the source of the voice, he nearly swallows his tongue.

The man is tall, with broad shoulders and huge arms, a sunny smile on his face that looks so genuine Eddie can’t help but smile back. There’s a splash of pink over his one eye, his hair is just the slightest bit curly, and his eyes are startlingly blue. He’s also about 80% legs, and leaning on a cane to walk.

Belatedly, Eddie remembers that he should say something too, not just stare at this guy approaching them.

“Uh,” he starts eloquently. “Sorry. This one was getting impatient at home ~ Newly arrived to LA, Eddie decides to take his son to parent/child cooking classes. The instructor is so much more than he expected

stupid people. by brewrosemilk (@gayhoediaz) | 160k | Explicit

New in Los Angeles, and having recently admitted to himself that he's gay, Eddie figures that hiring a sex worker might be a good way to keep his private life cut off from his job and his son. A way to keep things from becoming too complicated.

It works. For a while.

your dreary mondays by hammersmiths (@henswilsons) | 33k | Teen

“Wait, you need a sitter?” Chimney says. Eddie nods. “Maddie’s brother got back in town a few nights ago, he’s looking for work.”

Eddie frowns. He doesn’t know much about this mysterious brother of Maddie’s – doesn’t even really know much about Maddie, either, aside from being Chimney’s girlfriend – but he’s pretty sure every time he’s been brought up in conversation it’s not been particularly inspiring. “Is this the brother who flunked out of college because he spent all his tuition on a motorcycle?”

Chimney colours a little. “Um. No?”

or, Buck babysits Christopher and Eddie is—fine about it, actually.

one single thread of gold (tied me to you) by heartbeatdiaz (@heartbeatdiaz) | 4k | Teen

Eddie doesn't know much about Chris' science teacher, except that he's his son favorite and apparently knows everything there's to know. ( Those were Christopher's words. )

So when he enters the classroom, expecting an old man dressed nicely but a little old-fashioned as the science teacher, his whole life crashes to a halt.

"Evan?" The man who's leaning against the desk, looking at some papers, suddenly startles and looks up at Eddie with wide blue eyes.

"Holy shit," It's what the man says after spending at least a minute opening and closing his mouth. or; Eddie met Evan when he was a bartender in Peru and Eddie was on vacation with his cousins. They had a one night stand and Eddie woke up the next morning to an empty bed and a disappointed heart. Just for the same guy to end up being Chris' teacher years after.

always glad you came by foxwatson (@eddiediazes) | 5k | Teen

Buck is the incredibly kind but incredibly straight bartender at Eddie's local gay bar. Eddie is trying very, very hard not to be pathetically in love with him, and is failing miserably.

“Hey, you’re back,” Buck had said, greeting him with that sun-bright grin, and Eddie had yet again been reminded why he’d started questioning his sexuality.

“Well, I get one night off a week. And tonight I could really use the drink.”

Buck’s brow had furrowed, and he got Eddie his favorite beer without even asking again what it was. “You need to talk about it? Assuming I read you right and you’re the kind of guy who talks to a bartender instead of a therapist.”

Eddie had winced theatrically. “Ouch. That obvious, huh?”

“Hey, man, you’re the one that told me you started coming here on your coworker’s advice. Feels like something you’d get from a therapist, if you had one.”

see the stars with my morning eyes by trippedandfell (@trippedandfell) | 3k | Teen

“So,” Buck announces, sitting down between Hen and Chimney at the concessions stand. “I think Eddie’s trying to get me to sleep with him and his fiancée.”

or: Eddie calls Lucy his partner. Buck extrapolates.

walking on sunshine by fallingthorns (@fallingthorns) | 5k | Teen

“Shut up,” Buck grumbles at the dog. “It’s not a crush.”

Buck walks out of the room, out the backdoor, and into the yard, trying to ignore his large and judgmental dog following behind him.

“I don’t want to hear it,” Buck tells him as he gets the hose out to start watering his plants. “Keep it to yourself.”

“Who are you talking to?”

Buck startles and drops the hose, doing a quick 180-degree turn and coming face-to-face with Eddie. He’s clearly standing on something, elbows folded over the top of the fence and chin resting on them as he looks at Buck. His expression looks almost fond and it kind of makes Buck want to both preen and die of embarrassment. -- Or, the one where Buck owns a doggy daycare, has a large dog with an attitude, and is hopelessly in love with his new neighbor.

Under Any Roof by moncuries (@moncuries) | 10k | Teen

Eddie Diaz does not need a noisy neighbor on top of all the shit he's trying to work out.

But he does make really good mac and cheese. -- “You know,” And Buck is meeting his eyes now. They’re uncannily blue. Like Kool-Aid or popsicles. “If you want, I could show you what I get up to up there?”

What? WHAT? Eddie feels heat spread from the tips of his ears to his toes. No way had he just gotten propositioned before sunrise in the decrepit hallway of their apartment building. “Um. No.” He backs up until his calves brush the door to 101. “Thank you, really. But no.”

my house of stone, your ivy grows by stayeven (@demieddie) | 7k | Mature

When Eddie resigns himself to buying sex toys in person—despite the popularity of online ordering now—he expects to be embarrassed and overwhelmed. What he doesn't expect is to leave with a crush on the employee with captivating blue eyes.

and we can stay all day by trippedandfell (@trippedandfell) | 3k | Teen

“So let me get this straight,” Hen says, once she’s stopped laughing at him. “Your nerd crush-

“-Evan Buckley,” Eddie miserably interjects.

“Your nerd crush,” Hen repeats, waggling her eyebrows. At the kitchen table beside her, Chimney is grinning like Christmas just came early. “Read your drunk tweet and then sent you animal facts via DM?”

or: Buck's a zoologist. Eddie's pretty sure he's in love.

#Fics I love #Buddie #Eddie Diaz #Evan ‘Buck’ Buckley #911onfox #911 fan fiction #buddiefanfiction #Buddie fic #911 #911 fox #911 abc #911 on abc

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pensat-i-fet · 2 years ago

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I want you to stay (Pablo Gavi x Reader)

**Another cute fluffy request I had a great time writing. Apologies to any Danish speakers if the article I used for the few words in your language that I included deceived me. And enjoy reading! ❤️❤️ **

Word count: 2726

Masterlist

Wattpad

“Why don’t you come to my office later so we can go through the different internship options?”

“Sure. Is 4 ok?”

“Perfect. See you there”.

You left your class ready to pick up some food on your little break before the last two lessons of the day. Finally, after two years in uni, it was time to look at potential internships. You knew that was what could really get you a job after uni, not just the good grades.

At 3.55, always punctual, you arrived at your professor’s office. And when you got inside, you noticed all the pieces of paper on her desk.

“Hi. Sorry I’m early”.

“It’s ok, sit down, please. So, we’ve got a lot of options here for you. Let me tell you about them”.

She went through all the possible internships and it was a bit overwhelming for you. You expected two or three…not fifteen.

“Roger really wants this one but I think you’d be a better candidate”.

That caught your attention. Roger had been your nemesis during the whole time you were in uni. Always fighting to see who got the best grades and overall being way too competitive. So…the idea of taking the internship he wanted was appealing.

“It’s for Barça. They need someone for their media team. You know, to script and help film the videos for social media”.

“Why do you think I’m a good candidate? If you don’t mind me asking. It’s just that I’m not a football fan”.

“I know, but you are the most creative. Your ideas for assignments have always been the most original and I think you’d fit right in. Football is secondary. They won’t be expecting you to know about it. Just to create content the fans like”.

There wasn’t much time to think about it so you quickly thought about all the pros and cons for each option. And even if you weren’t too proud to say it, the biggest pro ended up being pissing your enemy off.

“I’ll take the Barça job”.

Three weeks later, you were in the Barça offices, being told everything that was expected from you and it was a lot. Did they realise you were just an intern and still had to do a lot of things for uni?

“Some players are a bit more…complicated”.

“You mean they are divas”, nothing you didn’t expect.

“I meant shy. Divas are great for this, actually. They love talking on camera. The shy ones…”.

“Who’s the one you struggle with the most?”, you asked, now curious.

“Gavi. And we know him being in the videos will give us so many more views but he just doesn’t want to do them. He gets too uncomfortable and we don’t want to force him to do something he doesn’t want to do”.

Even if you weren’t a big football fan, you knew Gavi. Who in Barcelona didn’t? But it surprised you to find out he was shy. He didn’t look it on the pitch.

“I can help with that”, your statement was met with a raised eyebrow. “What?”

“If you get Gavi to be in more than one video, I’ll give you a real contract. Not just an internship”.

You laughed nervously. He was joking, right?

“I’m not joking. I know you have great references from teachers but those of us who’ve known him since he was a little boy can’t get him to do it so I’m not sure how you’d be able to".

“I’ll find a way”.

If there was something you loved, it was a challenge.

For your first couple of days, you didn’t really get to bring your ideas to the table but to see how everyone else worked. You tried to absorb as much information as possible.

“So…what would you like to do for your first video?”, asked one of your new colleagues.

“I thought a challenge could be fun. There is a Champions League match coming so how about a language one? We have a Danish speaker in the team, so we can get another player to try and say something in his language. It’s always fun to see them getting it all wrong”.

“Sounds great. We haven’t used Andreas much for videos either so good idea. Who do you think should be the other player?”

“Gavi”.

Did he really snort? “We can’t get him to speak Spanish and you want him to speak Danish. Are you a secret Madrid fan?”

“No, I just think it’s time for him to do more videos. I’ll sort it out”.

“You keep dreaming big. I guess it’s good for our profession”.

All these comments were getting to you. How hard could it be to get Gavi to film a video?

“Ga…”, should you call him by his nickname or his real name? Maybe nickname is better. “Gavi! Hi! Could you come here a second?”

He turned to look at whoever was talking to him while he was on his way to the dressing room. That voice…he didn’t recognise it.

“Who is…hi. Sorry, who are you?”

“I’m new here. I’m working for the media team and need you to do a video for us so I wanted to let you know in person. Just in case you had questions about it”.

“I don’t…have you not been told I don’t like being in videos?”

You realised then how shy he really was. And you actually found that so cute.

“I have. But I think it’ll be good for you to do them more often. So you get used to it. Do you like Christensen?”

“Sure. He’s really nice”.

“Amazing! You’re doing a video with him tomorrow at 2. See you there!”

The option of not giving him time to refuse wasn’t perfect but it’d have to do for now. You left the area with a little smile on your face. But because you didn’t stay to see his reaction, you didn’t see Gavi was smiling too. He didn’t know where you came from all of a sudden but he was intrigued. And if filming a video was the way to get to know you…well, maybe it was time to face his fears.

“He’s actually here”, said one of the cameramen, making you look at him.

“Who?”

“Gavi”.

You couldn’t hide your smile when you turned to look at him. He looked so out of place. And then you noticed some movement by the door.

“Who’s there?”

“My stupid teammates who have been mocking me since they found out I’m filming a video”, said Gavi, rolling his eyes.

“Do you want me to kick them out? I can look very scary”.

He just laughed and shook his head. And you left him there to keep on getting everything ready for the video. Gavi kept looking at you moving around the room and then noticed his phone buzzing.

[Barça groupchat]: now we know why you said yes to the video 🤣

He shook his head again and locked the phone, taking a final look at his teammates who left laughing at him.

“Ok boys, sit there and here you have the script, Andreas. We just need you to read the sentences so Gavi can copy you and then guess what it means”.

“Right”, said Gavi, swallowing and wondering why he got himself in this mess.

“I’ll go easy on you, don’t worry”, laughed Andreas.

And so they started to film the video. The little intro you had written for them took longer than you thought and you ended up asking Andreas to say the lines instead to see if he was more comfortable in front of the camera.

“Stop worrying”, you told Gavi, touching his shoulder. “Just forget about the camera. You’re here with your teammate, who you get on well with. Imagine you’re chatting in the dressing room before the match. It’s just you two here”.

“And you”.

“Do you want me to leave?”, you joked.

“No. I want you to stay”.

Now it was your time to be nervous, feeling his intense gaze on you. But you just nodded and left to go back behind the camera.

“Hvordan har du det?”, said Andres, making Gavi stare at him with wide eyes.

“Oh God…can you do it word by word?”

And so Andreas did, slowly pronouncing each word and waiting for his teammate to repeat them.

“That wasn’t bad. What do you think it means?”

“No clue”, laughed Gavi.

“It just means how are you. Ok, next one: Hvad hedder du?”

“Which means?”

“What’s your name”, answered the Danish defender. “And then you would answer Jeg hedder and your name. So for you it’s Jeg hedder Gavi”.

“Jeg hedder Gavi. I’ll say that at the match”.

Everyone in the room laughed and Gavi turned to look at them. He had almost forgotten they were there. But when he saw you smiling, his nerves were back.

“That was great, guys. People will love the video. Thank you”.

Gavi approached you while you were making sure all the footage was ok. “Thank you, for the advice. It really helped”.

“Do you think you’ll do more videos in the future then?”

“I guess. If you’re here helping, maybe”.

You smiled at that. See? It wasn’t that hard to get him to film a video.

“I’ll take that as a compliment”.

“It was”.

That stare again…it was making you blush. “Then promise me you’ll film a video with Pedri so everyone can shut up about it”.

“I’ll think about it”, he said, but his smile said he’ll do it. If it meant spending more time with you, he will film as many videos as you wanted him to. But hopefully, he would just have to speak Spanish on the next one.

The weeks passed and your crush on Gavi kept growing more and more every day. He was always trying to find ways to see you most days, even if he still hadn’t been asked to film another video.

When you were gone for two days, because of your uni exams, he panicked thinking you were gone. And seeing his overreaction when you were finally back didn’t help with the crush. Because…could he possibly feel the same way about you? You didn’t allow yourself to daydream much about it but the idea was still there.

“Gavi!”

“Pablo”.

“What?”

“Stop calling me Gavi, my friends call me Pablo”.

“Your teammates don’t”, you said, confused. He seemed to be friends with many of them.

“It’s different. They are football friends”.

“And I’m not?”

That stumped him. What were you? He couldn’t really put a proper label on how he saw you.

“Just call me Pablo”.

“Ok…Pablo”, you said dramatically. “I need that video with Pedri so no more excuses. It’s happening”.

“What do I get in return?”

“The satisfaction of knowing you’re making your fans very happy?”

He shook his head playfully. “Not enough. Come to the match with me”.

“The match? Of course I’m going, I need to get content from it. And you’ll be playing. Have you hit your head again?”

“Not that match. The Barça Athletic match from tonight. None of the boys are going and I don’t want to be alone. So you can come with me”.

He actually didn’t know if any of the boys were going but hoped they weren’t or it’d be hard to explain.

“So I’m like…20th choice?”, you laughed.

First choice, actually. “Pleeeeasse, come with me”.

“Ok. But you’re doing the video”.

“I’ll do all the videos you want”.

“Be careful making those promises”.

A few hours later, you were getting ready for the match. What should you wear? Gavi had only ever seen you wearing Barça clothes but this wasn’t a date, right? And it was a match, you couldn’t dress up too much. And if it wasn’t a date, why did you care so much about what you were wearing?

“Where are you going?”, asked your sister, getting into the room.

“A match”.

“You’re working today? I thought the match was tomorrow”.

“It’s not work. I’m going to watch one”.

“You’re going to watch football?”

“Yeah, I was invited to go…”.

“Who invited you?”

You didn’t answer right away but your sister knew you well. And the way you were blushing was very telling.

“Just someone from work”.

“Someone from the media team?”, she tried first.

“No”.

“A player?”

“I need to go”, you said, trying to leave the room but she stopped you grabbing your arm.

“Which one?”

“It’s not a date. It’s just me going to a match. I’m trying to learn about football”.

“Sure…which one?”

“Gavi”.

“And you’re wearing that?”

Thank you for the boost of confidence, you thought.

“It’s not a date”.

“Right”, she said winking at you, “not a date. But let’s pretend it is and dress like you’re going to one”.

She helped you pick an outfit that was cute but not too much for the place you were going to. And after wishing you good luck, you left to go to the stadium. The nerves got worse the closer you got there but when you saw Gavi, looking so cute with his hood on, you relaxed. It was just him, you’d be fine.

“I almost didn’t recognize you with that disguise on”.

“It works sometimes”, he said, looking down embarrassed.

“Really?”

He ignored your jokes and told you to follow him so you could go to your seats.

Once the match started, you both concentrated on watching the players. Gavi murmured things every once in a while and it took you a second to understand he was telling the players what to do. So cute.

At halftime, you decided to stay there while people left to go grab some food or use the toilet. It took him 45 minutes but Gavi finally found the courage to speak to you about…well, you. No work stuff, no football…he wanted to get to know you.

"So, would you like to stay at Barça after the internship? I know you have to finish your degree but I’m sure they would wait for you. Everyone speaks highly of you".

"Not really", you said, making him frown. That’s not what he wanted to hear.

"Why?"

"Can I tell you a secret?", he nodded. "I only took this internship because of a rivalry with another student. I don't even like football".

You laughed but he didn't find it funny.

"Why are you even here then?", he asked, harshly.

“What do you mean? I had to do an internship. And I’m glad I took this. I’ve had fun”.

“Fun…yeah”.

“Pablo, are you ok?”

“I’m great. Just…let’s watch the match”.

“It didn’t start again”, you pointed out, worried by his mood change. You’ve seen him doing that on the pitch but not off it.

“I’m going to the bathroom. I’ll be right back”.

When he got back, he just sat down and barely acknowledged you. And it hurt. What had you done for him to act like this?

“Are you mad at me or something?”, you finally asked, not liking the silence between you two.

“Why are you here?”

"Because you invited me".

"Well, soon you won't have to bother with my invitations or with having to babysit me when I film videos or whatever".

"You're not bothering me and I’m not babysitting you. I’m just doing my job".

“A job you didn’t want to do”, he muttered.

“Just because I didn’t love the idea at first doesn’t mean I don’t love the job now”.

“You don’t love it enough to stay”.

When he finally looked at you, you noticed he looked sad. Was he sad because of you not staying at the club? And what did it mean if he was?

“Do you want me to stay?”, he nodded, looking away. “Do you realize not staying at the club doesn’t have to mean we will never see each other again, right?”

That made him look at you again. “It doesn’t? I’m too used to people coming and going from my life so…that’s not an option I thought of”.

“So, do you want me to stay?”

“I already told you I do. And it’s not just me, other players really enjoy having you around and…”.

“No, Pablo”, you interrupted him. “That’s not what I mean now. I mean, do you want me to stay in your life?”

“Yes”.

#pablo gavi #pablo gavi imagine #pablo gavi x reader #pablo gavi x y/n #pablo gavi fluff #pablo gavi one shot #footballer imagine #footballer x reader #footballer one shot #footballer fluff

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wistfulforstars · 4 months ago

Text

For What It's Worth - Part 7

Rex x Reader

Apologies for the long break! Life has been kicking my ass lately! Enjoy me putting Rex through another high-stakes situation!

Summary: Rex preps for the pro-clone rally, you would like him to stop treating you like an invalid already, the big day arrives, and all hell breaks loose

Warnings: Minors begone, The *plot* continues (I'm almost done teasing y'all, I promise), reader is afab, general violence, mobs gonna mob, I play fast and loose with CG protocol, Rex doesn't deserve this stress, mentions of sex, some attempts at sex were made, but Rex's will is made of steel, cliffhanger-y and I apologize, I didn't mean for the plot to plot this much

Tag List: @bambiswriting @jessyhazy @baddest-batchers @bimboshaggy @heylookitworked @eclec-tech @burningnerdchild @liopleurodean @littlemissbshine

If anyone would like to be added to the tag list, please comment below or message/ask directly.

Rex was absolutely exhausted.

Fox wasn’t lying when he said the guard was understaffed. Every day the protest grew closer, and with that came new complications. Complications he usually didn’t have to deal with on the battlefield.

Like civilians. Not insurgents. Not hostages. Not rebels against the separatists. Real and true civilians with not a drop of combat in their blood (not that they wanted it). And there were so many. The population of Coruscant was out of control, and he made a promise to himself to never, ever settle here. He needed sky. And trees. And occasional, honest silence. Not even his men could conjure such a racket.

But coordinating route plans through the city, placement of troopers, and escorts for persons of importance weren’t his only concerns. Rex hadn’t been sleeping well. And it was all your fault.

Still not cleared to work by a professional, but almost entirely back to feeling like your former self, you laid around your apartment all day, every day bored. Bored and, well… impassioned.

And you weren’t keeping it to yourself.

Rex could handle the thorough, suggestive kisses, no matter how hard the thought of your soft lips made him. He could deal with the increasingly short and revealing clothes - it’s hot in here, you’d said - even if he got the ungentlemanly urge to rip them off. He could even stay strong against the way you’d clamber into his lap and grind onto his cock while you watched your nightly shows. He would end every evening achingly erect, too stimulated to sleep, and kicking himself.

His honor and concern for your health couldn’t be compromised, but the desire to give you exactly what you wanted, what you needed, was all-consuming. Rex wanted to provide for you in every way, and being unable to was eating him up inside. You deserved to be catered and attended to. Adored. Worshiped.

You deserved to be fucked. In whatever way you craved. In whatever way you would have him.

And by the force, if he didn’t deserve to get some sleep. It wasn’t just the temptation of you, yearning, delectable you keeping him up at night. He wasn’t sure if it was because of your attack or a result of planning for every eventuality with Fox, but Rex was feeling paranoid. Every morning, on duty, even in the evening with you in his lap, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up on end. It was like he was back in the field, sleeping in the open, full kit on and one hand curled around his blaster. No matter the trooper on watch or his knowledge of the enemy’s location, it was always impossible to relax. Because of the constant, insistent feeling he was being watched.

That’s how he’d felt for five days now. Seen. Observed. Under fucking surveillance.

He admitted it might have been all the cameras and protocols used by the CG. But Rex had been raised by military bases, had been born breathing the air of structure and order. And not once had he ever felt this creeping awareness on his home turf.

He’d certainly never felt it on yours. And that was the part that really worried him. He’d learned to trust his gut a long time ago, and the fact that all of his alarm bells were going off while you were safe in his arms…while you slept, recovering from an assault on your body and mind…

He wanted to go home. He wanted to see with his own eyes and feel with his naked, ungloved hands that you were alright.

Instead, he was sitting through another adjustment to the current crowd control plan for the pro-clone rally, and the anti-protest that was sure to follow.

“Civilians are likely going to cluster in this sector,” Fox repeated for maybe a third time, gesturing to the holomap. “It’s a clear shot from a lot of domiciles and hot spots. Caf shops and casual shopping. Most of them won’t be protesters. They’ll be rubber-necks just looking to say they were there. There’s a clear sight path to the podium. I want as many troopers there as we can spare, ready to get people out if everything goes to complete shit. Thorn, you and your assignees are to hold the lines between the protesters, anti-protesters, and civilians. You boys are the grid by which we operate. If someone gets violent, you pack ‘em up and return to your post as quickly and cleanly as possible. They go to the drunk tanks to cool down.”

Rex nodded along. He’d had the plan memorized since the first briefing. He just wasn’t used to this level of prep time. Usually, he’d follow a certain Jedi’s first thought and just, well, make it work.

Fox continued, “Hound, your unit is patrolling the perimeter of the event with the massifs. Do not appear in force. Spread out. Keep the massifs calm. Make no moves unless you hear from either myself or the other commanders.” Hound’s “yes sir” was almost entirely lost, because Fox, clearly exhausted by this point, kept going without pause.

“Thire, you’re to take your unit into the two buildings on either side of the protest site. Keep an eye out. We have very public, very divisive figures in attendance and the last thing I need on my hands is a downed senator. If you see signs of a sniper, if you see a hostile assailant rushing the stage, you sound the alarm and take the shot if you can manage it.”

Rex then felt his brother’s attention on him, and sat up straighter. Fox’s visor met his own, and he inclined his head, “Captain Rex will be commanding the line between the podium and the crowd while I act as escort to the VIPs. That means that most of my rally unit will be assigned to a different commanding officer while I take a smaller squad to escort public figures to, through, and from the event. It also means that I will be absent for portions of the day, dealing with the struggles of our dear politicians. If any of you, any of you at all have a problem with taking orders from a decorated, battle-hardened commander who just happens not to be of CG origin, too fucking bad. You will follow Rex’s orders as if they come directly from me, understood?”

“Sir, yes sir!” rang through the hall.

“Damn straight,” Fox growled. “One more thing. Captain Rex will be more noticeable than you lot. He’s a well-known poster boy for the war, thanks to Jedi Master Skywalker, and his armor is bound to attract attention. I’ve requested his help at great sacrifice to his General and the 501st. I’d like to return him in one piece. That means look out for him, Thire, your unit in particular. The anti-protesters will be gunning for a figure like him standing out in the open.”

There were a couple of snickers amongst some of Rex’s more well-known acquaintances, but by and large the sea of red and white helmets regarded him with a mixture of reverence and, dare he say it, protectiveness. He felt like a very well cared for massif.

Fox dismissed the boys and sat down at the command table, taking off his helmet and rubbing his eyes. Somehow, the circles under them had gotten darker, “Sorry Rex, didn’t mean to make you sound like a damsel in distress.”

“You didn’t,” he chuckled. “I appreciate the manpower and the potential cover fire. You may have given them an overinflated view of my military record, though.”

“Please,” Fox rolled his eyes. “How many times have you been medalled?”

“Five out of seven times it was instigated by Amidala,” Rex snorted. “She gives me all the medals Skywalker isn’t allowed to accept.”

His brother let out a weak, but very genuine chuckle, then sobered up, staring glass-eyed down at the table, “This needs to be over.”

“Yeah,” Rex shook his head. “I’ve…had a bad feeling for most of the week. Like something’s wrong and I just don’t know what.”

Fox nodded, “Something is going to go wrong at the rally. I feel it. But there’s no way to prepare for every eventuality. All I can do is hope not too many people get hurt.”

Rex scanned his brother up and down, the tired eyes, the slumped shoulders, the gray streak in his hair, “You need a vacation.”

That prompted a single, hollow laugh in the back of Fox’s throat, “Sure, I’ll just submit my PTO request to the emperor. Shed the armor, turn off my comms. How’s Naboo this time of year?”

“I’ll have a word with Ularen’s secretary, she can join you.”

Fox sat up stick-straight, “That’s not funny, Rex.”

He shrugged, “I’m not laughing.”

“That’s…I can’t,” Fox shook his head, eyes wide and sad. “She’s not, we’re not-”

“How about this,” Rex leaned forward on his knees. “I promise, when I get back to the Resolute, I’ll get her to comm you.”

But his brother glared back at him, “She won’t do it. She’s…we’re not on the best of terms.”

“All the more reason,” Rex insisted. “She’s on a warship, Fox. You will never forgive yourself if she gets hurt and you didn’t get the chance to tell her whatever you need to tell her. Trust me.”

Fox looked away and stiffly put his helmet back on, coming back to his persona diligent control, “You’re a meddlesome idiot, brother.”

“Look who’s talking.”

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

Your fingers were stroking his cock again.

“Ah, cyare,” Rex mumbled into your hairline, blinking in the flare of morning light. He reached down and removed your hand from his shorts. “None of that.”

You groaned, leaned forward, and scraped your teeth on his bare chest, “C’mon, Rex. You know I’m well enough.”

“Not till another, not-motivated-by-sex medic says so,” he gathered you up, pressing sweet kisses to your face, which was looking brighter and healthier by the day. “You’ve got your check-up tomorrow. Not too long now.”

“How do you have this much self-control?” you whined.

“A man can do anything with the right motivation,” he grinned down at you. Stars, you were beautiful. “I’m excited too.”

“Hmm, yeah?”

“Yeah,” he trailed his nose across your cheek, blowing warm air down to your ear. Your breath hitched. “Nothing I want to do more than sink into you, feel you wrapped around me again…except, maybe, lap at your pretty clit until you spill down my chin.”

You let out a tiny high pitched mewl, “That’s not fair, Rex. I’m so horny it hurts, and you’re leaving soon.”

Just like clockwork, his vambrace began beeping from across the room.

Rex kissed your nose, “You haven’t exactly been making this easy on me either, cyarika.” He reached down to grab at your hips. “The kissing and the stroking and the grinding. But I’ve been very nice, I know how hard this is for both of us. Just be good for me a bit longer, and I’ll give you everything you want.”

You sighed, properly chastised, “Okay. But maybe I could still come to the rally-”

“Not even if you held a blaster to my head,” Rex interrupted firmly. “We’ve talked about this.”

He got up to go and check the message on his vambrace while you huffed, “I don’t like the idea of you out there, dangled like bait for the worst of the anti-clone movement.”

“Fox and I both agreed that it would be best to keep the protesters focused on a trooper instead of the politicians.” Speaking of his brother, Fox was calling him in for the final briefing before they moved out this afternoon.

“But if I just waited at a caf shop a few blocks away-”

“I’d be out of my mind with worry the entire time,” he started pulling on his armor. “And I wouldn’t be able to do my job.”

You went quiet, which was surprising. The both of you had gone over this repeatedly last night. Rex could understand your anxiety, but he had his skills, he had his plastoid, and he had an entire branch of the GAR convinced that he needed to be protected at all costs. He suspected Fox felt guilty about using him for this, and was hyping up the troopers about his record, his legion, and maybe even the fact that he had someone to come home to.

He chanced a glance back at you, and felt his heart seize. You were teary, jaw clenched and staring out the window.

“Hey,” he strode over, breastplate hanging off him loosely. “Hey now, cyare.”

You threw your arms around him, pressing your body against the ridges of his armor, “Be careful, Rex. Please”

He held you, swaying slightly to the rhythm pounding in his chest, “I will, I promise. Give me ten hours. I’ll be home before you know it.”

“I’ll be watching you on the net,” you sniffed.

“I’ll wave if I see a camera.”

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

That’s how he left you, curled up back under the covers and promising you’d take it easy. You were asleep again almost immediately.

The briefing was quick, and loading into the transports went by even faster. Fox wanted everyone in position before the first of the protesters gathered.

The troopers spread through the open space like they’d done it a thousand times. Rex only had to mind his own placement at the north corner of the stage and admire their precision. Fox had trained them well.

Protesters with homemade accessories (like buttons), colorful signs, and makeshift masks to look like GAR helmets started filtering in. Most of them looked like the pro-clone crowd.

An hour later, some anti-protesters arrived. The grounds became considerably louder, the air charged with electricity. Rex ordered a screaming man who approached the stage to be taken to the drunk tanks.

News crews pulled their speeders up, unloading all of their expensive equipment. They looked considerably calmer than Rex felt.

The space filled up faster than he could have anticipated. Every time he scanned the area, the burgeoning pile of bodies seemed to have multiplied. But the lines of troopers were holding well.

Another hour passed before the speakers arrived. Fox sent a ping to each commanding officer, and a moment later Bail Organa, Padme Amidala, several representatives, a net star, a reclusive philanthropist, and - Rex’s eyebrows raised - Shor Ryesim filled onto the stage. He guessed Shor wasn’t lying when he said he was the organizer of the event.

Organa’s speech opened the rally. It was well-written, level, and reassuring. Rex never understood what special quality made someone a good public speaker, but he was sure he didn’t possess it. Bail apparently had it in spades. Even the anti-clone folks calmed down a little.

The speakers began to blend together as Rex continued to scan the crowd. The representatives were supportive, if a little dull. He couldn’t blame them, how hard must it be to follow Organa? The net star came off vapid and brief, but at least he was using his position for something meaningful. The philanthropist looked almost embarrassed to be present. And Amidala…well, she was Amidala. Direct and spirited, passionate and definitive. She kept turning in his direction throughout the speech, and Rex fought the urge to give her the recognition she deserved. As far as the public knew, he was not familiar with her in the slightest.

The crowd began to pick up on her energy. Loud clashes of voices rose up. Rex caught a few troopers keeping brawlers apart. The anti-crowd began hurling insults and, in one case, a rock in her direction. It missed by a hair.

“Don’t bother with the drunk tank for that one!” Rex commanded. Amidala and the other politicians were ushered off the stage. And of course this was all streamed across the net. Skywalker was going to kill him.

“Are they calling it?” He commed Fox. “The crowd is rising.” And he wasn’t exaggerating. The pros were clamoring for the anti’s arrest. Insults and accusations flew.

“Hold on,” came his brother’s answer. “No, the organizer wants to give his speech, finish up with what they came to do. I’m taking the others out of here.”

Rex felt a stab of annoyance. Fucking Shor…

“Hold steady, boys,” he said to his troopers. “We’ve got one more speaker, then they’re gonna send ‘em home.”

Ryesim took to the podium with very little ceremony. He shouted into the mics, trying to maintain the attention of his audience.

“Friends! Friends!” he called. “If you’ll lend me just a bit of your patience! Remember, this event is for changing minds, not causing violence!”

Rex rolled his eyes and ordered two more brawlers led away.

“However, we must be willing to fight to defend what is good and just!”

What the fuck is he doing? Rex called for his troopers to be on high alert. Shor was apparently abandoning the idea of de-escalation.

“Enough violence has been committed in the name of slowing progress!” Shor yelled, smacking the top of the podium. “We are here to demand the full rights of clones be recognized! We, as full citizens of this great Republic, have a responsibility to understand the plight of those less fortunate than us! To put ourselves in the way of those who would harm our clone compatriots, who are no less valuable, no less deserving than we are. Citizens of Coruscant, we are under threat! A war has started, much like the one clones heroically pursue across the galaxy! Too many clone supporters have been met with barbarity on the streets where they walk every day!”

The screen behind the podium alighted, showing the image of a young man, nose clearly broken, with glass sticking out of his cheek.

“Take Kiran Serril!” Shor shouted, spit flying from his mouth. “Brutalized in his own home for a sticker on his door supporting clone citizenship!”

The mob screamed in unison. The lines of troopers between pro and anti groups were starting to break down.

“Fox,” Rex growled. “We need to end this. Now.”

Fox’s response came immediately, “Copy. I’ll comm the others. I’ve just put the VIPs in their transports. I’m on my way back.”

Shor was still screaming, riling the throng up with yet another disturbing image, “Ellebet Diranae is an elderly retiree, but that did not stop thugs from following her home and giving her a concussion for daring to read a pro-clone pamphlet in her local caf joint!”

All Rex could see were angry faces, brutal intent. He was done waiting.

“Form a wall boys!” he yelled, and his troopers started pushing the protesters back from the stage without hesitation. The ones keeping the two factions apart began getting serious, and the line down the middle reformed. “Blasters at stun only! Order them to disperse! Hound, get in here now, start getting those on the fringes to go home! Leave the massifs in the transports, they’ll just incite panic!”

He was so busy he didn’t hear Shor’s next introduction, didn’t see the transition to another exploitive image. Only when the crowd began falling back did Rex begin to register words again.

“- worst of all, this heroic, kind woman is a medic! She saves lives for a living! She lives in Coruscant, like all of you, not too far from here! I’ve known her since childhood, and they demolished her for the crime of wearing pins on a backpack!”

Rex’s hot, racing blood suddenly turned to ice. Slowly, or maybe it only seemed that way in the chaos, he turned back to look at the new picture on the netscreen.

No.

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

You were having trouble breathing.

Wheezing, you raised a hand to touch your netscreen, running a finger down the little stage made of data and pixels. You hovered over Rex, who had his back turned to the mile-high image behind the podium. He was frantically trying to get the crowd under control.

Shor was shaking his fist, shouting like a lunatic. You wanted to squash him.

You caught the moment Rex turned and saw the screen behind him, could practically feel the moment he registered what had happened.

Shor had shown your face, battered as all hell. With multiple pictures, plastered on a surface taller than your building. From multiple angles, so the damage couldn’t be ignored.

Shor had screamed your name to the entire city, the entire planet. With that, someone could find your address. Find your place of work.

You’d be on the news in a matter of hours. You and those other poor souls Shor undoubtedly didn’t get permission to showcase. You sobbed. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

As you watched, Rex prowled towards the Twi’Lek, who didn’t even notice a murderous clone in his periphery. Fox appeared on the other side of the stage, and rushed to intercept. You weren’t sure he would make it in time.

Rex ripped the microphone clear off its stand, the podium screeching in protest. That move gave Fox the time he needed to get in between the two and slam Shor to the surface of the podium. He put his other hand on Rex’s wrist, and even though it was hidden behind the rest of his body, you knew Fox was stopping your boyfriend from drawing his blaster.

A moment while they stood, staring each other down through their visors. Finally, Rex stepped back, and Fox cuffed Shor. With his other hand, the commander looked to be talking into his comms. Your brutalized face disappeared from behind them.

A moment later, your own netscreen went black.

#captain rex #captain rex x female reader #captain rex x reader #captain rex x you #sw tcw fanfic #clone wars fanfiction #the clone wars #wisteriabyrnefanfic #wistysfics

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joshleyson · 1 year ago

Text

THIS IS: SIARGAO ✨

December film dump 🎞️

Growing up in Mindanao for almost 2 decades and never actually being able to traverse the picturesque landscapes in the eastern part of the island is something that I know I have to break before the year ends. So I did.

I flew from Manila to Cebu so early in the morning to catch a connecting flight to Siargao by noon. Traveling to Siargao was a lot of firsts for me. Not having to go to every detail but when the plane was about to take off to Siargao, we were all offloaded due to the bad weather on the island. Fortunately, instead of having to fly back to Manila, the airline was kind enough to take me to a nearby hotel in Cebu, all expenses paid including food, transportation, and next-day ticket. It was an unexpected staycation which surprisingly I enjoyed.

Coming from a very tiring day at work and then going to the airport, I felt like I really needed this quiet time, and I was able to check in to this lavish hotel all by myself while waiting for my flight the next day. Also, I had a great night as well in Cebu catching up with one of my long-time friends and her beaux. I went back to my hotel around 3 in the morning because there’s just so many things to catch up and I really missed my homie so much. Keyword: low-maintenance friendships.

So the day finally came, and I was able to land safely on the island of Siargao. Right off the bat on my first night, I had a lovely dinner with my travel friends slash buddies at work and we went to a bar, and danced the night away which to me serves as a prelude to the great experience this vibrant community had in stored for me as a Mindanaoan that have never set foot beyond the confines of Zamboanga and western Mindanao.

We spent our days being on the road which to me was such a release. Being able to smell the fresh ocean breeze while blasting our favorite Y2K songs in the car and relying on Waze or Google Maps for our next destination, to me, makes the trip so much fun because of the spontaneity and unpredictability that it brings. We went island hopping, danced in the boat, swam on open waters, ate our hearts out, moved from one accommodation to another, and I tried surfing for the first time! I never thought I would enjoy the experience because it was raining lightly at that time and the waves were so big it could easily engulf me, but man, best day ever!!!! I fell on the surfing board and slammed my body on the rushing waves several times but being able to stand on the surfboard for the first time was such a liberating experience. A little bit of a stretch, but it was and I will try it again once I go back to Siargao.

☾

I flew back to Cebu and then to Manila to catch one of my friend’s wedding and luckily I made it with no delay. Looking at the pictures that I got to develop from a Fuji film camera that I brought with me on the island, I am reminded again of the incredible healing power of what it’s like to try new things, be with nature, and just breathe. Knowing that the year is about to end in a couple of weeks, I felt so blessed to have that opportunity to break the complicated rhythm of corporate life and to disconnect for a moment.

After 3 weeks, I get to fly back to Boracay to celebrate New Year’s Eve. So many epic moments that I am also grateful for which I may save for the future but nevertheless, my last month of 2023 was such a banger and I hope it always feels that way.

By the way, I’m writing all these on my iPhone because I’m too tired to get up and open my MacBook, so I appreciate you for hanging with me this far. So that’s it for 2023!

Simply put, I just want to say Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones, and may 2024 be as effervescent as your hopes and dreams for the future.

(December, 2023)

(Photos were shot using Fujifilm Simpleace 35 mm camera + iPhone 15 Pro Max)

FOLLOW ME: Instagram/TikTok/Twitter: joshleyson

(Music by Grammy nominee, Victoria Monét. All rights belong to her and her publishers. For personal and non-commercial use only. Stream her great catalogue on Spotify and Apple Music.)

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gonetoforks · 4 months ago

Note

Poor Yuichi... Isn't he tired?

1. Can he make cute stuffed animal sounds when he's hit or falls to the ground?

2. How does he feel being surrounded by people different from him? (Since he is a stuffed animal and the others are flesh and blood).

3. Has he ever been in more complicated situations, on the verge of death, or seriously injured?

4. Is he too careful with his katana? What nicknames have the turtles given him? Does he know about Mrs. Cuddles?

5. Do some yokai know about him? Draxum, Big Mama, Hueso?

6. What was each turtle's and Splinter's first impression when they saw him? And how did Yuichi react?

7. I could see that Leo used to be afraid of him. If he isn't anymore, what does he think of Yuichi now?

Sorry for so many questions, I really liked the Au 👉👈🥺 (you can choose to answer some questions if you wish)

AAAAA NO WORRIES THIS IS LITERALLY ME WHEN PPL ASK ME QUESTIONS ABOUT MY BRAIN BLORBOS;

‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

1) yes, yes he does

2) He’s pretty used to it! both sides of his family are pretty different from him, the Cuddles’ being almost completely inorganic & his family in Japan being yokai. He doesn’t really feel it actively so much as it’s led him to think of himself as, *waving hands around face* different. For a few reasons, but it’s no more of an issue for him round the turtles than it usually is :D

3) He’s lucky enough to not have had serious injuries, his organs are pretty well protected by flexible metal! The most danger he’s been in is when he had to run away from a family gathering blind into a forest. (When he cries, water can get too deep in his eyes, & since they’re cameras they short out and go offline.)

But basically, it’s really hard to kill or injure him cause he’s kinda like if an octopus had metal protecting its organs lmao

4) He is absolutely not, since he can stitch limbs back on & sew himself up like nothing, Miyamoto has to constantly remind him to be more careful haha. (Since he’d be a yokai in Rise, his ghost lives in the Ki-stone; the Usagi family uses it as an artifact similar to the scrolls Splinter shredded in S1)

He has a few nicknames but they aren’t really used regularly; Jersey Jack, Raggedy Ichi, Cottontail, Skewer-Me-Elmo, mostly one liners like those haha. but Miyamoto calls him Ume-chan (lil plum) pretty regularly hahaha

& unfortunately yes, he is quite familiar with mrs cuddles ( ´△｀)

5) Yeah! Draxum’s seen him around cause he hangs out with his kids, Big Mama hasn’t really taken much notice cause he hasn’t done anything yet, & hueso knows him as “the guy who always orders motor oil to go with his breadsticks.” ksjfjaksjskjs

6) When they met, Raph was scared shitless for a solid few seconds, Don was like “hahaha you terrify my brother haha, who are you.”

Mikey, same as Cassandra & Magicsaurus, chilled out quickly & was excited to meet a new person & have a fun time with a new friend.

Leo was like “lmao, you from Jersey?” & Yuichi said “Yeah lmao,” & Leo was like “no wayyyy, surely you are evil and crazy/hj” and he proceeded to be completely biased towards Yuichi’s “jerseylike behavior.” (Yuichi in reality was just reminding Leo of all the things he dislikes about himself cause they’re so similar. Once he realizes this, their rivalry becomes a lot more jokey like Teru and Mob from mp100 & they grow closer)

Splinter did not really mind his presence either way, just some kid, friend of his kids, in his house.

Yuichi reacted in a very boisterous & unserious way in response to their interest & hesitation. & when he found out they were attacked by his aunt he was very apologetic haha, he got them a fruit basket that said “Sorry my estranged aunt attacked your home, the rest of my family dislikes her too, have some fruit, so sorry.”

7) After Leo & Yuichi grow close, Leo begins to see him as a person he wants to stay close to. He thinks he’s impulsive, arrogant, but he also sees how he affects others and how they feel very easily. And he can talk a LOT. Note how in the show, Leo goes silent when he runs out of ideas, he’s incredibly stressed, & his family isn’t taking notice of him. As opposed to his family who he always feels the need to talk around to “cope,” Yuichi is the guy he trusts enough to let the mask slip and go quiet when he runs out of mana.

They get each other ( ＾∀＾)

aaaaaaaaaaaaaa genuinely tysm for all the questions, I’m happy you’re so interested in him!! ((o(^∇^)o)) leosagi doodles be upon ye 🫵

#sorry this took so long #ahahaha #rottmnt #artists on tumblr #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #yuichi usagi cuddles #yuichi usagi #leosagi #leoichi #rise usagi #text post #answered asks #my brain

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asheurbanipal · 4 months ago

Text

'Cause I don't want to leave the comfort of this place

on Ao3

<<Previous Episode : Next Episode>>

Summary:

As their relationship moves forward, Logan and Wade start to see what being together actually looks like. Wade has a brain that doesn't work correctly. Logan is still dealing with the trauma of his previous existence. And in the middle is something new that neither quite know what to do with.

Deadpool/Wolverine

Explicit

Words: 8629

One-shot in series

Content: angst, talk of memory loss, baby in danger!, hand stuff, hand stuff while driving, dad vibes, sex jokes

"Wade, how can I put this delicately…"

"Why the hell are you here for breakfast, again?"

Logan choked on his bite of eggs. Hank's attempts at the aforementioned delicacy were completely obliterated by Scott's irritation. He tried to swallow faster to answer.

"Man needs a hearty meal after getting ruthlessly fucked all night," Wade answered. From beside him, Wade reached his foot over and wove it around Logan's ankle.

"Please don't be so crass in the manor," Hank admonished, returning to his toast. Scott rolled his eyes behind his glasses. They had sense enough to not take Wade at literal face value and snap at the bait, but he wasn't exactly lying. Logan wasn't quite sure where their perception of his and Wade's relationship had landed. No one talked about that kind of shit like adults in this goddamn place. He hadn't realized how annoying that was until he had some distance from it.

"We were running drills in the Danger Room." Logan tapped his fork to his plate nonchalantly. "We run it hard, and it's two hours back to his place. I didn't think it was a big deal for him to crash in my room, instead."

Another technical truth. Between the Void and that stupid robot thing upstate, he could feel the way his body had slowed down from disuse. If he was going to keep up in this timeline, he needed to get back in fighting shape. He had finally just taken up the offer of private simulation time. Throwing Deadpool into the mix just made it more interesting and upped the difficulty.

What the simulation computer data logs wouldn't show, though, is that after a couple hours of nighttime training, they were both so amped up the only way to reign it in was to go back to Logan's room and put their dicks in each other in various fashions. They almost didn't make it back to Logan's room one time before he remembered the simulation chamber had very good cameras.

"If it's a matter of food stock…" Logan offered vaguely.

"No, it's fine." Scott waved him off, but he was still agitated.

"What's up, Cy-boy? Did-wait-" Wade leaned over. He didn't have to come far, his chair already practically touching Logan's.

"What's the Jean situation, right now?" he whispered way too fucking loud.

"It's complicated," Logan responded with a small nod.

"Then I'll check the Wiki before I come back to that one. Don't want to insult a grieving maybe-widower."

"I admire your restraint," Scott chuffed then pushed back from the table, standing. "Don't let him out of your sight while he's in the manor." He sauntered through the arch toward the parlor.

"I hadn't planned on it." Logan lifted his eyebrows at the space where Scott had just been.

"If you're really in that much need, I'm happy to train with you, Logan." Storm had been quiet, holding her coffee mug with two hands as she sipped it. She kept looking at him softly. From his Storm it would have been affection. From this one it felt like pity.

Logan shook his head, dipping it back to his plate as casually as he could.

"No, I've been overdoing it. Wade already got on me last night about it."

"Multiple times," Wade added. His foot was still hooked around Logan's, and he pulled it a little closer under the table. He was in slippers, so it wasn't exactly a graceful action.

"If you want me to be able to do more cohesive teamwork, I am going to need to start being pulled for team training. Otherwise I'm not gonna be any good to you." Logan tapped very sharply on the plate.

"Let me talk to everyone about it," Storm said softly, nodding. They'd been doing that. Saying they'd all "talk" about it, meanwhile no one would talk to him directly.

"Can I borrow one of the cars again? To take Wade back. He's got a job to prep for." Logan lifted Wade's foot where it rested on top of his, ignoring the way the rest of the table briefly flicked away from mention of Wade's return to his old vocation. Not like he could work at CarMax, anymore, and if he was going to wear the suit again, might as well slip back into the merc life.

"Let me see what's available," Hank nodded. Which was code for "what we're willing to part with on the chance that something goes horrifically wrong." They'd all heard about the mini-van incident. Somehow…

He glanced at Wade.

"Thanks," he said.

"When are you gonna be back?" Laura appeared in the same arch of doorway that Scott had left through, eating an apple off one of her claws. The kid had settled in quickly, blending with the younger cohort. Some of them knew her story, some of them didn't. Either way, she had gone through the standard new student fare. Get through the initial hazing, then she was part of the crowd.

She was certainly more at home than he was.

His first week back in the mansion, he had hovered at a distance, unexpected fatherly affection pulling him into a wide orbit around her. He also didn't know this younger generation of mutants. They were their own people to him, not sickly mirrors of the people he once knew. That made them easier to be around.

But he was an old man, and Laura needed the space. Deserved the space. Deserved to be just a kid.

She continued to wait for his answer as he considered his day. He half-glanced at Wade, but he was focusing intensely on his bagel with strawberry cream cheese.

"If not by dinner, then right after. Take Wade back. Run a couple errands. Then back here." The errands were making sure Wade had food in the fridge, Althea hadn't OD'd, and filling up the coin jar with quarters for the laundromat. Maybe vacuum and mop. Take Puppins for a walk and check her treat stash. They must have functioned before he showed up, but he wasn't sure how.

If there was time, there'd also be some making out on the couch at minimum. How much farther that got would depend on Wade's timeframe.

"You askin' for a specific reason?" Logan raised an eyebrow at her.

"Because I also need to do some training, and you're the only one I can go all out on, right now. But you've been...busy." The next bit of apple crunched loudly. The first emotion the broiled up was anger. He didn't know where it came from and it wasn't useful, so he breathed through it. That's what the on-staff therapist recommended.

"I apologize for not being available. But in the future, please tell me if there's something you need from me. Open communication and…stuff." Logan replayed the words in his head to make sure he had crafted them okay. Good enough. He was getting a little better at it.

"Now that is some beautiful therapy speak. You should weaponize that, kitten whiskers." Wade poked him in the cheek.

"If you actually went to your appointments…"

"Uh-unh, that's not an 'I feel' statement."

"I feel like I'm gonna kick your ass in a minute." Logan kicked Wade's foot under the table with a grin.

"I feel you use violence to mask your overwhelming urge to suck my cock."

"WADE, THIS IS A PLACE OF LEARNING!" Hank interjected.

"I feel like you're both stupid as fuck," Laura finished. "But I guess that just means you're made for each other." She took another bite of apple. "I'll see you tonight, Logan."

"Bye, kid." But she was already turning the corner of the wall.

#####

Everything was light and bright and fluffy and yellow colored. He couldn't remember the last time he felt good . Genuinely. Whatever memory that might have been was now just a fuzzy gray space. He hated when that happened.

Cold as fuck down here, Christ. Which is me, I guess. I wonder if that's blasphemy.

"You were quieter than usual at breakfast." Logan tapped his fingers to Wade's palm as they moved through one of the basement hallways toward the motor pool. "Fucking weird, honestly." Wade dipped his hand into Logan's and curled their fingers together.

"I was just thinking about stuff."

"Thinking? Dangerous."

"Surprise myself with that sometimes, too." Wade swung their arms in the space between them dramatically. "Just…I don't know…thinking about the job tonight, I guess? Then some other stuff."

"Something you need to talk about? Work through your feelings?"

"Ew no. Gross. It's more like…hm…"

Fuck.

Keep being told to think before I speak, and the first time I do it, it doesn't work. I spent all of breakfast putting the words together, and now they're all garbled. Shoulda written it down. Wish I could write.

"You ever feel lost?" Wade asked. Logan stopped cold in the hallway.

"Babe," Logan murmured. Then he did this thing that Wade knew was going in the spank bank immediately. He slammed Wade back against the wall, metal cold on his spine. Logan pressed up tight against him, hip to hip, giving him an immediate hard-on. Logan's hands slipped around his waist.

"My life is just one long sequence of feeling lost with short periods of knowing what I'm doing. So…kind of an expert." Logan pressed his lips to Wade, and Wade dragged him in in response, deepening the kiss.

I love this.

I hate this.

I hate that I love this.

Fuck these fucking stupid fuck-ass emotions.

Falling in love with Vanessa had been from before The Cancer. Before The Healing Factor. Wade knew how to do all that shit, knew how to put his boyish charm and adult-ish mouth to work. From what he had learned since coming back from the Void, other versions of Deadpool had mixed but overall successful amorous experiences, too. This particular Deadpool was drowning.

Logan pulled away but not before pressing a few small kisses along Wade's jaw and cheek.

"Anything I can do to help?" Logan squeezed him around the waist a little tighter, dropping his hands a little lower to rest on the top of his hips.

"Make me an X-Man so I have a salaried position?" Wade offered.

"You're not a full-on mutant. Also…I don't have control over that even if you were." The words went up at the end like a question. It was so fucking cute.

"Alright then maybe just this, for now." Wade leaned down, pressed his face into Logan's chest, then motorboated the shit out of his pecs for about forty-five seconds. He stayed there, pressing his nose into Logan's shirt and breathing him in.

Oh yeah, that's a thousand times better, already.

"You're lucky you're cute." Logan kissed Wade on the top of the head and brought his arms around Wade's back, squeezing him tighter.

"Logan." The voice came from down the hallway. Logan snapped back, his whole body releasing Wade at once and very literally jumping halfway across the width of the hall.

Well that doesn't feel great, but I sort of get it.

At least the fucker looked contrite, doing that fist squeeze thing with this hands that he did when he was every so slightly nervous. Scott sauntered down the hallway, stopping short to toss a set of keys that Logan caught mid-air.

"Civic's gassed up." He glanced at Wade. "Take as much time as you need."

#####

Logan squeezed the steering wheel hard enough the shape of his claws became visible under his skin. The radio was doing a best of the nineties hour, and he'd already sat through a who's who of pop diva and boy bands of the era. Multiple times he'd considered changing it, but Wade was a little too invested in singing along. He didn't want to take that from him.

It was also, dare he say it, kind of fun?

When the opening riff of a smooth rock song started, Wade scrambled to change it, his chatter breaking off into something about "blow jobs" and "Kid Rock." They ended up on a talk radio station that was a little less nerve-wracking. He leaned back into the seat as Wade provided a parallel commentary with the show host.

He lifted his hand from the wheel and placed it palm up across the center console. Wade took the opening and dropped his hand into Logan's.

"I'm sorry about the thing in the hallway outside the motor pool," Logan said, chewing the words in embarrassment.

"Whatchu talkin' 'bout?"

Logan considered for a moment whether Wade was deflecting or he genuinely didn't catch it. They were both equally likely.

"When Scott showed up?" He hinted.

"OH! Oh that. No biggie, sugar bean." He squeezed Logan's hand tight enough to break a hand made of regular bone. "No grab-ass in the mansion. I get it."

"Well, yeah that." Logan ran his thumb over the back of Wade's hand. "I don't know what their Logan was like, but I used to…uh…get around a little bit."

"You slut!" Wade gasped. Logan certainly wasn't going to deny it.

"Charles used to get on my ass about it-"

"In the sexy way, I hope."

"-'we have to be models of decency for the students' he'd remind me. He never threatened to kick me out, or anything."

"He was probably waiting for his turn."

"I'm on thin ice, here, though. They only invited me back on the team as a courtesy, and they don't know how to feel about you, yet."

"Oh, no, they hate me," Wade said.

"I was trying to be nicer about it." Logan glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. Wade was staring out the window, watching the landscape. "I haven't really done the physical affection thing in awhile, either. So I'm gun-shy, but I want to work on it. Just go a little slow with me."

"I'm not exactly the touchy feely type, either, peanut, so don't stress over it."

"You slap my ass basically every chance you get."

"That's a totally different thing. I don't know how anyone in that house keeps their hands off those rosy peaches." He smirked and winked. There was something glinting dark underneath, though. Maybe that meant Wade would spend his time thinking instead of filling up the car with noise.

Wade pulled Logan's hand further over the console. He heard a zip, then his hand was curled around the warmth of Wade's half-hard cock.

"Are we really doing this?" Logan didn't dare drop his eyes from the road for too long, but he took half a chance to verify that what he thought was happening was actually happening.

"When I tried to give you head the last time, you stabbed me in the ribs."

"Because I didn't want to drive us into a fucking tree, and that was the only way to get you to stop."

"Yeah, so that's why I'm doing this instead. Just let me do all the work."

"You're deflecting from something. You need to start using your words to communicate, not your dick."

"Ngh, I'll work on it." Wade was already grunting, tiny little moans as he pressed Logan's hand around his dick and stroked himself. It was a shoddy and fast thing, Wade getting hard quickly and tensing toward completion just as fast. Wade orgasmed with barely a trickle of cum, shoulders rolling against the passenger seat as he arched his back. His voice was tight in his throat, squeaking. Soft words tumbled out between the other sounds, though, and Logan honed in tighter with his hearing.

It was his name.

Wade was whispering "Logan" over and over and over again just under his breath.

That was new.

Wade panted as he came down from his finish, licked his own semen from Logan's hand because he was simply a freak like that, then zipped up.

"Ooh, there's an IHOP up here. We should get pancakes for lunch." Wade made that weird little self-satisfied smile of his, and dropped his hands between his legs.

"Whatever you want, babe," Logan sighed, keeping his hand off the wheel as he turned into the parking lot of the strip mall.

#####

You have to tell him.

No you don't. Keep that shit bottled up.

He's already figured out something's going on with you. Just get it over with, and you can work through it.

Fucking FINE. OKAY.

don't yell at me.

"Shut up."

"I didn't say anything."

Logan stared at him across the table, pouring "this ain't real fuckin' maple syrup" over his fat stack of pancakes, already through his sausage and eggs and ham and potatoes. Wade looked down at his own pancakes, a smiley face made with chocolate chips and bananas. A piece was already cut out that he didn't remember eating. He didn't remember the eggs and bacon, either, but they were devoured, too.

Shit.

No. You just weren't paying attention, that's all. It's not the other thing.

I think.

He stabbed his fork down through the middle of the pancakes in frustration.

"You good?" Logan stopped, fork midway between the plate and his mouth. He set it down to focus that laser attention on Wade. The gaze that made him either turn to jelly or grow a few more bones depending on context.

Wade re-sorted his thoughts. It was just so hard.

"The constant cellular regeneration. It fucks my memory. Sometimes I just never form them. Sometimes I lose stuff. Sometimes it's nothing. Sometimes it's something really fucking important. But I can't predict it. I'll be looking for this specific little red Fiat in the back lot to sell to some douchebag, and it's not there when I remember it was there that morning. And turns out it's actually been four days." Wade sliced down into the pancakes and took a bite.

"Freaks me the fuck out." He chewed a few times, then spit it into his napkin with a gag. "Why did I fucking get this? I hate this."

"Were those the deep thoughts in the car? The ones that made you whip your dick out?" Logan tapped his fork to the plate, and it was so…it was so annoying when he did that. That high-pitched sound. And there was this look. This pitying look.

"Don't make fun of me." Wade's eyebrows creased hard, and he felt a scrim of tears well up.

God, this fucking sucks. Fuck this. Fuck this.

Logan paused on his own words, then snapped his jaw shut.

"Sorry. I misread the room. I'm just trying to understand. Same with some of the other stuff you do. Like when you freak out when you don't see me for a day."

I'm not nearly as smooth as I thought I was, shit. I didn't realize he noticed that.

"I feel like it's all connected." Logan dropped his fork and leaned his forearms on the table. "I just want to understand, Wade."

"I'm terrified of losing you. Losing parts of you. Memories. The thing that I'm usually able to hang on to is the muscle memory shit. I've never forgotten how to fight or fuck, so I'd like specifically, not forget you how to fuck you. Specifically. So I keep thinking if I just-" He lifted his hands and made a squeezing motion in front of Logan's chest "-then I won't lose it as easily."

"And that makes sense to you?"

"Bitch-ass, what did I say about making fun of me?"

"I'm not…" He craned his neck, pressing his fingertips to his forehead. "I'm not a stranger to amnesia. I know how scary it is. I'm just trying to understand your logic because it doesn't make sense to me. I don't get it."

"You don't get me," Wade snapped.

"I don't. Not in this."

"Cool. Awesome." Wade got up from the table. He made it to the door, then paused. He returned and dropped down into the booth, arms crossed over his chest.

Logan has the car keys.

#####

Wade let Logan rest his hand on his thigh, so that was something, at least. He wasn't getting frozen out. He'd been through that before, and it wasn't pleasant.

Wade was silent, though, and that was scary. He had only seen it a handful of times over the last few months. Wade was thinking and thinking hard, focusing so he could properly turn everything over. Something was going to come out the other side of this that was important. So far it had been mostly positive, but there had to be a moment when the tide turned.

"Logan, stop. Pull over." Wade was sitting up, eyes focused on something out his window. He obeyed immediately, trying to find what had grabbed Wade's attention.

They were approaching a river. Along the perpendicular road, the one that connected to the main highway, two cars had pulled over to take care of what looked like a minor front-end crash. The car wasn't even stopped before Wade was tumbling out and running toward the scene of the crash.

"Wade, what're you doing?" Logan slid across the hood to keep up. "It's just a car wreck." They were approaching quickly, the two people exchanging insurance looking up in a panic. Logan tried to assure them from a distance.

Then a loud whoosh went up, and one of the cars was overtaken by flames.

#####

The 2010 -2016 Kia Soul was among a group of cars known to catch on fire after collision. 2.3 million of them had been recalled for it.

That Kia, in particular, was starting to smoke under the hood.

And now I'm running across the grass, and I'm not sure how I got here. But I'm not freaked out about it, yet. That's just adrenaline.

The fire went up just as he reached the car. A woman screamed behind him, but he knew Logan was there. Logan would take care of them. He had seen the baby in the back seat. The flames were hot on his skin as he went digging for the switchblade in his back pocket. The butt of the knife handle had a knob, and he slammed it into the corner of the back window.

That's the weakest part of the window.

He dived through the now broken window, crunching up into the back seat. He sliced through the seatbelt and carseat anchor, but the fucker was in one of those fuck-ass bases. Whatever. He took off his shirt, threw it over the carseat, then kicked everything he had into the door. It broke off the hinges.

"Wolverine, catch!" Then he threw the carseat clear of the vehicle.

Shit shit shit I just threw a fucking baby. Wait, the car seat should absorb the shock, oh, wait, Logan caught it.

Okay.

A sizzling sound meant the fire was moving up the engine block through the wiring. Smoke started seeping through the cabin, but the missing door should have been enough to…to…

Hm. Something's wrong.

"Wade, you idiot." Logan's voice. The SHNK of claws through the door behind him, then he was being scruffed around the neck.

He lost some minutes in the confusion of his body being manhandled by familiar arms.

"I swear to God, why don't you think ? You're going to kill me if you die."

Wade snapped back as the water hit him, Logan's arms wrapped around him tightly.

"I got you," Logan murmured in his ear as they resurfaced. They kneeled together in the shallow water. The flames crawling up the car hit the gas tank, and the fire shifted color and increased intensity.

"Why am I in the water?" Wade asked.

"You were literally on fire," Logan growled. "Full on human torch."

"Oh, is that what that was?" Wade settled back into the plane of Logan's chest. Fire was tricky. It would keep eating through cells as long as they regenerated. Surprisingly draining to heal from.

"How is it that you can fight endless mobs of yourself without breaking a sweat, but doing a basic smash and grab rescue you look like a drunk frat boy with a hernia." Logan was also a little out of breath, though. They both knew that these little on the spot jobs were the hardest. With a full on mission, you were ready. You warmed up. Zero-to-hero took a little more out of you. It was more personal. More up close. Bunch of people die during a dab of super-villainy, sure. If someone kicked it right in front of you because you couldn't pull them off the subway tracks in time, that sucked a syphilitic dick.

And I don't exactly randomly rescue people. Not before this. Waste of cardio.

What have you done to me, my dearest darling? Heart of my heart.

"I didn't have the suit on," Wade replied as a way to wrap up all those thoughts. Logan kissed the back of his head.

"If I tell you to communicate better, will you remember?" Logan sighed. "I'm being extremely serious. You might forget things, but I remember. And I remember well when I'm at full mental capabilities. Got a lot of trauma up there, so there's not a lot of room left." He squeezed Wade even tighter, the breath puffing out of him. "And I can't manage both our impulse control issues."

"No promises, honey badger. This brain doesn't always connect to this body."

"I…okay. That I might understand."

#####

They slinked through the door into Wade and Althea's apartment, clothes still dripping wet. Logan didn't smell anyone, so Althea was out and had taken Puppins. Reasonable. Wade loved that damn dog, but he wasn't home consistently enough, right now, to take care of her in full. Wade had been chattering endlessly about car recalls and leaking gas tank valves, but he fell instantly silent once they passed the threshold.

"I don't like being here alone," he said flatly.

"I'm here."

"But you're going to go back to the mansion later."

"Yeah, but you're gonna be working. I can stay until you leave. If Scott gets shitty about the car, then whatever."

"Yeah, but-"

"Wade. Babe."

Wade spun around in the middle of the living space, arms flopping.

"Why did you decide on 'babe?'" Wade pouted.

"You call me whatever new thing you think of at the moment, but I'm more of a find a pet name and stick to it kinda guy." Logan rested his hands on his hips, trying to decide where this was going.

"You called me 'daarrrlin' the first time." The impression was pretty spot on. "Then it was 'honey.' Then it was 'sweetness.' But now you've landed on 'babe,' and you stayed there. I want to know why. Show your work."

Logan blinked at him a few times. He wasn't sure he could actually explain it.

"I went to call you 'bub' one time in front of the others, and it came out 'babe.' And I just…liked it. So I kept it. It…fit."

"You've called me, 'babe' in front of the others?"

"Yeah, probably a few times. I'm not really counting."

"Do they know we're together?"

"I haven't been keeping it a secret, so yeah, probably. They're not stupid, and we're not exactly discreet. Last week you asked Scott if there was any flavored lube in the next delivery because, and I quote, 'when I eat Logan's ass later, I want to make sure I pair it with the right wine.'"

"Witty banter. I didn't know they were imagining us fucking night and day all over the house."

"Night and day, sure, technically. I think 'my room' isn't really 'all over the house.'"

"There was that one time in that empty classroom."

"That doesn't count," Logan choked.

"Mmmhmm." Wade clucked, popping his tongue loudly against the floor of his mouth. "So, to be clear, the entirety of the X-Men know that I've been all up in this." He made a waving motion that circled all of Logan's body with special attention on the crotch region.

"Again, yes. Probably."

"That's extremely embarrassing for you," Wade smirked.

"I'd like to go back to the ass-slapping."

"I told you. Those cheeks are irresistible. I cannot be contained." He moved forward a few steps and wrapped his hand around Logan's wrist. "Let's change. You can wear my sweats."

"Please don't give me one of the blow-job shirts," Logan said as he was pulled across the room to the set of hampers where Wade kept his mishmash of clothes.

"Now you're getting the cum slut booty shorts."

Wade started to strip, his body moving with slow, awkward, weirdly normal movements. It was the second degree burns and smoke inhalation. On the surface they looked like they healed quickly, just a little knitting of flesh. But they hurt underneath a lot longer than other injuries. That was probably why he still seemed off. But there was also…

"Wade." Logan waited for Wade to turn around. His flannel was now sitting wet and balled up in the back of the Civic. Instead, he pulled up the bottom of his t-shirt slowly, tantalizing, letting it whip over his head with a stretch of his body. "So you can remember better." He held out his arms, canted slightly into a soft U-shape. He turned slowly, trying to give Wade some kind of show. He wasn't exactly good at this sort of thing, but something about it made sense.

#####

Oh, you sweet sweet idiot.

Logan was just standing there, back to him, triceps fucking rippling.

Do you have a license? For those guns?!?

"You stupid slut," Wade whispered. He moved to Logan, and whipped his arms around his waist from behind. He had been stopped with his wet boxes halfway down his hips, and he just let them fall the rest of the way.

He needed Logan to be naked, too. Not anything more than that, surprisingly. Just naked. He struggled with his belt buckle, but the damp leather had swollen in the metal loop. Logan cut through it with the tip of one of his ever so slightly extended claws. He retracted then turned in the circle of Wade's arms, breaking the loop with his taught ass.

JESUS.

Wade pulled the broken belt free, then somehow managed to fumble down the zipper and top button of his jeans. But the slim cut of the pants was clinging to his glutes and thighs. Wade yanked on them, and they wouldn't budge.

Oh, god, I'm going to cry over pants.

"I can't get them off." He already knew he was mumbling, the rattle of his thoughts only slipping out in little breathy whispers.

"What was that?" Logan asked gently, leaning in and up to Wade's ear.

"TAKE OFF YOUR PANTS."

Logan didn't question the zero to one hundred reaction, just slid his pants down himself, taking his boxer briefs with him, then stepping out of them. Wade slammed himself into Logan's body, wrapping his arm around him again, digging his nails into his spine and shoulder blades. Logan's arms came up from below to hug him back, tight, pulling their chests and stomachs and hips together.

Wade attacked him with his mouth. That was the only word for it. He wanted to bite and chomp at Logan's face. To rip the flesh from his immaculate cheeks. The only thing holding him back from going full animal was how tired he was.

"Pick me up," he whined into Logan's neck, then jumped until his knees were locked around his hips. Logan made a little oomph sound, but snagged him around the waist and under his ass.

He dropped them both on the couch. It was only just big enough to hold them, but not nearly long enough. Logan ended up with one leg up on the back of the couch, bent at the knee, shoulders propped on the arm. Wade settled into the shape his body made, curling one ankle underneath Logan's other leg. They were immediately intertwined.

Their lips fell against each other, desperate and stupid from adrenaline. Familiar, though. It should be. They'd been doing this very thing almost every day for months.

The end of this honeymoon phase was going to be a bitch .

Can you get That Good Dick DTs?

That feels insensitive…

FOCUS.

They were getting hard against each other as they kissed, the weight of Wade's body pressing him deeper into Logan.

Then that asshole pulled away.

"Probably shouldn't get too caught up in this. You've got your job tonight."

Wade groaned, stretching a little.

"There's no jooooob. There never was one."

Logan's hands went extremely tight on Wade's skin. The very very very tippy tips of Logan's claws pierced his flesh, and he shivered in the pain-pleasure-pain.

"If you say the words 'educated wish'..." His warning delivered, he retracted his claws again.

Wade rolled his forehead across Logan's chest.

"I started talking to my old merc contacts when we got back from the Void. I started picking up small jobs when you moved out. Real easy security shit. Made it easier to deal with you not being here. But then after the robot thing the jobs felt…boring. And any time I had to choose between working or spending time with you, I chose you. So I started getting picky."

"How are you paying your half of the rent?"

"That's the weird advantage of the merc work/shithole apartment combo. Couple good jobs and you're covered for the month. Not dressing in Givenchy, but you make it work."

Logan sat up, forcing Wade to do a weird little half curl just to keep himself wrapped around his body.

"But why lie about it? I don't like you lying to me." His voice was sharp. Angry. Wade rolled back over his thighs to sit up on the couch. He brought a pillow over his half-hard cock to not distract himself then shoved one over Logan's for the same reason.

"I don't know. I was embarrassed? Maybe? Worried you'd get tired of me, but also worried if I said I needed space you'd think I was tired of you . Problem solved in both directions if I have to go to a job. But I hate not being around you. It physically hurts when I don't get to see you for some reason.

"Well not for some reason. There's a reason. It's because I still can't seem to remember what you smell like when you're not around. And you can smell me; you know what I smell like. You know I'm coming. I actually stole one of your shirts, and I sniff it when we're not together. And I'm like 'mmhmm, yep, that's Logan.' My boner certainly recognizes you. So why can't I smell you from a distance? Clearly that means I can't remember what you smell like. Then obviously there's other things I'm probably forgetting too, and I don't even realize it.

"But what kind of needy-ass bitch tells someone 'hey, I have to sew my face to your ass Human Centipede style because I'm worried I'll forget what it tastes like.' Listen to how insane that sounds."

"I do agree that you sound completely unhinged," Logan nodded.

"Thank you for validating my emotions. I appreciate it." He leaned back on the couch.

I'm actually completely serious; why does that sound so sarcastic?

#####

Logan traced the hunched curve of Wade's body as he curled up on himself. That was the thing that no one understood about Wade. The thing that he had to keep reminding himself when he told Wade to slow down and think. Wade did think. It was just too quick and frenzied, ideas cycling as fast as his brain regenerated new neurons.

So when those thoughts emerged they sounded like madness.

"Wade." Logan stopped. Careful. Gentle. Breathe. "I can smell you because I have super senses. Other people can't smell each other from down the hallway. I need to be sure that you understand that before you spiral."

"I want to be able to smell you," Wade replied blankly.

"What if I wore a very specific cologne that you pick? Then you'll be able to smell me from farther away."

"But then you wouldn't smell like you anymore."

"So, see, you do know what I smell like."

Wade attempted to retort, then stopped, pursing his lips on his objection. Logan leaned over and rested his forehead on Wade's shoulder. Careful. Gentle. Breathe.

"Don't lie to me, again." It was a bark, immediately losing the pattern of his mantra. "I can't do this if you lie to me." Wade's body tensed.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"I'm saying I love you. But love's not enough if you're going to keep big things from me. We're fine, still. It's okay. But it's not something I can ignore." Logan pressed his palms together and squeezed. Too much shit happened to his brain that he couldn't control. He didn't need additional complications.

Wade's hands crawled into the square of Logan's forearms and gripped them tight at the crook of his elbows.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please don't end us when we just started. I love you." He pushed his body into Logan's forcing them back into the position they were in before. "I'll show you. What do you want? Just tell me what to put where."

"Babe, shut up." Logan clapped his hand around the back of Wade's head and pressed it to his chest. "If you don't have to rush off somewhere, then just lay here with me. There's too little of that in my life." He dragged his fingers up and down Wade's spine. He had been too intense, let the trauma do too much of the talking.

The half-lie that made him follow Wade in the beginning had turned out all right. It was a falsehood he could understand the desperation of in hindsight. A little white lie about a gig from a man who literally didn't understand how his own brain worked wasn't the kind of thing to blow up a whole relationship for. And Wade understood. He wasn't ignoring him or disregarding his feelings on the matter.

Wade would remember this.

"You don't have to solve everything with sex or violence," Logan said.

"What about sex and violence?"

"Sure. Okay. But only if they're at exactly the same time in equal amounts. "

"I love it when you pull out the quips. It's so sexy." Wade dragged his teeth down Logan's chest and kissed his nipple, running his tongue over it in little flicks.

"What did I just say about using sex to solve your problems?" But they'd also just had an incredibly serious conversation while both completely naked, so maybe Wade deserved at least a little credit.

"My dick is shaking hands with yours, right now. Where did you think this was going?"

Wade's arm snaked down into the space between them. His large hand came around both of them, pressing their shafts together. Just a little bit of movement, and the friction of his rough palm started Logan on the long, spiraling draw toward pleasure. He met his own hand with Wade's between them, wrapping around the other side of their paired lengths. Logan ran his other hand up the back of Wade's neck, pressing his fingers into the back of his skull.

"That feels so goddamn good," Logan growled.

"And you said not to use my cock to communicate." Wade ran a few kisses along Logan's jaw before nibbling on his skin.

"Why do you use your teeth so much?" Logan asked between little kissing pecks across his lips.

"Because I'm a freak. Do you want me to stop?"

"Fuck no."

Wade nipped at Logan's chin harder.

"Why don't you use yours?" Wade asked. "Bring more of that mustelid energy to the bedroom."

"I have no idea what that means, but if that's what you want…"

#####

Logan's teeth sunk hard into his shoulder where it met his neck and-

-fuck shit if I was closer I would have come a fountain.

Logan's jaws locked into place, and he dropped the hand that had been on the back of Wade's head to around the small of his back. His hand tilted to grip around the shape of his ass, and their lower bodies pressed together tighter. Logan's hand grappled with his until he couldn't be sure who was stroking who, everything a mass of sensation on the back of that quick, hot buildup.

Slowly, the thoughts dripped out of his head until there was nothing left but need . Raw. Nerve endings that normally fired in pain instead trilling with pleasure.

Sex and violence.

He pumped faster, trying to focus on the man underneath him at the same time. How Logan's skin felt against his. The scratch of Logan's body hair on his stomach and beard on his cheek. The sting of Logan's teeth in his muscles and the way his body kept trying to heal around them. The sloppy weep of Logan's precum dripping over his hand. The steam of Logan's sweat as it curled around their bodies.

Tobacco and orange peel and leather and a jar of nickels. That's what Logan smells like. I know what Logan smells like.

Logan fucked up into his hand from below, their heels and toes tangling together as they both tried to push against the couch for leverage. Logan's whole body tensed, hips thrusting up to lift them both. He released his mouth from Wade's shoulder and howled as he erupted over their hands.

Wade crushed his mouth against Logan's as Logan brought him the rest of the way.

"Fuck," he whispered into Logan's mouth as the spring broke and his own cum spread out between their stomachs. He tried to dig for something else to say. Some little jokey joke to break the tension. He couldn't find anything, his brain flaring back to life with a gasp and a scream, full of nothing but Logan.

#####

Logan flicked over Wade's shirt with a half-extended claw and caught it in his fist.

"Sit up," he murmured into Wade's ear.

"Dun wanna." Wade tucked his arms under Logan's shoulders in protest. He stabbed Wade in the ass a little with the still out claw, and that startled him into rolling off just enough. "Love it when you use the claws to push me around."

"Do you actually?" He wiped them both down and threw the shirt on the floor. Wade rolled back, resting his head on Logan's chest. "Because I spend a lot of energy attempting to not spear people I care about through the stomach. If you're into it, though, I could be convinced to reconsider."

"Our safeword can be Graymalkin. Because I'm one of…Cable's ships…that…that one didn't come together."

He was too tired to rise to the bait of whatever Wade was talking about and rested his hands gently on Wade's back instead. The TV across the room flicked on.

"Found the remote. It was between the cushions." Wade flicked through some channels then stopped with a soft "oooh."

"What the fuck is this?"

"Say Yes to the Dress. Wedding dress shopping, but each one costs three month's rent."

"Shit, weddings are expensive." He watched the movement on the TV for a careful few minutes. "Okay, that dress looks great on her. Why is her mom being a bitch about it?"

"FUCKING RIGHT?"

Logan woke at the sound of someone at the door. They had fallen asleep on the couch and it had grown dark in the interim. He pulled an arm out from under Wade's weight, shook the pins and needles out, and prepped his claws to spring free. Whoever it was slid a key into the lock. He relaxed. Althea. She had caught them in worse, and at least she wouldn't see they were currently naked on her couch. Logan shook Wade awake a little.

"Althea's home. We should maybe pretend we're decent people."

"We're absolutely not, though," Wade said sleepily but moved to sit up. He half pulled the blanket off the back of the couch, but was still waking up and moving slowly.

The lock clicked and the door cracked.

"Hey, you old slut," Wade yawned. Then the door finished opening.

"Oh my god. I'm gonna gouge my own eyes out." Laura pushed Colossus in front of her and used his body to block her view. For his part, he lifted his hand to shield his eyes and turned away.

"I said to knock when entering a man's private home." His deep Russian accent was caught between admonishment and embarrassment.

Logan snatched the blanket and threw it over both of them.

"If you don't want to see my ass, then hand me some pants," Logan barked, gesturing toward the clothes hampers.

Colossus volunteered himself for the task, still keeping his back to them as he grabbed a set of shorts and a pair of sweats and threw them across the room. Logan gave Wade the shorts and shimmied into the sweat pants.

"Laura, what the fuck are you doing here?" He stood, moving away from the couch. She gave half a glance over her shoulder then turned when she could confirm he was half-dressed.

"You said you were going to train with me tonight, but you didn't come back."

"Shit." Logan pressed his palms to his forehead. "I'm so sorry, kid. Wade's job…got canceled-" the lie came easy and he hated himself a little for it "-and I lost track of time."

"Yeah, I can see that," she tsked.

"You didn't need to come all the way here."

"That idiot throwing a baby out of a car is getting memed on TikTok, right now." Laura gestured to Wade.

"Oooh, I've never been viral before. Well, not on the internet. Been viral a few other ways." Wade had propped himself up on the arm of the couch.

"So I called your phone to check on you. When you didn't answer, I got worried. Colossus offered to drive me over, and Yukio gave me her emergency key."

"My phone…" Logan lifted his hand to his chest where his shirt pocket would have been. The shirt that was currently curled up in the back of the Civic. "Shit."

Logan dropped on the arm of the couch, scooting Wade over a few inches.

"Okay, how do I fix this?" Logan asked.

"I don't know. You're not dead, so I get to be mad at you. But you're not dead, so I'm also relieved." Laura spread her hands in a weird half-shrug.

"You could set up a training schedule," Colossus tried to mediate.

"Wait, that's actually a really good idea." Wade hung half-off the couch. "Because I'll fight you. Like, I'll kick your fucking ass as hard as you want."

"I could go for that," Laura replied.

"Your level of enthusiasm worries me," Logan said.

"It's your DNA," Wade reminded him. He pressed his eyes shut in annoyance, realizing he was right, and that was really fucking weird the more he thought about it.

"Let's set that up, okay? Book us into the Danger Room. We'll make it a standing date."

"Yeah," Laura said quietly. She bit her lip and took several hard breaths. He recognized that coping mechanism. "Come here a sec." She moved into the corner of the kitchen part of the space. Not a lot of room from the other two but they had a vague sense of privacy if Logan created a body-wall. She lowered her voice.

"You're not my dad," she started.

"I…am, though…"

"You know what I mean," she sighed. "You were the closest thing I ever had to a real parent who actually loved me. But our time together was so short. And we kicked ass in the Void. But you're also dead. I mourned you. But now you're here."

"And I'm not your Logan. No, I get it." He crossed his arms over his chest, hyper aware of being shirtless, still.

"I'd like you to be one of my Logans, though. But I'm not totally sure what that looks like or how to do that. And as much as it annoys me, I'm also dealing with the fact that I have to share you."

Logan glanced down, looking for Wade out of the corner of his eye. Wade was watching them over the top of the couch, peeking up just the top of his head.

"I already had this conversation with him, but I haven't really been part of a family in awhile. So if I fuck it up…"

"Hey." She punched him in the arm. "If I end up living as long as you do, we got time to figure it out, right?"

"Those smarts aren't my DNA."

"Nurture vs nature?" She patted her hands on her thighs. "Well, you're alive. So I'll go. Forgive me if I don't hug you goodbye."

"Yeah." He reached out and patted her on the side of the arm. "Thank you for giving a shit about me, kid. And Wade, even though he's an idiot."

"You're both easy to give a shit about it." She paused. "Also, your pants say Big Booty Goddess on the back. Thought you should know."

#####

Easy to give a shit about.

Ringing endorsement, honestly.

They had finally found the note that Al left them about a long weekend in Atlantic City. Logan had already decided to stay that night, but that secured it. Didn't mean he didn't freak out a little when the other half of the fold out sofa was empty an hour after they had gone to bed.

Logan had only gone as far as the dining table, though, talking on the cellphone he had finally retrieved from the car and working through the last few swallows of a floral juice glass of Jack Daniels. Wade watched him with his chin on the back of the couch.

"Okay so she's in her room…Okay…Thanks, Hank…She was supposed to text me when she got back, but…No I recognize the hypocrisy doesn't mean I didn't want to check on her." Logan chuckled darkly. "Um, I was going to talk to you about this tomorrow, but since I have you I figured I'd give you a heads up. Not blind side you. If there's a place for me on the X-Men, I don't want to lose it, but I want to live with my boyfriend. Maybe be available for freelance. Only if that's doable, though."

boyfriend boyfriend boyfriend boyfriend

"Can we talk about what that might look like? Yeah…Okay… Yeah. I'll be back in the morning…Yes I'll talk to Scott….yeah. Okay. Thanks again, Hank." He set the phone down gently, considered the opposite wall for a minute, then stood.

He noticed Wade watching, but didn't say anything before crawling back into bed. He opened his arms and made a gesture that Wade should settle in. He didn't hesitate, curling up against Logan's chest.

"Boyfriend?" Wade asked.

"Are you not?"

"No I…I am…" Wade pressed a hand to Logan's chest. "Can I be serious with you?"

"God, please do."

"Don't give up being an X-Men just because I'm a wreck. Don't pick me over them."

Logan kissed him on the forehead.

"Not off the team, yet. And even if that's how things work out, it wouldn't be picking you. It'd be picking me. Picking a life I built myself that wants you in it."

Wade pressed tighter to Logan's body. Scent. Sight. Touch. Taste. He wanted to take it all in, to capture this exact moment in time.

I'm not fucking forgetting this.

#deadpool #wolverine #deadpool x wolverine #deadclaws #poolverine #x-men #fanfiction

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dwobbitfromtheshire · 5 months ago

Text

Behind the Camera

A/N: I feel like I've been working on this one-shot for forever. . .Anyway, this all started because I had a dream about Eddie and Jonathan.

Summary: How Jonathan knew Eddie, what he really thinks of Steve, and the possibility of what might happen in season 5.

They didn't know how Jonathan knew Eddie, not even Will, who had been there in the music store the following spring after Will had gone missing. He remembered how Will talked about Eddie, who had taken the baseball that had been meant for Will. Eddie had made Will feel better for being called zombie boy. He made Will feel like there was nothing wrong with who he was . He still remembered the words Eddie had said to Will.

"To hell with what they think," Eddie had said. "They can call you whatever they want. That doesn't mean a single thing about them. At the end of the day, you're the only person who knows who you are. . .besides, Zombie Boy? As far as nicknames go, that one's metal as shit."

Then Eddie let know that when Will was ready for high school, there would be a place for him at Hellfire. It had touched Will so much and, in doing so, touched Jonathan. It had thrown Jonathan off, the wave of affection he had felt for the other guy. He thought the guy was cute, Jonathan realized. Later, when he got home, he thought of Eddie's smile, his dimples, and warm brown eyes. He also realized that Eddie hadn't been the first guy he thought was cute. . .fucking Steve Harrington, the guy who was dating the girl Jonathan had a crush on for forever. God, why did things have to be so complicated? Maybe that's why Jonathan took him up on his offer to be his first customer. Eddie was less complicated than Steve Harrington and Nancy Wheeler. He was still complicated but less so.

He had gotten two different addresses when he asked around about Eddie's place. . .the one on Philadelphia that had burned down and the one he now lived in. . .Forest Hills trailer park. It hadn't looked as daunting as he thought it would be. And when Eddie opened the door, he was wearing sweats that hung loosely on his hips and no shirt. Jonathan remembered that he had gotten so flustered that he had nearly forgotten why he came there. He could only utter one word.

"Drugs," Jonathan said, and Eddie laughed.

"Anything you're looking for in particular?" Eddie asked and then noted the way Jonathan looked at him. "Drugs, I mean. I'm up for negotiating on anything else."

Jonathan hadn't even known what to say to that, so Eddie had just let him in. Maybe Eddie knew how nervous he had been because he made himself comfortable and just started talking about music. It had been so easy to talk with Eddie. It had been a while before they had gotten to the drugs part of the conversation, but when they did, Jonathan felt comfortable in revealing he hadn't really done as much weed before. It had surprised Jonathan when Eddie revealed he had been quite new to this as well. . .that he had to learn how to do it with Reefer Rick and then some. . .

"Do you know what shotgunning is?" Eddie had asked.

"Isn't that what you do with beer?" Jonathan asked.

"Different kind of shotgunning," Eddie grinned.

"Oh," Jonathan blushed.

Eddie grinned and proceeded to show him what shotgunning was. Of course, Jonathan had to go and close the gap between them. Eddie pulled back with a laugh.

"Okay, that's kissing. . .but we can do that too," Eddie said.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

After that, they fell into an easy pattern. Kissing, talking, and shotgunning with Eddie's music playing in the background. He had complained about how unfair it was that he was the only one shirtless, and Jonathan had been quick to rectify that, and then they kissed again. Jonathan remembered the way he felt, lying on the bed with Eddie on top of him, with his hands trailing up his sides. After kissing for a while, they relaxed onto the bed. Jonathan had told him about how he always thought that it was just women for him, and Eddie told him the same thing. Then Jonathan talked about Steve Harrington. . .it was a stupid slip-up that Eddie caught him on.

"Ugh, I can't believe it. . .he's a jock!" Jonathan had complained.

"And it's a known fact that jocks are hot, annoyingly so. . .at least I think so. Cheerleaders, basketball players, unfortunately, they do it for me. It's even better if you picture them switching uniforms. . .the ladies in the basketball shorts and the men in the cheerleader skirts. . .delicious," Eddie said.

"You're a freak," Jonathan laughed.

"Takes one to know one Byers," Eddie had said and Jonathan had laughed in agreement.

"Well, Nancy isn't a jock," Jonathan said.

"Wasn't she on the cheerleading team for a short while?" Eddie asked.

"What? No, why would you say that?" Jonathan asked.

"Because she was," Eddie said. "Yeah, with Chrissy Cunningham."

"Chrissy Cunningham?" Jonathan asked.

"Yeah, yeah, Chrissy Cunningham," Eddie groaned, blushing.

"Why are our types preppy jocks?" Jonathan laughed.

"It's a mystery, man," Eddie cackled.

Jonathan had left feeling better than he had done in a while, thinking about what his mother said about feeling like he was alone in this world. He didn't feel like it then, and maybe she had been right. He had never been alone. His mother had known he had made a new friend but not what he was doing. Kissing had escalated to shedding more clothing, touching, and using their mouths in other ways other than kissing. For a while, Nancy and Steve had been pushed to the back of his mind. When they weren't together, they were just lying naked in bed talking about their families. . .talking about their deadbeat dads while Eddie traced patterns into his back. Days turned to weeks, and then weeks turned into months before it all came crashing down. Jonathan was spread out naked in Eddie's bed with Eddie's face between his legs. It just came out. . .no, not that.

"I love you."

Eddie froze before pulling off of Jonathan and moving back. He stared at him for a moment before he began freaking out. He wiped Jonathan off before pulling on his own clothes. Jonathan sat up and opened his mouth to say something but Eddie beat him to the punch.

"I don't think we should do this anymore. . .or see each other," Eddie had said.

"I can take it back," Jonathan said quickly.

That hadn't been the answer either. Eddie looked in his eyes.

"Did you mean it?" He asked.

"Yes," Jonathan said, but he wasn't sure.

"I'm not where you are, man. I don't think I ever will be. . .I mean, who knows, but you deserve better than that. You deserve someone who's ready to be your boyfriend. . .or your girlfriend," Eddie said. "I'm not."

Jonathan could probably read him better than anyone or, at least, he thought. He wasn't going to push him, but he could see how scared he was. His father's temper swirled around inside him, and for a moment, he recalled that time in the woods when he yelled at Nancy. Maybe he did love Eddie, or maybe in the back of his mind, he was still thinking of Steve and Nancy. He didn't want to hurt Eddie either. Jonathan cupped Eddie's face and kissed him, pouring everything they had into the kiss. Neither one of knew that it would be the last time they'd kiss. Jonathan broke it and pulled on his clothes before walking out the front door of his trailer. When he walked into his house, he saw his mother talking to Hopper. She was busy, so he had managed to escape to his room, shut the door, and turn on his music. The summer of 84 had ended, and so had his relationship with Eddie.

Now, a couple of years later. . .with the end of the world looming over their heads, Jonathan was sitting on the steps of Hopper's cabin and talking to Nancy. She had stayed silent the entire time he had talked about Eddie. Jonathan sniffed as Nancy rubbed his back.

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you," Jonathan said. "Or about the acceptance letter."

"That part doesn't matter right now. I can be pissed at you later," Nancy said softly. "I'm sorry about Eddie."

"It was the last time we spoke. I should have tried to speak to him before I left. Should have tried being friends with him, at least," Jonathan said, wiping his eyes.

"We all had a lot going on, Jonathan," Nancy said softly. "You couldn't have known it would have ended up like this."

"Living in this cursed town? I should have," Jonathan mumbled.

"Does your mother know?" She asked softly.

"I never told her," Jonathan replied.

"Maybe you should," Nancy said. "Everything else we can talk about later. Right now, you need to grieve and let the others plan."

Jonathan buried his head into Nancy's shoulder and sobbed. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"I love you."

"I love you too," she said softly.

They heard the door open behind them, and someone stepped out. Neither one of them turned around. Joyce stepped into view, sitting on the other side of her son.

"Jonathan, what's wrong?" Joyce asked.

Jonathan pulled away from Nancy and turned his mother.

"I knew Eddie," he said.

Then, in messy, heartbreaking sobs, Jonathan told his mother what he told Nancy.

"Oh, sweetheart," Joyce said softly and pulled him into her arms.

"I'm never going to talk to him again," Jonathan cried. "I should have tried harder."

"Oh, Jonathan, Nancy's right, life got in the way, and you didn't know what would have happened," Joyce said.

"I'm fucking tired. Not just because of all the bullshit with the Upside Down but the people in this town. . .just people who hated him for no fucking reason and in the end, they were just. . .they hunted him, Mom and I had no idea. . .he must have been so scared. . .they were looking for any reason to hate him, to hate people like us," Jonathan said. "The crazy thing is. . .even after all the shit they gave him, he loved this town, and I think it always broke him that they didn't love him back. He wasn't perfect but he was so good. . ."

"Oh, honey," Joyce said. "I have no clue what to say right now, other than to let you know that I'm here. We're going to save this town, and then we're going to let them know that they were so wrong about Eddie. I'll make sure they know."

"I love you, mom."

"Oh, I love you so, so much," Joyce said.

They heard the door open behind them, and they all stood up. Will, Hopper, and El came spilling out. Will had tears in his eyes.

"You were kind of sobbing pretty loudly," he said, and before Jonathan could feel embarrassed, Will threw himself in his arms.

Then it was El hugging him as well. Jonathan hated how they both understood what it was like to be treated this way. . .like freaks. . .like monsters. They didn't deserve to be treated like they didn't have a place here or anywhere else. His brother and sister deserved a place in this world more anything. He wanted them to know that they weren't alone, and hopefully, they felt it, just as much as he did. Hugging them tight, Jonathan didn't feel so alone, soothing the ache in his heart that would never fully go away, but he did feel better. When he pulled out of the hug, he found himself being pulled into Hopper's arms. He was the first man in his life who had come through for Jonathan, more than his own father ever did. He came through for Will more Lonnie ever could. And when Hopper uttered the words that Jonathan had secretly hoped to hear from dad, he broke down again.

"I'm proud of you, kid. . .and I am so sorry."

It helped, though, afterward, having something to focus on. He used his fury and his hate to channel it into helping people, into helping the town keep Creel out of their heads. Suddenly, though, he was an anonymous voice on the radio. Telling the town about Eddie, about what kind of man he was, and how he took kids under his wing. . .how he gave them a place to belong. He talked about how D&D was just a board game, how in many ways it was a lot like basketball. He told them how Eddie became a target to protect his friends. He told them about all the ways that Eddie fucked up because of his dad, because the people in this town hated him based on the fact that he looked like his father. Jonathan went on to talk about how just because people had different interests doesn't mean that they had to be enemies. All Eddie wanted to do was play his music and D&D with his friends, but he also wanted a safe place for them. He wasn't interested in hurting anyone. . .he couldn't even kill the spiders he was desperately afraid of. Then he talked about Wayne, Eddie's true father. . .the things Eddie had told to him confidence. He told them what Wayne had said, how he had loved Eddie more than his own father ever could.

"To hell with what they think! You can't walk through life shaking yourself to pieces over how other people think you should be. They'll always try to fit you in some box - angel, devil. Hero, villain. Fuckup, saint. But we ain't meant for boxes, not 'til we're dead in the ground. You're the only person who knows who you are. So stop trying to fit yourself into one of their boxes and just let yourself be you."

Then Jonathan told them about Eddie's mom, how she died when Eddie was six, and his love of music came from her. Jonathan played them the song that Elizabeth used to sing to him at bedtime: Hey, Jude. As he let that play, Nancy came in with tears in her eyes. He knew when she managed to choke out a name.

"Chrissy," Nancy had said and couldn't find herself to say much else. "I'm sorry."

Jonathan had pulled Nancy into his arms and held her tightly, letting the music wash over them. She had lost Barb, then Fred, and she had also lost Chrissy in the same way that he had lost Eddie.

"We can't lose, Steve," Jonathan said. "We have to talk to him."

"I know," Nancy whispered and paused. "It was worth it. . .the time we spent with them."

Before they knew, months had passed, and it had become a year. It was fucking crazy how they were making everyone still go to school after everything. Dustin had bitched about it to Steve on the car ride back to the radio station which had become their base of operation. They had wanted to ride with them alone, but Dustin had beat them to the front seat. Robin was working with Joyce at the hospital, looking out for Max and hoping that the soldiers wouldn't do anything nefarious with her. They all switched shifts looking out for Max, Nancy even going so far as to volunteer as a candy striper.

"You know, Dustin, we had hoped to use this opportunity to talk to Steve about something," Nancy said, leaning forward.

"If you're talking about the whole RV thing with the nuggets and the whole you've always been there thing, we kind of already know about it," Dustin said.

"Seriously, how?!" Steve asked with a groan. "Wait. . .I already know. . .Robin."

"It kind of sort of just tumbled out of her," Dustin said.

"Yes, I am familiar with my platonic soulmate, Dustin," Steve said with a sigh.

"Is that what you call each other?" Nancy asked, and Steve hummed. "That's cute."

"Hey, by the way, Jonathan, how'd you know all that stuff about Eddie?" Dustin asked.

"I was friends with him a while back," Jonathan said. "I mean, Argyle wasn't the first one I used to smoke weed with."

"What happened?" Dustin asked.

"We, uh, just kind of went our separate ways," Jonathan said and paused, looking at Nancy. "I think I'm just going to say it."

"Are you sure?" Nancy asked.

"Look, Steve is probably going to tell Robin, and apparently, she's got a big mouth," Jonathan said.

"No, it's more like she's got a loose mouth. . .ugh, that didn't sound right," Steve frowned.

"Well, I don't think she's going to spill the beans about this," Nancy said.

"How do you know?" Jonathan asked.

"I just have a feeling," Nancy smiled.

"You have a feeling about what?" Steve asked, looking in the rear view mirror, and she smiled at him. "Nancy?"

"I think you know," she replied.

"Okay. . .well, Eddie and I were more than just friends," Jonathan said.

"You were best friends?" Dustin asked.

"Okay, you're adorable," Nancy said and Steve snorted.

"Eddie and I had a casual relationship," Jonathan said.

"Oh. . .oh, shit," Dustin said. "I mean, that sucks. . .I mean, not that you're gay. . .but that you lost Eddie."

"I'm not gay, man. I always sort of knew, but I recently learned there was a name for it when I went to California," Jonathan said. "I'm bisexual. I like men and women."

"Woah, cool, you can do that?" Dustin asked.

"Yeah," he laughed.

"Hey, Jonathan, thanks for telling us," Dustin said softly.

He reached between the seats and hugged Jonathan. He buried his face into his shoulder, sniffling.

"I'm sorry you lost Eddie," Jonathan said.

Dustin sat back, wiping his face. It was silent for a moment. Jonathan shared a look with Nancy, unsure of what to say next. Steve was quiet, looking contemplative. He hadn't said anything about what Jonathan had revealed. He opened his mouth, feeling a lot like in this moment what happened with Eddie. Maybe they weren't on the same page, like Nancy and Jonathan had been hoping he was. Maybe he only wanted Nancy. Although he hadn't exactly told Steve about his feelings for him, he felt like he had told him enough. . .maybe too much.

"So, there were reports of a rather large winged creature flying around. . .bigger than the bats," Dustin said. "Mike believes it's a baby dragon."

"I didn't know you could do that," Steve blurted out.

"Believe in baby dragons? You can believe in anything that you want to, Steve," Dustin scoffed. "Of all of Mike's hangups, that's the one you have a problem with?"

"What? No! Robin and I believe it's a baby dragon, too," Steve said. "That's not what I'm talking about. I mean, liking men and women. . .I just - I sort of always had this inner panic like I had to choose one or the other. . .it just felt like I was pretending sometimes, and I never thought about it. I never went - Hey, I could do both! I could like both! And it was easier to pretend when I was wearing my facade of King Steve back then - Holy shit, I think I'm like the same!"

"Steve, I think you're hyperventilating," Nancy said with wide eyes. "Pull over."

Steve pulled over on the side of the road and climbed out of the car to get some air. Jonathan and Nancy followed him, leaving Dustin in the car. Jonathan watched him for a moment before hugging him tightly. Steve laughed before wrapping his arms around him.

"I'm really freaking out. I mean, I am, but I feel more excited than anything else," Steve said, and then he whispered in Jonathan's ear. "I think you're hot, I always have, and I think I've always liked you - I always liked seeing you and Nancy. . .when I realized you slept together, a part of me wished I had been there."

Jonathan pulled back and smiled at him.

"When I got with Eddie, I was trying my hardest to get over Nancy and you. I thought I was a freak for liking you both," he said. "Steve?"

"Yeah?" He asked, his voice thick with emotions.

"Is there any room for me in your RV?" Jonathan asked.

"Yeah, definitely, definitely," Steve said with a goofy grin on his face.

He cupped Jonathan's face and crashed his lips to his. They wrapped his arms around Jonathan, pulling him close and fully enjoying the feeling of his lips against Jonathan's. The other man eagerly accepted the kiss, his nails digging into his Steve’s back. After so long, this was finally happening. Jonathan couldn't believe it. Finally, they pulled apart and let Nancy squeeze in between them so she could kiss Steve too. Jonathan snorted when Steve giggled against her mouth.

"What was that?" Nancy asked.

"Sorry, I'm just so happy," Steve said.

"Can we get a dog first before decided on any kids yet?" Nancy asked.

"Of course, the RV would be yours too. Add anything you want to, and I love dogs! The six kids are definitely negotiable. I would never have us get Jonathan pregnant six times. His hips are nice, but they're not very childbearing," Steve said, and Nancy giggled.

"Fuck you, they're very childbearing," Jonathan pouted.

"So, is the dog before or after we get illegally married?" Steve teased.

"After," Nancy said with a grin.

"Did you just get engaged?!" Dustin asked as he popped his head out the window. "Steve went from having a sexual identity crisis to kissing you guys to getting married! I think I just got whiplash!"

"Yeah. I think we did," Jonathan said, laughing before turning back to Steve. "You said earlier that I was lucky to have Nancy now, I'm lucky to have you both. There isn't anyone else. It's always been you and Nancy."

"Aww. . .but okay, that is not how you're proposing to my big brother," Dustin said. "He deserves flowers and candles. . .the works. He should be wooed! Try again! I hope you know his favorite song!"

"You guys never warned me that little brothers would be this much work," Steve said.

"Sorry," Jonathan and Nancy laughed.

Jonathan could tell on the drive back to the radio station that Steve was quite eager to share the news with Robin. It was infectious. Jonathan was eager for Steve to tell Robin as well. It didn't happen immediately, though, not for a couple of days. Everyone was so busy trying to look over Max, trying to figure out Vecna's next attack, as well as trying to avoid the soldiers and dodge the jocks that were out for blood. They were also on the lookout for the dark flying creature that soared overhead sometime and any other creature that came from the Upside Down. Robin, Joyce, Will, Lucas, and Mike had gotten stuck at the hospital. Meanwhile, Dustin had disappeared.

"I can't believe he took off by himself," Steve said as he paced in the radio station. "Okay. What if something happens to him? When is Hopper and El getting back?"

"Steve, he's going to be fine. Dustin is smart. When he needs us, he'll come find us," Nancy said.

"I know, I know. I just hate this," Steve said.

"I know, us too," Nancy said softly.

Jonathan and Nancy wrapped their arms around him from behind, pressing their cheeks to each shoulder. Steve sighed, relaxing a bit. He turned around and pulled Nancy in for a quick kiss before doing the same with Jonathan. He pulled away when they heard the sound of the door opening, and Steve recognized Dustin's familiar footsteps. Dustin appeared. His Hellfire shirt was torn. His face was bloody and bruised. Nancy gasped.

"I just wanted to visit Eddie. When I got there, they were painting "burn in hell" on his gravestone. I just wanted them to stop. There were too many of them, but I got away. I know there's nothing buried there, but I just wanted to talk to him," Dustin said softly. "I just wanted to talk to him again."

Dustin burst into tears. Steve went to him immediately. He wrapped his arms around him, holding onto him for dear life while Dustin did the same. Steve kissed the top of his head, and Jonathan could tell that he was struggling to keep his own tears in. He wasn't so lucky. A tear dripped onto Dustin's hat. Jonathan and Nancy let them have their moment before joining in the hug. The door opened again, but they didn't stop hugging Dustin even when Hopper and El came in.

"What the hell happened?" Hopper asked when Dustin pulled away.

Dustin looked sheepish for a moment and then quickly wiped his face. He paused, unsure of what to say. El moved in front of Dustin and looked him square in the eyes, touching his face.

"What happened?" She asked sternly but gently.

"I just wanted to go to Eddie's grave, but they disfigured it. . .they messed it up. I tried to stop them, but there were too many of them," Dustin said. "I'm stupid."

"You are not stupid," El said. "They are. Mouth breathers."

"Yeah," he said, cracking a grin.

"Let's get you cleaned up," El said and grabbed his hand.

"As long as you tell me what's been bothering you lately," Dustin said.

"It is not important," she replied.

"Bullshit," he said.

They all watched as El grabbed a first aid kit and went to work cleaning up his face as best she could.

"Mike and I broke up the other day," El said.

"Hell of a time to dump you," Dustin said.

"He did not dump me. It was mutual," El sighed.

"What? Why?" He asked.

"We love each other, but it is not enough, especially since we both have feelings for other people," El said.

"Well, damn, I'm not surprised about Mike, and I can already guess who he has feelings for," Dustin frowned. "You're a complete mystery."

"You will figure it out," El said.

"Not even a hint, uh?" He asked.

El laughed and kissed his nose. Jonathan shared an amused look with Steve and Nancy.

"I think I figured it out," Jonathan said.

"Me too," Nancy and Steve said, grinning.

"Seriously, is no one going to tell me?" Dustin asked.

El cupped his face and squished his cheeks together before placing a quick kiss on his lips.

"Do you still need a hint?" She asked.

"No," he laughed. "I think my day is looking up, though."

Jonathan knew what was coming next the minute that Dustin opened his mouth. The growl. Dustin realized that Hopper was still in the room and thought better of it.

"Just because you're a step up from Mike doesn't mean that I don't have my eye on you, kid," Hopper said.

"Hey, that's my brother who you're insulting," Nancy said.

"Please, you would have shot me if you didn't somewhat agree," Hopper said. "Besides, I meant a step up in partners for El."

"That's a little better, I guess," Nancy said in amusement.

"By the way, your mom is on the way from the hospital with the others," Hopper told Jonathan. "We're going to talk about everything when they get here."

"Then I guess it's our turn to look out for Max," Nancy said. "I already put on my uniform."

"Like I said, we will talk when they get here," he replied.

It wasn't long after that they came in. Lucas looked sour. . .well, they all did. Mike had a black eye, and Robin had a bleeding nose. She wiped it away with her sleeve. Nancy rolled her eyes and went to help her with it. Robin pushed past Nancy and into Steve’s arms.

"We are never getting separated ever again," Robin said. "I had no idea if you were alive or dead! Did I miss anything?"

Nancy, Steve, and Jonathan shared amused looks.

"A little, but I'll tell you later," Steve said.

"Are you going to let me take care of your nose now?" Nancy asked.

"Yes, Nurse Nancy," Robin said. "Sorry."

They had all noticed that it was Will who was taking care of Mike's black eye. Apparently, they had gotten ambushed at the hospital by a pack of rabid jocks who were hellbent on hunting down any member of Hellfire. It was Robin's quick thinking who got the kids out of the way. . .mostly. Mike had gotten hit, and then Robin had taken a punch to the nose, getting in front of Mike. It was Joyce who almost scared them off, but then the large winged creature swooped down in front of them, chasing off the offenders. Once the jocks were gone, the creature took off.

"I don't know what it was, but it was definitely more humanoid, so I think we can rule out baby dragon," Mike cursed. "Damn."

"I'm sorry, did you want a fire-breathing dragon on our hands?" Robin asked.

"Well, whatever this thing is, it could be dangerous," Hopper said.

"I mean, technically, everything in the world is dangerous, but I don't think this creature is bad. It didn't feel bad to me, and it chased off the jocks," Will said.

"Well, maybe it's trying to lure us into a trap," Lucas said.

"Maybe . . .," Will said.

"I don't think that's what it is," Dustin frowned. "I think I know what it is."

Everyone went silent and looked at Dustin as he stared at the floor.

"Are you going to share with the class?" Steve asked.

"You're going to think I'm crazy," he said.

"If anyone does, I will use my powers on them," El said seriously.

"Okay, Robin, you got a good look at it. Does it look a little bit like a demobat?" Dustin asked.

"Yeah, actually, it did with the wings, gray skin, and the three tails," Robin said. "It had a bunch of dark mangled hair on top of its head."

"Well, that just proves it," Dustin said, slapping his knees. "I think the creature is. . .Eddie."

"Oh, honey, I know you miss him - " Joyce started to say.

"Really? This comes from the lady who had a theory based only on magnets and ended up being right?" Dustin asked. "You're going to doubt me?"

"Okay, yeah, you have a point. We have worked with a lot less," Joyce said. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, it's okay, I would have doubted me too," Dustin said. "Hell, I'm doubting myself a little. . .but I have to believe that this is Eddie. I have to."

"Well, if it is Eddie, why hasn't he come to us?" Hopper asked.

"Well, wouldn't you be a little terrified if you turned into a monster?" Lucas asked.

"That's true," Hopper said.

"We have to make him come to us. We have to get on the airwaves, keeping talking about Eddie and then we. . .use me as bait. . .imply that I'm in danger or some shit. He needs to know that we're not going to hurt him," Dustin said.

"How do we know that he's not a minion of Vecna?" Mike asked.

"That's the risk. . .we don't, but Eddie gave up his life for all of us. . .shouldn't we try and put in the same effort?" He asked.

Jonathan admired Dustin's courage and steadfast loyalty. Eddie really was lucky to have a friend like him. He really hoped that Dustin was right and that Eddie really was alive. He definitely didn't want to see him cry again. It was almost as bad as seeing Will cry. Jonathan needed to talk to Eddie again to be friends with him because while he was no longer romantically interested in him, he did want him to be a part of his life. As the three of them prepared for Dustin's plan, Robin walked over to Steve, Nancy, and Jonathan.

"Talk to me while we work, Popeye," Robin said.

"Well, I'm engaged to be engaged to Jonathan and Nancy," Steve said.

"What?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, apparently their proposal wasn't good enough for Dustin," Steve said.

"Because it wasn't," Dustin said as he walked by.

"I'm not sure if I would call it a proposal," Jonathan said sheepishly.

"Yeah, we just decided to share an entire future together, is all," Nancy said.

"That's not what I was what-ing you about," Robin said with wide eyes.

"Apparently, not as straight as we thought I was," Steve smirked. "Bisexual."

"Me too," Jonathan replied.

"Not sure what I am, but I'm definitely not straight," Nancy said and Robin raised an eyebrow at her. "Chrissy."

"Jesus. . .I'm sorry," Robin said softly, and then her eyes widened as she pointed at Jonathan. "Eddie!"

"Yeah," Jonathan said sheepishly. "Was me talking about Eddie on the radio that obvious?"

"No, not until you said something about you. . .it just makes sense," Robin said and turned to Nancy. "I am so sorry about Chrissy. How did you know her?"

"I was briefly on the cheerleading squad," Nancy said.

"Nancy Wheeler in a cheerleader uniform. . .Holy shit!" Robin exclaimed.

"Put your tongue back into your head, Buckley," Steve said in amusement.

"Look, I may prefer blondes and redheads, but I am not dumb to the attractiveness of Nancy Wheeler," Robin said and then pointed to herself. "Lesbian."

Nancy laughed and hipchecked Robin, who returned the favor with a giggle.

"Even better. . .Steve in a cheerleader uniform," Nancy said.

"Now, there's an idea," Jonathan said.

"Ugh, gag me with a spoon," Robin groaned. "I can't believe you put that image in my head."

"You two should know that I am very willing to do anything you two ask me to," Steve grinned and winked.

"Stawwwpp!" Robin groaned as Jonathan and Nancy laughed.

Before they left, Joyce approached them, looking amused at the sight of them laughing.

"Something I should know?" She asked.

Steve grinned at Jonathan, raising a questioning eyebrow. He blushed and nodded at Steve.

"Well, I'm illegally marrying your son and his girlfriend," Steve said, and Dustin cleared his throat. "That is if Dustin will let them propose to me because apparently they didn't do it right. I have apparently required an overprotective little brother."

"Maybe we should just let him plan the wedding," Jonathan laughed.

Dustin appeared at his side so suddenly that Jonathan jumped.

"Yes. Absolutely."

"Low-key! Within reason!"

"Okay! Let's go!"

They drove to the woods near the junkyard. Nancy had changed out of her candy striper uniform and into a pair of jeans along with a dark pink jacket. Jonathan took a minute to admire his partners as they stood with Dustin. God, they both looked so good. Steve with his gray white sweater and his brown jacket. Steve’s hair has pretty much stayed the same over the last few months. Nancy's hair had thickened and got longer, now spilling over her shoulders with her bangs longer as well. They looked good under the dim light of the full moon and under the glare of their flashlights. Steve turned and dug into his trunk. Jonathan took the time to admire Steve’s backside as he pulled out a familiar looking bat.

"Our baby," Nancy grinned.

"What?" Jonathan asked.

"It was my bat first. Jonathan hammered in the nails, and then you both wielded it. I should point out that I haven't gotten to hold her, and I think it's Mama's turn," Nancy said as she took the bat.

"It's an inanimate object, Nance," Dustin said teasingly.

"A deadly inanimate object," she replied.

"Point taken," Dustin said. "Let's get to work."

"Are you sure about it being you, Steve?" Nancy asked.

"Yeah, I'll be careful," Steve said. "Besides, you know me. . .I never get hurt."

They watched Steve slip on the mask, reassured even less by what he said. Nancy took Jonathan's hand and watched as Steve started chasing Dustin. He screamed as Steve ran after him. Nancy and Jonathan followed from a distance.

"I'm starting to think this might be the stupidest plan ever," Jonathan said.

"Well, it's the only plan," Nancy said.

Suddenly, a large creature swooped down from the sky and knocked Steve to the ground, pinning him. Steve managed to act quickly and rolled the creature onto its back, but it was quick, too. Its claws barely scraped against Steve’s side, causing him to groan loudly and roll away, but not before the creature had him pinned again. This time, Steve was on his front, his hands underneath him so he couldn't fight back. The creature raised its claw, ready to strike when Dustin screamed.

"STEEEVE!"

"STEEEVE!" Jonathan yelled out.

"STOP! STOP!" Dustin yelled out.

It wasn't stopping. Scowling, Nancy raised the bat and swung, hitting the creature in the side. It screeched and fell off of Steve.

"SON OF A BITCH!" The creature yelled.

They watched as the wings grew small and then the tail before sliding into its gray skin. Eddie Munson stood up, naked as the day he was born. He clutched his side and glared at Wheeler. Steve rolled over and took off his mask, standing up to clutch his own side.

"Welcome back from the dead, man," Steve said.

"What the hell were you doing attacking our shrimp?" Eddie asked.

"Why do you think?" Steve asked. "To get you here."

He pulled his backpack off his back and pulled out some clothes. Steve tossed Eddie a pair of sweat pants and yellow sweater. Eddie grimaced and shrugged them on.

"Eddie?" Dustin said in a soft voice.

Eddie whirled around and stared at Dustin. He stared back, his bottom lip trembling. Dustin burst into tears and threw himself into Eddie's arms. Eddie held onto him tightly, letting him cry into his chest. It was touching until Dustin squeezed him a little too tightly, and Eddie winced. He pulled back.

"Damn it, Wheeler got me good," Eddie winced.

"Well, you were asking for it. You went after our boyfriend," Nancy said and proudly held up the bat. "Naily did good."

"Naily?" Steve and Jonathan asked.

"What? It's a great name for our baby," Nancy said.

"The infamous nail bat," Eddie grinned. "And don't you worry about me, I'll heal."

"I don't think I will," Steve said.

"Shit, big boy, sorry about that," Eddie winced. "Lift up your sweater."

"What?" Steve asked.

Eddie sighed, rolled his eyes, and yanked up his sweater. Eddie spat into his hand and slapped the saliva onto Steve’s skin, smearing it around. Steve hollered and hissed. He tried to swat Eddie's hand away, but Eddie held firm. He pulled away with a grin and then waved at the others to gather around. They leaned forward and watched as Steve’s skin came back together.

"Holy shit!"

"Cool, isn't it?" Eddie asked. "I realized I could do that when I took my first drink of a deer. I felt so guilty at first, but then I realized I didn't have to kill when I saw the skin go back together."

"You're a vampire," Dustin said with wide eyes.

"Yeah," Eddie said, and licked Steve's blood off of his hands, his eyes flashing red.

Suddenly, they heard a rustle through the trees. Nancy, Jonathan, Eddie, and Steve quickly surrounded Dustin. El and Hopper burst through the trees.

"Holy shit. Jun - ," Hopper stared to say.

"I swear if you call me Junior, I'll bite you," Eddie grinned and flashed his fangs.

"Fair enough. It's good to see you," Hopper said. "Wish it were under better circumstances."

"When we're both not suddenly back from the dead?" Eddie asked, and he laughed.

"Are you a minion of Vecna?" El asked.

"The asshole tried to turn me into his puppet, but I didn't like forced conformity before, I'm certainly not going to like it when I'm dead. He's pretty pissed at me, so I probably shouldn't be around you guys. . . " Eddie said.

"He probably already knows. El has been keeping track of him or trying to. Besides, we're already at risk. We have a better chance with you fighting by our side," Jonathan said. "We're glad you're back."

"All of us?" Eddie asked.

"Yeah."

Eddie laughed and threw an arm around Jonathan's shoulder, hugging him tightly.

"Anything else happen while I was dead?" Eddie asked, looking at Nancy and Steve knowingly.

Ahead of them, El and Dustin walked hand in hand. Dustin bent down and showed her a rock that looked like a heart. El grinned and kissed him when he gave it to her.

"My sister, El, is dating Dustin now," Jonathan said in amusement.

"Well, they're fucking adorable," Eddie said.

Eddie's reunion with Mike and Lucas had been a joyous one. It was also full of tears and apologies. Eddie also took time to spit on Mike's black eye and Dustin's face. They both complained loudly that he could have just spat into a rag. After that, it was more discussion and interrogating Eddie on what Vecna wanted from him, on what he wanted from all of them. It wasn't long after that they figured out that Eddie and Vecna were connected. . .that if Vecna could get into his head, then Eddie could do the same. El encouraged him and walked him through it, using her own powers to help him.

"Okay. . .I feel like that was too easy," Eddie said softly. "Oh. . .someone else is opening the door for me. . .oh, they feel familiar. . . Chrissy! It's Chrissy. . .but how?"

"Okay, this feels like a trap," Jonathan said.

"No, I swear. . .It doesn't feel like Vecna. It feels like Chrissy. . .she's calling to me," Eddie said.

"Or maybe you want it to be her. I mean, Vecna does use our trauma against us, right?" Jonathan asked.

"Why do we keep doubting each other? If Eddie says it's Chrissy, then it's Chrissy," Dustin said, and Jonathan threw up his hands.

"But we also need to be cautious," Jonathan said.

"Okay, I can't concentrate with all this bitching," Eddie said. "Okay. . .it's not just Chrissy. . .it's all of them. . .all of his victims. . .JESUS H CHRIST! They're alive!"

"WHAT?!"

"Yeah, uh, apparently, he continues to use their trauma to like boost his power or some shit but they have to be psychic themselves even if they don't know it. He found that it's better to keep them alive. The sick fuck prefers them younger. . .he's got his next target," Eddie said. "Hold on. . ."

Everyone was on the edge of their seats when the door burst open, startling everyone. Argyle came in, carrying a box of supplies.

"I come carrying gifts," Argyle said and stared at Eddie, his eyes still closed. "Hey, isn't he supposed to be dead?"

"Argyle!" Jonathan exclaimed. "You scared the shit out of us, man."

"Sorry," Argyle said, sheepishly. "I got us the supplies from the War Zone. Getting in and out of town was easy peasy, like I said. What did I miss?"

"Catch him up, Jonathan," Dustin said.

"I'm sorry, who put you in charge?" Jonathan scowled but turned to Argyle. "The bat bites turned Eddie into a vampire who can get into Henry's head, and we're trying to see what his next plan of attack is."

"Got it," Argyle said and then leaned in closer to whisper to Jonathan. "I sense that the vibes between you, Nancy, and Steve have changed."

"Uh, we can talk about that later," he replied.

"Shit! Shit! SHIT!" Eddie cursed, his eyes flying open. "Holly. . ."

"Not our Holly!" Nancy exclaimed. "Please, tell me it's not our sister."

"I can't. . ."

"FUCK!"

They all took off immediately towards the Wheelers' house. Nancy and Mike had barged into the house, startling their parents.

"Where's Holly?!" They asked.

"In her room," Karen replied.

She hadn't been in her room, though. Everyone began scrambling around the house, trying to find Holly. It was Steve who found her in the backyard, in a trance, walking toward the woods. He had been the first to reach her and managed to stop her before she could go further. Karen and Ted had followed suit. That's when they heard it. . .the growling sound. A clawed hand back handed Steve, throwing him away from Holly. The demogorgon picked up Holly. Steve got up and jumped on its back. It took off. Everyone screamed but none more so than Ted and Karen, who took off after them. Eddie had ripped off his sweater and deployed his wings, flying above them. Jonathan's heart pounded in his chest as he ran beside an equally frantic Nancy. They couldn't shoot at the creature in fear of someone getting hit by a stray bullet. As fast as they all were going, the demogorgon with Steve still hanging on, was much faster than them. It was a blur through the darkening trees, but they could make out Steve, pulling out a knife and stabbing at the creature to let Holly go. Finally, the demogorgon flung Steve off of him. Steve came crashing to the ground, but he managed to slash the demogorgon in the leg on the way down. Finally, it dropped Holly, and Karen moved forward with a branch to shield her daughter.

"RUN TO DADDY, HOLLY!" Karen screamed as she hit the demogorgon that dove for Holly.

Holly screamed and ran into Ted's arms. The demogorgon swiped at the empty spot and growled at Karen before hitting her with his claws. She screamed as she fell, its claws digging into her, and then she went silent. The demogorgon dove for Ted and Holly. Ted acted quickly and covered Holly with his body, the monster's claws scratching his back. Nancy screamed as she swung the bat at it. El came charging in, her hand flying out and throwing the demogorgon away from Ted. It charged again, and El threw it harder while Eddie attacked from above. Argyle and Hopper came in with homemade flamethrowers, lighting up the demogorgon. Robin, Joyce, and Dustin threw molotovs at it. Lucas, Mike, and Jonathan acted quickly. They pulled Ted and Holly to safety. Jonathan gently picked up Karen, who was thankfully still breathing, but she wasn't conscious. The demogorgon screamed and took off. Everyone moved quickly to get the Wheelers to the hospital, Jonathan carefully putting Karen in the back of Argyle's van while Ted climbed in, clutching Holly. Nancy climbed in the passenger's seat with Mike.

"Take care of Steve," Nancy said to Jonathan, and they drove off.

Jonathan turned to the group to talk to Steve, but he wasn't standing with them. Robin was looking around wildly as well.

"Where the hell is Steve?" Jonathan asked.

That's when everyone realized that he wasn't standing with them. Jonathan pushed past them and back into the woods. Steve wasn't there either. . .only his bloody knife. There were drag marks in the dirt. Jonathan took off, following the trail.

"STEVE!" Jonathan yelled.

"STEVE!" Dustin and Robin screamed.

They couldn't find him. At one point, the trail just ended. They couldn't find a single sign of Eddie either. Dustin collapsed into Robin's arms, sobbing. She held him tightly.

"We're going to find them. We ARE going to find them," Robin said.

After searching for a while, they had no choice but to return to the hospital. Jonathan had paused before getting into the car. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't fucking breathe. His chest was tight. Why he couldn't he breathe? He clutched his chest as the image of Steve’s smiling face appeared in his head. . .an image of them all packed away into the RV with a dog in their laps appeared as well. Suddenly, that image shattered. Jonathan let out a strangled yell.

"Jonathan, honey, breathe. I'm here," Joyce muttered softly. "We're going to find him. Okay, we're going to find both of them."

"I have to - I have to tell Nancy," Jonathan gasped.

As much as he appreciated his mother's hug, he wished it was Steve’s arms around him now. He managed to calm down somewhat, and once that happened, they all drove to the hospital. He found Nancy, Mike, and Argyle in the waiting room. Nancy and Mike were pleading with their father.

"Please, Daddy. You have to let the doctors look at you. Mom is fighting for her life in there. You have to do the same thing. We can't lose you either," Nancy said.

"We'll look after Holly, Dad. I know I said a lot of things to you, but I was being stupid. I know you care. I know we don't show it a lot, but we love you," Mike said softly. "We can't lose either if you."

Ted sniffled and loosened his grip on Holly. Nancy immediately picked her up. He shakily stood up and hugged his kids.

"You're the best thing that your mother and I ever did," Ted said. "I should have said it more. . .I'm proud of you."

Hopper stepped in to help Ted hobble out of the room.

"Don't go, Daddy!" Holly sobbed.

"Dad's going to be alright, Holly. He just has a few scratches that need looking after," Nancy said.

Holly let out another loud sob and buried her face into Nancy's shoulder. Jonathan went over to her and hugged her tightly. Well, hugging them both. He pulled back and stroked Holly's head.

"How's your mother?" Jonathan asked softly.

"We don't know anything yet. Only that she's still in surgery," Nancy said with a sniffle. "Jonathan. . .where's Steve?"

There was silence as everyone exchanged looks. Jonathan looked nervously at Nancy.

"We thought he had been with us but. . .when he turned back, he was gone. We couldn't find him anywhere. We don't know where he is," Jonathan said. "We don't know where Eddie is either."

Nancy started to breathe heavily as her eyes went wide, and she was trying to remain calm. . .to keep it together. It was all too much. Nancy set Holly onto one of the plastic chairs and burst into tears. She pressed the heels of hands into her eyes as it grew harder for her to breathe. Meanwhile, El turned the television to an empty channel and tied a bandana around her eyes.

"I need silence," El said gently.

Nancy buried her head in Jonathan's shoulder and let him hold her as she tried to quiet her sobs. When she couldn't, she looked at Mike, who nodded and took Holly into his lap. Nancy dragged Jonathan out of the room and hugged him tightly.

"We have to find him. We have to," Nancy said.

As Jonathan held Nancy, he thought about Steve and all the times he interacted. He always thought Steve was an asshole but that had been at a time when Jonathan had used his camera to hide behind, to distance himself, and at a time when he couldn't admit that he thought that Steve was beautiful. He just hated Tommy and Carol. . .how they talked about people, but had Jonathan been much different. . .hating everyone and judging them when the truth was he was scared of getting hurt himself? It's funny how people distance themselves from people in many different ways because he knew that Steve did it with Tommy and Carol. It was easier than being alone or being himself, but Steve’s love for Nancy had brought that out in him. It had brought out the real Steve. . .the one that walked right into Jonathan's house to fight the demogorgon with them. . .unknowingly forging a bond with Nancy and Jonathan that he hoped would never break. Sometimes, you just get lonely for so long that it's just too familiar to let go, something Jonathan had known all too well.

"Please, don't go, Mommy!"

The scream that Holly had made for her father. . .sounded much like that of a little boy that Jonathan had seen a long time ago. Jonathan had been quite young himself. He was wandering in the woods with his Polaroid camera. . .his first camera when he heard the sounds of a boy his age crying. He peaked through the trees, seeing a fancy house a head. A handsome boy was crying in the driveway, watching his parents pack their things in their car.

"Oh, hush, Steven, we're going to be back soon," his mother said.

"I'm too young to stay by myself, Mama!" The boy had cried.

"No, you're not, and you're too old to be crying like a baby," his mother said. "Now, be a big boy, and if you're good, we'll bring you back something nice."

Steven sniffled and wiped his eyes, tucking in his lower lip. Finally, he quieted down and watched his parents drive away. Maybe he saw his own loneliness in the other boy, which is why he took his picture and then put the picture in his bag. He took another when the boy clasped his hands under his chin and closed his eyes.

"Please, Santa, I don't want to be alone," Steven said.

Jonathan remembered thinking he didn't want to be alone either and how he wished his dad would stop hurting his mother. He remembered taking a step toward the boy and went to leave the woods to introduce himself when another boy ran up the driveway.

"Steve!"

"Tommy!"

Jonathan stepped back and watched them embrace.

"You shouldn't be alone on your birthday, Stevie boy. Your parents may have forgotten but I never will!" Tommy yelled and ran into the house, holding up a gift. "Come open it!"

"Thank you, Santa," Steve had said.

Jonathan had taken a picture of his smiling, happy face, too. He remembered thinking how pretty Steve had looked then, but he also figured that someone like Jonathan would never be friends with someone like him and pushed that moment to the back of his mind. He didn't know why he never made the connection. . .that it had been the same Steve he had fallen in love with. . .why did he only remember now?

"Jonathan, you're crying," Nancy said, pulling him out of the memory.

"I love him," Jonathan said.

Nancy touched his face and leaned her head against his. Just as Nancy was about to say something, El came storming out of the waiting room just as Hopper came back from tending to her father.

"We have found his location. Thanks to Chrissy," El said to Jonathan and Nancy. "They are using his powers against him."

"Alright. Me and El will go get Steve. You guys stay here," Hopper said.

"What? No, we'll go with you!" Nancy exclaimed.

"Someone needs to stay here with your sister, and I'm not going to risk anyone else's lives out there. It's bad enough that I'm risking my own daughter's," Hopper said.

"No matter where we are in this damn town, we're already at risk," Jonathan said.

"Mike can look after Holly and Robin. . .," Nancy said, turning to the others who had spilled out into the hallway. "You'll look after the kids."

"No! Because we're going with you too!" Dustin exclaimed.

"There needs to be people here to look after my sister, and I can't be in two places at once. So, I'm asking you to do what Steve would have done. . . Please, keep Holly safe," Nancy pleaded softly.

"Don't worry, Nancy, we got this," Erica said, for once being agreeable.

They forget sometimes how much Steve means to so many people but especially to Erica. Steve, himself, doesn't even realize it. Jonathan knew she was putting on a brave face, but he could see the fear and worry in her eyes. Robin, however, wanted to argue right back with a furious look on her face. Her friend, Vickie, had shown up at one point and slipped her hand into Robin's.

"We'll look after them," Vickie said, and Robin's face softened.

Dustin opened his mouth to argue, but Lucas nudged him.

"We need to look after Max, too," Lucas said to Dustin. "And Ted and Karen."

"And you're going to need to my awesome flamethrowers. Pizza isn't the only thing I like to cook," Argyle reminded them.

"Argyle the Pyro Pizzaman," Jonathan said and they shared a laugh.

There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Will and Joyce were coming with them either. Hopper knew it was pointless to argue with them. Will hated to leave Mike, but he had powers of his own. There was no way he wasn't going to back up his brother and sister. Everyone hugged each other tightly. Will hugged his friends and then hugged Mike last. El hugged Dustin and kissed him soundly. Lucas made a noise of surprise.

"When the hell did that happen?" Lucas asked. "I thought you were still dating Mike!"

"We broke up, but it is okay. We are friends," El said and paused. "He will always be my first love. You were a great first boyfriend."

"And you were a great first girlfriend," Mike said, and they hugged tightly. "Be careful."

"Aww," Dustin said and Will laughed.

"And you guys aren't upset?" Lucas asked.

"It was difficult. We both cried. . .Mike more than I did," El grinned.

"I did not!" Mike exclaimed.

"I think it's sweet," Will said, and Mike blushed.

It felt so wrong to split up, but Jonathan knew they really didn't have a choice. They all hated it. The ride to the lab was silent. . .of course, it was the lab. None of them knew what they would find there, and Jonathan hoped that they would find Steve alive as well as Eddie. Nancy was holding his hand so tightly that he thought she would break it, but he welcomed it anyway, needing it just as much as she did. Of all them, El was the most troubled by going back to the lab. Jonathan reached over and squeezed his sister's shoulder with his free hand. She relaxed a little and pressed her cheek onto his hand. He could tell from the reflection in the window that she looked more determined than before. After they all got out of this, Jonathan swore he was going to spend time with both of his siblings. Maybe take them out for ice cream. It was daunting pulling up to the lab, and Jonathan remembered the last time they were here. Bob had died.

"That's not going to happen to him," Nancy said, as if she could read his thoughts.

"We won't let it," Jonathan said.

When they got out of the car, Nancy pulled out her shotgun and handed Jonathan their bat. The building was covered in the vines from the Upside Down and looking more intimidating than ever. Everyone walked to the front doors only to find Wayne Munson and Gareth Emerson trying to get in.

"Hey!" Hopper yelled. "What do you think you're doing here?"

"My boy is in there!" Wayne hollered. "I know it!"

"Mr. Munson. . .how do you know that?" Nancy asked.

"I heard him calling to me. . .he's scared," Wayne said, gripping a shotgun in his hands.

"I was with him when said he heard him, I don't know if he heard Eddie or not, but I thought I ought to go with him," Gareth said. "Will, what the hell is this place?"

"You shouldn't be here," Will said.

"Neither should you," Gareth scowled.

"We'll sort that out later," Hopper said.

"Step back," El said.

Wayne and Gareth looked at her for a moment before doing what she said. She held out her hand and moved the vines away from the door. Once they were gone, she blasted them open.

"What the fuck?" Gareth asked and then leaned close to Will. "So, when you said on our date that your sister is basically Wonder Woman. . ."

Gareth was a terrible whisperer. Nancy and Jonathan heard every word. They shared a surprised look.

"I thought for sure Will and Mike. . ." Nancy started to say.

"Yeah, me too," Jonathan said.

"I love Mike," Will told his brother. "But he just broke up with our sister, and I, personally, need some time while I'm still young to explore my options."

"You've been pining after my brother for a long time," Nancy pointed out.

"And don't you think it's his turn?" Will asked, causing Nancy and Gareth to laugh.

"And you don't mind?" Jonathan asked Gareth.

"What? Being used by Will Byers? Worth it," he said, grinning. "Besides, he's honest. . .it's refreshing."

"Quiet!" Hopper hissed.

Suddenly, they remembered where they were and got serious again as they quieted down. Jonathan watched in amusement as Hopper muttered under his breath about fighting the apocalypse with teenagers and their drama. They followed El all the way to the room where she had opened her first gate. Vines were all over the place with bats hanging from the ceiling. . .with demogorgons lying on the ground at Vecna's feet. On the walls, Steve and Eddie were wrapped up in the vines. They were unconscious. Along with them were Chrissy, Fred, and Patrick. The plan was simple. Chrissy, Fred, and Patrick were supposed to keep him busy inside his head while El killed him from the outside. Hopper and the others would be their backup, torching anything that tried to assist with Vecna. Wayne tried to go to Eddie, but Jonathan put a hand on his arm.

"Wait," Jonathan mouthed.

El closed her eyes, held out her hand at Vecna, and began to levitate. It had gotten the attention of the bats and demogorgons. They raised up all at once and surrounded their master. . .screeching and howling at the intruders. Hopper and Argyle started up the flamethrowers as the bats rained down upon them. Nancy blasted away the demogorgons along with Wayne while Jonathan hit the bats with Naily. Will blasted away creatures with his powers, the very ones he had been working to use with El. Gareth had looked at him in awe for a moment before pulling out a knife of his own. The fight went on for a while, the bats falling away from the flames along with the demogorgons. Will had no other choice but to pull himself away from Gareth and Wayne to help his sister kill Vecna. El's eyes were red, and black veins were spreading across her face as blood gushed from her nose. Jonathan knew he hadn't quite gotten far with growing and developing his powers. He looked away for a moment as Will levitated to join El.

"Will!"

A demogorgon came upon Jonathan, and he fell to the ground. The monster snarled, and its face opened up, saliva dripping on Jonathan's face. He could hear everything exploding around him, could smell the gunfire and the smell of the smoke. . . the smell of the disgusting vines. He could hear them slithering and sliding away. Suddenly, he could see feet appearing, as if people were suddenly dropped from the walls. A moment later, something was swinging against the monster's sides. The demogorgon fell off of him, and Jonathan looked up to see a pale Steve above him, holding the bat. Half of his face was scratched and bruised. Steve held out a hand and pulled him to his feet, wrapping an arm around his waist to steady him. Jonathan pressed his lips against Steve’s in a hard, desperate kiss, tears spilling from his eyes. Jonathan could taste his own salty tears along with Steve’s.

"Fuck," Jonathan gasped as he pulled back, remembering what was going on.

He turned his attention onto the scene in front of him while Nancy kissed Steve. Vecna's body was burnt to a crisp, dead. Will and El were leaning against each other, exhausted. Their eyes were still red, and blood was dripping from their noses. Patrick Mckinney and Fred Benson were looking at each other in amazement. Wayne was hugging Eddie tightly, the both of them crying. Chrissy was standing awkwardly, waiting to talk to Eddie. Had he not seen her?

"Eddie?" Chrissy asked.

"Oh God, I'm hearing things. I swear, I keep hearing Chrissy Cunningham's voice. . .it's all I have been hearing lately, and maybe that was a dream. . .that she's alive," Eddie sobbed.

"No, she's here, son. Turn around," Wayne said, pulling back.

Eddie turned around and yelped before pulling her into a tight hug. Chrissy beamed and returned the hug. Eddie quickly pulled away.

"Shit, sorry - " Eddie said.

Chrissy giggled before grabbing him by the back of his neck and kissing him deeply. Eddie froze for a minute, unsure of where to put his hands, and they all watched as they flapped around excitedly as he kissed her back. Chrissy giggled against his lips and placed his hands on her waist. He broke the kiss, cupping her face.

"I kept thinking that I was hearing your voice. . .calling my name in the back of my head. It was part of what kept me going," Eddie said.

"I was calling your name," Chrissy said.

"I heard you," he whispered.

"I heard you, too, Eddie," she said.

"What?"

"That song you played right before you died. . .was that really for me?" Chrissy asked.

"Absolutely, sweetheart," Eddie said.

"You really died, Eddie?" Wayne asked.

Eddie turned around and was about to say something to his uncle when the ground began to shake. The vines started slithering away, pulling back and taking Vecna's body with them. They all watched in amazement as the vines disappeared out of the room and put the door. They all held onto each other as the ground continued to shake.

"To answer your question. . .yeah, I died. I'm a vampire now, Uncle Wayne," Eddie sighed. "I really am a freak."

"Yeah, you are," Chrissy said, elbowing him in the side. "It's a good thing I have a thing for freaks."

"It's also because it's also because it takes one to know one," Eddie laughed. "You're a freak, Chrissy Cunningham."

When the ground finally stopped shaking, they all moved outside. The skies had been cleared of the particles, and they could see the vines slinking back to where it came from. The skies had darkened, though, and thunder was now growling loudly. The rain came pouring down in buckets at though it were trying to wash away all of the filth and destruction that the Upside Down had caused, that Henry had caused. They stood under cover and all watched the rain coming pouring down.

"Max should be awake when we get back to the hospital," El said.

"You saw her? Was she with you in Henry's mind?" Nancy asked.

"She was, and she fought like Max," El grinned.

"I don't really understand what just happened," Fred said.

"It's okay, I never understand what's going on," Steve said. "Everyone thought you were dead, but Vecna, that monster, only made it seem like it. Think Freddy Krueger."

"Jesus," Patrick cursed. "Eddie. . .man, I'm sorry, I really thought you killed Chrissy."

"To be fair, what were you supposed to think?" Eddie mumbled.

"That I should have known better not to judge you the way that we did," Patrick said.

"Maybe. . . "

Eddie stared at him for a moment, a look of understanding passed between them. He turned to Chrissy with a grin and grabbed her hand before dragging her out in the rain. She shrieked with laughter and clung to him as he began dancing with her. Jonathan realized that Steve’s arm was still wrapped around his waist, and he looked at him.

"You're not dragging me out into that weather. I don't care how much you inflate those Bambi eyes of yours," Steve said.

"Yeah, good luck with that. He gets those from his mother," Hopper said. "You're screwed."

"Don't listen to him. Besides, I don't want to go out there either," Jonathan said. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, not dead, so that's a surprise," Steve said. "I'd figure that I wouldn't make it out this time."

"Don't talk like that," Nancy said.

"You used to pray to Santa," Jonathan blurted out.

"What?" Steve asked. "How the hell do you know that? I never told anyone that. . .not even Robin because I know she'd mock me mercilessly."

"It's embarrassing. . ." Jonathan trailed off. "I didn't even remember until after you went missing. . ."

Jonathan told them, away from Hopper's and Wayne's prying ears. The rain had gotten louder and had practically drowned out any sound. Jonathan was standing close to Steve and Nancy. Steve stared at him in surprise.

"Wow, so it wasn't the first time that you did that," Steve said teasingly.

"I'm sorry, Steve. The whole picture incident. . .it's the worst thing I have ever done. I apologized to Nancy, but I never apologized to you. I spent so much time using the camera to hide, to push people away. I just forget there's more to people than what I think their image is telling me," Jonathan said. "I just forget about the boundaries when I look through the lense. . . Mom is right. I tend to act like I'm alone in this world."

"Well, you're not the first person to ever do something stupid to try and push people away," Steve said. "And I get it. . .what it feels like to feel like you're all alone in this world."

"Neither one of us is perfect," Nancy said. "We all try to do things on our own, but we don't have to do that anymore. Well, the difficult stuff anyway, we're still individuals. Just. . .when we feel like we need each other. . .let's agree to try and let each other in. . .without resorting to anything drastic. By the way, Steve, does Jonathan know that you were the one who bought him that camera?"

"What?"

"Surprise!"

They laughed as they watched Eddie and Chrissy dance happily in the rain for a while. Finally, the rain let up, and they came back over to the group. Eddie shook his head like a dog all over Gareth, who laughed and pretended to be mad but then hugged him tightly. Chrissy giggled and moved over to Nancy.

"It's weird that this is how we were brought back together," Chrissy said.

"Yeah, I wish it were under better circumstances," Nancy said, and Eddie bounded over to them.

"I forgot you two were on the squad," Eddie said.

"Well, we knew each other pretty well then," Chrissy said. "Should I tell him?"

Nancy laughed and nodded. Chrissy leaned over and whispered in his ear. He gasped.

"No way! Me and Jonathan!" Eddie exclaimed.

"What?!" Chrissy laughed. "Wow. Small world."

"Small town," Eddie said and then looked at Steve. "Shit, sorry, forgot about your face."

He spat directly in Steve's eyes, and Steve hollered.

"Damn it, Eddie!"

Once the rain finally stopped, they drove back to the hospital, where everyone was still in the waiting room. Robin hollered when she saw Steve and pulled herself away from Vickie to throw herself into Steve’s arms.

"Okay, we are never ever getting separated again. I am not letting you out of my sight," Robin said.

"What happens when you want to go on a date? Do you just bring me along?" Steve scoffed.

"Vickie! Is it alright if I bring my platonic soulmate on our date?" Robin asked.

"Okay!" Vickie exclaimed happily.

Robin froze and she stared at Steve in horror.

"Did I just ask Vickie out in front of everyone?" Robin asked.

"Yeah," Steve said.

"Ah, fuck it," Robin said.

"How's mom and dad?" Nancy asked Mike as she hugged him and their sister.

"Dad is going to be fine, but Mom's still not out of the woods," Mike said softly.

Jonathan gave them a moment, and he saw Lucas hug Patrick before pulling back. He cursed.

"Max!" Lucas yelled.

El grabbed Lucas's hand, and they ran off together towards Max's room. Everyone else ran off after them. Jonathan could see the doctors moving out of her room and Max sitting up as Lucas stood by her bed.

"Hey, stalker," she croaked, looking at him.

She was looking at him. . .she could see. He supposed that if the other's bodies were fakes. . .illusions, then he supposed blinding her had also been an illusion. He wondered if breaking her bones had been as well.

"Mad Max," Lucas sobbed.

"You should probably kiss me before I change my mind," Max said.

Lucas leaned down and kissed her, sitting on the edge of the bed. They broke the kiss, and Lucas hugged her tightly.

"I never wanted to leave your side," he said. "Sometimes, I had to. All I wanted to do was read to you until you woke up."

"I heard you, Lucas. I'm sorry I didn't before. I'm here," Max said and squeezed him tighter. "So, everyone is here except for my mother. . .that tracks."

"Actually, she was here for a long time. She never left your side. We had a hard time getting her to eat and drink until Joyce talked to her. . .or rather yelled at her. She checked herself into rehab. She wanted to be better for you when you woke up," Lucas said.

"Oh. . .well, that's good," Max said, blinking back tears and smiling. "That's really good. . . Okay, so how long did it take to kill this fucker?"

"Well, it's December 1987," Lucas winced.

"A fucking year?!" Max asked. "I think I missed our date."

"I missed it too," Lucas sniffled and laughed.

Jonathan took Steve’s hand, who smiled softly at him. Steve took Nancy's, and she smiled at both of them. They hoped that they didn't have to deal with any more shit after this. . .that they could all have their happily ever after.

"So, I guess we're never going to know what Creel was planning," Max said.

"Oh, yeah, he was trying to summon enough power to awaken a dragon," Eddie replied.

"WHAT?!"

"Yeah, we were all in his head," Chrissy said. "There's a dragon sleeping inside a mountain in the Upside Down. Like hundreds of years ago, it came from the Upside Down and wrecked havoc. It took tons of psychic energy to put it to sleep. They tried killing it, but it was immune to most things. Eventually, the demogorgons were born, as well as the bats to keep people from awakening the beast. The Mind Flayer was the guard, and basically, was a beacon for any psychics to stay out. . .to keep the gates closed. They never expected Henry to try and control them or to take their power as his own. Henry needed El and all of us because we were descended from the original psychics who put the dragon to sleep."

"Jesus. . . I guess we're going to keep an eye on that," Hopper said.

"Are you saying that we're going to have to create a secret order?" Dustin asked.

"Dragon keepers," Eddie grinned.

"Dragon lords," Dustin said and then frowned. "No, Dragon Keepers sound better."

"Knights of the Dragon, an order for both men and women who choose to vow to keep that fucker asleep," Eddie said.

"And so shall it be. . .," Dustin said.

"So, not like the Knights of Hellfire?" Steve asked.

"Damn it, that is good," Eddie cursed.

"Okay. . .now it's so shall it be. . ."

A YEAR LATER. . .

The light streamed in through the curtains, practically blinding Jonathan. He groaned. They forgot to close the curtains last night after getting off of work. He pulled away from Steve’s arms, and Steve groaned. He clung to Jonathan.

"Where do you think you're going?" Steve asked.

"We forgot to close the curtains last night," Jonathan said.

Jonathan stumbled out of bed and towards the curtains. He bumped into the desk chair, knocking his shirt uniform to the floor. He picked it up. KNIGHTS OF HELLFIRE was on a patch on the arm of the shirt. The order was still going strong, and there was no sign of any awakening of the beast. Jonathan really liked working with them, mostly because it was run by Joyce and Hopper. Though it was funded by Sam Owen's family, he knew that the money had to come from somewhere, and at least they were running the order themselves. They also inadvertently gave them the ability to make the town safe for people like Jonathan and his family. Working with them also gave them the freedom to do whatever they wanted.

"Hurry up, it's bad enough that Nancy isn't here," Steve groaned. "The bed is getting cold, baby."

"Just hold on," Jonathan said and folded the shirt over the chair, moving it and turning to look at Steve. "I'm glad Emerson gave her another chance, and she's having the time of her life, but I miss her too."

"It helps that Eddie's victims weren't actually dead. That asshole is still riding high on becoming the town hero who rescued them from a psychopath's basement. All hail King Eddie," Steve snorted. "I wish she could be in two places at once."

"Like two Nancys?" Jonathan asked with a grin.

"Now, there's an idea," Steve said, and then he froze. "The curtain just moved."

"What?" Jonathan asked and turned to find the drapes were shaking. "I told you your new place was haunted."

"When are you going to call it our place?" Steve asked. "I mean, when's the last time you slept at your parents' house?"

"Uh. . ."

Steve leaped off the bed and grabbed the bat out from underneath his bed. Jonathan stared at him.

"What?"

"You're naked and holding the bat," Jonathan said.

"Focus, baby, there's an intruder in our home," Steve said.

They hadn't even gotten close when suddenly Nancy jumped out from behind the curtain. Steve and Jonathan screamed. Nancy was lucky that Steve had forgotten about the bat and dropped it. Suddenly, Robin and Vickie came running in wearing t-shirts that Robin had stolen from Steve as well as Jonathan. Robin was holding something long - she quickly threw it over her shoulder. It buzzed loudly as it hit the floor, and it continued to buzz as Robin quickly kicked it down the hallway. They could still hear it.

"Oh, it's just our other roommate home from college! Hi, Nancy!" Vickie exclaimed happy.

"Hi, Vickie, you're looking very satisfied this morning," Nancy smirked.

"I am!" Vickie exclaimed.

"Nancy, you scared the hell out of us! I could have hit you with this," Steve said picking up the bat.

"But you didn't. Hm. . .No wonder Jonathan got distracted," Nancy smiled.

She wrapped her arms around Steve and kissed him deeply. He dropped the bat and returned the kiss. Robin groaned and rolled her eyes as she went to stomp out of the room. She stopped.

"Wait. . .our roommate?" Robin asked. "Did you move in with us?"

"Accidentally! I went to get more stuff from my house and I realized that I couldn't remember the last time I slept there. Also, I had slowly moved my stuff over here without realizing it," Vickie said.

"Hey, Jonathan did the same thing!" Steve laughed. "Oh! I need to call Eddie! Tell him what you tried to use as a weapon."

"Don't you dare!" Robin exclaimed.

"Too late!"

Steve dove on the bed and reached for the phone on the nightstand. Jonathan watched in amusement as Steve dialed the number by heart, his perky ass on display for everyone to see as he twirled the phone cord with his finger. Robin groaned.

"Nobody wants to see that, Steven!"

"I beg to differ," Jonathan said as he reached over and smacked Steve’s ass before throwing a blanket over it.

"She acts like it bothers her, but she's seen it a million times," Steve said. "Oh, hey, Chrissy wants to know if Eddie and Robin are secretly related because Eddie used the same thing when he thought someone was breaking into the house. It was just a raccoon."

Jonathan wrapped his arms around Nancy and kissed her deeply.

"It's wonderful to see you but next time you decide to surprise us. . .we both like chocolate," Jonathan laughed.

"I couldn't resist," Nancy giggled.

"Anyway. . .I'm glad you're back, Nancy. Vickie and I are going back to sleep. Uh, we just have to get our, uh, flashlight," Robin said.

"Right! Flashlight!" Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve laughed.

"Dingus!" Steve exclaimed.

"That's my word, Steven Otis!"

Jonathan grabbed the phone from Steve.

"Hey, Eddie."

"Jonathan, my man!"

"Bye, Eddie!"

"Okay, that's fucking rude - "

"Steve’s naked and Nancy just got back for Christmas break - "

"Say no more - "

Jonathan hung up the phone, and Nancy immediately wedged herself in between them. Jonathan kissed her, enjoying the way she felt beneath him and the familiar noises she made. Oh, fuck, he missed her. Judging by the desperate way she kissed him, she missed him just as much. She turned around in his arms, letting his lips fall to her neck as she kissed Steve just as desperately.

"I missed you guys, too," Nancy said as she broke the kiss. "Do I also have a home here?"

"Always. . .no matter where you are," Steve said.

"Now, I can call it our place," Jonathan said.

Afterward, Jonathan lay in bed, staring at his sleeping partners beside him. Steve was lying on his front while Nancy slept on his back. The sunlight streamed through the currents, shining down on both of them, bathing them in a beautiful golden light as though they were angels. Oops, they forgot to close the curtains. Jonathan gazed down on them and wondered how he got so lucky. He looked around the room. . .at the collection of their things that had found their way into the room. Their clothes were in the closet, his camera sat on the desk, the basketball that Steve played with Lucas was sitting in the laundry basket, Nancy's books were sitting on the shelf that Steve had put up, and all of their pictures hung on the wall. They had a life together even with the threat of the dragon looming over their heads, something that's always going to be there, which is why Jonathan knew they needed to enjoy all that life had to offer. . . Especially the good things. He was suddenly very glad that he and Eddie had never gotten on the same page. This was where he wanted to be.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Jonathan, Nancy, and Steve jumped up when someone knocked on their bedroom door.

"Code white! I repeat! Code white!" Dustin's voice came through. "It's time to plan a very illegal wedding! Remember when you said I could plan it! I heard from Ted and Karen that Nancy's home. . .Jonathan?! Steve?!"

"Why did you go and tell him that?" Steve asked sleepily.

"Why did you go and adopt Dustin Henderson as your brother?" Jonathan asked.

"I still say he kidnapped me," Steve said and Nancy giggled.

"I CAN HEAR YOU! . . . ASSHOLES!"

Jonathan snuggled up against his partners, choosing to ignore Dustin and enjoy the time he had in this world. Dreams of traveling the world with Steve and Nancy in the RV with their dog in Nancy's lap danced in his head.

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