#they lived in California it makes sense i swear

[kiwisandcoconuts]

They never told Jake

[ghoulsbounty]

From a Previous Life

Cooper Howard (The Ghoul) x Fem!Reader

Summary: Bound and fearful, you seek answers from a mysterious stranger about the fate of those you love.

Warnings: Emotional hurt/comfort, mentions of death, pregnancy, non-detailed talk about experimentations, angst, grief, swearing, judgement, flirting (if you squint)

Word Count: 2.9K

A/N: My first Cooper fic! I've had this idea going around my head for a hot while and I really could go on, and on with more (yearning, smut, etc) but I just wanted to get out an initial one-shot that could potentially turn into more if any one likes it (or I end up adding to it anyway!) I'd love to hear your thoughts 💌

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Silently, you moved through the desolate wastelands, each step stirring clouds of dust and veiling the once lively towns now reduced to rubble. Somewhere in California, though the exact whereabouts blurred, you were leagues away from the sanctuary you once called home, apparently almost two centuries ago. Time, to you, was an elusive concept, for the stiffness in your joints and the lingering ache betrayed the recent thaw from cryo-sleep. Your mind remained ensnared by fog, a residue of the drugs coursing through your veins during preservation.

Yet, your senses, dulled by centuries of slumber, detected his presence long before he materialized. Heavy footfalls pierced the barren silence, prompting a cautious glance over your shoulder. There he stood, solitary amidst the wasteland, a gun slung lazily across his back and a weathered ten-gallon hat shadowing his features. Perhaps he had spotted you, perhaps not; regardless, neither of you quickened your pace, silently agreeing to maintain a wary distance.

Ever cautious, you abruptly veered into the next structurally sound building, bracing for a potential standoff. Praying it wouldn't come to that, for the meagre supply of bullets salvaged from a fallen vault security guard, coupled with his erratic pistol, offered scant reassurance. The art of marksmanship was foreign to you, a skill unbefitting a woman of virtue in the world before its descent into chaos. Your pride lay in nurturing the home, not in extinguishing life.

"What would your husband make of this sight?" you thought. Clad in the worn remnants of the blue and yellow jumpsuit issued upon vault entry, now stained with blood and grime from your desperate flight. Would he mock your dishevelled appearance, your unadorned face and frayed nerves? Would he marvel at the pistol clenched tightly in your grasp, its weight unfamiliar and your trembling fingers poised on the trigger? Could he shoulder this burden, like you wish he was here to do so? Such musings left you unsettled, your husband's whereabouts a lingering question mark, conspicuously absent from your side.

Peering cautiously from beneath the window sill, your gaze swept the scorched landscape beyond. The lone figure should have drawn near by now, should have approached the building where you lay in wait, yet his silhouette remained absent from the horizon. Instead, the frigid touch of a gun barrel against the back of your skull sent a shiver down your spine, your body tensing instinctively under the ominous threat. You suppressed the cry that clawed at your parched throat, swallowing hard as you slowly lowered your pistol to the ground beside you.

"That's it, nice and slow," he instructed, his voice gruff with a hint of amusement. "You might be my easiest catch yet."

Realization dawned upon you—he had been tracking you. You inwardly chided yourself for your naivety before complying, raising your arms slowly with palms outstretched. Encountering no one in these barren lands, you were uncertain of the customs among people so removed from your time. You were one of them now, but survival demanded adaptation.

"Please, I don't have any money," you offered, hearing his scoff. "I mean it. Take my gun, you can have it."

His movement rustled the air, his presence brushing against you as he leaned to retrieve your pistol. A low hum of amusement escaped him, and you felt the cold barrel of his gun pressing against your skull before it vanished altogether.

"I don't want your hunk of junk, sweetheart," he drawled, tossing it back to the ground beside you. "Doubt it can punch through a tin can. No, what I seek is your cooperation."

"O-okay, yes," you agreed, the words tumbling from your lips almost too hastily, embarrassment flushing your cheeks.

A nudge at the side of your heel prompted you to turn and face him. You complied, shifting on your knees, arms growing weary as they remained raised above your head while you awkwardly pivoted to meet his gaze.

The scream tore from your throat as you beheld him, sending shivers down your spine. He loomed above you, his visage warped by decomposing, discoloured flesh that swathes his form. Cracked lips parted to reveal yellowed teeth in a perpetual grimace, his once vibrant eyes now a haunting shade of blue-green, still clinging to a trace of humanity amidst the decay. You recoiled at the absence of his nose, now a dark cavity amidst cartilage and bone.

"That's not polite," he admonished, his narrowed eyes betraying annoyance. Trembling under his scrutinizing gaze, you stammered out an apology, extending a trembling hand to ward him off as he took a step forward.

"Please, leave me alone. I-I don't have anything," you pleaded, but he showed no sign of relenting. Your fingers curled around the pistol on the ground, raising it shakily in his direction.

"Well now, what are you going to do with that?" His smirk deepened as you aimed the weapon at him.

His amusement infuriated and terrified you in equal measure. You were aware of your body shaking, aware that he saw it too. You hadn't formulated a plan, hadn't considered the consequences. But you'd never faced a situation like this, especially not with someone so grotesque yet strangely human. He spoke like a man but resembled a monster, reminiscent of the creatures from the old sci-fi holo tapes your husband used to rent on Friday nights, leaving you cowering behind embroidered cushions until the credits rolled. You weren't built for this, but just like only hours before, you must fight.

With a tight grip and clenched eyes, you pulled the trigger. The recoil sent you crashing against the wall, the impact jarring your head as the bullet ricocheted through the room, narrowly missing the man and striking a nearby doorway with a sharp ping.

"Well, that was disappointing," he remarked, his head cocked and lips drawn into a condescending smirk. "You finished, sweetheart?"

With a mixture of annoyance at your failure and frustration at his dismissive demeanour, you tossed the pistol at his feet. Your head throbbed, and as you tentatively touched the back of your skull with trembling fingers, you were unsurprised to find them stained with blood.

"Are you going to kill me?" you panted, forcing yourself to meet his gaze.

He shook his head, kicking at the dirt with his pointed boot before crouching in front of you. "Not much use to me dead, not much use to me at all if you don't cooperate," he emphasized, his tone dripping with implication.

"Fine," you huffed. "What do you want?"

A triumphant hum escaped him as he straightened up, retrieving a long rope from his hip and tossing it into your lap. "Tie your hands together," he commanded.

You hesitated, eyeing the rope and then him with uncertainty. His tone shifted, imbued with a hint of authority as he spoke again. "The rope goes around your wrists or around your neck. Either way, you don't want me to be the one to do it."

With deft fingers, you hastily wound the rope around your wrists, striving to fashion a knot that would hold without chafing your skin too severely. He bent down, giving the tether a firm tug to test its security before nodding in approval. Seizing the other end lying in the dirt, he yanked it harshly, nearly causing you to stumble forward onto the unforgiving ground.

"Get up," he commanded, his tone brooking no argument.

You complied, awkwardly pushing yourself to your feet without the use of your bound hands. There was a pregnant pause as you gazed at him expectantly, awaiting further instruction. However, he simply tugged on the rope, turning to lead you out of the dilapidated building and back into the sprawling wasteland.

You followed him into the desert expanse, both of you shrouded in silence save for your intermittent attempts to coax answers from him. Questions about where he was taking you, what he planned to do with you, hung in the air, but he offered no response. Instead, he whistled a tune, leaving your inquiries to dissipate into the wind.

As frustration reached its boiling point, you dug your heels into the sand, exerting force against your restraints as the rope cut into your skin. A hidden thrill coursed through you as you witnessed his hulking frame falter against the resistance, a fleeting moment of satisfaction before he regained his footing. His narrowed gaze met yours from beneath the shadow of his hat.

"I'm cooperating," you asserted, your voice strained. "You can—should at least tell me where we are going. Why you're doing this to me."

A heavy sigh escaped him, his shoulders slumping as he gazed skyward before meeting your eyes once more. "You're sure dumb for a pretty thing," he muttered, retrieving a flask from the recesses of his torn duster and taking a long swig. "I guess that's how they like to keep you down there."

As he turned to face you fully, his eyes rolled at your bewilderment before he elaborated. "Not much up here untouched nowadays, so when you see a little rabbit wandering the lands fresh from her cage, a smart man doesn't think twice before he acts."

Anger surged through you at his mocking words. Barely escaping your 'cage' with your life, barely comprehending the aftermath of the bombs, and now captive again—this time by a man, no, a monster, likely more sinister than those who had ensnared you initially.

"You already said you're not going to kill me, so you're going to fuck me or sell me," you asserted, mustering more confidence than you truly felt, chin lifted defiantly as he scrutinized you, tucking his flask away.

"Now you're catching on," he replied cryptically, offering no further explanation as he tugged at the rope and resumed walking. Your mind whirled with apprehension at his ominous response. Which fate awaited you? Both? The thought churned your stomach, imagining the touch of his weathered, calloused hands, pondering the atrocities he may have committed before and the ones he might be willing to commit now. You resolved not to make it easy for him, determined to fight tooth and nail if necessary.

"I can hear you thinking from over here, vaultie," he called back. "I ain't gonna fuck you," he added with a smirk, glancing briefly over his shoulder at you before continuing. "Ain't my type."

You scoffed, your brows furrowed in disbelief at his audacity. Doubt crept in, questioning if someone like him truly had preferences, more inclined to prey on anything within reach rather than adhere to any type. He resembled a monster more than a man, and you suspected his instincts remained consistent regardless of his words. Out here, where the population had dwindled to ashen, skeletal remnants of unfortunate souls caught in the blast, it seemed unlikely anyone could afford to be picky.

"What happened to you?" you demanded, your voice tinged with genuine curiosity.

He visibly stiffened at your question, briefly halting his movements before resuming with a dismissive gesture. He heard you, yet chose not to respond.

"I said, what happened to—"

"I heard you," he snapped, cutting you off. "Doesn't mean I owe you an answer."

You huffed, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "I'm just trying to understand what's going on! Yesterday, I was in my kitchen baking a key lime pie and dancing to the radio, and then—"

"Miss your cage, vaultie?" he interjected, a cruel chuckle escaping his lips. "If you miss it so much, why are you out here?"

Straining against your restraints, you heard him sigh in annoyance as he came to a halt. Turning to face you, irritation etched on his ghoulish features, he regarded you with a jutted hip and clenched gloved fingers tightening around the rope. "I'm not talking about the vault," you said earnestly. "I was in my home yesterday, just a normal day. Then the sirens blared, so loud I couldn't think. My neighbour, she came to my door, told me we had to leave, find safety. I didn't want to go without Glenn, but everyone was running, scared. I was too."

"When we reached the vault, it was chaos," you continued, his attention now fully captured, eyes glazed. "So many people, struggling to get in. But we made it, and... my neighbour, Patti—she's my friend. She had just given birth to her first child, a beautiful baby boy." You swallowed hard, suppressing the bile that threatened to rise in your throat. "They were supposed to let us in, we were pre-selected. But when we arrived, they turned Patti away. Shot her husband when he fought back," you recounted, the horror of the memory still fresh. "Then chaos erupted. The first nuke fell, and I was pushed through to the vault door. I lost Patti."

He regarded you with a sombre understanding, silently urging you to continue.

"When I entered, it wasn't like the commercials," you spat bitterly, recalling the false promises of safety. He cleared his throat. "That actor, going on about how great the vaults were—'a vast and wonderful place,'" you mocked with disdain. "Mine wasn't like that. It was... They did unspeakable things to us, to unborn children, and there was no recourse. It wasn't right. I knew what they wanted, deep down, but my head told me not to be so naïve. Vault-Tec was supposed to be saving us."

Tears welled in your eyes as the memories flooded back, as vivid as if they had happened yesterday, because to you they did. "They threw us into pods, froze us until they needed us. Took us out for testing and... I was the last one. Everyone else had... died, from the testing," you choked out, the pain of loss still raw. "I fought to survive, because I couldn't let what happened to those women and their babies happen to me or mine."

He listened intently, his eyes widening as he took in your story. His gaze flicked to the small swell of your stomach below your tied wrists, realization dawning.

"So I need to know," you implored, your voice trembling with fear. "Is what happened to you also what happened to Patti and her baby? Will it happen to mine?"

He studied you, and you felt yourself shrink under his penetrating gaze. You hadn't intended to divulge so much, to reveal your condition that you had desperately tried to conceal until it could no longer be hidden, to relive the trauma that still haunted you, though in reality centuries had passed since its occurrence. Yet, you needed answers. You needed to know what lay ahead in this desolate wasteland, and if you possessed the strength to face it.

"Yes," he answered quietly, his voice laden with a heavy solemnity. "It will, in time."

Fresh tears traced their path down your cheeks, and you nodded in understanding, raising your bound hands to wipe at your wet nose. "Okay," you whispered, then smiled sadly in resignation as you rubbed your wrists gently over your stomach. "At least up here, we had a little freedom for a time."

You felt the rope that he had been keeping such a tight hold on slacken before being dropped to the ground. Stepping towards you, he gingerly took your wrists and began working on the knot, untying it with ease before meeting your gaze from beneath his lashes. "You just gained a little more."

"You're letting me go?" you asked, doubtful.

"I'm letting you choose," he corrected, his voice carrying a peculiar weight as he rubbed the tender, burned skin of your wrist where the rope had left its mark. His thick thumb felt rough against your flesh as it traced over you in a gentle, swiping motion. "There are things worse than me out here, sweetheart. Are you going to take your chances?"

His words hung heavy in the air, and you met his gaze defiantly. "I don't need your pity."

"Good, because I ain't giving you none," he replied, his tone firm.

You held his gaze, neither of you willing to be the first to look away. Moments ago, he had been intent on taking you to an undisclosed location to sell you for whatever passed as currency in this wasteland, but now he presented you with a choice—a grim ultimatum. Stay with him or fend for yourself in the harsh wastelands. Neither option was ideal, but you hadn't lasted a single day on your own before being apprehended by him. Perhaps it was better to stick with the devil you knew, especially if there truly were worse threats out there as he claimed.

"I'm going to get bigger, you know. I'll slow you down," you warned him. "And I can't fight."

He chuckled softly, shaking his head as he gathered the discarded rope and secured it at his hip. "I've seen you shoot, but I've yet to see you fight. I think a few vault security guards could probably vouch for you, though," he teased, a hint of admiration in his voice. "You can't stay with me forever, nor would you want to. I'll take you to a safe haven for women in your condition. It's a few months' journey north from here. Until then, try to keep up."

You pondered his words, feeling a sense of relief at the prospect of a safe haven and the promise of being escorted there, despite the long journey. "Why the change of heart? What's in this for you?" you asked, curious about his sudden shift in demeanour.

His expression tightened, his gaze drifting to the small swell of your stomach that you now cradled protectively. "Righting some wrongs from a previous life," he answered solemnly, not waiting for your response before turning and beginning to walk away. He paused momentarily, waiting for you to follow.

"I don't know your name. What do I call you?" you called out after him.

He pondered for a moment, gazing out into the vast desert before turning back to you, tipping his hat in acknowledgment.

"Ghoul, for now."

[passivenovember]

Being a dad is something he's always wanted. Call it a cliche, right, the all-American, golden boy who's caught up in the idea of four to six snot-nosed brats looking up to him as they try to make sense of all the big and small things because they have no other choice. You only get one dad, right?

He images them, crawling and then walking and then sprinting through the same ancient, brand-new stages of life. Six months, learning the kitchen-magic of how their fingers and toes bend on command. A year, stumbling Jello-legged down a hallway. Fifteen, slamming their bedroom door only to rush, crying, into Steve's arms when he works up the courage to rap his knuckles on the wood like the dad from Full House.

Maybe. It's all Steve's ever wanted. More than that signed Nicks basketball his own dad sent for him when he was twelve. More than Nancy Wheeler. More than his need for mountains, and oceans, and something else.

But then he meets Billy, and it's like all that other shit goes away for a while. None of it disappears, really, but he's got something to focus on, now. Something to work toward, with someone, and that makes it worse, in a way.

Billy finally lets him fuck, and Steve lays in bed that night with an irritatingly awful douchebag drooling a spot onto his chest, and Steve thinks. Knows--

Look, he won't admit it on the first fuck, but this is it for him. He wants to buy this dude house, and he wants wedding rings around the fat and bone of both their fingers, and. He wants babies, with Billy.

Aches Billy to love him.

He wants a life with this asshole. The whole nine. Steve runs his hand through Billy's hair and falls asleep imagining family Christmases, and vacations, and the fragile, shining hope that Billy will wake up tomorrow and swear that he's in love. That Steve is who he's waited 19 years for. That to each other, they'll always belong.

Obviously, that doesn't happen. Maybe.

If it does Steve wouldn't know, because Billy's not a lunatic. He's gone before the sky's fully blue. Leaves his phone number scrawled on the corner of Steve's mirror in Sharpie.

Steve's in love.

So. Immediately, he wants the impossible, but mostly, he just wants Billy. And by some giant, invisible, choking miracle he gets Billy. His body first, and then his thoughts. His laugh, genuine and biting and whole. Billy shares his memories, like pieces of bread dropped in water for hungry birds, for Steve. Achingly slow, he tells his hopes, his dreams, and.

Eventually, one night with his head on Steve's chest he says, "You terrify me. I never want it to end."

So. It's basically love.

Steve's a loose canon when it comes to this feeling. Pedal to the medal, he shoots through walls with bright red booming firepower until everything is cracked and bleeding and open around them. Until there's room enough to say, "I love you, move in with me."

So, Billy does. Impossible.

Wonderful and joking, even though it's not a joke when Steve's parents meet him on move in day and Steve's dad is thrilled that Billy knows shit about cars, and Steve's mom likes that Billy has a weathered recipe book that was, "passed down from my grandma, back in California," for her to find a place for in their tiny, warm kitchen while she unpacks.

"He's very nice," Steve's mother says, "Respectful. Handsome." In that same wistful, sleepy tone that she used when she first called Nancy wheeler sweet. Beautiful.

"He's a fine young man, son," Steve's dad tells him. "Try not to run him off."

Steve watches them reverse from the ratty, rocky, untamed driveway, with his heart in his throat. Imagines the day he and Billy will leave their kids, supported and loved fiercely, to make that wobbly step toward the brush-fire shore of their lives.

--

Steve's plan for the future lives and breathes in a small, tucked-away corner in his mind for months. He nearly chokes to death on it, several times a day, watching Billy relax into his routine.

Billy cooks dinner every night. They eat on the couch in their boxers, dishes left on the coffee table until Billy kisses him awake in the blue light of the television, "Let's go to bed, baby," he says. Steve always notices that the plates and cups are cleared away, the living room tidy for the dawn.

Billy buys a shovel and digs two holes in their patchy backyard. Steve watches him from the kitchen window, wondering what the cavities will grow with the start of spring.

Billy plants a clothesline. "My mom used to dry our clothes this way," He says, when Steve raises an eyebrow. He tacks sheets and sweaters to sway in the sunlight. Talks about laying a patio out there, so they can grill for people when it's warm.

Steve gets hard from the image of himself, in an apron, grilling hot dogs and hamburgers for their friends, first, and kids. Someday. A total dad.

--

Billy makes use of his library card and checks out every book about homesteading he can find. He learns about gardening, and bricklaying, and how to buff gashes out of hardwood floors. For his birthday, Billy hints at a Better Homes and Gardens subscription.

When Steve forks out the cash and the May issue arrives in the mail two months later, Billy presses a hasty kiss to his forehead and disappears onto the porch. He spends his Sunday afternoons with sticky notes and an overused ballpoint pen from that moment on, circling things that have no rhyme or reason, to Steve.

--

They've been living in their house for six months when Billy says, suddenly, "We should see if we can buy it." Like he's been planning his own version of their future.

It's Sunday, and he's just come up for air from Better Homes and Gardens. There's a cheese plate in his hands. He's parked by the front door, on his way out, looking startled as if the words escaped from a caged area buried deep inside of him.

"Huh?" Steve's more of the lay-around-and-rot-in-his-underwear-on-Sunday's type. He's eating ice cream out of the container, distracted by something Barney Fife says. He laughs.

"We should buy the place," Billy tells him.

Steve blinks, "The house?"

"It's our house," Billy says delicately, with all the weight of the world resting on him.

Steve looks up from the television set, shocked that Billy's hair is wet in some places and drying in others. As if he was being groomed by some large, impatient cat. He peers around Billy, out the screen door. "Is it raining?"

"Sprinkling," Billy says, "I have an umbrella."

"Your magazine's gonna get wet."

"I'm reading The Grapes of Wrath," Billy tells him, pulling a weathered copy out from under his cheese plate.

"Sure, but if the rain picks up, your book--"

"--The characters could use a little water," Billy says, "They're trapped in the dust bowl."

"I'm in love with you," Steve says. Like it's the first time he's ever admitted something like this out loud. So it's a surprise. "I like that you read. I like that you talk about everything like it's real."

Billy pads over to the couch and knocks Steve's legs apart. He settles on the arm of the thing, cold, wet toes pressing into Steve's thigh. Steve winces, sputtering when Billy feeds him a slice of American cheese wrapped in bologna.

He chews. Swallows. "I need to make more money, baby."

"Why," Billy asks, feeding himself.

"Because," Steve chokes on the next round Billy feeds him, heart soaring when Billy smiles, "Because if we're gonna lay a patio and grill for our friends I want to make sure you have decent ingredients."

"I don't mind the cheap stuff."

"You deserve better," Than what I can provide, Steve doesn't say.

Billy shrugs, feeding him another round of cheese and meat. "Well, if we're following through with the patio and the grill--"

"--And a porch awning," Steve says, feeding Billy a slice of cheese, "I'm adding that to the list. You can’t read your book and eat snacks while holding a fucking umbrella over your head."

Billy stares at him, swallowing and red cheeked. "I think any sort of permanent installment has to be cleared through the landlord."

Steve thinks about it, humming low when Billy slips off the armrest and settles, heavily, into his lap. "So, we buy the place."

"I need a better job, too."

"We'll look when the paper comes tomorrow."

They lapse into silence, eating cheese and bologna until it's gone, then they move to the ice cream Steve was working his way through, chuckling at The Andy Grifith Show.

It starts pouring rain, little hammers falling on the roof until the power flickers. "I want to make this house nice for you," Billy says.

Steve looks at him. "It's already nice."

"It could be better," Billy says, fiddling with the hair on Steve's chest. "We could have a garden. And I think the beige walls are boring as shit, we need to get some wallpaper. Or paint, or something."

"What else should we do?"

Billy shrugs, "The kitchen needs a rug. I saw this book at the library about how old men in Russia and China and shit learn to weave rugs on giant wooden looms. Some of them have seaters, and others hang them from the ceiling. Your car needs a new power steering pump--"

"--Sounds like you need a shed."

"Yeah, I guess so," Billy says. He grins, and then his brows furrow. "But. Steve, I want to build us a life, here. I want to start my life with you, I don't want to wait until we move to something we own, because I like this house, and I feel like when we start to grow our family, we can--"

Steve's heart stops beating.

His vision tunnels, all his focus collapsing on the words Billy says. Phrases that sound wonderful and impossible, all knitting together to equal nurseries built from two-by-four.

Billy stares at him cheeks red. "Sorry, I know we haven't talked about any of this. I get excited."

"I'm in love with you," Steve tells him, breathless.

"I know, dumbass, I'm in love with you."

Steve kisses him. Pulls away. "You really wanna buy a house?"

"Yeah. Not a house, this house."

"You wanna have my babies?"

Billy tugs on his chest hair, grinning when Steve yelps. "Maybe you wanna have my babies, instead."

"Sure," Steve tells him immediately, "Yeah, anything you want."

"I'm going back onto the porch," Billy says, "We'll start with the job listings in the paper."

Steve watches him go. Thinks he could be alright at this, being a husband and a father. Someday.

Right now, he's alright at being Billy's.

[dragonflylady77]

his prince in double denim

Harringrove | Rating Teen and up | 3348 words | fluff

I wrote this fic for @ihni's harringrove zine which you can find here.

Summary:

It's been 18 months since Starcourt, and Steve lives in San Diego with Robin. He works in a garden center and one winter day he hears a voice he never thought he'd hear again. It sends Steve into a spiral of self-discovery, with gentle prompting from Robin...

Read on Ao3

Steve saw a flash of red hair in the next aisle over when he grabbed another two pots of purple and orange pansies from the wheelbarrow and set them on the round table display. It reminded him of Max, and he realized with a start that he hadn’t thought about her since he’d left Hawkins after that summer.

He’d heard that a couple of weeks after Starcourt, Billy Hargrove’s dad had fucked off into the sunset. Apparently, putting his only son in the ground had severed his already flimsy ties to Hawkins, not that Billy’s body had actually been in the casket… Neil Hargrove had left behind his wife, his stepdaughter and a number of debts. Steve vaguely remembered Dustin and the other boys talking about Max’s mum having to sell the house on Cherry Lane to pay the various creditors. 

It had been just over eighteen months since that night at the mall and the nightmares had finally stopped (he still slept with the light on though). A bit less than that since Steve had shoved two bags in the trunk of his car at the end of the summer, his meagre savings in the glovebox as he got on the road. 

His father had been furious when Steve had declined the job earmarked for him, and cut him off. His mother’s intervention had ensured he was allowed to keep the BMW, for which he was grateful. He’d made his way to California slowly, taking jobs here and there, before settling in San Diego. 

Robin had joined him a year later, with a scholarship for UCSD. They shared a small apartment by the ocean, and he was teaching her how to cook. She was studying Social Psychology and her course content was way too complicated for Steve to make sense of it. He was quite happy with his job at the garden center, and, encouraged by Robin, had started taking horticulture classes at the local community college.

The girl with the red hair ran up the next aisle again, the other way this time, Steve catching the flash of red through the plants on the tiered display.

“Come on!” The girl’s voice rang a bell but Steve shook his head, feeling stupid for thinking it was Max. Terribly unlikely.

“Max, I swear to God, if you don’t slow down…”

Steve froze, somehow managing to not drop the pot in his hand. That male voice definitely sounded familiar, yet even more unlikely. There was no way…

Read the rest on Ao3

[penny00dreadful]

This is so fucking stupid and I'm not sorry. Inspired by this video of the two guitarists from DragonForce taking the piss out of Sabaton(affectionately).

Jeffington: Just ended your whole career on live 😘

Eddie scrunched his eyes closed then wrenched them open again, trying to make sense of what he was seeing on his screen. It was too early in the fucking morning for this shit. 

Whatever.

He buried his face back in between Steve’s shoulders and allowed himself to fall asleep once more.

Corroded Coffin had only started making it big in the early 90’s when they split right down the middle. As time went on they started to drift towards different subgenres. Jeff and Grant had wanted to explore a more international sound, while Gareth and Eddie were happy to stay in the power metal scene with just a touch of neoclassical. 

They had tried to make it work, but the sounds were just too different and while Eddie and Grant wanted to continue on with lyrics full of fantasy and gothic romance, Jeff and Grant had wanted to focus more on ‘the human condition’.

So they separated. Eddie and Gareth had kept the Corroded Coffin name while Jeff and Grant travelled, exploring their sound.

There was no animosity. They were all still the best of friends. Even as Jeff and Grant had settled in Stockholm, where they had quickly shot to stardom with their new band members, Eddie and Gareth made their home in California enjoying their own success. They met up as often as they could, whenever tour dates aligned or they were booked into the same festivals.

Eddie and Steve were godfathers to Grant’s youngest daughter.

He and Gareth had been groomsmen in Jeff’s wedding.

They were solid.

Which was why the text from Jeff was more exasperating than worrying. 

Plus it was like… nine in the morning which, granted, wasn't early, early but Eddie was a damn rockstar.

And he might have lost track of time reading last night and stayed up until four but that's besides the point. 

But then Steve was handing him his morning coffee with a kiss, saying Robin had sent him a link to something and fine. He’d go watch whatever stupid shit Jeff pulled.

Eddie settled back into bed because he could and it was a Sunday.

Sue him.

But he couldn’t decide if he should be fake-mad or wildly entertained because the link Robin had sent opened the VOD about an hour into the stream, just in time for Grant to say “Should we do Corroded Coffin?”

Both Jeff and Grant were sitting in Jeff’s studio space in front of Jeff’s computer with a range of instruments behind them, grinning at each other.

“Oh shit, definitely!” Jeff stood and seemed to think about it for a second before picking up one of his guitars, a bright acid green with black tendrils running throughout. “The most dramatic of the bunch,” he leaned into the mic, gesturing at the guitar before taking his seat again, “just like their frontman.”

Eddie rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless. 

“You think you can shred like Munson?” Grant asked, leaning forward and starting to tap out drum beats on the laptop.

Jeff scoffed. “Yeah right. Let me just play at five-fucking-thousand bpm and sing at the same time. It’s gonna be an approximation at best.”

Surprisingly enough the music they came up with did sound very close to Corroded Coffin’s sound. Grant relied heavily on the kick-drum and high hat to a ridiculous degree for Gareth's part and yeah, fair.

Gareth did love his high hat.

Jeff played the fastest guitar riff he could muster which honestly wasn’t that bad. He couldn’t go quite as hard as Eddie could but guitar was always Eddie’s first love and he was a master at his craft. Jeff gave the camera a cheeky wink as he used the computer to speed the guitar solo up, making it sound far more complex.

“I swear to god,” Eddie muttered to himself, “if they insinuate that I do that, I’ll fucking-”

“Eddie would never.” Jeff said, responding to someone in the chat who’d asked that very question.

Grant looked up with a sly smile. “Oh, god no. He’d never. He’s too proud for that.”

Cheeky bastards.

“You know what this needs?”

“Female backing vocals?”

“Yes!" Jeff snapped his fingers. "Exactly. Like something pulled from Jackson’s Lord of the Rings!”

“Oh come on!” Eddie pouted, but even still he could tell they weren’t actually making fun.

A notification popped up on Eddie’s phone.

Gare-Bear: Have you watched the stream?

Eddie: Watching right now. They’re starting on the lyrics.

Gare-Bear: Did Robin send you the link?

Eddie: Yeah.

Gare-Bear: Okay, keep watching.

Eddie: 👍

By the time the guys had hashed the lyrics out, punctuating them with high falsetto points that freaked Jeff’s cats out, Eddie was giggling into his coffee. The lyrics were so comically bad but they were so Corroded Coffin at the same time.

I wear armour and I am sad. I'm all alone and I am sad.  Such a lone wolf am I.  Except I'm not because here comes this hot man who's totally not my husband. Bats and demons and darkness and death. Bow down to me.  Kneel before me.  I am your master.  This is about sex. Oh, look, a dragon! I'll suck your blood then I'll fuck you through the wall. Except I won't because you're an allegory for my husband again. I'll fuck him instead. Every song involves him in some way. Because I'm a big fucking sap.

And then it happened. That crafty wench.

A message popped up in the chat.

BuckyBirdie: Needs more dick sucking lyrics.

“Holy shit.” Grant whipped out his phone. “R- Birdie? Is that you? Stay right there, hold on.”

While Jeff continued to play through the guitar, Grant disappeared, raising the phone to his ear before coming back a few minutes later and whispering something to Jeff.

Jeff’s whole face split into the most mischievous of smiles and Eddie only had time to think oh no before Robin’s face appeared, joining the stream with a tired if not slightly manic expression, all topped off by her yummy sushi pyjamas.

The first thing Grant said to her was “What fucking time is it over there, Birdie?” 

“I dunno.” She shrugged, looking down at her watch. “Like half six in the morning?”

“Oh. Could be worse then.”

“I haven’t slept yet.” She said with a bright smile.

“Dude! Why not?”

“I got into cryptography again last night and I haven’t stopped. Don’t tell Steve.”

Oh, I am so telling Steve. Eddie thought to himself.

“God. What a fuckin’ nerd.” Jeff punctuated his statement with a loud strum of his guitar.

Robin stuck her tongue out. “Takes one to know one.”

“Ouch. Right in my middle schooler heart.”

“Anyway, a little birdie told me you boys need some backing vocals?”

Eddie didn’t know how he was going to get her back for this, but he was sure he’d be able to figure something out eventually.

Like banging pots and pans in her hallway while she slept off her cryptography binge.

Though it was almost worth the hilarity because noted lesbian Robin Buckley happily sat there, singing about dick and tongues and assholes in a high ethereal voice that was then layered behind Jeff's.

By the end, the chat was going wild asking when it was going to be available to stream because even though it was a parody song, it was annoyingly catchy. Just before they signed off, Jeff and Grant let their audience know they’d ask Eddie and Gareth for permission before they’d do anything.

Eddie minimised the video and opened up his chat with Gareth.

Eddie: You wanna let them release it?

Gare-Bear: Fuck yeah!

Eddie: Awesome.

[the-writer-ofthe-fandoms]

Silent Cosmos (Edward Cullen)(Ch. 1)

Pairing: Edward Cullen x GN! Mute!Reader

Words: 3.0k+

Warning(s): Mentions of past car accident, mentions of minor character death/parents dying, swearing, implications of past bullying, mentions of high school lacking services, blood mention.

A/N: YAY i finally have this done. I’ve had this idea since before i started grad school and finally got it done! I hope yall enjoy :) This series takes place before Victoria’s army comes to Forks and Edward may be OOC but like, oh well.

Also in this series, Bella and Edward had a mutual break up w/ no hard feelings <3

Series Masterlist

---

"On foot

I had to cross the solar system

before I found the first thread of my red dress.

I sense myself already.

Somewhere in space hangs my heart,

shaking in the void, from it stream sparks

into other intemperate hearts."

--Edith Södergran, 'On Foot I Had to Cross the Solar System'

On one unfortunate night when you were seven, a drunk driver hit your parents car. Your mother on the passenger side died instantly, your father later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. You were injured severely, but the doctors managed to keep you alive... At the cost of your voice. Chunks of glass tore through and stabbed your neck; the damage to your larynx was the worst, the second was nerve damage. You could speak in a very harsh, almost whisper-like, voice but it caused an intense amount of pain. You were upset. You hated that driver for what they took from you.

Your aunt and uncle took you in, and were able to help you adjust as you grew. They learned and taught you sign language, they helped you cope with the loss of your parents as best they could, and were always supportive. Despite their work lives keeping them away, they always tried their best to give you attention when they had the free time.

You found ways to enjoy life again, particularly in the stars. They were almost comforting to you when you were alone, looking out your bedroom window. You weren't sure why you have such an affinity for space and what it holds. Maybe because your father brought you out at night to point out all the constellations and their stories. Those moments with him started your interest. And now, you believed your parents were amongst the many stars in the vast universe.

You grew content with not having a voice. You adapted and overcame the curveball life sent your way. You just wished the pain wasn't constantly lingering.

---

It was the day you started going to your new highschool in Forks. It wasn't ideal transferring to a different school, but your uncle's job called for it. He was a firefighter and he was offered a sizable pay increase and rank promotion to fire captain if he took up the position for the Forks station. Your aunt, a nurse, was able to transfer to Forks hospital. They discussed the idea of moving with you of course, and you not wanting to hinder your uncle's promotion or damper his excitement, you supported the move from California to Washington.

You could already tell this rinky dink school wouldn't have anyone that understands ASL and the school said they are still looking to hire someone to be an interpreter of sorts, so you were mentally preparing yourself for the mess you may be entering. At least you transferred only three weeks into the new school year, that would make any school work you needed to catch up on relatively easy. It also helped it was your senior year as well.

As soon as you got out of your car, all of the heads of the student body snapped in your direction. You guess they've never seen a new kid before. You make your journey towards the building, hoping that no one would bother to talk to you. You already saw a teen walk up to you, he had straight black hair and a toothy grin.

"Hi, I'm Eric. You're the new kid." He seemed friendly.

You offer a little wave and sign, hoping he would get the inclination you could not speak.

"Shit... I don't know sign except..." He gave you the sign sorry before pointing to his ears and back to you. You shook your head and tapped your throat. "Oh! You can't speak." You nodded. "Sorry about all the confusion. Welcome to Forks High, home of the Spartans. I'm pretty much the eyes and ears."

You simply nod along when necessary and smiled as he gave you the very quick run down of most of the immediate gossip of school, which was centered around you, the new kid. He seemed like a nice guy but glancing at the clock you passed by in the hall you knew it was close to your first class.

"And don't get me started on the Cul-What?" You interrupted him as you held out your schedule to him, pointing to your first class. "Oh yeah, guess class is starting soon. Lets see... you're in 103 for English with Mr. Baker which is..." He glanced up. "Right down the hall. I have History right next door."

You smile at his help and follow him through the sea of students.

You wave Eric goodbye and enter classroom 103. You felt eyes of everyone land on you, but none more eye-catching or captivating as the gold pair near the back of the classroom. His gaze was intense, eyes wide, as he stared at you. You held his gaze. You weren't sure what to think at the moment but before anything could come to mind, an older gentleman walked in and stole your attention. You assumed correctly this was Mr. Baker.

---

Edward was the first to arrive for his first period class. He was always punctual, but there was a difference now. He no longer had Bella in tow.

It was a mutual end to their quick relationship. While her blood did appeal to him greatly, the fastness of their relationship hurt them both emotionally at the end. It was purely fascination of each others beings that they mistake as something else. While it did hurt, Edward could admit to himself he wasn't distraught over it. They remained friends and he was content with that.

Slowly, other students began filling the classroom as the clock ticked on. Everyone filling seats they usually sat in despite there being no assigned seating. No one ever sat next to him, often feeling intimidated by his status as a Cullen. The vampire paid them no mind, occupying his attention to watching the typical Forks rain traverse down the window he always sat by. He tuned out everyone's thoughts the best he could, letting his usual melancholy about his nature linger in his mind.

Edward perked up when he heard an fast-beating heart breakthrough his attempts of zoning out. Shifting his focus to the doorway his eyes latched on to the new student.

You.

It didn't take reading thoughts to feel the buzz of a new student arriving in the small school.

He felt... strange. Much like with Bella, your scent invaded his senses and made him thirsty, yet, that wasn't what caught his immediate attention.

It was the eyes. Something about them captivated Edward. He wasn't sure what about them had him staring at you, who now stared back at him. The vampire attempted to discern your thoughts and he caught an inkling of curiosity starting to bleed out before the teacher took your attention away.  His stayed on you, and didn't pay him any mind or had any idea he wad, and focused his enhanced hearing on the conversation.

"Hello, new student?" The teacher greeted and softly spoke your name. The auburn haired male watched as the you nodded.

Edward's curiosity peaked when he finally heard their thoughts, clear as the days outside of Forks.

"Yes, that's me. Do you know sign?" He heard their thoughts as he watched their hands easily relay in sign language. I'm expecting a no they internally sighed.

"Oh shoot I wasn't told..." A worried look passed on the teachers face as his sentence trailed off. Edward can hear his thoughts complain that the school failed to inform him about the new student outside their name and grade. A look of exasperation briefly flashed on your face.

Who would of fucking thought Forks High, a small-ass school, would not inform their teachers. Fantastic. Wonderful. I love it. It was a pointed statement that had Edward both mildly shocked at the language and pretty amused. I wonder how much others outside of Eric will put up with me here.

Edward sighed. He knew he shouldn't involve himself with another human but he couldn't help it. Whatever captivated him and the resignation you mentally expressed already had moved him. He got up from his spot and quickly moved to the front of the classroom.

"Apologies, I don't mean to cut in but I know sign."

---

You blink at the golden-eyed student he approached you and the teacher. You felt a grateful smile tug on your lips as you faced him. Immediately, you felt some appreciation and felt good about being wrong on your previous assumption.

"Thank you, Edward." Mr. Baker smiled in relief. Edward gave the teacher a small, tight lipped smile at him and faced you. The teacher introduced you to him. "And this is Edward Cullen."

"I'm sorry for any inconvenience." Edward spoke as you signed, his voice soft and velvety. Observing his face, you watched as his brows furrow at your statement, which became almost a second nature for you due to the way your previous school treated you. You often faced irritated glances or your existence ignored entirely outside the feo close friends you accumulated.

"Please relay to them-" Mr. Baker spoke but you immediately shook your head and held up a hand.

"I am neither deaf or hard of hearing, sir. I just can't speak." Edward translated for you again. "I look forward to class with you both." A smile appeared on his face again.

"You too. And you aren't being an inconvenience at all. It's the fault of the school, really." Mr. Baker offered a kind smile. Edward left the two of you, as if knew he wouldn't be needed again. "Take a seat wherever you want, I don't do assigned seating unless it becomes an issue." Mr. Baker gave you a kind smile and gestured for you to pick out a seat, while he moved to the classroom computer. You take a glance around, only seeing three spots open.

Your eyes landed on the one next to Edward, causing you to perk up. Though, you hesitated, his small smile and the single, subtle nod assured you it was fine to sit by him. Holding your backpack strap a little tighter, you move between desks to join him.

---

Edward watched as you sat next to him. You offered him a quick smile before you started pulling out your notebook and your small pencil case. You didn't look over at him as you stared up at the board, waiting for class to start.

The vampire was curious and while he knew it was an invasion of privacy, he couldn't help but try and focus in on more of your thoughts. Except he was met with...

What? His brows furrowed. Edward felt overwhelmed for a moment, his sense felt almost deprived as he tried peering in your mind again.

Edward suddenly saw what he perceived as a galaxy. Stars, planets, moons, a sun... it was vast and it was breathtaking. It wasn't something he never saw before, this detailed, in a humans mind. He was able to view this scene for just a few fleeting moments until he suddenly felt warm energy push against his mind.

The vampire blinked. His presence was back in classroom 103. He glanced toward you. Paying close attention, he didn't see anything that indicated you were in any way aware of what just occured. He heard the teacher swear under his breath as he attempted to get the projector working, and used this moment to speak with you.

Softly, he called your name, bringing your attention to him.

"How are you liking Forks?" Edward recognized he was a bit awkward, but you gave no inclination that you minded or judged him.

"It's wet. But I don't mind it. The scenery is nice." You signed and it was as if the cosmos that warded him from your thoughts was lifted. Hearing your thoughts again after being blocked out by the cosmos left him perplexed and curious.

"Forks does have its charm in scenery." He chuckled. "But I assume that isn't why you moved?"

"No, but it definitely is a bonus." You smiled. "My uncle got a promotion so we moved up from California."

"What does he do?"

"He is now the fire captain here."

Edward had a kind smile and offered a small congratulations to him. He then spoke again, "What does your class schedule look like?"

You reached into your zip up hoodie pocket and pull out a folded piece of paper. Unfolding it, you slid it to his desk. His golden eyes scanned the paper and he felt some sort of happiness that your schedules almost align completely. The only class difference was your last two classes, which would have you taking gym and history without him.

"Looks like we will be seeing each other a lot. We have almost all the same classes."

That's a relief. Edward suppressed a smile at your thoughts. I hope we can be at least friendly with one another.

"Since we have most of our classes together, would you like to be friends?" He asked. He could already hear Rosalie scolding him for getting involved with another human, but he didn't particularly care what she would think.

You were another anomaly to his, otherwise, stationary life. He has no plans to try and initiate a quick romantic relationship again. He simply was curious to the stars that lingered behind your eyes.

---

It was nearing lunchtime. You glanced out the window of your math class while the teacher closed out her lesson and began explaining what the homework was going to be. You were very grateful for Edward sticking by you in each course. He was able to help you talk to your teachers, answer and ask questions, and made Forks high a little more welcoming.

You had met two of his siblings in that time frame, Emmett and Alice, who were both a delight. Alice already expressed how much she was excited to finally get to know you, which you assumed she was wanting to meet the new kid, and Emmett offered to watch your back in gym with the biggest grin you've seen on a persons face. It also warmed your heart to find they also knew sign too.

The initial worry of being a forever outsider like before began melting away. So far things have been pleasant unlike your last experience.

As you mind wandered off to old school memories of bullies and loneliness, you were still unaware of Edward trying to discern your thoughts again. You missed the look of confusion and frustration on his face. Although, you did manage to hear him make a noise that sounded like frustration, which snapped your attention on him.

"Everything okay?" You ask him. He glanced up at the teacher who was now facing the board writing the homework down.

"Just... wanting class to be over." Edward gave you a tight lipped smile. "Mrs. Johnsons' classes are usually a bore."

You nodded with a smile and silent chuckle.

The class bell rang, signaling an end, and practically everyone ran out for lunch. You eyed the crowd trying to leave and shrug your shoulders. You scribbled down the equations Mrs. Johnson assigned before putting your class materials away and preemptively pulled out your brown bag lunch.

You glanced to Edward while you both stood up. You weren't sure if you should continue sticking by his side until it was time for your last two periods or find your own corner to decompress. Perhaps giving him a break from-

"Are you ready?" His soft voice cut through your thoughts. You blink, pausing for a moment, before nodding.

"Lead the way." You smiled, though you were sure it came off as nervous. There will be so many people...

"Would you like to sit with my family and I, or would you like to go somewhere quiet?" You looked at him a bit shocked, were you that easy to read? You could see the twitch of his lip like he was going to respond but he kept quiet.

"Somewhere quiet, just for today."

"Follow me then."

---

Rosalie sighed as she leaned against the table, waiting for her siblings to join her and Emmett for lunch. She then looked to her partner and leaned against him, who laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Her golden eyes followed Bella's form with a glare as she sat down with her friends.

"Come on, babe. Her and Edward have no hard feelings." Emmett spoke in a quiet tone.

"It's still a danger to us." She grumbled.

"Nope! She still becomes a vampire like us." Alice suddenly sat down with a bright smile.  Jasper was quick to sit down next to her.

"Even after what happened with the Volturi and James?" Emmett asked.

"Yep. While the course of her and Edward's relationship definitely changed, she still becomes a part of our clan."

"Great." Rosalie rolled her eyes and then glanced around at the table. "Speaking of Edward, where is he?"

"Probably off with the new kid." Emmett smirked. "They seem pretty nice. Edward's been helping them since they can't speak."

"Another human?" She looked to her partner then to Alice. "Did you..."

"Have a vision of them? Yes. The day before Edward and Bella parted their romantic relationship, I had a vision of them coming to Forks. And then after meeting them, I saw them and Edward, looking pretty close." She smiled and giggled.

"Great, another human who is going to choose to be a vampire." Rose scoffed.

"Rosalie-" Alice's usually bright expression drops. Everyone at the Cullen table looked at her with worry as it appeared her eyes glaze over. Jasper immediately gripped her hand under the table as he could feel a wave of sadness wash over from her.

"Darling?" Jasper whispered.

Alice blinked rapidly. She looked to the others with a worried expression. "I... I didn't see the specifics but... It wasn't their choice."

It was silent between them. Rosalie's eyes were wide, Emmett clenched his fist under the table, Jasper tried his best to calm everyone, and Alice simply blinked and tried looking to the future again.

She could see you, crying and writhing as the venom from a bite on your arm took hold, blood all over you. Edward and Carlisle were right by your side, speaking. But she couldn't hear what they were saying.

All she heard was a high pitched ring.

And then the vision flashes a blinding white and she swears she could feel intense heat against her face.

She was back at the table again with her family. It was the same vision as before. Never had she seen such a bright light, heard such a noise, or felt anything like that from a vision.

"We have to talk to Carlisle."

[sofixt0k]

OPINION ABOUT THE NEW MILEVEN DEFENCE VIDEO ( 11 )

Part Eleven Her comments / My comments

"And then in Mike's monologue, we already know that Mike didn't lie. If you keep believing that, the problem is you.

"The problem is you," thanks, I hear that often. 😄

But in the monologue, he says, "I love you with your powers and I love you without your powers." He said it, there's no artificial intelligence, no modified audio, it's like that, it's canon, it's in the series. If you watch the last episode of the fourth season, you'll see it.

You know, guys, in case you're not aware.

Next accusation: "Mike doesn't care about Eleven"

WHEN... HAVE WE... EVER SAID... THAT MIKE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT ELEVEN?!?! WHEN. WHEN. I SWEAR IT STRESSES ME OUT. IT STRESSES ME OUT. AHHGGGG—

Mike cared about Eleven from the very beginning because when he didn't know her at all and saw her in the middle of a storm clearly needing help, his first thought was to take her to his house and let her spend the night with him.

And then she goes to the asylum—oh, but how can she help them find Will...

Before knowing her, he had this sense of importance that she couldn't be like that, and he took her to his house. Again, in Season 1, on two occasions, he has to escape from Brenner. First on the bike when Eleven throws the van into the air; he was concerned and took her with him on the bike, and they escaped together. At the end of Season 1, when Brenner grabs her at the school, Mike starts yelling at Brenner, a 12-year-old boy against a 50-year-old man. How can he not care about Eleven, for God's sake? In Season 2, when she comes back after 353 days without seeing each other and has to leave again to close the portal, Mike says, "Be careful, I can't lose you again."

If I don't comment on this, it's because... Yes? We already know he cares... What a surprise, water is wet.

In Season 3, when they're in the sauna test, in that episode where they're fighting against Billy in the pool sauna, Billy starts choking Eleven and lifts her off the ground. Nobody did anything, none of her friends did anything; Mike was the only one who grabbed the metal rod that blocked the door. Again, in Season 3, he's very worried about her using her powers too much, as I mentioned before. In Season 4, he's mostly concerned when he sees she's being bullied; he immediately goes to the DJ and tells him to turn off the music because his girlfriend is having a hard time, being ridiculed in front of everyone, and Mike won't allow that because he cares about Eleven.

Yes, girl, that's why he later makes her feel bad about everything that happened at the skating rink, and all of it could have been avoided if he had realized she was lying, but since Will, aka "you ruined our day," had all of Mike's attention, well, he didn't notice anything.

Because he cares about Eleven and because he loves Eleven. After the police take her away, he literally ran after the car to try to reach it or for her to see him. When one of the guards inside the car is dying and says, "the girl is in danger," obviously referring to Eleven, they immediately focus on Mike's worried face because he cares about Eleven and doesn't want her to be in danger. Then, when they're burying that same policeman and Argyle starts talking, you see Mike's anguished face when he thinks about the possibility that, of course, Eleven could be dead. Literally, in Season 4, he traveled across the United States to find her, which included going from California to Utah, where Suzie, a hacker who could figure out where Eleven was, lived. Then they went to Nevada to find Eleven and then traveled through Nevada to the desert and found her at Rink-O-Mania.

When Eleven was being bullied and she hid, Mike's priority was to find her to comfort her...

...

...and be with her. Think again when you say Mike doesn't care about Eleven because I believe all the evidence I've given—

HAHAHAHA, sorry, sorry, it makes me laugh that she calls "evidence" some things that are obvious, but like, as a response to her imaginary perspective of us thinking Mike doesn't care about Eleven, HAHAHAH—

—and more if you watch the whole series, it becomes super clear. Next accusation: "Eleven is not ready for a relationship"

Ok, I'll say it now: I won't respond to ANYTHING this girl is going to mention about this point because you and I already know she's not ready for a relationship. It's basically repeating the same thing as always, and I'm too lazy to write, plus I want to finish quickly, so just read and enjoy.

They say this because they met for a week and became a couple quickly. Let's clarify one thing: they met in November 1983 and were together for a week until Eleven disappeared. They had their first kiss, but that didn't make them an official couple. Then she came back to Mike 353 days after she disappeared, and during that time, she lived with Hopper. Most of the time, do you think that by watching TV all day, which was the only thing she did, reading and doing all the things you can do in a cabin alone, bored, do you think she didn't learn what a relationship is? Eleven went through bad things her whole life: the lab, facing people who treated her badly, like a lab rat, like an experiment. Do you think Eleven doesn't have the capacity to realize what is good and what is bad? Do you think Eleven can recognize that Brenner is a bad person but can't recognize that she clearly feels something romantic towards Mike? When she comes back to Mike, in that time, she learned a lot about what a relationship is. They meet again and reunite in October 1984, and at the end of Season 2, in the Snowball, they have their second kiss in December 1984. We know they're officially a couple in Season 3, which is set in July 1985. There were months when they were building their relationship, understanding these feelings, and admitting what they felt for each other. It's not that Eleven was with Mike for a week and they became a couple; no.

I said I wouldn't interrupt, but it's curious how this girl implies that all this couple-building happened off-screen. Like... I mean... The "main" couple, the most... IMPORTANT thing they should show about them, this "building" they didn't... They didn't show it?

They were practically together for two years, so during that time, Eleven could heal some things, talk about some things, and started feeling more for Mike. In fact, I want to take this moment to show a photo that appeared in a tweet that I think is very real, saying that shippers of ships between men want to get rid of the female character in the middle of their ship for no reason. They say she needs to be independent, and that's something they say a lot. It's like, no, Eleven, I want—

I won't look for the photo, sorry, imagine it. HAHAHA.

—to break up with Mike not because I want her to be with Will but because she needs to discover herself, she needs to be independent. Independent, dude, Eleven was hiding in the woods at 12 years old between Seasons 1 and 2. In Season 2, she went alone to see her mom, with everything that implies. She went alone to meet one of her sisters. In Season 4, she literally went to the lab and endured the lab, being with people who didn't bring anything good to her. She had to deal with all the traumas she already had from her past again. I think that's being independent. If you don't see it that way, I think it's very hypocritical. And again—

That this girl thinks that being an independent person means traveling the world alone explains a lot...

Is Will ready for a relationship?

YES. I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS GIRL WILL SAY NEXT, BUT I'LL SAY YES IMMEDIATELY. He wasn't raised in a perfect home, but he definitely knows what love is. He's the most selfless character in Stranger Things. Emotionally, he's one of the most mature characters, I dare say. He has his feelings clear, his personality well-defined. He realizes that his friends are idiots in Season 3 because they didn't even know where Dustin was. He doesn't pretend to be anything. Most likely, this girl will mention that he has traumas, bla bla bla. And? It's not the same. Literally, it's not the same.

It's not the same in the sense that Eleven was a lab rat and Will has had the love of his mother, Jonathan, and Mike forever���well, the last one since they were five years old.

We don't know, I mean, the guy also has his traumas. The guy also has things to fix. The guy doesn't know what's going on with himself because he likes guys in an era when liking guys was considered a disease, being a man, right? Or being LGBT in general. So saying Eleven is ready for a relationship, ok, analyze it completely, but saying Will is ready for a relationship, I don't know, also look into it, analyze it—"

Heard that??? Analyze it.

[irrevocableloves]

violent delights

twilight rewrite! edward cullen x fem!witch!reader

chapter one: the city of forks welcomes you

masterlist ౨ৎ chapter two

summary: y/n swan has lived in forks all of her life, but when she takes her summer-long vacation to california to visit her mother, she returns to a strange new family accompanying her small town.

warnings: swearing, angst

words: 1.8k

a/n: this has been in my drafts for so so long and tbh i haven't written a fanfic since i was 12... and i'm fr 22, but i've ran out of twilight fanfics to read (i've been waiting weeks for one specific one to update and i'm going crazy)... so anyways !! hope you enjoy !!

Opening my eyes, I was greeted with the trees of Forks, Washington. After an almost four hour drive, I could sense that I was nearing my home as the city was nowhere to be found. Instead it was replaced with deep green trees, dim skies, and the small shops that swept by as my dad drove.

I liked Forks, more than I probably should. Everyone here, mostly the kids, sulked about big bright cities where the sun would actually make an appearance. They longed for the liveliness that Forks had never given them.

But me? I secretly adored the quietness of it all. But of course, I had a disadvantage. Every summer I bathed in the sun rays of California, visited the busy cities, the warm beaches, and the overall liveliness that was craved from everyone else. But I was drained. Normally, it would be the opposite from any other person, but I always loved the cold. Ever since I was a kid, my little brain was wired to believe that Forks was almost like Christmas every single day of the year. So, rain, snow, or even ice (even with the ungodly amount of times I've slipped) never had me in too big of a rut.

With my mom back in California, though I loved her to death, was an absolute headache most of the time. And unlike my dad, she hovered. But, it wasn't her fault. The summer is the only time she had me, the rest were reserved with Charlie, which had resulted in this summer's mishaps: she begged me to stay longer. One would think that school would be an easy get out, but she knew the first month was nothing but dry introductions, syllabi, and effortless assignments. It was partly my fault. I was never one to turn her down, perhaps it was guilt because maybe she and I felt deep down that I favored my father more because who could ever turn down a chance to live in the perfect bustling city of San Francisco over Forks.

So I stayed. But now, it's the beginning of October. Thankfully, I was able to get in contact with the school in order to get all of my classes in order, as well as the help of my best friend, Angela, who emailed me all of the assignments. Jessica on the other hand, filled me in on all of the gossip. Her phone calls consisted of talks about her massive crush on Mike as well as the new and "totally weird" (as Jessica put it) family. "Suuupperrr pale, but weirdly GORGEOUS. I mean this Edward guy, he's wow. I swear if Mike doesn't make a move soon... I wonder if I could make him jealous?" The conversations were mostly one-sided, always either complaining about Mike's obliviousness or never catching that new guy's attention.

Now that I knew I was caught up on everything to do with school, all I wanted was to bury myself in bed and prepare for an alarm that hasn't been set in months.

I awoke to the sound of a car honking outside my window, assuming it was nothing, I settled back into my pillows, throwing my purple duvet back over your head for hopefully another thirty minutes of sleep.

"Y/N/N!" I heard my dad's voice accompanied by one of his famously loud whistles from outside of my window. That's when I finally got up and peered over with squinting eyes to see my father coming out of a car that most definitely wasn't his squad car.

Once my vision settled, I saw a green Volkswagen beetle parked in the driveway. No fucking way. I sprinted down the stairs and flung the front door open to see my father with a wide grin, gesturing the keys in front of my face.

"For me? You're joking?" I said in complete shock.

"You want me to be joking? Cause if so I can just bring this right back to Billy and let him sell it to some other geezer."

"No! No! No! I mean... Thank you, dad. Oh my god, how did you guys even find this?"

"Well, consider it a late birthday present. Billy and Jacob found it back in May for your birthday and decided to fix it up for ya, free of charge, but I paid 'em of course."

"Thanks dad and how about we invite Billy and Jacob over sometime and I'll cook? As a thank you?"

"You bet."

Once I parked in front of the school, my group of friends welcomed me with open arms, with Angela and Jessica squealing about how much they missed you and the boys, mostly just Mike, trying to awkwardly hug me.

I knew Mike had a crush on me, since third grade to be exact, which only made it worse for my friendship with Jessica, which made it worse for Lauren, Jessica's bestest friend to have an even better reason to despise me.

The first four classes: English, Government, Trigonometry, and French were surprisingly a breeze thanks to the assignments either Angela or the teachers sent over while I was away.

While at lunch, a new, unfamiliar bunch emerged from the cafeteria doors. They were beautiful... and also extremely pale even for Forks. So, this was the family Jessica was practically drooling over?

"Who are they?" I questioned anyways.

Jessica leans in, being careful to whisper, "It's the family I was telling you about. Dr. and Mrs. Cullen's foster kids. They all moved down here from Alaska like last month."

I studied the first girl who walked in, bleached blonde hair, almost black eyes that were almost unsettling, she wore a thin grey coat and a knitted white scarf that matched her icy skin, and a necklace with a large charm that looked to be a family crest of some sort.

"The blonde girl, Rosalie, and the big dark-haired guy, Emmett..." Jessica continued.

More of the family gathered in slowly, the blonde was linking hands with a man with jet black hair, with the same family crest residing on his wrist.

"... they're a thing. I'm not even sure that's legal." Jessica grimaced.

Angela piped in, "Jess, they're not actually related."

"But they live together and all wear that weird creepy crest like some sort of cult. And the little dark haired girl, Alice, she's really weird..."

Despite Jessica's remarks, Alice was the one who caught my eye the most so far and not in a negative way. She reminded me of a fairy almost with her pixie-like hair cut, her style, and the way she carried herself, which was pretty whimsical in a way. Her arms were locked with a man beside her, bleached blonde just as Rosalie was.

"... she's with Jasper, the blonde who looks like he's in pain" Jessica continued on, "I mean, Dr. Cullen's like this foster dad slash match maker."

"Maybe he'll adopt me." Angela giggled.

The last Cullen to enter, I assumed it was Edward, the man Jessica claimed to be weirdly gorgeous and 'wow'. 'Wow' was the perfect word to explain how I felt as he strode down the cafeteria. I couldn't keep your eyes off of him, even as he went past your table, I was oddly captivated by his presence. He had a lanky body, matched with the same pale skin as his siblings, bronze hair and striking smirk. You could've sworn he heard Jessica's whispered remarks from across the cafeteria.

"He's totally gorgeous, obviously. But apparently, no one here is good enough for him. Like I care." She does. "Anyway, don't waste your time."

"I wasn't planning on it." I looked away before his eyes could find mine and once I did, I felt as if holes were practically burned at the back of my head. Was he staring?

Out of curiosity, I peered over my shoulder, quickly glancing, seeing his eyes on mine and quickly turning my eyes back, slowly hiding behind my hair.

Before I walked into Biology, I shuffled through my backpack to look for the assignments I'd done in your time away, settling them in my hands as I walked through the door.

Greeting Mr. Banner, I handed him my completed assignments that were neatly put together with a paper clip.

"Finally nice to see you Miss Y/L/N, how was your summer?" Being great at biology put you at an advantage, not only for assignments, but because Mr. Banner didn't question much about my month long disappearance, but I couldn't say the same about PE...

"It was good, thank you."

"Well that's great, I'm glad! And I appreciate your completed assignments, not even people attending have it all quite done like you have!" He rambled. "So! Your seat... There's a seating chart, but there should be an empty seat I left for you...,yes! Right there, next to Mr. Cullen." Mr. Banner pointed to the right side of the classroom to the seat next to the Cullen boy.

Edward's eyes once again felt as if they burned through my own, staring at me as if you had wronged him in some way. The hatred in his eyes was well aware, but for what reason?

With each step I took, the more disgust in his features appeared, almost as if he was holding his breath. Did I stink or something? I attempted not to smell myself to see if perhaps I had raging body odor or even a bad breath that radiated from across the classroom. No one else seemed to have an issue besides him.

Once I was sat, I heard him mutter into a cough, but I only made eye contact with his beading black eyes and said nothing at all. He only pushed the microscope towards me slowly, being careful to not come any closer to me as if he would catch something.

I sighed loudly, making my annoyance well known. He only just tensed.

Throughout the entirety of the class, the tension continued. I even considered going up to Mr. Banner and asking to switch seats with someone, but that only sparked the possibility of Mike forcing Eric to switch seats and I honestly couldn't figure out which would be worse. So, I decided to suffer through the entire hour and perhaps learn to suffer the entire year partnered with a man who could hardly even look me in the eye without being utterly disgusted.

At first I was hurt, but the hurt swiftly turned into annoyance once the partner sessions began. He didn't even consult with me, rather he just scribbled as fast as he could, only of what he was able to see through the microscope, only handing it to me after to check his answers. All correct, surprisingly.

Staring at the clock, I was counting down the time until the bell. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Edward had gotten up, practically running out of the classroom before the bell had officially rung.

next chapter

taglist ₊˚⊹♡

[slashingdisneypasta]

Seeing a lizard had visited you unlocked a core childhood memory of mine that I wish to share XD

When I was under 10 years old (I can't remember the exact age), I lived in Atwater, California. One of those blink-and-you'll-miss-it towns, as my parents put it. We lived in a condo, and our house was right next to these big apartments, in fact our backyards were next to each other, separated by a rickety wooden fence. And next to that fence was this tall, plastic fence that overlooked what I saw as a huge field at the time. And me and my brother had actually found a way to get to the apartments yard, through an opening between the two fences that we had to squeeze through, as if we're sliding between two close isles or shelves, if that makes sense? And there was a loose wooden board that we could step through, and we would use that to play with the kids in the building next to us.

Anyways, one day i decided to squeeze through on my own. But then I felt something on my arm. Something that felt like tiny claws. I swear, to little me, this felt like a scene straight out of a horror movie as I slowly turned my head over my shoulder to my elbow (it was outstretched for some reason? XD). And there was this little brown gecko just- right there. I think he was brown with beige stripes? But i didn't get a good look at him before I screamed, scared the poor guy, and scrambled back to my yard as fast as I could 😅

I still feel bad that I scared the critter 😅 he could have been a buddy! This did not stop me from visiting the next-door neighbors, though - the fence adventures stopped when I assumed the maintenance guy of the apartments learned of the loose fence and fixed it up. But yeah, this is my earliest encounter with a reptile, if my memory is correct (I can't remember if this was before or after my parents got a corn snake we named Houdini- take a wild guess how we lost him 😅- but these two instances took place in the same house. One of these two was my first encounter with reptiles)

OMG A GECKO??? XD

Aww. No yeah, it's adorable, but I would be startled too if I found one on my elbow!! XDD Especially as a kid! XD 💛💛💛 Thats such a cute story!!!

And- ...

I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry...

You owned a SNAKE!??

... and you LOST HIM??? Oh my lord XD Well was a he nice snake? ^^ 🐍🐍🐍

[sidthedollface2]

The one that got away

PART 2

Pairing: Eddie x Fem Reader, Steve x Fem Reader, Eddie x Chrissy

Word Count: 5k+

Summary: After you left Hawkins 3 yrs ago, leaving behind your best friend and biggest what if, Eddie Munson. You find yourself back in the city of broken dreams, where nothing's changed yet everything is not always what it seems.

Or

A former acquaintance informs you what Eddie's been up to while you've been gone. What should be a happy milestone ends in heartbreak.

Warnings: MDNI, 18+ themes, Angst, hurt/no comfort, hurt/comfort, swearing, cheating, pregnancy talk, Chrissy, pet names, no y/n,

"How sad to face the future without the one you planned it with."

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

"Hello?"

"Eddie! She's back."

'Honey, who is it?'

"Wrong number Chrissy, go back to bed."

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Where is she?"

.

.

.

"With Steve."

~

You were back and Eddie couldn't believe it, he'd thought you had gone on vacation with your family but when 3 weeks turned into 3 months and now 3 years. Was it too late to reconnect? Did you even miss him? Did you even care?

It wasn't supposed to be this way, not for Eddie. You two were supposed to leave Hawkins together. Wake up in bed together in the house he had bought for you, wearing his mothers ring on your left hand.

He'd bring you coffee in bed with a grilled cheese, made just the way you like, while you silently read your dark romance novels. That night you'd both recreate the steamy scenes, figuring out what worked and what didn't all while laughing and giggling in embarrassment or desire.

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

Being back in Hawkins was bitter sweet, sweet because of the friends and lovers you missed, like the man in bed with you now. Bitter because memories of best friends turned strangers like Eddie, who still after all the years occupied a space in your heart.

"I missed this." Steve groaned into your hair, wrapping his arms tight around you. "Me too." You smile into his bare chest, cuddling him a little longer. "Thank you again. For letting us stay with you."

"You thanked me plenty last night." He smirks, wiggling his eyebrows.

You giggle, swatting at his chest, "Perv." Being with Steve again was easy, he was your person for everything. A shoulder to cry on when life got tough, the most perfect cuddle buddy with his soft and cozy sweaters, a giving and passionate lover.

"Me? Perv with you? Duh!"

Steve smothered you with kisses as he hovered above you. "You know you can stay here, with me. I have an extra room for the baby. You don't have to go back to California." He explained, gently tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. His offer was nothing but sweet and perhaps with all the history you had together, it made sense to live a life with him. Your mind though, went back to Eddie. You couldn't escape him if you lived here, not like in California.

Steve noticed the pensive look on your face and he knew what was stopping you, or who was stopping you. "Eddies moved on, you should too." Steve's tone was bitter as he rolled off you, sitting at the edge of the bed.

You sigh, annoyance clear in your tone, "I'll get a motel tonight." You mentioned, casually grabbing all your belongings and shoving them aggressively in your luggage. Steve just sighed, instantly regretting his comment. You had just landed last night and he was already pushing you away, making you run. Run from each and every inconvenience, running was something you picked up from Eddie, usually you'd run together. But lately you've been running away from him, and now running from Steve.

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

Seeing Arie play in the same playground that you used to was comforting. Her little legs carried her across the field as you chased after her, giggling and screeching with laughter. She'd spotted some flowers and instantly her tiny hands reached for them. In the distance moms jogged while pushing their babies in strollers, the elderly getting their steps in for the day, shirtless men glistened in the sun as the sweat from their run coated their bodies.

"Poppy? Is that you?"

The last person you wanted to see was Chrissy Cunningham. Even years later you never broke your promise to Eddie. She was none the wiser, Eddie had showered her with flowers asking for forgiveness and within days they were on good terms again.

"In the flesh." You said, keeping an eye on the little toddler that was currently picking dandelions, you had a few behind your ear already.

"How've you been? What brings you back." She pressed.

How have you been? What a loaded question. You've been better. You left to California to live with your aunt because your parents kicked you out once they found out you were pregnant. With no money and no college degree you worked as a waitress in a fancy restaurant, tips were generous enough to pay for night school.

You had given birth to a little baby girl, all alone with only the sweet maternity nurses to guide you and hold your hand as you pushed her into the world. She was the light of your life, how could you not immediately love her, especially with her fathers eyes.

'She's beautiful' the nurses had cooed. Usually newborns were very sleepy and hardley opened their eyes, not your little girl. She had large doe eyes, thick full lashes that made you jealous, the cutest little button nose you had ever seen. Every nurse that saw her beamed at how alert she was.

'What's this little baby's name honey?' The nurse asked as she took your vitals to discharge you.

"Arwen Marie Munson, Arie for short."

You smiled at the little bundle of joy that was nursing from your breast, she was a natural, probably got that from her Dad you thought. You should've told Eddie, you still wanted to tell Eddie. You just didn't, couldn't. You promised Eddie Chrissy couldn't know, you took that promise seriously.

Had you told him you were pregnant Chrissy would know he had cheated on her, and you couldn't follow in your moms footsteps. You couldn't take another girl's man, couldn't come between what they already had. So you hid it, in large sweaters and coats. Steve knew, he helped you even though almost weekly he'd beg and threaten to tell Eddie. He never did, the loyal friend that he was. If someone asked he said the baby was his. He wanted kids anyway, got to live out a little dream while you still lived in Hawkins.

"I've been great Chrissy, California's nice. The Weather's perfect. Um, how are you?

Oh how she hoped you asked her that question, fell head first right into her trap and she knew it.

"Oh well me and Eddie are trying again for a baby."

You almost gave yourself whiplash for how fast your neck snapped in her direction. A baby? Again?! Your heart had been broken by him before, but now it was just a pile of dust. Broken over and over, crushed so small it was beyond repair. You swallowed the knot in your throat, no tears left to cry, not for him. You couldn't hope for a future with him, not anymore. That ship has sailed and is now at the bottom of the Pacific, never to see the light of day.

"Put a ring on my finger too! We're going to be married in a few months, you should come."

Eddie was getting married, and you were drowning, sinking into the darkness that was pulling you under. Water fills your lungs by the gallon. A heavy weight tied to your foot, descending you further and further into the deep, away from Eddie.

To pour salt on the gaping wound, Chrissy almost hit you in the face with how fast she shoved that ring in your face. "Oh wow. It's beautiful Chrissy. I'm happy for you." She smirked, with a vengeful look in her eyes. She had won, Eddie belonged to her and she wanted you to know. Shoved it your face that they still fucked and often. Actively trying meant every day, multiple times in different positions till that baby stuck. And if he had asked her to marry him, well you knew that he loved her.

"Um, It was nice seeing you Chrissy, but I gotta meet up with an old friend."

"Oh yeah sure, you too. Byeee."

Chrissy departed with a wave, her pony tail swinging behind her as she finished her jog in the park.

Once Chrissy was far enough you scooped up Arie in your arms, her little hands smooshed your cheeks together making you giggle. You couldn't fall apart in front of her, being an empath she'd sob along with you. It was just 3 days, if you could avoid Eddie for those days you'd fly back to California like you never set foot in Hawkins.

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

You helped your mom set the table while she finished cooking dinner, she made your favorite, chicken enchilada casserole. It was bittersweet being back home, your relationship with your mom was on the mend, after Arie was born she had apologized and was slowly becoming a grandma that Arie deserved.

"Poppy get the door!" She yelled from the kitchen, you had been in your head so much you didn't hear the knocking at your door. Chrissy's words looped over and over in your mind.

'Trying again.'

When you swung the door open all the blood drained from your body, the air in your lungs ceased to exist as the presence of the person in front of you render you speechless. A thin layer of sweat glazed over your face, heart beating erratically behind your ribs, evidence that the organ does in fact throb for him.

"Hi Poppy, you look good." He smirked.

With a hitch in his breath, Eddie's eyes took you in from head to toe. Your lovely face he missed so much held just as much beauty as it did the day he fell in love with you. Your eyes that were windows to your soul carried all the sadness he had caused. Eddie swears he'll spend the rest of his life making it up to you. His eyes trail down your figure, a gray colored dress hugged every curve and dip of your frame, thigh high boots elongated your legs, reminding Eddie of the night he was between them.

Seeing you after 3 years apart made him realize that souls that are meant to be together, transcend through time, always finding each other until nothing can separate them. So much time had passed but his every thought for those 3 years were of you, all the things he wanted to say, all the places he wanted to travel to with you by his side. The future he had planned vanished the day he knew you weren't coming back. Tonight, hope lingered in the air, you were the flicker of light in his darkness. And like a moth to a flame, even with singed wings he'd still crawl to you.

Voiceless with the only thought going through your mind is that Arie really does have her fathers eyes. Those big brown eyes that you missed so much, years of watching his gaze go from friendship to love to strangers. Lovers for just a night, a friendship long forgotten, all that remains are two strangers.

'Trying again'

"What are you doing here?"

Your frigid tone takes him off-guard, distance did not make your heart grow fonder. You close the door behind you, instinctually shielding Arie from his view. You noticed his eyes rake over you and a wave of insecurity washes over you. No longer in a girls body, motherhood had changed you, filled you in.

"You're mom invited me for dinner." He takes a step forward. You step back, bumping into the door behind you.

"Eddie, you can't be here."

Before he can respond your mom opens the door, inviting him in with a tight hug and exuberant greeting. You create enough distance between him, allowing him to step inside without needing to squeeze by you. Something that Eddie noticed.

Eddie waited till you sat down, just to sit across from you, the perfect view while he dined with your family. He couldn't take his eyes off you, afraid that if he even blinked you'd disappear. Studying your every movement, he noticed not once had you looked at him, not even a glance. Even clearing his throat didn't bring your eyes to meet him.

You didn't join in conversation, only nodded and pushed your food around your plate. Noticing your delicate hands, It brought him pure joy not seeing a wedding band on your finger.

"Honey, is the food not good? Your mother questioned, her eyes skimming your plate, not a single bite had been eaten.

"Sorry mom, I had a late lunch with Ste–"

"I had a late lunch." You mumble, eyes darting to her and back to your plate.

Hearing Steve's name roll off your tongue with ease sent a flare of jealousy down his spine. Of course you'd see Steve the moment you walked off that plane, he probably picked you up, held you in his arms while you buried your face in his neck muttering 'I miss you's.' You must have allowed Steve to cradle your face while he kissed you, held your hand as you followed him to his car and without a doubt he had slept with you, now that he and Nancy were no longer together.

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

All the loud thoughts in your head blocked out the sound of padded feet coming down the stairs, until a sweet voice bounced off the walls earning the attention of everyone in the room.

"Mama."

Arie stood at the bottom of the stairs, eyes hazy with sleep. Her minnie plushie clutched in her tiny hands. Although soft, her tiny voice was loud enough to silence the entire room. You saw it unravel in slow motion. Eddie's gaze followed the sound of that sweet baby voice, looking over his shoulder there was no denying those big baby cow eyes and dark long lashes. Arie's brown soft curls, wild and full just like his, her round chubby cheeks flushed pink. Eddie seemed to register the inherited features, a perfect blend of himself along with the only face he's ever loved.

Eddie's eyes returned to you, calculating the months and years in his head, concluding what you had feared. "Poppy, we have a baby," not a question, but a declaration. His voice was brittle when he spoke the words. Adams apple bobbing as he tried to swallow down that knot tightening in his throat. He stared at you. His eyes glossed at everything he had missed. All of his daughters firsts you took from him and kept her away. Not once calling or sending photos.

He'd never caress your swollen belly or feel all the kicks and rolls she did as she got stronger and stronger. The words 'baby you did it' after you pushed for hours would never leave his lips. Separating his daughter from you by cutting her umbilical cord was no longer a special moment between a father and his first born. Tears freely escaped down his hot cheeks as he saw you push away from the table and run.

'We have a baby'

You couldn't face him, explain or even summarize. The look on his face at the realization that Arie was his would haunt you for a lifetime. So you did what you always did, what you had done from the very start. You ran. You ran to your baby girl and scooped her up in your arms, grabbing your keys on the way out the door. Eddie was up and already blocking the exit before you even got the chance to turn the knob.

"Eddie please." You begged.

"No Poppy. If I let you run, I'll never see her again."

"I need time, she needs time." You pleaded, signaling to the sleepy little girl in your arms.

"Three years wasn't enough?" He sniffled, his hand reaching for his daughter. "Let them go, Ed." Your step dads protective voice pulled Eddie out of his thoughts, reluctantly stepping away from the door to let you pass, he watched as you ran away with his daughter in your arms.

Back at the motel you lay beside Arie, wrapping her soft curls around your finger and watching as they bounce back. Her soft snores fill the room and you study her adorable features as she snuggles her plushie. The love you have for her is unlike anything you've ever experienced, you'd go to the end of the world to bring her an ounce of joy, work yourself to the bone to make sure she's safe and cared for. The love between a mother and her child knows no bounds, It's never ending in its strength and power, an unconditional love so deep that you'd give your own life to ensure her happiness.

So why are you protecting Chrissy and her feelings?

Why keep the promise to Eddie when his daughter's needs are more important than both of them combined. Arie deserves to know her father. She deserves to have a relationship with him, if he wants it. She needs to know you didn't stand in the way and deny her that father daughter bond, or the chance to get to know him.

The clock on the side table reads 9 PM and you wonder if it's appropriate to call Eddie so late, would Chrissy be upset if she knew you were calling her fiancé.

"Fiancé."

The word leaves a bitter taste in your mouth but you're done protecting Chrissy's feelings. As you begin to dial a sudden knock at the door startles you and you hang up quickly. You glance toward Arie to ensure she's still sleeping, while shushing the person on the other side of the door.

"Open the door Poppy."

There's a sense of uncertainty in the voice behind the door, if he chases you there's a possibility for you to run back to California taking Arie far away. If he doesn't chase you, then it implies he doesn't care and that couldn't be farther from the truth.

There were only three hotels in Hawkins and this was the last one, he wouldn't have stopped until he found you and here he was at the door begging for a chance. His forehead leaned against the wooden door, palms flat against the wood at shoulder level, his voice pleading with you to let him in.

Slowly you take steps toward the door, each foot closer to the one person responsible for all your wonderful dreams and worst nightmares. The soft click of the lock sounds loud in your ears as if opening a cell door that you trapped yourself in. Hinges of the door creak as you slowly pull it open, revealing the man you've been running from, the man that now runs to you.

Eddie.

His gaze shifts between you and the sleeping toddler behind you, feeling like time is of the essence as he walks over the threshold, to you. Shutting the door, he closes the distance, his body pushed against yours in a warm embrace, enveloping you in his strong arms.

Eddie feels like he's in a dream, the love of his life within his arms and his baby girl peacefully sleeping. Eddie's nose nudges at your neck, inhaling the delicious scent of your hair reminding him that this isn't a dream. "I've missed you so damn much." He reveals, pulling away slightly to look into your eyes, wanting nothing more than to be able to stare into them every morning. "I've……I've missed you too Eddie." You smile shyly, hands resting on his forearms.

His gaze flicks to your lips and back to your eyes, hands now cradling your jaw, thumbs softly caressing the apples of your cheeks, he leans in licking his lips. Heart hammering against his chest in anticipation. Wanting to bathe you with his loving kisses and explore every inch of you. He sees you tense and your eyes widen, your palm comes to rest on his chest, pressure firm as you gently decline his advance.

"I can't." You whisper, wrapping your hands around his wrists and removing them from touching your face. Eddie notices the slight snuggle you do before you pry his hands away and the way your thumb brushes over his wrist soothingly as you lead him to the bed.

"Her name's Arwen Marie Munson."

Eddie covers his mouth, muffling the quiet sob that escaped his lips, his eyes cloud over as tears begin to form at his lash line. He's flooded with emotion and his slight shake of his shoulders breaks your heart. Marie Munson, Eddie's mothers name would live on through his daughter, a gesture so pure and loving it moved him to tears.

He has no doubt in his mind his mother would be over the moon at knowing she was a grandma to a little girl, the little girl she had always wanted. Seeing Eddie so overwhelmed with emotion was a rare occurrence, growing up he was constantly told to man up, boys don't cry.

You beckon Eddie to the bed, signaling to lay beside his daughter, mirroring him, you take the spot on the opposite side. With Eddie facing Arie and you snuggled up behind her, he relishes in the beauty of having you both snuggled close. "She's so perfect, Poppy." He whispers, as he lovingly strokes his baby's chubby cheeks, her little head cozying up to him like he's been around since the beginning.

Your heart swells at the sight of them cuddled together, just as it should be. Guilt eats at your joy as you mentally scold yourself for denying Arie this relationship. "Eddie, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you. I made a promise and I intended to keep it." Eddie's eyes show nothing but love and understanding for you and Arie, not a single grudge to be had or bitterness towards you.

There's no point in fighting with you about the past, especially in front of Arie. He has you both here in his arms, the woman he's loved since he was a kid and now the mother of his child. Arie's snuggled in between the both of you, safe and protected by her parents, oblivious to the heartache brewing in both your hearts.

Eddie would rather revel in this temporary dream of his perfect family, just as he's envisioned for years, than discuss the why's and what if's of everything that's gone wrong. Everything has gone wrong. He should have told you he liked you. He should have told you that he thought of you as more than a friend, so much more. Should have told you that Steve was never going to love you as much as he did. And that he was never going to get over you, not then, not now, not ever.

"I love you Poppy, I would have been there for you. I still want to be there for you. I want to be a father to Arie. I want this with you. Our baby, a family. I want it. Please, tell me you do too."

Eddie reaches for your hand, fingers lacing between yours as he brings the back of your hand to his lips, kissing the smooth skin, lighting a dormant flame within your heart.

Like a smoke alarm Chrissy's words ring loud in your ear.

'Oh, well me and Eddie are trying again for a baby.'

'Put a ring on my finger too! We're going to be married in a few months.'

"You're a liar Eddie." You fume, releasing his hand and bolting to the door, needing the space and fresh air the night has to offer. Eddie's quick to follow you outside, hot on your heels and ready to go to war to have you in his life for good.

"I didn't lie, I meant everything I said, please believe me!" Eddie's hands pull at the roots of his hair, frustration and worry in his tone as he stares at you in bewilderment.

"I talked to Chrissy. She told me about your baby, and about the wedding. You made a future with her, you already have a family with her. You chose her!" Your voice trembled and a soft sob left your lips as you spoke the words. Tears flowing past the apples of your cheeks, coating the sweater that covered your crossed arms. Pain and despair wrapped around your heart like a barbed wire, piercing you from within with its sharp blades, strangulating each and every desire you had.

"Chrissy?" He asked.

"Mmhmm, Chrissy, your fiancé."

Oh that Chrissy. Eddie had been so wrapped up in getting you back that Chrissy hadn't crossed his mind, a testament of how much she really meant to him. She didn't have your energy or your smile. Her laugh didn't remind him of his favorite song. When he closed his eyes at night his dreams weren't of her, they were of you and all the ways he'd show you how much he adored you.

"She told me you're trying for another baby." You sniffle, wiping your wet eyes with the end of your sleeve.

Eddie stepped closer to comfort you, hug you, touch you, kiss you. Anything to ease the agony that was coursing through your veins. But like before you denied him with a shake of your head, and stepped back, away from him, creating a distance so large it seemed like you both were on opposite sides of the grand canyon.

"Baby, She–"

"Stop, I can't do this." You interrupt, memories of that night flood your brain at the familiar pet name. The same pet name that brought you to your knees.

'Taste so good baby'

The same loving name one would give their girlfriend, or fiance. He probably calls Chrissy the same thing, cooed in her ear and made promises that he actually kept. Bred her just as he had said to you in the heat of passion.

Jealousy reared its ugly head, souring any desire you had to make things right by Arie.

"Please, just leave. Chrissy must be worried." You muttered, gaze looking beyond him, wanting nothing more than to forget the past and move forward to a time where heartbreak wasn't a daily occurence.

"Do you love me?" He asked.

Your lip quivers as you will your body to betray your heart.

"No. I don't love you, not anymore."

Breaking his heart now would be easier for you both to move on and forget. Eddie knew you were lying, the furrow in your brow and the hesitancy in your eyes told him that much. You were in your head again, pushing him all the way out, all that he wanted to convey would fall on deaf ears.

"Who's the liar now?" He scoffs, folding his arms across his chest.

"Fine." You relent. "I still love you with all the broken pieces of my heart. But you still need to leave."

Eddie pinches the space between his brows, shaking his head in frustration.

Raising his voice Eddie counters your request for him to leave. "Jesus fucking Christ Poppy let me just explain! Can I do that? Give me five minutes." He huffs.

With a wave of your hand you signal for him to continue.

Eddie paces the narrow hallway, his face pensive as he carefully finds the words to untangle the mess Chrissy put him in. The neon glow from the motel sign casts a red shadow on his face, accentuating the muscle of his jaw and the slight pout of his lips.

"Fuck where do I start? Ok. listen, Chrissy and I have broken up and gotten back together like every other week for years! Recently she had gotten preg… FUCK!"

He swallows the knot in this throat, as tears pool his waterline. He couldn't look at you and tell you how he had gotten Chrissy pregnant without feeling like he'd shatter you more than you already were.

Aggressively wiping at his reddened eyes he continues. "Her dad made me propose to her, saying that his grandchild wouldn't be born a bastard. But weeks later she lost the baby, and I just couldn't take it back, not while she was grieving. And some fucked up part of me was relieved that i was no longer going to be tied to her."

"But she said you were trying again." You pushed, trying to understand the full extent of Chrissys words.

"She's lying, angel. She stretched the truth to hurt you. I don't have a baby with her, and I don't want to marry her." He confesses.

Eddie reaches for your hip, pulling you flush against his firm body. Cradling your soft cheek in his palm, carefully, he wipes at the tears that fall freely.

"All the good memories I have Poppy, are with you. You're my home. I've been lost, wandering aimlessly looking for something that might resemble what I've been wanting but nothing has been as warm and comforting as you. Nothing feels like home more than you. All this time It should have been me and you, so please baby, let me come home."

You can feel the roaring of his heart, professing his undying love for you, calling out for just one chance at forever. Without another doubt you answer with your lips crashing against his. Eddie groans into your mouth, carding his fingers through your hair he deepens the kiss, devouring you with a clash of teeth and tongue, savoring the flavor of your mouth he missed so much. He had finally found his way back to you, a lifetime of forever written in the stars, stamped and sealed with a kiss.

~"And in my dreams I will always find my way back to you."~

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

Taglist: @lady-munson @tlclick73 @edsforehead @hideoutside @kissmejoey @luv-flor7777 @amira0303 @eddiesguitarskills @indigoigloo @emma77645

A/n: Thank you for reading and reblogging. Epilogue?

[chaos-interwoven]

aftg floor plans pt.2

i know i said i would be making the homes in california next however that was actually just me pulling a neil josten so instead here are some more places from the first three books because i had their images in my head and moving chronologically called to me

perhaps most importantly is the monster's home in columbia. i am not sure if the books actually say this is a split level home but it makes sense to me and i have picked up on nora liking split level homes from multiple descriptions so that's what it is. we know nicky's room is on the first floor and so is the bathroom which means aaron and andrew are upstairs. andrew's room being second seemed right because its farther from the front door and because of the vague way my brain played out that scene of him coming downstairs before going to easthaven. not sure if i love that there's only one bathroom but we don't learn of a second one and i honestly don't think nicky could have afforded the jump in price a second bathroom would bring

okay. this one is painful. and for the record, i am sorry. but its mentioned so here it is. as you can tell i didn't want to or feel the need to fully fill in this house. i just added enough so that you can vaguely get the point and put labels for the rest. mainly i just did the kitchen, the back screened in porch where they ate, and that cursed bedroom. again, i am sorry. we're moving on to something more fun though don't worry

spring break cabin!!! this was so much fun, i cannot even begin to tell you. and okay, i know they were there for only a week so like what does it matter but it matters to me. this space is so cozy and caved out in my head that i just had to do it. the tan is the inside and the grey is the porch which we know to be in the back and on one of the sides. ignore how i didn't really put anything on the porch... i was kinda stuck beyond the hot tub. but this place is hugeeeee like oh my god. we have the large living room around the fireplace, the ginormous kitchen, the cute back room that is mentioned to have pool and foosball, and of course, our favorite, the bedroom neil and andrew stay in. ngl i struggled a bit with that bedroom's layout but this is what we ended up with

okay, second floor. according to neil, the four upstairs bedrooms are placed in each of the corners which made it a bit difficult and definitely interesting to do. because of this, i gave two of them a jack and jill style bathroom. in my mind, it makes sense for the two bedrooms sharing a bathroom to be given to nicky, kevin, and aaron. i think kevin being the drama queen he is would get his own and nicky and aaron would share but honestly aaron could be with either. and of course matt and dan are together and allison and renee are in the last one. each room has a door to the wrap around porch but it made sense to me for the open areas to have access too. and speaking of the open areas i made one a mini lounge because apparently there are multiple fire places and i had to put the second one somewhere and the other has desks because i didn't put them in any of the rooms. i mean it is a vacation home, why would they need desks in their rooms?

i swear i will actually do the cali homes next. i have sketches of them in my notebooks but haven't fully fleshed them out online like the rest. but they exist and i have already scoured the books to piece them together so hopefully it won't take ten years but then again, it is finals season and i have so so many essays to do so we will see.

oh and, i have about half of wymack's apartment done in the sims and while it's a struggle to be era accurate, it's very cute and fun

pt. 1 pt. 3 (cali)

[duffys-girl]

I write when a fanfic makes me mad so I’m back hi

Pervert

⭐️ • Duff McKagan/reader, smut, Duffs js a manwhore, I just woke up, probably not proofread•

1985, the sunset strip California:

why where you here? Simple answer, William, he was a few years older than you being 16 and he being 20 he had always taken on a sorta..older brother esc role in your life, when you found out he was moving to California, hours away, you wanted you cry, both him and Jeffrey where leaving!

but you couldn’t stop him, so he left, as months went by life was different, but not different enough, he was just..gone, no one to run after men who would hit on you, now they where free to do whatever, so you would go on dates, they never went anywhere..they never had what you where looking for.

Three years sense he moved,, he had called you, how did he even remember your number?

“(Y/n)!” He panted

“..William?”

it was soft, hell there was so much noise from his side you weren’t even sure he heard you

“Uh—yeah…..Look we need someone to help around down here and I know you’re into music I—“

“We?”

“…yeah, me iz—Jeffery…and the guys..you’ll like them I swear”

So…now you where in California, looking around, you didn’t fit in with the girls here, you could tell you liked the same music they did but you never had the chance to doll up when you lived in Indiana, so it surprised you when a very tall…. Man came up..oh this is what those guys back home where missing, the leather and denim, the eyeliner and bleach blonde hair..

“Hey..are you (y/n)?”

You squeaked, but nodded, earning a soft chuckle from him as he stuck out his hand

“ ‘m Duff, Axl sent me to pick you up”

You shook his hand..almost needily but you hung your head to the side, who the fuck was Axl

“Uhm..yknow red long hair, the girly nose he has?” He laughed

Oh,,that was definitely William.. you nodded and took the opportunity to hold onto him so you ‘didn’t get lost’…he didn’t seem to care anyways.

He got to a beaten up house and pushed the door open, it was a mess!

“Uhm..there’s a spear bedroom upstairs we’d thought you’d like your own space…” he muttered as he led you up to the room, the only thing in it was a blown up air mattress..at least it was something

“I—thank you Duff..? Im gonna unpack..”

He nodded and watched for a bit before he left

So while putting your bags down the door opened

“(Y/n)!!” He rushed over and hugged you, you guys talked for hours, he gave you the rundown, no one went by their legal name,, Duff, Slash, Axl, Izzy and Steven, all band mates..

It took a bit to settle in but you did eventually, you got a job and managed to get a bed and vanity, it had come together.., honestly you didn’t mind cleaning up after them, you only didn’t like the girls they would bring over, for the most part the girls where nice, or just didn’t pay any mind to you, but occasionally one of them would bring over a girl who was…special, you mainly just didn’t like the sounds you would hear..that’s not to say when you knew it was Duff with a girl..I mean was it really that wrong to curl up in bed with a hand down your pants

You sat at a booth, next to Duff, he leaned forward and looked around, watching as slash came over with a tray of drinks for the table everyone reaching for one.

You don’t know when it happened but a man had whisked you away, you didn’t plan on doin anything with him..he didn’t have what you wanted..he wasn’t Duff, so you laughed away all his advances, until someone grabbed onto you making you gasp, and looking up..it was Duff.., he didn’t look happy

“Hey babe…why’d you leave?” There was an edge in his voice, he wasn’t curious, he was..something else, before you could respond the man did for you

“Whoa man..I was chatting her up..no big deal”

“Uh huh” Duff clicked his tongue “well she’s with me.” He stated before he started to pull you away, towards the door, he was clearly drunk, maybe a bit less than you “wha..where are we going?” “Home.” He was cut straight, stumbling home, tripping every so often on his feet, he pushed open the door and continued to drag you inside

“Bedroom…c’mon—“ he sighed and dragged you to your room and pushed you on the bed, you huffed and sat up just in time to see his stripping his clothes off “Duff—“ “T-this is okay yeah? You want this?” You blinked and nodded, taking your shirt off as he leaned over and pushed your skirt up, moving your pretty pink panties out of the way, making him groan “fuck look at this..” he mumbled, his warm breaths hitting your folds making you Yelp

“Smell so fucking..good” he groaned before nuzzling closer and starting to lap up at you, making you squirm and whine, trying to move away, he muttered out a string of curses and grabbed onto your thighs, keeping you still until he got his fill, you where on cloud 9, tugging on his hair occasionally, making him groan against your clit, only to make you squirm and tug on his hair harder, you closed your eyes tightly and clamped your thighs between his head as you came, he didn’t seem to mind..he kept licking you until finally he opened your legs again and pulled away “fuck that tastes good..” he led off, panting along side you “ungh..T-thank you Duff..” you yawned as he came back over leaning down “we’re not done yet baby don’t close those pretty eyes just yet..” he whispered against your lips before kissing you, when he pulled away he made you watch as he undid his belt, giggling at your dazed expression, the loud clink from his buckle as it hit the floor, the sound of his fly being undone filling your ears, you watched him push his pants down along with his underwear, he grabbed his cock and stroked it right infront you “you wanna taste it baby?, c’mon don’t be shy…” you nodded again and leaned in, his tip pressing to your lips, you soon started kissing and licking at it, before opening your mouth and taking his length in, moaning and gagging around him as you worked, spitting and drooling, he whimpered and grabbed the back of your head, pulling you on and off making you gag over and over as your eyes rolled back, god you loved this, you loved the feeling of his dick in your throat, you could do this daily, it didn’t last long though, he pulled out making you whine

He chuckled and pet you “it’s okay baby..I just wanna cum inside you yeah?” You blushed and nodded, laying down and looking up at him as he moved on-top of you, looking inbetween your bodies as he grabbed his cock and tapped your core with it before sliding in making you whimper and cling into him, he kissed your face all over and whispered sweet nothings as he started to thrust swallowly, you moaned a bit and shifted, pushing into the bed, watching him move as you moaned and whimpered, he leaned down and kissed you lazily, his tongue sliding into your mouth while he placed his armpit right next to your face, he tended and started thrusting rougher, god you could feel him in your throat.. “fuck…fuck you feel good..yeah..mph fuck my good girl…yeah..” he muttered, one hand reached down and gripped your waist tightly, his other hand, the one that had his pit right next to you also reached down, stroking your face a bit before he grabbed your throat, just enough to control… making you gasp and moan constantly, you shook a bit, spasming as you came on him, you squealed and called his name, clawing at his back, he soon followed and came in you, filling you up as you moaned, it was so..warm, he fell forward and continued to thrust as he pulled out, watching his cum leak out of you and stain your bed

“Fuck your so good..so cute…I’m keeping you yeah?..all mine…..all mine” he mumbled and kissed your cheek, rolling over onto his back and taking you into his arms, pulling the blanket up and rubbing your back, enjoying your fucked out expression “so cute..all mine yeah?” You nodded and moaned “all yours” you mumbled and nuzzled into him, closing your eyes and sleeping sweetly, oh so warm

[topazy]

Inside, outside

Pairings: 10k x reader, Addy Carver × sister reader

Warnings: Swearing, usual violence towards Z’s

Chapter: 5.05

People. Zombies. Bombs. Chaos.

Altura still hadn’t recovered from the bombing, and survivors were still scrambling to try and find their loved ones. You felt a sense of guilt knowing that some had lost everyone and everything, while you still had 10k and Red. Red was more concerned than either of you that Doc, Warren, and Murphy were nowhere to be seen, but you had a gut feeling they were gone but not dead.

“I’d bet any money the three of them will turn up soon. Murphy, no doubt caught up in something dangerous, he’ll drag the rest of them into.”

10k suddenly jolts up in the cot; it takes him a moment to gather his bearings. Once he realizes his place in your shared rent, he leans his head back, using his hand to grip the bedsheets before feeling for you.

“Do you feel any better?”

“A little,” he confirms. His voice was raspy from being in a deep sleep less than a minute before. “I had a dream we were still living out on the road, still on the mission to get that dickhead to California, and we kept encountering the same issues as before except this time we had a baby... I was useless. I could hold my own child or even take out a z; everyone had to do it for me.”

You lean forward and kiss the crown of his head. “You will be able to use your gun again; it will just take time to adjust.”

“You don’t know that.”

Seeing the doubt in his eyes, he said, “Yes, I do. Because I know the second you sense danger, your fatherly instincts will kick in, and protecting this baby will be the most natural thing in the world.”

He closes his eyes. “I hope so.”

You stand and offer him your hand. “Come on, once we’ve had breakfast, I’m going to help you practice.”

—

Behind the main buildings in Altura is a wooded area in which Red has set up a shooting range for 10k to practice his aim. So far, he has missed the tin can with every shot he has taken. The part of the hospital that had prosthetic limbs was destroyed during the bombing, and Sun Mei said it would be a while before new ones were made. He was given a leather pouch to cover his stump with a hook on the end of it, which was causing him to struggle to keep grip on his weapon.

“Just take your time,” Red says, reassuring him.

When 10K misses the target again, he lets out a hiss of pain. You motion to his stump and say, “Let me take a look.”

“It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine if you’re in pain.”

Knowing you wouldn’t let it go, 10k pulls down the leather pouch for you to inspect his stitches. The swelling was going down, but infection was weeping from the stitches. “You need to show Sun Mei and get more antibiotics.”

“Maybe you should take a break or use your left hand,” Red suggests.

“Just forget it.”

Red looks upset as 10k walks away. You place your hand on her shoulder and say, “Hey, thank you. It might not seem like it, but I know Tommy really appreciates everything you’re doing for him.”

She pulls you in for a hug. “I’m really scared; we are lucky we survived the first bombing. What if there’s another?”

“Then we do the same thing: keep each other safe.”

—

When you can’t find 10k in the medical bay, you go looking for him in the woods, but he spots you first. He puts his finger to his lips, signaling for you to remain silent, then waves you over. Crouching down beside him, you watch as two men shock a z with an electric baton, forcing it into one of the buildings, which looked empty aside from a few vans.

“What do we do?” You whisper.

“We gotta know where he’s taking it.”

You stay close to him as you make your way into the building. You jump back and grip onto his shoulder when Z's fingers peek through the crack underneath a large metal door, with metal chains covering the door as an extra precaution. 10k presses his ear against another securely locked door.

Quietly, you say, “It sounds like wild animals behind the doors.”

10k says nothing and leans back. Seconds later, a beeping sound fills the room, followed by the sound of a door opening and footsteps. 10k points to a large shipping truck, and you both crawl underneath it to avoid being seen.

From the spot you’re in, you notice Florida license plates on the back of the van in front. The man paces back and forth before eventually leaving the building.

You crawl out first, being careful so your stomach doesn’t rub against the concrete ground. You help 10K up and begin to dust yourself down, noting the fresh trail of mud tracks with traces of blood on the ground.

10k whispers, “We should go before—oh shit.”

A man’s voice comes from the opposite side of the truck. “Let’s get this shit over with.”

Not knowing where to go, you run to one of the other shipping trucks and climb into the back of it. When it starts to move slowly you ask, “Do we jump?”

Before you can make a decision, the back of the truck is facing the large metal doors, which are now unlocked, and a large ball made up of Z’s clutched together comes rolling towards you.

With no way of escaping, 10k points to the panels on the ceiling of the truck. “Whatever you do, don’t let go.”

—

You feel physically sick watching as 10k struggles to hold onto the wooden panel, which was the only thing keeping him from being devoured by the Z’s below. He was too far away for you to help him, and if you made any noise, the driver would hear it and most likely shoot the both of you.

When the truck comes to a sudden stop and the doors at the back open, allowing the Z’s to roll out of it, When the engine is turned back on, you both let go of the panels and jump down just as the truck starts to move off again, leaving the both of you deserted in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing but trees. You sigh, noticing the pouch 10K had covering his wound was gone.

Even though you land on your feet, 10K is beside you with a worried look on his face. “Soon as we get to safety, we are done; no more adventures for either of us.”

You place your hand on your stomach and say, “As happy as I am that we have Doc and Warren back in our lives, I sometimes wish we never left the treehouse.”

—

“How far along do you think you are?”

Because of the bombing, you never got your scan. You tried to work it out, but since you didn’t track days, it was impossible to actually know. “Since I’m not showing, I’d say I’m still in my first trimester. Maybe in five or six weeks, what do you think?”

When you don’t get an answer, you look back and see 10k crouching down, looking at some footprints left in the dirt. “These are Doc and Warren's footsteps.”

Noticing a small hill, you run up it and see newly dug graves. Seeing a fairly clean bandana on the ground, you kneel down to get it. You wipe it off and give it to 10k; he ties it around his stump to keep it covered.

You study the graves and are thankful you don’t know any of the names carved onto the wooden crosses above each one. Hearing a faint, snarling noise, you turn to see a Z coming up behind you.

You stumble backwards, “Tommy!”

He grabs one of the wooden planks sticking out of the ground, snaps it, and then stabs the Z in the head.

“Eight thousand six hundred and nine.”

While getting to your feet, you notice a red mark on a wooden sign. “It looks like spray paint. Do we follow it?”

He nods.

While following the road, you notice a few more of the red marks left behind on trees. Luckily, it was only the odd Z you came across; 10K was trying to shoot and was swaying on its feet, walking in your direction. After several failed attempts, he uses the opposite hand and manages to shoot it in the head.

“Eight thousand six hundred and ten,” you smile.

—

Soon as you make it to a small town, you take cover behind a car with the same red markings on it. It was parked outside a building with distant music coming from it.

“Are you sure about this? What if it’s a trap?”

“I’ll go in first,” 10K says. “You keep a good distance behind me; if it’s safe, I’ll wave for you to follow.”

You plant a soft kiss on his lips and say, “Okay.”

A side door is open, so it’s easy for you to get inside.10k enters the building first, checking it was clear before waving you to follow. When you reach the room the staircase you’re walking down leads to, 10k goes in first. Sweat drips down your brow as you wait to hear his voice call out, and you let out a sigh of relief when you finally hear him again. “Oh my god,” he calls back to you. “Astra, it’s safe to come in; it’s Doc!”

The room is filled with red lights, giving the impression that it was a seedy nightclub. Soon as you walk in, you see 10k and Doc hugging, and you rush over to join them. “I’m so glad you’re okay, Doc; we've got so much shit we need to tell you! Are Warren and Murphy with you?”

“I’m glad you kids are safe.”

10k steps back from the hug first and taps you on the shoulder. “Uh, it’s your sister.”

You open your eyes, and for the first time in years, you see Addy standing before you. Her hair was much darker and longer than you remember, and from the glaze in her eyes, you could tell she was drunk.

“Hey sis.”

You stare at her speechless; nobody has ever broken your heart like she did, and seeing her again, smiling as if nothing happened, opens up the old wound you tried so hard to heal.

Hearing more steps approaching, your hand goes to a glass bottle sitting on the table next to you.

“Oh my god,” Warren says when she notices you. “You two have no idea how worried we were after hearing about the bombing.”

Warren sees your struggle to hold back tears and pulls you in for a hug and whispers, “I’ve got you, baby girl; I’ve got you.”

—

You look at Murphy suspiciously as he pours out drinks from behind a bar. He was dressed in a red suit, which matched his red skin. When he offers you a cup, you push it back and say, "No thanks.”

He grunts, “Not good enough for you, princess.”

Rolling your eyes, you walk over to join the rest of your group, sitting around a circle table. It felt weird to be with 10K, Doc, Warren, Addy, and Murphy at the same time again. George was there as well, but it still felt like old times.

You sit beside 10K, who was explaining what you saw. “Those vans are being loaded up deliberately. Somebody’s shipping a truckload of zombie tourists.”

“So you think it’s Altura?” Warren asks.

“I don’t know.”

“It’s where we saw the vans, but it could be anybody.”

While the conversation continues, Addy tries to make eye contact with you, but given the amount of alcohol you witnessed her drink, you pretended not to notice.

[alaskan-wallflower]

Do you have any Ponyboy headcanons?

(I’m especially curious about the ones, if you have any, that don’t really make sense but you headcanon anyways (if that makes sense) lol)

I got 2 asks for this so for sure!!

Ponyboy loves strawberries a lot, like he will sneak into soc owned territory just to steal some because they’re so good

Rip Ponyboy you would’ve loved energy drinks 💔

Ponyboy would use the wilted flower emoji constantly like someone’s asking him to hang out and it’s always met with “I can’t tonight, Darry won’t let me 🥀🥀”

If Pony was an animal, he’d be a Belgian Shepherd because they’re smaller and more agile than a regular German Shepherd, but they live up to the Shepherd title

Curly got him high once after school behind the bleachers cause he was tired of listening to Pony ramble and complaining about school and then ended up dragging his ass home after Pony started crying and begging for McDonalds

Hes the most sarcastic little shit ever, it’s why him and Steve have it out for each other, they’re the exact same person in that regard

Pony hates being compared to pictures of actual ponies. It bugs him more than anything

Pony would actually hate brain rot and vaping and would love to absolutely rip Steve to shreds because Steve would prolly vape

Pony loves Looney Toons, his favorite character is Daffy. He used to watch them with his dad, who could do a perfect Daffy impression. Sometimes Pony can still hear his dad laughing when he watches it

Pony would love Gravity Falls and Stranger Things

Pony sleep walks and has scared the absolute life out of Darry, Soda, their parents, and whoever decides to crash on the couch that night more times than he could count

He believes in ghosts and swears he saw Johnny’s ghost at the lot once

He used to be scared of chickens as a kid because he got hit by one at a petting zoo and nobody lets him live it down

He really wants to see the bioluminescent water in California. He wanted to take Johnny there

Pony knows some sign language because he was painfully shy as a kid and preferred to communicate through sign

Pony loves zoos and aquariums, he loves the animals and he always gets a plush if he goes (even though he’s embarrassed)

Pony gets sunburnt so easily, it’s not even funny. It’s the summer and here’s Soda and Darry practically looking like Greek Gods with their tans, and here’s Pony, looking like a lobster

Pony has freckles all over his cheeks and they show up more when he’s blushing

This bit has the world’s most sensitive stomach in the entire world. Just about everything he eats aggravates his stomach to no end. Plus anxiety does numbers on his stomach

He’s scared of the dark after getting attacked at the fountain. The dark and water are his two biggest fears. He needed a nightlight for a good while after the church but he hates to bring it up to anyone, even the gang

Pony rehabilitates sick/injured animals like squirrels, geckos, rabbits, birds, even a baby coyote once. He’s always emotional when he has to let them back into the wild

Pony stopped taking a lunch period after Johnny and Dally died. Steve and Two But will track him down to get him to eat so he can get through the day without an empty stomach. Once, they both found him furled up in the bathroom and they had their lunch there just to make sure he wasn’t alone. That’s another thing he’s scared of

His favorite candy flavor is blue raspberry

Hope these are good!!

[tsumusangxl]

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chapter five ʚ [the denial]

pairing ʚ Hinata Shoyou x f!Reader x Iwaizumi Hajime

warnings ʚ Iwa's pov, not checked for mistakes, slight swearing, denial of feelings

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The hum of the city filled Iwa’s ears as he stepped off the train, hands stuffed into his jacket pockets. The crisp bite of autumn lingered in the air, sending leaves skittering across the pavement with every gust of wind. He wasn’t one for nostalgia, but there was something comforting about being back in Japan—like slipping on a well-worn hoodie you’d forgotten you owned.

Tonight wasn’t about nostalgia, though. It was about catching up with Mattsun and Makki. Their group chats were always lively, but seeing them in person had become a rare treat over the past few years. Life had pulled them in different directions—work, cities, even countries in Iwa’s case—but somehow, they always found their way back to moments like this.

As he rounded the corner, he spotted the bar, its faint golden glow spilling onto the street. It wasn’t the kind of place they’d have picked in high school—too grown-up, too polished—but it worked. They weren’t kids anymore, after all.

Iwa pushed the door open, the warmth of the room hitting him first, followed by the hum of conversation and the clinking of glasses. He scanned the booths, searching for familiar faces, until he spotted Mattsun already seated, nursing a beer and scrolling through his phone.

“Early, huh?” Iwa raised an eyebrow as he slid into the booth. “Who are you, and what have you done with the real Mattsun?”

Mattsun looked up, his usual lazy grin spreading across his face. “Funny. I could say the same about you. Didn’t expect you to show up on time, Mr. California Dreaming.”

“Guess LA didn’t mess with my sense of punctuality,” Iwa shot back, shrugging off his jacket.

“Makki’s going to have a field day with that one.”

“Speaking of,” Iwa said, glancing toward the door, “where is he?”

As if on cue, the door swung open, and Makki strode in, his usual mischievous energy practically radiating off him.

“Sorry, sorry,” Makki said, plopping down next to Mattsun. “Traffic was terrible. And by traffic, I mean I didn’t feel like leaving my couch until five minutes ago.”

Iwa rolled his eyes. “Some things never change.”

“And thank God for that,” Makki said with a grin, flagging down a server. “Alright, let’s hear it. Who’s got the most interesting life these days?”

Makki leaned back, stretching his arms out. “Mattsun, let’s start with you. How’s the coffee shop going?”

“Coffee shop?” Iwa raised an eyebrow. “I thought you worked at the funeral home. Did I miss something?”

Mattsun shook his head. “Not anymore.” He took a leisurely sip of his beer. “Miyu and I started talking about opening our own business after college, but we couldn’t make it happen right away.”

“So you worked at the funeral home to save up some money?” Iwa asked, taking a sip of his drink. “Damn, Mattsun. Never saw that coming. Mr. Entrepreneur.”

“Imagine him yelling at the baristas about latte art,” Makki chimed in. “This life already sounds pathetic.”

“Nah,” Mattsun said, waving Makki off. “I’ll leave that to Miyu. I just make sure the money flows and the customers don’t riot when someone screws up their macchiato.”

“Macchiato,” Makki repeated, like the word was foreign to him. “Who even orders that stuff? What happened to plain old coffee?”

“It’s called taste, Makki. Maybe try developing some.”

Iwa laughed, shaking his head. “You two are exactly the same. Anyway, what about you, Makki? Still looking for a job?”

“Hell nah, man,” Makki replied proudly. “I’ve started freelancing. Got some gigs editing videos for mid-tier influencers. It’s not glamorous, but better than being unemployed. Plus, I can work in my pajamas.”

“So… no change from high school, basically,” Mattsun deadpanned.

Makki shrugged. “Hey, I’m happy. Besides, I don’t need to third-wheel you and Miyu anymore.”

Iwa chuckled, leaning forward. “You guys are hopeless. Meanwhile, I’m over here trying to make it as a trainer.”

“Yeah, yeah, Mr. Gym Rat,” Makki teased. “How’s that going? Adjusting to Tokyo life?”

“It’s good. Different, but good,” Iwa said. “I started as a trainer assistant for the Tokyo Great Bears. It’s nothing major, but it’s a foot in the door.”

“Dude, that’s not ‘nothing,’” Mattsun said, looking genuinely impressed. “You’re working for a pro team. That’s huge.”

“Yeah, but it’s a grind,” Iwa admitted. “I’ve got a lot to learn, but I’m hoping to work my way up in the next few years.”

“You will,” Makki said confidently. “You’ve always been the most determined out of all of us. No doubt you’ll be running the team before long.”

Iwa smirked. “Thanks for the vote of confidence. We’ll see.”

Makki raised his glass. “Alright, here’s to Mattsun’s coffee empire, my pajama freedom, and Iwa climbing the ranks of pro volleyball.”

They clinked their glasses, a comfortable silence settling over them before Makki’s grin turned mischievous.

“So,” he began, leaning forward, “speaking of volleyball… anyone heard from the old gang?”

Mattsun groaned. “Here we go.”

“What? It’s been ages!” Makki said defensively. “I mean, Kyoutani’s still semi-pro, right? Anyone know if he’s still terrifying his teammates?”

“More like terrifying his opponents,” Iwa said with a smirk. “Last I heard, he’s doing well. Finally found a coach who knows how to handle him.”

“Small miracle,” Mattsun muttered. “What about Kindaichi? Is he still playing?”

“He’s with the Tamaden Elephants,” Iwa said. “Pretty steady career path for him.”

Makki snickered. “Can’t say the same for Watari, though. Did you know he’s working at the Kanagawa Aquarium now?”

“For real?” Mattsun asked, raising an eyebrow. “What’s he doing there? Dolphin wrangling?”

“Something like that,” Makki said, laughing. “And Yahaba? Last I heard, he’s a sports instructor now.”

“Figures,” Mattsun said with a shrug. “Always had that bossy streak.”

Makki’s grin widened as he leaned forward again. “Alright, last one. Shittykawa. What’s our favorite drama king up to?”

“Still in Argentina, still Oikawa,” Iwa said, shaking his head. “Signed another contract and is as smug as ever.”

“Of course he is,” Mattsun said, laughing. “Bet he sends you highlights of every match he wins.”

“Every. Single. One,” Iwa said with mock exasperation. “And don’t even get me started on the selfies.”

Makki burst out laughing. “Some things never change.”

“Nope,” Iwa said, raising his glass again. “And honestly? I’m okay with that.”

Makki leaned back, swirling his drink with a sly grin. “Alright, enough volleyball talk. Iwa, what’s the deal with you and Y/N?”

Iwa nearly choked on his beer. “What?”

“Oh, come on,” Mattsun chimed in, smirking. “Makki’s right. You’ve been glued to your phone every time we talk. And don’t think we didn’t notice the notifications lighting up during that chat about Oikawa.”

“Yeah,” Makki added, leaning in dramatically. “Spill. Who is she to you?”

“She’s just a friend,” Iwa said quickly, his tone firm but his ears betraying him with a faint pink hue.

“Oh, it’s definitely not just that,” Mattsun said with a chuckle.

Makki tilted his head, mockingly serious. “A friend, huh? Like the kind of friend you’d drive all the way to Osaka to meet?”

His stomach twisted uncomfortably. It had been days since she’d told him about her run-in with Hinata. He wasn’t sure what bothered him more: the fact that she’d been hurt again, or how badly he wanted to protect her from it all.

“She’s… different, okay? We met through a mutual friend. That’s it,” Iwa said, trying to keep his tone neutral.

“Different,” Mattsun echoed, his voice dripping with mock sincerity. “Wow, Makki, did you hear that? She’s different.”

“Totally different,” Makki agreed, nodding solemnly. “Definitely not the kind of girl you’d cross cities for, huh?”

Iwa groaned, running a hand through his hair. “Would you two shut up?”

It wasn’t a lie. She was different. From the first time they talked online, there’d been an ease between them, like they’d known each other for years. When she opened up about her past, about the wreckage Hinata had left behind, something in him had shifted. He wanted to be there for her—not because of romance. Or at least, he told himself it wasn’t about that. It was about trust. Respect.

Mattsun leaned back, crossing his arms. “Alright, fine. We’ll back off. But seriously, man, you’re dodging the question. Is there anything there, or are we imagining things?”

Iwa hesitated, fingers drumming lightly on the table. “She’s been through a lot. I’m just trying to be there for her, that’s all.”

Makki’s teasing grin softened, though the playful edge remained. “That’s sweet, Iwa. But you didn’t actually answer the question.”

“There’s nothing to answer,” Iwa said, too quickly. “She’s my friend. End of story.”

Because that’s all she could be, right? Anything more would be too messy. Too selfish. She didn’t need complications, not after everything she’d been through. And maybe he didn’t either.

“Right, right,” Mattsun said, exchanging a knowing look with Makki. “Whatever you say.”

Makki grinned, clearly unconvinced but willing to let it go—for now. “Alright, but when you need tips on how to confess your undying love, you know where to find us.”

“Or better yet,” Mattsun added, “just let us know when the wedding is so we can book our flights.”

Iwa shook his head, chuckling despite himself. “You two are impossible.”

“And you’re terrible at denying things,” Makki said, laughing. “But hey, that’s why we love you.”

As the conversation shifted to lighter topics, Iwa found himself distracted. His thoughts circled back to her. Maybe they weren’t entirely wrong. But whatever feelings he had, they were his to carry alone.

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notes ʚ

ʚ miyu is mattsun's girlfriend since high school

ʚ makki finally found a job but I think it will definitely change in the future

ʚ the career change for mattsun was a random thought

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next ʚ chapter six

previous ʚ chapter four

ʚ masterlist

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taglist ʚ @jojo23allegra @mjustag1rl @dazqa @gigiiiiislife

[setmeatopthepyre]

Bucktommy breakup (arc) mix

I started making this playlist pretty much right after 8x06 in order to cope with all the feelings, first just throwing together some songs, later structuring them into their own little emotional arc. Prepare for all the stages of grief but with a generous sprinkle of love, more than a few winks, nods and references, and a dash of hope for reconciliation at the end. Song list with lyric highlights below. Bon appetit!

(There's a couple of references and half-jokes hidden here and there, so let me know if you catch those. Also if you're curious at all about any of my choices or why a certain song is included, please ask me. I love yapping about this shit and have 100% overthought this playlist a million times.)

--

Built to Break (Glitterfox) - Every thread is bound to fray / I can't outrun the ending

if this was a movie.. (Kacey Musgraves) - If this was a movie / You'd run up the stairs / You'd hold my face / Say we're being stupid / And we'd fall back into place

Plain Sailing Weather (Frank Turner) - This was supposed to be easy / I found the one damn person to help me fall asleep in the night

Smalltown Boy [Bronski Beat cover] (Orville Peck) - But the answers you seek will never be found at home / The love that you need will never be found at home / Run away, turn away, run away, turn away

Scared (Joywave) - I wanna touch you but I'm scared / I really love you though, I swear / I had another nightmare / Covered in sweat and unprepared / I woke and you weren't there

La da da (Glitterfox) - I don't know what to say / My head gets in the way / I don't know what to feel / Only learned to conceal

Let Me Drown (Orville Peck) - I swear there's good things that are coming your way / And I can't be the one left here, dragging you down

Stick Season (Noah Kahan) - I thought that if I piled something good on all my bad / That I could cancel out the darkness I inherited from dad / Now I'm no longer funny 'cause I miss the way you laugh / You once called me forever, now you still can't call me back

Why Would You Be Loved (Hozier) - It's only said to be kind, the time that you have with love / You're never told, but you're loaned it // Why would you play it all on something as hollow as trust? / What if you gave it all to find that it wasn't enough?

San Andreas (Louise Burns) - The San Andreas fault line tells me stories from below / California misery in this angel town of gold

Feels Like a Lie (Joywave) - It'd be human to let it go someday / But I've got it stored above my rib cage

camera roll (Kacey Musgraves) - Chronological order and nothing but torture / Scroll too far back, that's what you get / I don't wanna see 'em but I can't delete 'em / It just doesn't feel right yet

How Far Will We Take It? (Orville Peck & Noah Cyrus) - I tried to love you, just couldn't break through / No getting used to living without you / 'Cause I've been waiting, don't wanna waste it / We're all alone now, how far will we take it?

Black Treacle (Arctic Monkeys) - And I tried last night to pack away your laugh / Like a key under the mat / But it never seems to be there when you want it

Recovery (Frank Turner) - I know you are a cynic, but I think I can convince you / Broken people can get better if they really want to / Or at least that's what I have to tell myself if I am hoping to survive

We Are All We Need (Joywave) - I was a boy who kept a list of everybody who wouldn't let me in / Sense of humor now about it / But there's a jadedness where love should have been

No Such Thing (Sara Bareilles) - Thin air, you're out there in it somewhere / If I could only get there / I could breathe again // I've tried to get over you / But I think there's no such thing

First Time (Hozier) - Before I heard it from your mouth / My name would always hit my ears as such an awful sound

Ever You're Gone (Orville Peck & Teddy Swims) - This anxious heart of mine / Gets me in and out of trouble so many times / And I keep losing pieces each time I try / I burned enough bridges to light my way home

Wanna Be Loved (The Red Clay Strays) - I just wanna be loved / I've been afraid and I've been alone / Sometimes I need someone to pick up the phone / I'm tired of leaving / I need a home

Timefighter (Lucy Dacus) - And I fought time / It won in a landslide

No Witnesses (Keaton Henson) - So I wrote down a list of all the things / We've never spoken of / And I wrote "Man, I hate Los Angeles" / And I've never been in love

Love is a Laserquest (Arctic Monkeys) - When I'm hanging on by the rings around my eyes / And I convince myself I need another / For a minute, it gets easier to pretend that you were just some lover

Haven't Been Doing So Well (Frank Turner) - And if self-loathing was a sport I'd be Muhammad Ali / 'Cause I can sting like a butterfly and sink like a bee / But they don't hand out medals to monsters like me

787 Dreamliner (Joywave) - I'm feeling dizzy just from the view / Got another six lives to lose / Before my final descent is through / Before I find my way back to you

Hot & Heavy (Lucy Dacus) - When I went away, it was the only option / Couldn't trust myself to proceed with caution / The most that I could give to you is nothing at all / The best that I could offer was to miss your calls

Burning House (Cam) - I had a dream about a burning house / You were stuck inside / I couldn't get you out / Laid beside you and pulled you close / And the two of us went up in smoke

Don't Keep Driving (The Paper Kites) The distance between us is half of this city / Don't keep on driving, let me say something / There's nothing wrong with a little space / But not right now, don't leave / Don't push me away

On Board (Alana Henderson & Joshua Burnside) - And if you came on board / I know you'd scan for the safety of a lighthouse blink / Any port in a storm, love / You promise you won't falter / But I know I've seen men sink

I Know (King Princess & Fiona Apple) - You can use my skin / To bury secrets in / And I will settle you down

Canyon (JOSEPH) - Take me to your darkest corner / Show me what you're trying to hide / I've got a little fear / But it's the reverent kind

Back At Your Door (Orville Peck & Debbii Dawson) - I'm sure the deadbolt's turned / But baby, if it weren't / I'd come quiet up the staircase / Slip into your arms / Like I was never gone

Watchman (Gregory Alan Isakov) - So take me however I seem to be / Haunted, I know

Francesca (Hozier) - My life was a storm since I was born / How could I fear any hurricane?

Noise in My Head (spookyghostboy) - Sit in the dark for a while / Look for your name on my phone / My thumb hovers over the button / It rings and you say, "Hello"

Orpheus (Sara Bareilles) - Don't stop trying to find me here amidst the chaos / Though I know it's blinding, there's a way out

Late To You (Keaton Henson) - All these years of running / Of running away / I've been looking for something / For something to feel this way

The Way I Tend To Be (Frank Turner) - But then I remember you / And the way you shine like truth in all you do

Saint Honesty (Sara Bareilles) - We're collecting evidence / Of one remarkable storm / How wild it was to find it, finally feel the climate / Instead of only staying dry and warm