#they're fun to contemplate

[bluerose5]

If I start writing Gale x Anders, I'm blaming discord.

[crossbackpoke-check]

blessed be (lorscher bienensegen) | telling the bees (wiþ ymbe)

"Bees" [remixed, abridged], Claudia Emerson // "Letter to Someone Living Fifty Years from Now" [remixed. abridged], Matthew Olzmann // "Letter to my Great, Great Grandchild" [remixed, abridged], J.P. Grasser | Len Redkole, Nina Weiss, Brian Babineau, Christian Peterson, Mitchell Leff, Dave Isaac, Megan DeRuchie

[merakiui]

🐙 Azul's tentacle anon

Oughhh i read ur fem riddle fic and OUGHGHGH ITS SO DELICIOUS now i have some brainrots about party animal floyd shhssh

Party Animal Floyd who starts developing his obsession the moment your romantic love for him starts fading away. You're already becoming distant from him, and once he noticed this, his entire personality starts doing a 360 spin.

Jade's so gentle and caring always holding you close to his chest whilst the old Floyd just leaves you around for anybody to take, not giving a single damn to the point you start wondering if you had dated the wrong twin, Floyd will fix that. He stops his partying antics and had the entire apartment go from a messy waste-filled ruin to a sparkling white mansion devoid of any stains. He's doing all the chores for you, he starts cooking breakfast early and he starts joining you in the morning shower, trying his hardest to replicate his brother's gentlemanly mannerisms.

Riddle's so serious about relationships and expressed to be loyal forever to her partner, unlike the old Floyd who sticks his dick into one girl to another, leaving you to rot in his room tears streaming down your cheeks and tuining your beautiful mascara. He will fix that, no matter what. He gets a job at a close friend's now successful cafe, ditches all of his side chicks and ghosts his delinquent pimp friends, where the only pussy he would stick his dick inside from now on is yours.

If you leave him, he'd just end up spiralling into a deep dark place, depraved of your sweet loving attention

OMG YES AAAAAAAA,,,,, your thoughts are so good!!!! Floyd absolutely puts in the work once he's made up his mind to be a better boyfriend. It's like he's an entirely new person. Suddenly, you're no longer transparent in his eyes. Suddenly, you're all he wants to see. Now you're his entire world. <3 sure, he may have borrowed some of Jade's rizz techniques in doing so, but he's quite the upstanding eel now (still just as crass, though. He will forever be foul-mouthed and unruly and untamed; that's just how he is hehe).

What if the café job Floyd picks up is at the same place Riddle works? :0 maybe it's a branch of Mostro Lounge or something else entirely and the only reason he's able to get in with his spotty resume is because Azul owns the place and he can pull all kinds of strings. Floyd's genuinely determined to turn things around, so Azul does him a favor (which he will pay back in due time, of course) and now Floyd's donning an apron to work in the kitchen as sous-chef. Riddle nearly walks back out the door the day she sees him standing behind the counter. T_T she's certain the world is against her. What sin must she atone for? Is this how hell punishes its sinners now, by sending stupid, annoying, ugly eels to her workplace and conveniently disguising them as coworkers? If it isn't obvious, she is Floyd's biggest hater LOL.

I like to think that Floyd, though he pesters Riddle and annoys the life out of her, would vaguely and briefly confide in her and ask what sorts of things girls like. Riddle puts two and two together and figures out rather fast that he's trying to make it up to you. Obviously she can't let that happen. She just started wedging herself between you and Floyd, making you question your feelings for him, and now he's trying to be better? He had four years to do that! She's so annoyed. >:(

Now you have an obsessed boyfriend and an obsessed friend who wants to take the place of boyfriend vying for your attention. Meanwhile, you're mourning to your bestie Jade about Floyd and his disloyal behavior like, "Why is he so sex-brained? Why doesn't he just like me for me? What's so good about parties and sex with strangers anyway?" and Jade is a persistence predator, so of course he's taking full advantage of your emotional vulnerability and weaknesses to slip in between the cracks in your heart, slowly but surely getting even closer to you. :)

[shmorp-mcdurgen]

Whitepine Protective Services personnel, equipped with what they need to help mitigate Shadow infestations before they spread.

Scouts are assigned with searching reported infestation sites, or "hives", equipped with lights to help see where they're going, and dissuade any attacks. They then report back to their superiors any and all information on the location, and if it warrants it, the exterminators are brought in.

Equipped with a flamethrower, Exterminators are tasked with destroying the hive, burning the building down along with it in certain cases. However, these burnings are completely controlled, being supervised by the Whitepine Fire Department.

[bacchuschucklefuck]

the never stop blowing up vhs is where cute twinks go to get harmed

[gryffneedsabreak]

oc concept: lucerra velaryon & elaenor targaryen

lucerra is the younger sister of corlys velaryon. in her youth, she served as a lady-in-waiting to princess elaenor, the second child and only daughter of prince baelon and princess alyssa. the two were close friends, until the princess was arranged by her grandfather, king jaehaerys, to marry lord borros baratheon in a bid to keep the alliance strong. upon eleanor's wedding, lucerra renounced her position as a lady-in-waiting, and returned to driftmark, where she remained unmarried, as a part of her brother's household. many a match were offered for her, as she was a most eligible lady, but she refused every one.

the women came across each other often enough at coronations and weddings and the like, but whatever happened between them that made lucerra renounce her position before elaenor's nuptials seemed to always hang over them. when the targaryen civil war breaks out, lucerra and elaenor find themselves on different sides of the war, as elaenor remains at her husband's side, while lucerra is a staunch ally to her brother, the sea-snake. will their old affection for each other prevent even further tragedies from falling on their houses?

[orphiicheartd]

Considering making an oc of Ace's big bro hmmm...

[cinnabar-cemetery]

rewatching laid-back camp was a good idea… camping is not for me, but this anime still makes me crave going outside, travelling, exploring new places and enjoying the slower moments with good food and a nice book, especially during the cold seasons.

[jessicas-pi]

I conducted a vote on which fic snippet to share, and you chose the shipfic I'm writing out of spite!

(Sooo, just for a little context: this is from a short fic set in the same setting as my main Medieval AU, but not in the same universe/continuity as my main Medieval AU. Kinda like what SW Legends is to canon, yknow?)

---

“I’m the PRINCESSSSS!”

Ahsoka’s flailing arm nearly hit Rex in the face, but he dodged, and caught her around the middle, stopping her tipsy swaying. “Yes, Your Highness, we know.”

She threw an arm around his neck and squished her cheek against his pauldron. “I’m prettyyyyy.”

“If you insist, Princess.”

“Do you think I’m pretty?”

She swerved wildly, and he redirected her. “It would be unseemly for me to answer that, Princess.”

“Seemly. Seeeeeemly. Stupid Seemley Ress,” she said, slurring his name, then trying to correct herself. “Stupid Seemly Ress. Resss. Ressss! My tongue’sss not workin’, Ress!”

“So I hear.”

“I’m pretty. And I’m strong.”

“As everyone knows.”

“And I’m tall!”

“Acknowledged.”

“And I’m orange!”

“Correct.”

“AND I’m… I’mma walk on my own now!”

She shoved him away and took two wobbly steps forward before he had to catch her again.

“I can do it!” she whined. “I’m a lady. I’m twen’ny yearssss ol’. I can walk!”

She very clearly could not, so with a sigh, Rex bent over and lifted her completely, carrying her down the hallway. “All due respect, ladies do not get sloshed at formal dinners.”

“Isss no’ my fault,” she muttered. “Issstupid Korkie’s fault.”

“Right,” Rex said, ignoring her and the looks he was getting. Mostly sympathetic ones; everyone knew the Princess was trouble and was used to her getting into worse predicaments than this.

“Korkie says you liiiiike me,” she continued, singsongy. “He says you’re—you’re not sssaying an’thin ‘bout it cause of, uh. Uhhhhh. Clones! People don’t like you. Stupid people don’t. Good people do. Korkie says I like you.”

“That would be surprising, considering the amount of complaining you do whenever I’m around,” Rex deadpanned.

[cathymee]

promised myself that i'm gonna fix up my notes from last sy so i can share it with upcoming humss students but i also keep going 'but what's the point'

[evilpenguinrika]

i love creating kid OCs of my favourite ships

[ayyy-imma-ninja]

Thank You, LAES...

The past couple weeks have been rather emotional as I watched each day tick by until today finally came when it was time for goodbyes, and even now it's still a little hard to believe. It's been a wild year and a half.

Huge thanks to Kat and Reed for bringing these characters to life, for making us laugh, cry, contemplate moral choices, and telling such amazing stories. While this chapter ends, it only means more will come elsewhere. Y'all have well deserved this break, and I look forward to seeing whatever projects you pursue in the future!

That being said, they're not the only ones saying goodbye to LAES.

I don't intend to make this a huge thing at all but figured it would be fair that I go ahead and say this now because I know people will ask later: going forward, I won't be one of LAES's main thumb artists. I've stepped down.

I wasn't fired or let go, this is a decision I've made of my own volition.

It's been insanely fun, but I've grown more and more tired and drained from the consistent uploads. On top of a really recent mental decline spurred by a variety of reasons, I just haven't had the drive anymore. I'm tired, and I miss my own personal projects. I will still help out with the other shows as a backup artist for things when asked, so I'm not completely gone. But as for LAES, I'm done.

This really wasn't an easy decision; grappled with it for a good while, shed many tears over it, but I gotta put myself first.

I can never thank Kat or Reed enough for this amazing opportunity and allowing me to contribute to the story in such a small way by bringing it to life with the thumbs and character designs. I will surely miss it with all my heart.

So thank you LAES, for everything...

and goodbye. <3

[thinkingofausername]

imagine being jason todd's friend.

he's big, protective, handy. he's got that messy hair with the streak and he's stupidly sexy when he smiles. god forbid laughs. he's sarcastic and sassy. his sense of humor is so ridiculous sometimes. he's incredibly smart. always ready to act, never holds back. he's loyal. he's incredibly caring, though he shows it in peculiar ways. he'd take a bullet for you any day, do you any favor, though he'll bitch about it for fun. if anyone lays a finger on you? they're gone.

imagine him sprawled on the couch, resting after a mission, dead tired, his voice croaky and rumbly in the best way, his hair messy from the helmet. imagine him fixing his bike, his hands working expertly, wielding tools with ease, some oil on his hands and/or face. imagine him being attentive at all times and putting his hands between your body and the edge of something so you don't bump into it. imagine him doing favors and not even telling you because that's just his way of showing he cares. imagine him being soft with kids and animals, dispersing fears. imagine him referencing books, giving you annotated ones, containing jokes he knew you'd laugh or scoff at.

his life is full of adrenaline, danger and confrontation but he'd never hurt you. it would destroy him if he lashed out. he wouldn't be above resembling a sad puppy if your friendship was at stake. so many of his relationships are shaky, filled with miscommunication and violence - if he had a stable friendship he would NOT allow himself to lose it. even though he'd consider himself a danger and contemplate distancing himself for your good, he doesn't truly want to be alone.

he messes with you all the time but you'd never doubt his respect for you. he'd support you in whatever you pursued.

he leaves the charm and dazzle to dick "pretty boy" grayson but the man is FINE. imagine him leaving the shower with just a towel, his muscles and scars on display. it's questionable whether he's comfortable in his own body but i feel like he's not fully aware of the impact he has.

imagine being his friend and attempting to resist falling in love.

[northopalshore]

Rising signs in the Groom Persona Chart: Their features

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The rising sign in your GPC tells you about your future spouse's appearance, physical attributes and how they present themselves. Picture it like reading their birth chart lol.

୨୧ Please do not repost without consent ʕ⁠´⁠•⁠ᴥ⁠•⁠`⁠ʔฅ🔉

In the signs & degrees:

♰ Aries (1°, 13°, 25°):

Your future spouse could have very angular features, perhaps their eyes could be sharp or very striking. They could have an eager look to them, or they could look like a kid in a way. You could think that they're impatient or they may like to rush things a lot. They could have a great physique or look very hot. They could wear a lot of gym clothes, tight fitting outfits or just athletic wear in general. Either a dork (Maximilian Goof aka Goofy's son lol) or a gym rat.

♰ Taurus (2°, 14°, 26°):

They will dress very comfortably, while still looking extravagant. They could look sophisticated and very, very attractive i.e perfect smile, perfect teeth. They could be taller or heavier than you. They will be very calm, down to earth and put together. They could have a well built physique, and tough body.

♰ Gemini (3°, 15°, 27°):

They could have a slender face, pale skin and a narrow stature. They will look very expressive when they start talking, but have a rather dull resting face lol. They could look rather breezy if that makes sense. Not one to wear anything too fitted. They could have great facial symmetry. Something about their teeth will be very prominent i.e straight or very white.

♰ Cancer (4°, 16°, 28°):

They could have very soft, rounded features. Doe eyes. They could have a slight glow to their face and their eyes. Curvy body, soft lips. They could wear a lot of baggy or vintage looking clothes. They could gain weight quite easily. They will look kind and mellow. They could have a very inviting smile.

♰ Leo (5°, 17°, 29°):

Gorgeous hair, and that face card doesn't decline. They will love dressing in old Hollywood vintage clothing, old money or loud and expensive. They could have very wavy or curly hair that will catch anyone's attention. They also have a slight cocky look to them. They are attractive, and god do they know it.

♰ Virgo (6°, 18°):

They are usually very petite/short and frail looking. They could look compacted but not aggressively so. They will look very clean and polished. There will not be a single speck of dust on them nor will you spot an unironed spot on their clothing. They will love wearing comfortable yet elegant looking clothes. You'll notice they tend to lean on a specific silhouette or colour that they like.

♰ Libra (7°, 19°):

" They have the face of an angel and the body of a greek god" Beautiful. Elegant and gentle. Looking at them will leave you at a daze. They look good and know exactly how to dress for their body. All of their facial features blend in harmoniously, could have a symmetrical face too. Oval faces, bright eyes, pretty smile.

♰ Scorpio (8°, 20):

Usually, they will have very striking eyes. They could have eye bags or just darkened eyes in general. Like virgo, they could love to stare at you lol. Every feature they have will accentuate their eyes. They are very attractive ( s*xually) , everything about them will be sensual and seductive.

♰ Sagittarius (9°, 21°):

There could be a significant size difference between you. They could have very long legs, curly or fluffy hair, and animated facial features. They will look very charming, but goofy in a way. One look at them and you know they're somebody fun to be around. They could laugh a lot and look stoic (contemplating) at times.

♰ Capricorn (10°, 22°):

They could look very cold or uninviting. He could have a very relaxed yet also somewhat stern look on their face even with neutral emotions. They could look very mature, their eyebrows could often be furrowed lol. They could have very prominent bone structures i.e nose, hollow or defined cheek bones. They could look very "boney" in general lol. Very masculine.

♰ Aquarius (11°, 23°):

They could be very tall or slender. Their heads and arms could be quite prominent something about them will catch a lot of stray eyes. They likely have features that are rebellious in nature. They could have odd hairstyles/ colours (especially) or tattoos or piercings. They could dress very.. exotically? Strange? Their fashion style could be quite questionable to say the least but never are they boring to look at.

♰ Pisces (12°, 24°):

They will have very sad, sultry looking eyes that look almost sympathetic 24/7. They will seem like they're not really "there" with you i.e lost in thought or deep contemplation. They will have very rounded features. Their cheeks could look very puffy or rounded when they smile. You could think that they're too good to be true. Their skin could have a greyish undertone, almost like the moon is beneath their skin.

Note: If there are conflicting signs of their appearance for example you have Virgo rising (small, petite) in 2° Taurus (bigger, heavier) then it means your fs is considered large for a virgo i.e.gains weight easily, and are very well built or muscular while still not being overly built (lean).

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*** entertainment only, reader discretion is advised***

Thank you for reading ♡

@northopalshore

@northopalshore groom persona chart 2024 all rights reserved. Disclaimer

[astrosamara]

Astrology Observations #7

Hi! Sorry I've been gone for so long. Life has been so busy and I've barely had any time to dedicate to astrology, but I'm planning to hopefully start posting a lot more regularly :) Enjoy!

💜People without Taurus or Libra placements in their chart can struggle with being original when it comes to fashion, design, and beauty. It's not that they don't value these things, but they feel like they need a lot of inspo before developing their personal aesthetics. This can come a lot more naturally for Taurus and Libra placements, who are ruled by Venus.

💜A lack of fire placements in the chart can result in really struggling with motivation and drive. Laziness and passiveness can be a problem. Fire dominant people tend to approach issues, obstacles or dreams head on with little contemplation time. I've noticed this the most with Aries moons, where impulsiveness can be both a challenge and a benefit in achieving goals.

💜Pisces and Sagittarius risings/Jupiter in the 1st can come across as wise teachers, yet they can be a little bit too preachy over their beliefs and believe that if everyone just listened to them and followed their advice, life would be better lol. Also, people with these placements often find that others naturally come to them for advice and appreciate their wisdom.

💜I love north node conjunct AC synastry. The north node person can view the AC person as representing an absolute ideal, someone they really admire and aspire to be. They may feel they don't yet have the confidence to step into that energy, but the AC person's influence can really help them build that confidence and step into their true selves.

💜I'm not sure if this is an unpopular opinion, but I absolutely love to see sun/venus/mars placements in opposition in marriages. I've seen so many successful and happy marriages with this synastry. There can be this very supportive and balancing energy between them. I haven't seen this as often with opposite moon signs though, as this sensitive energy can create differences in emotional needs that are more challenging to navigate romantically.

💜Jupiter in the 11th tend to receive so much luck and blessings in their life through their friendships. Very optimistic friends. They can also just really benefit from being a part of groups in general. Also, a great placement for gaining a large following online.

💜Uranus in the 6th are people who NEED variety and uniqueness in their daily lives. There could be something about their routines that are unusual and exciting. Also, these are the people that always seem to have something strange or odd happening to them. They always have a new story to tell you about something weird that happened to them recently.

💜I've seen so many people experience sudden major career changes when Uranus transited over their MC. It tends to be a very electric and exciting time in their career and reputation overall.

💜Natal mercury retrograde people can overcommunicate a lot because they don't want there to be any room for potential miscommunication or misunderstanding.

💜I can't emphasize enough how important it is to dive deep into your moon and north node placements if you're feeling lost and unfulfilled. This is where you'll find your happiness and purpose. Of course, looking at the entire birth chart is always important, but I've had the most success with these two placements when it comes to these life areas.

💜If someone has their Jupiter in your 5th, this person can be someone who really lights you up and makes you feel more creative and childlike. Just being around them feels so fun and good. You enjoy doing a lot of the same hobbies together.

💜Capricorn/Saturn in the 12th have such intense subconscious fears of failure. These fears can even pop up in their dreams a lot. They can find themselves working so hard without really stopping to question why they're working so hard. They can also take their work very seriously. The type to never take time off work.

💜I don't think I've ever met a Taurus sun I didn't like. Just so down to earth and honest. They don't have time for games or putting on a facade. Their authenticity is so admirable to me as a Scorpio. They're one of the few signs where I don't find myself questioning what they say or do. This is also true for a lot of Taurus risings as well. It's just so easy to be myself around them.

💜Mars trine Neptune people have a beautiful harmony between their dreams and their drive. They're great at turning their fantasies into reality. Incredible at manifesting. On the other hand, Saturn square Neptune people have a hard time blending the two. They struggle constantly between diving fully into their dreams or limiting themselves to a more restrictive reality.

[himbosandhardwear]

It's a stupid fucking scheme, and he never would've gone along with it if he was sober, but she really didn't give him much time to contemplate it, she just shoved him into the pantry and yelled for Eddie to come into the kitchen.

Now he's got his head pressed against the slats while Rob asks Eddie if he thinks Steve is cute. Like they're in the fifth grade.

“Uhh,” Eddie drawls, clearly confused and put on the spot.

“C'mon,” she coaxes, “you can tell me, gay to lesbian solidarity.”

That's terrible, using that to weasel the information out of him.

“I mean…sure, I guess he's alright,” Eddie admits. “He's not really my type though.”

Oh.

Well…that's…fine.

“Seriously?” Rob asks like she doesn't believe him. “You don't think he's hot?”

“I wouldn't kick him out of bed for eating crackers, but, yeah, seriously. Not my thing. He's too…I don't know, high maintenance or something. I like my guys a little more, like, dingy.”

Steve nods to himself in understanding. He should've seen that coming but he hadn't. It's sobering.

Robin isn't finished arguing her case, the beautiful idiot. “Steve's dingy!” She yells, making Eddie laugh. “He is! He's plenty dingy! And he has other fine qualities! Like, uh, loyalty! And being helpful!”

“Are you trying to set me up with your painfully straight best friend or a golden retriever?”

“Steve's not-”

“Okay!” Steve shouts, bursting out of the pantry, yes he understands the irony, with both hands waving. “This was fun but let's wrap it up.”

Eddie stares at him, wide-eyed, but it quickly melts into anger. “What the fuck, Buckley? What kind of weird, pointless ambush is this?”

“It wasn't pointless, you fucking troglodyte. If you were paying attention-”

“Rob.” Steve didn't mean for his voice to do that but it has the intended effect. She clamps her mouth shut and pouts. “Sorry,” he says to both of them. To Eddie, “Seriously, it was a stupid idea. We're both drunk and being stupid, just forget this happened.”

Unfortunately, it doesn't look as though Eddie is going to forget any time soon. In fact, it's more like he's studying them both for clues, the wheels turning despite the whiskey and weed gumming them up.

Steve's about to turn tail and run when the lightbulb goes off. Eddie doesn't look like he believes the conclusion he's come to but he's figured it out nonetheless. “Wait. No. Seriously? No way.”

His eyeballs are aching. He pushes against them, causing starbursts behind the eyelids. “Can we please not do this?” He begs.

Eddie sputters. “If this is me finding out you're queer, Steve Harrington, then yes, we most certainly are!” He looks at Robin but she's stonewalling him in solidarity.

The fact that neither of them has said anything to the contrary is damning enough. Steve might as well have ‘bisexual’ tattooed across his forehead.

“Holy shit.” Eddie snatches Robin by the wrist, she tries to wrestle her way out but he's jangling her about like a rag doll. “Holy shit! You were trying to set us up! Holy shit!”

“Let go, asshole! You ruined it, remember?”

He does let her go, so he can stare at Steve in horror. “No! Fuck! Steve, I was bullshitting! I was lying my ass off, I swear!” He tries to round the corner of the island but Steve moves to keep it between them, unsure of this sudden development. Eddie stops when it's clear Steve isn't reciprocating.

They stare at each other until Robin breaks the awkward silence. “Prove it.”

Eddie shakes off the cobwebs. “Huh? I mean, how? I wasn't exactly doodling Mr Edward Harrington into my journals.”

She crosses her arms. “Then I guess we're done here.”

Steve doesn't point out that she's not actually in charge of this situation because it seems to motivate Eddie into action. He gives them the ‘one moment’ finger and then dashes outside.

“You believe him?” She mumbles.

“I don't know. At this point I'd probably settle for him looking to turn me into a bedpost notch.”

“Have some self-respect.”

“Nah.”

Eddie comes back, dragging Jeff by the arm.

“Tell him!” He shouts, finger pointed at Steve.

“Tell him what?”

“The thing that shall not be spoken.”

Jeff raises one eyebrow. “How am I supposed to-”

“Oh my god, just tell him.”

“No.”

Eddie blanches. “No? What do you mean, no?”

“You made me swear.”

“So?! I'm unswearing you! This is important! I need you to unfuck this situation, pronto! You can give him all the gory details, I don't give a fuck, just tell him!”

A gleam sparkles in Jeff's eye. “Every gory detail?”

Now Eddie, correctly wary, hesitates, glancing at Steve nervously. “Well, maybe not all-”

Jeff interrupts Eddie, turning fully toward Steve with, “Eddie is bananas in love with you. Probably has been since school, but it's gotten so much worse since this spring. I'd say seventy five percent of the songs he's written are about you. He's also got a fully fleshed out fantasy life involving you, including, but not limited to, five adopted Vietnamese kids, two cats and a dog.” He turns back to Eddie. “Can I go back outside now? Those hotdogs aren't going to eat themselves.”

Eddie, eyes closed, waves him away.

Before he's fully out of the kitchen, he turns and says, “Oh, also he has a VHS copy of one of your swim meets. Bought it off of some AV kid for sixty bucks.”

Steve's stomach, already roiling with excited nerves, erupts in butterflies.

Eddie does not notice this, head buried under crossed arms on the island.

“I think we've swung too far in the other direction,” Rob points out, oblivious to Steve's excitement. When she finally does notice, it's met with rolled eyes. “Of course you're into that. Absolute freaks, the both of you. You know what? Good. Take each other off the market. My job here is done.”

She hops off the stool and leaves them alone.

Eddie cautiously pokes his head up, sees Steve smiling at him and jolts up straight like a prairie dog. “You believe me?”

He wants to toy with him for a minute, a touch of revenge for the dismissal he made earlier. “What swim meet was it?” He asks, like a test.

Without missing a beat, Eddie answers, “March of ‘85. You beat some kid from West Jefferson by four seconds.”

Steve preens. Eddie isn't bullshitting, he really did beat that kid from West Jeff. Only someone who gave a shit to pay attention would know that off hand. The whiskey makes another appearance in his bloodstream, giving him the courage to lean over the counter, into Eddie's space.

“So…you like me?”

Eddie has this incredibly endearing habit of hiding behind his hair when he’s nervous, it takes Steve out at the knees every time he sees it. “I'm gonna be really pissed off if this is some convoluted prank but…yeah, man, I fucking like you. Romantically. In case that was in question.”

“Mmm,” Steve agrees. “What are our kids' names?”

Eddie closes his eyes against Steve's smug stare. “I hate Jeff so much.”

“I don't. I'll thank him at our wedding. Maybe we name one of the kids after him.”

When Eddie peeks at him, one eyed, Steve does his best to convey his amusement and fondness both.

His body goes lax, finally, at seeing Steve take all it seriously. “Okay, so I like the idea of all of them keeping their Vietnamese names, except one who we name James.”

“After Hetfield?”

“Can I kiss you?”

“Yes. Please.”

Some time later, after making out in the pantry for a while, Steve vetoes James, but only because he doesn't want the poor kid to grow up with a complex.

“We’ll call the dog Jimmy.”

“Cool.”