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hippiegoth97 · 28 days ago

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Into the Fire: An Eddie Munson x Reader Story Pt. 44

Collage by me :)

Master List

Part 43

Tag List: @keikoraven @ar-jupiter @alcielo1438 @cairro-xx @stolen-in-moonlight

@micheledawn1975 @janiejenn @rafescvntyclubgf @melodymunson @spacedoutdaydreamer

@veemoon @sariahs-stuff @feral-pumpkin-energy @comeonatmebruh @munsoneightysixx

@morgthemagpie @josephquinnsfreckles @jenniquinn @songbirdmunson @cometzombie

@spookybabey @daggerdaggerkitten @nina6708 @sanctumdemunson @yourdailymemedelivery

@person-005 @slowandsteddie @gri959 @elegantkoalapaper @letitgoandletlive

@loserboysandlithium @costellation-hunter @leelei1980 @h-ness1944 @pretendthisnameisclever

@ohmeg @stalactitekilla @hellfirenacht @birdysaturne @oneforthemunny

@prettyboyeddiemunson @eddievanmunson @msgexymunson @rattkween86 @violetpixiedust

@bimbobaggins69 @angel-munson @eldermayfield @munsonsbtch @losingmygrasponreality

@mediocredreams @bloodibambiidoll @taintedcigs @ali-r3n @emxxblog

Content Warning 18+ Only, Minors DNI: swearing, mention of anxiety, crying, fluff, smut, oral sex, fingering, masturbation, dirty talk, praise/degradation, sexual activities in public

Word Count: 8.5k

divider by @strangergraphics

Part 44: As the World Falls Down

Sunday, June 10th, 1990

"Morning, sugarpuff! Are you excited for your big day?" Mom asks softly as she gently shakes you awake in your bed. You'd stayed the night in your childhood home, along with your bridesmaids, to be able to get ready away from the boys. Last night was a bit of a blur, consisting of lots of last-minute preparation. You also did a couple trial runs of the ceremony at the venue of your choice, making sure everything will go smoothly this afternoon.

"Yeah, Mom. What time is it?" You reply groggily, rubbing your eyes. You sit up in bed, looking over at the clock. 9am, and the wedding is at noon. "Hey, Rob. Time to get up. We gotta eat and start getting ready." You nudge your maid of honor, who's currently drooling into her pillow on the other side of your bed. She groans, rolling over to turn away from you. "Robin, c'mon." You grab her shoulders, shaking her a bit more firmly.

"I'm up, I'm up. Jeez." Robin grumbles, not one for early mornings. She looks up at you with squinted eyes, blinking a few times to adjust to the morning light pouring through the window. "Morning, bride to be." She smiles once she registers that it's you waking her up, and not her parents.

"Morning, Rob." You smile back, the joy of what today will bring slowly starts to hit you.

"Breakfast is waiting, girls. I made muffins, bacon and eggs. You're gonna need all the energy you can get." Mom says, leaving you two alone to retrieve Nancy from Dustin's room.

You make a quick stop in the bathroom before joining the other women in the kitchen. A steaming plate of food is waiting for you at the dining table, a large glass of orange juice sat beside it. Robin, Nancy, Erica, and Mom sit around the table with you, the five of you eating quietly. There isn't much to say since you all had a bit of a sleepover last night. Your focus today is putting on your dresses, and getting your hair and makeup all set to go. The silence is content, without weight. Besides, you're all still kind of waking up from the long sleep you had. You're surprised you were able to rest at all, given your insides buzzing with excitement, and Robin kicking in her sleep.

You don't linger on your meal, anxious to start getting ready. You still have to steam the dresses so they're pristine and perfect. Your wedding gown in particular is going to be rather time consuming, as Angie managed to pull off something very special for you. One of her friends in Chicago happens to be an expert seamstress, and she was able to recreate Sarah's ball gown from Labyrinth to near-complete screen accuracy. It's been said before that it's one of your favorite films, as well as Eddie's. Of course, this means he will be wearing a replica of Jareth the Goblin King's outfit from the same scene. It's a dream come true, for two massive nerds like yourselves. You pore over your gown on its silk hanger, admiring the pearlescent fabric, puff sleeves, and intricate beading and lace. You can't wait to see yourself in it. Sure, there's been a couple try-ons for any alterations, but this time is the real thing.

Your mother takes it upon herself to steam the dresses, ensuring no wrinkle or water streak is left behind. Meanwhile, Karen Wheeler has come over to assist with hair and makeup. You haven't been too picky about how your bridesmaids are going to look. You've chosen a simple, strapless satin blue dress for them to wear, to match the color of Eddie's suit. Given how different each bridesmaid's hair type is, you're perfectly fine with whatever is comfortable for them, so long as it's clean and styled. Nancy goes for a simple up-do, Erica picks a tight bun, and Robin keeps her hair down, begrudgingly letting Karen straighten it so it's a little less shaggy. As for you, you're going for luscious, voluminous curls. You don't have as much hair as Sarah at the moment, but it's more than enough to work with. You're also planning to have Karen put some ribbons and shiny accessories in your hair to mimic the look as best you can.

You all converse casually as you get ready one at a time, with Nancy going first in Karen's makeshift beauty chair. Next will be Erica, and then Robin, ending with you since yours will take the most time. "Getting excited, Y/N?" Karen asks as she finishes setting Nancy's hair.

"Very. But I also feel calm, and ready. Eddie and I have wanted this for so long, it feels right." You answer, smiling so unbelievably wide that your cheeks start to hurt. You can't help it, this is truly going to be the happiest day of your life.

"Good! You two make such a great couple, Eddie's one of the good ones." Karen smiles. "All set, Nancy." She dismisses her daughter to go get into her dress. "Your turn, Erica." She beckons the young girl into the kitchen chair, who plops into it dutifully.

"I just can't believe the long-haired freak I met four years ago is actually getting married." Erica sasses, though she means it in the nicest way. "You bring out the best in him, Y/N. The happiest couple of nerds Hawkins has ever seen." She grins at you. "I'm really happy for you guys." She says sincerely.

"Thanks, Erica. How's that long-overdue campaign coming along? Eddie's been itching to play again, and so have I." You ask.

"I'm working on it, I swear! I gotta make it even more sadistic than his campaigns used to be! Perfection takes time!" She retorts.

"Well, I look forward to it. You're gonna be a great DM." You say with a nod. It's been over a year since you played your first campaign with the club, and when Eddie announced his retirement as Dungeon Master. Since then, everyone has been extraordinarily busy. School, work, dating, you name it. That's just how life goes, no matter how hard one tries to keep up with friendship bonds.

"You two still sticking with a honeymoon at home?" Robin asks, holding up the skirt of her dress on its hanger while Mom runs the steamer over it.

"Yep. There's no place we'd rather be, honestly. We're both such home bodies, and we don't want to leave Arwen for very long." You answer.

"I still think you two should've at least gotten a cabin or something. Somewhere secluded, and romantic. I would've paid for it, you know." Mom comments, trying to live vicariously through you.

"I know, Mom. It's just not our thing. Besides, we aren't going to work, or even leaving the apartment the entire week." You giggle, thinking about all the dirty little things you plan on getting up to. In your bed, in the shower, even on the kitchen table if the mood strikes. You bite down on your lip at the thought, subtly rubbing your thighs together to relieve the pressure you've got built up inside you. You and Eddie haven't had sex in a little more than a week, far too busy getting things in order for graduation and the wedding. It's been driving you both nuts, not being able to get your hands on one another. It's made every passing glance, innocent touch, or filthy thought feel like so much more than it is at face value. When you two finally get a chance to be alone, there's no doubt you'll be tearing each other to absolute shreds.

"I'm sure you'll find plenty of ways to pass the time." Robin smirks, noticing your flushing cheeks.

"Yeah they will!" Nancy cheers, and the other women hoot and holler for a moment.

"Oh, god." You laugh and blush wildly, feeling that same mix of amusement and shame that you experienced in the college auditorium a couple days ago.

"I'm sure Eddie will be hearing that a lot tonight." Mom chimes in, taking you by surprise. The others begin cackling uncontrollably.

"Mom!" You gasp, before falling into the tittering fit of laughter everyone else has found themselves in.

"I'm not wrong, am I?" She asks through a wheeze.

"No." You begrudgingly admit, which only makes you all laugh even harder.

The next couple of hours breeze by, and it's time to get into your dress. You come out of your bedroom after having changed into your special white lingerie and the hoop skirt that goes under your gown. Mom and Robin help you get the dress over your head, arms lifted so they'll slip into the long, puffy sleeves. They maneuver it down slowly, avoiding your tediously styled hair. It's thankfully not too heavy once it's in place, despite how full it is. Mom zips you up, and Robin gently pulls the poofs to rest just off your shoulders. Mom comes around to get a good look at you, her eyes welling up immediately.

"Oh, you look so beautiful, sugarpuff." She blubbers.

"I wanna see!" You say excitedly, hiking up your skirt so you can walk down the hall to look in the mirror. The girls follow close behind to make sure you don't get stuck or caught on something. The fabric swishes as you walk, and you make it to your bedroom again. You stand in front of the mirror, in awe of what you find reflected back at you. "Wow." You murmur, unable to believe how beautiful you are. In this gorgeous dress, your hair and makeup done just right, ready for your special day. You're like a fairytale come to life, ethereal and otherworldly. You never thought anyone could appear this way in real life, let alone yourself.

"You look like a princess, Y/N. Eddie's gonna keel over when he sees you." Robin says, putting her hand on your shoulder.

"I guarantee no one has ever looked as beautiful on their wedding day as you do." Nancy adds, smiling brightly in the reflection.

"Ditto." Erica beams.

"You three are the best bridesmaids anyone could ask for." You pull them toward you from the sides, joining in a group hug that avoids wrinkling your gown.

"Come on, girls! We need shoes on, purses accounted for, and bouquets ready!" Karen calls from the living room, taking charge since Claudia is a bit of a mess at the moment.

"Be right there!" You call back, giving one last look to your lovely maids. "Let's do this." You say confidently, letting them help you get back down the hallway.

Nancy grabs your sparkly white flats, holding them out for you to step into them. There's no way in hell you're wearing heels in this dress, you'll have quite a lot of dancing to do later at the reception. Your maids put on their blue pumps, and pick up their lush bouquets of white, blue, and black roses. Robin holds your bouquet as well, and Karen carries the bags. Mom helps you get outside and into the back of her car so you can spread out over the seat. Robin rides shotgun, while the others get into Karen's car. Your motherly volunteers drive you to the venue, the field of wildflowers where Eddie brought you on your one-month anniversary. It's large, secluded, and the most beautiful place you could think of in Hawkins.

Mom pulls up to the end of the long line of vehicles parked in the gravel road on the edge of the field. You can barely make out the rows of white wooden folding chairs, most of which are already occupied by your guests. Eddie's van obscures your view of the makeshift altar where Hopper and your groom are waiting. You've timed this all out just right, so that once you and the girls arrive and get into position, the ceremony can begin. Robin helps you out of the backseat, before taking her spot in line with Dustin behind the cars. Nancy and Jonathan are after them, followed by Steve and Erica. You're at the very back, with Mom standing beside you to give you away. Dustin sticks his arm out in view of Jeff who's positioned off to the side with an acoustic guitar, giving the thumbs up to get this started. He begins to play the traditional wedding march, and the first pair is off down the aisle.

"You ready, sugarpuff?" Mom asks quietly as the line moves forward.

"More ready than I've ever been before." You reply with a smile, your nerves making your bouquet tremble in your hands. As prepared as you are for this moment, your body can't seem to contain itself. But with your mother's comforting touch and few deep breaths, it quickly subsides. Nothing is going to ruin this day, not a chance in hell. It's almost your turn to go, and you watch Steve and Erica round the corner to make their way to the altar.

After a few moments, Jeff transitions into a new song for your bridal walk, "Songbird" by Fleetwood Mac. You wait a couple seconds before you come around to the far end of the aisle. You finally see Eddie, standing at the altar waiting for you. He looks so handsome, he could easily rival Bowie himself in his suit. The blue velvet jacket with exaggerated cuffed sleeves and cape that extends down to his ankles, embellished with hoards of golden thread and gem-like beads. The frilly white shirt underneath, not to mention the fitted pants and black leather boots. And his perfect espresso curls resting over his shoulders to top it all off. He's never been more beautiful.

The crowd of guests turns to look at you, a few audible gasps of wonder escaping them as the sun shining down upon you makes your gown shimmer. Eddie's expression once he sees you is absolutely priceless. His eyes blow wide, and his smile spreads from one ear to the other. He mouths a polite 'wow' at you, making you blush under his gaze. You're an absolute goddess in the summer sunshine, and he can't believe how lucky he is to be marrying you today. To have the honor to call you his wife. Mom leads you down the aisle, past the rows and rows of admiring faces. Your heart nearly leaps out of your chest once you reach the altar, and your mother hands you off to Eddie. She takes her seat, pulling a tissue from inside her sleeve to wipe her eyes. Robin takes your bouquet, and Eddie holds your hands as you stand before him, the two of you overcome with happiness.

"You look gorgeous, sweetheart." Eddie says quietly, struggling to blink his tears away.

"So do you, Eds." You reply cheerfully before the music stops.

"Welcome, loved ones. We are gathered here today to join Eddie and Y/N in marriage." Hopper says, glancing at the both of you as he speaks. "The lovely couple plans on keeping things short and sweet, so we'll get right into it with vows and exchanging of rings." Hopper looks at you first, and you share a cordial nod.

You look at Eddie now, squeezing his hands in yours. He squeezes back, gazing at you more lovingly than he ever has before. This moment reminds you of when the two of you could barely keep your eyes off each other at Nancy and Jonathan's wedding, except now...it's your turn. You take a deep breath, and open your mouth to tell this man just how much he means to you. With all your friends and family to bear witness to it. "Eddie, a little more than a year ago, you came crashing into my life when I least expected it. You turned my whole world upside-down in the best possible way. Before you showed up, I was closed off, afraid to open up and rely on anyone for fear of being let down. But you've shown me what it means to love and trust someone completely, no matter what challenges may come along. I'm ready to face those challenges with you for the rest of my life, because I know you're the only man for me." You speak clearly, despite the sting building behind your eyes. You turn to Robin, who hands you the silver band Eddie picked out. "So, with this ring, I take you as my husband. To have and to hold, in sickness and health, in good times and bad, until death parts us." You finish tearfully, sliding the ring onto his finger. A flood of emotion comes over you, an endless rush of tenderness and devotion filling your heart to the point of bursting.

"And now you, Eddie." Hopper says, and Eddie nods.

"Y/N, I've said it before, but I truly am the luckiest man in the entire world to have you in my life. You are an unbelievably amazing woman. You're smart, and beautiful, and you have the biggest goddamn heart I've ever seen. You took a chance on me, a massive nerd who was stuck in the past, holding onto things I should've let go of so much sooner. You've healed my wounds, held my hand, and showered me with more affection than I know what to do with. I can't wait to see what the future holds for us, sweetheart. Because as long as we're together, I know we'll be unstoppable." Eddie sniffles, struggling to not become a total mess. He's just so goddamn happy, he can't believe any of this is happening. Dustin hands him his mother's ring, and he holds it up to get ready to slide it onto your finger. He clears his throat so he can finish. "With this ring, I take you as my wife. To have and to hold, in sickness and health, in good times and bad, until death parts us." He manages to get the words out, sliding the ring onto your finger. It all feels so final, the both of you promising yourselves to one another, staking a claim on each other's hearts, bodies, and souls. You wouldn't have it any other way.

"Perfect. Now, by the power vested in me by the state of Indiana, I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss the bride!" Hopper says, prompting Eddie to pull you into him by your waist and lay the most heartfelt kiss imaginable on you. Your lips meet, and suddenly it's like fireworks are exploding inside your chests. Your hands meet his cheeks, keeping him close as time stops altogether. The crowd stands up, clapping and cheering as Jeff starts playing the exit song. You hear the click of the photographer's camera, savoring this moment before pulling away. Your wedding party makes their way back down the aisle, with you and Eddie walking hand in hand behind the others.

Once you're out of the way, the guests file out of their seats to drive over to the Hideaway for the reception. Your wedding party and immediate family members stay behind to take some photos in the field, while a couple volunteers gather the chairs and put them in the back of a truck bed to be returned to the party supply rental company. The photographer starts off with some group shots. You and Eddie in the middle, with bridesmaids and groomsmen at your sides, with Mom and Wayne on the ends. More beautiful snaps are taken of just the bridal party, as well as a few fun poses. Such as Eddie being held up by the bridesmaids, while you're lifted by the groomsmen, and a funny face shot. Next, you and your maids take a few pictures together, posing with your bouquets held in front of your stomachs. The guys take a turn afterwards, arms draped over one another's shoulders for a couple shots, others with hands clasped in front of them to appear more professional.

You take a few photos with Mom, and Eddie does the same with Wayne. Which leaves just the two of you once the group pictures are out of the way. These are the ones you've been most looking forward to, bringing your Labyrinth fantasy to life. Eddie stands behind you, his arms wrapping around your waist to hold you close. A few clicks of the camera in this pose, with encouraging words from the photographer, and you change positions. You face each other now, holding hands, kissing again, smiling brighter than the stars with every click of the shutter. Fun as it is to take pretty pictures together on your special day, it does feel like a lot after a while. And the afternoon heat is starting to get to you a little bit. Leave it to you two to get married in layered ballroom attire during June in Indiana.

"Just a few more, you two have been doing great." The photographer says, noticing your growing discomfort with the rising temperature. You both nod, still having a blast despite needing to get indoors soon. He takes a few more, and calls it good. "All set. I'll be at the Hideaway to get the first dance and cake cutting."

"Thanks." Eddie says, and the man packs up his equipment and heads to the reception. "We did it, princess." Eddie coos to you, leaning over to kiss your temple.

"We sure did, Eds. I'm your wife now." You reply with an airy giggle, absolutely giddy.

"Mhm, and I'm your husband. Fuck, I love the sound of that." He chuckles, raising your joined left hands up to admire your rings. Your lifelong promise to one another. "I love you so much, babydoll. I'm the luckiest man in the entire world, I swear to god." He says earnestly, putting his chin on your shoulder, holding you as close to him as he can with your hoop skirt in the way.

"I love you, too, Eddie. And I'm an even luckier woman." You sigh blissfully.

"You two look amazing, those photos are gonna turn out so good." Chrissy compliments, having hung back waiting for Steve to finish taking pictures.

"Thanks, Chris." Eddie replies, giving you a kiss on your neck. He can't seem to keep his hands or lips off of you, especially with how long he's gone without having you squirming in ecstasy underneath him. He's definitely going to find a way to get you alone at the reception, to have you in some capacity. Your skirt could present a few challenges, that's for sure. He'll have to think hard about it, formulate the best plan of attack, so to speak.

"I can't believe my best friend and my sister got married! I'm so happy for you guys!" Dustin says excitedly, capturing you both in a hasty hug.

"Hey, I thought I was your best friend!" Steve interjects, crossing his arms in offense.

"You can have more than one best friend, Steve." Dustin sighs, rolling his eyes at the obvious jealousy.

"Well said, Dustin. Besides, I thought we were best friends too, Stevie." Robin chimes in.

"Alright, alright. Anyway, congrats." Steve concedes to their reasoning. "Should we head over?" He asks, ready to loosen his necktie and get his party on.

"Yes, please. I'm starting to sweat my makeup off." You nod, more than happy to get somewhere with air conditioning.

"You heard my wife, it's time to get out of here!" Eddie announces, before scooping you up into his arms. You squeal in surprise, wrapping your arms around his neck to hang on. "Your chariot awaits, milady." He coos to you goofily, finding himself in a very playful mood.

"Splendid! Do take me to it, good sir." You mirror his energy, giggling at how silly you sound with the put-on voices.

"Couple'a nerds." Erica scoffs, shaking her head.

"We'll see you guys over there. And no detours, please? We've got a schedule to keep." Nancy gives a friendly warning, knowing full well what happens when you two go all googly eyed and silly like this. The others chuckle, sharing in that knowledge.

"We wouldn't dream of disappointing you, Wheeler. We may just get there faster than you." Eddie sasses, backing away in the direction of the van. "See ya in a bit." He says, fully turning away so he can see where he's going. The gravel lot is pretty much empty now, save for the van, Mom's car, and Wayne's truck. Eddie carries you over to the passenger side, carefully setting you down to open your door for you. "Do you need help climbing in?" He asks, realizing now that you may not fit with this massive skirt on.

"I think I have to ride in the back, Eds." You giggle as you come to the same realization as him.

"You got it, angel." He closes the door and picks you up again, even though it's only a few feet. He pulls the back doors open with one hand, and sets you inside. you're about to scoot back, but he stops you. "Hold on, don't want your dress to get caught." He says, climbing in with you and lifting the ends of your skirt so you can slide back without ripping anything. "There ya go." He crouches down to plant a quick kiss on your lips. "I'd better haul ass before they accuse us of getting distracted. Although, it's not too bad an idea..." He floats the notion by you with a mischievous look, hoping you'll bite as he gives you a much deeper kiss this time.

"We have to be there on time, Eds." You say breathlessly once he pulls away, his deep brown eyes boring into yours.

"I know. It's just been so long...I want you so bad, baby." Eddie whines, his lips brushing against yours in search of more attention. You pull back, much to his disappointment. But you cup his cheek to keep his gaze from leaving you.

"I want you too, love. It's just a couple more hours." You pause, stealing his cunning grin for yourself. "After that, we get to go home, and stay there for an entire week." You speak in a low purr, effectively reining him in for the time being.

"A couple more hours." He repeats your words, nodding in acceptance. He can control himself at least a little while longer. Besides, he'd hate to mess up your hair and makeup before all the pictures are taken. Claudia will surely kill him if you show up completely disheveled. "Alright, let's hit the road then." Eddie gets on his feet, pulling the back doors closed and climbing into the front seat to start the engine. He hates having to leave you back there all by yourself, but there isn't exactly much choice. He turns the key, and drives you to the Hideaway.

"Thanks, baby." You kiss Eddie's cheek after he helps you out of the van in the bar's parking lot. You can hear the band playing one of their warm-up songs inside, and you see your guests through the windows, drinking and conversing with happy smiles on their faces. "Let's get inside, everyone's waiting." You take hold of his hand, and the two of you walk inside to enjoy your party.

"Ladies and Gentleman, Mr. and Mrs. Munson!" Jeff announces into the mic as you come into view. The song the band's playing immediately dies, and whoops and cheers break out from the tables and booths bordering the room. Jeff and the others are positioned at the far wall, a lunch buffet getting set up on the adjacent side. A large space in the middle of the bar is left open as the dance floor, waiting for the two of you. "Now that the lovely couple has arrived, I'd say it's time for their first dance." He says once the noise dies down, looking to you for the go-ahead. You and Eddie nod at him, and he gives a signal to the guys to start playing the song you've chosen for this special moment. "As The World Falls Down", naturally.

The band begins to play, Jeff starting with the twinkly notes on his keyboard, Gareth lightly tapping the cymbal, and Alex strumming low chords on his guitar. Eddie gently takes you by the hand to bring you to the dance floor. He stops you both in the very center, his hand going for your waist while the other holds yours up in a traditional waltz position. Your free hand rests on his shoulder, and you share a loving look. "Ready?" Eddie asks, his expression split between confidence and anxiety. You've practiced this dance quite a few times at home, but there's always a chance of developing two left feet.

"Yes, my love." You reply, feeling the exact same way he does. You know you can do this, no matter how scary it is to do such a thing in front of everyone you know. It's romantic, and magical. Eddie nods, and leads you to begin the dance.

"There's such a sad love, deep in your eyes. A kind of pale jewel, opened and closed, within your eyes. I'll place the sky, within your eyes. There's such a fooled heart, beatin' so fast. In search of new dreams, a love that will last, within your heart. I'll place the moon, within your heart." Jeff croons into the microphone, the words flowing from his lips smooth as silk. Eddie guides you across the floor flawlessly, letting the lyrics guide him, his eyes unable to leave yours. It's like he's the one singing to you, and you back to him. "As the pain sweeps through, makes no sense for you. Every thrill is gone, wasn't too much fun at all. But I'll be there for you, as the world falls down." Jeff vocalizes the undying adoration and devotion you have for one another, the things you've been through together, and the lengths you'll go to love and support one another for all eternity. Everything about this moment is absolutely perfect, you now have everything you've ever wanted. Together.

"I'll paint you mornings of gold, I'll spin you Valentine evenings. Though we're strangers 'til now, we're choosing a path between the stars. I'll leave my love between the stars." Eddie lets go of your waist, spinning you around before reeling you back in again. His expression is far more intense once you return to him, bearing his entire soul as your bodies move in sync with one another. It's like the entire universe falls away, just leaving the two of you floating about in space. "As the pain sweeps through, makes no sense for you. Every thrill is gone, wasn't too much fun at all. But I'll be there for you, as the world falls down." The song gradually comes to a close, with Eddie pulling you in for a hungry kiss as your guests clap for you. The photographer gets a shot of you with lips still firmly locked, and you're sure he got a few of you during your dance. Though the connection between you and Eddie seems to have tuned that all out.

Eddie pulls away after a good minute, needing to breathe. "That was amazing, sweetheart. Even better than when we practiced." He says, very proud of himself for not stepping on your dress or tripping over his own feet.

"I'll say, I really thought I was gonna fall on my face." You reply with a giggle, drawing a light laugh from him as well.

"Alright, everyone, settle down." Jeff speaks again, gaining the attention of the room. "Now, the bride and groom have decided to do something a little different with the traditional father-daughter and mother-son dances. Given their unique circumstances, they've decided to invite Wayne to dance with Y/N, and Claudia to dance with Eddie at the same time. They said it's the perfect way to truly bring their two families together." And with that, he picks up his guitar and Alex switches to his bass to kick into the intro of "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns n' Roses. Mom and Wayne join you on the dance floor, having rehearsed this with you both. Wayne takes you to one side, and Mom takes Eddie to the other. You can't help feeling a little sad to let him go for even a second. But you're also extremely glad to share a special moment with Wayne, as he's been a true father figure in your life, as well as Eddie's. He's welcomed you with open arms into his home, his family, and embraced your relationship with his nephew every step of the way.

"You look beautiful, darlin'. I've never seen anyone be so gorgeous before." Wayne compliments you as you get ready to dance together.

"Thanks, Wayne. You look nice, too." You reply, referring to his formal attire. It's a good fit on him, simple and clean.

"Oh, this ol' thing? It's nothin' special." He chuckles, his hand meeting your waist in a far more platonic way than Eddie's did. You start to move to the music, a more fast-paced dance than before. "I'm really happy for you both. The way you look at each other, that's true love if I've ever seen it. Somethin' you only get once in a lifetime." Wayne sniffs harshly, reminded of his own true love that he lost so long ago. But to see his nephew get to have what he tragically missed out on, it certainly helps the loss and regret hurt a little less.

The four of you continue to dance together, laughing and smiling as you step and spin and move across the floor. Your pairings are a bit clumsy this time, despite your attempts at practicing. But it's all in good fun, and a wonderful bonding experience for you all. You all converge in the middle when the band draws the song to a close, taking one another's hands to hold in a small circle. More cheers and snaps of cameras ring out in the bar, and the 'hard part' is finally over. All you have to do now is eat, mingle, and have a good time. Wayne and Mom take their seats at their table with Angie and your step-siblings, while you and Eddie join the bridal party at a longer table at the head of the room.

"Ugh, it feels so good to sit down for once." You sigh as your ass meets the folding chair.

"I bet. You two had some fancy footwork out there." Steve says.

"You're damn right, Harrington. Y/N and I worked our asses off on that." Eddie replies, his shoulder nudges yours as he leans over in his seat. His lips brush against your ear, sending a chill down your spine when he purrs three simple words to you. "Bathroom. Fifteen minutes." He gives your earlobe a subtle lick, pulling back to avoid raising suspicion of your plan.

You just nod, trying to tame the flare of heat that's now caught between your thighs. You aren't sure what all you can get away with once you do manage to sneak off, and you'd hate to get caught screwing by one of your unwitting family members. But the thrill of the idea quickly overrules any potential embarrassment, leaving you aching for the time to pass a bit faster. In the meantime, many guests come up to your table to congratulate you. Friends, relatives you haven't seen in years, people from Mom's work, even Murray Bauman and Mr. Clark. You happen to notice a large pile of gifts in the corner of the bar, and you can't help wondering how the hell you're going to fit whatever it all is in your small apartment. You hadn't registered for much, just a few basics that Mom insisted upon. Anything else was left up to the guests, so you truly don't know what ninety percent of the presents are.

You manage to get away from the onslaught of well wishes, excusing yourself for a 'bathroom break' when the time comes. No one suspects you at all as you leave the table, aware that you being in such a large gown makes it difficult to make trips to the restroom unless absolutely necessary. You sneak past the scattered gatherings of people, eventually reaching your destination. You're sure Eddie isn't too far behind you, but it's probably best to stagger your departures so no one gets wise on you. You push through the swinging door to the women's room, waiting in anticipation for your husband to come through the door after you. The door swings open again, sending your heart racing as you expect him to be on you in seconds. You're disappointed to see that it's a random wedding guest instead, making your cheeks burn red. She nods at you, going into one of the stalls to do her business. You tap your foot on the floor anxiously, hoping she finishes and gets the hell out before Eddie tries to come in. You'll be busted for sure if she sees him. Thankfully, the woman doesn't stay long, washing her hands and leaving you alone once again.

Almost instantly, the door swings open again, with the love of your life coming into plain view this time. He quickly pushes the door shut, and turns the latch lock to keep anyone from interrupting you. "Sorry, I saw that lady come in so I had to wait up a second." Eddie explains, rushing over to you to capture your lips in a passionate kiss. His tongue slips into your mouth with ease, his hands gripping your waist roughly. He presses you into the wall, caging you in.

"What's the plan, Eds?" You ask breathlessly, willing to take anything he can give you. You need him so badly, somewhere, anywhere.

"I thought about it, and I just一 I gotta taste you, babydoll." Eddie whines in exasperation, desperate to have your release on his craving tongue.

"Please, yes, I want you so bad." You beg between kisses, resisting the urge to tangle your fingers in his hair.

"You got it, sweetheart." He pants, scrambling to his knees. "Lift up your dress." He says, and you pull the thick fabric up in your hands, angling the hoop skirt to allow him underneath it. It's a bit hard to hang onto, however, so you end up cloaking him in a cage of darkness as you're forced to let go of the sturdy wire. "Shit, it's dark under here." Eddie comments, somewhat muffled through the layers.

"Sorry, it's hard to get a good grip." You reply, about to abandon this idea altogether.

"S'alright. I think I can find my way around." He chuckles, his large hands immediately locating your bare thighs. His warm flesh on yours feels heavenly, filling you with excitement. His hands travel upwards, looping his fingers through the waistband of your lace panties. "Are these new?" He asks curiously, feeling the crisp, fresh fabric under his fingertips.

"Yeah. I got a special set for today. All white." You answer, breath hitching as he pulls them down to your ankles. You would step out of them, if it wouldn't be virtually impossible to get them back on.

"Fuck, wish I could see them." Eddie groans, picturing you back home on your shared bed in the clean white lace. Legs wide open, hair splayed out on the pillows, looking like a goddamn angel on the bedspread. White is universally known as the color of purity, virginity. Now, you're far from a virgin, he knows that better than anyone. But the idea of you appearing in such an innocent way, just for him to dirty you up...it's damn near torturous for him to think about.

"So do I, love." You reply, anxious for him to actually touch you. He reaches around to squeeze your ass, massaging the supple flesh. His head comes forward, his plush lips kissing your inner thighs. He gently nips you with his teeth, winding you up. "Eddie..." You moan, hands grasping at the radiator in the wall that you're leaning against. You wish you could see what he's doing under there, but you can pretty much recreate it inside your head with crystal clear picture. His eyes blissfully closed, fingers digging deep in your ass cheeks. His lips, teeth, and tongue working on you with tamed ferocity. And he hasn't even touched your dripping cunt yet.

"God, I can smell you, angel. You must be soaked already, so needy for me." Eddie murmurs as his mouth moves closer to where you want him, teeth biting down on the seam of your thigh. He carefully lifts your legs one after another to rest on his shoulders, spreading you open completely. He can feel the heat radiating from your pussy, like a second mouth breathing in his face. "Christ." He wets his lips, leaning in blindly to explore your folds.

"Fuck!" You gasp as his tongue finally swipes over your clit. He swirls around it a few times, occasionally sucking the sensitive bud into his mouth. You moan loudly as he works, the delightful pressure building higher in your stomach with every passing second. Eddie roughly bites into your thigh again, making you yelp.

"Gotta quiet down, baby. Unless you want to get caught." He warns, though it sounds more like a challenge. He brings a hand between your thighs, his fingers finding you've only grown wetter at his words. "Mmm, you'd like that, wouldn't you..." He purrs, sucking on your clit again as his fingers continue to stroke your entrance. "Answer me." He growls, swatting your thigh.

"Y-Yes!" You stutter, getting more turned on by the second. Your eyes nearly roll out of your skull when his middle finger pushes inside of you, and you have to bite down on your lip to keep the noise down. A stunted grunt escapes you, giving him some indication that you're struggling to keep yourself together.

"You'd just love it...if someone walked past that door...heard you moaning for me...screaming my name..." He taunts during the breaks in his intense licking and slurping, making a mess of his cheeks and chin with your sweet juices. He adds his ring finger to join the other one inside your pussy, curling them at an agonizingly slow pace.

"Yes, Eds. Want everyone to know一 fuck, what you do to me, how you eat my pussy so well." You whimper as Eddie picks up the pace, pumping his fingers quicker inside your cunt, rapidly swishing his tongue on and around your bundle of nerves. He's building you up fast, you don't have a lot of time. You're surprised no one's come knocking on the door yet.

"And here I thought getting married would make you less of a slut." He chuckles darkly, pressing his face deeper between your legs.

"Fuck, baby. You feel so good, don't stop." You plead as your back arches away from the wall, his firm shoulders the only thing keeping you from falling onto the floor.

"Wouldn't dream of it, sweetheart. I need this just as much as you do." Eddie replies, his tight pants almost strangling his cock as he goes down on you like a man starved. Your muted whimpers, and the trickle of your arousal flowing into his mouth is driving him insane. He fumbles to pull his dick out over the hem of his pants, gripping it in his free hand. He groans into your cunt, stroking his length while pointing the leaking tip towards the floor.

"I'm getting close, Eds. Keep going, I need you to make me cum." You whine, rolling your hips into his face. You're both completely blind to what the other is doing, only able to make out what's happening through touch, taste, and sound. You can hear the unmistakable slapping sound of Eddie jerking himself off, the panting exhales through his nose rushing against your puffy lips. You'll never get over how much pleasure he takes in giving you head, how he can barely control himself when he sees (or in this case, smells) your arousal.

As for Eddie, all he can do is continue licking and sucking, trying so hard to send you toppling over the edge. It may be pitch black in his position underneath your dress, and growing increasingly hotter by the second. But, he's had your pussy mapped out inside his head for a long time, he'd know it better than the back of his own hand. Muscle memory guides him through the darkness, and he picks up the pace with his mouth and hands, making very wet noises beneath your skirt. Your walls begin to pulsate around his fingers, a warning that you're nearly there. Eddie's close behind, practically yanking his cock now as he wants to cum with you.

"Oh, god...fuck, baby, I'm gonna cum. I…" You babble helplessly as your orgasm threatens to take hold. "Oh, oh, I-I'm gonna...FU一" You clamp a hand over your mouth to cover the scream tearing itself from your lungs and sprinting up your throat. Your thighs tremble violently as your high crashes into you, insides clamping around Eddie's fingers. He swallows the musky release that spills from you, stomach tensing at the taste, hips bucking against his hollowed fist as thick blots of white spurt out onto the tile below. He grunts into your cunt as you ride the wave of ecstasy together, waiting for you to stop convulsing before he even tries to pull away for air. "Mm." You whimper when Eddie eventually pulls his fingers out of you, sweat beading on your forehead and under your arms as you return to reality.

"I'm gonna put you down now, angel. You okay to stand?" He asks, licking the taste of you from his lips and wiping the rest away with his hand. He puts his cock away with the other hand, having managed to spill his entire load on the floor as opposed to all over himself.

"Yeah." You pant, bracing yourself on the wall. He maneuvers your feet to sit flat on the tiles, and slides your panties back up over your thighs. You lift up your skirt to let him out, and he blinks at the sudden presence of light.

"Jesus, that's bright." He hisses, squinting a few times to adjust his vision. You're about to let your skirt back down, when he stops you. "Lemme clean up the mess first, love. I'd hate to get cum on your pretty dress." He says softly, retrieving some paper towels. He kneels down, wiping up his spend. He tosses the soiled towels away, and helps you smooth down your dress. Eddie washes his face up at the sink, not wanting some old fart to realize he smells like your pussy.

"Y/N? Are you in there? They're serving lunch now. Why's this door locked? Is Eddie in there with you?" You hear Mom's voice on the other side of the door, her knuckles rapping on the wood.

"Yeah, be right there." You reply without thinking, earning a fearful look from Eddie. "I got this." You whisper to reassure him, cooking up a feasible lie in your head as you unlock the door. "Hey, Mom." You open the door, letting her in.

"What the hell are you two getting up to in here? People need to use the bathroom." Mom scolds you and crosses her arms, expecting an explanation.

"I know, I'm sorry. But I wasn't feeling so good, so I came in here for a breather. Eddie came to check on me, that's all." You explain, and she raises an eyebrow at you.

"Hmm..." She looks you over closely, unsure she believes you. She finds you have a couple hairs out of place, flushed cheeks, and a light sheen of sweat on your skin. It would appear that your anxiety got to you after all, and all you needed was your loving husband to assist you in private. Her serious expression melts into concern, and she comes over to give you a tight hug. "I'm sorry, sugarpuff. I should've known you'd get a little overwhelmed. Weddings may be fun, but they're also stressful." She chuckles sympathetically, pulling back. "I'm just glad you have such a lovely young man to be there for you. I'll tell them to wait a minute before we start lunch, okay? Freshen up, and I'll see you two back out there." She smiles, heading for the door again.

"Thanks, Mom. We'll be right out." You mentally cheer that she’s bought that shit hook, line, and sinker. It sometimes pays to have vomit-inducing anxiety, you suppose. You let out a sigh of relief once she leaves the bathroom, looking at Eddie.

"Quick thinking there, sweetheart. I was sure we were toast." Eddie laughs, impressed at your little fib.

"I'm surprised she bought it. Thank fuck she did." You giggle, unable to believe you actually got away with it. "Let's get back out there, Eds. I'm starving." Your stomach rumbles in agreement.

"So am I, babydoll." He takes your hands in his for a moment, giving you a small kiss of appreciation. "I love you, Y/N. I'm so happy to be with you." He says softly, gazing deep into your eyes.

"I'm happy to be with you, too. I love you so much, Eds." You reply just as quietly, sharing this private moment with him for just a few seconds longer. There's a huge party waiting for you right outside that door, and you aren't in a rush to get back to it just yet. You pull Eddie in for a more passionate kiss, stealing one last taste before you have to leave the restroom.

"Let's get back to our party, princess." He leads you by the hand once your mouths part ways, the loud music and bustling bodies no longer muffled by the heavy wooden door.

You return to your table, and Jeff starts calling groups to go through the buffet to get some food. You and Eddie go first, naturally, as well as the bridal party. You load up your plate with all manner of handheld sandwiches and crudité, taking your seat once again to get some food in you. One by one, each table gets their own healthy helping of the catered spread, some even going back for seconds once everyone has been served. Once lunch concludes, you and Eddie participate in the traditional cake cutting. You keep the moment simple and sweet, and he resists the urge to smudge a bit of icing onto your nose. The rest of the afternoon is filled with endless drinking and dancing. You even manage to get the entire room onto the dancefloor to do a not-so-coordinated rendition of "Thriller", MTV dance moves and all. This entire day has been a total blast, easily the best day of your lives. A powerful surge of love and joy fills the bar every second you're inside, strong enough to blind the slowly setting sun.

To be continued…

#fanfiction #hippiegoth97 #smut #stranger things #eddie munson #hawkins #1980s #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x fem!reader #eddie munson x henderson!reader #eddie munson smut #eddie munson x you

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esther-dot · 1 year ago

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MODERN AUs

tis the damn season 5k by @wildflower-daydreamer

Every year, Sansa comes back to her small hometown of Winterfell for Christmas. And each year, she and Jon fall into their old routine for her short stay. This year would be no different. Okay, maybe a little different. Inspired by the song 'tis the damn season by Taylor Swift. corresponding gif

Mistletoe Merriment 4k by @geekprincess26

Theon Greyjoy loves kissing pretty girls, so naturally he loves breaking out the mistletoe and spiked punch every year at the Starks' annual Christmas party. And every year, the girl he kissed the prior year shows up with an awesome new boyfriend - every girl except for Sansa Stark, who ends up with slimy, pathetic gits. Theon will have to go to ridiculous lengths, not to mention risk the legendary wrath of Jon Snow, in order to get Sansa the boyfriend she deserves. But he'll do it, because Theon Greyjoy is a loyal friend - and he'll never let a stupid sprig of mistletoe get the better of him.

When the Grinch Met the Redhead 1k by @yenstarkofrivia

the one where Sansa likes to sing Christmas songs at 3am and Jon is a miserable Grinch

merry and bright 27k by @cellsshapedlikestars

ex-child star Sansa Stark is in desperate need of money and takes a role in a Hallmark Christmas movie, filming in the mountain resort town of Wintertown, Vermont. There, Fire Chief Jon Snow is on set to oversee safety regulations. Sansa hates Christmas and she hates small towns, but a casual fling with a rugged local fireman might be just what she needs.

four 5k by @cellsshapedlikestars (I've reread this fic many times)

She had never put Jon and Christmas together, but now she thinks she'll never be able to separate them. or, four Christmases, three midnight excursions, two angry siblings, and one boy at the center of it all

Be My +1 47k by @vivilove-jonsa

Seven months after she attended a wedding with her brother's work colleague (and gave him a tipsy, unrequited kiss when he walked her to the door), Sansa Stark finds herself in the unenviable situation of desperately needing a date for her prep school reunion at a ski resort which will also be attended by her ex-boyfriend/boss's son, Harry Hardyng and her Former-BFF/Frenemy, Margaery Tyrell.

The Best Christmas Present (Is You) 3k @foreverreadingbeautifulbooks

Every year the Starks and honorary Starks spent the week of Christmas in the most northern of the lodges they owned. No guests were allowed to visit the lodge during that week and it was the one time a year where no one in their family was allowed to work. Everyone hung out, played in the snow, skied, baked, ate lots of food, and simply enjoyed being together. It was refreshing to spend so much time with her family since she felt like she’d barely seen them this last year. But, if Sansa was honest, after five days of hanging out with them nonstop, she’d been looking forward to spending a little bit of time by herself. Every year on Christmas Eve, while her mom and dad picked out the tree, Bran would play chess with their neighbor’s son, Lyanna - who was notorious for buying gifts at the last minute - went shopping, Arya and the rest of the boys would challenge each other to skiing contests, and Sansa would take that opportunity to have her own private holiday celebration indoors. She would warm up some hot chocolate, turn up her Christmas playlist, and snuggle down in some blankets to wrap all of her Christmas presents. But not this year. This year she was stuck with Jon Snow and his broken ankle.

the perfect gift for christmas for me would be 5k

“Be my boyfriend,” Sansa says. Jon's eyebrows raise, and she amends, “My fake boyfriend." or, Sansa, Jon, and fake dating for the winter holidays.

Christmas Carriage Ride 1.5k

Jon Snow has grown tired of his holiday job driving a horse-drawn carriage around the streets of Chicago. Then Sansa shows up, and Jon sees the city through new eyes

#LockedinLovers 8k by @amymel86

the one where Sansa and Jon are locked in a big ol' department store over Christmas because of a convenient snow storm

The Nightmare Before Christmas 3k by @ladysalvatore3

Sansa Stark was far from being perfect; she occasionally forgot to put the lid back on the toothpaste, she was constantly arriving late to places, she didn’t know how to change a tire or had any idea of what path her life was going to take, but there were three things that Sansa was absolutely sure about. She loved to write. Christmas was the best holiday ever. She hated Jon Snow.

'Tis the Damn Season 4k by @justhereforfandomandfriends

Four times Jon doesn’t ask Sansa to stay, and the one time he does. Sansa Stark was sneaking out of her childhood bedroom to sleep in Jon Snow's bed. If you'd told teenage Sansa, she'd have laughed in scorn (but she’d have flushed too). Twenty-nine year old Sansa was almost used to it. By now, it was practically a tradition, and there was nothing Sansa loved more than holiday traditions. corresponding moodboard

when the snow falls and the white wind blows 10k

Sansa Stark and Jon Snow had never been particularly close, but since her brother died and the two moved to the same city they have been spending more time together. Sansa tells herself Jon sees her as the little girl who lived in the house beside his. Jon tells himself Sansa sees him as nothing more than her brother's best friend. But when the two are snowed in on the way back home for Christmas, their thoughts change.

Shamelessly Un-christmas 3k by @jade-masquerade

After Jon denied her a kiss under the mistletoe last Christmas, Sansa tries to make amends.

A Tale of Two Christmases 2k by @jade-masquerade

A Christmas gift mix-up involving a special sweater brings Sansa and Jon together. corresponding fanart by @grrmartin

all i want for christmas is you...to tell everyone we're together 2k by @ben-barnes-is-my-husband

It's Christmas and all Jon wants is for he and Sansa to be public with their relationship.

Who's coming to you tonight? 1k by @kissed-by-circe

“So you want me, me and no one else, to dress up as Nikolaus and bring wee-“ his mind scrambles as he tries to remember the boy’s name, because Arya only uses pet names for him, and he doubts that her sister named her child Woolfling, Dr Snuggles, or Baby-Bear, “wee… Ar- Artos some candy, and tell him that he’s been naughty?” Arya forces Jon to play Nikolaus for her lil nephew, and somehow forgets to mention that singlemom!Sansa is really really hot

Lights 7k by @charmtion

Two years ago, Arya turned up on Jon and Sansa’s doorstep and left after a single, soul-aching conversation. Now they are gathered back together for a Stark family Christmas, where old wounds and new secrets threaten to collide.

Door to Door Delivery 2k by @hilarychuff

A drabble inspired by my While You Were Sleeping (1995). Jon walks Sansa home during a Chicago winter.

The Spirit of Christmas Gifset by @aureliacamargo

All I Want for Christmas Jonsa vid by @aerishe

FOLGERSCEST INSPIRED

(yes, that commercial prompted Jonsa content which makes me laugh so it gets a special shout-out!)

Perks of the Queen 5k by @intothecest

After years in his exile in the Night's Watch, Jon Snow finally answers a summons to Winterfell from his sister, Queen in the North, just in time for a festival. Gifts are exchanged, long-simmering feelings percolate up, and, oh yes, coffee has come to Westeros.

The Best Part of Waking Up 5k @jillypups

After a long stint up in Alaska doing manly things, Jon Snow comes back to the Stark family home where he spent nearly all of his childhood, where he called the Stark kids brother and sister. But things change after a few years go by.

Gifset by @cindy-clawford

OTHER

Light in the Darkest Days of the Year Little Women AU/historical AU 9k by @sibyldisobedience

Winterfell was a handsome old house of modest proportions, that had once seen better days. Its green shutters and gables had faded to a dull grey. Its stone walls could use a new coat of whitewash. And its family, the Starks, had once been counted amongst the most distinguished in Wintertown — a small, sleepy hamlet, just north of the bustling port city of White Harbour, where it was as likely to snow in the summer as not. But despite this dreary description, Winterfell was the happiest little home in the neighbourhood. Even on the darkest, coldest days of winter, the little grey house radiated warmth and light from its frosted-over windows, like a beacon.

Fairy Lights and Mistletoe 3k Hogwarts AU, by @maybetwice

Sansa has every intention of going to the Yule Ball with Jon, even though he isn't sure why.

Shine Your Light on Me 2k canon verse @thatgirlnevershutsup

Let's celebrate a Northern holiday with Sansa and Jon! Think about a Hallmark Christmas movie set in Westeros, and you're on the right track.

A Stark Solstice 1.5k canon verse @ritzintherabbithole

It’s only fitting, she thought, that fresh snow should blanket the land around Winterfell today of all days. It is pristine, virgin white snow, seemingly pure, but Sansa know knows the kind of monsters that hide in the cold and her time spent in King’s Landing cured her of any instinct to trust appearances.

A midwinter night's dream 2k canon verse

After the Long Night, Sansa fears winter more than ever. How will her new born daughter survive a winter that might last for years? But magic is gone from Westeros, and soon it becomes clear that every season only lasts for a few moons. Though winters are still brutal, there is always an end in sight. And every year on the darkest day of them all, the Starks in Winterfell have a feast.

Festive Jonsa Edit

Christmas Is Here Gifset and Merry Christmas Gifset by @tiny-little-bird

PRE CANON - WESTERN - FAIRYTALE - REGENCY - LITTLE WOMEN - SEASON SIX - ANNE OF GREEN GABLES - THE GIRL IN GREY - FREE CITIES - FAIRYTALE PART II - POLITICAL MARRIAGE - SALTY TEENS - POST CANON - RICKON LIVES - JON X ALAYNE

#jonsa #jonsa fic #holiday au #christmas au #modern au #dot fic list

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mariacallous · 2 months ago

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The famed architect Louis Kahn made little effort to live Jewishly in his life, yet throughout the 20th century he designed synagogues and famous Holocaust memorials across the country.

The Hungarian Jewish designer Marcel Breuer, educated at the Bauhaus school, was forced to renounce his Judaism while he lived in Germany. Later he wowed Americans with his striking brutalist designs — until the tides shifted, and his buildings became some of the nation’s most reviled.

Neither Kahn nor Breuer are mentioned by name in the new movie “The Brutalist,” which follows a Holocaust survivor and acclaimed architect as he attempts to complete a monumental structure in suburban Philadelphia. Yet the movie tells their story, as well as that of other prominent Jewish architects and designers of the 20th century, many of whose biographical details informed the journey of the movie’s fictional hero, László Tóth, played by Adrien Brody.

The film’s 36-year-old director, Brady Corbet, says he drew heavily from Kahn, Breuer and other Jewish designers in crafting his story. Yet he claims he didn’t set out to make a Jewish movie, just one about architecture.

“The film could take place at any time and be about someone from anywhere,” Corbet told a crowd at the Chicago International Film Festival following a screening of the film in October, when an audience member asked him specifically about the movie’s Jewish content. “Because the characters are Eastern European Jews, it was important for us to get the details right.”

Corbet, who co-wrote the screenplay with his partner Mona Fastvold, said he was fascinated by brutalism in particular — a popular, yet polarizing, mid-century architectural movement that prioritizes large, rough surfaces and raw concrete exposure.

Why brutalism? Because governments all over the world have ordered such buildings destroyed soon after taking power; the buildings were, to him, an effective metaphor for unwanted groups of people who had once gained some degree of societal prominence. In short, he said, “so many people hated it.”

But hardly anyone is hating “The Brutalist.” The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival this fall, where it won the best director prize — considered a runner-up to the prestigious Golden Lion award. Recently it also scored the best film and best actor awards from the New York and Chicago film critics groups, and racked up a stack of Golden Globe nominations. Hollywood trades expect the film to be a top Oscar contender, especially Brody, who performs much of his dialogue in Hungarian and whose accolades come two decades after the Jewish actor won an Oscar for portraying another artistic Holocaust survivor in “The Pianist.”

The accolades are notable for several reasons. The film has an epic, three-and-a-half-hour runtime, including an intermission — the kind of length that, while befitting the scope and theme of a story about an uncompromising artist, could turn theatergoers off. (The title card that appears onscreen during the intermission is a photo of László’s wedding in prewar Hungary, with a smiling, happy Jewish family posing under their synagogue door’s Hebrew lettering, presented as documentation to help bring his surviving family over to the United States.)

It also might be difficult to find a theater that’s playing it in the manner Corbet intends the film to be seen: To evoke the time period, he shot it on VistaVision, a now-dead film format known for a giant field of vision and hyper-detailed focus, and has encouraged viewers to seek out the small number of theaters equipped to show the movie on 35mm or 70mm prints.

Then there’s the subject matter itself, which, during a time of immense fear and uncertainty for Jewish Americans, unapologetically tackles the Holocaust; antisemitism; the hazards Jews faced emigrating to the United States; Jews being pushed out of elite society across the globe; and debates about the early years of Zionism. Early in the film, László learns that a Jewish cousin has tried to remake himself as a gentile; later, after a series of setbacks in America, one of his family members encourages him to move to Israel.

(The film joins a deep crop of Jewish-interest movies this awards season, including Jesse Eisenberg’s Holocaust dramedy “A Real Pain”; “September 5,” a controversial docudrama about the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre of Israeli athletes; “The Order,” a fact-based thriller about the 1984 murder of a Jewish radio host by white nationalists; and the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown.”)

After initially agreeing to a Jewish Telegraphic Agency interview, a representative for A24, the film’s distributor, canceled planned conversations with Corbet, Fastvold and several members of the film’s production team the day before it was scheduled. A24 was unable to accommodate requests to reschedule the interviews in time.

But in Chicago promoting the film two months earlier, Corbet — a former actor whose directorial debut, “The Childhood of a Leader,” was a parable of Hitler’s early years — told the sold-out crowd what drew him to the subject matter.

“I was sort of fascinated by the way that people, communities, tend to perceive anything which is unfamiliar to them,” he said, referencing both “a new building that’s been erected in a different style” and “a new member of their community that has different traditions, different heritage, different skin color.”

When the Nazis took power, he pointed out, they shut down the Bauhaus design school in Germany, where the ideas behind brutalism originated and where many prominent Jewish architects — including, in the movie, László — were taught.

The changing tides against brutalism took place as Jewish American architects frequently found themselves drawing on the memory of the Holocaust in their postwar work, according to the 2011 history book “Building After Auschwitz: Jewish Architecture and the Memory of the Holocaust,” by Gavriel D. Rosenfeld.

But the film isn’t only about the Holocaust. László, his wife Erzsébet (Felicity Jones) and their niece Zsófia (Raffey Cassidy), both before and after reuniting in America, must also come to terms with what it means to be Jewish in their adopted country.

Their new home seems rife with antisemitism, even when it has a nice facade — as in their wealthy industrialist benefactor, Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce), who hires László to construct a community center (complete with church) and at least outwardly seems to admire and befriend him. But there’s a sinister side to Harrison and his family, one that comes out in drips and drabs (“We tolerate you,” his son sneers, out of earshot) before the mask falls away completely in the film’s appropriately brutal third act.

This dynamic, in which the Jewish characters try to parse whether the pleasantries they exchange with their non-Jewish benefactors are undergirded by antisemitism, will be familiar to many Jews navigating public spaces in the present day. And it also has a real-world parallel in comments made by some of the film’s cast. Pearce has become one of Hollywood’s most outspoken pro-Palestinian advocates since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, and recently told Vanity Fair, “I’ve had someone say to me, ‘Let’s not forget what Hollywood is made up of. Be careful.'” (He declined to clarify his remarks when asked by the magazine.)

For Corbet, this uncomfortable relationship between the characters was more universal.

“If anyone is being totally transparent about the relationship they have with someone that they feel beholden to, you’re never on equal footing,” he said in Chicago. “If you want it for the good of your project, you sometimes have to dabble in moral and ethical situations which are not your own … I know many of you have probably been in that situation: like to keep a job, you have to laugh at your bigoted boss’s jokes. It’s a complicated dynamic.”

He also said that László, who is spotted a few times in synagogue in the movie, isn’t a particularly religious Jew. “I don’t know very many devoutly religious artists,” Corbet mused. “It’s almost like they don’t have space for it. It requires a level of obsession which doesn’t create a lot of space for anything else in one’s life.”

Yet the film itself certainly makes space for different shades of Judaism, right up until its epilogue — which contains a twist, packed into a few quick lines of dialogue, that seeks to explain so much of László’s life’s work. A small gesture hidden inside something big — that, for Corbet, is his film’s subject in a nutshell.

“These monuments all over the world, Chicago, Lithuania, New York, Israel, you name it, they’re so radical. They’re so extreme,” he said. “And I identify with that way of working. I, too, like extremes. I like minimalism. I like maximalism. And for me, brutalism is both.”

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lightofraye · 7 months ago

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All About E

More self-torture. I don’t know why I do this.

Oh wait.

Yes I do.

It’s because the person I’m writing about is being praised and supported when she shouldn’t be. Shall we begin?

Elta Danneel Graul was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, and raised in the small town of Eunice. Her father, Edward, is a practicing ophthalmologist, and her mother, Deborah, is an interior designer. She was named after her great-grandmother. Legally her name is still Elta, but she professionally and personally goes by Danneel. Supposedly she was given the middle name, Danneel, after a street in New Orleans.

She moved to Los Angeles because, according to her, she knew she wanted to live in California. She moved there and lucked out with modeling. How did she luck out? Her now-ex-boyfriend, Riley Smith. His mother was a modeling agent in Chicago. She flew home with him for Thanksgiving and his mother made the phone call with the agency.

(How did Elta afford to live in Los Angeles without much work? Her parents paid her way, so she basically lived in an apartment on her own, didn’t share with anyone, and got to be lazy.)

Supposedly Riley’s mother also helped Elta with a nose job and breast implants (the first time around).

Elta liked to claim she worked and supported herself, but her beginning modeling jobs didn’t pay very well. She also didn’t get nearly as much work, so her parents supported her.

Elta proceeded to segue into television with the help of Riley to do auditions. She had a few guest spots on MadTV, Amanda Bynes’ What I Like About You. Then she had the audition with One Life To Live.

Because One Life To Live was filmed in New York, Elta had to move there. Again… her parents helped, because a starting actress on a soap did not pay well. She also had bit parts in Love House.

Eventually One Life To Live ended and Elta got guest spots on One Tree Hill, Joey, JAG, Charmed. Supposedly it was because she did well in auditions, but those rumors of her doing the casting couch with Mark Schwan persist.

After One Tree Hill, she had more guest spots on How I Met Your Mother, NCIS, and other shows.

She appeared in a few small roles in movies as well.

Supposedly, Elta is skilled in gymnastics, can sing and play piano.

Given how badly she moved as Rachel in One Tree Hill, I call false in the gymnastics claim. We’ve heard her sing—she can’t sing, period. Never seen her play the piano.

There have been claims that she has a degree in beat-poetry from University of Louisiana. She is not listed as an alumni and the timing does not work. I also call false that.

Elta has tried to create a jewelry line with Limbo Jewelry to create a line called Link. Near as I can tell, that jewelry line has never sold out and has not sold well. Supposedly it was meant as a benefit for Creative Action, an Austin-based charity aimed at foster youth-development projects. It has barely raised much, only $30,000.

Elta has four tattoos. A matching tattoo with Hilarie, which says “Mischief”, that she got at Hilarie’s wedding. A shark tattoo on her butt. An arrow on her left arm in honor of her children, and some kind of “robe-woman” who resembles a muse on her right arm.

She photographed for Maxim’s “Hot 100” list several times.

Supposedly, she is still friends with Hilarie Burton Morgan and Bevin Price.

She claimed she fell in love with Jensen during filming of Ten Inch Hero. They apparently drove back and forth, car pooled, really, to and from set and struck up a deeper conversation. Jensen once claimed he gave her a note that said “Not now, someday” as by that time, Elta was engaged to Riley Smith, Jensen’s friend.

Evidently, she didn’t even tell Riley what happened. She just packed up her things and moved out from their shared apartment, no break-up talk, nothing. Riley is now very happy she did that, given the crappy way she broke up with him. The best thing he got out of that relationship, he once claimed, was the guitar he was gifted with.

Jensen kept mum on the relationship for a long while. He had dated Joanna Krupa at one point, and Tania Saulnier. He was rumored, at one point, to have been with LeAnn Rimes (she herself said that was false) and Jessica Simpson (never been mentioned).

His revelation that he was dating came as a surprise—and almost no one knew who she was. When his engagement was announced on JustJared, no one knew he was dating or still dating her. The timing of said engagement had always been suspicious, given it was practically a week after Jared proposed to Genevieve.

Jensen claimed later that Elta gave him an ultimatum and that she hadn’t known he was going to propose.

I believe it was because seeing Jared get engaged meant the gay rumors would focus solely on him and he didn’t want to deal with that. Plus, suspected he had to “settle down”, so Elta was his “Okay, I guess she’ll do” girl. Not the girl of his dreams.

She likely tailored herself to what he wanted as she knew him for years prior to that.

Not to mention a rather quick engagement to wedding (six months; most usually do a year! Perhaps because Jared’s was set and they wanted to compete—or rather, Elta did).

Oh, Elta’s career kept puttering along. Some attempts were made, and all failed. No, I don’t think it’s because she wanted to be a stay-at-home mom either. Her career just didn’t take off; she’s a horrible actress with a childish voice that is clearly faked.

Her most recent role was a ‘gift’ from Hilarie. A pity gift.

And honestly, she’s not even a stay-at-home mom. She has nannies, a housekeepr, a gardener, possibly more help than most single parents or stay-at-home parents have. She’s unrelatable. She’s achieved nothing beyond being Jensen Ackles’ wife.

I’d pity her, if it weren’t obvious Jensen is scared of her. (He’s said: “I’m not suicidal, I’m getting out of her way”; called her “Scary Spice”; has stated more than once that he defers to her because he has to; said their marriage works better when they’re apart.)

#anti danneel #anti elta

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scottlava · 11 months ago

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GREAT GREAT SHOWDOWNS HUNT: Day 8

We have made it to the LAST DAY of the HUNT! What a wonderful time we have been enjoying! Thank you for hunting with me!! RISE OF THE GREAT SHOWDOWNS comes down today, but everything will still be online in the Gallery 1988 shop! LET’S HUNT!

1. Chicago, USA - This young woman had a rough birthday. She’s a bridesmaid at a wild wedding and leaves the church to see her heart throb crush waiting there for her. Where did they film this beautiful moment? HINT: It maaay be around back in the garden.

UPDATE: This one has been found!

2. Cannon Beach, USA - These buddies are on a search for pirate treasure. They ride their bikes up a hill to gaze upon some rocks and a hideout. Where do they line up all of this stuff with their doubloon?

What is happening: I will post some little paintings of characters from popular film scenes from March 9th through 16th. These paintings shall be placed into envelopes and hidden somewhere at the locations in which these scenes were filmed. This could happen in your town!

The first person to find these paintings shall keep them as a gift from me! I only ask that you post a picture of the found painting in your possession, so I can congratulate you in front of the world. Post it on twitter or instagram or email me. LET THE HUNT COMMENCE!

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she-walked-away · 9 months ago

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Do you have any theories to share with the class? I remember the Huntington's theory you had came true!

I have A LOT OF THOUGHTS and thankfully @thisbuildinghasfeelings indulges them and helps me map them out.

I think the biggest theory I have is Carlos has a new job- but I have like 2-3 theories on what it is and why. They've been hinting at a career change for him for like 3 seasons at this point. Do I think it will stick? idk

I think my main theory is that Carlos is working dispatch or something along the lines of that. I know it seems kind of random, but if Carlos isn't going to be police anymore- he will most likely still be in a first responding position because that's just how the 911 verse works. The thing that kind of helps me with this theory is that Rafa talked about it being something different than he has ever done before and I think anything Texas Ranger-y is too similar to what he's done before with police and the detective stuff.

Also the angst hoe in me wants Carlos to be on dispatch and hear TK get injured (as told he gets injured at the Chicago con) and be able to do nothing about it because he's not there. Also- more grace and carlos scenes PLEASE!

Second theory is that he's working undercover on Gabriel's murder case- which ALSO fits being different than anything Rafa's done before. We do know that figuring out what happened to him is supposed to be apart of the season, as told by a cameo from earlier this year and that Carlos has a five episode arc- which I'm assuming and i know you're not supposed to, is about that. My supporting theory about that is kind of what Jen's ( @strandnreyes) V-day fic was about. Like Carlos is living somewhere away from TK- but I'm kind of theorizing that they meet up every episode or 2 to check in with each other and have *steamy* scenes. Kind of fits with Brian talking about how relationships kind of turn on a head and imagine they act like they're apart through the first episode and we see them reunite at the end happily in love but carlos undercover!

This also culminates to Carlos either seeing or hearing about TK getting hurt and he cannot react. I want the ANGST. The evidence for this one other than just speculating is I have a theory that the party at the loft where they were all nice and fancy in the Cameo vid is a "welcome back" Carlos party and TK makes a spectacle of putting Carlos' wedding ring back on him because they're THAT cheesy in love. (the easy answer was that he wasn't wearing it yet before they film but i'm taking it a step further).

I think these are the main ones I have now just for carlos and tarlos, so I'll be curious if they pan out! Basically if they're making TK get injured again- they better indulge my angst whore ways and have Carlos be unable to do anything about it and see him internally or externally freak out because Rafa is so good at that and it's just *different* now that they're husbands.

#tarlos #911 lone star #carlos reyes #911 lone star speculation

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dsweddingstudio · 2 years ago

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#wedding #wedding studio #wedding studio chicago #chicago wedding studio #wedding videos in chicago #wedding films in chicago #wedding films

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cto10121 · 18 days ago

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Posted with permission, @car-lizzzle. Thank you.

Fans turning against their creator and expressing heavy disdain or even hatred for them/their work is nothing new. We saw it in Star Wars, Harry Potter, and so forth. It seems to happen especially with large franchises and author-related controversies. But Twilight to me is a unique case in which the ones that consistently post about it…are simply the ones who hate it. Or who claim to love it, but happen to mostly post about how bad it is. These anti fans have the same irritating/creepy tendencies, namely:

Being confused about/asking very basic questions about canon. Most fans never have that trouble, unless they are exclusively movie fans

Conflating both book and movie canons. Even Contrapoints bases a lot of her analysis on the movies instead of the books, a faux pas I doubt she would have done with Harry Potter. This almost never happens with book fandoms, especially ones with a movie franchise almost universally disliked. Even the most anti-Rowling HP fans still rant about changes in characterization from book to movies and call out fanon based on the movies. And this is despite the fact that the HP movie franchise is much better done and much more beloved than the Twilight movies ever were

Overly bashing characters and overly loving others (one creator is a Team Jacob fan, and her bias against Edward and the Cullens—minus Rosalie, tellingly enough—is very obvious).

Conjecture and theories on Stephenie Meyer's supposed thoughts and beliefs in writing the series, even when Meyer has been clear about her writing processes (i.e. that weird “Twilight was inspired by MCR” shit going around).

Absurd and increasingly deranged “fan” theories that don’t make sense (e.g. Edward digging up his mother’s grave in Chicago to retrieve her wedding ring)

The reluctance to admit any part of the series is good. If an anti does admit it, they will inevitably complain it’s bad, actually (e.g. “The vampire backstories are so much more interesting than stupid Bella/Edward, bad writing!!!” “Edward privileged Bella’s health and safety over that of their child, but Meyer definitely did not mean this is a positive way, bad writing!!!!”).

Just...the bitter and angry tone some of these fans have. If not bitter or angry, then just downright disdainful. You’d think Meyer personally killed their relatives or something. It’s comparable only to the R&J hate I eat regularly on this blog. The fact that these two works are both romances with heavy social commentary is no coincidence

So why does Twilight have such a toxic anti fandom? A book getting a horrifically bad film adaptation isn’t anything new (see: Percy Jackson). As for romance, I’ve heard less vitriol against the Bridgerton and Outlander books, even though they have some of the same problematic elements Twilight is accused of (and they have actual rape and dubious consent involved). ACOTAR is still big despite receiving criticism of both its writing and of Maas. Only Colleen Hoover gets more hate than Meyer at this point, but she is more recent.

Twilight is a wildly successful book series from 2006, which received dutiful but inept film adaptations and a strong backlash on literally all fronts. And yet interest in this series, even if negative, is still going strong. A reasonable person would conclude Twilight is standing the test of time pretty well so far and at least one person already has: Robert Pattinson himself. But to admit Twilight is in any way good is an anathema to these anti fans.

It’ll be interesting to see in what way the upcoming animated adaptation may improve—or worsen—the image of this series. Here’s hoping it’ll get enough positive attention to banish the nasty anti ones into the ether.

#twilight #twilight clownery #twilight meta #twilight renaissance #twilight clown takes #so many copycats and yet twilight is still the most relevant #it’s rare for a romance book to have achieved this much success #acotar was more of a slow burn into the cultural consciousness #i think people are just extremely uncomfortable with gothic romance in general

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dustedmagazine · 2 months ago

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K-the-I??? & Kenny Segal — Genuine Dexterity (Backwoodz Studioz)

It was a pleasant surprise when the announcement came through that Billy Woods’ Backwoodz Studioz had a late-year release in store from Kiki Ceac and Kenny Segal. Anyone paying attention to hip-hop in the last 10 years well knows Segal’s name, most likely via Woods’ acclaimed Hiding Places and Maps. But anyone paying attention to hip-hop in the last 20 years will recognize Ceac’s peculiar K-the-I??? nom de plume from releases on Mush, Ninjatune and Big Dada. Memories are short in the rap game, though, so if anything, Genuine Dexterity serves as a welcome reintroduction to one of the finer artists working downstream from Def Jux’s late-1990s breakout.

Like others in the Backwoodz orbit, K-the-I??? has weathered the whims of hip-hop taste making over a timeline that’s taken him from Cambridge, Mass to L.A. to Chicago to Berlin and back again. He took a mid-2010s sabbatical from music altogether. As he noted in an illuminating interview with Caltrops Press over the summer, his writing has gone from paper and pen to freestyles on a phone that then get printed out so he can read them clearly from behind the mic. He’s a fan of Broadcast and Mach-Hommy alike. This is a dude who knows what it means to be older, wiser, more focused, less provincial.

It shows in the rhymes and rhythms of Genuine Dexterity. “Ionosphere” sets the album in motion as it will continue, and it’s clear right from the off that K has not come to play around — these rhymes are razor-sharp. One thing that’s always impressed me dating back to my first brush with him on 2006’s Broken Love Letter is the clarity of his vocal delivery for such high speeds of tongue-twisting spitting. If anything, what it conveys is a sense of engagement, that K is locked all the way in; you can get him rifling through his verses before pulling up the reins to make sure you notice how easily he says his mission statement: “I bet I can touch the sky so easily / even if you don’t believe in me.” Features from formidable emcees like ShrapKnel, Open Mike Eagle and Fatboi Sharif do nothing to deter this attentiveness.

For his own part, Segal aids and abets with some of his better recent beats. While K’s tearing the mic apart alongside both Woods and Armand Hammer compatriot Elucid on “Spellcasted Television,” Segal lays down a beat to match with scrawling guitar that weds spacey synths and claustrophobically dirty percussion; it recalls nothing so much as the best El-P productions. Vinyl crackle lines the sax-wailing, vibraphone-inflected “Warhammer.” More jazz sampling, this time featuring a busy bassline and more horns, hit on “Crushed Heavenly.” Rubber-band oscillations straight out of a 1950s sci-fi film drive the verses of “Season of the Sickness” before the bass weight hits for the chorus. A bubblingly bucolic, RJD2-esque downtempo tone colors “Immediate Imminent Immunity.” Together with K and company tying it all together, the album works as one despite its occasionally surprising sonic ventures.

There’s a loose union of antediluvian hip-hop vets out there — Run the Jewels, the Backwoodz crew, Open Mike, Roc Marciano, Shabazz Palaces, you know these names — that in recent years have found a modicum of fame while maintaining a respectable semblance of artistic integrity. With Genuine Dexterity, it’s safe to add K-the-I??? to that list. The game, as it turns out, needed him.

Patrick Masterson

#k-the-i???#kenny segal #genuine dexterity #backwoodz studios #patrick masterson #albumreview #dusted magazine #Kiki Ceac #hip hop #cambridge #los angeles #backpackers

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darklydeliciousdesires · 1 year ago

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London Will Burn - Chapter Twelve.

Look at me go! I updated on time for once, haha! Happy Friday, besties. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend <3

Previous chapters - One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven

Tag list - In the comments, please DM to be added/removed

Words - 4,180

Warnings - 18+ content throughout. Minors DNI.

“Sorry mate! Christ, the traffic was absolute murder! They’ve completely closed off the bloody main road outside my offices and... Oh, hot waiters. Hello!”

In times of tension, Rin knew she could always trust in her old friend Carly for a little light relief, literally veering off mid-sentence to appreciate the appearance of the wait staff there at San Carlo, where they were meeting for a long overdue catchup dinner.

With their beloved Rashida now living over in Chicago, it was just the two of them, their friendship fully re-bonded since Rin’s return from Africa. Not that geographical distance had diminished the love or closeness between the two lifelong friends whatsoever.

“Oh, don’t worry. It’s fucking mayhem out there! Come here, give me a smooch,” Rin assured her, kissing her cheek as they embraced. “I only got here on time because I was in Chelsea for a meeting this afternoon.” Carly took her seat, thanking Rin when she dutifully poured her a glass of wine. “Anyway, why are you eyeing up waiters? Not loved up with twat waffles, still?”

No, it was fair to say that Rin had never really liked Carly’s long-term boyfriend, Mathias. Not after their visit to Kenya, when he’s gotten absolutely smashed, resulting in him thinking he could square up to Sokoro, a decision that had landed him in a world of regret. Being dangled by his ankles over the top of the stairs within the lodge by the pissed off Kenyan until he’d apologised had sobered him up nicely, though.

“You will be pleased to hear that the man known only as twat waffles to you is no longer in my life. Yeeted him about four weeks ago. I’ll say it, you were right.”

Rin beamed. “I always am.” Well, not always. The events of the previous week were still burning in her gut, being shamed in the way she had been by Sean and his superior powers of deduction. “No but honestly, honey. I’m glad because you can do so much better than him!”

“In this instance, you are correct. I can and I will, with that waiter over there with the blonde hair if I have my way.” She paused, raising her glass in his direction. He was at the table in seconds.

“Good evening, ladies. Are we ready to order?”

Oh, he was so sweet, absolutely none the wiser to the fact there was a bona fide man eater about to chomp down upon him. “Not yet, love. I was just appreciating the fact that you happen to be the most gorgeous man within the restaurant, so cheers to you.”

He pinked at the cheeks, nodding while attempting to bite back his grin. “Well, when you need me, feel free to appreciate me again.”

Rin chuckled, shaking her head. “We'll take some focaccia and olives to nibble while we decide, please.”

He made a quick note on his iPad, smiling widely. “Certainly.” Scampering away, Rin fixed her friend with a look of pure mirth.

“You’re terrible, Muriel.”

Her assessment had Carly in hysterics, reciting their favourite line from the nineteen nineties cult classic film, Muriel’s wedding. They’d always said it to one another when there was mischief afoot. “I am, this much is true. So, how’s everything? How’s work, and my beautiful goddaughter?”

“Tiger is perfect, as usual. As for work... hm.”

Inclining her head, she took a sip of wine and thanking the waiter when he brought over the required pre-dinner nibbles. She winked again and of course, he blushed furiously. “Oh? I sense a story there. Does it have anything to do with her dad? How’s all of that going, by the way?” Of course, Carly had been made privy to it all. She’d known right from the start, after all.

She ground her teeth before forcing a somewhat terse smile to her face. “I gave him a black eye last week.”

Some things truly never changed, Carly making a motion with her hand that she should elaborate. “The tea requires spilling, Miss C.”

And so, Rin did. She spared certain details over her work (although of course, Carly well knew she was a hardened criminal, Rin never gave away enough that could implicate her at any point in the future, just in case) but managed to sum it all up in a way that gave the story without all of the nuanced ins and outs of it.

“Right, so he potentially saved you from making a big mistake with the Per...” she began, eyes scanning around before leaning in close to whisper, “the PM, shall we say, and you gave him hell for it?”

“He embarrassed me in front of my associates, and took great pleasure in doing so,” she spoke, picking up another small cube of focaccia and dunking it into the balsamic vinegar bowl. “I don’t take kindly to that.”

A taste of one’s own medicine was always the bitterest, Carly couldn’t help but note. “Yet you do exactly the same with him at any given opportunity.”

Rin frowned. “I’m sorry, who’s side are you on here, exactly?”

“Yours, always yours, love,” she was quick to interject, “but sweet, from what you’ve told me about him, if you bite at him, he’ll do exactly the same back. You two, you’re much too similar for your own good. Something I believe you once said about you both, didn’t you?”

The focaccia was chewed upon with mild fury. “He doesn’t deserve to ever have one over on me. Not after what he did. I want him to suffer. His punishment will be prolonged, mark my words.”

God, she was so hardheaded, especially when it came to Sean. Carly looked a little pensive, picking up her wine. “Do you want to know what I think about that? The complete, unfiltered truth?”

Her lips thinned, eventually nodding. “I suppose an outside perspective couldn’t hurt.”

“Okay.” She took a breath and another sip of Sauvignon Blanc for courage, placing her glass back down again softly.

“You’ve already punished him enough, Rin. You deprived him of a relationship with his daughter for six years, and you came back and took an empire he was planning to preside over out from under him, and then made him effectively run his own company for you, on your terms. Trust me, from what you’ve told me about Sean, you’ve hit him twice where it hurts with big strikes. Family and business are what means everything to him, and you hold all the power over both. Prolonging that, well, as far as I can see, mate, all that does is cause problems for you.”

“How?”

“Your business deals should be running smoothly, and if you continue to hold him in contempt, they simply won’t. Risky really, when taken into consideration just what you do. Then of course, for Tiger. In fact, mostly for Tiger. Trying to repeatedly cut her father down for a mistake he made seven years ago will only hurt you and her in the end. Has he ever offered you an apology for his actions?”

She lifted her chin, remembering it, when he told her of his lament. “He has. I have to give him that.”

Carly reached for her arm, squeezing softly. “Well, then. There you go. You have to stop figuratively yeeting him right in the gonads for it at point or another, or behaving like this is only lowering you to his level, or former level, I don’t know. I can’t speak for him, but I can speak for your character. You’re better than this.”

If anyone was going to give her the truth, it was Carly. It was a truth she did need to hear, too, before the battleground that was her relationship – or lack thereof – with the father of her child became even bloodier than it already was. “Why are you bloody laughing? I’m trying to talk seriously for once in my flippin’ life! You could at least appreciate my attempt to be sage!”

“I am,” Rin chuckled, covering her hand with hers where it still rested upon her arm. “It’s just you still can’t help but be funny through it. Yeeting him in the gonads, oh god.” She descended there, laughing richly, even wiping a few tears from her eyes, it had entertained her so much.

“And at the fucking risk of getting my head bitten off, well, maybe it’s because you still lust after what’s hanging directly above the gonads that you’re getting yourself so bent out of shape over him.”

Immediately, she sat a little more upright, her laughter stalled. “Order me the burrata salad to start and then the salmon penne. I’m going for a cigarette.”

“Avoidance tactics,” Carly chimed as Rin rose from her seat, discreetly offering her middle finger in salute.

“Bugger off.”

“Filthy habit,” she further teased, Rin mouthing that she was a knob, her clearly entertained friend giggling as she picked up her wine. “This could all be so much simpler for you if you weren’t so much like your dad.” she muttered, sipping the buttery smooth Sauvignon while looking down at the menu to make her choice.

They had a lovely night together, parting ways at just gone 10pm, Carly heading home and Rin calling a car to do the same. After stopping at a Tesco Express to purchase a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black, though, home was not where she ended up.

Sean was coming to the end of a five-mile treadmill run when the buzzer sounded through his penthouse, slowing the machine to walk before climbing off, his bare chest glistening with sweat.

“Yes?” he spoke into the intercom, seeing the woman upon the screen turn to reveal her face to the front entrance camera.

“Can we talk?”

She had a nerve, turning up out of the blue at 10:35pm. “That depends on whether I’m going to get lambasted all over again for trying to do the fucking right thing, Catherine.”

“You aren’t. Promise.” She knew she needed to give a little, Carly’s words hitting home with her a little. He buzzed her in, Rin moving to the lift, hitting the button for the penthouse. As it glided in ascent, she spoke sternly to herself, her internal monologue advising that she needed to keep calm and talk things through with him, apologise for her pride getting in the way the week before, that she was doing this for the greater good of business continuing to run smoothy, and for her daughter to have a father in her life. One who truly did want to be there.

All of her steely composure flew straight out the window when he opened the door to her, though, when her eyes nearly fell out of her head for seeing him there, shirtless and gleaming with sweat, his navy joggers so low slung she could almost see his...

“Well, don’t you look resplendent in Dolce and Gabbana,” he spoke, raising an eyebrow.

She cocked her head, swallowing hard. “How did you know this is D&G?”

He took a moment, his eyes roaming her slender curves. “I have an eye for quality.” The scent of her perfume wafted under his nose, spellbinding, those orchid notes reminding him how it felt to have his senses flooded by it, his eyes meeting hers.

Her body moved, yet her feet planted, her mouth agape as her chest and cheeks flushed, overcome by the sight of him like that, her throat drying. No. Not now. She willed her brain to take the reins away from the jockey that was her desire, steer her right, but she failed. It was too strong, charging away down a path she swore never to encroach upon again, moving in a second to press her mouth to his, his arms immediately locking around her as he kissed her back with all the heat of a thousand suns.

Now they were in trouble.

Flattened against the door, he pinned her there as they gave in to the torrent, his hands smoothing over her body, reaching to ruck her dress up around her waist, both panting furiously as their tongues rolled in an erotic dance, Sean grasping her thong and tearing it from her in one swift yank. It sent a flood to where she ached for him, her legs wrapping around him as he lifted her, pulling his joggers down just enough to free his cock and plunge it into her fully.

Lord, how she’d missed the feel of being split wide around him, kissing him in utter frenzy. It was mindless, feral sex, their need for one another rampant and unhinged, her body banging against the thick, black door as he fucked out every single wave of desire, longing and, if he was honest, utter contempt he held for her, his fingers dug in hard beneath her thighs.

It sizzled through her, each sparking pulse, tiny fireworks set to burn within her blood, crying out as he filled her again and again, his teeth at her neck scintillating, hanging onto him for dear life. It felt like he was attempting to fuck her right through the door, the pace barbaric, smouldering, everything she needed and had craved in the years they’d been parted.

It shimmered through them both, the crest of an almighty wave they rode until it crashed, washing over them entirely, Rin feeling completely mindless as she swam to the surface of her pleasure, desire glimmering down her spine. That was the moment her brain engaged, her breathless body pinned by his, their tightened muscles slackening as the divinity ebbed away.

Oh, god. Damn him. Damn him for being so fucking irresistible.

He was the first to speak, finally sobering from his orgasm enough to form words. “Please don’t tell me we’ve just possibly given Tiger a sibling.”

“We haven’t,” she panted, “IUD.”

“Oh, thank Christ.” He finally looked at her, withdrawing and placing her down, his mouth twitching a little. “So, you wanted to talk?”

“I did,” she confirmed, rearranging her dress, looking away. Easily, she could have throttled herself for her actions, hiding her face in her hands for a moment, dying a little. “For fucks sake! We’re such a mess.”

He raised an eyebrow, pulling his joggers and boxers back up again. “That we are, Catherine.” He paused, watching her run her hands over her hair, still looking desperately uncomfortable. “We could become less messy, though. Perhaps if we ceased the urge to needle at one another quite so much as we do.”

“Are you truly admitting to the fact that you do?” she asked, Sean feeling his blood flicker in annoyance.

“I am, yes. Because somebody who continues to fucking punish me for the mistakes of my past bloody deserves it. Know that for my part, it is only in retaliation,” he told her, walking over to his kitchen, Butch there in his bed, absolutely none the wiser to her arrival and subsequent pounding against the front door.

She pulled the bottle from her bag, nodding towards him. “It’s because you enjoy the fight, Sean. Don’t pretend that isn’t how it is.”

God. The Woman was insufferable. He turned to her, his nostrils flaring. “Stop it. If I can put my ego aside here and admit my transgressions, then so can you. You know full well you hold your power over me like a fucking sword of Damocles, in both business and with Tiger whenever the opportunity arises. Now, admit that, or get the fuck out. I’m going for a shower; I suggest you take the time I’m gone to consider that. Glasses are above the sink cupboard.”

She knew she had to, he was right, but god, it wasn’t easy. They were both just too similar, too – to use an analogy she herself had many times before – cut from the exact same cloth. Except this time, deep down Rin knew that Sean was right, and she loathed him for it all the more.

Life would be made exponentially easier for her if she simply ceased her desire to punish him, to realise that Carly was right. She had struck back against him more than evenly. The playing field was entirely equal once more.

Just last week she’d heard Ed Dumani offer peace towards Sean, and regardless of the fact he hadn’t been ready to accept, she knew that a clean slate was exactly what had to happen between her and the father of her child, so that ultimately that precious little girl didn’t suffer because of her parent’s rampant toxicity.

“I almost expected you to have done a runner.” His words pulled her from her thoughts, a freshly showered Sean entering the kitchen again, going to the cupboard himself to retrieve the glasses she’d been preoccupied from fetching. “I perhaps couldn’t blame you if you had.”

He poured two large measures, Rin thanking him as he slid hers across the black marble worktop, knocking it back in one. He followed suit. “Come on, it’s fucking cold in here and the lounge is warm.” They walked back out again, Butch still sleeping on with a series of deep snores, taking a seat upon the long, L shaped grey sofa, Sean refilling their glasses. “So, what did you come here with the intention of saying?”

Taking a breath, she closed her eyes for a second, seeing Tiger there in her mind’s eye. It forced her to take a lasso to her pride and give it several tethering yanks. “I want to apologise for my part in us continuing to have friction. It isn’t conducive to us healthily co-parenting Tiger, no matter how much I dislike you at times. I need to be better for my daughter.”

He snorted softly, sipping his drink. “At times? Catherine, you despise me near enough constantly.”

“Do you truly blame me for that?”

“Yes, I fucking do when you’ve had seven bloody years to get over it!” he spoke tersely. “I apologised to you, and it was sincere. I regret what I did to you, every fucking day I regret it, but god above, woman! You have to take your fucking boot off my bloody neck at some point.” She looked accepting of his words, albeit that acceptance bitter, Sean continuing in her silence. “I lost everything, went through hell after my father died, attempted to claw it back only to have you take it all again and only give it on your terms. Terms I have complied with.”

“But Sean...”

“No, for fucks sake, there isn’t a fucking but here! Stop fucking punishing me. If you want me to cease resenting you, then you have to stop making me sorry for something I already regret! I am doing everything in my power to prove worthiness, to prove most importantly that I can and will be a fit father for Tiger, but as soon as you perceive me to have any kind of upper hand, you fucking use her against me, like you did with the Persians!”

Her ire ramped in an instant. “You fucking enjoyed that, making me look small!”

“I didn’t want Bahram Forouhandeh to fucking kill you! I was looking out for you, you ignorant, insufferable woman!” His eyes were wide, exasperated as he scoffed, sinking his whiskey. “And yes, maybe I did derive a little joy from cutting you down, but bloody hell, Rin! Like you don’t do exactly the same to me at every fucking opportunity!”

“I just apologised, and you’re throwing it at me all over again!”

“Because you need to have it thrown at you all over a-bloody-gain to recognise what you’re doing to me!” He took a moment, his heart jackrabbiting in his chest, trying to calm down from the anger that had all too sharply risen. “Your father was exactly the same. On his terms or not at all. You? You’re better than that, and I am one of the very few people in your life who not only sees that, but isn’t too afraid of you to tell you either.”

Neither was Carly, and it wasn’t lost on her, how his statements more or less matched those of her oldest friend. She’d always taken pride in the fact people likened her to her father, but truly never dawned in her until right then that perhaps it wasn’t always a complimentary likeness.

Bolting back her drink, she took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Sean.” They were words that did not come easily, feeling bitter, like ashes in her mouth.

Standing, he picked up the bottle, moving to seat himself at her side, topping up her empty glass. “Finally. Now I only have to await a little sincerity in your actions going forward, and maybe my fucking blood pressure might lower a tad.”

Lifting the glass to her lips, she took a sip, nodding. “What would like first, then, for me to show this sincerity?”

“A blowjob wouldn’t go amiss.” He expected the light slap he received to the chest. “Well, you did ask.”

“And you just shagged the shit out of me against the front door not ten minutes ago!”

He smirked, his eyebrows twitching. “I never claimed not to he insatiable.”

Rolling her eyes, she rested her head back against the comfy sofa, biting her lip. He certainly never had, as a mere few minutes against the door had reminded her, should she have forgotten. “No, you definitely didn’t. I’m still not putting your cock in my mouth, though.”

“Spoil sport.” The conversation moved away from their dalliance into the verboten, talking instead about of work and life, and then of Tiger when they were over half a bottle into the whiskey.

“I know I say how perfect she is, the bias of being her mum, and she’s always so well-mannered when we meet up with you,” Rin began, her words peppered by giggles.

“Apart from when we took her on the Harry Potter tour and she had a meltdown mid-way round,” he interrupted with, remembering the squealing well.

“Yes, apart from that.” She paused again, looking pained. “You fucking have a habit of doing this to me, interrupting and making me forget what I was about to say!”

He snickered, flicking the side of her glass. “No, darling. That’s called alcohol.”

“Anyway, as I was saying…”

“As you were saying.”

God, how he knew how to wind her up, even when he was being playful rather than deliberately devious. “Be quiet, or I’ll black your other eye.”

“You bloody won’t,” he warned, “look at it, still purple.” It was, too, just a smidgen marking the skin violet around the socket.

“As I was saying, she isn’t the perfect, Tiger. She’s going through a phase of saying things she definitely shouldn’t at the moment. She called the window cleaner a dickhead the other day because he appeared suddenly and startled her.”

Predictably, Sean cracked up hard. “The profanity apple has not fallen far from the tree, I see.”

She laughed, cringing a little. “No, it certainly hasn’t. That child had bionic hearing, and stealth mode. I never know when she’s going to sneak up on me and overhear my vulgar mouth. Bastard shoes was another recent one, when she couldn’t get her little Timberland boots on because she hadn’t loosened the laces. Sokoro nearly pissed himself laughing at her.”

“When do you plan on telling her who I am?” he then asked, Rin feeling a little pit inside for the question, no matter how gently delivered.

“Soon, I think. Before our next meeting. She needs to know.”

He smiled. “Good plan.”

What was also a good plan to them that night was working their way through the rest of the Johnnie Walker, Rin feeling the effects strongly, not having much memory of the night. Upon waking the following morning, she certainly had no remembrance over how she’d ended up in Sean’s bed, her sober, slightly hungover self feeling a little flicker of panic.

They hadn’t... nope. Her underwear was still on, she felt after checking, her shuffling around stirring the body at her side.

“Morning,” he yawned, propping himself up. “I hope you don’t mind, but if you’d slept on the sofa you’d have only awoken to Butch trying to sit on your head, so I brought you in here.”

“You have more than one bedroom though, no?”

He might have been half asleep, but he heard the tease in her tones clearly. “I do, but the beds aren’t made up and I was too pissed to wrestle with a fucking duvet cover, so yes. Here you are.”

The warmth of him, the bright of his blue eyes, the scent of his skin. No. Not again.

“Here I am.” She looked down for a second, feeling a hand reach beneath her chin, Sean shifting closer, his heart quickening as she looked up from beneath her long, full eyelashes at him.

That time, he was the instigator of the kiss they fell into, his body moving to cover hers.

Now they were in trouble.

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