#will you recognize yourself at the end of it?

[hyejinkim]

A request from @omkookie for Mr. Hood here, since he didn't get as much reconciliation as the others. Anyways, please do enjoy the story!

"Warmth in the Weary Heart: A Spark from Small Acts of Kindness" (Mr. Hood x reader).

Warning: none, just, maybe some words are hard to understand because I'm not a native English speaker, I translated it using Google so I ask for your understanding.

The hours stretched into what felt like endless days as you continued to search for the elusive elevator that was your only means of escape from this cursed apartment. Countless times you found yourself facing off against hostile entities, only to emerge overwhelmed and exhausted. The struggle to find food and water added to your despair, yet through it all, you were fortunate enough to have Mr. Hood by your side. He served as a steadfast companion and guide, helping you navigate the dangers and keeping you company in your quest to find a pathway out of the apartment and back to your own world.

Mr. Hood's presence was a lifeline in this hopeless situation. His assistance and support went beyond just being a mere companion; he was the one who kept you grounded and prevented you from succumbing to despair. Despite the grim surroundings and the seemingly never-ending search for the elevator, you were grateful for his company and the small bit of sanity he provided in this nightmarish reality.

Despite the relentless search for an elevator to your world, you found comfort in Mr. Hood's unwavering presence. His role as your helper and companion provided a much-needed lifeline, keeping you grounded and sane amidst the seemingly endless quest. However, even in your determination to press on, you were painfully aware of your own bodily limitations, feeling the strain of the challenges you had endured.

Mr. Hood, ever observant, recognized your overwhelm and gently led you to a safe haven, away from the dangers that loomed nearby. With great care, he guided you to a nearby bed, its appearance reminiscent of a hospital bed. His movements were both elegant and gentle, his touch delicately guiding you onto the bed, treating you as if you were something precious and fragile. Once he had settled you down, as Mr. Hood then turned his attention to finding a place to rest himself. Spotting an old sofa nearby, its blue hue faded with time, he strode toward it with a slight sigh. Carefully laying his colossal axe nearby to ensure it would not pose a threat, he sank onto the sofa, the creaking sound of the worn upholstery echoing slightly in the air.

As Mr. Hood sat there quietly, his body slowly regenerating after a strenuous battle. His form had taken on a peculiar texture, smooth and soft yet firm and muscular, akin to a living mass of slime. In his relaxed state, he stretched out, inadvertently adopting a rather provocative seating position, with his legs spread wide apart. Oblivious to the presence of you, who had been covertly observing him, Mr. Hood continued to sit like that, unaware of the subtle glances cast his way. Eventually, as the silence grew between them, you couldn't help but become shy and turned their gaze away.

Mr. Hood remained blissfully unaware of you're reaction, still focused on his own thoughts. He leaned back, sinking into the chair, the soft, slime-like texture of his body adjusting to the contour of the seat. The silence between them continued, broken only by the occasional soft sound of Mr. Hood's breathing.

Finally, Mr. Hood took notice of the change in atmosphere and turned his attention towards you. He caught a glimpse of the your shy demeanor, their averted eyes and flushed cheeks, and then realization dawned upon him.

His smooth, deep voice carried a hint of worry as he questioned, "You, hurt?" The soft, yet impactful tone sent a slight shiver down your spine, causing you to shake your head in response.

"No! I'm not hurt! It doesn't hurt!..." you quickly reassured, attempting to mask any evidence of your previous observations. Despite your best efforts, you couldn't help but admit to yourself that the sight of him, clad in nothing but a simple cloth wrapping his muscular body, was strangely alluring.

Despite your attempts to downplay any injury, Mr. Hood's concern lingered. He stood up from his seat, his mind seemingly contemplating something that piqued your curiosity. Before you had a chance to decipher his thoughts, you caught a hint of a knowing smile at the corner of his lips.

He leaned back, his large frame exuding a seductive aura, his long legs parted in a challenging gesture. The dirty brown cloth wrapped around his body rode up slightly, revealing more of his form, while his muscular arms stretched out, beckoning you closer.

"You, come... here, besides me..." he commanded, his low voice laced with an invitation that sent a shiver down your spine. The sight of him, posed in such a provocative manner, left you flustered and curious. You couldn't tear your gaze away, torn between wanting to oblige and wanting to resist the temptation.

After a while, You finally gathered your courage and slowly stepped off the bed, careful not to stumble and embarrass yourself further in front of the man who had become your guardian angel.

You stood before him, your heart pounding furiously in your chest, the sound of your heartbeat echoing in your ears. Despite your predicament, you couldn't deny the familiarity of this feeling – it reminded you of a time when life was still 'normal.'

After a moment of hesitation, you felt his strong hands gently pull you towards him, maneuvering you onto one of his massive thighs. Feeling like you were engulfed in a warm embrace, you found yourself instinctively leaning against his broad body. His deep voice, uttering the two simple words 'You, rest,' held a calming authority that seemed to banish your worries.

As he wrapped you in the cloth that clung to his body, enveloping you in a soft layer of warmth and comfort, you felt your eyelids growing heavy. Gradually, the tension in your body melted away, and a sense of peace washed over you, lulling you into a deep sleep in his lap.

His large, protective arms encircled you with a gentle firmness, his body a comforting presence against your fatigue and the stresses of the day. As you slept, your head resting against his warm chest, you felt a sense of safety that hadn't been there in a long time. Each slow, steady beat of his heart echoed against your ear, a steady rhythm that lulled you further into a relaxed state. He shifted slightly, adjusting his hold on you so that you would be more comfortable without disturbing your sleep.

With you comfortably asleep in his arms, mr. Hood was finally able to relax. He shifted his position slightly, careful not to wake you as he sought to make your sleep even more pleasant. In the stillness of the room, he spoke softly, his voice gentle and filled with a tender, loving tone.

"Good night... (y/n)..." he whispered, his words a soothing lullaby in the quiet darkness.

Disclaimer! :

This art is legally mine, so I hope you don't take it without my permission first!. Some words might be hard to understand because I used google to translate it, English isn't my first language so I hope you can understand my difficulty in translating it!)

[loulovingho]

tags: violence (gay bashing), homophobic slurs, blood, hurt/comfort, angst, healing, heading toward getting back together, happy-enough ending

(ao3 link or read below)

Like Fine China

“Hey, I need you to keep your eyes open for me, okay? You hear me? Try to keep your eyes open.”

He recognized that voice. The last time he'd heard it was just a few weeks ago, at the hospital. Who was it for though? Why was he at the hospital that time?

His brain felt like a jumbled mess. His body felt even worse.

He just wanted to sleep.

“Tommy! Tommy, can you hear me?”

Athena! That's who was speaking to him.

He opened his mouth, cracked one eye open. God, it hurt!

“I- I'm,” the words felt foreign as they escaped him. His voice didn't sound like his own. His mouth was dry, and held a bad taste.

Whiskey and... and metal.

Blood.

“Tommy, paramedics are on their way, okay? I just need you to stay with me until they get here.”

It was dark, but something was shining bright in his face.

“Flash... Flashlight,” he managed to get out, squeezing his eye back shut.

“Eyes- Eye open, Tommy. I'll get the flashlight out of your face, but I need to know you're with me.”

Wait. Had she said paramedics? They couldn't. He couldn't let them- let him see.

“No, no, no,” he mumbled out, shaking his head a couple times until a sharp pain shot through it. “No, h- he can't. I don't-”

“They're not on shift, Tommy.”

He tried to push himself up, away from where she hovered over him. He didn't manage to get very far before she placed a hand on his chest.

“Tommy, you cannot get up. I need you to stay still, and stay conscious. Those two things are your only jobs. You hear me?”

“I can't,” his words were so garbled. He coughed up the blood that'd been dripping down his throat.

I can't let him see.”

“Listen to me, Tommy!” Athena exclaimed, getting right in Tommy's face. He could barely see her, but he could feel her breath on his face. “They're not coming. Buck isn't coming; it'll be someone else.”

In the distance, he heard the sound of sirens. He didn't feel relief. Didn't feel much of anything at all. He was fading, fast. It took all his energy to force out one last sentence before he lost consciousness. “Don't... Don't tell him.”

*****

He just wanted to go out for a drink. Something a little stronger than craft beer.

It'd been two weeks since he broke up with Evan- no, Buck. He was Buck now.

It'd been two weeks since he broke up with Buck and the ache in his chest felt the same way it did the second he walked out of the loft.

He'd thought he was saving himself from future heartbreak, and maybe he was, but it didn't quite make it hurt any less.

Georgie's wasn't exactly a gay bar, but Georgie was gay and the bar itself became a sort of unofficial hang out for older people in the lgbtq+ community. No loud music and everyone left each other alone. A perfect place to decompress while still allowing yourself to be free.

After a couple of whiskey sours, and yeah, a pitcher of craft beer, Tommy was ready to go.

He waited outside, near the alleyway, for his Uber. He found himself going to his messages, hovering over Evan's name. He hadn't had the heart to change it to Buck yet.

He'd been wanting to text him since the breakup. Talk about it some more. Actually give a reason for why it- why he- fell apart so fast. How Buck's words triggered some terrible memories for him. How he suddenly realized there was no way he could be everything he thought Buck needed. Everything Buck deserved. Not to mention they hadn't even exchanged I love you's. And it was insane to think all of Tommy's things could fit in Buck's loft. Buck's things could fit in his house so much easier!

He clicked on Evan's name, started to type something out, erased it, started again, erased it again.

He was usually so aware of his surroundings. His time in the military did that to him. It did a lot of things to him actually, many of which he wasn't very thankful for. However, he prided himself on not being oblivious.

Tonight he was oblivious.

He didn't expect five men to jump him at once. He was a strong guy. Had taken on three men about fifteen years earlier. Did it with ease too.

But not five men. Not when one had a bat, and one had brass knuckles, and one was at least 6'5 and three hundred pounds. Not when they dragged him to the ground and into the alley before he had a chance to react. Screaming slurs at him as they took turns using his body as a punching bag.

He tried to fight. At one point, he was sure he kicked one of the guy's in the face. Heard him yell something like, “The fag broke my tooth!”

It only made things worse.

He wasn't sure when he first lost consciousness, but he knew they were still on top of him. Still laughing as they hit and kicked. He heard the sounds of someone spitting at some point. Felt wet on his face.

Then there was nothing.

Until someone stepped out from somewhere, and maybe they heard him groan? Maybe it was his Uber driver wondering where he was? Maybe it was an employee taking out the trash? He wasn't sure. He could barely hear someone telling him they were calling the police. There was a ringing in his ears, and his lungs felt like they were on fire. Someone said something about wheezing, barely breathing. He wondered what that was about.

Then there was Athena. Then nothing again.

*****

The next time Tommy opened his eyes, he was in a dimly lit hospital room. He was confused. Could barely see out of one eye and everything was blurry out of the other.

His head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and maybe some tiny humans hitting his brain with hammers.

“Are you... awake awake or not really awake?”

The sound of a man's voice startled him. He couldn't hardly move, but he was able to focus his eyes across the room at the figure in the corner.

“Ed- Eddie?”

God, his voice sounded weird. Why did it sound like that? Like he'd spent the last 30 years smoking a pack a day.

“Yeah, I'm here.”

He sounded hesitant. Maybe they'd had this conversation before? If they had, Tommy certainly didn't remember it.

“Wha- Why?”

Eddie stepped closer. “You're in the hospital, Man.”

Tommy wanted to roll his eyes. No duh.

He settled for clearing his throat, which turned into a burning sensation running down his chest. “Why're you... here?” he tried. Hoped Eddie understood that much.

“Tommy-”

“I t- told Athena-” he had to pause to take a breath. “Told her not to tell.”

“Actually, you told Athena not to tell him. And she assumed, correctly, I'm sure, that him was Buck. So she called me instead.”

Tommy closed his eyes. “Why?”

“Why'd she call me? Oh, maybe because you don't have anyone listed as an emergency contact and you were nearly beat to death so she figured you might need someone to be here when you woke up.”

Tommy's jaw clenched at Eddie's harsh words.

Nearly beat to death.

He was nearly beat to death.

Eddie either noticed Tommy's heart rate going up on the monitor, or his eyes filling with tears, because he was right beside his bed in two strides. “Sorry,” he said. “Sorry, I- I'm kinda pissed, Man.”

“S'okay,” Tommy replied, swallowing hard. “I deserve it.”

Eddie looked taken aback. “No, I'm not- Tommy, I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at this,” he said, gesturing over Tommy's body. “I've never seen...” Eddie's voice trailed off and, through Tommy's own blurry vision, he could see that Eddie was close to crying.

“What'd they do to me?” Tommy asked, barely able to take in all his injuries. His entire body hurt, no part any worse or less than the other. He could feel something on every limb, but he couldn't quite move his head around enough to see what it was.

Eddie took a deep breath. He wiped at his eyes with his fingers, sniffling before getting started. “You've got bruising on about seventy-five percent of your body. You had surgery for a busted kneecap on your right knee. Your left arm has a fracture, and your right one has thirty stitches, I think. They broke a few ribs, so it's gonna hurt like hell when you take a deep breath or cough. Um, you had some internal bleeding, but they got that under control pretty fast. You've got a fracture in your cheek, which may cause some extra pain when you talk. You've got a few broken fingers too, and lost a couple fingernails during your- when you were defending yourself.”

“Hm,” Tommy hummed once Eddie was done. “S'that all?”

Eddie shook his head, rolling his eyes. “I'm sure I missed a couple things, actually, jackass.”

Tommy let out a laugh, which quickly turned into a groan. “Thanks for coming, Eddie,” he said, trying and failing at moving himself into a slightly more comfortable position. “You don't have to stay though. I'll be fine.”

Eddie stared at him incredulously. “You're kidding me.”

Tommy shifted his eyes back in Eddie's direction. “No, I- I'll be okay. I've got it. Just,” he paused to take a breath, “don't let Buck know, please.”

Eddie raised a finger toward Tommy. “Well, see, about that. You only told Athena not to tell him before, and-”

“You didn't.”

“-and see he was already at my place when I got the call, so-”

“Please tell me you didn't.”

“I have one with cream and one with sugar and- Oh my God, you're awake!” The sound of Buck's voice had Tommy's head twisting toward the door so quickly that a pain shot from the bottom of his back all the way to the top of his head. “Ow!” he yelped, clenching his teeth and tossing his head against the pillow, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Oh my God. Has the nurse come in yet? Have they checked his vitals? Eddie, you said he'd be out for a while! Tommy, do you feel any nausea? Do you remember who we are? The nurses said you might have-”

“Buck!” Eddie exclaimed. “Stop. He's okay.” He glanced over at Tommy, “I did forget to mention the head trauma.”

Tommy groaned, giving him a glare.

Eddie walked over to Buck and took the drink carrier from his hands. “I'll go find a nurse, you stay with him.”

Tommy wanted to yell out to Eddie to please not go, and also screw you, and maybe throw a couple hand gestures in there too. He stayed silent instead.

Buck looked Tommy up and down, hesitating slightly before walking up to the side of the bed. “So, you're-”

“I want to see myself,” Tommy blurted.

“Oh, um, I... Tommy, I don't. It might be better to wait.”

Tommy managed to move his head enough to look up at Buck. He could see the fear- no, the panic- in Buck's eyes.

“I wanna see," he repeated.

“Tommy-”

“Buck!” It took a lot of strength to get his name out so forcefully, and he didn't quite mean it to sound as angry as it did, but this wasn't Buck's decision. It was his. And he wanted to see what he looked like.

Buck pulled his phone from his back pocket, his hands shaking slightly as he pulled up the camera.

Slowly, he lifted the phone up to Tommy's face.

The second it registered that he was looking at himself, Tommy sucked in a breath. He grimaced as pain radiated through his chest but, when Buck went to move the camera away he stopped him. “No,” he said. “Just. Just wait.”

He knew his eyes were swollen by how out of focus his vision was, but he had no idea just how bad they looked. The right was worse than the left, but both were an angry mixture of black, purple, and green. The bruise on the left side of his face ran down his cheek to his jaw, circling underneath his chin like a half moon and fading into his facial hair. There were marks on his neck. Looked like someone's hand. He could understand Eddie's hesitancy on mentioning that. He didn't remember anyone gripping him there, which was probably for the best.

His forehead had more bruises, and cuts too. There was dried blood at his hairline, some stitched up cuts. His curly hair was nearly matted to his head, his scalp a brutal crimson.

“I tried to wash the blood out of your hair with a washcloth,” Buck explained anxiously, “but you have some lacerations on your scalp and I didn't want to bother them until they healed a little more.”

It was all so overwhelming. There was a whirring sound in his ears that made him feel dizzy. His eyes burned as they filled with tears that he didn't have the strength to wipe away.

“Okay,” he said, his voice uneven. He cleared his throat. “Can you- You can go, please. I don't... You can go.”

“Tommy-”

“Ev- Buck, I'm awake, I'm fine, I don't need anyone here.” He stared straight ahead, unable to look Buck in the eyes. “Please.”

“No.”

Tommy really didn't feel like dealing with stubborn Evan right now. “I don't-”

“I don't really care, Tommy. I'm not leaving you here. I've been at this damn hospital for three days now and I'm staying until you go home. I don't care what-”

He was cut off by the sound of footsteps behind him.

“Got the nurse,” Eddie said, an awkward smile on his face. The nurse, to her credit, ignored all the tension in the room.

“Let me get some hand sanitizer and gloves and I'll be right with you, Mr. Kinard.”

Buck sighed. He stepped even closer to Tommy. “I'm gonna go into the hall long enough for the nurse to check you out,” he said, maneuvering himself until he was halfway leaning over the bed, his arm on the other side of Tommy to prop himself up as he forced him to make eye contact. “I will be back in a few minutes. You have people who care about you, Tommy, whether you like it or not.”

With that said, Buck stood back up and left the room.

*****

Tommy spent a few more days in the hospital before he was released. There were only two times that Buck left long enough to get a shower and get a little rest in a real bed. Both of those times, he made sure Eddie was there the entire time.

Athena had come in to get his statement. Asked him all sorts of questions, most of which Tommy couldn't answer. He hadn't really gotten a good look at them. Only had very basic descriptions. He remembered the slurs they had hurled at him, knew they attacked because he was gay. He couldn't really figure out how they knew though. Besides being outside of that bar, it wasn't like Tommy ever did anything that screamed gay. Not that it mattered.

She'd been honest with him. There were no cameras at that part of the street, or in the alleyway. No one got a good description of the attackers, and the person who called the police only saw their shadows as they disappeared into the night. She'd do everything she could, but it wasn't likely they'd find these men. At least, not until they did this again.

Bobby stopped by once with some homemade chicken noodle soup. Buck had to feed him every bite, which made Tommy feel like he was about to cry the entire time, but he managed half a bowl before he had to stop. It was a million times better than anything the hospital had been feeding him, and he was glad to know Bobby had put some in his freezer to give Tommy when he got home.

Chim and Maddie came one evening. He'd been asleep when they got there, woke up some time during their visit, but he kept his eyes shut until they left.

Honestly, every time someone walked through the doors he felt more and more like running out of the hospital and finding a hole to fall into. Then, if he were lucky, someone would just shovel some dirt over him and let him rest.

These weren't his people. They were Buck's people. They didn't need to be there for him. They needed to hate him. They needed to laugh at his bruises and tell him he deserved every last one. They needed to yell at him for breaking Buck's heart to try and save his own.

That'd be a lot easier than this.

Thankfully, Hen and Karen didn't come by. They did send flowers though, and a card that explained both kids had strep throat and they didn't want to risk bringing that to the hospital. They'd come by Tommy's place once he was home.

He and Buck didn't talk about anything that needed to be talked about. All the unsent messages that had swirled through Tommy's mind didn't matter right now. It was like an unspoken rule between the two of them. Right now was not the time to try and fix whatever happened between them. Right now was about Tommy healing.

*****

As soon as they got Tommy home, Buck left Eddie with him so he could go to the pharmacy and pick up his medications. When he got back, Eddie headed out to go home and rest, promising to come back later with a variety of foods that would be easy on Tommy to eat.

The silence felt more... silent at Tommy's house. It was different now that they were at home instead of a hospital with people coming in and out at all times.

Tommy needed to do something, say something, to break the silence.

“I wasn't on a date,” he muttered out as Buck organized his pain meds on his nightstand.

Buck paused briefly before getting right back to it. “Didn't think you were.”

Tommy nodded. “Okay. I just, I don't know, didn't want you to think that.”

“You go to Georgie's when your brain is working overtime and you need it to quiet down.”

Tommy's eyebrows furrowed. “I didn't know I ever told you that.”

“You didn't,” Buck replied, handing Tommy his pills and a glass of water. “I just know you.”

Tommy swallowed the pills, wincing slightly. His throat still felt scratchy even a week later. “I don't know how they knew,” he said as Buck took the water from him and set it on his nightstand.

“Who knew what?”

“Those guys that-” he stopped. “I don't know how they knew I was gay.”

“A lot of queer people hang out at Georgie's,” Buck answered. “They probably took a guess.”

The thought of it made Tommy's stomach lurch. “I've spent most of my life trying to make sure people couldn't guess.”

Buck watched him for a moment quizzically. “Tommy, you're not... You don't blame yourself for this, do you? You know this wasn't your fault, right?”

Tommy avoided eye contact with Buck. He felt so small right now. “I know I didn't do anything to provoke them.”

“That doesn't really answer my question.”

“I just... I don't know what I could have done differently. I know I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. I... I should probably go to a different bar, maybe. I don't know.”

“You can't be serious right now.”

“This is everything I feared my entire life, Buck,” Tommy admitted and, God, he wished he could shut up right now. The pain pills were starting to make him a little loose lipped, mixed with him truly being alone with Buck for the first time since they broke up, mixed with an undeniable fear every time he thought about that night, seemed to make it impossible to close his mouth. “I did everything to make sure nothing like this would ever happen to me and it still did. I keep thinking about it and wondering how it could have been different. How I could have been different.”

“Tommy, can you look at me?”

Slowly, Tommy looked up at Buck, his eyes shining with tears.

“This was not your fault. There's nothing you could or should have done differently. You cannot let those five men shove you back into a closet.”

“I-” Tommy cleared his throat. “They're not. It's just... a lot right now.”

“I get that, I- I do. You look tired. Why don't you rest for a bit, okay? I'll be here when you wake up.”

“Buck, you don't-”

“If you tell me I don't need to stay I will force feed you bone broth when you wake up.”

Tommy shivered. “Ugh! I hate bone broth.”

“I know you do.” Buck gently pulled a pillow out from under Tommy, allowing him to lie back easier. “Close your eyes, get some rest. I'm here when you need me.”

*****

They were bound to fight sometime. Tommy had honestly expected it to happen sooner. Buck had been staying with him for three weeks now, only gone when he was working a shift. Bobby had let him work part time for now, with Carla caring for him when Buck was gone.

They'd managed to get past the initial awkwardness. Buck rambled about any and every subject he could think of. They'd watch movies together on the couch, with Tommy falling asleep halfway through due to his pain meds.

Buck would get Tommy tucked in bed, then set himself up on Tommy's floor in case he was needed during the night. Tommy had tried to insist he use the spare room, but Buck wouldn't hear of it. He knew Tommy wouldn't call for him if he needed him through the night.

Then Tommy tried to suggest he sleep in the bed. But that was a no go because, “I kick, Tommy, you know this. Do you really want another knee surgery?”

They'd been focused on Tommy getting better. And they'd been ignoring the many, many elephants in the room.

So, a fight was expected.

What wasn't expected was for the fight to start because Tommy needed to pee.

Buck had seemed a bit more on edge today, but Tommy chalked that up to a shift that ran longer than expected.

Tommy had grabbed his crutches, which he'd just been able to start using to go short distances. He still didn't quite trust himself to use them at night, but he was working toward relying on them more and relying on people less.

When he stood, Buck immediately stood with him.

“I'm fine, Buck. I just need to go to the bathroom.”

“I'll help you there.”

“I'm really fine. I can get there by myself.”

Tommy was sure he had kept his tone neutral. He definitely didn't want an argument tonight. But, before he could even make it two steps, he heard Buck scoff. “Not surprised.”

And maybe it was the full bladder making him extra bitchy, but Tommy couldn't help turning around and asking, “What's that mean?”

Buck shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest. “Nothing.”

“Obviously it's not nothing. If it were nothing you wouldn't have said anything in the first place. What doesn't surprise you?”

“Just you, ya know, pushing people away. It's what you do.”

“Ha!” Tommy laughed out. “If I'm pushing people away then I really suck at it because you haven't left my house in three weeks. I just need to pee.”

“I'm not talking about right now. I'm talking about me telling you that I loved you and you breaking up with me.”

How in the hell did they end up here?

“You didn't tell me you loved me, Evan!” Tommy exclaimed, unbelievably confused. The sudden change in tone caused Buck to take a step back.

He was only thrown off for a second, quick with a retort. “Of course I did!”

“No, you absolutely did not! You asked me to move in with you, but you did not tell me you loved me.”

“Wait. You asked him to move in with you?” Eddie's voice had them glaring in his direction. Both had forgotten he was even there in the first place. He raised his hands. “Sorry.”

“Well, I- it was obviously implied,” Buck argued. “I wouldn't have asked you to move in if I didn't love you.”

“How the hell was I supposed to know that?! You were making it sound like I was some gay hero that sewed the first pride flag! I don't even go to pride events, Evan! All the colors are far too bright and the glitter never leaves you.”

“Glitter is really annoying,” Eddie agreed.

Tommy pointed a crutch at him. “Thank you.”

“I was not trying to make you out to be some gay hero, Tommy! I was telling you that I was comfortable with you. I was telling you I wanted to spend all my time with you. I wanted us to be together!”

“You didn't even think it through, Evan!” Tommy motioned around the room. “I own a home. It comes with two bedrooms that have doors, a garage, a back yard, and two and a half bathrooms. You asked me to move into your loft.”

Eddie shook his head. “Oh, Buck.”

Buck's eyes shot over to him. “You're still here why?”

Eddie stood from his spot on the couch, grabbing his coat. “Yeah, I'm going. Later.”

They both stayed silent until they heard the door open and close.

Buck opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. “This is our first fight, isn't it?”

Tommy nodded. “It is.”

“Took us long enough.”

Tommy managed a small smile. “Probably should have fought you that night, honestly.”

“I think I would have felt better if you did.”

“Me too.” Tommy took a deep breath. “I actually really do have to pee,” he said, shifting from one crutch to the other. “Can we pause this until I'm done?”

Buck nodded. “I'll be here.”

They didn't actually fight anymore after that. It was time for Tommy to take his meds, which made him tired, and Buck was tired himself from his shift. Tommy laid in bed, Buck snoring on the floor beside him, thinking it all over. All the things he still felt like he needed to say. The unfinished business they had between them.

The fight wasn't much, but it was something.

It was enough.

For now.

*****

“Are you sure you're good on your own?” Buck asked as Tommy limped behind him toward the door.

“I'm sure. I can successfully do everything on my own now with minimal to no pain.”

Buck turned back to him quickly, eyes wide. “But there's still pain?”

Tommy smiled. “I'm fine, Evan.”

Buck didn't look so sure. “Okay, I... Okay.” Instinctively, he moved forward to wrap Tommy in a hug. He stopped himself before he got too close, but Tommy responded by opening his arms.

Buck's posture relaxed as he gently wrapped his arms around Tommy, careful not to squeeze too tightly. "I was so worried about you," he whispered in the space between them.

"I know."

“You'll call the number I gave you?” he asked.

“I already did yesterday,” Tommy admitted. “When you went out to pick up dinner. My first session is next Monday.”

“Good. That's... That's good.”

“Thank you, Evan. For everything you've done for me. You didn't have to do that.”

Reluctantly, Buck pulled himself away from Tommy.

“Did you realize you've been calling me Evan since our fight a couple weeks ago?” he asked, lips upturning into a smile.

“Oh, um,” Tommy shifted on his feet, taking the pressure off his bad knee. “Sorry. Habit.”

“Don't be sorry. I hate when you call me Buck.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. I'll always- I wanna be Evan, to you.”

Tommy nodded, staring into Evan's eyes. “Okay. That's. I'd like that too.”

Buck continued toward the door, stopping again as soon as his hand touched the handle. He looked back. “Hey, Tommy?”

“Yeah?”

“Next time you think about texting me... hit send, okay?”

Tommy had never mentioned that before. But he'd caught Buck's near-texts to him too, so it didn't quite catch him off guard. “I'm kinda a mess, Evan. I'm not as comfortable as you think I am. I'm not... I'm still figuring things out.”

“That's okay. I am too. Text me anyway.”

“Even if I'm asking you out for a coffee? So we can talk? Really talk?”

“Date and time, I'll be there.” Buck smiled softly at him as he opened the door to leave. “I'll get your order right this time.”

[r3starttt]

I'M HERE

Caitlyn Kiramman x reader

The world was a graveyard. Empty bodies sprawled wherever your eyes dared to rest, their forms eerily still against the broken earth. Smoke lingered like ghosts, weaving through the crimson-soaked air, and the silence—it was deafening. A silence that rang louder than the echoes of distant screams and the fading clash of steel. Every step was a battle. Your heels ached, and each hurried pace clawed at the fragile thread of breath you’d managed to reclaim. Muscles screamed, ribs throbbed, and yet your heart felt heavier than all the pain combined.

It was over, but the echoes were alive, ripping through every fiber of your being. Blood painted the ground like a second skin, mingling with tears on faces frozen in grief. Uniforms you recognized too well lay in heaps, torn and lifeless. Your own mirrored their ruin: fabric ripped, knees bleeding, and the once-pristine material soaked with blood and dirt.

She had been here.

Caitlyn. The thought pierced through the haze, sharper than any blade. You had let her go, trusted her to do what only she could. You’d clasped her hand, pressed your forehead to hers in a silence that spoke louder than words. Her hair, always neatly pulled back, had fallen loose in soft, disheveled strands, catching the light like a fleeting halo. You had laughed then, despite the weight crushing your chest, at how something so ordinary could feel like salvation. Her lips had lingered on yours, warm and hesitant, as if trying to memorize the taste. Neither of you dared speak, fearing the finality words might bring. Instead, you held her tighter, prayed harder, and let go.

Now, the world felt colder. Your legs carried you without thought, stumbling over shattered armor and the crimson pools glinting in the dim light. Bodies of the red-cloaked guards lay scattered, lifeless faces hidden beneath hardened masks. And then you saw her—Ambessa, draped in her own destruction. Her fall should’ve felt like justice, but it didn’t. It felt empty, like the cost had been too high. Blood stained your boots, but you couldn’t tell whose it was anymore—hers, yours, the innocent you might have taken in your desperate bid to end this.

And then, there she was.

Your breath hitched, stolen by the sight of her crumpled form. Caitlyn. Her body lay broken, crimson streaking her uniform, and for a moment, the world shattered around you. A scream clawed at your throat, but it never came, swallowed by the surge of adrenaline that propelled you forward.

“Caitlyn!” Her name tore from your lips as you fell to your knees beside her. The coldness of her skin bit against your shaking hands as you cradled her face. Blood streaked her features, and her right eye… Gods, her eye. The jagged wound cut across her face, fresh and raw, and it took everything in you not to break. She stirred, murmuring your name—a sound so faint you thought you’d imagined it. And then she was in your arms, her weight collapsing into you like she’d been waiting for you all along.

“I’m alright…” she whispered, the words brushing against your ear like a fragile promise. Her arms wrapped around you, trembling as they pulled you close. “I’m alright… It’s fine.”

But it wasn’t fine. Not to you. The image of her crumpled body, blood pooling beneath her, burned into your mind. Even now, as you held her, as her warmth seeped into your skin, it haunted you.

“I know,” you choked out, though your voice betrayed you. Tears blurred your vision as your fingers cupped her face, lingering near the wound you couldn’t bring yourself to touch. “Caitlyn, what happened? We need to—”

“No,” she interrupted, her voice soft but firm. Her hands rose to cradle your head, grounding you even as her own strength faltered. “It’s fine.”

Her reassurance should’ve calmed you, but all it did was break you further. Yet, you nodded, because what else could you do? The love in her gaze—her single, piercing blue eye—was unwavering, even now. Her cheeks, flushed with exhaustion, and the strands of hair plastered to her forehead only made her more real. More human. More hers.

And you loved her all the more for it. The fat of your thumb traced her cheek, avoiding the wound as your heart screamed to make her pain your own. “I thought I lost you.”

“I’m here.”

Her arms tightened around you as if to prove her words. Slowly, painfully, she shifted, wincing as the adrenaline faded and the pain of her injuries set in. You rose with her, supporting her weight as she leaned against you. The war was over.

TAGLIST: @Kaimythically @lewd-alien @greysontheidiot @jolyne @sapphic-ovaries @tlouloser @prwttiestbunny @visobsession @kiki5gigi @thesevi0lentdelights @lvlymicha @stickycherritart @rob1nbuckl3ys @femininologies @dinakisser @viajeros--sin--destino @GodessAgrona @patronagrona

[tarbuchyloewenthal]

Avowed Backgrounds

spoilers below if you wish to go in completely blind

Arcane Scholar:

After graduating with honors from Bragganhyl Academy, you published a treatise on soul lineages that threatened the legitimacy and drew the ire of a local lord. When he had you arrested, the Emperor intervened and recruited you into the archives of the imperial court. Your mind is a bottomless well of occult knowledge, legal precedent, historical observation, and poetry. You have forgotten more than most people ever learn.

Court Augur:

When your village's crops failed, your strange insights and unsettling manner earned your neighbors' suspicions. You foresaw the torches and pitchforks and fled to Highcrown, where the Emperor recognized your talents and elevated you from back alley fortune teller to his personal mystic. You have learned to wield power from the shadows; all it takes is a dash of influence and a pinch of deception.

Noble Scion:

You were born to a noble house of great influence, middling wealth, and questionable morals. When scandals and succession disputes saw your family cast down, you threw yourself on the Emperor's mercy, and he shielded you. Canny yet refined, you have become a formidable force at court and an invaluable ally to the Emperor.

Vanguard Scout:

Born to humble beginnings and driven to desperation by famine, your life was destined to end on the executioner's block until the Emperor spared you. More at ease in wilderness than at court, your cleverness and observant nature has made you one of the Emperor's most trusted operatives. Whether tracking prey or spying on enemies, your skills are put to work both inside and outside of the throne room.

War Hero:

You distinguished yourself on the field of battle fighting a violent Skaenite uprising. The Emperor honored you with a place among the elite Tall Grass Spearmen. Some of your scars are more obvious than others, but you wear them with pride. The Emperor values your loyalty, your grit, and your martial prowess.

info courtesy of this preview from WesNemo.

[creatingblackcharacters]

Follow Up to the Follow Ups

Some feedback to the responses I received:

1) A lot of people said that fear and discomfort is what makes antiracism not worth standing alone for. Okay, so then I want you to say this phrase to yourself when it comes to that moment:

"I would rather be antiblack than be afraid in this situation"

Does it make you uncomfortable? More uncomfortable than speaking up? I want you to dwell on that! And no, I'm not saying this to hurt you; sometimes it is the better option to stay quiet. I recognize that you have to recognize your own weight class. (Not so much on Tumblr as it is in real life, granted 🙄) But this is often the outcome when we choose not to act. We just don't admit that to ourselves so directly.

Try to notice how often you make that choice, how often you even have to make it. If you find yourself saying this more often than not, do you still feel you identify as an ally when it comes to speaking up about antiblackness? I'm not saying you have to fight every single battle. I'm just asking you to take the time to notice how often you find yourself tolerating more than you don't. And if that's something that you genuinely feel isn't right, or that you want to change, do so! You have the option to strengthen your allyship!

2) I feel like my question about Black fans got walked around a bit. Tbh, that is already the reality Black people live in. The way you aren't comfortable speaking up, I don't feel safe assuming you're safe to be around. It's a far more perilous outcome for me, putting faith in the anti-racism of a person that I don't witness them express.

3) Fear, itself

How do you think I feel? 🤣 You're afraid to speak out on antiblackness because you're worried about the anger of, or- if we're being honest- the social consequences of speaking out? I have an entire page dedicated to addressing antiblackness in media while Black!

At any point, not for my own betterment but the potential- not even a guarantee, just the potential- of yours, I openly put myself at risk of racist ire to try make the space around me better. I've been called plenty of slurs and insults on my main discussing these things. It's not an easy choice to risk that vulnerability. Trust, I understand that!

It's honestly gone far better than expected, though part of that is because I have to police my own tone. I don't expect other Black people to do so, or to have to do so. I can only imagine an environment where people felt less inclined to treat me and my peers that way, that they felt the fear of social repercussions for their racism when they spoke instead of me.

My point here is, I'm not naturally built to be stronger than you when it comes to dealing with racism. The way you are afraid of your peers treating you, is the way they already treat me and my peers. I'm forced into resilience, I've spent a long time learning how to deal with this. If I can stomach living with this, you can occasionally take the risk and speak up. Again, I'm not asking you to fight every battle. But you're capable of more battles than you think.

That's it! That's the end of the introspection practice this week. Thank y'all for participating; I hope that you got some perspectives to take on with you.

[under-write-reblogs]

Soooooo...... I actually DID end up writing a fic using this BEAUTIFUL piece as inspiration.

(Fic below cut if you prefer to read on Tumblr)

It was a perfect night.

The air is cool and crisp, with soft, rhythmic waves splashing against the shore, creating a soothing symphony. A gentle breeze carried the smell of salt and sand. The stars overhead twinkle like distant diamonds, and the moon adorns the center of the sky like a crown jewel, casting its glow over a sleeping world.

It felt as if the world had paused, wrapped in a blanket of tranquility.

Mist curls around your feet, diffusing the moonlight and giving everything a sliver halo. The calm breeze and quiet echo of waves splashing against the shore give the night an almost ethereal feel.

The ambiance allowed your thoughts to flow freely. Drifting. Loose and pliant… allowing you to absorb the tranquil stillness of the night and all the comforts it had to offer.

It was different here. So different.

The vast stretch of a nearly endless sea with monsters living below the water instead of above. A place composed of an element so opposite of the open expanse of air to which you belonged.

You had grown up on a highland of cliff faces surrounded by a span of dense forests and small lakes.

But here, there were just waves.

And yet… despite the polar opposite elements, there was a similarity. A kinship exposing the openness and freedom unknown by so many others. Neither you above nor the monsters below were impeded by the same rules earthbound creatures were.

You could make fulluse of all three-dimensional spaces. Freely moving side-to-side, forwards-and-backwards, and up-and-down with little effort.

You could never get enough of that freedom.

You took a slow, deliberate breath. Expanding your ribs to full capacity, you took in as much air as you could hold before slowly exhaling. You checked one last time that your jewelry was properly secured and snapped open your wings. They shimmered with iridescent hues of emerald, catching the moonlight and reflecting like precious jewels.

Such a perfect night couldn't be wasted.

With a great whoosh of air, you thrust your wings downward, launching yourself into the sky.

Wind rushed over you, attempting to force you down, but you only felt your SOUL pulse harder with a thrill. The strain was welcomed as you pushed against the air’s currents. Entry to the sky required strength, and you refused to be denied.

This was where you belonged.

The currents of air were yours to command.

Making an adjustment, you shifted to allow your wings to catch the wind and soar, driving you effortlessly up into the sky, propelling you amongst the stars.

Up, up, up you went. Defying gravity with powerful wing strokes, you advanced further. The gentle splash of waves below faded away, replaced by the rhythmic beat of your wings and the rush of wind.

The higher you climbed, the more breathtaking it became. Not because of the effort exerted in making the climb, but because of the absolute beauty that surrounded you.

You couldn't even begin to pick out the constellations. …Not because you didn't recognize them, but because there were so many stars, you couldn't identify the familiar outlines. The North Star had gone from being a prominent feature in the sky to being lost in a crowd, vanishing amongst its thousands of twinkling counterparts.

It was an inky canopy strewn with an uncountable number of majestic, wondrous stars. ...No wonder the sky was referred to as the heavens. You could almost believe you were close enough to reach out and pluck one from the sky to keep as your own.

Finding a strong air current, you leveled out. Began to swirl and glide and play. Soaring in an intricate, uncharted dance born of utter delight and freedom.

The world spread out before you. An infinite expanse, all open and waiting to be explored… with one exception.

Glancing down, you saw the ocean.

Waves danced far below you, displaying an inky void, an infinitely black ether, with the dark skies above only making the abyss look deeper. The only light shining back was the path provided by the moon's gaze. The deepness of the water combined with the reflection of moonlight created an untouchable moving canvas. An infinite void of secrets you would never know.

…But you could come close.

Taking a breath, you arched into a backbend, curling your wings close, and allowed gravity to regain its hold on you. The rapid descent caused the world above to begin blurring into a kaleidoscope of silver streaks, almost as if falling comets surrounded you.

You watched as the waves came closer, and closer. Began counting down the seconds.

Waiting. Waiting. Now!

You snapped open your wings and twisted, slowing your descent just enough to allow you to glide inches above the water. The splash of a nearby wave sent the taste of salt into your mouth. Stretching, you let your toes skim the surface.

The aerodynamic taper of your wings allowed for agile and cutting maneuvers such as swooping out of free-falling dives and you had always taken advantage of it.

A powerful flap allowed you to begin climbing back up into the atmosphere. Reaching a more reasonable height, you corkscrewed, rolled, dove, and flipped through the air.

If anyone had been around to see you, one might think you were putting on an acrobatics show.

On and on you continued, reveling in the rush of the wind and the freedom your flight allowed you — only pausing once you noticed the moon had begun receding. The deep stillness of the night beginning to decay with the appearance of a soft glow indicating the rise of dawn. The sky had gone from a portrait of inky black to a spectrum of deep blues and soft purples.

Time to head back.

You had a feeling that even the sunrise would be different here.

Orienting yourself, you began the journey back at a much calmer pace than before, similar to a runner's cooldown. After all, as invigorating and euphoric flight was, to deny it being a workout would be ridiculous. So if you wanted to avoid feeling sore later, you needed to take a moment to recover and redistribute your energy.

By the time home was in sight, you had calmed the frantic thundering in your chest and caught your breath. Easily gliding down towards the dock, you make a smooth landing. The wood beneath your feet glossy and worn thanks to its frequent use and the occasional wave.

Despite not having been here long, this was already your favorite spot.

Taking a seat at the edge, you dangle your legs just above the water line… allowing a small wave to wash over your feet before watching the horizon.

The sound of the waves. The open expanse of water and air merging at the horizon's edge, where color slowly began filling the sky. The smell of the dock, the salty sea, and beach sand meld into a perfect blend. …All these sensations blend and blur together, mixing into a blissful background hum carrying a note of peace and contentment. You allow your eyes to close for a second to appreciate the feeling.

You're warm.

Not because of the rigorous flight — it's a warmth that comes from the inside, from your SOUL. You feel such a deep sense of satisfaction, of freedom, of… belonging. You adore being here, in this moment, and this place in general. 

…There was something special about this place.

Opening your eyes again, the glow had gotten stronger. Warm arcs of light had spread across the sky. Instead of a deep navy blue sky, it was now a soft pastel pink, indicating the rise of dawn, even if the sun had not quite peeked over the horizon yet. The light grew, tentatively eating away at the dark, becoming more and more confident as the traces of stars disappeared and the moon slipped away.

Soft yellows, oranges, and reds joined in to paint the sky and sea as a sliver of golden white emerged from beneath the distant waves. As the sun began to ascend further and further, its radiant glow further pushed back the darkness, awakening the world with its warm hues. The waves glowed, reflecting back the beautiful skies and making the colors even richer.

A new day. A new start. A new place to call home. …You couldn't wait to see what the world had to offer you here.

Commission for @under-art-reblogs

Thank you for the support, this was so fun to work on. ✨

[aebinspa]

meant to be

PAIRING: karina x y/n reader

SUMMARY: Your life couldn’t have been worse. You aspired to make a living as a photographer, but instead, you found yourself working in a fast-food restaurant alongside a colleague who rarely offered you any good company. Everything changed when the famous model Karina showed up at your workplace. After a few days, she managed to convince the editorial team to hire you as the photographer for her photoshoot. However, your career faced another threat when Karina pressured you to assist her with a strictly confidential operation.

GENRES: angst, lies, loneliness, we will face suffering in this life, but eventually, things will improve, and we will start over again and again, fluff at the end.

WORD COUNT: 6.9k

AUTHOR'S NOTE: english is not my first language! i'm not cut out for writing long stories. i went crazy countless times while writing this one :)) i added a little bit every day and it made the story more confusing. the next five things I write will be fluff, no more angst for a while + thank you for all the support you have shown for what i wrote. i am extremely grateful and happy that someone was able to appreciate them!

Life didn't end when you lost all your friends because of bad choices, didn't know where to put your hands, or stopped recognizing yourself in what you did and said. Life didn't end when you turned twenty. At least that's what you told yourself every morning to convince yourself to get up, when even what had previously seemed sensible lost all meaning.

In the eyes of your parents and your old friends, you had remained imprinted as a sour girl, difficult to manage but who, beyond some character problems, had always shown herself willing to help. Never to be helped. Perhaps this had a powerful impact. In your daily life, no one asked how you were in the morning. Was it more difficult for others to reach out to you and always receive a refusal or was it more difficult for you now to be alone, without anyone? And yet loneliness had always been so dear to you; a space where you could truly be yourself.

After trying to attend political science university for a few months and failing the first exam, you soon realized that it wasn't for you. The only luck was having met a girl who, between one lesson and another, had introduced you to the world of photography.

In photography, you discover a kind of joy that you could share. Often others would ask you for photos and you, with a big smile, couldn't wait to take one. Of course, everything got complicated when you had to come to terms with reality. There was no longer just photography, you also had to think about earning some money.

That's how you ended up working at a fast food restaurant that was open all day and, with the constant fear of running out of money at any moment, you signed up for all the night shifts. Someone had set you up by telling you that they paid more, but only when your first paycheck arrived did you realize that your dear colleague only wanted to get rid of the difficult shifts.

That night, you and Sunwoo, the beloved colleague who had actually made fun of you a few years earlier, were at the counter of the fast food restaurant busy playing UNO. It was more than rare to see customers at two in the morning.

“UNO!” Sunwoo shouted at the top of his lungs. “Fuck you, asshole! I’m tired and you dare win my favorite card game!” you threw the remaining cards of the deck off the counter. Sunwoo huffed and, with an agile leap, got off the counter and went to retrieve the poor cards that were now lying on the floor that was far too clean for the hygiene standards of the place where you worked. “It’s the only card game you know how to play, Y/n”

It was cold outside. A cold that froze the bones. Your winter uniforms didn’t warm you enough and the heating had suddenly stopped working the day before. Sunwoo didn't let it show, but he hated working more than you did. He had a dream more ambitious than yours and unfortunately, every door was closed in his face. The fast food place where he worked with you was the daily confirmation that failure was a constant in his life. And you were experiencing the same situation first-hand.

Sometimes photography gave you work, but you couldn't eat from it. Small jobs are undoubtedly formative, but not appealing to the taste of those big companies that looked at your disastrous portfolio.

While Sunwoo began to sweep the clean floor, you, lost in your thoughts, froze, feelinglessly staring at the street you looked at every night. Suddenly, you saw a black limousine approaching, and, scared that someone important might be there, you shook Sunwoo’s arm and pointed to the car. His eyes widened as well.

But to your surprise, the first person to step out of the car was a man in a tuxedo who then proceeded to open the back door facing the fast-food restaurant. A girl of medium height came out, wearing a black dress that hugged her body in all the right places. When she was closer to the door, you immediately noticed, illuminated by the decadent lights of the place where you were, that she had heavy makeup on her face that beautifully framed her eyes.

The young raven-haired girl sat on the stool in front of the counter. Sunwoo was still speechless. He could only mutter a shy, unprofessional “Ah, hi,” to which the girl responded with a sweet smile. Her gaze shifted to you and you flinched.

“Can I order?” she reached out to grab the menu Sunwoo had sat on earlier. “I guess so.” “The menu with the fattest, greasiest, biggest sandwich you have, please.” Sunwoo snatched the menu out of her hands and shouted “Right away!”, disappearing into the kitchen and leaving you in front of the girl. Outside, you noticed her date glaring at you.

“Not many customers come by, do they?” “We don’t usually see anyone. That’s why your visit surprised us a lot” The girl laughed in a strangely loud way. Strange, I thought she was more composed. “God, please. We will be more or less the same age, don't be so formal,” she wiped her hands on her dress laughing, and then looked at you ready to shake your hand “I'm Karina. It’s a stage name. I model full-time."

You shook hands with her, apologizing for how cold and greasy it might feel. “Well, I… I work here.” The girl smiled at you. “And do you like working here?” “What?”

Sunwoo came with Karina’s order and placed it before her, avoiding her gaze. When he crossed yours, you noticed that the boy had red cheeks. I whispered something to you but you didn’t understand.

It’s been too long since someone asked you what it was like to live a life you no longer wanted. Your mouth dried up and you were unable to answer. Karina shrugged and began eating the sandwich undisturbed.

With her mouth still full from the bite she had just taken, the model opened up to speak. It was evident she was nothing like the stereotype of a typical model; her authenticity was refreshing. Feeling overwhelmed, you moved two stools away from the client, seeking a bit of distance as you listened, intrigued by her unique charm.

"You took those, didn’t you?" Karina found it difficult to eat that part, but she couldn’t help but examine the few decorations in the fast-food restaurant. "Ah, those pictures," you turned your entire body to look at them. "Yes, I took all of them. They’re from our customers who left a special tip." "Special tip?" Karina asked, intrigued. "Yes, for a change of $4, you receive a Polaroid and agree to have it displayed on this wall. It’s not worth much, though, because I’m required to take two pictures for the price of one."

"They are all very pretty. I know some people." "There are a lot of people passing by. Sometimes they tell you their story, take a picture, and then leave, never to return. It’s almost as if-" "Romantic, yes" Karina finished the sentence for you, to your great surprise.

The silence that was created afterward was strangely comfortable. For someone like you who was always uncomfortable when she met strangers, the situation was quite strange. Karina, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease as she was happily humming and chewing at the same time. When the crow finished eating, she got up from her stool, stretched her arms, and put ten euros on the counter.

"Please don't make me change." "Pardon?" "I would like one of those photos. I'm looking forward to experiencing this too." What enthusiasm!

You took the Polaroid and waited for the young woman to pose before taking the picture. Karina made a big heart with her arms and gave you a wink. She is truly a model… "Are you done?" "Done!"

Karina approached you, then stood behind you and waited for the Polaroid to be ready. When she was ready, the girl screamed full of joy. You smiled unconsciously. "I love it, thank you!" she leaned it delicately on the counter and then turned quickly towards you, continuing to talk. "Let’s take the other one! Let’s do it together. Where is that boy? Boy! Boy! Ehiii!" Sunwoo ran out of the kitchen alarmed. "What- what happened?" "Nothing, Sunwoo" You put your hand on your forehead. "Can you take a picture of us? So we can hang it there." Sunwoo looked for your eyes but you avoided him, unable to explain. At which the boy approached the polaroid and urged you to pose. Karina chose the same place where all the other clients had been, saying she would keep the theme, and invited you to place yourself next to her.

Karina was a little taller than you, maybe a few centimeters, but in your eyes there seemed to be a huge difference. You stood closer to her to form the heart and pretended a smile of convenience to allow Sunwoo to take this photo. The proximity to the model sent a bizarre sensation creeping along your spine. Intrigued, you paused to take a closer look at her. In that moment, when no one else was watching, the radiant smile she had worn so confidently faded entirely from her face. Her eyes, once sparkling with warmth, now seemed overshadowed by a deep, unsettling darkness that only amplified her presence. Without warning, the model turned her gaze toward you, her lips curving into a wide grin that revealed a perfect set of thirty-two gleaming teeth. A chill swept over you, wrapping around your body like an icy blanket, leaving you momentarily breathless and disoriented. What the fuck?

"You did such a great job, girls. It's rare for Y/n!" You woke up from the nightmare of falling and responded to Sunwoo with a raised middle finger. "Oh, she's got quite an attitude. I need to leave," Karina said, finally letting go of you after holding you tightly. That girl was beginning to stir strange feelings in you. "The photo turned out just fine. Let me sign it and put the date on it. Come on!" Sunwoo timidly passed the Polaroid to the girl and watched her do everything she said.

With your arms folded you waited for her comfortable finish. Karina approached the corkboard and put your Polaroid on it. He smiled at her and turned, heading for the exit.

"Y/n!" Hearing your name pronounced by the model, you turned to her with an interrogative look. "Tell me" "See you!" and ran off into the limo, leaving behind a trail of expensive perfume and a cheap Polaroid.

That night passed faster than expected and Sunwoo told you - with attached photos - how this fantastic Karina was one of the most popular models in recent years. Besides being beautiful, she was about to debut in the cinema world. The moon was full and the cold was more bitter than usual. An uncomfortable feeling was in your chest, but you let it pass.

While you were going to work the next day, you took some pictures at the illuminated windows of that night. One of the projects you had since moving to that city was to create a collection of photos showing nightlife, although it was difficult to call it "life", of the traders, workers, or people just going out for fun. But you didn’t have enough prestige and money.

When you arrived at work, you greeted Sunwoo coldly, who returned. You worked hard until three in the morning because, as you well know, on Saturday mornings there were waves of guys full of life coming back from bars where they had only drunk, or from discos in the area. You found it a good opportunity to take some pictures for your photo project.

In no time at all it was six o'clock. The sun was beginning to rise and the first rays of sunshine came through the large windows of the structure. You and Sunwoo were getting ready for the end of the shift, but the boy seemed particularly agitated so you told him to leave before you. You would have waited for the other girl to give her the keys and start the shift after. Sunwoo thanked you and ran away. You knew how much he cared about his passion.

The sound of the door creaking open cut through the stillness of the room, jolting you from your thoughts. You glanced at the clock on the wall, your brow furrowing as you noted it was already twenty minutes past the time your colleague was supposed to arrive. Just as you were about to call out, "You’re lat—" your words caught in your throat. Standing in the doorway was not your expected colleague, but the enigmatic man who had accompanied Karina the night before. He stood there, an air of mystery surrounding him, his presence both intriguing and unsettling as he caught your eye.

"How can I help you?" you asked, even though you were pressed for time and the only one in the room. "I was looking for you. It was lucky that I found you right away," the other person replied. You tightened your grip on the broom you had been pretending to sweep with just moments before. "For what purpose?" you inquired.

The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a crisp white card, sliding it across the table to you. You glanced down to see a neatly printed address alongside the name: Vogue, Karina’s Photoshoot. Confusion washed over you as you looked back up at him. "What does this mean?" you asked. He shifted uneasily, avoiding your gaze. "Miss Karina has requested that you oversee her new photoshoot," he explained, his tone heavy with discomfort. "The previous photographer was let go… rather abruptly. I expect you to be at the studio in two days."

Your hands shook as you faced a big opportunity. You nodded slowly, your mouth half open, unsure what to say. The man smiled and walked away, leaving you stunned. The broom fell from your hands and clattered to the floor. Your knees felt weak, and your mind went blank for a moment. You couldn’t think. You wondered how powerful Karina was and what she wanted from you.

The next day you showed up in the hall of the huge palace, waiting fearlessly for someone to come and call you. You had spent the night before reading and browsing photography books or looking at random palettes that could help you match any clothing you found on Karina.

A tall woman approached you slowly, her expression grim as she pointed to a location on the map she had just tossed at you. What a kindness… You quickly walked toward the meeting place and, upon finding the door, opened it carefully. Inside, a crew of about twenty people turned their curious gazes toward you, along with Karina and her manager.

You slowly approached your collaborators and thanked them timidly for their attention. "We will do everything that needs to be done and we will accomplish it together. All we should do is unite everyone’s ideas and give life to some of the most beautiful photos ever made" Karina, sitting in a velvet chair, put her hand in front of her and laughed candidly.

It didn’t take five hours to create everything that needed to be created. The ideas came from everyone like a river in full flow. Fill a room with artists who are also competitive people and you will get the exact personification of an erupting volcano. You were the Vesuvius and the fashion industry was your Pompeii. The next day you swore to finish the project so that you could go on with the production of the photos.

Karina, who should have been bored at least by having spent the day waiting for others to do their jobs, approached you with a remarkable delicacy and touched your shoulder. "Can you come over there?" Karina pointed to a closet nearby; it was her dressing room. "Uhm, sure" There was no reason to say no. You looked over your shoulder before entering the dressing room with the girl with the brown hair. It was the first time you saw her in a suit and all you could think about was how well she wore anything. It must be nice.

Karina invited you to sit in the two-seater chair with her. Hesitantly, you approached and sat face to face with the girl who flashed a smile revealing thirty-two teeth. "I brought you here because—" You interrupted her before she could finish. "Let’s say you fired the photographer from Vogue so I could come here." "An insignificant detail," she replied.

In Karina's eyes, you saw the same darkness you had observed a few days earlier. It made you hesitant to speak, fearing the words wouldn't come out right. "You must help me," she said. "Why should I?" you asked. Karina rose from her chair and stood in the middle of the room, her expression unreadable as she continued to gaze at you.

"You must. And if you don’t, I’ll take the only real opportunity you’ve got in your miserable life off your hands." "What’s the excuse?" the conversation seemed too much for you, so you immediately put yourself on defense. "You are a beautiful girl, you are good at what you do. I like your photos, I am sincere" "But?"

The frigid air enveloped the room, wrapping around you like an unwelcome shroud, making each breath feel laborious and strained. With every second that passed, a chilling sensation crept through your body, as if the very warmth within you was being siphoned away, leaving you increasingly vulnerable to the oppressive cold.

“You must photograph the emerging actress and model Yuna at a moment that could cause a scandal and ruin her career forever.” “This is fucking crazy,” you jumped up and approached Karina, who didn’t move an inch “I’m leaving, I don’t intend to keep this job and do whatever bullshit you came up with. I knew you were crazy, I understood it immediately"

Karina rolled her eyes, grabbed your arm, and pushed you into the seat. “You’re not going anywhere. I’m capable of destroying your present life and your future life. Be careful what you do. Listen to me and calm down” Karina’s hands were extremely cold but your gaze was even more icy.

“Speak then, cheap model” “It will all be anonymous. Become her friend and her photographer. You have one week. The clock runs out before the day you have to send the completed photoshoot to the Vogue editorial office” “It’s called blackmail” “It’s called seizing opportunities. You won’t get them again”

You looked away for a moment before getting up from your chair and moving back to the center of the room. You walked back and forth, occasionally glancing at Karina.

“They’ll kill me anyway when they realize it’s me” “Don’t worry,” Karina stood up to get closer to you, “We’ll use an external computer and no one will ever know” “A person will be involved, I don’t think I’m capable of it” “She won’t die” Karina had an amused grin on her face.

You thought back to Sunwoo and how he loved what he did like no one else. However, the most selfish part of you had surfaced. You wanted to pursue a career in photography, and you were unconcerned about the people who would be affected by your ambition. You would have done anything to make your dream a reality.

“I’m in” You held out your hand to Karina, surprised by your sudden change of heart. When Karina squeezed your hand you noticed it was as cold as yours. And that perhaps you were more similar than you could have imagined.

You never imagined that the next day you would find yourself taking pictures of the woman who had asked you to ruin the life of another model without remorse. You had discovered that all your collaborators considered Karina a sweet, kind, and always available girl, while in your eyes, every time you looked at her, you felt like you were looking at a monster.

Once the photoshoot was over and, therefore, the work you had to do for Vogue, you walked into the Karaoke where Karina had asked you to meet. The room was insolently small - maybe the girl liked everything smaller - and the nauseating smell made you immediately understand what kind of dump it was.

“Don’t you like it here?” asked Karina, who was cross-legged and munching on some chips, which she offered you and you refused. “It’s pretty disgusting” “It’s okay. We won’t be here long”

Karina took her Gianni Chiarini bag and pulled out three photos. One was of Yuna, the other of a girl you couldn’t identify, and in the last photo, there was you.

“What does that mean?” “Yuna is having an affair with this girl.” Karina touched the face print of the girl whose name you didn’t know with her painted nail and then continued. “In case you didn’t understand, your photo is there because I wanted to let you know that I had you followed a week before I showed up at your place of work by a trusted friend of mine.” “What?” you were visibly shocked. “Don’t worry, honey. I will only use the information I have on you if you don’t cooperate.” A disturbing smile made you doubt her sincerity.

“Why are you so mad at this girl?” “Because she can’t keep what’s hers.” “What does that mean translated…?” Karina huffed and put the photos back in her bag. “We grew up in this industry together. We achieved success together. And then she cheated on me.”

You were stunned. “All this just because he didn't hold your hand throughout the journey of your life? Are you crazy-” “She cheated on me countless times. She told my parents that I’m a lesbian, they haven’t spoken to me since that day. And to top it all off, she stopped me from working for a year, taking away the most important collaboration of my life”

You almost felt sorry, but you didn’t say anything. Her eyes radiated something else. Maybe she too was human and was simply tired.

“Become her new fuck buddy. Treat her well and then you can be sure that you’ll end up finding her making out with someone else. Take as many pictures as you can and you’ll be free forever” “I don’t- Who told you I like women?” “My dear friend” “God, fuck Karina” “Um, maybe this collaboration will lead to something good?”

You looked up in shock and found a rather smiling Karina. “Do you start talking about sex when you're done talking about revenge? You’re crazy.” “I can’t help it if revenge turns me on like crazy.” Karina slowly ran her tongue over her upper lip, while you looked at her with wide eyes.

“Are you really… My god, you do this to everyone?” “Everyone who? You’re probably the last woman in three years that I’ve found truly attractive!” You rested your face on the fist you’d created with your right hand.

“Do you feel lonely?” Karina looked at you intently and nodded, gently moving her head. “Me too. That’s why I’ll help you. I see reflected in your eyes the same sadness that I feel." That's what it was.

“Y/n” “Tell me” “Do a good job” “I’ll try”

Karina finished all the chips that were left on the table, while you looked at her intently and prayed that the day you would meet Yuna would never come.

Unexpectedly, you received a call the next day: a very familiar voice invited you to participate in a graphic project that involved twenty different photographers who would take pictures of Yuna during a typical month of hers at the beach. Fans are certainly crazy to buy this, but it's all for the career, right?

Your first encounter with Yuna was ordinary. Where normal means you were struck by how tall and beautiful she was, even though Karina had gotten you used to it well. Yuna walked over to you and pulled you into a tight hug. “Y/n, right? I saw some photos of your portfolio and I loved them. The way you capture what's around is extremely sincere. Thank you for accepting. I am eternally grateful”

Yuna was warm. You noticed it immediately. Her body temperature had nothing to do with Karina's. Yuna's smile, moreover, really showed a sincere kindness. The photos you took were delicate, beautiful, and… real. But you remembered what Karina had told you and quickly came to your senses.

You spent two days taking photographs for one of the most beloved women in the world - that's what the charts said - and on the last evening, Yuna and her manager dragged all twenty of you to a pub.

Yuna, clearly drunk, stood up on a chair and started screaming. “Thank you! You were amazing! This project will come out amazing. Now let’s get our glasses up, we have to celebrate!” As everyone downed a few glasses of beer, you noticed a familiar face looking sweetly at Yuna. It was her girlfriend. You asked the boy next to you to switch seats and, perhaps nodding his head, he permitted you.

"Hi, I'm Y/n" "Ah, nice to meet you, I'm Haseul! Yuna showed me your photos. They're beautiful, congratulations" How cute, I almost feel sorry for using her like that. "I see you're looking at Yuna with sweet eyes… Is there something underneath?" the little laugh you let out right after should have helped break the tension, but it only made it grow even more. Haseul wiped the sweat on her pants and then spoke to you.

"I love her more than anyone else in the world" Ah. "It must be nice to love someone" You ran a hand uncomfortably behind your neck. "It's nice to have someone by your side. We're almost always together. I only have her. After what Yuna went through last year, she's become even stronger" A strong curiosity grew in you.

"What happened to her?" "Her ex-girlfriend cheated on her, Yuna found out and told her parents to shoot her an arrow that would cause her the same pain" "That's not possible" "Plus Yuna lost a very important job with Saint Laurent. She spent sleepless nights because of Karin-" Haseul quickly covered her face with her hands.

"Karina. Are you sure it was her fault?" "Ask anyone you want. She lied to everyone and messed up half the plans of people here just to go out and cheat on her girlfriend. Everyone hates her. She's just a pretty face in this industry"

Your head started to spin, maybe from drinking too much alcohol. “I’m going to get some fresh air!” “Shall I accompany you?” “It doesn’t matter, thanks.”

Outside, on the side of an empty road, you threw up next to a dumpster. Karina had been lying to you. She was evil, she was crazy, and a total dickhead. Everyone knew it but you. Because you had been a normal person until the week before. You had seen the surface, never what was underneath.

You understood that Karina would treat you like Yuna. You understood that the only solution would be to refuse, but your career was at stake.

Yuna came out and walked over to you. “I’m sorry you found out. I know everything. Karina isn’t the only one who can spy on people without being accused.” “Do you know everything?” “From the stupid meeting at the fast food restaurant to the job opportunities she offered you. Her dear friend, aka her manager, is Shin Yuna here’s dearest friend.”

You looked into her eyes. “I’ll have to… No, hurt you. I don’t want to.” I wanted to, but now I don’t want to anymore. “It doesn’t matter. Do it.” “How could I?” Haseul came closer to the two of you. “You can’t hurt us. When you find someone in life who loves you, life has a whole different meaning.”

The cold suddenly hit you. And, strangely, you thought for a second that those two were crazy. “Yuna would lose her job,” you continued “But I will never lose the people I love. And anyway,” Yuna put her arm around Haseul’s waist, “I won’t be in this industry for long.”

Haseul looked you in the eyes and smiled. “Don’t worry.”

As you made your way home, your eyes caught the massive posters of Karina that adorned the streets yet, beneath your admiration, a swirl of conflicting emotions surged inside you; you couldn't shake the nagging feeling that she was not only a bit unpredictable but also a master of deception. Despite all that, you felt an undeniable urge to kiss her.

The karaoke seemed more rotten than usual. Karina didn’t seem to belong there at all. The last day, the decisive one, had now arrived. You sat down, like the last time, in front of the raven-haired girl.

“Hi, Y/n. I see you well. How are you?” “Better than you can imagine” “My ears only want to hear good news”

You took her usual bag of chips from her hands and started munching on them. “What do you think of your modeling job?” “I hate it” Karina, to your surprise, answered without even thinking for a second. “Why?” “There is no sincerity in what I do. But it is the only job that puts me in contact with hundreds of people a week. It makes me feel less alone”

You put the chips on the table and took out the incriminating photos. “Yuna and Haneul, as you asked me and here I have,” you took out the USB stick, “the murder weapon!” Karina looked at you with wide eyes. “Did you… Do it?” “Your charm won me over, unfortunately, I have to admit it” Even though You were ironic, Karina's cheeks turned pink.

Karina pulled out a computer without making eye contact with you. Then she ordered you to open it. In front of your eyes was a fairly famous site where you were supposed to upload incriminating photos of Yuna and Haseul.

“Y/n. I have to tell you something" As you wrote the description of the photos you would publish immediately after, you signaled Karina to continue.

“Maybe it's because I haven't felt someone's affection for a long time, maybe it's because I can't look at myself in the mirror anymore without crying but…” “After Karina, after” “You said…” “Let me talk”

Seeing Karina so vulnerable and with teary eyes made you feel guilty, but what you wanted to do you would have done without complaining. Karina, however, seemed ready to let go of everything, to take a decisive step.

“Karina, kiss me” “Why should I do that? Are you crazy?” “Last time you seemed intent on doing much more!” you raised your voice. “If I kiss you it’s only because I want to show you how I feel!”

You both were incredibly close. The intensity of the conversation had drawn you from the karaoke sofas, and now you stood face to face, the air feeling thick between you. Karina was the first to make a move. She reached behind your neck, gripped your hair tightly, and swallowed hard. You didn't want to initiate the kiss; you wanted her to take the lead. And that’s exactly what she did. Karina leaned in and pressed her lips against yours, but the kiss was tentative, almost shy. She clearly wanted you to respond, but you held back. The kiss ended before it truly began.

“Why?” she asked, embarrassed. You, in response, checked your phone and went back to finishing the article on the computer. You connected your phone to the computer and transferred the photos.

“What about the USB stick?” “I’ll give it to you as soon as I’m finished”

Five minutes passed before you closed the computer. The die was cast. And so is your life and Karina's. There was no turning back, in any way.

“Y/n?” “Done” “Good…” Karina grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around herself. You did the same.

“Why did you lie to me?” “What are you talking about, Y/n? “Tell me the truth. Haseul and Yuna told me everything. I also spoke to other colleagues. All the same version. You’re a liar, Karina.”

Karina looked back at you with a blank stare. “And what are you?” “That’s not the point.” Karina slammed her fist on the table. “From everything they told you, did you only understand that I’m a liar?” “How can I trust you, Karina?”

Karina hugged the blanket and started biting her nails. "You know when I'm lying. You can feel it. You know when I’m not natural. I understood immediately when we met that there was a different connection between us." “Do you say that to everyone?” “You’re not funny, Y/n!” Karina screamed and threw the bag of chips in your direction, making a mess in the room.

“It’s not funny to make fun of people. You used me.” “I didn’t!” “So what did you do, Karina? How would you call what you did?” “I tried to keep you as close as possible… I don’t have anyone. Yuna wanted to leave me and I had sex with someone else the next day! Our relationship was over.” “People can’t love you if you pretend to be someone else.” “Everyone abandoned me. They abandoned me when I pretended to be the sweet and kind Karina and when I was the real Karina!”

Karina seemed to have reached a point of no return, but you could do nothing but pity her. Now you just had to tell her your truth.

“Karina, listen to me. Yuna got what she got because she moved on and recognized that love can be found anywhere. Her career is worth a thousand times more than a career like yours that was built on pain. Just forget about this life. Start over again." “The only one I have is my manager. I have no ambitions, I have no love. I just wanted someone to feel the way I do.” “We all fight for something, Karina! I fight for photography and you’ve been fighting against yourself for too long!”

Karina seemed to be furious. “You don’t understand. I’ve been alone all my life! The only one who’s close to me is my manag-” “No, he’s Yuna’s informant. When he handed me the ticket for Vogue, I immediately understood that he was not on your side, Karina”

“Karina” “I hate you. Will you stop throwing the truth in my face? I know, damn, I know I’m alone. I've never gotten along well with anyone. But with you, I had a good time. Time never seemed to end. You’ll abandon me too. You all do the same when I show you how I am”

You turned the computer towards her. “Karina, I posted the photos. Look at them. First, breathe and then rationalize” Karina did as you said, too vulnerable to go against you.

When she saw the article with the photo of you she couldn’t say a word. She just asked you, in a weak voice, why you did it. “We can start over, Karina. They already had everything. In their eyes, I saw what was missing in ours. Rise from the ashes Karina or die forever, it would make more sense than continuing to pretend to live in someone else’s body”

You got up from the room, knowing that the news with the photo of you and Karina kissing would do more harm to her than to you. You shut the door behind you. You turned around. Outside you waited for Karina, hoping she would come out so you could comfort her. But that didn’t happen.

The news caused a scandal. The billboards with Karina disappeared, her role as the lead actress in that new movie was deleted and for more than a month, all anyone talked about was that photo. No one recognized your face; next to Karina, you looked quite bad. Yuna called you and guaranteed that your name and work would remain in the photo book. The Vogue photos were never published. You stuck them up, with Sunwoo’s help, in the fast food restaurant.

Sometimes someone stopped to observe them and Sunwoo took care of answering their questions. Very naturally, he said that Karina loved coming to this fast food restaurant - before it disappeared - and that you were her favorite.

Six months had gone by, yet the ache in your chest refused to fade, a constant reminder of the unresolved feelings haunting you. Each night, you lay alone in bed, tears soaking your pillow, knowing that no one would come to comfort you—and that no one would offer her the same kindness. In those haunting hours, you grappled with memories and regrets, feeling the weight of your sorrow pressing down on you like a heavy shroud.

“What a beautiful day! Life has never been so beautiful!” “Sunwoo, it’s just your first role in a stupid TV series” “A stupid TV series that you’ll watch!”

You and Sunwoo had become great workmates again. This time, you were the one who requested more hours, and Sunwoo, despite having found a second job, had decided to work alongside you in each of them.

Sometimes you look at the street illuminated by the street lamps. You hadn't been able to move on. After Yuna’s photobook came out, your name appeared on many other projects. You had started working with many more idols. But there was no one like her.

“Still thinking about it?” “My mind is occupied with her, Sunwoo” “You couldn’t contact her?” “No one has her number and no one has been close to her. At least I know she’s not dead” “Yeah…”

It was four in the morning on a random Thursday when a black car pulled up on the road and parked in front of the fast food restaurant. Sunwoo let out a scream and hid behind the counter. “Is that the police? What have you done, Y/n?” “Stop it, you idiot, and get the emergency number ready. You never know”

But a woman with blonde hair, no makeup, and wearing a sweatshirt that looked very expensive, stepped out of the car. At first, you and Sunwoo couldn’t figure out who she was, you could only guess that she was extremely attractive from the way she walked.

When the first light from the fast food restaurant hit her face, Karina revealed herself to you with a shy smile. “Sunwoo…” she waved at the boy. “And well… Y/n… How are you doing?”

Sunwoo let out another scream. This time you did the same. Then you started to cry, unable to control your emotions. Karina threw herself at you and hugged you with teary eyes. After you both calmed down, Sunwoo fried you two large portions of fries and left the place for a moment, pretending to have received a call.

“Y/n. I look at you…” “Terribly, terribly” “Yes, well. You’ve lost weight” You squeezed her hands tightly. Warm tears fell onto Karina's white hands.

“Sorry” “Stop it, it’s okay. Look at me” Karina took your face in her hands and forced you to look at her. Then she continued to speak. “It had to be this way. I was reborn from the ashes, okay? But I want you to do the same. Let’s help each other. We’ve been alone for too long and…”

Karina stopped to look at the road, her eyes shining. “I missed you. The real you is so annoying, sexy, and cute at the same time. I'm happy to hear you're well."

Karina then looked back at you and looked at the palms of your hands. “Come with me. I'm full of money. Let's run away from here, let's go where no one knows us" "Karina" "It doesn't matter if you tell me now. You destroyed my previous life though! I expect you to pick up the broken pieces and put them back together"

She made you laugh and you thanked fate for having met her. You gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek. Karina looked at you with a raised eyebrow.

“Are you just kissing me back?” “Karina, there’s a time for everything” “You know, Y/n, I have a few things I need to tell you about myself. Did you know that I especially love dark chocolate and hate milk chocolate?”

“Karina,” you stood up from the stool and locked your eyes with his. "Tell me, Y/n" “We have all the time to learn to love each other” “And we have all the time to learn to live”

Sunwoo burst into the fast food restaurant, his eyes glistening with tears of joy. He couldn’t contain his excitement as he shared the incredible news: he had secured a role in a film directed by a renowned filmmaker. The moment was electric, filled with laughter and heartfelt congratulations as you both celebrated his achievement. Before leaving this familiar place, you and Karina decided to capture the memory with a photo at the very spot where your journey had begun. As the camera clicked, you were acutely aware that this moment marked a turning point. You stood there, smiling and cherishing the memory, knowing deep down that you were ready to embrace the future and leave the past behind, resolutely moving forward without looking back.

[damn-stark]

Chapter 30 No woman no cry

Chapter 30 of Moonlight

A/N- Sweaty eyes that’s all it is :)

Warning- talks of pregnancy and labor, ANGST!!, swearing, violence, fire, blood, and DEATH. SPOILERS!! FOR FUTURE EVENTS OF HOTD, USING FIRE AND BLOOD, long chapter.

Pairing- Aemond Targaryen x Velaryon!fem-reader, Cregan Stark x Velaryon!fem-reader

Episode/Pages- 520-534

(If you want to be tagged let me know)

————

There exists a serene silence where only your soft breaths, and the sound of waves rolling over the sand fill whatever room you are in.

A much crueler chill seems to be your companion, but a light feathered touch of warmth does seem to exist dancing over your face and it makes you squint as your eyes flutter open.

Yet as gentle as that touch is on your face, when you open your eyes a stinging pain hits you as the sun burns your eyes before you give them relief as you shield them from the beaming sunlight.

“Cregan?” You call out softly and then groan as a sharp wave of pain hits your head and your chest, reminding you at that moment of the injuries you sustained and put you in a state of limbo, and now on this bed and in this…stone chamber?

Did they take the keep at Tumbleton? Is this where you are?

“Ser Cane?” You call out next since Cregan is probably attending to other matters.

However, your sworn protector doesn’t respond by walking in or speaking. There’s a continued silence where only the sound of distant waves lingers in your chambers. Which is why you sit up and only get welcomed with a pounding headache.

“Damn,” you hiss and lift your hand to hover your palm over where it hurts, feeling at that moment bandages wrapped around your head before you finally feel the bandages around your chest.

“Ser Cane?” You call out and glance at the end table to search for water, but alas there’s not even a candle. “Ser Cane?”

You drag yourself to the edge of the bed and notice your gown before you notice that someone took the time to clean all the blood off your hands.

It must’ve been Cregan. He must be so worried.

“Ser Cane?” You call out one more time and drop your hand on your belly which seems to be lower than usual, which means the twins should be coming soon.

“Add—” you cut yourself off as you remember that Addam won’t be able to respond to your calls anymore because he’s…dead…

You sigh and rub your eyes before you lift your head and avoid crying, but also finally come to recognize where you are. You try to deny it. You must be dreaming—You can’t be in your chambers at Dragonstone.

How could you be at them?

This must be a dream! You still must be in limbo, you can’t be here—unless your mother is here? How many days have passed since the second battle at Tumbleton?

Were you really unconscious for so long that you arrived at Dragonstone without knowing?

“Ser Cane?” You call out with panic and desperation replacing your patience and grogginess, and proceed to slip on some slippers before you push yourself off the bed and rush to the door.

Albeit when you try to open the door, you can’t, it seems to be locked.

“Ser Cane?” You call out. “Hello? Who is out there? Please open the door.”

You press your ear against the door and drift your eyes to the floor, catching shadows move, and hearing feet shuffle before you start to hear them recede.

“Hello?” You call out louder and with desperation rising. “Can you open the door and tell Cregan or The Queen to come? Please.”

You try to open the door, but again you’re met by the fact that it’s locked, so you have the urge to turn to the balcony to find a way out through there, but then the thought of why sets in.

Why should you find a way out? This is your home and your mother must be here. You don’t have to worry. You’ll be fine, the door is just locked for precaution. After all, your mother is being paranoid about not knowing who to trust, so the door is locked for your own safety.

“Okay,” you sigh and turn away with your hands clasped before you go to your wardrobe and change out of the gown, finding comfort in a purple and gold gown that has the skirts layers shaped like fins on a seahorse, and a golden corset decorated with beautiful designs made of sheets of gold.

It’s truly an impressive gown, and one you know Cregan will drool over, so you feel even more giddy wearing it—which reminds you of the wolf brooch Cregan gave you.

However, when you search for it you can’t find it amongst your things or on any surface. Maybe it fell off during battle or some moment thereafter?

You’ll have to ask, and if you did lose it then you’ll ask Cregan to give you a ring with the sigil on it, or a nice pendant. It’ll be easier to wear it then.

Nonetheless, you sit on the edge of the bed and look out of the window to bask in the sun's warmth, finding comfort in the sound of waves.

Besides, all the bad that’s happened as of late, you still find comfort in the sound of the sea, and it brings you joy to know you’re close. Being in those Wetlands for as long as you were was starting to make you feel as gloomy as a rainy day.

If only it was summer, you would be out lying on the sand or in the water. Alas, it’s winter and the water would surely make you freeze to death.

Shame.

Nevertheless, while you’re soaking in the sunbeams, keys finally jingle outside of your door before you hear the lock click and a knock proceed to a rap on your door.

“Come in,” you greet the visitor and stand from the bed to walk toward the door.

However, as the door opens and you get close, you come to an immediate stop when your eyes fall on a man you thought was long gone—Lord Larys Strong.

“Wh-“ you gasp and step back as you quickly scan the room in search of your sword. When you don’t find it you take a step back and tilt your head down to glower at him.

“Princess,” Lord Larys greets and bows his head, making your pinched eyebrows twitch as they crease deeper in your silence.

“I am so very glad you have awoken and seem to take well to your current injuries. The servants weren’t sure if you would wake.”

Servants?

“Where’s my mother?” You deadpan and start to also think about your dragon and whether she brought you here out of instinct, or they found you—Then again Cregan was so close when you last saw him on that battlefield, how did you end up here?

“Oh,” Lord Larys mouths before he gently shakes his head. “I am not sure. I heard she escaped Kings Landing after a riot. What a shame, she lost the most special gem just as she had it in her possession.”

If he doesn’t know then—

No, it can’t be!

“Where’s my dragon? How did you find me?”

Is Cregan here?

“Your dragon,” Larys says and glances outside and watches a bird fly past the balcony window. “She dropped you off in the sand. One of the guards saw you and went to your rescue. They tried to capture your dragon, but she eluded capture and flew back where she had come from.”

You blink with surprise yet find yourself letting out a relieved sigh because she’s not in the clutches of the enemy.

“Dragons truly are marvelous beasts,” he rambles and meets your gaze. “She must have thought you would be safe here, but, alas,” he sighs and flashes you a smirk. A smirk! Out of all things he smirks at you because he knows you don’t have the upper hand now.

What a little cunt.

“…it was too late when she tried to take you back,” he whispers before he digs in his pocket and pulls something out—“His Grace is ready for his audience with you,” he reveals what you had been trying to deny. Aegon is here. Aegon is still alive. He didn’t die in some ditch like you had hoped. The little bastard is still alive! And your mother…she must not know or else she would have not left Kings Landing. Damn it! Damn it!

“You had this with you when we found you,” Larys says and opens his hand to show you the wolf brooch Cregan had given you.

“I thought you would want it back.”

You continue to pierce your glare into him for a moment longer before you look at the brooch and slowly walk toward him to snatch it from his grasp.

“Are you ready?” He makes sure to ask, making you scoff.

“Do I even have an option?” You quip and he doesn’t answer you, instead, he turns and leads the way out. With no other choice you drag your feet after him and follow him all the way to the main hall where whether you like it or not, your breath catches when you see Aegon.

He sits at the other end of the hall on a wooden chair with wheels, a blanket over his legs, and a dull yet narrowed look that does reflect a glimmer when he sees you walk past the doors and stop just under the beam of sun that shines in the hall.

“You stand in the presence of King Aegon of House Targaryen, the Second of His Name, Rightful King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men. And Rightful Protector of the Seven Kingdoms.” A guard announces loudly near your ear, making your glower even more fierce.

“You’ve awoken!” Aegon interjects loudly so his voice travels down the hall. “I’m glad.”

You draw out a deep breath and continue to trudge forward, but never with your head down. You keep your head high and your nose pointed to the air. When you get close that’s all you do, get close, you never close the gap to the point you can hear each other's whispers. You stay under the sunbeam that reflects through the windows on the high ceilings and scowl.

“You,” you mutter and look at him up and down (which doesn’t take long as he’s seated on that wooden chair), and notice that he seems to sport more burn scars than before, and his legs that he keeps under a blanket are bent in a pretty uncomfortable manner. “…look more awful than before,” you say bluntly and catch his lips twitching to a frown.

However, a sinister look then makes his dull eyes glimmer.

“I recently got into a dragon battle with your cousin…Rhaena—no,” he chuckles and his malice then shows on his lips that slowly curl to a smirk as he sees your eyes lose the sun’s twinkling glow as your head slowly falls with your demeanor. “Baela,” he huffs. “Her dragon is dead and she is in a dungeon knowing what it feels like to burn.”

You blink repeatedly in disbelief and feel your breath catch as your heart skips a beat in your worry. Only making Aegon that more cocky.

“And you,” you mutter and slowly drag your eyes up with a fire slowly burning within them. “Did you burn again? It looks like it. You look even more horrifying to look at. At least Baela will have a menacing charm to her, but you,” you click your tongue and force a snicker before you suck in your cheeks to gather a ball of spit and hurl it at his feet.

Aegon’s eyes quickly fall on your ball of spit and his lips curl while his nose scrunches in disgust as well as frustration.

A guard standing nearby lunges forward and from the corner of your eyes you see him lift his hand in reaction to your “disrespect”.

Albeit Aegon then lifts his hand to motion the guard to stop, and he immediately does so before he can swing his hand over your face.

“As traitorous and disrespectful as she may be, she is still your Princess, and carrying my brother's children,” Aegon says and catches you by surprise, but still not enough to warrant a thanks or any kind of reaction.

“What do you want, Aegon?” You press impatiently.

Said man scoffs as he looks away from the guard and then sighs deeply before he gives you a response. “I wanted to see you and make sure you were okay. It seems you sustained quite a few concerning injuries, so I was just making sure you were okay.”

You huff and he slowly lolls his head to the side.

“I also do have a proposal,” he adds and piques your interest. “After the twins are born you are of no use to me, so I will kill you alongside your mother and your brother, and keep my brother's children so my mother can raise them, and Aerion can be my heir. But you,” he pauses and clicks his tongue to mock you.

“However, you may keep your life if and only if you marry me,” he throws out a rather daring offer. One that shouldn’t have surprised you as much as it did, but it did because it’s quite ballsy.

“You will be Queen, and we will show the realm that we are a united front. There will be peace—or so Larys says,” he mutters and glances at the man before looking back at you with a mischievous look in his eyes.

“No,” you deadpan before you flash him a mischievous smirk. “I am betrothed to Lord Cregan Stark,” you announce, making Lord Larys shift where he stands, and causing Aegon to lose that stupid mischievous look and instead make his face harden.

“Very well,” he grumbles and sits up straight. “So you chose death. I did not want to marry you anyway.”

“Your Grace,” Lord Larys interjects. “With the Princess betrothed to Lord Stark it will not be wise killing her, nor marrying her now. Whichever choice you go with would lead Lord Stark and his army to retaliate and possibly add more fuel to a war you want to end.”

Your smirk deepens as your invincibility is now revealed, leaving him with you as a hostage, but still unable to kill you or touch you in any way.

“So I hold you, hostage, have him bend the knee, swear his loyalty, and give his army to me,” Aegon is quick to come up with an alternative you had already started to think about before he could even form the first thought. “Thank you. You have now turned your mother's greatest ally against her.”

You don’t falter or show weakness because you know Cregan. He won’t fall under pressure, he will keep fighting because no matter what, you will be protected because of him.

Aegon doesn’t realize all of that, but he sees your smirk and his face only twists with more frustration.

“Take her and bring her back when her mother arrives to shore. She can watch her die instead.”

This time your face falls. He hits you right in your weak spot and he knows it because he counters the fear that paints your face with cockiness that he displays on his face the moment you’re walked out of the room as if showing you he had the last laugh.

——

*SOMETIME LATER*

How? How?

Without Astraea how can you leave this damned place to save your mother?

There’s no candle lit to burn the door down. There’s not even a fire in your fireplace and that’s probably due to the fact that Aegon doesn’t want you to use fire against him. And without any weapons how can you get out?

You pace in your chambers watching the moon rise and slowly spin around the earth as time passes bit by bit without any kind of nudge on what to do.

Escaping out the window is impossible, there's nothing to grab onto and it’s too high off the ground to jump…

Then again even if you find a way out how do you find her? You know she’s heading to Dragonstone, but from which way?

Then again why should that truly matter in the grand scheme of things? You need to save her one way or another and you’ll scour the earth to find her to keep her away from here. Even if it means…having to give your own life.

Yet what do you do?

You let out a frustrated breath and throw yourself on your bed, feeling at that moment the twins starting to move inside you.

“Yes I should sleep, but I need to…” you trail off and sit up whilst you press your hand on your belly. “Thank you,” you whisper down toward your belly before you run over to grab your goblet of water, and return to the side of the bed to spill the water on the ground. After that, you hide the goblet under the bed and sit back down to press your hands on your legs, and lean down to start crying out in pain.

“Help…” you feign pain to grab the attention of the guards outside. “I need help!” You yell out and moan as if you were in labor. “Please!” You bellow and let out another sharp cry.

When you go quiet for a second you strain your ear and hear the guards shuffling behind your door, so you yell again. “Please! I need help!”

The lock clicks before the door flies open and two guards rush in with panicked wide-eyed looks on their faces.

“Princess?” They call out cautiously as if you were something they were frightened of.

“The twins,” you say between pants as you clutch onto your belly. “I think they’re coming,” you lie and glance up, catching them looking at each other helplessly, which only excites you more.

“Get the maester or anyone who can help me!” You sneer before you cry out again to stress them out further.

“Okay—okay,” one guard breathes out as if he’s the one going to give birth. “We’ll be right back!”

Your eyes widen out of panic and before they can leave you throw your head up and blurt. “Can one of you stay? I don’t want to be alone.”

You bat your eyelashes and take quick and heavy breaths to feign being in distress and get them to pity you, because if they both leave then they’ll lock the door again, and you can’t let them bring the help you say you need or else you won’t be able to get out. Thus you feign innocence.

And luckily they believe you. One guard stays while the other one leaves, but you don’t stop pretending. You keep letting out fake sounds of pain to let the guard that left your chambers put some good distance between here and there, whilst also mentally laughing at the guard who stayed as he seems extremely uncomfortable by staying with you while you’re “in labor”.

“Could,” you pause and pant. “Could you please bring me some water?”

The guard avoids eye contact and nods stiffly before he turns and starts to walk away toward your pitcher of water. And it’s when he’s giving you his back that you swipe one of your shoes with a pointed heel off the ground, and push yourself to your feet without any struggle whatsoever.

You then stretch your neck from side to side after having it hanging for so long before you proceed to quietly stalk after him with an almost predatory glare burning through the back of his neck, and a wicked smirk curling on your lip. And luckily the guard is so caught up in his own discomfort and disgust that he keeps his attention locked on the pitcher across the room—he doesn’t even notice that you stopped complaining.

He doesn’t hear you walking toward him, nor does he feel any kind of burning on the back of his neck. He keeps his back facing you so when you finally catch up to him you raise the heel in your hand and swing down hard to dig the tip of the heel in his neck.

The man tries to yell out, but with the heel impaled on the side of his neck, all he does is gurgle and slowly turn around to face you.

“<Idiot.>” You remark in Valyrian before you mock his choking noises and snicker before you take his sword and give him the mercy of death by impaling his throat.

When he hits the ground you take your shoe out of his neck and then walk back to the side of the bed to grab the other shoe and quickly slide them on before you walk to the door.

Once you see that the ghost is clear you turn down the opposite hall the other guard took and instead try to escape through the side of the castle that leads to the hills that sit beside your home.

You don’t try to be too fast so as to be careful and stay discreet, but you also try not to be too slow and risk getting caught by someone. This was once your home, this castle was run by your mother, and the servants and guards were all loyal to your mother and your family, but since Aegon is here and spreading fear you don’t know if they can be trusted, so you stay in the shadows while also listening out for any potential danger.

You’re so focused on not being caught in fact that when you hear the echoes of the heels of someone’s shoes hitting the ground you fail to locate exactly where it’s coming from. You just quickly try to slip around a corner to hide, but that’s when you bump into a servant.

“Princess,” the servant woman gasps at the same time you let out a startled breath of air. She then looks down at your bloody hands for a second before bouncing her gaze to the bloody sword in your hand, and then lastly to your face, catching your surprise slowly starting to slip away and be replaced by something cold and threatening.

“You—”

“Not that way,” the servant cuts you off just as you were going to threaten her so you didn’t have to kill her. “Follow me you can take the servant corridors,” she reveals and then snatches your hand from your side to pull you with her down the corridor.

“You will take the stairs all the way down until you reach the caves. After that follow the lights all the way out to the loading docks. You will find a small ship there. You use it and leave.” She presses as she digs her fingers on the back of your hand.

“Okay, okay,” you say breathlessly as you follow her at her pace to not slip from her grasp and fall behind. “But…why risk your life? Aegon will have you killed when he finds out you helped me.”

The servant woman peers back and with a twinkle in her eyes, she shakes her head. “I would die for my Queen. I serve only her. Therefore I serve you.”

You blink repeatedly in disbelief and when you see that she’s not being deceitful you offer her a small but proud smile. “Thank you then,” you offer and wish you could do more but that’s all you can give her. Your gratitude. “My friend.”

The lady offers you a small nod before she looks ahead and quickens her pace to drag you with her down corridor after corridor until you reach a secret door that she opens for you.

“Through there, my Princess,” the servant lets you know as she points to the corridor that leads to a spiral staircase. “That will take you down.”

You glance at your escape and then look back at her with a worried look peeking through. “Okay,” you breathe out. “Thank you once again and be safe,” you offer her one more time whilst she hands you a torch from the wall.

“I would do it again,” she says softly, making your breath hitch and a soft smile flash on your lips that you offer her before you turn around swiftly and walk in the passageway.

Once the servant closes the door behind you, you then turn to look down and try to locate your exit, but as you look down the long spiral staircase you gulp as all you see is a dark abyss that only grows deeper the longer you stare at it.

“Okay,” you say as you draw out a deep breath. “Here we go.”

You glance back at the door one more time and draw in another deep breath. This time though you gain confidence and a drive that makes your heart skip a beat. All because of the servant woman who risked her life to give you a chance to escape.

There was no question or bargaining. She risked her life for you, and you won’t waste it. You will reach that boat and find your mother to prevent her from reaching Dragonstone to save her and the rest of your family that she’s clinging onto.

You won’t fail her. Not today.

Thus with those thoughts running through your head, a spike of energy travels through your blood and hits your heart, making it jolt before it starts to race as you grow eager and determined beyond measure.

Now you know you shouldn’t go past any pace beyond a walk down the wooden staircase, but you don’t care. You could break through a wooden step, skip one in particular, or almost trip and you wouldn't care. All that occupies your mind is saving your mother, so you run and run as fast as you can down the stairs.

It’s true you run out of breath fast, so you’re heaving and panting before you can even get halfway, but you don’t care. You keep pressing as all you see is her. Her eyes. Her soft golden-silver hair. Her pain, grief, and tears. Her joy and her smile. And every single memory you have stored inside your head.

You see her. The one you cherish above all else, even life itself, and all you can do is run.

When you reach the cave, there’s no light; not even on the walls. There’s darkness and the sound of rain—which by the way, when did it start raining? Has it been raining all night? You’ve been so caught up in your thoughts that you didn’t notice.

Regardless, you hear the sound of the rain as it falls outside and brings darkness, but not discouragement because with your torch you can make out the path that leads outside and that’s enough to know that you’re closer to your destination now. You won’t reach the end until you reach your mother, but you’re close and that thought makes you take a deep breath and start moving your legs again.

At the very first second, you don’t start off fast. You take some time to pick up speed considering what’s weighing you down and the exhaustion that brings you, but you push through it. Even if the flames on the torch die out you keep going. Even if your lungs hurt. Even if your legs and every muscle in your body scream to stop, you continue pushing forward. You speed walk before you jog, and jog before you run and run and run down that cave until the weight of heavy rain falls over you and a dim natural light bombards your eyes.

“Okay, okay,” you say between pants and squint your eyes to strain your vision so you can look through the cover of night and the shadows that the rain clouds bring.

At first, as you panic through your exhaustion, you can’t make out any boat. It terrifies you because that would bring a setback, but alas, you see the boat the servant told you about and you don’t linger back any longer. You quickly make your way to the boat and carefully climb onboard.

The waves are calmer thanks to the rain, but that does mean you have to fucking row the boat to move. And you’re already under so much strain! But you…push through and manage to get away from the dock and direct yourself to the mainland.

You can figure out where to go from there. As for now maybe you can catch your breath…

Breathe…as you row.

Breathe.

Breathe.

You close your eyes and relax your body.

Breathe.

Alas, when you’ve put some distance between you and the dock, you come across the harbor just below the Dragonmont and notice a strange Braavosi ship called the “Violande”.

Is it Aegon’s ship, you wonder at first before it hits you that it's your mother's ship when you see a Queensguard disembarking the ship—That’s where your mother came on.

That’s her!

“No, no,” you whisper and hastily stand at your feet.

If you row to the harbor you’ll take forever to get there. Without the help of the wind, you have no support.

You have to swim. No thought about it!

With that, in the front of your mind, you drop the sword on the boat and then dive into the cold water, and gasp loudly when you resurface like a bobbing apple as the cold water feels like falling in cold and wet piles of snow.

The cold embrace makes you want to find a way back on the boat, but you have to swim and keep pushing forward.

So you do. With that same adrenaline picking up in your veins you push forward. You don’t think about the possibility of your mother already reaching the gates. You can’t or else you’ll panic and be discouraged, so once again you think about reaching her, and that’s like a triple shot of adrenaline that helps you swim as fast as your body can muster.

Once you finally get out of the cold icy water you draw in a deep shaky breath and feel the bitterness nip at your skin, threatening to drive you someplace warm, but you turn toward Dragonstone, the place you had managed to escape, and run.

The breeze that runs past you drives some water drops off your body, but then sheets of rain just pile on, making you feel like you’re getting slapped in the face again and again. And it hurts. It hurts so much, and the clothes on your back are so heavy now that it makes everything worse. You even start to cry, but you keep running.

You keep pressing forward. For your mother! For your brother, Aegon! For your son, Aerion! And everyone you lost so your mother could win this war! You run and run!

Until finally like a glorious light you see her in between the group she came with and the large host that greeted her. A host loyal to Aegon…

“Mother!” You bellow through the rain, making the party stop in their tracks, and making the woman you called out to turn and find your eyes.

Even though it’s pouring and that obscures your vision you find each other, and you reflect the panic on your face before you yell again. “Mother! Flee!”

You don’t stop there, you can’t. Words are not enough, so you start running again. You break through barriers of space to reach her and try to get her out of there. You’re so close. With every step you take on that wet ground, you get closer to her, whilst she steps away from her spot and starts to part the crowd as she attempts to meet up with you halfway out of concern.

Alas before you can reach her, before you get close to getting her out, a body slams into you, and arms hurl around you to bring you to a sudden stop.

As you look over you notice that it was one of the many guards that were probably sent to welcome your mother.

The man is a traitor and loyal to Aegon, but you don’t need to share that with your mother because the moment you were caught and your eyes fell on the guard, chaos was unleashed.

Some men from the host that were meant to greet your mother, turn around and swing their swords at the Queensguard.

You don’t watch the battle though, you know that three Queensguards cannot compete against a host of forty men strong; no matter how skilled they are. That’s why you slap your hand on the man who has you captive and dig your nails into his face to drag them down, causing him to yelp out and let go of you to hold his face and stumble away.

“Mother!” You call out and move your legs toward her with one goal in mind; getting her away.

Luckily she sees that goal clearly painted in your eyes because she shares that same dire goal, so she yells out your name and while her men are fighting and falling, she motions her handmaidens and Vanessa to follow her to try and reach you. After all, Ser Jason is with her. He could help her strike down anyone trying to stop her. He could be the very person who could help you escape Dragonstone and live another day.

However, while your mother and you are focused on reaching one another, you fail to see his conflict brewing within him.

It’s true there should be no doubt running in his mind. Ser Cane Clegane would have not thought twice about trying to help the Queen, your son, Aegon, and you escape. He would given his life for you, but no matter how hard Ser Jason is trying to be that way. No matter how hard he’s tried to change his cowardly ways; seeing two men take out two Queensguard, and seeing the only Queensgaurd knight left kill two men before dying suit gives Ser Jason no motive.

The Bastard Knight sees that there’s no possible way to find an escape. He sees men coming after him too after having killed the Queensguard, and he can’t be everything his father was. He was not even half the man Prince Daemon Targaryen was, so Ser Jason raises his sword and steps forward to get in between you and your mother, leading you to believe that he is finally stepping up to aid in your escape. Yet The Bastard Knight then turns on his heels and points the sword to your belly, causing you to come to a skidding stop, and forcing your mother to stop out of fear he’d hurt you and her unborn grandchildren.

“What?” You ask breathlessly as you’re hit with disbelief and look at him with your lips parted, and your eyes slowly widening in shock and filling to the brim with tears of betrayal.

“Take another step and I will impale her,” Ser Jason threatens as he averts your gaze and looks over at your mother slowly contorting her face to show her anger and nothing else.

“Traitorous cunt,” she sneers and glares at him with a pointed glare whilst the host of guards start to surround you, closing the last gap to escape and returning you to Aegon’s grasp once again.

“Mother,” you call out in a broken voice, and immediately gain her attention and look that breaks away from her anger to display a softness—“Forgive me. I—”

Before you can finish, men grab your mother's arms and forcefully turn her away, forcing your next words to go unspoken and unheard.

“Walk, Your Grace,” the men spat at her mockingly.

“You picked the right choice, son,” Ser Alfred Broome praises Ser Jason. “Nevertheless, you understand why we have to take your sword? Just for now of course.”

Ser Jason glances at you with a hint of panic in his eyes, but you refuse to look at him anymore. You rip your eyes away and instead let your eyes fall on your greatest friend and handmaiden, Vanessa.

She also finds you amid the chaos and pushes your son, Aerion, in the air so you can see him and see that he’s bigger, but okay and unaware of what’s transcending—perhaps that’s the best gift an infant has, being able to be unaware of the chaos that brings adults and older children so much painful distress.

When he’s older and you ask him what he remembers he will most likely say nothing. He probably won’t remember his father or how much he loved him, he’ll only know him by the words that come out of your mouth, and that’s all. He probably won’t remember a thing of his life past a certain age and you’re thankful for that. Can you say the same for your brother Aegon?

It’s hard to say. He’s young but is he old enough to cling onto some of the worst memories of his life?

It’s hard to tell. If he lives, only time will tell.

Until then what other option do you have now but to let yourself be dragged back to the castle and past the rotting bodies of Maester Gerardys, and Ser Robert Quince hanging from the battlements of the gatehouse?

Seeing their dead bodies only worked to clarify that this was not some nightmare your mother could wake from. This is real, she got betrayed at her own ancestral home and now you, her son Aegon, her grandchild Aerion, and her are getting dragged toward the castle by traitors all loyal to none other than the slippery cockroach that is her half-brother Aegon. There’s no doubt about it because all the family that was against her is already dead except for him.

And that assumption only gets proven true when you reach the castle ward and come face to face with Aegon on a balcony unable to stand up or move. He’s bound to the same wooden chair as before and he carries the same dull look in his eyes that do welcome a sinister gleam once he sets his eyes on none other than his greatest foe and eldest sister, your mother, Rhaenyra, for the first time in a long time.

“Sister,” Aegon calls coldly, but with a hint of cockiness as he now has all the control and all the power over her that he didn’t have before.

Nevertheless, when your mother looks away from Sunfyre lying on the ground of the courtyard, she never shows defeat. She raises her head and points her nose in the air just like you tend to do before responding coldly and spitefully.

“Dear Brother, I had hoped that you were dead.”

Aegon scoffs. “After you,” he says with a twitch on the corner of his lips. “You are the elder.”

Your mother huffs, feigning some humor before she rebuttals. “I am pleased to know that you remember that.”

Aegon answers with silence and then turns his attention to you and his eyes glimmer, but not with a hint of malice, but smugness. “Back again? Here I thought you were smart. That’s all people say,” he mutters and rolls his eyes. “What an incredible hero The Blood Dragon is.” He scoffs. “If they could see their Blood Dragon now.”

He shoots you a smirk and you just raise your chin and glance over at his dragon Sunfyre to note that he is not even half the dragon he used to be. He now sports new raw scars that accompany the old ones, and one of his wings sticks out at a weird angle. He only has his beauty intact, but what is that worth?

Nothing, you know that and Aegon knows that too, so you look at his dragon with a teasing smirk and then look back at Aegon so he knows that you think less of him and his broken dragon.

And when he sees your reaction his smirk falls, letting your mother slip in to interject loudly and with a ferocity that cannot be diminished. “It would seem we are your prisoners…but do not think that you will hold us long. My leal lords will find us.”

“If they search the seven hells, mayhaps,” Aegon mutters before he drags his eyes away and offers a small nod that sends men after you to keep you where you are, but makes men pull your mother, her handmaidens, and your brother to the side, while Vanessa and Aerion are dragged toward him.

“Aegon,” you now call with a shift in your tone. Rather than trying to sound unaffected, you sound desperate. “Aegon, please,” you beg even though you know his plans for your children.

“Shut up,” he throws out. “You know what will happen to him. He’s now my heir so I will keep him by my side until I return to King’s Landing, while you…” he trails off and leans forward in his seat as best as his broken body can let him.

“I thought about it,” he continues and slowly drifts his eyes to your mother. “I do not care that you are betrothed to Cregan Stark. How will he know that you did not die due to your wounds from battle, hm?”

You blink in disbelief while a horrified breath escapes you. All while your mother's face loses all its color. The defiance she proudly held falls without a fight, and she shows an agonizing fear only a mother about to lose their child knows.

“Ser Alfred,” Aegon calls out, and the man that was called stomps toward you, causing the man holding you in place to force you to your knees.

“Move boy,” Ser Alfred tells Ser Jason, but you don’t see his hesitation as he starts to realize what’s about to happen because you realize the cold truth; you’re about to die, and you don’t want to die. Not like this, not yet. You want to meet your twins, you want to raise your children. You want to live…

You don’t want to die…

“Mama,” your voice quivers as you call out to her helplessly.

And even though she was hurt and angry that you had left her again to chase after Aemond, that grudge is long forgotten. It was long forgotten the moment she saw you try and come to her rescue like a warrior only heard about in stories of past heroes. Besides, how can she be angry while you look at her like a helpless little girl searching for her mother's consolation and help?

“Aegon,” she cries out desperately before Ser Alfred can get his sword out of his sheath, and tries to press forward, but she’s yanked back by the guards. “Please…please, don’t hurt her. Please,” she begs on behalf of not just her child, but her firstborn. The child she let sleep on her bed even against the wetnurses and handmaidens’ wishes because you were such a sick child, and the only way Rhaenyra could sleep at night was to have you next to her to hear you breathe and help the moment you needed it.

“She’s my daughter. My only daughter,” she tries to argue in her defense while also trying to touch any inkling of his heart. “She’s my firstborn, she’s mine,” her voice cracks as what’s left of her withered heart aches for you, for the life of the only companion she had while her father was getting sick, Laenor was mourning his lost love, and Alicent relentlessly bullied her and alienated her in her own home.

“Please,” Rhaenyra begs with tears slipping past her eyes. “Let her go. Let her live, and if you do, we will leave. I swear. We will run and never come back. We won’t raise any swords against you and we will never turn Astraea on you. You will rule for the rest of your life without any resistance from me. Just please let my girl live, please,” she cries for the only daughter she ever had. Her pride and joy, and the child that turned her into a mother only a year after her wedding to Laenor.

She begs with all her heart. She begs desperately and like never before because she needs you to live.

“Ser Alfred,” Aegon presses as he holds his sister's pleading gaze, causing her to snap her eyes to you whilst you start to weep, but also keep your head held high.

“<I love you,>,” you tell her in Valyrian and offer her a wobbly smile that makes her cry out.

“Aegon!”

The sword that was getting brought to your throat stops, but you still wait for the sharp blade.

Alas, it doesn’t come, so you look over at Aegon and he has his hand in the air to motion Ser Alfred to stop and let the guards let you go and fall on your hands.

Ser Jason immediately comes to your aide, but you refuse his help by pushing him away.

“Take her,” Aegon orders, and once again the guards grab your arms to pull you to your feet and drag you to where your mother is.

“Mother,” you whisper out weakly and she examines you but only for a brief moment because guards then drag her away.

“Mother!” You call out as if that would stop them.

“I just wanted to see the great Rhaenyra look defeated first,” Aegon muses. “You will die now because there's no way I would let you go. Do you think I believe you and your promises? No. Fuck that,” he spats. “We can’t both live, sister. It has to be you.”

Your tears dry from your eyes as they almost bulge out with your utter disbelief.

“No,” you whisper a broken whisper and watch in horror as they drag your mother toward the broken Sunfyre. The dragon you had only moments ago looked down upon.

“No,” you whisper again and examine the scene, realizing that Aegon is going to use Sunfyre to kill your mother. Not a sword, a dragon. Fire you can save her from…

Thus with a spike of adrenaline, you yank yourself away from the clutches of the guards holding you captive and run with the purpose of saving your mother. The one you cherish the most. The only reminder you have left of your old life, your brothers, your father, and everything good; all the light in this world, all the warmth, and all the love and mercy.

“Mother!” You call for attention so she knows you’re coming to her rescue and throw your hand out even though there’s still some distance between her and you.

Nevertheless, reaching her and saving her could only be left as a beautiful dream because before you can reach her and as you reach the middle of that courtyard, Ser Jason tackles you to stop you, letting the guards catch up and pull you from his grasp to forcefully shove you to ground so you wouldn’t try to run again and make them look bad in front of the King.

In doing so though they slam your belly and hit your head on the ground—Not hard, but they did hit the spot where that arrow scraped you, so the wound opens and warm blood begins to ooze out.

“Let me go!” You bellow without caring about the fact that you were just hurt. “LET ME GO!” You growl and squirm. “Aegon! Mother! Mother!”

Said woman is left there before the broken dragon, and Aegon utters the word. “Dracarys.”

You squirm harder, but the guards keep you pressed against the ground.

“NO! PLEASE! MAMA!” You cry out desperately and sharply, feeling tears run down your face as they leave your eyes. “AEGON!”

Albeit even if Sunfyre gets closer to your mother, he doesn’t seem to find interest in burning her to eat her. He sniffs her but doesn’t open his jaws, giving you a false sense of hope.

But you should have known better because as you held your breath and thought your mother would be spared because of the dragon's defiance, Ser Alfred stomps to your mother and nicks her breast with the tip of his sword.

This time Sunfyre begins to sniff your mother as his eyes go dark, making you realize what’s going to happen.

“AEGON PLEASE!” You plead with all your will and all your strength for some sliver of hope that you could gain his mercy. “Please don’t do this! Please!” You cry and beg at the same time as you thrash around like helpless prey caught under a trap. “Please!” You bellow out your plea for the first person you ever loved. For the person keeping your hope and will alive.

“The time for pleading is over,” Aegon mutters and then continues to repeat the same command. “Dracarys.”

This time Sunfyre starts to open his mouth as he builds up fire in the back of his mouth.

“Mother! Mama!”

Said woman turns her head and looks you in the eyes with tears welled in her eyes and a small smile only meant for you and you alone. “<I love you,>” she redirects those last words you had given her when you thought you would die.

“Mama!” You mewl out and throw your head back to try and hit the guard pinning you down. “Please!”

Alas, Sunfyre spits out a ball of fire as your mother points her head to the sky and shrieks one last curse before she’s bathed in fire, and then torn apart by Sunfyre’s jaw, robbing her of her life in an instant, and leaving you stunned on the ground in your numbing disbelief that leaves you speechless and robbed of breath.

Your brother Aegon begins to cry, but he sounds so distant that it almost sounds like some illusion coming from your mind.

The flames still dancing on the ground slowly lose their bright color way before it completely dies out, and the coldness nipping at your skin is forgotten; not because the first sunbeams of the new day break out of the horizon and reflect through the window behind you, embracing your back with its gentle touch and almost making it look like a glorious crown around your head. No, it wasn’t that. It isn't even the warm trickles of blood that leak from your head wound and roll down your cheek, no. The coldness didn’t hurt because you were numb to it.

As your eyes stay on the blood that spills from your mother's corpse you are numb. As you watch Sunfyre open his jaw to go for another bite you are numb, but you don’t stay paralyzed, you finally snap from your stupor.

“LEAVE HER ALONE!” You bellow and push yourself off the ground, slipping from the guard's gentle grasp to try and run over and pull your mother's corpse from Sunfyre’s jaw, but Ser Jason sees clearly that there’s nothing of your mother left to save. All you’ll do is piss Sunfyre off by interrupting his breakfast, so he captures your arm and yanks you back against him.

“Stop, stop,” he whispers sharply. “She’s gone. She’s gone.”

Even though a part of you knew what he was telling you, another part of you throws your hand out to try and push him off you whilst you thrash your body in an attempt to slip away, but his grip is harsh and he manages to keep you against him.

“Mama! Mama!” You cry out as if her burnt corpse getting torn apart could hear you. “Please! Someone help her! Mama!”

Sunfyre takes his third bite, and then forth, and with each bite that part of you that was in denial starts to accept the truth, making you slowly lose the last fragment of who you were and the person you became to a fire burning inside. All while your heart; that withered thing Cregan had brought back to life loses its rhythm as you lose yourself.

“Cregan,” you mutter helplessly. “Someone get me, Cregan!”

Sunfyre takes his fifth bite and your legs start to shake as your weight starts to become too much for them to hold.

“STOP IT! PLEASE!” You cry out and slowly start falling to your knees. Ser Jason can’t hold you up as you continue to squirm so he falls to the ground with you.

“Mama…” you trail off as you lose your breath the moment Sunfyre takes his sixth and last bite before leaving just her leg and nothing else.

There’s nothing left of her but that single piece of limb. She’s gone…every fragment of your old life is gone with her. Your happiness, your heart, and who you were and who you grew to be dies out with her, leaving nothing but a frail soul that finally found her breath, but only to wail out all the agony and grief that slams into you like waves angered by a terrible storm.

You hadn’t cried when Addam died, and when Aemond died you wept, but right now you scream as you know the one you loved the most is gone forever. Along with everyone else you loved.

There’s nothing left…

Even your voice is lost due to the strain not so much later, leaving you weeping silently on the ground. Ser Jason tries to console you, but you shove him away and stay put without even trying to fight back.

You stay there with your body bent over and your head hanging even if your body is still pampered with rain and ocean water, and you’re shivering.

That is until a sharp pain shoots through your lower body and you can’t help but grunt out and shoot straight up to cry out to the sky.

“Princess?” Vanessa whispers out as she notices your hand fly to your belly before you cry out again.

“Princess!” Vanessa yells out and turns to try and run to you, but the guards keeping her in place stop her—“She’s going into labor!” Vanessa says as she recognizes the signs without having to wait for more signs to show.

“She needs help!” She throws out and snaps her head to Aegon. “She can’t do it on her own. Not in the state she’s in.”

“Princess, you’re going to labor, try and keep calm,” one of your mother's handmaidens offers her help behind her captors keeping them from reaching you.

“No, no,” you mutter as you shake your head. “Not now. Not now!” You bellow before you let out another strained cry.

“Your Grace!” Vanessa yells out as she looks at you.

“Very well,” Aegon waves her off. “Let those women help the princess deliver my brother's twins,” he says and looks over his shoulder to let the guards know he’s had enough of being on that balcony.

After that the guards holding Vanessa and the other handmaidens' back, let them go, and they all scurry to you, forcing Ser Jason to carry Aerion and your brother Aegon.

“Get them out!” You shriek as another wave of pain hits you and lasts longer than the others.

Then again as paralyzing and agonizing as the pain of labor is, none of it truly compares to the pain of grief that riddles you.

Your mother's death plays over and over again as if someone was trying to torture you. It heightens the intensity of your distress, while also making the entire process of labor a blur.

One moment you’re in that courtyard, the next you’re in your quarters again, pushing and crying while also trying to fight against giving birth—not like it stops the twins from coming. The pain only worsens and your distress keeps growing until…it’s all gone the moment your twins, Daenys and Daenerys, come out crying and kicking into their new world.

Albeit you couldn’t find joy in your newborns. When you look at them it's with a distant look and no exhausted smile.

Your lips didn’t even twitch. Your eyes are cold, but in your icy demeanor, deep inside, a fire burns and turns your sadness to ash, letting a fierce rage rise from its remains.

.

.

.

.

.

A/N- FINALLY NOT PREGNANT!!!

Tagged- @namelesslosers @stargaryenx @chainsawsangel @lauftivy @winxschester @cloudroomblog @llarue @padsdarlg @sofietargaryen @gracielikegrapes @dreaming-of-the-reality @itzelpeyton @patdsinner33 @mrsdominickstark @elaena-aerrin @todoroki-slut @snh96 @urmomsgirlfriend1 @nifujiswhore @sweethoneyblossom1 @kaetastic @lightdragonrayne @squidscottjeans @oh-you-mean-me @wallacewillow0773638 @icefrye19 @thescottpack @fiction-fanfic-reader @crazymusicgirl104 @r-3dlips @strangersunghoon @just-pure-trash @ethereal-athalia @missyviolet123 @callsignwidow @xunquish-blog @tabathastan @weepingfashionwritingplaid @answer-the-sirens @silverlightsaber @rosey1981 @amortentiaaaa

[bunmurdock]

hii bun! it might be a strange question but i really like your inbox asks so i was thinking of asking you about how do you think matt would be if he ended up with a s/o that’s kind of lonely? like, if she doesn’t have much/any friends, is a bit socially awkward, stuff like that

hello, nonnie! i think matt would be so soft, protective, and empathetic ♥

matt murdock notices everything about you from the beginning. not just the sound of your voice, a little shy and hesitant, or the way you laugh, soft and nervous, like you’re waiting for someone to interrupt. it’s the quiet pauses, too, the ones that stretch a beat too long when you’re trying to find the right words. the way you hover just outside of conversations, your heart beating a little faster like you’re worried you’ll say the wrong thing.

he doesn’t say anything at first. matt’s good at holding his cards close, at observing and waiting until he knows the exact right moment to speak. he notices how often you downplay yourself, how you deflect compliments with a quick laugh or a shake of your head. but the more time he spends with you, the more he recognizes the shape of your loneliness, the quiet ache of it. he knows it too well, like an old friend.

it reminds him of those early days—after his dad died, when the rest of the world seemed to turn their backs. how the other kids kept their distance, whispering behind his back about the blind boy who wouldn’t talk, wouldn’t look at them. it reminds him of how easy it was to shrink into himself, to let the silence wrap around him like a second skin.

it comes to a head one night when you’re curled up on his couch, knees pulled up under one of his soft, worn sweaters he swears he doesn’t remember giving you. you’re scrolling on your phone absentmindedly, and matt is sitting beside you, his fingers tracing slow, idle circles on your knee.

“sweetheart, what’s going on?” he asks, voice low and warm, and you shrug, trying to laugh it off.

“nothing,” you say, a little too quickly. “just—” your breath hitches, the words catching. “just the usual. you know. everyone seems so busy, and i don’t want to bother anyone, so…” you trail off.

matt’s hand stills, resting steady and grounding on your knee.

“pup,” he says softly, leaning closer, his breath warm against your hair. “you’re not a bother. not to me, not to anyone who matters.”

you glance at him, cheeks warm, and he tilts his head, his hand sliding up to cup your face. his thumb brushes over your cheek, slow and deliberate.

“you don’t have to do it alone,” he murmurs, his voice quieter now. “you have me.”

and god, the way he says it—it’s not a suggestion, not a throwaway line. it’s a promise, steady and unshakable, and it makes something in you crack open.

matt pulls you closer then, wrapping an arm around your waist, tucking you into his chest like he’s trying to shield you from the whole world. you press your face against his shoulder, breathing him in, and his hand moves to the back of your head, fingers threading through your hair.

“you know,” he says after a moment, his tone lighter now, teasing, “if you’re going to be stuck with me, you’re going to have to get used to me dragging you into conversations. i can’t have my partner hiding in corners all the time.” he presses a finger to the tip of your nose, which twitches adorably.

you laugh, and he grins, the sound of it making his chest rumble against your cheek.

“what?” he asks, mock-offended. “i’m serious! you can’t just let me do all the talking. people are going to think i don’t let you get a word in.”

“matt,” you mumble, cheeks heating, and he tilts his head, brushing his nose against yours in the softest, most teasing eskimo kiss. soon, his lips mold against yours with loving precision.

“i’m serious,” he says again, but there’s so much warmth in his voice, so much quiet, unshakable affection, that you know he’s teasing to make you feel lighter, not smaller.

“you’re mine,” he murmurs then, softer now, almost to himself. his hand moves back to your waist, his thumb stroking little circles into the fabric of the sweater he gave you. “and i’ll remind you every day if that’s what it takes.”

and he does. not by changing you, but by making sure the world doesn’t miss the parts of you that are so easy to overlook. when you drift into your own world at a party, matt is the first to pull you back gently, his hand on the small of your back, leaning down to murmur, “what’s going on in that brilliant head of yours, sweetheart?”

he never lets the world dim you, never lets loneliness sneak back in, because matt murdock knows what it’s like to feel alone. and he makes sure you never feel that way again.

masterlist

[hippiegoth97]

Renegade: Eddie Munson x Reader

Collage by me :)

Master List

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Description: It's spring break of '86, and you receive a call from Dustin after seeing a troubling news story on the television. He enlists your help to find Eddie, a young man you remember was supposed to graduate with you two years prior. The two of you have history, which causes you to willingly volunteer yourself to watch after the unfortunate fugitive. You comfort him in his time of need, in more ways than one. And you end up finding something that's been missing from your lonely existence for way too long...

Content Warning 18+ Only, Minors DNI: swearing, female reader, smut, fingering, oral sex, unprotected sex, squirting, consecutive orgasms, mentions of violence, one use of the F-slur, mentions of abuse/attempted sexual assault, mentions of past underage sex (reader and Eddie are both 19/20 in the actual story), mentions of drug/alcohol use, mentions of minor criminal activity, crying, light PTSD

A/N: This story contains dialogue from Stranger Things season four for context within my story, some of which has been modified. The credit for said dialogue goes to the Stranger Things writers, the Duffer Brothers, and Netflix. I only use it for entertainment purposes, I do not own Stranger Things or any of its characters, and I do not profit from my stories.

Word Count: 25.8k

divider by @strangergraphics

Renegade

You're sitting on the couch in your apartment, watching the early afternoon cartoons. A bowl of Honeycomb cereal sits before you, and you munch away at it mindlessly. Suddenly, in the middle of your animated entertainment, the local news cuts in to deliver a breaking story. You roll your eyes, it's probably another story about how evil Dungeons & Dragons is or some shit. This town sure loves to cater to sensationalism. There's been actual monsters from another dimension terrorizing this town, but all anyone can talk about is 'Just Say No' and 'the threat of satanism'.

A newswoman stands outdoors in the afternoon sun, in the middle of a place you'd recognize anywhere. Forest Hills trailer park, and the scene of the crime behind her is none other than the home of Eddie Munson. What the hell? You turn up the volume, needing to know what's going on.

"This is Channel Nine News coming to you live with a breaking story. We're in the Forest Hills trailer park in East Roane County. We don't have a lot of details right now, but we can confirm that the body of a Hawkins High student was discovered early this morning. Police have not released the victim's name, although we are told they're currently in the process of notifying the family. This incident is sure to rock the community of Hawkins, as the town has seen so much loss in recent years. Just last summer, there was the tragic fire at Starcourt Mall that claimed thirty lives. Police have the area around the crime scene blocked off as they are currently investigating, and are advising the trailer park residents to stay indoors, and stay vigilant. It has not yet been determined if foul play is involved, but we'll report back when we receive further details on this story."

You click off the TV, unable to believe that yet another life has been claimed by this bullshit town. The second you put the remote down, your phone begins to ring. You take the receiver out of its cradle, bringing it to your ear. "Hello?" You say.

"Y/N! It's Dustin, have you seen Eddie?" Dustin Henderson, one of the many friends you've managed to make over the last couple years. You'd first become acquainted with him last summer, when you worked at Starcourt before the 'fire'. You worked at Scoops Ahoy with Steve and Robin, both of which you remembered from your high school days. You graduated back in '84, the year Eddie was originally supposed to. You didn't hang out much, but you'd run into each other at times. He was kind, if not a little guarded. But he has every reason to be, given the fact that Hawkins High and the town as a whole absolutely hate him. And now, they're going to think he's a murderer. "Hello? You there, Y/N?" Dustin asks, snapping you out of your thoughts.

"Um, yeah. I haven't seen Eddie, but I just saw the news." You reply.

"Yeah, so did I. Can you meet me at Family Video? We should make some calls." He says, seemingly hiding some vital details. But you know just as well as him that someone could be listening to your conversation right now. The government has been keeping a very close watch on Hawkins, screening calls and performing raids. Anything alluding to the upside-down, or Eleven, or any other product of Hawkins lab will send some very scary people your way.

"Yeah, I'll be there in fifteen." You say hurriedly, checking your watch. The line cuts out, and you set the phone down on the table. You jog to your bedroom, hastily changing out of your pj's and into some jeans and a t-shirt. You slip on a cardigan as well as the air is still a bit chilly at times. You pull on your converse and grab your purse as you walk out the door. You get in the car as fast as you can, peeling out of the parking lot of your apartment complex. It doesn't take long for you to show up at the video store, noticing two bicycles leaning against the glass windows. You put your car in park and go inside. You find Dustin and Max behind the counter, having just spilled some newly returned tapes on the floor. Steve and Robin are yelling at the two of them for disrupting their day, noting how hectic the shop has been thus far. "Hey guys." You say to interrupt their squabbling.

"Oh, hey, Y/N. What are you doing here?" Steve asks, giving you a once-over. You roll your eyes at him, he's always had a bit of a thing for you. He knows you aren't into him that way, so he stopped persistently asking you out quite some time ago. He can't seem to control his wandering eyes, though, much to your dismay.

"Dustin asked me to meet him. Eddie's missing, and we need to find him." You reply, going around the counter the civilized way to help out.

"And how exactly do you guys plan to do that?" Robin asks, putting the dropped tapes back on the counter.

"I'm going to look up the numbers of Eddie's friends so we can call and see if they've seen him. Someone must have, right?" Dustin replies, going over to the computer and beginning to push buttons.

"Hey, now! That's property of Family Video, dude. You shouldn't be messing with that." Steve says, trying to get in the way to stop the kid.

"Quit it, Steve! I need to do this! It's important!" Dustin shouts, still pressing on keys to get into the customer log.

"But why? You think Eddie's cooler than me cuz he plays your nerdy game or something?" Steve asks, sounding rather jealous.

"No, dude! I never said that." Dustin says. He looks to Max, needing some assistance here. He can't stop what he's doing to explain every little detail, there's no time to waste."Can you just- fill them in while I do this?" He asks as he types away on the customer database.

"Fill us in on what?" Robin asks, speaking for the three of you who have no idea what's going on. Max proceeds to explain what she saw last night, Chrissy at Eddie's trailer, Eddie driving away, the lights flickering. The pieces begin to fit together as she speaks. Automatically, your mind goes to some upside-down-related nonsense. But there's no way to know for sure until you locate Eddie and hear his side of the story. You truly believe he wouldn't do something like this. He may look intimidating at times, but he's no killer.

You assist Max and Dustin in calling around, allowing Robin and Steve to work on this busy Saturday. One by one, names are crossed off a relatively short list. But the name 'Reefer Rick' comes up as another person who may know of Eddie's whereabouts. It's said that Rick is Eddie's supplier, and he crashes at his house sometimes. No one knows exactly who he is, or his phone number. So, for a moment you think this plan is a bust, a dead end. Until Robin comes up with an idea, after Steve stupidly suggests you go to the police. She takes Dustin's place at the computer, typing in 'Rick'. There's twelve names that match, hopefully you can narrow it down.

"That's a lotta Ricks." Max observes aloud, drawing nods of agreement from all of you. Robin pulls up the profiles one by one, eliminating them due to their picks of musicals, kids movies, teen flicks, and one account with an odd amount of water-themed films. She clicks down to one containing Fast Times and practically every Cheech and Chong movie in existence. Bingo.

"Looks like we've found our guy. Rick Lipton. The address is 2121 Holland Road." Robin says.

"That's out by Lover's Lake." Dustin chimes in.

"Middle of nowhere." Max adds.

"The perfect place to hide." You conclude. With that, Robin and Steve close up shop and the five of you pile into Steve's car to go find Eddie. It's gotten dark by the time you reach the home, and Steve parks the car. You all walk to the front door, with Dustin pressing on the bell. The dinging tone echoes through the interior of the house, but no one seems to be inside. Dustin pushes the bell repeatedly, becoming frustrated at the notion that this idea was wrong from the start.

"Well, looks like he's not here." Steve says, ready to give up. Dustin calls Eddie's name aloud, hoping the sound of a friendly voice will lure him out. Steve keeps trying to shush him, not wanting to call attention to your snooping if anyone else lives out here. The rest of you flash your lights through the windows, looking for any sign of life. You notice there's a boathouse which partially hovers over the lake. The door is slightly ajar, and you call everyone over to see your discovery.

"Maybe he's in here." You say, and your group slowly approaches the boathouse. You search the outside first, peeking in the windows. You can't see much, it's an absolute mess in there. You go inside, flashing your lights into every corner in hopes to find your missing metalhead.

"Hello, anyone home?" Robin asks cautiously. She's not too keen to be out by the lake at night, where a potential killer could be hiding.

Steve notices a boat with a large tarp over it sitting in the water, taking an oar off the metal wall of the shed to poke around. It's really the only good hiding place in here, so he jabs at the bulky tarp with the wooden instrument. "What are you doing?" Dustin asks, thinking Steve has lost it.

"He could be in here." Steve replies casually, continuing his curious prodding.

"Just take the tarp off!" Dustin suggests.

"If you're so brave, you do it!" Steve shoots back. You and the other girls continue to look around, ignoring the usual Henderson-Harrington banter. It's best to tune them out when possible, they spend half their time together going back and forth like siblings.

"Someone was here." Max notices empty snack wrappers and beer bottles, signaling that somebody had been here recently.

"Maybe he heard us. Got spooked and ran." Robin proposes.

"Don't worry, Steve will get him with his oar." Dustin quips, pointing to the man still poking around in the boat. The tarps continue to rustle, but no sounds of a person emit from underneath.

"I know you think you're being funny, man. But considering everyone here has almost died a hundred times, I don't personally find it funny in the slight-" Steve is interrupted as a figure jumps out of the boat. They grab onto Steve, pushing him roughly against the wall. You all shout at the sudden movements and noise, processing what's happening. You realize the figure is indeed Eddie, holding a broken bottle up to Steve's neck. A frightened yet defensive look sits on Eddie's face, and he's glistening with sweat. His body is shaking, making the broken glass in his grip quiver. His chest heaves, breathing heavily as adrenaline rushes through his veins. Steve looks just as terrified, the glass so very close to puncturing his throat. "Wait! Wait! Wait!" Steve shouts, trying to get Eddie to slow down.

"Eddie! Stop!" Dustin cries, attempting to get his friend's attention. He calls his name a couple more times, drawing Eddie's gaze to him. His eyes change slightly, somewhat confused as to why the kid is here. He's possibly contemplating whether or not his life is in danger. "It's me, Dustin. This is Steve, he's not gonna hurt you. Right, Steve?" Dustin gestures at Harrington, whose eyes are blown wide in terror. Eddie's got an iron grip on his shirt, keeping him pinned to the wall.

"Right, yeah." Steve whispers. He doesn't want his throat to get cut from talking too loudly or too much.

"Steve, drop the oar." Dustin instructs. Steve does so, which makes Eddie move in closer to him, like he might actually hurt him. "He's cool! He's cool!" He tries to explain.

"What are you doing here?" Eddie asks in a shaky voice. It's the first time he's spoken, and he sounds like a man who's been to hell and back. You're frozen in place, helplessly watching this situation unfold.

"We're looking for you." Dustin replies.

"We're here to help." Robin adds, and Eddie's eyes snap to her suspiciously. This could be a trap. A trap formed by the cops to draw him out.

"Eddie, these are my friends. You know Robin, from band." Dustin points to her, and she imitates playing the trumpet as that's her instrument of choice. "This is Max, the one who never wants to play D&D." He gestures at Max and she gives an awkward wave. "And this is Y/N. I know her from when she worked at the mall with Steve and Robin last summer." You give him a small smile, and Eddie's eyes change again. He definitely recognizes you, from back when he was supposed to graduate in '84. You were really nice to him, unlike most people. "We're on your side, Eddie." Dustin insists, hoping these statements are enough to get him to drop the weapon and talk to your group. "I swear on my mother. Right, guys?"

"Yep, yep, we swear. On Dustin's mother." You all add in various volumes and phrasing, nodding your heads to affirm this. Eddie thinks it over a moment, his face hardening again. On the one hand, the police could be waiting outside right now, waiting for the right moment to bust in here. But on the other, you all seem to want to help him, to listen to the crazy shit he saw last night. He lets Steve go, turning away. Steve lets out a sigh of relief, and all of you do the same. Crisis averted. All that's left to do now is get Eddie to talk. You notice him sliding down the wall, looking absolutely exhausted and traumatized.

Dustin walks over to him slowly, noticing the bottle still in his hand. "Eddie. We just want to talk." He takes the words one at a time, carefully reaching for the weapon in Eddie's hand. Eddie snatches it backwards, not quite wanting to let it go. It's all he has to defend himself with, and he feels far from comfortable enough to drop it. "Okay." Dustin says when he flinches.

You kneel beside Eddie, hoping your familiarity might help ease him a bit more. "We wanna know what happened."

Eddie sniffs harshly before speaking. He turns his head slightly to look your way, while still halfway hiding behind his hair. "You won't believe me." He says meekly, quieter than you've ever heard him talk before. He shakes his head, not wanting to believe it himself. It would be so much easier to believe he lost his mind, and hallucinated whatever the hell he saw to cope with the fact that he did, in fact, kill Chrissy. He knows he wouldn't do that, but what other explanation is there? His silly fantasy games aren't real, so that only leaves the horrors of man as the culprit. Right?

"Try us." Max says simply. The unphased looks on your faces make Eddie's eyebrow raise in questioning. Maybe something else is going on here, and maybe you and your friends can give him the answers. He takes a moment to gather himself, inhaling a few deep breaths before reliving this fucking nightmare.

"Chrissy had come to me at school yesterday, wanting to buy drugs. She wanted something stronger than weed, so I brought her to my place after the game. Things seemed fine at first, but that's when the weird shit started." He says, relatively calm. That is, until he has to bring up the 'weird shit'. His demeanor changes, becoming panicked. "Her body just, like, lifted up into the air and, uh..." He says, his tone laced with fear. The images replay in his head as he speaks, though they haven't exactly stopped since he first witnessed them. You all listen intently as he recounts the events, finding the details utterly gruesome. "And she just, like, hung there. In the air. And her bones, uh..." He whimpers, squeezing his eyes shut at the thought.

He feels sick saying any of this, it's all so horrible. But he knows you just want to help, so he soldiers on. "Her bones started to snap." The echoes of Chrissy's arms and legs breaking like twigs flashes fresh in his mind, making him want to throw up. "And her eyes, man. It...it was like something, like, inside her head, pulling." He makes a pulling motion with his hands to illustrate the point. His voice becomes more unsteady. He feels so ashamed of what he did next, like a goddamn coward. "I-I didn't know what to do, so I..." He stops again, his heart aching terribly. "I ran away. I left her there." His breath hitches, and all of you look at him with sympathetic sorrow. He stares at all of you, scoffing at how bonkers his story sounds. "You all think I'm crazy, right?" He brings his hand to his face, becoming embarrassed for saying anything at all.

"No. We don't think you're crazy." Dustin says.

"Don't bullshit me, man! I know how this sounds!" Eddie exclaims. His voice cracks, and his eyes fill up with tears.

"We're not bullshitting you." Max interjects.

"We believe you." Robin joins in. Eddie exhales in defeat, shaking his head. This is all too insane, there's no way you all aren't yanking his chain. Sure, people talk like this town is cursed or something. But that's all talk. Hell, he's heard so many rumors about himself, which he knows are lies. So who's to say that anyone claiming there's a curse, or monsters, or any of that crap is telling the truth?

"Look, what I'm about to tell you might be a little...difficult to take." Dustin says, and you all realize he's going to tell Eddie everything. Personally, you're not so sure that's a good idea. Eddie's been through enough as it is, hearing everything else that's happened might push him off the deep end.

"Okay." Eddie says weakly, unsure he even wants to listen. But he supposes if it could clear his name and explain what he saw, he might as well give it a shot.

"You know how people say Hawkins is 'cursed'? They're not...way off." Dustin says. He can't believe he's actually about to drag yet another person into the supernatural shit you've all experienced since Will went missing. "There's another world. A world hidden beneath Hawkins. Sometimes, it bleeds into ours."

"Like ghosts and shit?" Eddie interrupts, not quite understanding what Dustin means.

"There are some things...worse than ghosts." Max adds.

"These monsters from this other world...we thought they were gone. But they've come back before. That's why we needed to find you." You say, your own nerves beginning to get to you at the notion. Last year was a fight for your lives you'll never forget, and you definitely don't want to repeat it.

"If they're back again, we need to know." Max takes another turn.

"Did you see anything that night? Dark particles, maybe?" Robin asks, going over the usual upside-down tropes.

"It would almost look like dust, swirling dust." Dustin elaborates, hoping that's a bit clearer.

Eddie shakes his head. "No, there was nothing you could see…or touch. You know, I tried to wake her, man. She couldn't move. It was like she was in a trance or something."

"Or under a spell." Dustin suggests, piquing Eddie curiosity. He's making it sound like it's a fuckin' D&D campaign.

"A curse." Eddie replies, leaning into the idea. It's far from The craziest thing he's heard at this point, so why not?

"Vecna's curse." Dustin breathes.

"Who's Vecna?" Steve asks, hoping to God it's not another geeky reference to their silly game. The group has named nearly every creature and phenomenon after various bullshit fantasy things, and he's a little sick of it to be honest.

"An undead creature of great power." Dustin replies fearfully, making Steve roll his eyes slightly in response.

"A spell caster." Eddie says, committing to the concept completely.

"A dark wizard." Dustin says with total finality.

"Okay, great. So...we're dealing with another unstoppable force. What exactly do we do now?" Robin asks.

"I don't know, we don't have a lot to go on. Eddie didn't physically see anyone, and the way Chrissy died isn't exactly one we've seen before. We'll have to do some investigating, maybe find Nancy. But until then, we'd better get some sleep." Dustin says. He stands, and the others move to leave. But you stay where you are.

"Aren't we forgetting something?" You ask, gesturing at Eddie who's still crouching on the floor.

"Oh, right." Dustin sighs, trying to think of what to do. "I don't think any of us could harbor Eddie unnoticed, and the police will probably exhaust every lead that connects to him. Even you, Y/N. I think it's safest to leave him here. We can deliver supplies and leave a walkie with him. But there's not much else we can do." He says sadly, hating the idea of leaving his friend behind.

"I'll stay with him." You offer. You don't want Eddie to be alone, he shouldn't have to be after all he's been through. Besides, there was a time where you needed him years ago and he helped you, no questions asked. It's odd, up until now, you'd almost completely forgotten all about it.

It was junior year, and you had kind of fallen in with a bad crowd. Kids that skipped class, did drugs, snuck off to all corners of the woods to have sex. You were seeing a guy named Benji, who was a real creep. He was a year older than you, and often took advantage of your naivety. There was one night in particular, at some popular asshole's house on a Friday night, where Benji tried to take everything you had.

"Hey, babe. Get me another beer, will ya?" Benji slurs, handing you his empty cup for you to refill at the keg outside. You've been doing so all night, bringing him cup after cup while hardly having any time for yourself. It's a party, and you wanna dance and have a good time. But of course, you can't possibly disobey Benji. He's the only one that pays attention to you, the only one that makes you feel alive.

"Sure thing, baby. I'll be right back." You say, turning away to head out into the backyard.

"That's my girl." Benji smirks, smacking your ass. Him and his buddies laugh raucously, and you try to hold back the yelp from the sting of his hand. You hate it when he does that, especially in front of everyone. You go out to the keg, finding quite a few people waiting in line to fill up. There's some couples making out against the side of the house, guys chatting about how many chicks they've laid, a girl crying on the porch steps because her boyfriend kissed another girl. Typical party fare, nothing to write home about. Except for a certain someone you recognize, selling little baggies of weed and coke out of his metal lunchbox. Eddie Munson.

You've seen him around school a lot, he's in the same year as you. He's a bit odd at times, but he's one of the only people that's actually nice to you. You've talked politely in passing in the hall, and you've bought stuff from him a few times. He always gives you a discount, which you highly appreciate as the only money you get is whatever Benji gives you to buy with. You notice Eddie finishing a sale, and his eyes meet yours. He smiles at you, closing up shop for a moment to come say hello. "Hey there, Y/N. I figured I'd see you here. You havin' fun?" He says with a kind smile, moving forward with you as the line progresses.

"I guess. I'm just waiting to get a refill for Benji." You say nervously, looking over your shoulder. Benji is definitely the jealous type, and you really hope he doesn't see you talking to Eddie so casually.

"Ah, I see." His face falls slightly. He knows all about Benji. He's a grade A asshole, and Eddie hates seeing the way he treats you. He's always grabbing at your tits and ass in the middle of the hall, ignoring your protests and swatting hands. And he frenchs you by your locker in front of everyone, shoving his tongue sloppily down your throat. "Can't he get his own drink? He's a grown man, well, legally speaking." Eddie snarks.

"I know. It's fine, gives me a moment for myself, away from the crowd." You reply as you gaze down at your feet.

"Well, it's not really a moment for yourself if you're spending it serving someone else. Right?" He continues, trying to get you to admit how you really feel. He knows you're suffering in this 'relationship', and it breaks his heart. To see someone treat you so terribly, like an object. It makes him sick.

"Why do you care so much?" You ask defensively. You don't really want to discuss your relationship with your drug dealer. He's not really your friend, you're just another sale.

"Because you seem like a nice girl. You deserve better. You should have someone who treats you right, not like a piece of meat." He says, putting a hand on your shoulder.

"What? Someone like you?" You scoff, rolling your eyes.

"I didn't say that. Just...someone that isn't Benji. You don't look very happy when you're with him." He says as your turn comes up to fill Benji's cup. You take hold of the nozzle, squeezing it to release the beer.

"I'm fine, Eddie. He's just...older. More mature. You wouldn't understand." You insist, shrugging his hand off of you. You know Eddie is right, but you don't want to admit it. Because all that would do is make you look like a fool. Until Benji came along, not a single guy gave you the time of day. And now, you've got a boyfriend that's pretty hot, if not a bit rough around the edges. But he protects you, and keeps you from feeling lonely. Who else is gonna do that for you? No one.

"I guess I wouldn't." Eddie says sadly, realizing this conversation is going nowhere.

"You makin' a move on my girl, Munson?" Benji asks as he walks over to you. He puffs out his chest a little, wrapping an arm around your waist aggressively. His movement jostles you slightly, making you spill a little bit of his beer on yourself.

"Not at all, man. Just looking for a sale." Eddie says, averting his gaze from you. His words sting a bit, even though you weren't really responding well to him trying to help you.

"Oh, well, in that case. We'll take a little somethin', whatever you recommend, man." Benji chuckles, reaching into his pocket for some cash.

"Cool. Got a twenty there? I think this will enhance your evening." Eddie exchanges the money for a small baggie of cocaine, putting on his signature smile. You know it's all for show, his eyes read with intense worry for you during the transaction.

"Thanks, dude. See ya later." Benji replies as he slips the baggie in his pocket, before moving to turn around and lead you both back inside.

"No problem, man. See ya, Y/N." He calls to you, and you just nod. You feel Benji's hand press further into your hip, squeezing you to the point where it really hurts. You know you're in for it now, Benji always loses it when you talk to other guys. He takes you into a bedroom in the house, shoving you inside while he slams the door. You stumble forward in your heels, catching yourself on the edge of the bed. You swivel your body to sit on the mattress, finding Benji glaring at you furiously.

"What have I told you about talkin' to other guys?" He growls, his teeth clenched together as he speaks.

"He was just trying to sell to me, Benji. I swear. Nothing happened." You say sheepishly, fearing what he might do next.

"Fuck that, 'nothing happened'! I saw him touch you, when you're mine. You whoring around on me, hm? Fuckin' the freak behind my back? Answer me!" Benji shouts, getting all up in your face. You flinch at his proximity, your heart pounding in your chest as you wait for him to punish you.

"No, I'm not! I told you nothing happened!" You shout back, immediately regretting it once the words leave your lips. Your mouth claps shut, eyes widening as you realize you're really gonna get it.

"Don't fuckin' talk back to me, Y/N!" Benji yells even louder, slapping you across the face. His palm stings against your cheek, making tears spring from your eyes. Your own hand comes up to feel where he hit you, and you meet his furious stare again. He grabs hold of your chin, squeezing your cheeks together. He brings himself as close to you as possible, his hot breath rushing over you. It stinks of beer, and your nose would crinkle if you weren't so scared. "You are MY girlfriend! You got that? You don't talk to anyone else!" He shoves you backwards in his grip. Your head lands on the blankets, bouncing at the force. "You don't look at anyone else!" He slaps you again, harder than before. You yelp in pain, wanting this to stop. "You don't even THINK about anyone else!" He climbs on top of you, weighing you down. "Say it! Say that you belong to me!" He commands, his eyes wild despite his drunken state.

"I belong to you, Benji! Okay? Only you!" You say frantically as tears stream down your face.

"Damn right! I'm gonna show you, make you see that you're mine!" He lifts himself slightly, undoing his belt. He starts to shimmy his pants down, reaching for your skirt. You don't want this, you don't want him. Not like this.

"Benji, stop!" You cry, trying to push him away. But he's heavier and stronger than you, holding you down with one arm while he pushes your skirt up. He pulls down your panties, letting them gather around your ankles. "Benji! I don't want this! Stop it!" You pound your fists on his chest, wanting him to stop. But he doesn't listen, he just keeps getting ready to take you as he pleases. You keep crying for him to get off of you, hoping someone will hear you scream over the loud music that's flooding the house.

"You're mine, Y/N. I'm gonna show you." He says darkly, looking at you with a sickening grin. He yanks his boxers down, and you see his half-hard cock flop out. You try to kick him away, scratch his arms, anything to stop this. But it's no use.

"HELP! PLEASE! SOMEBODY HELP! BENJI, STOP IT! I DON'T WANT THIS, I SAID NO! STOP!" You scream at the top of your lungs, tears blurring your vision as you kick and squirm with all your might. Benji takes his dick in his hand, bringing it towards you. This is really gonna happen, he's going to rape you and there's nothing you can do. "BENJI, PLEASE! STOP IT!" Your screams only grow weaker as you realize you're utterly helpless. No one can hear you, and no one would care if they did.

"Stop fucking screaming and take it! You're mine! No one is gonna get in my way!" Benji shouts at you, just barely brushing his length against you. The feeling makes you want to vomit, your stomach tensing in warning. He's just about to shove himself into you, when the door slams open. Of course he's too drunk to remember to lock it.

"Hey! I'm pretty sure she told you to stop!" You hear a familiar voice, before Benji is suddenly being hurled away from you and across the room. Benji smacks into the wall, slumping to the floor. You see Eddie standing before you, his eyes burning with fearsome anger. "Are you okay?" He asks, quickly throwing a blanket on top of your legs to cover you up. You pull your clothes back on under the covers, thankful that nobody seemed to see your most vulnerable area on full display. You notice the music has stopped, and a gaggle of heads is poking into the doorway of the room.

"I'm alright. Thank you, Eddie." You say frantically, standing up to run to him. You bury your head in his shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.

"You fucking whore, I knew you were sleeping with him." Benji slurs from the floor, struggling to get up. He hit his head pretty hard when Eddie pushed him. But you don't mind, he had it coming. His fucking skull can crack open like an egg for all you care.

"Shut up, Benji. You're a fuckin' lowlife, you know that?" Eddie retorts. He's far from afraid of the man crumpled on the floor before him.

"Takes one to know one, Munson. Fuckin' asshole, I'll kill you!" Benji roars, clumsily lunging towards the both of you. Eddie moves you out of the way, taking all of the impact on your behalf. His back meets the wall hard, and Benji starts wailing on him. "Fuckin' freak! Stealing my girl! I always took you for a faggot, guess I was wrong!" Benji screams as he punches Eddie again and again. He lands blows on his nose, his jaw, his eyes. Eddie grunts with every hit, and blood gushes from his nostrils.

"Benji, stop it! Leave him alone! Stop it!" You shout helplessly. You turn to the other party goers who seem to be enjoying the show. "Do something! Call the cops, anything! Help him!" You beg and plead, and a couple guys from the basketball team come in to pull Benji off of Eddie. Eddie collapses, spitting out a mouthful of blood. You fall to your knees before him.

"Eddie, are you okay?" You ask, his eyes drifting open and closed in a daze. "Eddie, stay with me. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, this is all my fault!" You can't stop crying, you're absolutely hysterical. You pull him up to lean against the wall, tapping his cheek to keep him awake. Even while wasted, Benji’s really done a number on him.

Eddie’s eyes meet yours, already swelling up from the bruising. "It's okay, Y/N. I'm gonna be fine. Calm down." He says weakly, reaching out for your hand. You give it to him, and wait with him until the police arrive. Everyone besides the kid whose house this is and anyone involved in the fight quickly disperse before the cops show up. You certainly don't blame them, you're all underage and consuming various substances with no parental supervision. You give your statements, and the paramedics tend to Eddie's wounds. Benji is taken away in handcuffs, and the cops insist you won't have to worry about him anymore.

You stand outside the house with Eddie once the emergency services leave, taking hold of his hand again. You look at his beaten face. The swollen eyes, the cut on his eyebrow, his busted lip and nose. He looks awful, and you feel even worse. "Eddie, I'm so sorry." You say, getting teary-eyed again.

"For what?" He asks, doing his best to raise an eyebrow. When you don't answer, he sighs. He gestures for you to sit with him on the front steps, and you do. "Y/N, he was gonna hurt you. I couldn't let him do that. You were literally crying for help, was I supposed to ignore that? Should I have let him rape you?" He asks, only answered with more silence. You don't know what to say, part of you feels like you had it coming. That you deserved to get hurt. He sighs again, trying his hardest to look deep into your eyes. "What Benji did was wrong, okay? You didn't deserve that, nobody does. I stepped in, which was the right thing to do. I know you're upset that I got hurt, and I'm flattered, really." He laughs lightly, groaning in pain soon after. "But it's worth it, because I kept you from getting hurt. So please, don't feel bad for me. I'm used to getting my ass kicked anyways. At least this time was for a good reason. Promise me you won't blame yourself?" He asks sweetly, putting a kind hand on your knee.

"I promise." You nod, wiping away the streaky tracks on your face. "Thank you, Eddie. I don't know what I would've done without you. I couldn't get him off me. I tried to kick and scratch him, I-" Your mind quickly goes back to that place, images of Benji forcing himself on you playing at shutter speed through your head.

"Y/N, you did everything you could. It's okay." He puts his arm around your shoulders, so much more gentle than Benji did. You can't help melting into his touch a little, your heart fluttering at how sweet he's being. You assume he's just being nice, calming you down from your hysterics. "You mind giving me a ride home? I can't see shit right now." He asks politely.

"Of course, Eddie. It's the least I can do." You help him stand up, holding his hand as you walk to your car. You'd driven yourself and Benji here tonight, as his license is suspended. Benji drives like a maniac, speeding, running red lights and stop signs, almost hitting pedestrians. God, the more you think about it, the more you hate yourself for wasting a single second on a guy like that. You drive Eddie to the trailer park, going so far as to walk him to the front door.

"Wow, such a gentleman!" Eddie jokes, making you both laugh. You stand on the steps for a moment, awkwardly wondering what to say next. You're about to speak, when Eddie breaks the silence. He clears his throat. "Well, I should get inside and ice my face." He gestures awkwardly at the inside of his home.

"Yeah, yeah." You nod, rocking back and forth on your feet restlessly. "Thank you again, Eddie. I don't know how I'll ever repay you, honestly. I know it's cheesy to say, but you saved my life tonight." You lean over to press a kiss of gratitude to his cheek. Eddie blushes at the contact, his stomach filling with butterflies.

"No need, sweetheart. Just doing the right thing. But, um, we should...hang out sometime." He stumbles over his words, which you find really cute. And the name he calls you, 'sweetheart', brings a flare of color to your own cheeks. You might just be starting to like him...a lot.

"Yeah, we should. You're a good guy, Eddie." You smile, deciding that now is the time to finally leave him be. You hate to be alone right now, but you don't know him well enough to ask to come inside. There will surely be other times for that. "I should get going. But I'll see you on Monday, okay?"

"Sure thing, Y/N. See ya there." He waves goodbye, walking inside as you head back to your car. Unexpected feelings at the thought of seeing you again begin to bloom inside his chest. Dangerous feelings that can only mean one thing. He's starting to like you...a lot. Fuck. Leave it to Eddie to fall for a 'damsel in distress'.

When you see Eddie again, he looks a lot better than he did on Friday night. His eyes are far less swollen, mostly circled with dark purple bruises, and he's only got small bandaids on his cuts now. "Hey, look at that. You survived the weekend." You say with a giggle as you greet him in the hall. You've been thinking about him nonstop the last couple of days. How brave he was in defending your honor, how unbelievably caring he acted towards you. That's the way you want to be treated from now on, anything less isn't good enough for you anymore. You've learned your lesson, no more asshole guys.

"Looks like it. How are you feelin', Y/N?" He asks, giving you a smile.

"I'm okay, much better than I thought I'd be." You reply, leaning against the lockers. Eddie mirrors you, his shoulder brushing against yours.

"Good. So, uh...are you busy tonight? I figured we could hang out...if you want to." Eddie curses himself for being so jumbled, but he can't help it. He couldn't stop thinking about you all weekend, replaying you kissing his cheek over and over. It was so soft, and warm. He can't help wanting to get to know you better, and to maybe earn some more of your affection.

"Yeah, we can do that. Your place or mine?" You ask casually, keeping your cool. But on the inside, you're absolutely freaking out. Eddie may have used the words 'hang out', but it feels like he's asking you on a date.

"Yours, if that's okay. My place is kind of a mess." Eddie replies happily. He's over the moon that you said yes. He doesn't necessarily mean it as a date, he doesn't want to push you into anything. But he figures you two can get to know each other better, be friends first. And even if that's all you end up being, he'll still consider himself a very lucky guy.

"Sounds great. Meet up with me after school?" You ask, solidifying your plans.

"You got it." He smiles, just as the bell rings. "Well, I'd better get to Click's class. See you after, Y/N."

"Will do, Munson." You give him a wave goodbye, before heading down the hall to your own classroom. You spend the entire day counting down the minutes until you get to bring Eddie to your place. Time can't move fast enough, and you find yourself frequently staring at the clock to will the hands to move quicker. But you have no such luck. The final bell rings, sweetly releasing you for the day. You practically skip down the halls, getting your stuff from your locker before heading out to your car. You find Eddie leaned against it already, waiting for you.

"Hey, Y/N. You ready to go?" He greets you, waiting for you to unlock the door.

"You know it!" You reply, a bit too eagerly if you're honest with yourself. You both get in the car and make the short drive home, and you lead him inside. "My parents work late, so we have the place to ourselves for a few hours." You inform him, making your way to the kitchen. "You want a drink?" You ask after opening the refrigerator, pulling out a couple beers.

"Uh, sure." Eddie says, leaning against the doorway while you pop the caps off. You hand him one of the beers, and you both head upstairs to your room. You plop down on your bed, patting a spot beside you. Eddie quirks an eyebrow at you, wondering where this is going.

"Relax, Eddie. I don't bite." You say jokingly, hoping to put him at ease. You're not planning on anything in particular to happen, it would be too soon to try to jump his bones right now. Plus, you don't think you're ready to rush into a new relationship. What happened with Benji was really scary, and you need time to build up trust before letting a guy into your heart again.

"Sorry. I just...don't exactly get invited into the bedrooms of teenage girls very often. It has a certain connotation to it, I guess." Eddie replies with a light laugh, mentally kicking himself for jumping to conclusions. Obviously you're not going to try to fuck him. You probably won't try to fuck anyone for a good while after what happened.

"Oh, we could go back downstairs if it's too weird. I'm just more comfortable in here, it's the only space at home that's really mine." You offer.

"No, no. It's okay, I'll get my damn mind out of the gutter." He chuckles, before taking the spot you've left for him. He takes a swig of his beer, hoping to calm his stupid nerves.

"Good. I'd hate for you to get the impression that I'm easy." You reply as he swallows, making him choke slightly. You can't help giggling, though it was a bit rude to go there.

"I promise you, Y/N. I have no intention of thinking of you in any insulting way. Like I've said before, you're a nice girl." He says through a cough, wiping a dribble of beer that's spilled out onto his chin.

"I know. I'm not so sure I agree, though." You reply sadly, before taking a long drink from your own bottle. You know you should take it easy, you're kind of a lightweight. But being around Eddie, and potentially becoming vulnerable around him, makes you very nervous.

"Why's that?" Eddie asks, putting his hand on yours as it sits between your bodies.

"I mean, I was going out with a guy like Benji, who's a total asshole. He was awful to me, to everyone, really. And his 'friends' are just as bad, but they're also mine by association. I drink, I do drugs, I have sex. I skip class, I lie to my parents about everything, and my grades are pretty awful. What about that is good, Eddie?" You ask him seriously, unable to hide how you truly feel about yourself. You're everything your parents claim is what makes a lowlife, though they have no idea you do any of it. You've kept Benji a secret from them, and pay one of the computer geeks to change your report cards every semester so your parents don't flip out. And you come up with excuse after excuse to cover up the parties and other forbidden places you sneak off to.

"Y/N, you do realize that none of that makes you a bad person, right?" Eddie asks, becoming a little sad himself at seeing you in this new light. You shake your head, you don't believe him one bit. You feel heat build behind your eyes, tears threatening to spill out. "I know you probably won't believe me, but I honestly think you're one of the best people I've ever met." Your eyes meet his, and he can see you're about to call bullshit. But he silently asks you to just listen, taking full hold of your hand this time. "You're pretty much the only one who doesn't treat me like shit at school, and you aren't unkind to anyone else either. Even when Benji and his lackeys pick on people, you never participate. Most people go along with the crowd, but you don't. You do what you know is right, Y/N. Everyone makes mistakes, or hides things from their parents to avoid disappointing them. But it doesn't define you."

"I appreciate you saying that, Eddie. Really." You sniffle, you hadn't really thought about it that way before. You suppose, if anything, Eddie knows better than anyone that regardless of what others think, your character says more about you than anything else. People think he's just a dumb drug dealer who plays weird fantasy games. But he's a whole lot more than that. He stands up for others when no one else will, especially the geeky kids like him that need it most. You down the rest of your beer, blinking a couple tears down your cheeks as you swallow.

"You want another?" Eddie asks, reaching for your empty bottle.

"No, I'd better not. I've probably had too much already." You say as the slight buzz begins to run across your brain.

"There's no way you're a lightweight with how much you went back to the keg over and over on Friday." Eddie scoffs, taking your bottle from you to toss away in the small trash can in your room.

"That was all for Benji. I usually don't get to drink at parties or hangouts, at least not enough to have any sort of tolerance. Just one of the ways he liked to control me. He sure as shit got me high off my ass when he wanted me to be 'up for it', though." You say bitterly. You sigh loudly at the annoying thought, falling backwards to lay halfway on the bed. Your legs dangle off the edge still, toes barely grazing the floor.

"I'm sorry, Y/N. I didn't know." He can't help feeling personally responsible for Benji drugging you for sex. He knows damn well that the substances used for such a thing came from his stupid metal lunchbox. He wishes he could take those transactions back, keep you from getting taken advantage of in such an awful way.

"It's not your fault. At least I know your stuff is safe. Other dealers around here love to lace their shit, and fuck knows what would've happened if I bought from them instead." You say it like it's nothing, perhaps shutting yourself off from the idea that Benji has already done what you were so afraid of last weekend. You don't want to talk about it anymore, or even think about it. The hours of clarity after separating yourself from your abusive boyfriend have repeatedly brought so many terrible experiences to light. You're not sure how much more of it you can take.

"I wish you would've told me, Y/N. I could've done something so much sooner." He lays down beside you, scooting a little closer now.

"Yeah, and gotten yourself busted in the process." You retort, finding his suggestion ridiculous. It's not his responsibility to take care of you, he's not your boyfriend. "Can we talk about something else?" You say abruptly, desperate to change the subject.

"Of course. But I'm always here to listen if you ever do want to talk about it. I am your friend now, after all." He gives you a kind smile, which you attempt to return as your lip trembles. "Oh, sweetheart. C'mere." He almost whispers, pulling you into him as carefully as he can. He doesn't want it to look like he's making a move on you, he just knows you need a shoulder to cry on. You let him encapsulate you in his arms, burrowing your head against his chest as you begin to sob. Neither of you say anything else for a while, just laying awkwardly in your bed as you cry. Eddie strokes your back with his hand in the most platonic way possible.

After a bit, you start feeling a little better. You poke your head up, not realizing just how close you are to Eddie. You look deep in one another's eyes, your heartbeats picking up at the proximity. You both know it's stupid, idiotic, even. But you find yourselves wanting to kiss each other more than anything in the world. Your breath fans hotly together, and you start to meet each other in the middle. But just before your lips can touch, you hear a key turning in the lock downstairs.

The front door opens, and you hear your parents walking into the house. You stop what you're doing immediately, shooting up in bed as you lose your romantic moment. "Shit. Get up. I'm not allowed to have boys in my room." You say hurriedly, wiping your face and shooing Eddie out of the room. You make it look like you were just showing him where the bathroom is, and your parents buy it. They always do. Perfect little Y/N would never have a boy in her bedroom. Only whores do that. You tell them you're just going to drive Eddie home, heading outside with him once more.

The drive over is silent, and charged with unresolved tension. Neither of you dare to speak, not yet. You aren't really sure what to even say. You sure as hell didn't intend to almost dive head first into what you can only imagine would be a very messy relationship. You escort Eddie to his trailer again, and it's here that you finally speak. "So, um...about earlier..." Eddie starts.

"Yeah, uh...I was just feeling vulnerable. But I don't want to lead you on, I just can't get into another relationship right now." You practically vomit the words out, wanting to shut this down before it gets too far.

"Oh. Yeah, no, that's- fine." Eddie replies awkwardly, trying to give off the impression that it doesn't bother him. That couldn't be further from the truth. But he knows you're right, it just isn't a good idea.

"I'm sorry, Eddie. I don't mean to play with your feelings or anything like that. But I enjoy hanging out with you, and I'd like us to be friends." You really do mean what you're saying. If the timing was different, you would definitely pursue things further with him. He's everything you want in a guy, the total package. But it's not what you need. What you need...is time...and a friend.

"I understand completely, Y/N." He replies kindly, nodding in agreement. "Hey, look. You should go home and rest, 'kay? And I'll see you tomorrow." He suggests, needing some time of his own to figure out what he's gonna do with all these goddamn feelings he's built up.

"Okay. Goodnight, Eddie." You say as you turn to leave, you can't help feeling like you've upset him. You know he would never say, but you know how guys are. Even the nice ones don't handle rejection in the best ways. You just really hope you haven't blown your chances at having a real friend for once.

"Goodnight, sweetheart." He says, almost too quiet for you to hear. It makes your heart ache, the softness of his voice as he utters the words. You know without a doubt that you've hurt him now. And you wish you could take it back.

The next day goes just as you expect it to. You try to talk to Eddie before class, and he's nice enough. But he keeps the conversation short, eager to get away from you, it seems. You knew this would happen. He stuck out his neck for you, and you rejected him. And now, he doesn't want anything to do with you. You try not to take it personally, but it definitely stings. So you do the only thing you know how. You shut yourself off, and focus on finishing this year and the next. You focus on all the freedom you'll have once you graduate. No parents, no teachers, no assholes. Just you, working for a living, doing whatever you want.

And that's exactly what you did. You kept your head down, stayed out of trouble. You did most of the job for Eddie, avoiding him at all costs. Again, if you happened upon each other, you kept things pleasant. Neither of you blamed the other for how you felt, but it was too awkward and weird between you to try to keep a good friendship going. And of course, you got separated even further when you graduated in 1984, and he got held back the first time. It's strange, it seems like that was a lifetime ago. But being in Eddie's presence for this long makes it feel like only yesterday.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Eddie asks, worried that being in proximity to him might get you hurt or killed.

"Eddie's right. The cops are looking for him, it could make you look like an accomplice." Steve adds, crossing his arms.

"But we can't just leave him here all alone. After what he's been through? No way." You stand your ground. "Look, you guys have parents and other people that would worry about where you are. I don't. My folks moved away after graduation, I live alone. I'll stay with him, I'd want someone to do the same for me." You turn to Eddie, giving him a knowing look. He nods, understanding what you're referring to. The others find this nonverbal communication odd, but set it aside for the time being.

"Okay, fine. But please, be careful. Use the walkie if you need anything. We'll bring you guys food tomorrow, and we can swing by your place to get you some clothes." Robin says, holding out a hand for your keys. You give them to her, and take a seat on an old wooden crate in the shed.

"We'll be alright. We've got an oar and a broken bottle to defend ourselves with." You quip, taking the walkie talkie Dustin gives you. The others say goodbye, and you wish them luck in finding out what's causing the chaos this time. You sigh once they leave, realizing how awkward this is actually going to be. You both sit in silence for a while, listening to the crickets chirping outside. You don't know what to say, or if Eddie even wants to talk at all.

"Thank you. For staying." Eddie breaks the silence, speaking quietly. His eyes meet yours for a moment, before pulling away.

"It's the least I can do, Eddie. I kinda owe you for the favor you did for me." You reply from across the room. You suppose it's best to keep your distance. Not just because of your past history, but Eddie's been jumpy to say the least.

"And here I thought you were just dying to see me again." He chuckles, mostly joking.

"It is nice to see you again, I've missed my friend. I wish it were under different circumstances, though." His face falls slightly at your use of the word 'friend', and you can't help feeling bad about it.

"Yeah, well. Life's a bitch, I've learned that the hard way." He says solemnly. "You can come closer, if you want. I don't have the plague, ya know." He says in a roundabout way to ask you to comfort him. "I've still got a couple beers left, too. On the table, there." He gestures at them, the glass glinting in the moonlight that peeps into the windows. "Fuck knows we could use 'em."

You retrieve the bottles, bringing them over. You sit down next to Eddie, and he pops the caps off the beers. He hands you one, and you take a small sip. You notice his shoulder brushing against yours as he longs for some form of contact. Not necessarily in a romantic or sexual way, he just needs comfort. Any sliver he can get, if you'll supply it to him. "So, um...how are you holding up?" You doubt he'll have a good answer for you, but you don't know what else to say.

"Not well. I keep seeing...her, every time I close my eyes." His voice shakes as he speaks.

"I'm sorry, Eds-" You start, when he cuts you off.

"'Eds'?" He questions, giving you an odd look. No one's called him that before, but he kinda likes how it sounds coming from your lips.

"Yeah...is that okay?" You ask, waiting for Eddie to laugh at you or something. You don't really know why you decided to give him an impromptu nickname, especially now. But it suits him when you really think about it. He smiles at you, nodding his head.

"It's fine. Kinda cute, actually." He blushes, just like the night you drove him home all those years ago. He clears his throat, pushing away the mushy thoughts swirling around his head. "Anyway, what were you saying?" He nudges you, pulling you out of your own mind.

"Oh, right. I'm sorry that you had to see that happen. It sounds awful. Is there anything I can do? Maybe I could....distract you?" You suggest, wanting to help him calm down. He's still plenty on edge from last night's events, flinching at every little sound outside.

"Distract me...how, exactly?" He asks, wondering what you mean by that.

"I dunno, we could play a game, or talk about something besides supernatural shit." You shrug your shoulders.

"What kind of game?" He presses further, liking the sound of that.

"Um...maybe, 'twenty questions'? Or 'truth or dare'?" You suggest while you rack your brain for other ideas.

"Nah, what else?"

"Ooh! I know, how about 'never have I ever'?" You say excitedly.

"Sure, we can do that. Uh, sorry if I sound like an idiot here. But, how do you play?" He asks sheepishly.

"It's a pretty popular party game, Eds. You've seriously never played it before?" You ask with a laugh, unable to believe it.

"Y/N, the words 'popular' and 'party' don't exactly describe anything I'd be a part of. I typically only supply to those things." He smirks.

"I suppose you're right. Well, I'll tell you the rules, it's very simple. Basically, you say a phrase, like 'never have I ever...gone streaking', or something like that. And then whoever has done that thing takes a drink. Easy enough?" You watch him observe you with adoring eyes as you explain how the game works. You've never had someone look at you this way before, and it's certainly a welcome gaze.

"I think so. You go first." He nudges you again, an action you could easily get used to.

"Alright, lemme think. Never have I ever....stolen something." You start, taking a small sip from your own drink. Eddie takes one too, no surprise there.

"What did you steal, if you don't mind me asking?" He inquires, surprised that you've actually done something even remotely criminal before.

"A pack of gum and some lipstick, really lame stuff. One of the assholes I used to hang with dared me to do it." You chuckle at the thought. You were so terrified of getting caught, you returned to the store on your own later that day to put the stuff back. "What about you? Or is it too many things to count?"

"Surprisingly, no. It's more than you, of course. I've got a reputation to uphold." He laughs, before continuing. "Let's see...I've stolen a traffic cone, some beer, cigarettes, a few candy bars, a pocket knife, and a Playboy magazine. Not all at once, mind you. I'm not that good."

"Well, safe to say I'm impressed at your thieving skills, Eds. I'd expect nothing less. Okay, your turn." You pat his thigh, keeping the game moving along. His eyes freeze on where you touched him. It's innocent enough, but it's made his skin flare with simmering desire all the same.

"Right." He meets your eyes again, focusing on the task at hand. "Never have I ever...had sex on the first date." You both drink again, smiling as you bring the bottles to your lips. You spill a little bit of beer on yourself, it dribbles down your chin. "Nice one, sweetheart." Eddie chuckles after swallowing.

"Sorry, I'm totally accident prone." You giggle, wiping the yeasty liquid from your face. You notice he called you 'sweetheart' again, just like he did way back when. It appears not much has changed between you after all.

"It's alright. Your turn again." He says with a grin.

"Hmm, never have I ever...fallen in love." Only Eddie drinks this time, and his eyes widen at this discovery.

"You've never been in love, Y/N? I don't believe that for a second." He scoffs.

"Never, Eds. I've liked people before, and really liked someone once. A long time ago. But it never got far enough to turn into love, much as I wanted it to." Eddie doesn't know it, but you're definitely talking about him. You avert your gaze, not wanting to give yourself away.

"Who was it?" He asks curiously.

"Why don't you tell me yours?" You retort. You don't want to admit this to him. Not now, not yet. Once again, the timing is all wrong. You pick at the label on your beer bottle, unable to hide the unease on your face.

"Y/N, please? Pretty sure I'm a wanted man at this point. Humor a fugitive, will ya?" He pleads, placing his hand on your thigh. You tense at his touch, feeling rather warm in your cardigan. Given your change in body language, he's assuming you were referring to him. He sure as hell was thinking of you when he took his last sip in the game.

"Okay, how about we both say it at the same time?" You suggest, as that might make it easier for you both to just spit it out already. He's right, he may not have a lot of freedom left. You might as well come clean.

"Fair enough. Count of three?" You nod, looking at him intensely. He mirrors you, his heartbeat picking up with yours. The familiar butterflies swarm again, fluttering in a most ticklish way in the confines of your bellies."'Kay, one...two...three." He counts, and your nerves reach a mountainous peak once the final number leaves his lips.

"You." You and Eddie blurt out simultaneously. Gasps leave your mouths in sync at the confession. It's not all that surprising, really. It's more that you're both in disbelief of the other truly liking you the way you wish they would. Your shared admission hangs in the air for a moment, the silence becoming deafening the longer you refrain from saying anything. You both make a couple attempts to speak, opening your mouths, then snapping them shut again. Your eyes wander around his features, taking in how handsome he looks. His doeish eyes, his supple lips, the slope of his nose, and the apples of his cheeks. He does the same to you, wondering if now would be a good time to kiss your gorgeous face. He leans in hesitantly, almost backing away a couple times. You realize what he's doing, and this time you have no intention of denying him.

"Go ahead, Eddie. It's okay." You say softly, your breath fanning in his face from how close you two are. He takes the leap of faith, gently pressing his lips to yours. Your eyes flutter shut at the contact, he feels even softer than you imagined. Eddie takes his time, slowly, repeatedly, pulling away and going back in to feel every centimeter of your mouth with his own. You meet his every move respectively, opening and closing your lips at all the right times. His hand comes up to cradle your head, his large fingers slipping into your hair. You let out a small moan into the kiss, and this chilly spring night is quickly heating up. You grab the lapels of his jackets to pull him closer, and he smoothly maneuvers you to straddle his lap without even looking. You keep hold of his clothes, wanting to be as close to him as you possibly can.

You stay like this for what feels like forever, the only sounds now are the quiet smacking of lips and the occasional moan from either of you. This is easily the best and hottest kiss you've ever had, none prior to this even come close in comparison. It's so warm, and tender, loving, even. Your heads feel light, overcome with passion. Neither of you want to stop, but unfortunately it's getting a little hard to breathe. Eddie breaks away, exhaling shakily at how mind-blowing that was. "Holy shit." He says, opening his eyes to look at you. He's totally awestruck, never in his life has a kiss completely blown him away.

"Yeah, I second that." You reply, just as dazed as Eddie. "I can't believe it took us this long to do that. And during a crisis, of all things. All that wasted time...I'm such an idiot." You lament your foolish decision to turn Eddie away those years ago, wishing you could turn back the clock and get it right.

"Don't say that, sweetheart. I might have felt hurt back then, but I understand why you didn't wanna get involved with me. I wouldn't have either if I was in your shoes." He says seriously, he doesn't want you to beat yourself up over it. "And I may not have a lot of time, but we can try to make the most of it." He adds, cupping your cheek as he gazes at you in adoration.

"You make it sound like you're dying or something." You can't help laughing nervously at the idea.

"Well, we don't know what's going on just yet, so I might." He looks down, hating the thought. But he has to be realistic. Whatever got Chrissy could easily get him, too. He feels himself start to cry, hot tears rolling down his cheeks. He meets your eyes again, his bottom lip quivering in fear. "I'm so scared, Y/N. I-I don't wanna die." He says helplessly, falling to pieces before you.

"Hey, hey. Don't think about that right now, okay? We're gonna do everything we can to keep that from happening. I promise." You hold his face with your hands, giving him another kiss. His arms wrap around you to hold you tight, and you sense some tears of your own joining the mix. You don't want anything bad to happen to Eddie, especially not now. He's such a good man, he doesn't deserve any of this. If you could, you'd swap places with him. To let him go free while you take the fall. But you can't. All you can do is be here for him, and try to love him as long as you're able. You pull back, and you wipe away his tears and yours. You look him over, noticing just how tired he looks. "Did you sleep at all last night, Eds?" You ask in concern.

"No. I couldn't, I was too afraid. I didn't want...to see her again." He says quietly, his eyes darting away in shame.

"It's okay, maybe it'll help to have me here. But you need to rest, baby. You'll only feel worse if you don't." You get off his lap, looking around for anything you can use to make a place to sleep. You take the bunched up tarps out of the boat, layering them down on the warped wood floor. You find a couple life jackets, which you can use as pillows. You set everything up on the other side of the shed, sheltered away from the windows. That way, if anyone comes by, they're less likely to see you. Eddie watches you work from the floor, realizing what you're doing. He feels a little bad for sitting on his ass, but it's like he's paralyzed into this spot. He'll need your help to move away from it. You return to him, holding out your hands. "C'mon, it's time for bed." You say softly, a kind smile on your face.

"Thanks." He takes your hands, and you lift him up. The force and weight of this motion sends you stumbling backwards. You almost fall back into the water, your stomach dropping at the impending plunge. But Eddie manages to catch you by the waist, his strong arm wrapped around you swiftly. "Careful, princess. Wouldn't want you to get soaked." He says with a grin, setting you upright.

"Thank you, Eddie. You're my hero." You reply in a cheesy tone, giving him a warm kiss on the cheek. He blushes again, which is something you can't get enough of. "You're very cute when you do that." You giggle, poking one of his rosy cheeks.

"I dunno 'bout all that, sweetheart. I'm sure I look like hell right about now." He chuckles dryly, carding a hand through his long hair.

"You look handsome as ever to me, Eds. Now, come on. You have to get some sleep. You'll feel better in the morning." You lead him by the hand to your makeshift bed. You both lie down, the tarps rustling loudly as you try to get comfortable. You face each other, finding yourselves admiring one another again.

"Well, it's certainly not the Ritz. But it'll do." Eddie jokes, but his face quickly changes afterwards. "Can I...hold you, Y/N?" He asks sheepishly, hoping it's not too weird. He knows you kissed just a little bit ago, but he's still unsure how to navigate the situation. Something he'd left out earlier is that you are the only one he's been in love with. His feelings are tangling up his insides, leaving him clueless about what to do, or not do.

"Of course you can, baby." You reply softly, rolling over so he can spoon you. His arms wrap around your waist, pulling you into him. Your back connects to his chest, your body heat radiating to be shared between you. He's so warm, and he smells amazing. Like tobacco and leather, the scent encapsulates you in his embrace.

"I like it when you call me that, by the way. It's really nice, givin' me butterflies and shit." He smiles against your neck, his breath fanning hotly against you.

"And I feel the same when you call me 'sweetheart'. I could get used to that." You practically whisper. You can feel Eddie's body relaxing as he cuddles you, his heart beating steadily as opposed to racing like it was before. His breaths go in and out of his lungs nice and slow. He's finally able to stop freaking out, at least for a little while. "Goodnight, Eds."

"Goodnight, Y/N." He barely gets the words out, his eyelids falling heavily as sleep takes him in an instant. The adrenaline of the last twenty-four hours has come to an end, his body shutting down into heavy slumber. It takes some time for you to join him, you're not nearly as exhausted as Eddie is. You've only been involved in all this for a short period of time, plus, you're worried that something might happen to him while you're asleep. And that possibility scares the shit out of you. You lie here for who knows how long, lost in thought. You're not sure when it happens, but you do eventually fall asleep. You know this, because you're woken up by Eddie screaming in his sleep as the sun comes up.

"Jesus christ!" You shout when you hear him scream right in your ear. You shoot up in your finagled bed, looking over to see what's happening. Eddie's still asleep, but his mouth is wide open as he lets out the most awful screams you've ever heard. He must be having a horrible nightmare, seeing Chrissy dying before his eyes. "Eddie! Wake up! It's just a dream, wake up!" You shake him as hard as you can, gently smacking his cheeks. But it's not working. His body is thrashing, and his wails only get louder.

You have to act, and fast. You get up, going to the water. You kneel down and scoop some in your hands, rushing back to Eddie to drop it on his face. It lands cold and harsh, shocking him awake. His eyes snap open, and he scurries backwards, his back hitting the wall of the boathouse. He looks around frantically, whimpering and gasping for air at the same time. The water glistens on his face, soaking into the top of his shirt and the hair around his cheeks and forehead. His eyes land on you, realizing he's not in that awful nightmare anymore.

"Fuck!" He exclaims, his chest heaving as he rests against the wall. "Thank you...for that." He says, out of breath. "I...couldn't...wake up." He huffs the words out between gasps. You sit beside him, taking hold of his shaking hand. His head falls onto your shoulder, water dripping through your cardigan.

"Are you okay, Eds?" You ask, knowing full well it's a dumb question.

"I am now." He swallows hard, the horrific images quickly dissolving as you continue to touch him. "Are you alright, angel? I'm sorry if I scared you." He feels awful that you had to see him scream like that, and it's kinda embarrassing for him to be so uncontrollably vulnerable.

"I'm okay, baby. I was just worried about you. Did you sleep alright besides the nightmare?" Another stupid question, no doubt.

"Surprisingly, yes." He says warmly, nuzzling into your neck. His wet face shocks your flesh from the cold, making you squeal.

"Eddie! That's freezing!" You laugh, which just eggs him on to rub himself all over you. The water transfers onto your skin, soaking into your clothes to make you shiver. But he quickly warms you back up with hasty kisses on your throat. You stop squirming, allowing yourself to relax into Eddie. His mouth feels so good against your skin. His teeth nibble a spot just below your jaw, leaving a light purple hickey behind. "Eddie." You sigh, wondering how far this is going to go. His hand cradles the other side of your head, holding you up as you melt in his touch. His tongue soothes the bruise he's marked on you, and he drags the wet muscle down further to make another near your collarbone. He bites a little harder this time, making you moan. A familiar pressure begins to build between your legs. You rub your thighs together in an attempt to relieve it, but it's not nearly enough.

"Gettin' hot and bothered, baby?" Eddie asks lowly, smirking at you brushing your legs against each other. He wonders how wet you are, and if you'll let him see for himself.

"Uh-huh. Your lips feel really good, Eds. C'mere." You pull his head up, and smash your mouth onto his. You're becoming so hungry for him, it's unreal. You let yourself fall backwards, taking him with you. He grunts at the sudden movement, positioning himself to lay over you. His knees rest on either side of yours. Eddie bites your bottom lip, making you gasp. He slips his tongue in to roll against your own, heating you both up further. Your hands slip into his thick locks, tugging on them lightly. He moans down your throat, such a beautiful sound.

Eddie's just about to ask if he can move things further, perhaps to second base. But you both hear a car pulling up in the distance, which makes you freeze in place. "You heard that, right?" Eddie asks, quickly going into panic mode again. You nod, listening for any other noises. The car comes to a stop outside of Rick's house, and you hear doors opening and closing. It could be Dustin and the others, or someone else who is certainly not a friend. Eddie climbs off of you, going back to the corner to grab his bottle. You take the other oar from the wall, and you gesture at him to check the windows, carefully. He nods, taking one side while you take the other. The angle of the windows isn't optimal, as you can't make out who's approaching the door to the boathouse. You both brandish your weapons, ready to fight if it comes down to it.

You can feel your heart pounding in your ears, your body ready to attack any enemy that comes your way. The door swings open, screeching on its rusted hinges. In comes Dustin and the rest of your friends, carrying bags of snacks and your overnight bag. "Delivery service!" Dustin says, making you flinch.

"Jesus! Thank fuck it's you guys." You say with a sigh of relief. You set down the oar, and Eddie puts the bottle away again.

"Long night, I take it?" Robin asks, setting your stuff down on the table where Eddie's old wrappers and bottles are.

"That's putting it lightly." Eddie says sarcastically. "It was a helluva lot better than being alone, though." He looks to you, giving you a kind glance. You smile back brightly, unable to help yourself.

"Well, eat up, you two. You've missed out on some stuff." Steve says, quirking an eyebrow at how friendly you seem to be getting with Eddie. You go over to the table to see what your friends brought. There's nothing very nutritious, but you're not gonna complain. Food is food. You pull out a box of Honeycomb cereal, and two Yoo-Hoos. You bring them over, plopping down beside Eddie. You hand him his drink, and start working on opening the cereal box.

"Thanks, sweetheart." He says without thinking, making your eyes bug out. His utterance of the pet name draws bewildered stares from the others.

"What did you just say?" Dustin questions, he's only heard Eddie use such a term of endearment when talking about his guitar. He suspects you two got up to...something last night.

"Uh...nothing. It was just a slip. Right, Eds?" You pipe up, trying to cover your asses. You don't want your friends to know that while you were technically supposed to be looking after Eddie, you were making out with him instead.

"Yep. Totally. My bad." Eddie agrees. He's on the exact same page as you. He realizes how embarrassing it would be for everyone to know you're essentially hooking up when there's an interdimensional killer on the loose.

"Uh...what is that?" Robin chimes in, pointing a finger towards your throat. Shit.

"What's what?" You reply nervously, swallowing hard.

"That mark on your neck, it looks like a hickey!" She exclaims, her surprise morphing into a sly smile. Eddie, you dog. She thinks to herself. The looks on your faces spell it all out loud and clear, there's no mistaking it. You two are officially in a budding, trauma-bonded romance.

"No it isn't!" You scoff, rolling your eyes. You're laying it on way too thick, stumbling over your words all the while. "I-I fell! Yep, tripped on the...- crate over there and landed on the edge of the boat. Right, Eddie?"

"Yeah, I saw it with my own eyes." He insists, nodding before taking a sip of his drink.

"Hold on, you just called him 'Eds', a second ago...what the hell is going on here?" Steve crosses his arms, furrowing his brow at you both. The others follow suit, holding similar looks of distrust and smug knowing. They certainly don't hold it against you, you're two attractive young people in a distressing situation. It's only natural, really. Scientifically proven to happen, in fact. "C'mon, out with it. We're burning daylight here, and we've got other things to do besides wait for a confession from you...lovebirds." Steve demands, using his babysitter powers to force you to yield.

You sigh, rolling your eyes again. "Ugh, fine! We kissed last night...and we were making out a few minutes ago." You admit, keeping your eyes trained on the floor to avoid making visual contact with anyone.

"We've got, uh...history. We'll just leave it at that." Eddie adds, mirroring your bashful stance. You both feel like scolded children, even though you know you've done nothing wrong.

"Alright, cool. Moving on, we've got some good news, and we've got some bad news." Dustin says. You manage to get the box of cereal open, and you and Eddie dig into it hungrily. Eddie's far more ravenous than you, taking large handfuls and munching them down like a starved animal. You feel a little sorry for him, but at least he's able to eat now. "How do you prefer it?" Dustin asks, looking to Eddie.

"Bad news first, always." Eddie replies with a mouthful.

"Alright, bad news. We tapped into the Hawkins PD dispatch with our Cerebro, and they're definitely looking for you." Dustin states. Eddie's face falls slightly, and no doubt yours follows suit. "Also, they're, uh, pretty convinced you killed Chrissy." He adds as an afterthought.

"Like, a hundred-percent convinced." Max interjects. Eddie's head follows each of them as they speak, his fear dialing up again.

"And the good news?" You ask, needing there to be a sliver of hope in this shit sandwich.

"Eddie's name hasn't gone public yet. But if we found out about him, it's only a matter of time before others do. And once that gets out, everyone and their shallow-minded mother is gonna be gunning for him." Robin says, making your heart sink.

"Hunt the freak, right?" Eddie asks, a frustrated sadness lacing his tone. Typical hick town, making the weirdo into a scapegoat.

"Exactly." She replies, understanding full-well the gravity of the situation. She knows better than anyone what it's like to be on the outskirts of society, having to hide away for fear of being cast out entirely.

"So..before that happens. We need to find Vecna, kill him, and prove your innocence. That's all." Dustin says, as if it's the easiest plan in the world.

"That's all, Dustin? That's all?" Eddie parrots back, finding the concept utterly ridiculous. You put a hand on his shoulder, drawing his eyes to you.

"We've done crazier shit and pulled it off before. I'm sure we can beat this, too." You say calmly, and he lifts his hand to rest on top of yours. He nods, trying to keep himself grounded.

"She's right. Delusional as it sounds, we've been through this kind of thing more than once. Well, they have. Me and Y/N have been through it once. Ours was like, more human flesh-based, and theirs were more smoke-related." Robin explains, which makes Eddie pull an odd face. She shakes away her poor explanation skills, finishing her point. "Bottom line is, collectively, I really feel like we got this."

"We usually rely on this girl who has superpowers. But, uh, those went bye-bye, so..." Steve trails off, realizing it probably wasn't all that helpful to say.

"So, we're in kind of, uh...more of a...brainstorming phase." All four of them form the odd sentence together, finishing one another's thought clumsily.

"There's nothing to worry about, though." Dustin splutters, which does nothing to put either you or Eddie at ease. You look at each other, and then back to them. They can't possibly be serious. Suddenly, you hear sirens wailing in the distance.

"Quick, you two hide!" Robin instructs. You and Eddie go to your corner where the tarps are laid about, before hopping into the boat and pulling them over your heads. You're kinda squished together under here, but you refuse to leave Eddie's side. You notice him breathing heavily again, putting your hands on his shoulders to calm him down.

"Hey, hey. Look at me, okay? We're gonna be fine." You whisper, just in case any officers are coming around right this moment. He does as you ask, nodding silently. He slows down a little, focusing on your beautiful face. The others peek out the window, watching the cops roll on by down the road, totally bypassing this hiding place.

"Well, that can't be good." Max observes from across the shed.

"Hey, guys. We're gonna go check out what's happening. Just stay here, okay? We'll radio you an update." Steve says, leading the others out to his car. They shut the door behind them, leaving the two of you alone.

"You good?" You ask Eddie, speaking at a normal volume now.

"Yeah, yeah. Just felt like a close call." He presses a quick kiss to your lips, further tuning himself back into his regularly-scheduled brain function. "We should probably stay under here for a bit, right? Just in case?"

"We can do that. You wanna...keep kissing me?" You ask, as it seems your affection tends to calm him down. Not to mention you really like the way his mouth connects to yours.

"How can I possibly say no to that?" Eddie says with a small smile. He kisses you again, slower this time. Your eyes close instantly, and your hands wander over to get lost in his hair. Things are heating up quickly, your lips and tongues playing with one another hungrily. Eddie pulls back for a second, like he wants something else. "Y/N, can I...?" He trails off, his eyes flicking to your chest. It really isn't that hard to say 'Hey, Y/N, can I touch your tits?', he knows that. But as it has been stated before, you make him nervous, in the best possible way.

"You can do anything you want, Eds. I want it all." You reply, finding his sheepish asking very adorable. Eddie doesn't seem the type to be so unsure of himself when it comes to...whatever this is. He must think you're pretty special if his typical devilish charms fly out the window whenever he tries to make a move on you. He still seems unsure, so you take hold of his large hands, bringing them up to your chest. "Is this what you want, baby?" You ask, already knowing the answer. He nods, not saying another word as his palms hover a centimeter away from your breasts. You manipulate them to finally cup your tits, immediately letting out a quiet moan.

"You're so beautiful, sweetheart." He says, his eyes widening slightly at the fact that he's made it to second base. He feels like a fuckin' virgin, it's kinda embarrassing that he needs you to lead him like this.

"You're pretty handsome yourself, Eddie." You say breathlessly. Eddie's hands squeeze the swells of your chest, drawing more lustful noises from you. Everything he does to you feels so good, it's been a very long time since you've been touched by anyone. Even yourself.

"You think it's safe to get out of the boat now?" Eddie asks as this position is a bit uncomfortable.

"I think so. C'mon." You move to stand up in the boat, almost falling over again. Eddie catches you, and you both step back onto solid ground. The second you do, he leads you backwards until you meet the wall. He gets a bit of his confidence back, wanting to take you by surprise. "Is someone coming out of their shell?" You ask slyly as his body presses into yours.

"Maybe a little." He replies with a smirk, moving to slip off his jackets. He tosses them onto the table beside you. You take off your cardigan, letting it fall on the floor. Your hands grip the hem of your shirt, slowly lifting it up to expose your torso. Eddie watches wordlessly as you reveal your body to him, his eyes following the shirt as it goes further upwards. You pull it over your head, letting it join your sweater. You're left standing in your bra, and his eyes practically pop out of his head. "Damn." He exhales, you're even prettier than he thought you'd be.

"Like what you see?" You ask with a sly smile.

"Uh-huh. Can I see more?" He requests, unable to hide the neediness in his voice. The tone of it sends a dark thrill through you, and you reach behind your back to unhook your bra without a second thought. The straps fall loosely from your shoulders, the cups no longer holding your breasts up. The garment slips away, adding to the pile quickly gathering on the floor. "Fuck, Y/N." Eddie murmurs, taking your bare tits into his hands.

"Eddie." You gasp at the cool metal of his rings meeting your supple flesh, your nipples hardening from said cold and your arousal. He grips them firmly, rolling the sensitive buds between his thumbs and forefingers. He gazes at you in admiration while he works, giving you a cheeky grin. Your mouth sits agape to let out dulcet sounds, and you can't stop staring into his beautiful chocolate-hued eyes.

"Does this feel good, sweetheart?" He asks, eating up every little sigh and moan you let out for him. His cock is straining against his jeans, aching to feel you in every way possible.

"Mmhmm, you're very skilled with your hands." As much as your brain has begun to melt, you want to keep up with his mischievous nature. It's been so long since you've been able to play with someone in this way, and you're sure Eddie is more than up to the task.

He chuckles darkly, leaning in to speak in your ear. "I think you'll find I'm very skilled with my mouth, too." He bites your earlobe, drawing a low moan from your lips. "Mmm, your noises are drivin' me crazy, princess. Makin' it hard for me to take my time with you." He says hotly as his mouth travels downwards. Eddie nibbles harshly on your throat, leaving yet another hickey in his wake. Satisfied with his work, he goes even further downward. He kisses the swells of your tits, and the valley between them, every inch of skin he can reach.

"Feels so good, baby." You sigh blissfully. You look down at him as he worships your chest, becoming unbelievably wet with every passing moment. He swirls his tongue around your nipple, before taking it between his teeth. "Fuck, Eddie." You whimper as your hand takes hold of his head. He smirks against you at your reaction, he can't get enough of your little moans and curses. He wants to keep touching you, pleasing you, in every way you'll let him. He'll use whatever time he has left to make you come undone, over and over until he drops fucking dead. If he has any choice in the matter, he might as well go out with a bang, literally. "I need more, Eds." You plead, instinctively bucking your hips forward in an attempt to get your pussy closer to his cock.

"You got it, angel." Eddie pulls away from your chest, tugging his own shirt over his head. You take a moment to drink in his bare torso, and it's certainly a sight to see. His chest and arms are slightly toned, his long hair brushing against his shoulders. Sexy tattoos adorn his pale skin, and a guitar pick hangs on a chain around his neck. A light trail of hair runs down the middle of his chest, disappearing into his jeans. He looks like a goddamn rockstar, if you're being honest. Eddie finds your gawking amusing, letting out a small snicker at your shameless ogling. "Have I rendered you speechless, Y/N?" He asks while you feel him up, dragging your palms along his arms, up and down his chest.

"You're really fucking hot, Eddie." Your eyes flick to his, displaying pure, unadulterated lust. You don't bother to think, all you know is that you want him. Now. You grab him by his belt buckle, whipping the both of you around. The motion takes him by surprise, and you practically slam him up against the wall. He grunts at the impact, and you smash your lips to his before he can respond. His hands grab at your ass, holding you as close to him as possible. You shove your tongue in his mouth to tangle with his, and you clumsily fumble with his belt. You stop kissing him so you can see what you're doing, breathing heavily as anticipation builds between you. You get the belt open, and unzip his jeans with ease. You reach your hand inside his pants, underneath his boxers to take hold of his dick.

"Shit, you don't waste any time, do you?" Eddie asks through a groan. You pump his length in your hand, brushing the bead of precum around his tip with your thumb.

"No, I don't. We can take our time later. But I want you to fuck me, now." You say in a sultry tone, stroking him a bit firmer and faster than before. He moans again, which is music to your ears. "I like how much noise you make, Eds. It's very sexy. Now, you wanna help me with the rest of my clothes?" You ask in an undeniably tempting way, trying to push his buttons.

"Sure thing, princess." He pants, bringing his own hands around to unbutton your jeans. He slides the zipper down its track, hesitating before going any further. "Can I feel you, sweetheart?" He asks sweetly, which makes your heart flutter. He's been quite the gentleman this whole time, always asking permission before doing anything to you. It's highly attractive, no other guy has done so before. Not like this. It's always been one 'yes', which somehow grants unlimited access to your entire body.

"Yes, baby." You answer softly, waiting for him to touch you where you need him most. Eddie slowly slips his hand under the waistband of your panties, and his fingers graze your soaked folds. "Oh, fuck." You gasp at the contact. You knew you were turned on, but this is a whole other level. Everything he does to you feels better than anything you've experienced before. His fingers drag along your soaked cunt, feeling every part of you he can reach.

"You're so wet for me, angel." Eddie observes in amazement. To know he makes you feel so strongly, it's enough to drive him mad. You're still touching his dick with your hollowed fist, and he decides to push two fingers inside you to rev you up further.

"Eddie." You whimper as his digits meet your g spot easily. He curls them to press on it at a slow, torturous rhythm.

"You like having my fingers inside you?" Eddie asks, his own breath hitching as you squeeze him a little harder. You're both doing everything you can to rile one another up, so you'll go absolutely wild on each other when you finally connect.

"Yes, but I think there's something else I'd like even more." You press a warm kiss to his lips, giving him your best 'fuck me' eyes afterwards.

"God, you're so needy. No patience at all." Eddie teases with a smirk. He takes his hand away from your pussy, and you release his cock from your grip. You remove the rest of your clothes, and he does the same. You're left standing naked in front of each other, taking a moment to soak in every little detail. You notice his dick standing at attention, the head swollen and red, leaking pre-release onto the wood floor. Eddie looks you over, becoming very interested in the drips of your arousal running down the insides of your thighs. He wonders how you taste, wanting to make you scream his name while he eats you out.

"Is there something you want?" You ask slyly, realizing he's staring at your crotch like a feral animal.

"I know you said you want me to fuck you, Y/N. But I would really like to go down on you first. I bet you taste amazing, and I just want to make you feel good." He speaks honestly, with no effort to hide his desire. He's practically begging to give you head, which only makes you want him more.

You step closer to him, placing your hands on his chest. You lean forward to speak into his ear, nice and low so he listens to every word. "Knock yourself out, baby. What kind of woman would I be to deny a wanted man?" You take his earlobe between your teeth, just as he did to you earlier. You keep it brief, though, you imagine Eddie wants to get things moving. "Lead the way, Eds." You back away slightly, smiling as you wait for him to put you in position. His hands meet your hips, and he carefully maneuvers you around to the table. He pushes everything off of it, various objects landing on the floor. He lifts you onto the surface, spreading your legs wide while he stands between them. His palms roam up and down your thighs, inching so very close to where you're longing for him to touch.

Eddie's eyes wander over your gorgeous form, committing every last detail to memory. The curves of your waist and hips, the length of your legs, your hands holding tight to the edge of the table as you wait for him to begin. Your chest rising and falling faster than usual, tits shifting slightly from the pace. And to top it all off, the sex-drenched expression spread shamelessly across your face. Expectant eyes meeting his, pleading with him to appease your every desire. "You have got to be the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, Y/N." He says sincerely, breaking the charged silence.

"You really think so?" You ask curiously. You've never really found yourself all that attractive. After Benji, the guys who look your way have been few and far between. And even then, they never think you're anything special. Deep down, you know your worth doesn't hinge upon your desirability. But it's hard to remember that when society relentlessly pounds the idea into your head.

"I know so, sweetheart. You're perfect." Eddie replies, not an ounce of doubt or dishonesty in his voice. He means every word that comes out of his mouth, and you love him even more for it.

"I dunno about all that, Eddie." You say as your eyes flick downwards. Here you are, completely naked, fully displayed to him. And you're still questioning his liking of you. His hand comes up to gently lift your chin to look at him. His intense gaze burns into you, like there's a roaring fire ignited behind his eyes.

"I'm serious, Y/N. I know I don't know everything about you, but I know enough. Enough to say that I care very deeply for you, because you're an amazing person, in every way." You don't know how he does it, but he's somehow managed to sound even more sincere than before. You're utterly captivated by him. You've never had anyone speak to you in such devotional ways, until now.

"You're pretty great, too, you know." You say with a light smile, color warming your cheeks again at his saccharine declarations. You wait for him to make his next move, keeping your eyes on his all the while. Somehow, sitting here like this, with him standing before you while his thumb and forefinger gently hold your chin, is possibly the most comfortable position you've been in for who knows how long. Eddie slowly leans in, pressing a feather-light kiss to your lips. Your eyes flutter closed, and you enjoy every second of this until he pulls away just as gingerly. "Damn, you are way too good at that." You say breathlessly.

"So are you, baby. Takes two to tango, right?" He grins at you, allowing his less serious side to take hold. You've waited long enough, and he wants to pleasure you in every way you deserve. He picks up where he left off, trailing kisses down your body that set your insides ablaze. Shoulders, chest, stomach, before moving on to your thighs. He kneels in front of you, putting your knees over his shoulders.

"Mmm." You moan as he gently nips on your sensitive flesh, sucking tiny love bites closer and closer to your core. He's still taking his time, wanting to warm you back up before he finally tastes you. His eyes watch your dripping hole, his cock twitching as he can see how wet he's making you with every inch of progress. Your nails dig into the worn wood of the table, scratching deeply as you resist the urge to shove your crotch in his face. You want him to fuck you with his mouth more than anything, and it's taking everything in you to be patient. He finally sets himself before your glistening pussy, his hot breath fanning over it. Eddie lets his tongue slip out of his mouth to make first contact with your clit. "Fuck!" You cry out, your hips jolting upwards off the table.

"Settle down, angel. I'm just getting started." He coos, before dragging the wet muscle along your slit.

"Sorry, it's been a while." You say with an embarrassed laugh. You force yourself to relax, keeping yourself seated on the table as he works on you. It's harder than you expected it to be, every little lick and suck feels too fucking good.

"You taste so sweet, baby." Eddie praises, before resuming his work. He's pulling out all the stops, wanting to make you lose control. He flicks against your clit, and alternately shoves his tongue into your cunt to push on your sweet spot. His pattern and pace varies wildly, never giving you a chance to predict a single move.

"You're really good at this, Eds." You sigh blissfully, thoroughly enjoying everything he's doing to you. You feel an intense knot growing within you, tightening further with every passing second. Eddie's building you up unbelievably quickly, though you figure it wouldn't have taken much to begin with. You emit an endless stream of expletives and calls of his name, your body gradually coating itself in steaming sweat.

"Mmm." Eddie moans against you as he can't get enough of your juices flowing into his mouth. You taste like nothing of this earth to him, so fucking delicious. His dick is leaking profusely as he eats you out, your noises are driving him insane. He wants to make you cum all over his face, and soon, so he can finally fill you up with his painfully hard cock. He pushes his fingers into you again, focusing his tongue on your clit as he quickens the pace.

"Oh, Eddie. Just like that- fuck, I'm getting close." You whimper, digging your nails further into the table. You're surprised you haven't broken any off with how much pressure you've put on them. You sense your oncoming release, the telling ebb and flow of pleasurable waves beginning to collide with you. "Don't stop, baby. Make me cum, I'm almost there." You plead with Eddie to keep doing exactly what he's doing, needing just a little more to make that ever-growing knot snap. He takes heed of your desperate words, not changing a single thing for fear of denying you of your orgasm.

"Mmm." He moans into you again, watching your fuckstruck face as he gets you near the finish line. Your eyes are squeezed shut, your mouth hanging open as you make the most beautifully obscene sounds he's ever heard. Your chest heaves as you breathe rapidly, your skin slicked over with glimmering perspiration. Eddie wishes to save this image in his mind, you look like a total goddess to him at this moment. He's afraid he's not going to last, though, as he's forgotten just how arousing it is for him to go down on a woman. He's certain that the second you lose it, he'll end up falling off the edge right alongside you. He doesn't mind, however. Far be it from him to complain about getting self-satisfaction out of pleasing you.

"Just a little harder, Eds. I'm so fuckin' close." You pant out the words, needing just a little more to get what you want. Eddie grants your request, pressing his tongue more firmly on your bundle of nerves, and fingering your pussy at a harsher speed. "Perfect, right there." You whine as you're just about to cum. Eddie groans against you one last time, he can feel your walls fluttering around his digits. The vibrations from his muffled noises bring you to your high swiftly and completely. "Oh, fuck, EDDIE!" You cry out as your legs begin to shake. Your orgasm rips through you violently, and you can't control your thighs clamping around Eddie's head. You feel your release spilling onto him, and he tries his best to slurp up every last drop. You're seeing stars, absolutely flaming from the inside out.

"Fff." You hear him grunt against you, his breath coming out shakily as he cums with you. His load spills messily onto the floor under the table, some of it landing on his thighs. His hips buck upwards once or twice, he has no idea. All he knows is bliss, and he relishes every last second of it until you calm down. You slump backwards against the wall while you release Eddie's head from your iron grasp. You're absolutely spent, almost gasping for air from how mind-blowing this was. "You good, princess?" Eddie asks from the floor, as you haven't opened your eyes just yet. Your lids flutter upwards to let you look down at him. You find his chin is glistening with your nectar, and you peek down to see that he already came from the erotic display you put on a moment ago.

"Yes, so fucking good." You say sincerely, smiling down at him as your ecstasy wanes away to nothing. "I see you enjoyed yourself, too, Eds." You flick your pupils downwards, hinting at the mess in his lap. You can't help finding his position quite hot. Sitting on his knees, his own release splattered about in sticky streaks on his skin. He just couldn't help himself, you were too powerful a sight for him to handle. The thought alone makes you feel wet all over again.

"I really did. You were so sexy, and I couldn't get enough." He says from below you, and he can't help blushing when you stare at him like this. Lust burns in your eyes from seeing him all sweaty and spent from doing almost nothing at all. He's never had a girl look at him like that, and he definitely enjoys it more than one would expect.

"C'mere, baby." You say softly, beckoning him upwards with your finger. He does as you ask without a thought, standing between your legs. Eddie puts his hands on your waist, waiting for you to speak. You gaze at each other for a moment, gentle smiles sitting about your mouths. "I love you, Eddie." You utter the words so quietly, Eddie almost thinks he's imagined it. Before he can ask you to repeat yourself, however, you take hold of the back of his head to give him a tender kiss.

He's surprised you'd tell him such a thing. Sure, you both admitted to being in love with one another at some point in time last night, and the fact that you've just engaged in sexual activities can also help argue the case. But for some reason, hearing it out loud makes it sound...illogical, irrational. He considers the possibility that you're only saying it because he might die, but he doesn't think you'd be so cruel to lie about your feelings. Honestly, all this contemplation is making his head spin. At this point, he doesn't give a fuck if you mean it or not. He'll take your affection hand over fist as long as you continue to give it to him. You release his lips from yours, allowing him time to respond. "I love you too, Y/N. I've been waiting years to hear you say that." He says sincerely, as he hopes your own words are just as genuine.

"I wish I'd said it a long time ago. You're the only man that's ever made me feel this way. And I know we're pretty young, but I don't think I'll ever feel like this about anyone else." You stroke his hair as you speak, it's so soft, if not a bit damp from what you just finished doing a minute ago. You can't help shivering a little as the cool March air chills your sweat.

"You cold, angel? We should put our clothes back on." Eddie says as he notices your teeth beginning to chatter. He leans down to pick up all your clothes, handing your items off to you.

"Hey, Eddie?" You ask while slipping your panties on.

"Yes, sweetheart?" He looks to you, wondering if something is wrong.

"Is 'Reefer Rick' home? Or anyone, for that matter?" You question, contemplating using the house as a warmer, safer location to hide in.

"Nah, he's still in jail right now and doesn't live with anyone. Why do you ask?" He quirks an eyebrow at you.

"Well, I was thinking it might be more comfortable in there if no one's home. We could shower, wash our clothes, have an actual bed to sleep in. And it would be a helluva lot warmer in there, too." You explain your train of thought, though you wonder if he'd already thought about it.

"I hope this doesn't change how you feel about me, but I hadn't even thought of that. The jackass probably doesn't even keep the door locked." Eddie chuckles, smacking his head at his own stupidity. "But yeah, I think it's a damn good idea. We won't have to sleep on the floor, at least."

"Well, it's a good thing I decided to stay with you, huh? I'm more than just a good lay." You giggle as you finish getting dressed.

"Technically, I don't actually know if you're a good lay...yet." He jokes, making you both share a cute laugh. You gather your supplies to bring into the house, and Eddie takes your free hand in his. You check to make sure the coast is clear, there's a few rednecks that live around here, and you don't want them to see you. You make your way to the house, and try the doorknob. Unsurprisingly, it opens without a hitch. "Thank you, Rick." Eddie says under his breath, and you make your way inside.

It's clear that Reefer Rick hasn't been home in a few months. Dust covers every flat surface, and there's rotten fruit in the bowl on the kitchen counter. Some used dishes sit molding in the sink, and there's a bit of old...everything all about the place. Pizza boxes, beer cans, pints of Ben & Jerry's, other things like that. You would clean up, but it's probably best to let any passerby assume that the premises is still vacated. Plus, all you really need is a bed and a shower at the moment. "God, this place is a dump." You observe aloud at the slight odor that permeates the house.

"Yeah, looks like the maid hasn't come around in awhile." Eddie replies sarcastically, wiping one of the tables with his finger. A thick streak of dust coats the pad of it, and he scrunches his nose as he wipes it on his pants.

You try turning on the sink to see if anything will come out. And sure enough, the water flows from the faucet, plentiful and warm. "Nice, we've got water." You open the fridge, and the little light clicks on. It's full of even more nasty food, but you weren't really worried about it anyway. "And power. So shower and laundry are a go." You say with a smile, moving on to check out the rest of the house.

The heat isn't set, but it's still so much warmer than outside and the boathouse. You locate the thermostat to turn up the temperature a little, and thankfully you hear the system kick on. You avoid turning on any lights to prevent drawing attention from afar, and you find the laundry room downstairs. Underground where no one will hear the machines running, perfect. Eddie follows behind you the whole way, and the two of you strip off your old clothes in the damp basement. You've both seen one another naked, so you're not bothered by walking through the rest of the house without your clothes on. After setting the load to wash, you head back up the stairs and to the second floor where the master bedroom is. There's a bathroom inside it as well, and you let Eddie take the first shower.

While he does so, you check Rick's closet to find some clothes Eddie can wear in the meantime. There's tie-dye t-shirt after tie-dye t-shirt, at least fifty in total. They're a little big for Eddie, but they seem comfortable enough. You take out an orange and red and yellow one, setting its hanger on the bed. You open a chest of drawers, hoping the bottoms will be more in your boyfriend's size range. Lucky for you, Rick seems to be a very lanky guy who just prefers baggy shirts. You pull out some blue jeans, putting them next to the shirt. You don't bother with underwear, you know Eddie won't go for wearing another man's tidy whities. Commando will have to do for the time being.

As for you, Robin was gracious enough to supply you with some jeans, sweatpants, a couple shirts, and...every pair of panties you own. You suppose she wasn't sure how long you'll be in hiding for, and you don't have an answer to that either. Better safe than sorry, you think to yourself with a shrug. "Fuck, I really needed that." Eddie says with a satisfied sigh as he walks out of the bathroom. He's got a towel wrapped around his waist, showing off his v-line. His necklace dangles wetly around his neck, and water drips from his hair and down his front. Damn, he's hot. You mentally observe while biting your lip. "Helloooooo...Earth to Y/N." He waves his hand around, smirking at how you're staring at his body again.

"Huh?" You snap out of it, meeting his eyes and handsome smile. "Oh, was the water warm enough?" You ask as your cheeks flare red.

"Yeah, there should be enough left for you, too. Gonna warn you, it's only guy soap in there." He says casually, walking over to see what you've put out for him to wear. "What the hell is that?" He furrows his brows, pointing at the obnoxious tie-dye shirt.

"It's all Rick has, and it's only for a couple hours. Leave it to you to be picky about fashion in a crisis." You chuckle at his apprehension to wear anything outside his personal style.

"That's easy for you to say! The others brought you your own clothes!" He retorts, crossing his arms. He doesn't know how to explain it without sounding like a child. But he hates wearing clothes that aren't his, it feels...wrong somehow. The few times he has done it, he feels like his skin is crawling beneath the fabric. Because it knows they don't belong to him. It's also one of the ways he gets to express himself, and he sure as shit doesn't like tie-dye.

"I know, baby. I'm sorry. I'm sure they would've brought you something if your house wasn't an active crime scene." You're sympathetic to his distaste, his clothes should be one of the few things he can control in this situation. And wearing things that don't belong to him can't be very comfortable. You stand before him, putting your hands on his shoulders for a moment. "It'll be alright, Eddie. We have to work with what we've got, okay?" You give him a little kiss, hoping to put him at ease. He accepts your offering, grabbing your ass in large handfuls. You sigh against him, it's crazy how easily you fall into a deep pit of lust every time he touches you. Eddie pulls away, taking your breath with him.

"I suppose I can live with Rick's stoner style for a bit." He says unconvincingly, rolling his eyes.

"I appreciate you making the sacrifice." You press a kiss to his cheek, returning to your bag to see if Robin packed any toiletries for you. You find your shampoo and conditioner, an unopened bar of soap, and your toothbrush. No toothpaste, though. Maybe there's some in the bathroom.

"Shit, Robin thought of everything, huh?" Eddie says, taking a peek into your things himself while you head into the bathroom to wash up. Damn, there's a lot of panties in here. Eddie thinks, pushing the slips of fabric around to see what else lies within the bag's contents. Clothes, hair ties, lip balm, tampons. His hand recoils at finding your lady things, before noticing something else beneath them. A deck of playing cards. Well, it's not D&D, but it'll do to pass the time. Wayne's showed him a ton of card games over the years, though he can't remember the last time he played any of them.

The thought makes Eddie's heart ache. Fuck, he misses his uncle so much. And he must be worried sick about him. Does he know Eddie didn't kill Chrissy? He has to, right? Eddie can't help wondering if Wayne has even entertained the idea that he is a murderer. He comes from a broken home, suffering awful abuse, no less. Happens all the time. Lots of serial killers come from environments just like Eddie's, it's only natural to ponder if something went wrong inside his head. A few tears spring from Eddie's eyes. He wishes he could tell Wayne that he's okay (for now), and that he didn't do this. But he can't risk being found, it'll all be over for him if that happens. He wipes his eyes frantically when he hears you shut the water off, sniffing harshly to get himself together. He puts his borrowed clothes on and takes the deck of cards from your bag.

"Mmm, nice and clean and ready to get dirty again." You quip as you walk into the bedroom. You're drying your hair as you walk, another towel wrapped around your body. You bring the towel away from your head, finding Eddie standing in the little outfit you found for him. You can't help smiling at how he looks in it. The pants fit just fine, but the shirt makes him look like a little kid.

"What?" Eddie asks, curious as to why you're looking at him the way you are.

"You just look so cute, Eds." You say with a giggle, plopping down on the bed.

"I do not. I look like a total dork." He grumbles, narrowing his eyes at you.

"No you don't, baby. Whatcha got there?" You change the subject, knowing Eddie doesn't want to talk about it anymore. He seems really upset, but not entirely about the clothes. Maybe he'll tell you later, but neither of you need any more doom and gloom right now.

"Oh, um, looks like Robin packed us some entertainment. Wanna play?" He asks, holding up your playing cards. Your eyes widen when you remember what's printed on them.

"Are you sure, Eddie? Did you look closely at the package?" You ask cautiously, you don't want him to flip out.

"They're just cards, right?" Eddie looks at the box again, wondering what you're talking about. The one side looks like the typical packaging, the traditional pattern and branding. Until he flips it over to the other side. These aren't just any old playing cards, they're playing cards with naked men printed on them. "Oh." He says as his pupils enlarge. "And, uh...why do you have these?" His eyes flick to you.

"They're a gag gift from Steve. He saw them in a sex shop and thought they were, quote, 'hilarious'." You explain, rolling your eyes when you recall just how tickled Steve was by the huge cocks and washboard abs on all the men.

Eddie smiles, finding your embarrassed face rather amusing. "Oh, and here I thought you were some kinda pervert." He says jokingly, climbing onto the bed and laying on his stomach. He pulls the flap of the box up, pouring the cards out to get a closer look. "Jesus! How do you walk around with a dick like that?!" Eddie laughs, showing you the card in question.

"Jealous, are we?" You tease, opening your towel to get dressed. His eyes go to your tits immediately, his breath catching in his throat.

"N-not really, I imagine one that big wouldn't fit anyway." He says absent-mindedly, practically drooling at your naked body.

"Who's the pervert now?" You quip, reaching in your bag for the sexiest underwear you own. Red, lacey, perfect to tantalize Eddie with later. You pull them up your legs, remembering just how good they feel on your skin. You'd really splurged for these when you first bought them. It wasn't for anyone in particular, you just wanted to feel more confident in your own skin. You put your spare jeans and a t-shirt on as well, effectively hiding your body away from his gawking eyes.

"Eddie, Y/N, do you copy? Pick up guys, we've got news." You hear Dustin on the walkie, his voice crackling through the little speaker. You pick it up, pushing down on the talk button.

"Yeah, we're listening." You reply simply, releasing the button.

"There's another body. It's Fred from the school paper. Nancy was with him investigating Chrissy's death and they got separated." Dustin says.

"Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Nance." You figure they're all sitting somewhere together, hoping she heard you. You were wondering what she's been up to this whole time. Typical Nancy Wheeler, always investigating. "Is there anything else? Do you guys have a plan to find out more information?"

"Yeah, I talked to Eddie's uncle, Wayne. He says there's this old guy, Victor Creel, who committed similar murders back in the fifties. It's a shot in the dark, but I'm gonna go to the library to find out more." Nancy speaks this time, and Eddie's face falls a little at the mention of his uncle. He looks at you, holding out his hand for the walkie. You nod, handing it over without question.

"How was he...when you talked to him?" Eddie asks cautiously.

"He was...pretty shaken up. He found the body in the trailer. But he insisted that you wouldn't do this, Eddie. So he knows you're innocent." Nancy says, hoping the words offer Eddie some kind of comfort.

"O-Okay. Thanks." Eddie replies shakily, handing the thing back over to you. You notice his eyes watering, as if some amount of relief has washed over him.

"You okay, Eds?" You ask as the others haven't said anything else yet. He just nods, wiping his eyes. "Okay, is there anything else?" You ask the group.

"Yeah, the rest of us are going to try to talk to Ms. Kelly, the school counselor. Max saw Chrissy talking to her on the day she died, she looked upset. So we're thinking maybe she was seeing things, and talked to Ms. Kelly about it." Steve speaks now.

"Well, I'm glad you guys seem to have this under control. We'll be here when you have more. Be careful out there." You reply to end this conversation.

"Sure thing. You two take care of each other. And let us know if you need anything. Over and out." Dustin says finally, and the walkie clicks for the last time, for now.

"Well, that was cheery." You say sarcastically, reaching for the deck to shuffle it. You may as well move on to something else for the time being.

"At least Wayne knows I'm not a murderer." Eddie replies softly through a sniffle.

"Of course he knows, baby. He practically raised you, right? He knows you're a good person, and I'm sure he's told the police that." You put your hand over his to try and comfort him.

"I doubt they believe him, though." He says sadly, squeezing your hand slightly.

"You're probably right. But we're gonna prove that you're innocent, okay? There's no way in hell I'm letting anyone pin this on you. I'll fight off the entire local police force myself if I have to." You reach over for your purse on the other side of the bed, pulling out the small pistol you carry inside it for personal protection. Eddie's eyes widen at the sight of the weapon, you make it sound like you'll actually shoot a police officer to keep him out of jail. "And if any of the ignorant assholes in this town try to mess with us, I'll get them to back off."

"Are you serious? Why do you have this, Y/N?" He's getting freaked out again, which you don't really understand. The gun is yours, you have the proper permits for it, you know how to use it. What's the big deal?

"Eddie, relax. I carry this for my own protection, in case some asshole tries something. I've had it for years, I kinda needed it when I didn't have a lanky metalhead to fight my battles for me." You don't mean the last comment as a slight, it's just the truth. Until now, you haven't had Eddie in your life in a very long time. You've basically been on your own. Even after coming into the fold of the massive monster-fighting team, you still spend most of your time alone. And being a young woman, living in a shitty neighborhood, you need something to fend off any potential attackers.

"Okay, fine. Just...please don't shoot anyone? I don't need any more blood on my hands." He pleads, he really wants you to put the damn thing away already. Guns make him nervous, he could never imagine owning one, let alone carrying it around everywhere. He's had enough of them shoved in his face to know that they're not to be taken lightly. Such a small thing can do so much damage. One can use it to kill without a second thought.

"I'm not shooting anyone, Eddie. I've never had to actually fire this thing. It's just a deterrent, nothing more. Okay?" You put the pistol back in your purse, and Eddie relaxes a bit. "And I'm sorry for freaking you out."

"It's okay. I get why you have it. There's some pretty scary shit in this town sometimes, apparently." He ends on a dry laugh, unable to hold off on rolling his eyes. He still finds it absolutely insane that this town really has been up to some spooky shit like everyone's been saying. And now he's caught smack-dab in the middle of it. "But anyway, you gonna shuffle or what?" He slaps on a smile, attempting to lighten the mood a little.

"Yeah, what game should we play first?" You shuffle the deck, waiting for him to choose a game.

"Well, since it's a rather dirty deck, how about a dirty game?" He suggests with a devilish grin.

"Alright. Strip poker it is." You smile back, knowing exactly where this particular game will end up. It'll be a relatively short game, though, as you both only have two or three items of clothing on at the moment. But you're guessing Eddie doesn't really care how many rounds you play, as long as you find yourselves fucking like wild animals by the time it's over. You deal out five cards to Eddie and yourself, setting the deck down to see what you have. Three aces, an eight, and a six. Three of a kind isn't bad, but trying for a fourth or maybe a full house would be better. "You want to switch out any cards?" You ask Eddie as he looks over his hand.

"Two, please." He puts two of his cards down, and you give him the new ones. You drop the six, and draw one new card. And sure enough, it's another eight. A full house, that'll be hard to beat.

"Okay. Now, if I win, what will you take off first?" You ask while biting your lip. You've got absolutely no poker face, you're sure he can see how giddy you are about your hand.

"Uh, I'll take my jewelry off, I guess." He replies, cool as a cucumber. You can't read him at all, which is worrying. "And you?"

"Well, I don't think jewelry should count. But it makes us even, I suppose. And I'll take off my jeans, if you win." You smirk.

"I'd rethink that confidence if I were you." Eddie warns playfully. "C'mon, show me what you got."

"Full house, baby. I'd love to see you beat that." You say smugly, laying the cards down neatly on the bed.

"Oof, that's too bad. Looks like I get to have a second look at those panties of yours." He says as he lays down his hand. A straight flush, all hearts.

"You motherfucker!" You scoff, unable to believe he beat you.

"Sorry, sweetheart. You'll just have to get luckier next time. Now, c'mon, off with the pants. Please and thank you." His eyes flick to your lower half, waiting expectantly for you to show some skin.

"Ugh, fine!" You exclaim, undoing the button and zip of your jeans, pulling them off and tossing them to the floor. You lay back down on the bed, your red underwear on full display for him. He stares at them for a moment as you gather the cards to shuffle again. "You really like them, huh?" You ask, drawing him out of his lustful trance. You notice a bulge forming in his own pants, which only builds your anticipation for the next hand.

"Yeah, they look really sexy on you." He compliments, giving you a hungry look.

"Thanks, Eds." You deal out the cards again, and bet your shirt this time. Eddie sticks with his rings and necklace, and you play the hand out. You have two pairs, and he beats you again with three of a kind. "Dammit!" You shout in disappointment as you yank your t-shirt over your head. Your tits bounce as they're freed from the fabric, and you're one loss away from being completely naked.

"You're just all outta luck today, angel." He's feeling cocky, all he needs is one more hand to beat you. You mutter a couple swears under your breath, you're not a very good sport when you lose at games. You shuffle a third time, and deal once more.

The next two rounds thankfully go in your favor, stripping Eddie of his accessories and tie-dye shirt. You're tied now, one more round to put an end to it all. You're both holding your final hand now, having already exchanged cards. You're on the edge of your seat, so to speak, eager to see who wins this erotic game. "You wanna show them at the same time, baby?" You ask darkly, unable to hide just how aroused this game has made you. You've both been eating up every last bit of one another's flesh as it's been revealed, just waiting for the moment when you get to see more.

"Okay." He nods, meeting your anxious gaze with his own. You both place your hands down on the blanket, waiting a second to actually look at them. Once you do, you see that you've just barely beaten Eddie. He has three of a kind, whereas you have a straight. "You win, princess. Congratulations." He says lowly, wasting no time in taking off his pants. His dick slaps against his stomach, waiting for you to take hold of it. "You wanna come over here and claim your prize, Y/N?"

"I thought you'd never ask, baby." You crawl over to him on the bed, ignoring the cards spilling around everywhere. Eddie lays on his back as you prowl, stroking his cock lazily in his hand. You climb over him so your body looms above his. You lower your head to give him a kiss, slipping your tongue into his mouth a moment later. His free hand reaches up to your underwear, slipping beneath the luxe fabric to feel your soaked folds. You moan against him at the sensation. "I want you so bad, Eddie." You say breathlessly, your lips still brushing against his as you speak.

"I want you too, sweetheart. Can you take these off for me?" Eddie replies, tugging at the waistband of your panties. You nod, dragging the fabric over the curves of your ass and down your legs. You kick them away with your foot, and straddle Eddie's thighs.

You replace Eddie's hand with yours, slowly running your hollowed fist along his dick. He groans at your touch, wanting you to pick up the pace or move along to the main event. "You want me to ride you, baby?" You ask seductively.

"Please." He begs, his hands resting at your hips. You lift yourself upwards slightly, just enough to drag his tip against your pussy, spreading your arousal onto his length. His breath catches at you lubing him up, and you let out low moans as he repeatedly brushes against your clit. "Stop teasing, sweetheart. I need to feel you." He can't hide the whining in his voice, and his eyes stare up helplessly at you as you continue your tantalizing actions.

"God, I love it when you beg, Eddie. It's so fuckin' hot." You smirk at him, allowing the head of his length to slip inside your dripping cunt. "Fuck." You gasp, eyes fluttering shut. He's barely in you and he's already stretching your walls in the most delicious way. You slowly sink down, accepting every last inch of him. You bite hard on your lip, savoring the slight burn you feel from him filling you up so completely. "Oh, god." You moan with your eyes still blissfully closed. You lay on his chest as you adjust to his size, pressing your lips to his while you loosen up.

"You're so tight, angel. Holy shit." Eddie says lowly to you between kisses. He can't believe he's actually inside you right now, and you feel like absolute heaven around him. Warm, snug, and perfectly slick. He could stay just like this forever, holding you close as you're connected like matching puzzle pieces. His hands caress your back and sides, worshiping every inch of you he can reach while he waits for you to start moving.

"And you're so big, Eds. You fill me up so well." You squeeze around his length involuntarily, making him gasp.

"I really hope you're not just strokin' my ego, princess." He laughs lightly, his hands pressing firmly into your hips from you hugging his cock so tight.

"I wouldn't dream of it, darling. I'd never lie to you." You keep planting languid, hungry kisses to his mouth while you start to move. You gradually bring yourself upwards on his cock, almost letting him slip out, before sinking back down in one swift motion. Breathy moans leave both your mouths, and you repeat the action a few more times. Up...and down, up...and down, up...and down. You let out muted noises as Eddie brushes against your g spot with each landing.

"Fuck, sweetheart. You're still teasing, I can't take it." He whimpers, rolling your bodies over to take the lead. Your head rests on the pillows below, your legs spread wide with him still sheathed inside you. "Is this okay?" Eddie asks, looking down at you expectantly. He's desperate to get some real speed and friction going. But not without your permission, of course.

You reach up to cup his cheek, and wrap your legs around his waist to pull him closer. "Yes, Eddie. And please, don't hesitate to go as hard and as fast as you want."

"You like it rough, huh?" He questions with another filthy smirk. He says so much with so little, you really wish you knew how he does that.

"You seem to know me well enough, what do you think?" You tease, keeping up with his playfulness again. You enjoy pushing his buttons, hoping it'll make him go crazy on you.

"Is it so hard to give me a straight answer?" He says as he thrusts into you once. It's the perfect mix and deep and rough, just like you wanted. It steals your breath away, making your eyes roll into the back of your head for a moment. "Just tell me what you want, angel. And I'll happily give it to you." He speaks lowly in your ear, thrusting again to draw a low moan from you.

"Fuck, keep doing that. It feels so good, baby." You sigh as Eddie's lips meet your neck. He's marking you again, you're gonna look like a leopard by the time he's done with you. But you'll proudly wear love bites on every inch of your body, as long as they come from him.

"You got it, princess." Eddie picks up the pace, using the same amount of force as before. He pushes on your sweet spot over and over, which makes you all the more wet inside. He slips in and out of you so easily, your arousal dripping onto the bed with every shove into your cunt. "Shit, you're fuckin' soaked, sweetheart. Your pussy feels amazing." He groans, sending a shock of pleasure through you. His words are absolutely filthy, and his tone makes your heart pound in your chest.

"It's all for you, Eds." You moan out, grabbing hold of his back with your hands. Your nails dig into his skin, drawing another vulgar sound from his lips. Eddie continues to assault your neck as he fucks you, leaving hickey after hickey with his every moan. You're clinging to him, trying to keep him as close to you as possible as he ruts you into the bed. His body weighs heavily on yours, encapsulating you in excessive heat. But it's not enough, you want to be even closer. You wish you could crawl under his skin, to somehow fuse yourself to him and never let go. "Fuck, roll over, baby. And sit up against the headboard." You pant out, wanting to ride him like you originally planned.

"Is something wrong, sweetheart?" He asks, his face meeting yours with concerned eyes. His thrusts slow for a moment, and he wonders if he should stop altogether.

"No, definitely not. I just wanna be closer to you, Eds." You reply breathlessly, patting his shoulders to prompt him to obey your request. He does as you ask, managing to stay inside you while putting you on top again. He scoots back to lean against the headboard, and you straddle his lap in this new position. Your arms wrap around his shoulders, your chest pressing against his. "Perfect." You exhale as his tip is kissing your cervix at this angle. You press your lips to his, putting a pause on the sex for a moment. You want to take a moment to taste his mouth on yours, he's so addictive to you. "I love you, baby." You whisper to him between gentle smooches.

"I love you too, princess." Eddie's happy to return the sentiment, he can't get enough of you admiring him in such a way. His hands sit at your waist, slowly migrating downwards to grip the rounds of your ass in rough handfuls. You let out a quiet moan, your pussy flexing around his length at the aggressive action. "Fuck, Y/N. Gonna be the death of me if you keep doin' that." He whimpers. It isn't exactly easy for him to sit still with his dick encased by your soaked cunt, and you squeezing him like that makes it all the more difficult.

"You want me to start moving, darling?" You ask, biting your lip at the thrill of teasing him just a little bit more.

"Please." He says pitifully, it's taking everything in him to not thrust upwards into you right now.

"Mmm, you're so needy, baby. I'll never get over how sexy you sound like that." You smolder, before lifting your hips up to give you both what you want so badly. You allow yourself to fall back down, crying out in pleasure at the feeling of him hitting your g spot even better than before. You set a steady pace, allowing for plenty of sloppy kisses and bites being made on your bodies. You don't know where you start and Eddie ends at this point, and a roiling knot has been brewing inside you from the moment you first accepted his dick into your silk. Eddie's hands lead your hips to roll against him, and he punctuates your bounces with an occasional buck of his hips to steal your breath away. "Oh, Eddie. You feel so fuckin' good, keep doing that." You moan out, increasing your own speed to meet him in the middle. Your arousal continues to flow from you freely, making a small puddle on Eddie's abdomen.

"You're makin' a mess all over me, sweetheart. You're so perfect." Eddie praises, ramming his hips upwards to meet your every landing.

"I'm getting close, baby. Fuck me harder, faster. I need you to make me cum." You whimper the words, with no regard for just how much they affect the man moaning along with you. You feel the twisting ball inside you pulling tighter against its restraints, waiting to snap at any moment. Eddie's not far behind you, you're easily the best sex he's ever had.

"Turn around, princess. Hands and knees." Eddie commands, needing to take control to drive you both off that proverbial cliff. You hop off his lap, scrambling to get in position. He's half a step behind you, giving you a moment to grab onto the blankets before he shoves his length back into your needy hole.

"Fuck!" You cry out, and you feel Eddie's hands digging rougher than before into your hips. He hammers himself into you, the slapping of skin mixing with your obscene noises. His pelvis smacks against your ass, stinging your flesh from the force and wetness from your sweat and juices. "Just like that, Eds. Don't stop, make me cum. I'm almost there."

"I'm right there with you, angel. Your pussy is so fuckin' amazing, best I've ever had, so wet and tight and perfect in every way." Eddie's words spill from his lips haphazardly, he can barely think straight as his stomach begins to tense. You sense he's close, his movements have become unfocused.

"Cum with me, baby. I wanna feel you fill me up, claim me as yours. I can't get enough of your dick, baby. It's so fuckin' good." You allow every passing thought running through your mind to become verbalized, letting him know he's rocking your fucking world right now. Just a little more, and you'll both be in complete and utter bliss. Eddie unexpectedly snakes his hand around your front, his long fingers locating your clit to rub rapid circles around it. "Oh, god, oh, fuck!" You moan helplessly as his touch brings on the rapid buildup you've been waiting for. Your walls begin to flutter around him, signaling loud and clear that you're about to lose it.

"Fuck, Y/N." Eddie grunts, his own high taking over only moments before yours. His breath hitches, and his hips thrust into you even harder while his load shoots into you in thick white ropes. The warmth of his cum, mixed with his harsh bucking pulls you down with him.

"Eddie!" You practically scream as your thighs begin to shake. You clamp down on him, almost making him fall backwards with how mind-blowing it feels. Your vision blurs with stars, your entire body radiating with glowing ecstasy. Eddie stills inside you, allowing you time to ride out the wave of pleasure coursing through you. You collapse onto the bed, your ass in the air as you're still connected to him.

"You alright there, princess?" Eddie asks, exhaling heavily as he tries to catch his breath.

"Mmm, yeah. More than alright. That's easily the best sex I've ever had." You reply, sounding just as winded as he is. Eddie slowly pulls out of you, which proves quite the challenge as your pussy doesn't want to release him. You both let out muttered curses at how sensitive you are as he eventually removes himself.

"Shit, sweetheart. Never had anyone hold on to me so tight like this before." He says in awe, gazing at your glistening body as you still haven't moved from your awkward position yet. Your eyes are shut, your mouth letting out hot huffs of air. Your arms lay limp on either side of your head, and your legs are still spread open wide. Eddie eyes your cunt, licking his lips when he sees your mixed release oozing out of you. You're an impeccably gorgeous sight to him, and he can't resist crawling over to sample the sweet nectar currently pulsing from your slit.

"Shit." You mutter as his tongue makes contact with you. Light vibrations run against you as Eddie moans at the sweet, musky flavor you’ve created together. He continues to lick you clean, drinking up every last drop. You're still sparking from your previous orgasm, and you're dangerously close to having another. "Eddie, you're gonna make me cum again if you keep going." You warn with a whimper, which only spurs him on. He shoves his tongue into your pussy, scooping out every last bit of cum he can. The wet muscle manages to stroke your g spot repeatedly in its quest for bodily fluids, which causes another orgasm to rip through you. Stronger than the one before. "Oh, fuck!" You cry out, trembling all over again as you soak his face.

"Mmm." He groans at you giving him even more to taste, his hands grasping clumsily at your legs to hold you in place while he continues to consume you. He still doesn't stop, your pleasure building on top of itself, folding over in exquisite layers.

"You're so greedy, Eds." You sigh, letting yourself enjoy every second of his relentless appetite thoroughly. You expect to be brought to yet another high very soon.

"You just taste so delicious, sweetheart. I can't help myself." He speaks briefly before returning to his task. His statement is absolutely true, he doesn't know how he's going to eventually stop eating you out. You're like a goddamn drug, and he wishes to receive hit after hit until you tell him to stop. His dick twitches at every little sound you make in response, shining beads of his own release running down his shaft. It appears extending your pleasure has inadvertently done the same for his own.

"I'm getting close again, Eddie. I don't know how much more I can take." You whine, your legs twitching at every move he makes on you. The inevitable peak you're climbing towards is certainly going to be the strongest you've ever had, and you just know it's going to make a huge mess. You've never squirted before, but you have a sneaking suspicion that both you and Eddie will highly enjoy it.

"Just do one more for me, angel. You've been doing so well. Cum for me, Y/N." Eddie begs, before sucking harshly on your clit.

"OH, GOD, OH FUCK! EDDIE!" You're overtaken by white-hot flames, the heat consuming you from the inside out. Your entire lower half shakes violently, and you feel a massive gush of your cum splashing onto Eddie's face and down your thighs. "Fuck!" The sensation is nothing like you've experienced before. You almost feel a little embarrassed, as the only bodily function you could compare it to is...well, not something you'd want to release so easily onto another person. But all Eddie does is attempt to swallow as much of it as he can, as if he's dying of thirst. He doesn't pull away, or say anything judgmental. Clearly he knows more about this phenomenon than you, which puts your mind at ease a little.

"Damn, that was hot." Eddie says as he finally pulls away from you. The rest of your body falls onto the bed, totally spent. You've never cum so much or so hard before. Even the slight flow of air as the heating warms the house makes your cunt twitch in overstimulation. "I think we're gonna need another shower, though." He chuckles as he looks down at your juices glistening on his chest and stomach, not to mention between your legs. You made such a splash, it's not something he's personally seen very often. But, fuck he loves any opportunity to witness it.

"I second that. But I feel like I'm made of jelly now." You let out a weak giggle, groaning as you roll over onto your back.

"That good, huh?" Eddie smirks, meeting your tired eyes with his own.

"Oh, Eds. You have noooo idea." You manage to sit up, scooching yourself closer to Eddie to give him a gentle kiss. He returns it gingerly, leading you to lie down with him. He pulls you in real close, cuddling you in your radiating afterglow. You break away from the kiss, looking deep into his eyes with total admiration. He's too perfect, and this moment represents everything you've ever wanted in a relationship. True love, deep connection, not to mention incredible sex. "I wish we could just stay like this forever." You say, barely above a whisper.

"We can certainly try, Y/N." He replies, a single tear running down his cheek at your words. You both know it's borderline cruel to make such confident statements. Given your uncertain future regarding Vecna, and the police, and any potential lynch-mobs that might demand Eddie's head on a spit. But despite all of this, you want to hold onto hope. Hope that both of you will get what you once denied yourselves, what you both clearly deserve out of life. You've been through far too much in your lives. To find one another again after all this time, only to have your newfound happiness snatched away from you? No fucking way. You refuse to go down without a fight. You've beaten monsters before, and you sure as shit plan to do it again.

"You're damn right we can. I already lost you once, and I'm not gonna let it happen a second time." You speak emphatically, resolving to do everything in your power to keep Eddie safe.

"I love you so much, Y/N." He says weakly, trying so hard to keep from falling apart.

You smile calmly at him, wiping away the tears from his chin. "I love you too, Eddie. I promise we'll get through this. Together."

"Together." He parrots the word quietly, nodding his head. He has no idea what the future holds for either of you, or your band of monster-slaying misfits. But all he can do is hold onto the idea that once this shit is settled, he can have the chance to do the one thing he's wanted for far too long. To be your man, and to cherish you like the world's greatest treasure.

The end.

[ideasnstuff]

Chuuya has so much angst potential.

I genuily don't know why people ignore that.

They opt for Dazai angst instead.

Which is not bad, but Chuuya has way more complex angst than Dazai, whose problems come from HIMSELF.

Chuuya ends up being like Dazai, but he is like that because life hasn't been kind to him.

I think he is one of the most complex characters and I can understand Dazai's admiration and obsession.

He hides himself behind a mask, barely showing how he feels.

So seeing him break is so satisfying, yet quite painful.

Dazai showed who he is through Oda, Chuuya and other characters, but Chuuya is like a man trapped inside a soldier.

It makes me so sad.

I love skk because of this.

Dazai makes Chuuya be more free.

He can bicker with him, because he wants too, not because he has to.

So even though Chuuya "hates" Dazai, that hatred ends the moment he begins the think the reasons of this hatred.

He is fascinating.

The hero with a fate he cannot scape, but it doesn't define who he is and his character.

It's there, but Chuuya opts for ignorance.

"I don't do what I want, I do what it has to be done."

Consider yourself a pro if you recognize the quote ^^

[familiarscars]

Lost In Control | Bad Omens | CHAPTER 07

adult content | minors do NOT interact.

⋆ 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆. Bad Omens X ex-girlfriend and singer!Reader.

⋆ 𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒. You and Noah had a difficult ending but you still need to support each other for the band.

⋆ 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆(𝐒). melancholy, ex-boyfriends, difficult relationships, alcohol abuse, swearing, drug addiction, violence.

It's okay to not agree with the characters' attitudes during the fic. It's good to remember that the story is fiction from the author's sick mind and of course they will make dubious decisions according to my fantasies. Nothing is done to be compared to reality.

Richmond, Virginia, March 20, 2015

“Thank you so much for being here once again!” Gratitude seemed to pour from her voice and adorn her smile. Everyone at Pearl’s bar cheered whenever you stepped on stage and sighed in disappointment when you announced the last song.

It felt almost too surreal.

Gradually, a certain confidence began to settle, and the small stage of that bar—bathed in cozy, colorful lights, walls adorned with posters of '90s bands, and a warm audience—felt more and more like home. Maybe it was a bit arrogant to think you were born for this, but what if you were?

“Did I tell you how good you are today?” His voice reached you just as your hand slid over the zipper after storing the guitar away. You didn’t even need to turn around to recognize the presence that filled the space.

He’d been here. Every single day. For a month.

With the uncanny ability to make the blood vessels in your face dilate, painting your skin crimson, and sending chills up your arms just by hearing the timbre of his voice. Turning around and meeting his brown eyes, sparkling like a precious gem every time they met yours, sent your body into an involuntary reaction.

There was absolutely no way you could stop yourself from smiling when he was by your side, even if the swarm of butterflies nesting in your stomach caused a slight discomfort.

“You say that every time, Noah…” you muttered so softly you thought he hadn’t heard.

“That’s because I’m your biggest fan.”

After flashing a wavering smile and shaking your head to mask the flustered feeling creeping in, you went back to rolling up the sound cables. After every performance, it was your duty to tidy up the place and clean the empty bar before heading home.

Pearl had offered you a spot in the small house she shared with her son in the back of the bar. There weren’t separate bedrooms or many rooms to keep you from bumping into one another, but to you, it was perfect—a place to sleep, eat, and shower.

“Uh…” Noah seemed to rehearse his words, hands buried in his pockets and shoulders hunched as he followed you around the stage. “It’s not that late, and I was wondering if you’d like to go out with me?”

Your body froze in place for a few seconds, cables coiled around your fingers.

“I mean…” he rushed to correct himself. “Don’t get me wrong, please. It’s just an invitation to grab a drink or some food. I promise I’ll get you home before your parents notice you’re gone, or I can talk to them if you’d like, and…”

“I’ll go.”

Finally, he fell silent, his rapid string of words nearly robbing him of breath. Noah slumped his shoulders, and it was hard to tell whether he was surprised you’d agreed or just catching his breath after pulling an Eminem stunt.

“Cool!” was all he managed to say, still looking dazed.

“I just need to finish organizing the sound equipment and cleaning up the bar. If you don’t mind waiting.”

“No. No. No! Of course, I don’t mind waiting.” Noah assured, already glancing at the rest of the disorganized bar. “Actually, I’ve got a better idea.”

It didn’t take long for the place to become a true mess, thanks to Noah’s enthusiasm and the old jukebox in the corner with the help of a coin. Chairs atop tables, soapy water covering the floor, while you both wielded brooms, belting out a metal version of Love Story by Taylor Swift that you’d created. Noah handled the growls, and you performed the melodic verses, sliding across the slippery floor.

For the second time, it struck you how your voices complemented each other, even if it was just a silly game while cleaning a bar that reeked of stale drinks and cigarettes. He seemed to enjoy himself so much that, while pushing water across the floor, you couldn’t help but steal glances at his perfectly aligned smile—a masterpiece framed in laughter.

With unsteady steps dodging the puddles of soap, your body suddenly lost balance. Noah’s quick reflexes allowed him to drop his broom and catch you just in time before you hit the ground.

If there was music still playing, you couldn’t tell what it was anymore. A faint ringing buzzed in your ears as your eyes locked with his.

There wasn’t a single scientific explanation as to why his eyes gleamed so brightly in your presence, and even after seeing him every day for a month at the back of the audience, it still felt like the first time.

“Easy there, little storm!” His voice was soft, carrying a breath of mint as strands of his hair fell across his face. “A hospital date isn’t exactly on my agenda.”

Slowly, Noah helped you back to your feet, his laughter mingling with yours as you both steadied yourselves. Returning to your brooms, you remembered what you were supposed to be doing.

Pearl’s bar was finally back in order—chairs down, floor spotless, stage organized, dishes washed. The strong scent of disinfectant made Noah sneeze, drawing a laugh from you when you saw his reddened nose from the allergy. He kindly helped you gather your belongings, but as you were about to leave, heavy rain poured outside, making him groan in disappointment.

“This wasn’t part of the plan,” he grumbled, gazing at the downpour with a less-than-pleased expression. Somehow, he looked adorable, pouting like that.

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of the rain?” you teased, shrugging off your jacket and tossing it to the floor by the door along with your bag and phone.

“Wait! Where are you going?” Noah asked, furrowing his brows in a mix of concern, trailing after your mischievous smile as you walked backward into the rain. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to get soaked for no reason. We could wait it out or reschedule, and…”

“Boy, you’re so…”

“Boring?” he offered.

“Methodical,” you corrected, raising a finger in the air for emphasis. “You’re afraid of making mistakes, turning it into a constant competition with yourself to make everything perfect. But I have a question for you: When was the last time you felt free?”

The words seemed to strike him, and for a moment, you hesitated, fearing you’d overstepped, noticing how he froze in place. Life had always been a sea of opportunities to you, no matter what they were. You’d always felt alone, even in a crowd, and nothing had stopped you from living.

Nothing had cared enough to cage you, and that made you free.

The trance broke. Noah shook his head, banishing his inner doubts. A smile formed on his lips as he shed his jacket, tossing his phone alongside your things, and sprinted into the rain, squinting against the droplets.

You instinctively began running down the long, empty road, your laughter tangling with his, filling the air. Noah made it a race; taller than you, his long strides were worth two of yours.

Rain clung to your skin, hair plastered to your face, strands obscuring your vision as you desperately glanced over your shoulder, afraid of being caught. With a playful grin, he bit his lip, struggling to see through the downpour.

His laughter was the best song you’d ever heard, and your heart longed to play it on repeat until it soothed the storm raging inside.

When your legs gave out, surrendering, Noah caught you in a surprise move, hoisting you over his shoulder. Your laughter spilled freely, your stomach aching from the joy. Spinning together in the rain, the cold seemed insignificant as adrenaline warmed your bodies.

A dance without music moved you both as Noah clasped your hand, twirling you, your toes barely touching the ground. Every time you lifted your face to the sky, feeling the raindrops and cool breeze, your lips and his curved upward simultaneously.

Attempting another spin, Noah’s foot slipped, sending you both tumbling to the ground. He softened your fall with his arm, and once again, your eyes locked, separated only by the strange-tasting water falling from the sky and dripping from your chins.

Every detail of his face was perfectly sculpted, a maze where you could easily lose yourself—his deep, hopeful, and fiercely brown eyes.

“Don’t look at me like that, boy,” you whispered, almost breathless, as he propped himself up on one arm. “I’m still going to break your heart.”

“I dare you, little storm,” Noah said, his gaze fixed on you as though spellbound, his free hand brushing away a stray lock from your face to study it closely before claiming your lips in one swift motion.

Every ounce of turmoil that had knotted your insides over the past weeks washed away with the rain, as if a new sensation took over your body. Your arms looped around his neck, fingers threading through the damp hair at his nape. There was no other choice for him but to stay. You wanted him to stay.

Noah’s long fingers pressed into your back, gathering the soaked fabric of your shirt, pulling your bodies together with deliberate slowness. He cupped your face, deepening the kiss with an urgency that mirrored the moment he’d first crossed your path.

Noses brushing gently, you both smiled softly, his lips returning to yours. Tilting his head skyward, eyes closed as he murmured something unintelligible. Noah laughed softly, strands of his hair sticking to his forehead and the curve of his nose.

"Please, little storm, tell me I'll see you tomorrow," he whispered, almost like a plea, as his lips brushed against your skin, refusing to open his eyes.

"Absolutely, yes," your voice confirmed as you slowly lifted his face, your fingers tangling in the damp strands of his hair.

A second meeting in a dark basement isn’t exactly what you imagined.

Noah had come down with a terrible cold after last night’s adventure, and in an attempt to stop you from risking his life again, he suggested you come watch his band rehearse. His friends and bandmates were introduced as Folio, Jolly, and Ruffilo. The guys welcomed you with enthusiasm, and for a moment, you felt like you’d known them for years, so naturally did they make you feel part of their group.

“What’s with that face?” Ruffilo asked as soon as the first song ended, slinging his instrument off his shoulder. “Don’t tell me it’s that bad.”

“You have the privilege of seeing us play a private show, and that’s the face you make? Noah, your friend here is kind of rude!” The guy behind the drums joked in an easygoing tone, and you couldn’t help but laugh along with him.

Sitting cross-legged on the couch, you nibbled on your lip while munching on a bag of chips. It wasn’t like you were a music expert, though you’d been breathing it in like air for as long as you could remember, but you couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing.

“I think it was badass!” As soon as you spoke, everyone slumped their shoulders in relief.

“I take back everything I said about her.”

“But something’s missing…” you added, standing up from the couch and brushing your fingers together.

“I take back everything I just said about her.” The guy on the drums simply couldn’t stay quiet.

“Folio, let the girl speak!” Jolly interrupted, and Folio quickly mimed zipping his lips and throwing away the key. “What exactly do you think is missing? I’ve had that same feeling and would love to know I’m not going crazy.”

You began pacing back and forth, your steps deliberate, your fingers curling inside your jeans pockets. Jolly’s question made you reflect on the current metal scene. All their references seemed focused on hardcore, where every song followed a single rhythm.

“How about taking advantage of the fact that the band doesn’t have a set direction yet and trying something different? Like metalcore—it allows for a mix of guttural and melodic vocals, low tunings, and fast riffs. It keeps the sound fresh and avoids the songs blending into each other when the tracks change.” You finished your thought, and the guys exchanged looks as though a divine light had suddenly shone upon them. “Did I say something dumb?”

“Actually, you said something interesting…” Jolly seemed lost in thought for a few seconds, tapping his fingers on a wooden surface.

“Noah said you sing rock and punk at the bar where you work,” the guy holding an energy drink offered you some, but you politely declined. “Why not try doing the melodic vocals on one of our songs? I promise it’s just a test, and we’ll leave you alone afterward. But seriously, look at our desperate faces!”

Ruffilo made a dramatic pout, clasping his hands together like a kid begging for a new pet. Your body tensed at the idea of meddling where you didn’t belong, and you regretted even opening your mouth. Your gaze met Noah’s, who simply winked and nodded, his lips silently mouthing, “You’re good” over and over.

Suddenly, his hand appeared next to yours, holding a microphone. As much as you wanted to refuse, the words stuck in your throat as Noah took your hand and placed the mic in it.

There was no turning back.

“THAT WAS FUCKING AWESOME!” Folio yelled as he struck the final cymbal.

“You were absolutely right! We needed to combine guttural and melodic vocals!” Jolly, almost talking to himself, continued tapping his fingers on a wooden surface. He gave what looked like the shadow of a smile, and that seemed like a good sign.

“So it seems my plan worked…”

Noah surprised you by wrapping his arms around you from behind, planting a kiss on your temple and lingering as he inhaled the scent of your hair.

“Plan?” You turned abruptly to face him.

“I brought you here because ever since I first saw you at the bar and we sang together, I knew I wanted you to sing with me in my band—now our band—and I won’t take no for an answer!” he declared, pinching the tip of your nose. “You’re good. You’re really good!”

Your shocked gaze flicked from him to the other band members, who looked just as excited as he was.

“Welcome to Bad Omens, little storm.”

After saying goodbye to the boys, Noah promised to drive you home. While he finished grabbing his things from the garage, you decided to step outside for some air and take the opportunity to smoke a cigarette.

Becoming the vocalist of a band at this point in your life wasn’t exactly on your bingo card for the year, and you had no idea how you’d balance it with your job at the bar, especially since saving money was still your top priority. But everything had felt so simple down there. There was no trace of her voice in your head telling you that your voice was as cursed as the abomination you were. There was absolutely nothing capable of stealing the feeling that coursed through you every time your voice and Noah’s harmonized.

It was impossible to predict where this would lead in the future, but for the first time, you felt happy. You belonged to something where you could be yourself without it costing you your freedom.

You were finally you.

Your thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the screech of tires on asphalt. Startled, you turned to see a car speeding toward you from the other side of the road, threatening to mount the sidewalk where you stood. In an impulsive move, you threw yourself to the side, landing hard on the rough, gravel-strewn ground, a gasp of pain escaping your lips.

When you looked at the car—one you knew all too well—your entire body tensed, frozen on the ground. For a moment, you forgot about the scrape on your arm as your eyes locked on the driver.

“Found you, little girl,” Seth announced, grinning beneath his scruffy beard.

“Hey, what’s going on out here?” Noah’s voice, muffled by his hurried footsteps, cut through the tension. As he approached, Seth rolled up the window and shifted into reverse, speeding away down the wrong side of the road.

When Noah got closer, his brows furrowed as he tried to make sense of the situation. He quickly crouched down, and you threw yourself into his arms. Without saying a single word, you clung to him so tightly that your fingers dug deep into his skin, your legs trembling uncontrollably.

“Shhh,” he whispered, wrapping his arms even tighter around you to hold you securely. “I’m not going anywhere.”

But everything seemed to hit your mind all at once. In seconds, you weren’t in Noah’s arms anymore—you were somewhere else, a filthy place as vile as your skin felt and as repulsive as the stench surrounding you. Your arms and legs turned immobile, locking up like a cramp, as the sensation of him closing in grew stronger and stronger. You wanted to scream, but nothing came out. He had severed your vocal cords because he enjoyed watching you cry.

Seth had stolen everything from you. And no matter where you tried to rebuild yourself, their shadow would always be there.

⭑ @collisionofyourkissmakesitsohard ; @anarchydomainglory ; @iluvmewwwww75 ; @foliosgirl

[fanfics-i-find-here]

Do I know you?

Jason Todd X Reader

Synopsis: In the aftermath of a brief Kidnapping, Red Hood seems to think your important and wont stop hanging around your apartment.

Or in other terms, Jason got scared you were gonna die and doesn’t want to leave you alone

Notes: Reader is a waitress at a local bookstore/coffee shop that Jason frequents and he has grown very fond of her. They are vague acquaintances And she does not know that Jason is Red Hood. This is literally my first-ever attempt at a fanfic and Jason Todd has been rattling around in my brain. I might attempt to make this like a short series or something. Anyway, I hope it's enjoyed!!

“I think I have a new favorite stalker,” you say loudly out your open window.

 Keeping your window open in Gotham was probably the worst idea you could ever have but your curiosity got the better of you when started to notice the fleeting red hanging out across the street and occasionally on your fire escape over the past two weeks. At first you were worried considering your recent encounter with Scarecrow as an attempted research rat.

However, the longer the red stayed near the easier it became to recognize. His helmet was shiny, which is what made it so easy to spot him. How that was helpful to a vigilante you didn’t know. Red hood was watching you and you had a feeling it was to make sure you were okay. You had heard of other bats checking on Civilians after traumatic incidents when they could, but every night for two weeks seems a bit excessive and he hasn’t actually talked to you. So what was he doing?

With no response to your jab, you lean out your window and repeat yourself, making a point to stare at the red helmet on the building across the street.

“I said I think I have a new favorite stalker!” You continue to stare him down.

Even in the minimal street lighting you can see his body tense, ready to run.

“Maybe he’d like to chat?” you tilt your head in questioning. You don’t why you asked. You were bad at keeping a regular conversation. If he came over and did, in fact, decide to chat, it might end up a short conversation. 

A clattered thud pulls you from your thoughts and you gaze turns from the opposite roof top to the very large man now standing on your fire escape next to your window. You can’t help but stare at him. 6” something and built like a brick wall. Intimidating even leaning against the building.

Was he this big when he saved me?

“Hi?” is the only response you could muster. The urge to slam the window closed and shut your curtains itches at your finger tips. He stares at you, or at least you assume as much, the helmets white eyes giving away nothing. No wonder people were terrified of Red Hood. You haven’t even done anything wrong and you could wet yourself  right here and now.

“Hi” You don’t know why your shocked to hear the modulated voice. He had talked to when he saved you from Scarecrow but it was still strange to hear. Slightly robotic but definitely a person underneath.

You realize that, maybe, you’ve been staring for too long.

“Tea?” you back away from the window and head for the kitchen expecting him to follow, as well as taking a moment to breath.

You just invited a good/bad vigilante into your home! What is wrong with you?  Your mind is a swirling, anxious debate as you fill your kettle.

“I only have Green tea, I hope you don’t mind.” you yell from the kitchen, unsure if he was even in the apartment.

“Not at all” His voice is close then you anticipated, assuming he stay close to the window.

Instead you turn to find him sitting comfortably at your dining room table, watching you move about the kitchen. He looks out of place in your soft warm toned home. His brown leather jacket the only thing that could blend in. The harsh red bat on his chest sticking out like a sore thumb. Your gaze lingers a moment at the holsters on his thighs, suddenly realizing that if he wanted to do something to you, you were screwed. You turn back to your cabinets and pull out a couple of mugs, pushing away the thoughts. Red Hood was good guy, despite what previous attempts at bad he had in the past. You stand at the counter and stare at your kettle, willing it to heat faster. After a moment, You hear a distorted sigh.

“You wanted to talk?” Red Hood asks

You shrug your shoulders without turning, not entirely prepared for a conversation just yet. Red Hood doesn’t push you. The kettle begins to whistle, and you pour the two mugs, settling tea bags into them. You pick them up and set one in front of red hood, and settle into the seat opposite his, blowing on your tea. You take a sip and promptly burn your tongue, hissing in pain.

“it’s hot”

Your eyes fly up to Red Hood. You choke out a thanks, Having not realized he had taken off his Helmet. You let eye linger across his face, very handsome. A scar on his lips, that rests in a smirk, and another across his cheek. As you eye move up you let out a startled laugh, Another mask keeps his eyes hidden.

“What?” He asks, The smirk on his lips grows.

As your laughing fit slows, you pause to breath.

“You wear two masks.” You pause waiting for him to laugh. All he does is furrow his brows.

“it’s funny” you insist but he doesn’t respond. You settle down again. Well as much as you can considering the man in front of you, staring at your mug, slightly embarrassed

“So I’m your favorite stalker? You got a few?” Red's voice rings out in the silence. It’s rough and deep, like he’d been yelling.

A flush creeps up your face. If you were embarrassed before, you were definitely embarrassed now. It had taken you all day to come up with the throw away comment. You thought It was funny. You also didn’t think you would get this far in your interaction with Red Hood.

“Not really, just the one I hope” you chance a glance at him to find him still unsettlingly staring at you as a he takes a sip of his tea, now cooled. Your mind searches for what else to say.

“That’s good, I wouldn’t want that either” Jason finally breaks eye contact with you, looking around your apartment.

With his stare no longer on you, you take the opportunity to really take him in. Despite the scars on his face, there was kindness there. And despite his intimidating stature, he seemed to pull himself in, like he was afraid to take up space. His forearms exposed through his suit. What a weird design. Not that you were complaining. Overall, Red Hood was hot. You flush at the thought.

“Thank you, by the way” you rush out, “for saving me… it really means a lot”

Jason turns his gaze back to you. You brave up and hold his stare. Suddenly thinking, he looks familiar. You furrow your brows for a moment.

“Do I know you?” You ask before you can stop yourself. You physically cringe and try to back track.

“I mean, obviously I know you, you saved my life and all but I mean like I know your face? Maybe, not that it matters. Course you wouldn’t tell me if I did know your civilian identity because then it wouldn’t be a secret. I just think I know your face but that doesn’t mean that I want you to tell me. And maybe you just have one of those faces…” you continue to ramble some more. Jason watches you carefully and finishes his tea. You pause to breath in your rant and he jumps in.

“Thanks for the tea” he grabs his Helmet, sliding it on before continuing, voice changed, “and your welcome, for saving you.”

You watches as he walks back toward the window, frozen and unsure what to do. As climbs out onto the fire escape you yell out.

“Your welcome and you don’t have to hide outside, you can come in next time.”

He’s gone before even finish the sentence. You sink back in your chair.

What is wrong with you? Why are you so awkward? That was terrible!

You try to push the interaction from your mind as you close the window and go about spot cleaning your apartment. Once done your anxious thoughts return.

This is going to be a long night. You think as you turn into bed.

[dollyonm0lly]

hi, hope all goes well!! So imagine slave reader gets pregnant at a party. no clue who of the two is the father. A few months later they meet you again, they are super jealous of someone and before you know it you they both fuck you becore the rest of the group, o they think the other person is the father or something (reason why they jealous)

Oh, so we are in for some possessive fuck today, huh? <3

They are watching you, you know they are, you can feel their gaze deep within your flesh, prickling, itching, causing a shiver so powerful to run through your entire body that if it were not for your duty at today’s festivities, you would have been paralyzed on the spot. Your duty today was like every other in every party, serving and entertaining the guests. With your head bowed in respect, you walk around the surroundings with an elegant jug of wine in your hands, your shallow attention span proving to be a major problem under the circumstances, it’s always a little hard not to bump into anyone in your path when you can only locate yourself by the tide of feet in front of you, you think. You can already feel a little bit nauseous.

From afar, both emperors watch from their shared sofa as you walk around dazed in the party, Caracalla can feel a little laugh bubbling in his chest after more than a few glasses, his body relaxed in the comfort of all the fluffy cushions, his head resting on one of his palms, but Geta, Geta couldn't feel more rigid, his body restless where he sits, one of his hands against his lips, with a closer look, it is possible to see the way he bites and tears at the skin near his nails, an attitude not so appropriate for an emperor.

They both watch intently as you carelessly walk around and bump into one of the guests, a young man they notice, but with an unfamiliar face. The young man turns to you, his hand quickly rising to slap you across the face, the act by itself already being enough to make Geta and Caracalla feel alert from where they are, perhaps prepared to put an end to the confrontation when needed to, when the man's hand stops in mid-air, and he inspects you, still with your head low in respect. Something in the man seems to shine as he recognizes you, a smile spreading across his face as he lifts your head, one of his hands on your chin to see you better. The brothers can feel their blood run cold, seeing how the young man smiles so casually at you, one of his arms circling your body, landing his hand on your shoulder, bringing you closer to his body as he introduces you to those he was previously talking to, a slight blush of embarrassment on your face at the new found attention on you, as you serve the glasses of your new conversation partners.

Geta can feel his eye twitch in discomfort, and Caracalla, clicks his tongue inside his mouth in irritation, pushing off aggressively with his leg the slave boy who until then was lying down and caressing his thigh. How dare he, how dare YOU, acting as if you were equal to their guests, acting as if they weren't watching your every movement, acting as if you weren't completely theirs, their property. Are your smiles fake at this moment? What are you laughing about? They question themselves. You haven't laughed like that when you were with them at other parties.

You feel a faint kick in your belly, making you gasp slightly in reaction. The young man next to you gives a slight chuckle, taking his hand that is not on your shoulder to lightly touch your tummy. It soon seems to become the current topic of conversation the conversation. Apparently, it has become already difficult to hide your pregnancy from the public eye, but you knew this moment would come. With an awkward laugh, you try to hide your discomfort in the new situation and, in a fatal mistake, you end up letting your curiosity win, slowly traveling your eyes to where both emperors sit. They were already looking at you, displeased. Geta's jaw clenched, Caracalla's eyebrows furrowed, both of their cups empty. With a small movement of his two fingers, Geta orders you to go to them.

The walk to the sofa where they sit is rough on your body, you can feel your legs shaking as if they were going to give up on you, your face lowers again, but their gaze is still vivid in your memory, especially the one they had at that last party… You feel like you could vomit, nervousness takes over you, no words have been exchanged about your current pregnancy between you and them, you never thought you would be in front of them again, you never thought you would see those you think could be the fathers of the being you cultivate within you again, and now, you fear what the consequences might be. You stop, now in front of the sofa, time seems to stop, and a momentary silence falls between the three of you, while the rest of the room continues to be full of conversation and laughter.

“Fill” - Geta says simply, his eyes never leaving your figure, as he raises his own cup towards you, - “And then sit with us” - he adds, watching as with trembling hands you serve both his and Caracalla's cups, who wastes no time in also positioning his in your direction. You carefully return to your initial position, relieved by the success of not having spilled a single drop given your screaming anxiety, and then do as he told you, positioning yourself in the middle of both of them on the sofa, your body thanking you for the rest after so many hours of the day on your feet.

Silence falls again, you grip the jar tightly in your lap, your gaze never straying from the party happening in front of you, a bead of sweat running down your forehead just at the thought of having to look them in the eye.

“Your skin looks smoother than the last time we saw you” - You hear Geta commenting to your right, his voice surprisingly close, as if he expected you wouldn't hear him if he weren't so close to your ear, close enough for you to be able to hear his breathing clearly, with the new proximity, you feel his leg brush against one of your thighs.

“And such shiny hair, it looks healthy” - Caracalla comments in his drunken state, approaching in a way that is not as subtle as his brother, you now feel the weight of the Emperor's head on your left shoulder, he leans there, taking one of his fingers to play with your strands of hair, twisting them as if he were going to define a curl, as well as bringing it close to his nose so he could smell it, causing shivers to run down your body. Taking advantage of his head already resting on your shoulder, he gently wraps his two arms around your body, taking the opportunity to feel the relief of your belly against him, both brothers with their gaze fixed on it. - “You indeed look much prettier” - he whispers happily, finally having you in his arms after that horror show that was seeing you talk to that young man from before, Caracalla closes his eyes and lets out a contented giggle.

“I have missed you…” - You hear Geta whisper in your ear, leaving his glass aside just as his brother had done, now with both free hands, taking one to run over your chest, then to your belly where he lets it rest for a few more seconds, and down to your thigh. - “Your body... Your voice, your smell. You smell so good today…” - he continues, seeming to drift off into a daydream now that he can have you so close to him, earning a humming of agreement from his brother.

“Feel so needy when not with you…” - Caracalla pouts in a sly voice, giving right after a light chuckle, seeming to find his own words amusing, even if they are true. With the hand that he had kept on your waist until now, he lowers it, to yours, and takes one, bringing it to his groin, rubbing your palm against the clear tent present there beneath robes. You gulp, your eyes still fixed in front of you, you watch the young man from before chatting around the party, oblivious to your current situation, the act by itself going unnoticed by Caracalla, too busy moaning against your neck while satisfying himself with your hand, but not by Geta, who, disgusted by your attention being on something other than them, turns your face to his in a sudden movement, capturing your lips in a fervent kiss.

The intensity of the kiss makes you immediately lean back, now bumping against Caracalla's chest, who holds you promptly, letting you rest your body against his, Geta's lips follow yours, his body now covering yours on the sofa, his hands going to your waist and staying there. - “I better not catch you doing that again, or the consequences will be bad for him” - He warns, his gaze serious, as his hand rests on your belly, you control the moan that wants to escape your lips, distressed by the attention it might attract.

“Poor thing, she must be so sore here, let me help you” - Caracalla whispers behind you, you can feel the excitement in his voice as he reaches both of his hands to your swollen, heavy breasts, his touch easing the ache there as he lifts them in his hands, teasing them tenderly like a passionate lover, watching your nipples become hard beneath the fabric, he makes sure to run his thumb over them, causing tickling and shivering sensations all over your body. - “This beautiful pair is ours alone, right? Ours alone to touch, to taste, to have…” - He questions you, a smile growing on his lips when your only response is incomprehensible sounds and embarrassment written all over your face, you feel his hand bring yours to him again, but this time, he sneaks it beneath his red robe, making you feel the hot, rigid skin of his cock. With a needy moan, you begin to stimulate him in your palm, receiving a moan in return from its owner.

“She is entirely ours, everything about her. And everything she has…” - Geta answers his brother, his gaze intense, and you can perceive the connotations between the lines of his statement, Geta's hand pressing against your belly making his message clear. He sighs, lowering his head so he can rest it on your collarbone, one of his hands walking down your body until it reaches below your clothes, feeling you, feeling the wetness of the region inside your thigh, all the fluids that come out of you, until he reaches your sticky and pulsating center, earning a little cry from you when he runs his index finger all over your slit, gathering your excitement and bringing it to your clitoris, rubbing you, the sensation is too much together with the stimulation in your breasts, you are just so sensitive all over. - “Why don't you say it yourself?” - He suggests, his eyes closed as he feels your sweaty skin against his face, his fingers working you. - “I’ll give you a gift if you do.” - You can feel him removing his hand from your belly to take it to his own clothing, stimulating himself underneath as well, everything is so risky, so many people around…

“I…” - You hesitate, and they notice, the mood between you changes, and in a slightly clumsy movement, Geta forces your lower body closer to his, aligning his cock with your dripping pussy under your clothes, not caring how much the position might draw attention from others. Caracalla, on the other hand, helps his brother to position you better, bringing you to his own lap and opening one of your legs a little for them, his cock now rubbing against you as much as his brother's, Geta. Caracalla brings his lips to the side of your neck, biting the spot, eliciting a cry from you that you try to contain, your mouth opens in a perfect "o". - “N-not here…” - You say softly, your head spinning, daring to revolt your emperors.

“Yes, here” - Caracalla responds looking dissatisfied, his hand gripping hard your neck which until then he had been biting, possessive, as if you had the possibility of running away if he let go of you. - “Will the child's weak father get mad if I play with mommy a little?” - He says mockingly, looking annoyed, which causes a look of confusion on your face.

“N-no, he's –”, You try to speak, but are stopped by Geta slapping roughly one of your thighs.

“Enough" - He commands, and with hungry eyes, he thrusts himself abruptly inside you, Caracalla using his hand to adjust himself and join his brother in your pussy, both of them going in a little more easily than expected given your wetness, but still deliciously painful. You moan without a care in the world, the jug that was in your hand finally falling from the grip that one of your hands had on it, falling to the floor and shattering into thousands of pieces and wine. The room becomes silent, not a soul utters a word, all eyes on you, and you can't even open your own to face the various expressions around you.

You can't see anything, but Geta and Caracalla can, and their eyes are fixed on the young man from before, assessing his troubled expression. A sick smile appears on both of their faces, satisfied, and then they begin to finally move inside you in the silent room, the only sounds present being your moans from the most perverted state of mind a being can reach, very lost in your pleasure and in how your body moves with theirs, the sloppy noises of them entering and leaving you, Geta's fingers stimulating your clitoris, Caracalla enjoying your entire body and curves with his hands. The room slowly returns to what it was before, conversations and laughter, perhaps, everyone is already accustomed to the dirty acts of the Emperors, but the brothers know what this means, they won, you are theirs, and everyone knows it.

“Yours… Hmm, yeah, yeah, yours only” - You moan for them, drool dripping down your chin as you lose yourself in the pleasure of having them both pound into you. And when they hold you down, locking your hips in place, claiming you as theirs as you clench and gush around their cocks, you know there’s no escape.

“Shhh, it’s okay, gonna take good care of our little family” - You hear one of them whisper sweetly, still feeling them moving inside you even after you've come, but you can only giggle out of it at the promise of a future.

[yezzns]

{10:47pm}

pairings: idol!yeonjun x gn!reader

wc: ≈740 words

genre: angst, implied strangers to lovers, lovers to exes, right person wrong time (?) trope.

warnings: lame attempt of angst, self destructive relationship, yj kinda plays the victim, one (1) curse word.

not proofread

The city was cloaked in the heavy embrace of night, the distant hum of traffic blending with the steady drizzle that fell from the sky. You sat in the corner of your once-shared apartment, the flickering light from a lone lamp— the one you bought on your first anniversary, casting eerie shadows on the walls. The room, once filled with laughter and love, now felt like a tomb of broken dreams and shattered promises.

More under the cut!

Yeonjun stood by the window, staring out into the rain-soaked streets, his silhouette a stark contrast against the glass. His shoulders were tense, his posture rigid. The silence was suffocating, filled with unspoken words and unresolved pain, but in retrospect, it’s been like this for a while, so long that you can barely remember anything but this.

“How did we get here?” Your voice was a whisper, barely audible over the patter of rain against the window. Hugging your knees to your chest while trying to contain the storm of emotions swirling inside you.

Yeonjun didn’t even turn to face you— coward. “I don’t know,” he replied, his voice hollow, devoid of the warmth it once held. “I really don’t know.”

Your heart ached at his indifference. You had been so in love, so certain that nothing could come between you. But now, standing on the edge of a precipice, you can’t recognize the person he has become. Or maybe it’s yourself you can’t recognize, months have passed since the last time you felt at ease.

“Is this it, then? Are we really ending things like this?” You scoffed, trying to ignore the nauseous feeling. You hated how desperate you sounded, how broken.

Yeonjun finally turned to look at you, his eyes filled with a mixture of anger and sorrow. “You know my career is important for me,” he said, his voice tinged with bitterness. “How selfish do you have to be to make me choose between my dream and you?”

Tears welled up in your eyes, but you blinked them back, refusing to let them fall. “I didn’t—” you started, voice trembling. “I never wanted you to choose, but I’m so fucking unhappy. You’re never here anymore.”

His expression softened for a moment, but then the hardness returned. “And you think it’s easy for me? That I’m not exhausted?” he said. “I gave up my whole youth for this, ___. I can’t go around wasting my time in distractions.”

Well, ouch. The words hung in the air, heavy and final. You knew he was right. And you had become a twisted version of what you once were, love poisoned by insecurity, unmet expectations and lack of communication. But knowing it didn’t make it hurt any less. After a while, you broke the silence, just to make this moment last.

“Do you remember the first time we met?” Your voice barely a whisper. “You were so offended that we didn’t serve ramen at the restaurant.”

A sad smile tugged at the corner of Yeonjun’s lips. “Yeah, I remember. And then the next week you added it to the menu.”

You laughed softly, the sound tinged with sadness, thinking of the way he’d stop by your parent’s restaurant every week after that, a little hiding spot in his almost non existent free time. “And now look at us. We’ve come so far, only to end up like this.”

Yeonjun took a deep breath, the weight of their shared past pressing down on him. “Maybe... maybe it’s for the best,” he said, though his voice lacked conviction. “Maybe we need to focus on what really matters again, get our lives back on track.” What really matters.

The thought of a life without him was unbearable, yet the thought of continuing this toxic dance was equally painful. What felt like a daydream soon turned into a nightmare, the promises he couldn’t keep of balancing his career and your relationship, the forgotten birthdays, missed calls and the cold shoulder you’d give him out of spite. It was self-destructive.

But oh, the good days. Your first month together lingered in your mind for longer than you wanted it to. When it was all about stolen kisses, passionate touches and getting to know each other.

“I wish things would’ve ended different,” he continued, glistening gaze with unshed tears drifting to a picture of the two of you hung up on the wall.

“I wish things never ended.” You replied with a sad chuckle. “It feels like you don’t care.”

He sat in silence, ignoring your statement, the rain a constant backdrop to your unraveling. There were no more words left to say, no more apologies or promises that could mend the fractures in your hearts. All that remained was the painful acceptance that sometimes love wasn’t enough.

Yeonjun moved toward the door, the finality of his actions like a knife to your heart. He paused for a moment, his hand on the doorknob. “Take care of yourself,” he said softly, his voice filled with a sorrow that matched your own.

“I love you,” you replied, your voice barely a whisper as you didn’t expect an answer.

And with that, he was gone, leaving you alone in the dimly lit apartment, the echo of his presence lingering in the shadows. The weight of your goodbye crashed down on you as his steps became inaudible, the possibility of never seeing who you thought was the love of your life again being more than you could handle.

In the quiet of the night, surrounded by memories of what once was, you allowed herself to grieve. Your love had been beautiful and passionate, but it had also been destructive and painful. And now, as you faced the prospect of a future without him, you knew that healing would take time.

And maybe, just maybe, you would look back and remember not the pain, but the moments of love and laughter that had once defined what you had.

A/N: this is my first time writing omg 🥴. English is not my first language so I’m sorry for any mistakes, I don’t know if I could express the feeling I wanted to but I’m really content w this work!

[thebomb-thebird-andtheburntbitch]

Wishing on Golden Stars [6]

His Name

genre: isekai, slow burn, fluff, hurt/comfort, humor(?)

chapter warning(s)!!!: illness recovery [aches/pains/typical sick symptoms]

chapter w.count: 2.6k

a/n: a bit of a short chapter, but i had no choice since the next planned one is special :3 i didn't wanna shove too much into this one leading up to it hehe

It’s loud. Louder than your foggy mind can handle. Your eyes twitch behind your eyelids, but you can't open them despite your best efforts. Your body feels like it’s made of tungsten on top of being absolutely sore. It was hot one moment, heat covering you in sweat, and the very next it was so cold your only wish was to curl more into the blankets that were covering you. At least you were in a comfortable bed, or that’s what it feels like. 

Swallowing feels terrible and you doubt if you tried speaking anything not pathetic would come out. A sense of deja vu creeps into the forefront of your mind above the foggy, dense haze of illness. 

A weak cough leaves your throat, followed by a low-toned groan as your face scrunches up. You just barely manage to shift your body around under the covers, but stop short when the aches and pains of fever and not moving for days on end hold you down. Giving up quickly, you let heavy breaths leave your lips and before too long you feel a light pressure on your forehead. 

“..ou ..ake..?” There’s a muffled voice swimming around you, feeling like it’s going from right to left and back again. You hear it again and you just groan back. The feeling of something on your forehead moves and soon it's a fleeting presence on your cheek. It’s soft and tickles. 

The voice that seems to be addressing your out of focus consciousness feels far away one second and louder the next.; presumably shouting something before once again speaking softly. You feel a whisper on your skin, as if the person trying to speak to you was so close to your face their breath wisps over you. You try once more to pry your eyes open, and you succeed- a little at least. 

The world is nothing but a swirl of colors and shapes that loosely take on the form of things you should recognize. You're afraid that if you blink you won't have the strength to open your eyes again, still you take a chance since the light and sudden shift from shut eyes to now not shut eyes after days immediately make them water. Luckily, you can blink successfully without losing eye-opening progress. Your vision slightly clears and the blurry thing in front of you is now at least identifiable as a person. 

“/n.. wake…?” You hear the person above you speak again and catch a few more words than before. With little strength, you swivel your head on the pillow it rests on to try and look around. Maybe if you try looking around your senses will clear more. Your attention isn’t allowed to wander far before that light pressure that has remained on your cheek pushes your head gently back to face upwards. “‘On’t stra… urself…” You feel a little proud that you can actually guess what they said that time. ‘Don’t strain yourself’. You comply easily. 

There’s a sort of commotion coming and going like waves of sound that slowly get more and more clear. There’s a new presence on the other side of your body that’s followed by a grip on your arm to lift it from under your covers. Your soreness and the new pressure that wasn’t nearly as gentle as the one still lingering around your face makes you wince. Someone barks something at the other and the new pressure around your wrist lessens in intensity. 

You must’ve fallen back asleep because the next time you can open your eyes it’s far darker in the room than before. Before, the light caused your eyes to hurt but now the darkness is comfortable. A small flicker of something is detected overhead, or maybe it was behind you? It casts moving shadows along the walls that were much clearer to see than before as well.  

You can hear the nighttime crickets chirping and the wind billowing against the house outside. Judging by the faint crackling you hear, you imagine the moving shadows in the dark room are being caused by a candle or something of the sort. Your senses have cleared up a far cry from earlier- if that was even the same day- and you lay there with half lidded, dazed eyes. 

Taking a deep breath, the cool night air from the window above you filter in through your mouth and nose. You immediately start coughing from its chill sliding into your throat and sinuses. Something moves in the room with you and soon whatever it is comes to your side. Reopening your eyes from your fit you can see what’s in front of you. Who’s hovering over you with worry etched deeply into his stupidly pretty face. 

“M’ ‘ord…?” Your voice is scratchy and weak and just plain pathetic. It’s dry and hurts. Ayato’s face swirls from concern to bewilderment. 

“You truly see me now?” He shakes his head in astonishment and makes haste to the small pitcher of water he has his staff change out regularly so that it’s never stale and always ready to drink. He pours one small ochoko and comes back to you. He sets the small, palm sized clay cup down at his side, careful not to catch it on his overly long suit sleeve he hasn’t yet changed out of. “Do you think you can handle sitting up?” His voice is gentle like calm water in a pond. Ayato sounds like he half expects you to reject the idea. 

You move your head in affirmation. You want to soothe your throat; it doesn't matter with what. Water, tea, medicine? Something. 

“...try,” you whisper. Ayato nods and starts moving. Curling his arm under your shoulders and as gently as he can, the Commissioner starts aiding you. Your tense stomach that tries to pull yourself to sit up strains with a soreness that pings through all the way into your back. When you finally sit up successfully, your bottom feels like it’s about to go numb all the way from your tailbone up to your shoulder blades and you wince as you curl forward to try and counteract all the laying down you’ve been doing. 

Your legs hurt, your shoulders ache and your head still has a killer pounding in it. Regardless, it feels leagues better sitting up again after who knows how long. Ayato has shifted so he sits beside the futon you’ve been in for nearly the past week. His arm stays around your shoulders to keep you from flumping back down and also to give you his own strength to lean against. 

“Here,” he eases when he brings the ochoko up to your chin. Ayato was fully content on giving you the drink himself, but he quietly huffs when your hands weakly come to cup over his and drink it- more or less- yourself. Taking small sips, Ayato never knew how slowly an ochoko of anything could be drank before. The candle he has burning on the table with his now abandoned work produced three new drips of wax down its column by the time you finish. “Do you need any more?” His voice remains quiet, both from habit of nighttime as well as to not overwhelm you. You shake your head, he sets the ochoko aside again. “How are you feeling?” 

“Awful,” you groan. The commissioner chuckles behind you and you feel it through your shoulder that’s pressed under his arm that still remains curled around you. 

“You’re already showing much more improvement than before.” 

“Before?" Your brows dip in thought. "When it was so noisy?” 

“That’s correct. I’m shocked you remember since your consciousness didn’t last.” 

“I don’t very well. I could hardly process anything.” 

“I imagine.” 

Ayato’s thumb starts mindlessly rubbing your shoulder and you let out a deep breath, the first one you were able to take without coughing. His unconscious action was soothing and repetitive and calming. Feeling your body lean back into his side, he wonders if you wish to lay back down again. Shifting, he eases your body back down after adjusting your pillow and apologizes when you wince at the movement. 

“If you do not wish to sleep, that’s fine, but please rest some more.” 

You blow air through your lips and half roll your eyes. “I feel like that’s all I’ve been doing if how stiff I am is anything to go by.” 

“This rest is different from the rest you’ve been experiencing. This time, it’s simply because of the late hour,” he chuckles as he moves your hair from under your neck and once more pulling your covers up. “I won’t be leaving the room, so speak up if you need something… if you can.” 

Ayato stands to his feet and moves back and above your line of sight before you hear all the ornaments from his robe move and settle back down. You couldn’t very well move your neck to see where he had gone, but it must not have been far. When you try and stretch your neck up, his hand is immediately hovering over your eyes and pushing your forehead down with his fingertips. 

“Do not strain yourself. I’m not far.” 

‘Don’t strain yourself’.

The same words you slightly remembered deciphering before falling back asleep. Thinking back, in your haze the way that voice sounded was close to Ayato’s. Perhaps it was him. How long had he been here? How long have you been sick? 

“...Were you working?” You're hesitant to start a conversation. Even if you’re ill and recovering, it feels nice having time with him like this. Where you didn’t quite feel like just another retainer under his family. 

“I was.” 

“Sorry for interrupting it.” 

“You aren’t.” 

You close your eyes when his fingers finally pull away from your skin and the attempted conversation fizzles out. You have no idea what to talk about. On top of that, your mind was still hazy, and your throat was still sore even with water in your system now. It would be best if you just stay quiet, especially if he was working. 

The sounds of him writing words and making tick marks on papers that he flips through accompanied by the sound of the night just outside the window easily relaxed your heavy body. Surely, you’d feel better by the time the sun rises. 

“Six days, huh?” The morning came and you're feeling insanely better. Apparently, once your consciousness finally came back to you, recovering was just a matter of time. Sitting in the futon that had been like a cocoon to you the past five days, the morning of the sixth is when Thoma with Ayato- who had briefly stepped out to wash up- came into the room with you awake and upright. 

The housekeeper was so thrilled to see you fully conscious and at least a bit mobile that you swear he could’ve burst into tears right then and there at the threshold. He enthusiastically dismisses himself to make something for you to eat- something easy on the stomach- and to tell Ayaka that you've woken up. Ayato returns and takes the reins on filling you in on how long you had been sick now that it wasn’t nighttime. 

“Are you sure you have no idea why this keeps happening?” Ayato asks you after you accept the fact that you had been so sick for days that you couldn’t even wake up. Looking at him, you shake your head.

Of course, that isn’t the whole truth. 

It was a bit too much of a coincidence that everytime you collapse like this it’s always around the same time you woke up in Ritou from reality. And that every time you do, you have dreams and nightmares swirling together about your life before. One with neon signs, rude customers, gatcha game escapes, and tacky work uniforms. 

Based on your basic isekai knowledge, if you had to make an educated guess, it was probably some stupid side effect from whatever transmigration your body went through to get from reality to Teyvat. Of course, even if you could prove it, it would serve no purpose since no one but Aether knows you’re from a whole different world. 

Ayato sighs and you shoot him a look. Running one of his hands through his hair, the pale blue strands filter through his fingers and settle in the crooks of his knuckles showing off the side of his face that is usually covered by his bangs. You fight off the heat to your cheeks. He was stupidly pretty, and you can’t even blame your dying feverish delusions for it either- it's just what you genuinely think sober minded. 

“You cause me so much grief,” he laments with closed eyes. You’re not one to miss the slight darkness that encases his eyes, meaning that he's had one too many late nights again. 

“I apologize.” Fiddling with the fabric of the blanket, you steel your nerves. It might be embarrassing to know that Ayato has aided greatly in your recovery, still you were grateful. Shifting to twist your body towards him you bow your torso in the best show of gratitude you could muster. “Thank you for taking care of me. Please, take some rest for yourself as well, my lord.” 

Ayato stares at the top of your lowered head and blinks owlishly at it. He didn’t expect any thanks for doing something that came so naturally to him; taking care of you that is. Dropping his hand from his head, his hair falls back in its place against his face and ear. While appreciative of your show of gratitude, his lips formed a thin line across his face. 

“Are you aware just how much I dislike it when you do that?” You lift your head, looking at him quizzically. 

“When I get sick?” Speaking as a friend, of course it’d be natural for him to be unhappy about your health. Hell, it wasn’t like you were happy with it either! 

With the same firm expression on his handsome face, Ayato lifts from his place sitting comfortably beside your futon to his knee. One of his gloved hands moves to cup around your ear, sliding down the curve of your jaw and stopping under your chin. His index finger keeps it lifted so your eyes stay locked with his as his nose brushes against yours. The sudden lack of proximity has your breath taken away by his own. 

“When you address me like that. You know my name, use it.”

Your words become clogged in your throat. Ayato’s eyes shift to the door when he hears something you cannot due to the buzzing in your ears. His hand drops from your jaw and he stands himself up to his full height. Seeing you stare dazed into space makes him chuckle as he opens the door before Thoma has the chance to knock, shocking the ginger haired man.

“Make sure she eats everything, Thoma.” 

“Of course! I plan to,” he announces. Ayato nods in approval before leaving with a bit more pep in his step than he’s had all week long. Thoma enters the room and only after setting the tray of easy-going sustenance in front of you does he finally notice your zoned out expression. “Hello? Teyvay to y/n!” He’s waving his hand in front of your face.

It’s only when his hand comes to your forehead to see if maybe your fever is acting up again when you finally return to the ground from the clouds you were previously lost in. Your food is almost cold by the time you bring your hands away from your burning face to actually eat. 

Somewhere in the residence, one very smug commissioner sits more elated than usual. 

a/n pt.2: WHEW amiright fellas

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