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Steve spends a summer with his grandparents, learns how to knit and gets addicted to it.

He starts off small, knitting socks and scarves he then gives to all his friends. The socks are a little lumpy and the scarves way longer, or shorter, than they should be, but Steve looks so proud of them no one has the heart to say anything. They all wear their gifts anyways because Steve is so happy when he sees it.

But then he gets good. Like, really good. The socks and scarves are soft to the touch and keep the Party warm even on the coldest days of winter.

Steve knits a red beanie for Robin, because she keeps complaining about how numb her ears get when she has to walk all the way to Family Video on the days Steve is not working. He also knits a purple one for Erica when she accuses Steve of playing favorites with Robin, then a yellow one for Max and an orange one for El.

When he learns how to knit sweaters, Steve spends hours on end working until he makes at least one piece to give as a Christmas gift to each of his friends. Dustin and Eddie get two sweaters each, because they are his favorites and Steve is not ashamed to admit that.

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sorry for expressing emotions incorrectly. having feelings was considered "acting out" when i was a kid

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Of binding spells and hurried confessions (Laxus x Reader)

Masterlist

(y/n) and Laxus are stuck to each other by their guildmarks.

Note: Based on an ffn fic called “Mark to Mark” by OnlyTheInevitable. It’s honestly such a fun little story! I’d definitely recommend giving it a read, so feel free to give it some deserving love!

(as with my other laxus fics, reader is a light mage)

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(y/n) scans through the guild board with furrowed brows. All of the missions Mirajane had posted weren't to her liking, they were either very impractical tasks or jobs that were too long-term. And as much as she'd enjoyed spending time out of Magnolia to explore other places she’s yet to venture, she wasn't in the mood for travelling.

"You leavin’?" She hears someone behind her, snapping her out of her revery, the sound of their heavy footsteps growing closer.

"None of these missions are practical." (y/n) admits with a long sigh. "Why? Were you looking forward to see me leave, Laxus?"

"As if I’d let you go on you’re own." Laxus scoffs, avoiding the other’s gaze in favour of checking the guild board. “Just do a month long one and take me with you, I need a break from everyone’s asses.”

“What makes you think I’d—ah!“ (y/n) lets out a gasp all of a sudden, feeling a weird burning sensation building up on the left side of her hip where her guild mark sat. Her hand comes up to press against that same spot.

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” The questions spill out of Laxus not a second later, hands automatically moving up to gently grasp at her shoulders.

If the circumstances were different, (y/n) would’ve teased the dragon slayer for openly showing his concern. But the next thing she knows, an unexplainable pull forces her to crash into Laxus’ body. They both end up toppling to the ground.

“W-What in the world...?” She winces at the abrupt fall, only to realise that Laxus took the receiving end of the wooden floorboards.

“Fuck, (y/n)...” A muffled voice was heard underneath the light mage. When (y/n) looks down she pauses—her chest was literally right on top of the dragon slayer’s face. Out of sheer embarrassment, she quickly moves to get away from Laxus...only to fail to do so. "If you wanted to be on top of me, you shoulda just asked."

"Laxus." (y/n) shuts him up with a single look, it was surprisingly intimidating despite the flush on her cheeks.

"Just saying..."

“Why can't I move?” Ignoring the latter's previous statement, (y/n) places her hands on top of Laxus' shoulders, attempting to force her body to get unstuck from his.

"You're gonna break my spine if you keep that up, woman." Laxus hisses out in pain, clutching onto her wrists to get her to stop. Their guild marks were bound together like inseparable magnets, seemingly unable to detach from one another. (y/n) had no choice but to awkwardly half-sit on top of Laxus, knees digging into his lap and chest inches away from his face. The latter thankfully doesn’t comment on this and instead wounds his arms around her waist in support.

“Seems like we aren’t the only ones in this situation.” He nods off towards the occupied area of the hall where other pairs of guild members were stuck to each other by their mark.

“I take it, it’s some kind of binding spell. Why would someone even do this...” (y/n) huffs in annoyance. The other members looked just as ridiculous as they did, but a certain couple across the guild hall catches her sole attention. “If there’s anything to be appreciative about, I’m glad my mark isn’t at a more...intimate area.” Laxus follows her gaze towards Elfman and Evergreen. The take over mage practically had the entirety of his head pressed against Evergreen’s chest (she looked just about ready to murder him).

“Or your tongue.” Laxus snorts in interest at Bixlow’s predicament with his tongue glued to Lisanna’s thigh, the poor girl was a second away from combusting.

“Can you carry me over to the others? So we can sort this predicament out already...” (y/n) points over to where Levy and Lucy were discussing. Surely, the duo would know what was going on.

“I kinda like how we are right now though." He unashamedly admits. (y/n) sends him a pointed gaze. “Fine, fine.” He huffs out. After a bit of adjusting, Laxus somehow manages to stand up with (y/n) firmly stuck in his hold. Her legs automatically wrap around his waist (it wasn't like she could do anything else), arms circling around his neck. She tries to ignore the fact that the position they were in looked quite suggestive, ushering Laxus to move.

“Levy-chan, do you know how to undo it?”

“Hmm...let me try and read everything else.”

“Why not let Natsu over here burn the paper? Easy fix.” Gajeel suggests with a grunt.

“Oh! Lemme at it!” Natsu enthusiastically agrees, pulling Lucy along as he trudges over to where Levy was being carried by Gajeel.

“No, you idiot! Don’t even try it!” Lucy tugs Natsu away from the piece of parchment Levy was holding up.

“Lucy, Levy, what’s going on?” (y/n) calls out to get their attention, trying to not sigh at the flushed looks on their faces seeing her and Laxus stuck together in such a questionable position.

“Ah! Mira-san had me read this weird poem out loud then all of a sudden...this happened.” Lucy glances over at a nonchalant Natsu, her cheeks reddening. The back of her hand was smacked against the dragon slayer’s shoulder cap.

“Here’s what it says—The mark for you that is the same, considered very dear, until the feelings are proclaimed, the person will stay near.” Levy reads out carefully. “Everything else written here is mostly gibberish, they aren’t directly related to the poem. Either way, the solution is already provided.”

“It’s pretty straightforward, now that I think of it...” Lucy hums.

“May I take a look as well?” Levy passes over the parchment. (y/n) quickly scans through the poem, another sigh escapes her lips. “So both parties must reveal how they truly feel about one another...as cliche as it sounds.” (y/n) hands Levy the piece of paper back.

“A confession of sorts. It’s just a matter of how and what it is exactly we need to say for the spell to accept it, really.” Levy concludes. Everyone eventually parts ways as they inform the rest of the guild members.

“We have to say nice things about each other?” Laxus muses. The light mage tries to ignore the warm breath of air hitting her chest as she makes a sound of approval.

“More specifically, one’s true feelings in any kind of sense.”

“When I first met you I was disappointed that you were part of a dark guild, but then we found out you were actually being controlled against your will and I thought it was my chance to go after you.”

“What?” (y/n) was, for a lack of a better word, stunned by the sudden revelation.

“I liked you and that stubborn attitude of yours, you couldn’t give two fucks to anyone else who got in your way and you could definitely fight for your own.” Laxus ends it at that, only to scoff at the disbelief plastered on (y/n)’s face.

“Was that why you were so adamant on making me join the guild?” A small smile grazes her lips.

“I’m trying to tell you how I feel, do your damn share already.” He clicks his tongue in annoyance, turning his head to the side to avoid her gaze.

“I was weirded out at how you kept wanting to talk to me—“

“Oi!”

“But you turned out to be really interesting and I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t attracted to you since we first met, controlled or not.”

“You kiddin’?”

“I can still remember some glimpses of when I was being mind-controlled even after the spell was broken. Your embarrassing attempts at flirting are still fresh in my head.”

“God damn it...” Laxus tries to hide his embarrassment but with (y/n) practically stuck with him, there was no escape. He sighs at the inconvenience and opts to hide his face in her chest instead, making (y/n) yelp in surprise. The light mage doesn’t even get the chance to tell him off before a light flashes in between them and the unexplainable pull from their guild marks disappear.

“We’re not stuck together anymore, you can put me down already.” (y/n) waits for Laxus to finally release her, but he remains in the same position. “Laxus.”

“Nah, I’m comfy here.” Laxus holds onto her tighter, not giving her a chance to escape his hold. He ignores the sounds of protests right above him, face completely red by now. Two years and a half of being in a relationship with her, and the light mage was still the only person who knew how to fluster him. The woman was gonna be the death of him.

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can we have some hcs about how mating season would effect laxus 👀👀👀

i see u

i got u

NSFW Laxus Headcanons - Mating Season

--> Touch-starved to touch-obsessed - so originally, this man needs some sort of physical contact at all times even if it's small. A small touch here - legs brushing, shoulders bumping etc. But as soon as this phase hits, he needs it more often, and he needs it all the time. Dragging you back, claiming that he wasn't ready to let you go just yet.

--> Too focused - as in he's not just mindlessly rutting (well yes too) but each touch and each thrust is precision. He knows what he needs, he's going to make you feel it too. From agonisingly slow and teasing to rough and intense.

--> Leaving marks - he's a hickey man. What else can I say? Between thighs. On the neck. He wants them too, he wants scratches on his back. He wants to mark and be marked.

--> Stamina - I mean usually he's able to draw it out for quite a while, but in this phase it's longer and usually two or three times a night. It's intense and a lot to endure.

--> Vocal - he gets a lot more vocal. Dirty praise - 'you take me so good, baby.' 'You're made to fit me' . 'No one else gets to see you like this.' Short commands - 'up. Now.' 'Move'. 'Open.' 'Wider'.

--> Will not pull out - ever. Will make sure he's as deep as possible. Tight grip on your hips. And he won't pull out the moment he's done - he's on a mission, he's staying buried for a good few minutes.

--> He starts nesting - in some strange way. He'll look at a new bed, decides it looks better than the current one you share, decides it will be good to break later.

--> Not even always in the bedroom - if the urge hits, it hits. Kitchen counters? Yep. On the couch? Definitely. On the floor? Not his proudest moment, but it's happened.

If you liked this, check out the Masterlist

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NSFW Laxus Headcanons

--> Avid manscaper - so sorry that this is the first one. Okay but it's clear that he cares about his outside appearance, so YES, he also cares about this. Get him a manscaper as a present and he goes nuts (👀). Literally will spend hours making sure his own nuts are nicely trimmed.

--> 100% a dom - but not always in a hard dom sense. Don't get me wrong, he 100% can be a wildly hard dom, but I can also see him as a soft dom. In an intimate sense he will talk you through it, will guide you with words and with movement.

--> Pet name user - yeah he's one of those, To make it worse he will unironically use 'kitten'. Obviously he uses the other classics too; 'angel', and 'good girl'/'good boy' (if claiming).

--> Stimulating touch - honestly just because he deals with a lot of lightning it can be used as a concentrated touch. It will definitely be used during foreplay.

--> Really really into finger sucking - and throat fucking.

--> "I'll make you forget your name" - and he lives up to it. His ego will become grating but he knows he can live up to it.

--> Touch-starved - linking back to general dating headcanons, yes this man is touch-starved and so he loves his hair being played with but if you ever tug on it then he will not hesitate to go for your throat.

--> Likes it against a wall - and he's able to hold people well and in place. He can easily bend you to how he wants, but enforce a safe word system so he knows where his limits are.

--> He's a thigh whore - no need to elaborate.

--> Car sex - might have written a very small OC oneshot on this 👀. It's just a nice bit of risk here if you're down for it.

--> Anklets - again to link back to dating headcanons. He loves getting you an anklet with an 'L' on it because he likes seeing it over his shoulder.

--> He likes buttons - but only so he can rip them off. Ever ask him why and the answer is that "zips are for the lazy man".

--> Forehead presses when he finishes - either pressed to your head, or to your back, or your shoulder, but he needs that touch when climaxing.

--> Consent kink - hear me out. He wants to hear it. It feeds into his ego if I'm honest like yes of course he wants to hear just how much you want him, and how much you're giving yourself to him.

--> Size kink - very obvious. This guy is big.

Dating Laxus HCs

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Caught in the Current

Laxus x Reader Modern AU Word Count: 3699 Innuendos, alcohol, drugs, party setting

Friday night. No parents home. Your sister left in charge. 

Of course this could only end in one way.

A buzz from your phone caught your attention, confirming your suspicions: “party tonight.” You didn’t put down the book in your hands, nor did you even respond to the message from your sister. Remaining in your position, knees up to your chest, sitting with your back against the wall on your bed, you merely nodded to yourself. Usually, you had no issues with your sister’s friends. Sure, they were odd in their own way but they were also all nice in their own way. All three of them were in their third year of university, whilst you remained in your first. Freed would often agree to tutor you if you ever found yourself confused on certain topics, and he would do this completely free of charge. Bickslow was easily described as eccentric. He would often turn up wearing sunglasses to hide his bloodshot eyes. Laxus was not bad to look at if you were being honest. You knew he painted himself in such a way so that people were almost scared of him, but you had also overheard him gossiping with your sister enough to know that he was far from anything scary. Their dynamic was strangely unique in a way that none of them looked like they should slot together, and yet they did. You liked being around them, feeling settled and accepted with them.

Parties however, you chose to avoid. Especially one of your sister’s parties.

Evergreen was a party girl at heart. She constantly spent money on fashion and makeup, and always felt the need to be the best which meant also holding the best events. Evergreen had claimed that this party would be lowkey, only a few friends, only a few drinks. You knew this wouldn’t be the case, this was never the case. 

Your phone buzzed again and you glanced over at the new message. Again, from your sister: “Help set up.”Groaning, you slammed your book down next to you and pulled yourself off of the bed. If you didn’t go down and help then you know she would probably send Bickslow up to annoy you. Most days, you didn't want to deal with that. 

There was a half-hearted cheer from Bickslow as you entered the kitchen. He was sitting on the countertop, an unlit joint in his mouth. He gripped the side of the counters, black painted nails visible. Laxus leaned close next to him, aimlessly scrolling on his phone. Only Freed was helping your sister set up, taking out snacks from bags and laying them out on the table. Evergreen tossed you a pack of balloons and told you to get started. 

“You joining us tonight?” Bickslow asked, words muffled from forming around the joint in his mouth. 

Shrugging in response, you responded, “I don’t know yet. I don’t think so.” Bickslow called you a loser, but it was said affectionately. You opened up the balloons, “who’s birthday is it?” 

“No one’s,” Freed answered. He continued with his tasks, not even bothered that he was doing most of the work. 

“Mirajane threw a party last week,” Evergreen started, pouring herself a premature glass of wine and continued, “for Elfy. For his birthday.” Bickslow and Laxus shared a look and mimicked how Evergreen referred to her boyfriend. Your sister just rolled her eyes, not bothering to respond to them. “She did such a good job for my boyfriend that I need to one up her with something.”

Laxus looked up from his phone. “Your boyfriend, but her brother still.” 

“So why do you need to throw this one?” You ask her, pulling out a balloon and stretching it a little, ready to blow.

“Come on,” Bickslow mumbled, holding a lighter next to his mouth. “You know she needs to feel popular.”

Evergreen scowled at him. She placed down her glass of wine and lunged over to slap the lighter out of his hand. Partially, his comment annoyed her. “Smoke in here and you know my parents would kill me.” 

Bickslow slowly lowered the lighter and removed the joint from his mouth. Instead he looked over at you raising a balloon to your lips and laughed. He clapped Laxus on the shoulder as he jumped off of the counter, “good at blowing, are you?” He quickly darted around Evergreen’s swatting hand, now pissed off at the comment aimed at her younger sibling, and slipped out of the backdoor to light up outside.

You finished up the balloons just as guests started to arrive. Some of them had clearly started early at home and turned up stumbling into the house. At least Evergreen had the thought to hide away anything smashable with sentimental value. It was rare that Evergreen rarely asked for permission from your parents to hold any sort of parties. Over the years she had honed her skills on how to eliminate all evidence that there even was a party. It didn’t take you long after finishing the balloons to quickly dart upstairs, taking some of the snacks with you. 

In your room, you quickly settled in. Curtains drawn. Soft lights on. On your bed with a blanket wrapped around you. The music from downstairs pulsated through the floor, only broken up with the sound of screaming and laughter. Your headphones quickly went on. Obviously you had attended a few parties in your lifetime, mostly alongside your sister, but the environment just was never for you. With your snacks on one side, drink on the other, and laptop on, you settled in for the night, quickly drowning out the drone from downstairs. 

The hours melted by as you lost yourself in what you were watching. All of the snacks that you had pinched from your sister’s party were long gone. Pausing what was playing, you took a moment to check your phone, perhaps if it was late enough you could conduct a recon mission for more snacks.

2am.

You blinked slowly at the time and put your phone back down. Pulling out your headphones you listened out for music. It was still blaring loudly, accompanied by the laughter of the attendees. No recon mission for you. As you went to put your headphones back in, your door swung open. 

Staring over at the door, you waited for something to happen. Sure enough, Laxus stumbled in holding Freed so that he wouldn’t topple over. Laxus paused. “This isn’t the bathroom?”

“What gave it away?” You asked, still sitting on your bed. You had changed into pyjamas, accompanied with fluffy socks. 

Laxus huffed and moved to sit Freed into your desk chair. Freed flopped a little. He had clearly passed out. “Lightweight,” Laxus commented, shrugging to Freed.

“I can see that,” you agreed. It was a well-known fact that Freed was often the first to pass out at parties. You were just surprised he hadn’t passed out before midnight; this was a new record for him. Laxus was clearly more than a little tipsy. He swayed slightly. Pupils dilated. “You were looking for the bathroom?” You asked.

“For him.”

“You thought the safest place for him was a bathroom?” You questioned, tilting your head to one side. 

“Yeah, what if he needs to be sick?” 

“Fair enough,” you moved your laptop to the side and removed your headphones. “For a second it looked like you were searching for a free room.”

Laxus let the words sink in and then rolled his eyes, “you are so immature.” He walked further into your room, letting Freed flop over onto your desk, fully asleep. He swatted at a few of the overhanging soft lights and fell down on the side of your bed. In a swift, but very poorly controlled movement, he swung himself over to his side, propping himself up on one elbow to look at you. “Me and Freed?”

You laughed a little. “That’s what it looks like. Two people leaving a room together…going somewhere quiet.”

“You are so immature,” he repeated, once again rolling his eyes. “There’s only ever one way to deal with people like you.” His voice darkened and he pulled himself from the bed, moving across to now loom over your form. You fell silent, unsure just how this would go. Of course you had heard the stories from Evergreen. She would frequently tell you about the fights that Laxus would find himself getting into, usually always triggered by if he ever felt disrespected. He wouldn’t hurt you though…right? You were his best friend’s sibling. He knew you. He drew closer, now reaching out to grab you, his face as cold as ever. “And it’s to give you a taste of your own medicine.” 

He lunged forward, grabbing your wrist with ease and pulling you from the bed. Back pinned to his chest, you felt his fingers at your side. He was tickling you? Your laughter bubbled, spilling from you involuntarily. Shrieks fell from your mouth and you started to lose your breath. He let you go just enough for you to pull away from him but you stumbled and started to fall backward. Reaching out, you clutched at his shirt in a desperate attempt to stabilise yourself. Instead, you pulled him down as you fell back on your bed. 

Laxus steadied himself, propping his hands either side of his head so that he didn’t fall on you. The soft lighting overhead provided ambience, a glow that fell over both of you. Your words caught in your throat, a little startled at the position you now found yourself in under your sister’s best friend…with another asleep in a chair on the other side of your room. “What was that for?” You finally asked. 

“You’re immature,” he responded bluntly. He furrowed his eyebrows as he looked down at you. The scent of alcohol clung to him, mixed with the ashes and smoke of whatever else was being used down at the party. “You really think me and Freed?” He asked again. You shrugged in response and he shook his head, “now…me and you however.”

“You’re drunk,” you cut him off. Despite your quick words, you couldn’t help but feel a warm flush spread to your cheeks. Out of all of your sister’s friends, Laxus was always the nicest to look at and for some reason he never treated you like a sibling like Bickslow and Freed did. Maybe this was the reason why.

“I’m not.” He protested. 

You laughed out of utter disbelief. “You definitely are. Do the roadside safety test.” 

“Why would I do that?” He questioned, frowning. His voice was low, and a confusing mix between being velvet smooth and gravelly. 

Your volume had also dropped. There was no reason to speak at your normal tone when Laxus’ face was mere inches away from you, eyes locked on yours. “To prove you’re not drunk.”

He leaned in, hovering just above your face. “I could do something else to prove I’m not drunk.” He smirked slightly. Cocky bastard. In all your years of knowing him, you knew his reputation of being able to pick up anyone he wanted, and here he was trying it on you. A blush crept up to your cheeks, slowly burning away. It might just work… His eyes searched yours, trying to gauge this moment, and then his lips pressed against yours. Your eyes fluttered closed as you lost yourself in the sensation of him on you. The slight scratch of his stubble against your cheek, the mix of alcohol and his cologne seeping into the air around you. One of his hands made its way up to your head, slipping behind it to cradle you closer. Thick fingers tangled in your hair. His other arm slid under your waist, pulling you up closer to him. Tentatively, your own arms pushed upwards, loosely snaking around his neck. In one swift movement, Laxus changed positions, flipping you both over so that you were now on top of him, fully flush with his body. He broke away from the kiss first. “I won’t regret that in the morning. I’m not drunk.”

It took a moment for you to regain your full composure. Here you were, on top of one of your sister’s best friends, in pyjamas and fluffy socks. “You definitely are,” you repeated, softer now. 

Laxus rolled his eyes at you. His hands were still in both positions, one on your waist and one in your hair. “In that case, drunk actions are sober thoughts. Either way, I won’t regret this.” He pulled you in closer, capturing your lips against his once more. His touch and kiss was surprisingly gentle, not what you were imagining. It didn’t fit his persona, but then again he was full of surprises. 

Again, you found yourself lost to the sensations, oblivious to the world around you. Freed was still asleep at your desk, not that far away. The alcohol kept him in a deep sleep, his slow, steady breathing was the only sign of life. Footsteps neared closer to your bedroom door, not that either of you were paying any attention to the incoming sounds. The door flung open, crashing against the wall. Your sister and Bickslow stumbled in bringing with them a new wave of smells. Their giggling suddenly ceased and a stint of strange silence replaced it. Bickslow’s roaring laughter filled the silence, accompanied by shrieking from Evergreen. 

“What the fuck are you doing?” Evergreen yelled, her voice piercing the air. It caused Freed to jump awake at the desk, only to also swivel around to see what had his other two friends acting this way. His eyes widened at the sight before him.

The both of you stiffened, pulling away from each other. You moved with a bit more urgency, flipping yourself off of Laxus in mere seconds. His arm still remained around your waist, but he removed his other hand, now resting gently on his own chest. Your face filled with panic, paleing at the sight of everyone now suddenly in your room and at the rage on your sister’s face. Laxus, however, remained calm, albeit slightly annoyed that the two of you were interrupted. 

Bickslow continued to laugh. His eyes were bloodshot, a hazy smile plastered on his face. He was definitely stoned, seeing the humour in everything. “Let’s just take Freed with us and go.”

“Are you serious?” Evergreen spat back, turning to swat at Bickslow. He only laughed harder and dipped out of the way. Evergreen turned back to the two of you. “That’s my little sibling, Laxus!” 

He groaned in response. One leg of his was pulled up on the bed, propped up and bent at the knee. “You know about this, Ever.” 

Bickslow dipped across the verbal battlefield, grabbing Freed to rush him out of the room and somewhere else, most likely to the bathroom. Freed looked like he was about to vomit. Evergreen remained in the doorway, the light from the hallway cast her long shadow across your room. “You were serious about that?”

“Serious about what?” You questioned, interest piquing about the fact that the two of them had clearly had a conversation about whatever had just led to your kiss. You looked between both of them, who kept their eyes locked on each other. You half wanted to escape the room too, go and find Bickslow and Freed, but Laxus’ hold on your waist had you rooted to your bed. 

“None of your business,” Evergreen snapped back.

“All of their business,” Laxus retorted just as quickly. 

“What’s my business?” You asked once more. 

Evergreen let out a prolonged, dramatic groan. She pointed at Laxus, “he told me he liked you-”

“A few months ago,” Laxus added.

She glared at him and talked louder over him, “I told him ‘gross’ and to stay away. He never brought it up again after that. I thought he was just being stupid.” 

“A few months ago?” That was the only piece of information that you picked up on but then your mind backtracked through her words; “sorry, gross?”

Evergreen rolled her eyes out of pure annoyance. She was a force to be reckoned with when she was in a mood like this. In a few long strides, she stormed over to you, grabbing you by your wrist and pulling you from the bed with surprising strength. In her full party attire, she dragged you, in full bed attire, out of your room. The scent of alcohol clung to her, mixing with her favourite expensive perfume. She still held a glass of wine in one hand, miraculously avoiding spilling it everywhere on the carpet. Glitter glinted in her hair under the light of the corridor and she glared at you over the rim of her glasses. 

“What was that for?” You groaned, rubbing your wrist a little. 

She ignored you at first, turning to slam the door to your bedroom, effectively trapping Laxus inside, who in reality just looked exhausted with your sister’s outburst. His patience was thinning. “What was that?” She retorted in true sisterly fashion, her tone sharp. “You kissed him!”

“He kissed me!” You argued back. Both your voices were hush but harsh, spiking in places, trying so hard to keep quiet but clearly failing. 

Her expression darkened, her glare only intensifying. “That’s worse! You know what he’s like in relationships!” She grabbed your wrist again, pulling you down with her as she slid down the wall to sit on the floor. It wasn’t gracious, it wasn’t composed. Very unlike herself, with her legs positioned straight out, she wrapped an arm around your neck and pulled you in close. “I don’t want you getting hurt,” she muttered, the sharp edges of her voice now soft. There was an awkward moment of silence. Evergreen finished her wine glass and set it on the floor beside her. The moment felt meaningful but was interrupted by faint noises from the bathroom, followed by some unhinged laughter. The two of you shared a look. “Fucking idiots,” she sighed. You let her words sink in.  She was actually being protective over you. Her head fell to rest on top of yours. 

The bathroom door opened and Bickslow stumbled out of it, leaving Freed inside, weakly hunched over the toilet bowl. He caught sight of the two of you and grinned, lurching over to join both of you on the floor. He shuffled in close beside you. “Nice cuddle pile,” he commented.

“Fuck off,” Evergreen responded quickly. Her tone was flat and unbothered.

“Freed’s been sick,” he added, entirely unfazed by her annoyance, as was usually the dynamic between those two.

“We heard,” you chimed in. 

“Still against the two of them, Ever?” He asked, his words laced with a teasing tone. 

“Fuck off,” she repeated again, even faster this time. 

This time, he took the dismissal to heart, forcing himself back up onto his feet with a dramatic groan. He paused for a moment, glancing between the bathroom door and your bedroom door, and then went back into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Silence attempted to settle, interrupted by the music still wafting up from downstairs. Despite the party dying down only a little, you knew that people were still down there. At least no one else had come up to whatever situation this was.

“How’s the party?” You asked your sister. Despite the factors that brought it into existence, just sitting with her on the floor was enjoyable and warming. 

“Still not better than Mira’s,” she groaned. “I don’t know how she does it.” A moment of brief weakness, she would never admit that anyone else was ever better than her. “People are still here at least.”

Diverting the conversation, you took advantage of her moment of weakness. “You’re really against him liking me?”

She let out a long sigh, picking up her empty glass to see if just maybe it had anything left inside. Putting it back down, she started to speak. “I’m not. But I know he gets bored and if he ever got bored of you then I might have to kill him.”

“Do you think he’ll get bored?”

“No,” she groaned. “He’s never liked anyone for this long.” Her perfume wafted up your nose, a bold but sweet scent. She pulled her head off of yours, sitting upright against the wall. “Go on,” she said softly, sliding her arm away from you. 

“Are you sure?” 

“You like him too,” she pushed your arm a little. “Go on.” 

It felt like a trap. Unsure what to do, you found yourself frozen in place until she nudged you harder this time. A little apprehensively, you pushed yourself up from the carpet and softly stepped to your own room. Your own sister crawled away, again very much unlike herself, and let herself into the bathroom to join the others. 

Your fingers curled around the handle, hesitating for just a moment before you slowly pushed the door open. Greeted by the soft lights hanging overhead, you stepped into your room, closing the door behind you. 

“Took you long enough,” Laxus grumbled, still laying on your bed. He had made himself comfortable, stretching outwards. He looked over at you under the soft glow of the overhead lights. “Resolved?”

As you sat on the edge of your bed, he pulled himself to a sitting position. “She said she’d kill you if you hurt me.” You turned your body slightly to face him and he caught your gaze.

“Resolved then,” he noted. Laxus reached out with a gentle touch, his fingers brushing against your shoulder, lightly curling around the curve of your arm to tug you closer. 

You dipped into him. “Are you serious about this?” You asked, gaze now at the carpeted floor of your bedroom, aiming to avoid eye contact, tone echoing that of your sister’s. 

“I said I won’t regret this,” he repeated. You felt his voice rumble from where you pressed the side of your head against him. His steady breathing grounded you in the dizzying moment. “You know I stick to my word.”

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[bowscale]

Through Thought and Chaos

Gray x Reader Soulmate AU Word Count: 4168 Fluff, implied inneundos, rescue mission

Steady Drip. Cold Water.

The noise was starting to drive you insane. Forming slowly from a stalacite overhead, clinging onto the point before succumbing to gravity, falling into the small pool of water below. It fell with a small plink, sending ripples through puddle. The rhythmatic continuation drilled itself into your brain. Each droplet sounded like a hammer to your head. You had tried to stop it once, sticking your boot under the trajectory of the divers. It was a futile attempt. The sound continued, this time with a much more hollow tone as it hit the side of the leather material, and the icy water had seeped through almost instantly, numbing your toes. You had pulled back with a hiss of discomfort and pulled your legs up to your chest, seeking to preserve any remaining heat you had left. Your lips moved with the droplets, meekly mumbling a 'plink' each time they hit the water. Every breath exhaled as a faint mist, dispersing into the heavy air. Your only light source was a very weak, flickering glow from the torches situatied outside your cell, the bars of your cell would glow as if taunting you. Everything blended into a symphony of discomfort, the chill, the maddening drip of water, the uneven surface of your cell poking you no matter what angle you sat at, and now your damp boots. How on earth did you ever end up in a place like this?

It was naive to assume you could do this alone, you realised that now, and as slowly as the drip fell, you were starting to realise that rules were in place for a reason. After the incident with Macao in the mountain, Makarov had implemented a strict rule that no one was allowed to leave on jobs without the accompaniment of at least one other person. The only exception pointed to the S-Class wizards who were permitted solo pursuits. The rule had been pinned to the job request board. Impossible to miss, possible to ignore. You had taken it upon yourself to exempt yourself from this rule, despite not going through any proper trials to become S-Class, in that moment you had deemed yourself on the same level, and had left without bothering to tell anyone where you were going. You had planned to just be gone for a day or two, the possibility of a dark guild being involved hadn't even crossed your mind.

The hours dragged painfully on, each one hazing into the next. With no sight of any sunlight, you couldn't even tell what time it was, or how long you had been kept in the cell. The members of the guild barely acknowledged you. It was confusing. You were expecting taunts, heckles, something laced with malice, but all they did would pass by to slide meagre plates of food to you, and to point at the puddle in the cell when you asked for some water. The purpose of your capture was still unknown. You had no idea if it was a hostage situation or if you were about to become a sacrificial lamb. The cold, hard truth was that you had no real solution to getting out of this cell. The shackles around your wrists prevented you from using magic and there was no way you could just strongarm your way out through the front. With no real useful ideas, you began to fill your head with useless ones instead. How does Gajeel not break his teeth on iron? I bet he could just eat his way out of this cell. You let out a soft snort at the visuals that followed. I hope I can shower again before I die. You grimaced at the thought of being found dead and smelly. Then, the forbidden final thought slipped in; Gray is pretty hot, I guess.

"You think I'm hot?"

Your eyes snapped open, heart pounding, you whipped your head around in the dark cell to try and locate the source of the voice but your search revealed nothing. Your breath hitched in your throat and you shuffled slightly on the ground, finding new angles to be poked from. The chill suddenly felt much sharper.

"Gray?" You questioned aloud, voice shaky and uncertain.

"Yeah, who else? You think I'm hot?"

You let out a shaky laugh, moreso in disbelief at yourself than amusement. Shaking your head slightly you muttered, "that water must've made me sick. I'm going insane in my final moments...great."

"Final moments? Where are you?" The voice was distinctly Gray's. Smooth and oddly comforting in the moment. You searched the cell some more, eyes tracing along the moss-covered walls, but the voice was still coming distinctively from within you. 'He' was insistent and steady, containing a level of concern that you hadn't encountered from 'him' before.

"Oh, and now I'm in denial. Fantasic." Your response was dry and drawn out. Rolling your eyes you added, "I'm going to die in here, me, just let it happen."

"Look, I don't know how I can hear you either but I'm not part of your conscience," he pressed. "Now where are you, dummy?"

You blinked slowly. The entire situation was absurd. It made your frustration bubble and boil. "In a cell," you gestured, shackles rattling as you made over the top movements. Might as well embrace the madness if it has come for you this early.

There was an audible sigh. Exasperated. "Well I know you're real because no one else can be this dense. Where did you go?"

"Cave."

"You are insufferable. What did you do to end up there?"

Brows furrowing together you mused over why the voice was asking you this question. It should know if it came from your head. Engaging in the question, if not to just enjoy some conversation with some aspect of yourself that may or may not liked Gray, you started to answer, "I went on a job alone. The job that was there for a few days."

"The one that was posted right next to the new rule? I know the one."

Your jaw clenched in frustration. "Don't get sarcastic with me," you snapped, tone sharp. "If you are real how the hell are you even speaking to me right now or did you plant some weird telepathy device on me you freaky little pervert?"

"Yeah because if I had something like that you're totally the first person I'd plant it on." Another sigh. "I already told you that I don't know how I can hear you, I just can." His tone softened slightly, "stay put. I'll come get you."

"As if I can go anywhere," you muttered in response, resting your head on the uneven wall behind you, jagged rock pressing into your scalp. The torchlight flickered faintly in the corner of your eye, the shadows on the walls dancing mockingly as if to remind you how utterly trapped you were.

"Or I'll just stay here I guess. I'm nice and comfortable."

"If I ever see you again, you're getting decked, Fullbuster."

He didn't humour you with any sort of response to your promise, "where did that job say to go?"

"Gazania," you responded bluntly, the irritation clear in your tone. You strain to recall the details of the job poster. "Six-thousand Jewel," you manage to add. The damp chill of the cell hinders the ability to think, the steady drip from the stalacite pin-pricking every single memory you try to recall.

"Of course you remember the money," the voice belonging to 'Gray' chimed in with a slight laugh.

You were quick to cut him off, "I mean it, Fullbuster. If I ever see you again then you're getting decked." The sharpness in your voice softened as you exhaled. "I think the job was requested by a...Mr Flynn?"

"Got it," the voice replied with a confidence. It carried a smirk. "Mr Flynn in Gazania. Sit tight, and don't worry your pretty little head about it."

"You are actually insufferable," you shot back.

The voice disapeared, leaving you alone once again in the oppressive quiet of the cave. It was a suffocating fog, only pierced by the drip of the water. The torches outside of your cell flickered weakly as they struggled to survive. Shadows danced on the walls outside, stretching and shrinking in an uneven sinister manner. You shuffled closer to the bars of your cell door, shackles clinking with every movement , and peered outside and into the hallway. The cell itself had been crudely built into the basement of what seemed to be a very old house. From where you could see, the bricks that made up the old basement were cracked and crumbling in places. Dust fell from the ceiling outside of your cell, trickling down to the stone floor. The house was unloved, and it groaned for every tiny piece of itself that it lost.

There was no sign of any other prisoner or hostage. As you strained to see as far down the hallway as possible, you never once heard another cough, another shuffle, another sniff. It was silent, bar the steady plink of that goddamn water. With a sigh, you retreated back into the corner of your cave, quietly resigning yourself to the thought that the voice was the first sign of madness, and no one was coming for you.

________________________________________________________________________________

"So, essentially," Erza began, crossing her arms as she frowned.  Her gaze pierced Gray as she scrutinised his word, looking down at him from where she stood.. "You heard a voice that sounded like Y/N,  telling you that they had been kidnapped and you're going to save them based on that alone?"

Gray leaned back in his hair, classically topless. "That's exactly what I said." He was ironically playing with fire standing up to Erza.

Lucy let out a tired groan from beside them both, slumped over her own arms on the table. She didn't even lift her head as she mumbled under her breath, "the ice is freezing your braincells."

He ignored her. "We haven't actually seen them in five days," he pointed out.

Erza considered his words but tried to find a logical reasoning, "what if they're just sick?" She paused slightly, "they could be resting at home. Perhaps we should send over some cake."

"They went out on a job," he bluntly stated as if that statement alone should end the discussion. He stood up from his chair, meeting Erza's eyes.

"But the new rules state that no one is to go out on a job alone," Erza countered, trying to find a more logical reasoning as to why one member of their guild hadn't been seen in five days.

"When does anybody in this guild follow rules?" Gray retorted, raising his voice ever so slightly.

Lucy meekly chimed in, "he has a point." She raised her hand ever so slightly before letting it fall to the wooden surface with a soft thud. "Natsu destroyed two buildings only a day ago, Erza."

Erza's lips pressed into a thin line, "even so how do we trust this voice? How do we know it's not just a telepathic device implemented by someone trying to get ahold of Fairy Tail members?"

"If that's the case then they can take me hostage, I'm going to find Y/N." Gray stormed towards the heavy entry doors of the guild. "I'll even do it alone." The doors slammed behind him, drowning the rest of the hall in silence for a few seconds before the steady hum of chatter washed back in.

"Should we go after him?" Lucy asked, pulling herself upright to exchange a long and weary glance with Erza.

Erza remained quiet for a few seconds, moving her head back to stare at the doors. "We'll do the sensible thing and go check on their residence first...and prepare a cake just in case." Erza looked around, her crimson hair flowing down her back, "where have we lost Natsu?"

"The home intruder duo invaded my apartment last night, and they're still there."

Erza nodded with a sense of knowing. "Let's get going then."

________________________________________________________________________________

You awoke with a jolt. It wasn't a peaceful slumber by any means, nor was it a willing one. Constantly shivering and enduring the neverending drip, you had just intended to doze off to pass the time, but as the grim world you find yourself in greets your eyes, you see that it was just to delay the inevitable. A guild member stood at the cell door, blocking any of the weak light from entering, and casting a long shadow into your cave cell. No food. He was here for a different reason. A sinister grin plastered to his face. You decide not to say anything, as much as you want to clap back with witty remarks, you keep your lips strictly sealed.

"It's time," are the only words that leave his mouth, low and gutteral.

You could only assume that this was for your purpose of being captured. Cursing that stupid job flyer, and wishing you had never made your way to Mr Flynn, your brain and mouth disconnected. "No."

The dark guild member frowned, eyes growing dark, and his grin fell. They took one step closer towards the door, holding a set of keys in one hand. "You don't get a choice."

"No," you repeated again. Absolutely defenseless with no way to fight back, this was up there with one of the stupidest things you had ever done, but, by some miracle, the absurdity of your defiance had stopped the member from whisking you away as quickly as was intended.

"Are you dumb?" They questioned, shoving the correct key in the cell door. It jingled and clunked as he gripped it between thick fingers.

"Possibly," you responded quickly.

"They are," a new, very familiar, voice added. The addition of the voice caused the member to whip around on high defence, letting go of the key in the process. It hung from the lock procariaously.

The dark guild member wasted no time lunging at Gray with a startling speed, acting on instinct and fuelled by adrenaline at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. Gray's eyes widened at the sudden movement, but he quickly sidestepped the man's trajectory. Boots scraping across the rough surface of the stone floor, the attacker pivoted harshly, directing another fist at Gray. Taking a few steps back and reacting swiftly, Gray summoned a shield of ice, just in time to intercept the blow. As flesh met ice, a sharp crack reverberated throughout the hallway. The guild member pulled away, hissing in pain as frostbite crept across his bleeding knuckles.

With a growl, the member dropped low, aiming another attack at Gray's stomach. Gray went high, bringing his elbow down on the man's back with a practiced precision, sending him sprawling onto the ground.

Groaning and twitching, he attempted to lift himself up, but he wasn't given any such chance. In the blink of an eye, Gray had encased the attacker in a ball of ice, allowing only his head to remain untouched. Impressed with himself, and believing that you should be too, Gray turned to your cell. Stepping up towards the door, he gripped the bars and leaned in, leaving the key in the lock as if he had all the time in the world.

"So...you think I'm hot, huh?" He asked, voice low with amusement, with a dastardly cocky smirk creeping up his stupid face.

Prick.

"Who are you calling a prick?" He exclaimed, stepping back from the cell door, plucking the keys from the door. "I just saved you from a ritual sacrifice."

"I never called you a prick!" You yelled back, frustration evident in your voice.

"Well, I heard you call me a prick," he spun the keys around one finger as he leaned against the corridor wall directly opposite your cell door. The dim light flickered over his obviously shirtless chest.

You sighed, not wanting to get into any argument with him at the current moment, choosing to steer the interaction back into something productive. "have you done anything about the rest of the guild?"

He smirked again at the thought of you doubting him. As if on cue, Erza's unmistakable voice called down from the top of the stairs as a body toppled down into the basement. It landed with a groan.  "That's the last of them! Have you found Y/N?"

"I follow the rules," Gray whispered only loud enough for you to hear, clearly enjoying himself at your expense. He turned his head, calling back up the stairs to Erza, "I have them, they're fine!" He stepped forward again, sliding the key back into the lock. The metal groaned in frustration as he turned the key to open the door. His smile softened ever so slightly as he looked over your unfortunate form, "come on, dumbass."

Boots crunching on the soft ground of the cave, you shuffled over to him as he held a second key upright. The key to your shackles. Presenting your wrists to him, he slid the second key into that lock. The shackles clicked and fell to the ground. Bruises painted your wrists but the second that the shackles were free from your arms, you felt magic seep back into you like a breath of fresh air. You took a deep breath and rubbed your wrists slightly.

Gray hesitated, before tentatively reaching up. Cupping one of your hands in his he gently rubbed the bruises lightly. "Five days, huh?" He murmured, voice low.

"You can imagine how wiping went," you quipped softly, unable to resist injecting sarcasm even into the sweet moment.

His lips quirked up into a grin as he responded ever so casually, "still find you hot."

A frown formed on your face, and you blinked through the confusion, "huh?" But before you could process that sentence, the promise you made earlier crashed into your head. Lifting up a weak fist, you sent it into his shoulder.

Gray groaned, stepping back slightly and massaging his shoulder. "I call you hot and you punch me?"

"I promised it to you earlier!"

He paused, recalling the past telepathic conversation. "Fine. Okay, you did."

The two of you go silent for a brief moment, unable to really process Gray's confession. "So, how did you hear me earlier?" You ask, adding something in to at least attempt to ease the tension.

Gray rubbed the back of his neck slightly, "no idea. We'll ask Gramps when we get back." He moved closer, snaking one arm around your waist for support. Falling into place, you draped one of your arms over his shoulder and together you moved slowly through the dimly lit corridor, boots scuffing on the steps as you made your way towards sunlight.

________________________________________________________________________________

The moment of reckoning had arrived. Barely a step into the guildhall, and you had been summoned by the master.  The stern look in his eye made it painfully obvious that this was not going to be any form of appraisal. Closing the door softly, you slowly slid into the seat opposite the master.

"Hey, Gramps," you offered weakly. It wasn't a long journey back to Magnolia and so your bruises still throbbed with a fresh memory.

The master's gaze was sharp, and it cut through any excuse you had prepared. He didn't waste any time on checking how you were, he could tell from the state of you already, and as long as you were alive and breathing, you were well enough to receive a firm talking to. "Repeat to me the newly implemented rule of this guild."

"That no one, bar the exception of S-Class mages, are to undertake any job alone." You swallowed hard.

"If it's that ingrained into your head then why did you go alone?" His accusatory words hung heavy in the air.

Dropping your gaze to the floor, you hung your head in shame. "I thought I could handle it, I have before." It was a weak answer, given from a weak voice.

"But even if you have handled a hundred jobs before, something can always go wrong." He softened slightly, the pronounced wrinkles in his head fading as he sighed and leaned back in his chair. "You didn't account for the dark guild. I'm just thankful that you at least told someone where you were going." He rubbed his temples. "I don't know what I would do if I lost one of you," he muttered, almost to himself.

You kept your mouth shut, not wanting to let Gramps know that you did not in fact tell anyone where you were going. Drawing your lips into a thin line, you mused over your next choice in words, desperate to change the topic of conversation. "Can I ask you about a type of magic?"

He grumbled incoherently under his breath before muttering, "yes. Go on then."

"A type of telepathy, I think. When Gray-" you paused over your next few words, how to phrase them to stick to the story that he had woven himself that you had at least told someone before leaving. "When Gray came for me, we were able to talk telepathically. We've never done that before."

He raised an eyebrow at your statement. "And this has only happened between you two?" You nodded in response. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, but he was quick to hide it. "It's a very rare form of magic, and so rare that people even call it a myth." Jumping down from his perch, he found an old dusty book from his shelf, handing it over to you. "Here. You can read this whilst you recover." You briefly glanced down at the dusty book before looking back up at the master but he was already waving a dismissive hand at you. "Now go. And don't make me regret not scolding you harder."

Holding the book with all the strength you could muster, you hobbled out of his office, legs stiff with every step.  Gray was waiting outside for you, leaning against a wall but he quickly straightened as soon as you emerged and  quickly falling into stride beside you as you made your way to an empty table.

"So how hard did Gramps wail on you?"

You pointed your head down to the bruises on your arms. "Fresh from Gramps," you joked.

"You're joking."

"Of course I am, idiot," you responded, rolling your eyes. You let the hefty book fall onto the table with a thump. "He gave me this though."

He slid across from you into an empty chair. "A book?"

The pages crinkled and groaned in protest as you slowly opened the book, releasing a small cloud of dust. "You're such a genius," you exclaimed in a monochromatic tone.

"Prick."

"Who are you calling a prick?" You exclaimed, frowning at him.

"It's just happening again," he sighed, "you're just hearing my thoughts."

You arched an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Your thoughts are mean to me."

"And your thoughts think I'm hot," he teased lightly. "What else do you think about I wonder."

You kicked him from under the table and chose to ignore his question, instead looking down at the title of the front page. Magics of the Soulmate. Your stomach churned at the implication and you fell silent. Without saying another word, you spun the book around and slid it across the table towards Gray.

"Soulmates?" He exclaimed. The surprise fully took him before he dropped his voice into a low hush. "Gramps thinks we're soulmates?" You attempted to open your mouth to answer but no words escaped. Gray ignored you and dropped his head down to read further, "Only in dire situations or moments where thoughts are really felt that they are then projected onto one's soulmate, if that individual has one." He stopped reading and looked up, smirk creeping across his face. You knew what was coming. "So you really think I'm hot, huh?"

You kick him again out of desperation, harder this time. "Shut up!" You whisper harshly, face flushing out of your control. "So what does this mean? You suddenly start loving me?"

"Well you are kinda hot," he shrugged a little. He then grew serious and leaned back in his chair, lazily flicking through the pages of the book. "This doesn't have any answers, it just kinda says what we experienced. It's all just vague."

Growing silent once more, you muse over the implications. There was one thing that you forget during the whole ordeal. Looking up, and into his eyes. They had grown softer, fully living in the seriousness of the situation. You softly speak; "thank you for saving me earlier."

Gray reaches out, thumb brushing over the back of your hand. The ironic warmth of his touch caused the hairs on the back of your neck to rise. His voice was low and steady as he spoke, just for you "Anytime."

If you liked this, check out the Masterlist

[bowscale]

Hopper comes back from Russia and immediately and unwillingly gets adopted into whatever the hell Steve and Robin have going on because - “Well, you were tortured by Russians, right? Welcome to the club.”

“Why is there a club?” Hopper asks, saddled with two morons that won’t leave him alone. “What do you mean by torture? What happened to you?”

[bowscale]

save him

[bowscale]

Robin walks into Steve and Eddie’s house one day to find Steve crying in the kitchen, and she doesn’t hesitating storming through the house for Eddie because if he made Steve cry she’s going to kill him

Only to find Eddie in the bedroom closet also crying

Turns out they both just said “I love you” to each other for the first time and were both sappy dorks who got overwhelmed with emotion and had to take a step back and cry about it

[bowscale]

Steve slowly realises way more customers end up actually renting something when he flirts a little with them. So for the sake of making sure he gets the Christmas bonus him and Robin were promised if they hit a certain target, he stops being picky about who he flirts with and starts turning his charm on for literally every adult who walks into the store.

It works surprisingly well. At first he's worried that some of the guys who come in might try to punch him, but he's mastered the art of being subtle with his smiles and compliments. So they mostly just have a pleasant chat with him and leave feeling conflicting emotions and carrying a movie they hadn't planned to rent, but somehow felt compelled to. When Steve and Robin get good feedback from the manager for their consistently improved rental figures, Robin starts encouraging Steve to keep it up.

The only issue is because he's spending pretty much every day flirting with people at work, it becomes second nature to him and he does it in his personal life. Most of the time he does it without even realising, but there are the rare embarrassing occasions where he catches himself saying or doing something that would not be interpreted the way he meant it to be.

One of the worst was when he dropped the kids off at the Byers' place for a sleepover and when Joyce thanked him for getting them there safe, he said, "Anything for you, Joyce," in an unintentionally suggestive tone and winked at her.

He got about half way down the driveway before practically running back to her with a bright red face, apologising profusely. "I'm so sorry, that came out really weird. I just meant that like I think of you as a mom and - no wait, shit, that makes it sound weirder." He had to take a breath to find the words and it came out stiff and unnatural when he said, "I appreciate everything you've done for us all and if you ever need help with anything you can always ask me."

The party witnessed the entire interaction and relentlessly tease him about it and mimic what he said while making kissy faces every time he's scolding them for doing or saying something stupid. They only stop when Will tells them to because that's his mom and he doesn't want to relive that weird, uncomfortable moment where Steve sounded like he was trying to proposition her.

An even worse occurrence happened not long after, when Hopper saw Steve standing around by his car, waiting for the kids to get their shit together and get out of the arcade. Hopper was on patrol, so he called over to him jokingly, "Loitering is a criminal offence, you know."

And Steve, before he could stop it, put one hand on his hip, brushed the other through his hair and said, "Are you gonna cuff me for it, Hop?"

Steve's blood ran cold in the deafening silence that followed where they looked at each other with horrified expressions, but Hopper managed to collect himself quickly. "I'm going to forget you just said that because I know that's not how you meant it to come out."

Steve couldn't look him in the eye when he quietly responded, "That would be really great, thank you."

He also had a weird moment with Jonathan, when he and Nancy walked into Family Video - which to be fair is Steve's main flirting ground - one afternoon later that week.

"So I heard you tried to flirt with both my parents?" Jonathan opened with.

And instead of more blushing and apologising, something unhinged in Steve's brain made him lean forward and say, "You jealous, Jonathan?" and even more wild is the fact that his body thought it would be a great idea to press his index finger to the middle of Jonathan's chest as he said it.

Jonathan looked at him, wide eyed, and only found himself able to let out a blank sounding, "Um."

Nancy, however, stared him down and said, "He's taken, Steve."

Steve pulled his hand away like he'd been burnt as soon as he caught on to what she meant.

And because Steve is a disaster, what was meant to be an assurance that he would never go for Nancy's partner, comes out entirely different.

“Relax, I’m not after your boyfriend. I have much better taste. Like… you, for example." It dawned on him that his tone had been way off as both Nancy and Jonathan stared at him like he had grown an extra head. "That sounded better in my brain. I've moved on, I swear. I meant my past relationships show that my type is not Jonathan. No offence, Jonathan, you are a good looking guy, like you're unconventionally handsome and it's kind of charming... I need to shut up."

He heard himself digging a deeper hole but couldn't make it stop.

"Dude, what the hell is wrong with you?" Robin said, slapping him on the shoulder. "You're supposed to flirt with customers, not everyone."

"I'm sorry, I was going for reassuring this time. Why does everything I say sound wrong lately?" Steve groaned with his face pressed to his hands.

"If it makes it any better, it totally would have worked on me if I was single and into guys," Jonathan shrugged.

"No, Jonathan. That doesn't make it better." Steve snapped in response.

Eddie is blissfully unaware of this new development, until he invites Steve and Robin to one of Corroded Coffin's shows.

Steve can't keep his eyes off Eddie the entire time, and it seems as if Eddie notices and thinks it's weird because Robin definitely notices and announces to Steve that he's being weird. Also, Eddie's eyes keep flitting over to him and he definitely messed up a note or two at some point, which must mean Steve's weird behaviour is throwing Eddie off. Steve tries his best to stop but he keeps doing it so in the end he just lets himself stare and decides he'll explain it to Eddie later.

Then someone tries to approach Eddie at the side of the stage after their set, looking at him with an expression Steve recognises as one that says 'come home with me'. And he feels awful about it because he should let Eddie have that with someone, especially after all the shit he's been though, but his traitorous feet carry him through the crowd to steal Eddie's attention before the person can get there. Robin's left to follow after Steve like a parent chasing a toddler who's running with a sharp object.

Eddie's got no clue that Steve just ruined some potential action for him as he downs a bottle of water so quickly some of it drips down his shirt. Steve's brain suddenly goes 'wow I wish I was that bottle of water', which he will admit catches him off guard because where the fuck did that thought come from? All the other times he'd behaved like this, it was without any thought at all until after the fact. He's also weirdly satisfied when he notices the person who was coming over to talk to Eddie is walking away dejectedly.

"Hey, you guys made it!" Eddie says, his face lighting up as he notices Steve and Robin standing there.

"Of course we did," Robin smiles.

Eddie gives both of them a hug, but Steve's seems to linger a little longer and Steve has to fight himself not to lean in closer and smell Eddie's hair because that's a really fucking weird impulse, especially since Eddie is all sweaty from performing.

"So, what did you think?" Eddie asks, a slightly nervous tone in his voice.

"You were awesome," Steve says, and mentally pats himself on the back for saying something that sounds normal.

"Really?" Eddie asks hopefully.

Something about the look in his eyes makes Steve's chest feel strange. Which is the only explanation he has for immediately demolishing his winning streak against his flirty tendencies.

He means to compliment Eddie on how talented he is at playing guitar. That's what he tells himself anyway.

What actually comes out of his mouth is, "Yeah, you're really good with your hands, Eddie," and it sounds absolutely filthy with the low tone of Steve's voice and the little lip bite he does after, all while leaning in close and making eye contact. There is no room for interpretation at all, but Steve doesn't feel the usual panic and embarrassment that comes when he accidentally does something flirtatious. Huh.

Even more surprising, when Eddie closes the gap even further, raises an eyebrow at him and says, "You should see what they can do when there isn't a guitar in the way, sweetheart," it doesn't throw Steve off one bit, he only feels a spark of excitement at the challenge.

"Maybe I will," he replies, his gaze darting between Eddie's lips and his eyes. And yeah, he's pretty much realised that he's just intentionally flirting with Eddie at this point. He's hoping he'll leave with him because they can't exactly kiss in front of a bar full of people.

"Oh my God," Robin groans, exasperated, and both boys break apart. "Could you take me home before I have to witness anymore of this? It's bad enough watching you flirt when you don't know you're doing it, Steve."

"Shit, sorry, Robin," Steve apologises. "Yeah, I'll drive you home." Robin thanks him, says goodbye to Eddie and starts walking towards the exit. Steve turns back to look at Eddie. "See you later," he smiles, but when he's about to turn to follow Robin, he feels ringed fingers wrap firmly around his wrist.

"Yeah, you will," Eddie responds, his tone still flirty and his eyes watching Steve with purpose. "Your place or mine, big boy?"

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Episode 4 of Merlin is literally a soulmate story. What do you mean Merlin instantly senses, even in unconsciousness, that Arthur is in danger? Sending a light to save him instinctively. What do you mean Arthur not only runs out of the banquet to check on Merlin, risks his life against his father's orders and goes to jail to get the cure to him?

Look me in the eye and tell me the writer's didn't know exactly what they were doing!

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14 - 15 июня ☁️

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girlie that's not a random headache u are dehydrated malnourished over caffeinated over stressed and sleep deprived

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Steve getting all flirty when he's drunk, whispering filthy things into Eddie's ear and trying to feel him up under the bar table, or anywhere they are, really.

And Eddie usually doesn't mind it at all, encourages it even. His boyfriend is hot, damn it, and has the cleverest hands and Eddie is so, so gone for him.

But Steve, when he's drunk, doesn't care if he has an audience or if he's alone with Eddie; he just needs to touch and feel his boyfriend's hands on him too and he won't stop until Eddie indulges him.

So when Eddie sees Steve stumble down the stairs of Wheeler's basement, giggling and clearly out of it, he sighs, closes his folders and says, "Sorry, kids, we'll have to finish the campaign tomorrow."

The Party groans and protests, but Eddie just gathers his things and stuffs everything in his bag. By the time he's done, Steve is already on him and trying to sneak his hand under Eddie's shirt.

"Oh my God, get him out of here!!" Mike shrieks, covering his eyes.

Eddie grins. "I thought you wanted to finish the game."

"NOOO!!"

Cackling, Eddie takes his boyfriend's hand. "Let's go, baby. We don't want to traumatize the kids."