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mungrovebingos · 1 year ago

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FAQ & Rules

Check our FAQ and Rules listed under the cut for the Mungrove Kiss Bingo!

FAQ

What is this?

Mungrove Kiss Bingo is a Stranger Things-themed fanwork event focused on the “Billy Hargrove/Eddie Munson” pairing. It’s low-pressure and open to all!

Do I have to sign up?

You do not need to sign-up, as there is only one bingo card for everyone, and it was already posted. All you need to participate is create something to match one or several prompts and post it in the AO3 collection, or on tumblr/twitter and @ and tag the mungrovebingos account so we can see and reblog!

What is the timeline?

The event will be running from February 14th, 2024 to March 1st, 2024.

What kind of content is accepted?

Everything! You can submit any form of creative fanwork you can think of. We welcome all forms of writings (fanfic, headcanons, poetry, song lyrics, etc.), ‘fanarts’ (traditional art, digital art, photography, knitting, cooking, music, etc.) and works in progress! For example, digital art includes drawings, paintings, gifsets, edits, fanmixes… Everything you can think of.

Do you accept late submissions?

We will accept late submissions until March 8th, 2024.

Which platforms are allowed?

You can post anywhere you want; we accept submissions to the AO3 collection and will be reblogging on Tumblr and retweeting on Twitter. If you wish to post something on other platforms such as Instagram or else, you can ask the mungrovebingos tumblr to post a link to your creation on your behalf. We also accept anonymous contributions on AO3 and Tumblr.

Is NSFW/E-rated content allowed?

Yes, adults can create NSFW content—but remember everything must be tagged appropriately! We allow NSFW, E-rated and 18+ content. If you’re wondering about specific warnings (such as non-con, underage, major character death, “dead dove: do not eat”, etc.) please check out the rules below!

What are the specifics concerning the AO3 collection?

The Collection will be open on February 14th, 2024.

Do we have to fit every square in one work?

No, you can use several prompts for one work, or one prompt per work, it’s all up to you!

Rules

1. Any type of content should be mainly focused on the Billy/Eddie pairing.

That said—other pairings are allowed, as long as Mungrove is the focus. For example: you can have Max/Lucas as a secondary pairing. Mentions of past or relationships are obviously allowed, but “Billy/Eddie/[character]” ships such as Harringroveson (Billy/Eddie/Steve) aren’t meant to be a part of this event. We obviously won’t hunt you and take you down with a sniper if the fic you write (for example) mentions this ship, but it has to be focused on Billy and Eddie.

2. No explicit situations of characters under 16 are allowed.

Explicit situations include extremely violent or sexual situations. If you are unsure whether your content is considered explicit or not, you can send an ask to the Mungrove tumblr (you do not need a tumblr account). If the characters are above 16, everything else is allowed (dark themes, smut, etc…) as long as you follow rule #4.

3. No bashing allowed.

“Spite” content must be restricted to spite against Canon or anything considered Stranger Things in-universe. We discourage bashing against characters. Being critical isn’t bashing! Portraying Neil as a bigoted, violent man isn’t bashing considering how he behaves in the show and there is such a thing as an unreliable narrator (Example: Billy thinking Everything Is Max’s Fault) and that is more than fine, but a heavy focus on making a character much worse than he actually is to create spite content against another ship for example is heavily discouraged (Example: turning Steve into some kind of awful evil ex as a fuck you to Steddie, Harringrove or Harringroveson shippers is prohibited, there is no need for such things).

4. Content must always be tagged appropriately.

No matter what platform you post on, tag your content appropriately and follow the platform’s etiquette. For example: if you post NSFW Mungrove art featuring choking on a non-explictly NSFW Twitter account, mark your content as sensitive and add “choking” to your tweet—so that people can be appropriately warned. If you post Mungrove headcanons on Tumblr featuring Child Abuse, either warn about it in your post or by using the tagging system. If you post on AO3, you must use the appropriate rating, the Archive Warnings whenever necessary, and either tag trigger warnings with canonical tags or list them in the author’s notes. If you use the Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings for surprises and/or twists, tag major trigger warnings in the end notes. For example: if you post a Soundcloud song with lyrics containing Major Character Death and Torture; add “torture and mcd” to your end notes as content warning if you decided to pick Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings on AO3.

#mungrovekissbingo2024 #*rules #*FAQ

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mungrovebingos · 1 year ago

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Sweet Pies - Prologue - A year later

This is my firts complete series, written for the @mungrovebingos last summer. As usual, I have to change the task with my favourite poly throuple.

Rating: E Relationship: Steve Harrington/Billy Hargrove/Eddie Munson WT: None Words: 1810

Sweet pie - complete series

Snippet below!

Steve giggled and nodded, caressing sweetly Billy flushed skin. Eddie looked to his two beautiful and hot men, then got up from the seat and dived in the pool. He swam and splashed for a while, and Steve sat on the edge watching him. Eddie came to him caressing his legs and biting his thumbs, and Billy entered the water, coming to tickle Steve too. Then Eddie came out of the water and lay down to dry in the sun. It was almost sunset hour there in Montecito’s hill and he was just craving for a cocktail. He watched them for a little while and then prepared three glasses at the pool’s minibar. Really Steve prepared the best cocktails, but at that moment he was busy kissing and rubbing the splendid blonde model in his pool, and he didn’t want to bother them. Billy Hargrove was on billboard of half America and Europe, showing his body sparking for all the lotions and make up and editing they used on him, advertising aftershave, underwear, sunglasses or whatever, but Eddie won’t change all that glamour of one of the best male supermodel in the world with the smiling guy sunbathing and swimming naked in his mansion.

#mungrovesummerbingo2023 #fic #*2023 #*summerbingo #lorifragolina

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mungrovebingos · 2 years ago

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This is the only Summer Mungrove I could manage to get out before the due date.

#mungrovesummerbingo2023 #art #nymphartistt

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mungrovebingos · 2 years ago

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Here, have my second and last fic for the Mungrove Summer Bingo event! The first one was for the prompt summer stars, this one is titled Free Fall and it has everything.

Meaning it fills all the other prompts from my bingo card. I'm talking man bun, I'm talking lazy summer and also midsummer. I'm talking shade and swimming lessons. I'm talking road trips and water fights.

I'm also talking Mungrove in space.

I'm not sure if it's good or pure shit, and I have a splitting headache, so do with allll this what you want.

My bingo card is done and I'm proud of, at the very least, having used it all! Hooray for me!

#mungrovesummerbingo2023 #lazy summer #midsummer #man bun #summer stars #shade #swimming lessons #road trip #water fight #fic #rated m #spaceofentropy #blackout 🎉

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mungrovebingos · 2 years ago

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That's it folks!

Summer is officially over, which means we've reached the end of the Mungrove Summer Bingo!

First of all, thank you all for your participation, seeing what you all created for this event has been a pleasure. If you still have something in the works and about to be finished, no worries you still have until September 30 to post it!

We tried our best to reblog everything even though the blog was shadowbanned which means no notifications when we were mentioned but if we missed your posts, please feel free to let us know with a link, either by sending an ask or contacting us on the discord!

If you wish to make a masterpost to gather all the stuff you made for this event feel free to do so and mention us + tag it mungrovesummerbingo2023 so we're sure to see and reblog it! If you managed to get a full bingo: congratulations, you did so much for our two favorite boys and I'm sure they appreciate the attention 😏 And if you couldn't finish it, or feel like you haven't done as much as you wanted to initially: you did great and there is no such thing as not enough in fandom. 💙🧡 We hope you all had a wonderful summer, and wether you're sad or happy to see it gone, there is one thing to look forward to, which means...

#mungrove #mungrovesummerbingo2023 #*2023 #*summerbingo #*announcement

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mungrovebingos · 2 years ago

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Sweet Pies

Last entry for Mungrove Summer Bingo 2023 prompt: A1 Carnival It has been a large ride, thanks for all!!

@mungrovebingos

Carnival

Eddie Munson collected the mail near the gate while he’s returning home with his car. He found a brown envelope and he ripped the paper, smiling silly when he took a magazine from it.

The naked truth said the main title on the cover of that number of Carnival, the music and lifestyle magazine, where was a full body photo of Eddie, with a cowboy hat, a leather harness around his naked, tattooed chest and his thumb tucked in the belt of some black skinny jeans, pushing then down showing his happy trail.

The allusive pictures were not the spicier thing in the article about him, his music and especially his private life.

Eddie scoffed and started the car again, finally approaching the entrance of his mansion.

Billy and Steve would literally go crazy about it.

Eddie entered the fancy hotel in Boston, followed by an ice cold wind blow. He shot a flirting look to the receptionist.

“I’m here for Nancy Wheeler from Carnival” and in a minute a woman in a red suit came from a table of the restaurant, extending a hand to him and driving to a private table. Eddie took off the scarf with the skulls he was wearing (a silly present from his boyfriends that time he caught an illness insisting to get out without a jacket, being very fussy during an entire week) and ordered a double coffee, then sat down to relax on the small sofa.

Nancy placed a little recorder between them and started with some light chat, then took a notebook from her purse and stared at a page with a pen, for a minute or two.

“Do you mind if I smoke?” asked Eddie. The journalist shook her head, they were in the smokers area of the restaurant. He took his zippo from the pocket, looking at the engraved orca on it for a moment. It was Billy’s lighter and he took it by mistake when he left home, causing a fuss that Steve could barely manage. The gold ring at his finger sparkled when he moved his hand close to his face.

“So you’re ready to start the interview?” Nancy asked, checking the recorder.

“For you I’m always ready” cooed Eddie, and Nancy had a little shiver, although she knew he wasn’t interested in her, he couldn’t resist for a second to flirt.

She cleared her throat.

“Ok, let’s start” She smiled. “So, you started your solo career this year and you already have a new album rising in the ranks…”

He moved into his new mansion in Montecito last September, just a month after the last Corroded Coffin concert. The house was quite good and he had just to set his studio in the basement and fix a little the garden. Billy and Steve kept their apartments in Malibu and Portland, but only technically, in fact they lived there with him. Steve moved to the little keeper’s outbuilding in the garden, to write quietly, and sometimes he played the security guard at the gate, a thing that literally turned Eddie feral.

He had already planned to release a solo album at some point and had most of the songs already written, so the album was easy to record. He planned a little USA tour for the winter and, despite all his effort, an Europe tour between spring and summer. He was adamant to have at least a month free next summer to go away with his boyfriends, and although they have busy summer plans too, they all were looking forward to going to Mykonos in July.

Surprisingly, the album was full of love songs and ballads, and was an instant success. His fandom immediately associated those songs to his relationship with Billy; he wrote some of them for Steve too, but they didn’t come out yet as a poly couple, but for the moment it was enough. Thanks to the news of the house, they didn’t go out a lot lately, and they were happy in this way.

“And what did you feel when your bandmates decided to temporarily retire from the live shows? Are you still on good terms? And do you think about coming back with them sooner or later? -

Eddie smiled and shook the ashes off the cig.

Gareth and Martha tied the knot in late September in his hometown in Indiana, from when Corroded Coffin started and they all ran away just when they could. The ceremony was sweet and intimate, Gareth's Irish catholic family wasn’t quite happy Martha showed her almost six month belly, but she was so pretty and sweet that nobody cared after a while.

Eddie attended with Billy and Steve, Gareth insisted on that, and Billy, as usual, passed almost all the ceremony whipping softly behind his sunglasses. They felt a little too cocky and didn’t pay enough attention to professional and amateur photographers and someone almost caught the three kissing together behind the trees.

After the dinner Eddie was frankly drunk, Steve and Billy never saw him at that point, despite the heroic quantity of alcohol he usually drank when he was happy. He also lit a few joints and they were wetting themselves from laughing.

Eddie was dancing with Gareth's great-grandma, a little old lady with a cane who was incredibly agile despite it.

“I’m a little horny” Eddie drunk-said to the lady, who luckily was a little deaf. Billy was dancing with Gareth's little niece and overheard the conversation, his belly hurting for the laughs.

“Ok Eddie, time to go” He took Eddie and tried to drag him out of the dance floor; he whispered what had just happened to Steve and he doubled up with laughter too.

“Come on Eddie, sit down here” and Billy sat down too to catch his breath.

“Once I took a schoolm… a school… a friend over there and we caug… we caught… we thought there were wolves…” Eddie kept munching nonsense for some time, while Steve was trying to give him water.

“You want to kill me, this shit kills,” Eddie kept saying, trying to catch the glass but missing it badly. “You hate me? Do you hate me?”

Billy was in tears. “Come on, Billy please, put yourself together, you’re always crying!” mocked Steve, provoking more laughs and more tears.

Finally, Eddie drank the water and stayed for a moment, regaining control a little . Suddenly, he becomes a little pensative.

“Ehi” he said out of nothing. “Want to go there” and he pointed far in front of him. He got up and started walking to the woods.

“Eddie, Eds, wait!” Billy tried to stop him, but Eddie took his hand and they followed him.

A minute walking from the hotel they came to the trailer park. Eddie told them about his childhood with Wayne in a trailer and, although he bought his uncle a fancy house, he kept the trailer and sometimes went to rest there.

Eddie knew where the spare key was and they entered, in silence.

“Here is where you used to live?”

Eddie nodded. He entered his old room that Wayne was keeping as when he lived there, just a little more tidy and clean. He sat in the bed.

“You know? I never had a fuck here”.

Billy looked to Steve and found the same sparkling glare in his eyes. He knelt at Eddie’s side, and Steve knelt at the other.

“No? Really?” said Billy. “Why?” he opened Eddie’s belt and Steve took off his shirt from his pants.

“I wasn’t out, and I ran away right after the graduation” he smiled remembering while the two took off his pants and underwear completely.

“And now?” asked Steve, jerking a little Eddie’s dick, hard and leaking already.

“And now I will fuck both of you here” he grinned, pushing Steve’s head on his legs.

Billy whined biting the pillow while Eddie spread his legs a bit more. He was on his stomach, naked, a leg bent and filled by his boyfriend so good and deep. Eddie was grabbing him by his waist and fucking him with a blissful face and eyes closed. Steve jerked himself near Billy’s face, then pushed his dick in his mouth. Billy moaned and looked at him with eyes full of tears while Steve stuffed all his length deep into his throat. Eddie extended to kiss Steve passionately and pushed faster into Billy.

“Fuck, yes Eddie, yes” cried Billy, grabbing the sheet on the verge of coming.

“No” said Eddie, coming out from him. He tilted his head to Steve and he took his site behind Billy.

“Do you want more, Billy?” whispered Eddie on Billy’s ear, kissing him deeply with his tongue in his hungry lips.

“Yes please, please” he whined, jacking himself off on the bed. Eddie kissed Steve again and tickled him on his spine, rubbing on his tailbone, then pushing his fingers on him, kneeling behind him spreading the leg, still hard and willing.

“Come on, sweet pie” he whispered to Steve. He lined his dick to Billy’s pulsing ring, wet for Eddie’s precum and well stretched. He entered with a single move and Billy arched and cried. Eddie pushed him against the bed again, then coated his dick in lube again and glided smoothly inside Steve. He didn’t lose the pace he’s keeping in Billy, but arched in turn and bit his own lips.

Billy started shaking under them both and his breath broke, he jerked himself faster and pushed his face on the pillow coming hard in his own hand.

Eddie trapped Steve between his loins and Billy’s ass and came inside Steve pulling so hard his hips that Steve screamed in pain. Eddie collapsed on the bed at Billy’s side and Steve kept a little inside him, after loading him with a growl.

“Fuck…” he whined come out from Billy, letting him leaking and trembling, still spreading on the bed.

Eddie hugged Billy and Steve leaned his head on Billy’s back.

“So we revenged young Eddie, right?” whispered Billy, smiling sweetly.

Eddie whined, and didn’t answer, just hugged his boyfriends a little more.

They collected their clothes from the floor. Eddie sat in the bed putting his pants on, but suddenly he stopped, staring at the void.

“Eddie? All right?”

Eddie sighed, biting his lips.

“I want to marry you” he whispered.

“What?”

“I want to marry you”

Billy laughed. “We already have the rings, Eddie, don’t you remember?”

Eddie shook his head. “Yes, but I want to marry you, for real, I want a wedding, I want a party, I want everyone to cheer for the husbands, I want to have a ceremony with you…”

“Oh, Eddie…” Billy knelt to hug him. “I love you too” he kissed his forehead.

Steve hugged them both. “I wish I could marry you for real too… I love you”.

Nancy scribbled some notes about what Eddie told her about the solo album and his relationship with Gareth, then took a sip from her cup and looked at Eddie smiling.

“I know we agreed on the topics of this interview with your staff, but what about some more personal questions? Our readers are very avid about some particulars, obviously, if you want. If you’re more comfortable, I can turn off the recorder”.

Eddie nodded. “I can talk with you about everything” he flirted again, batting a little his eyelashes, and Nancy turned off the recorder with a little shiver.

“Well, you came out some years ago already. What about your recent flirt with Billy Hargrove, the supermodel?”

“It is not a flirt” said Eddie smiling, without harm in his voice.

Nancy blushed a little. “And what about this summer’s pictures in Mykonos? You know, Billy presumed cheating with Steve Harrington, who was working with you on his series soundtrack? It’s all good with your boyfriend now, or…”

Eddie scoffed, leaning back on the sofa with a smile. “I don’t know anything about Billy cheating” he said, without adding more explanation. “We’re doing very well and we are doing good together, and I work very well with Steve, of course. But he’s not my boyfriend anymore” Eddie waited for Nancy's reaction, and he didn't have to wait.

“What? Are you breaking up…” she sighed, really surprised.

Eddie giggled and raised his left hand. “If you promise to keep the secret, he will be my husband soon. And… ” Eddie blinked at Nancy. The recorder was turned off, but she scribbled in her notebook.

“Oh, come on, put a price tag on me and sell me already!” Eddie protested, shaking under Billy’s hands.

“Eddie, for Christ’s sake, stay still, stop wiggle”.

Eddie grunted again, snorting and looking in the mirror.

“Please, I feel all compressed, you know I don’t like it!”

“Stay straight and stop complaining. It’s Steve's big night, so shut up” Billy tied strong Eddie’s tie trying not to strangle him.

“If it’s Steve’s big night, why are you dressing me like that?”

Billy scoffed and pouted. “Because I know elegance. Now stop fussing!”.

Obviously, Eddie didn’t stop. “Why can’t I simply dress like at Gareth's wedding? I was elegant”.

“Look, leather pants and a vest were right, but I said you have to be classic for the gala. Last word” Billy dusted Eddie’s shoulders. He looked at himself in the mirror and barely recognized himself, he had a dark gray three piece tailed tight, a silver tie, cufflinks and coordinated leather shoes and belt. He felt like a puppet and he was really uncomfortable. Billy wore a similar suit, a little clearer, that really matched his colors, and seemed like he was wearing his pajamas.

“Now the hair” said Billy, and Eddie screamed.

They finally came to the gala and came out to the limo and walked to the red carpet.

It was the presentation gala of the new series The man who invented electricity based on Steve’s books, and Corroded Coffin did the soundtrack.

Eddie took Billy’s hand during the walk, waving at fans and posing for the photos, smiling and feeling like a scarecrow, furthermore, Billy won about his hair and now he had a messy bun that squeezed all his head. But he was quite happy, Billy was really beautiful at his side and didn’t let him go, grabbing his waist from time to time. They passed the photocall at the entrance and they gave the reporters a sweet kiss to talk about, and after a little interview they could enter and wait for the show.

Steve was already there, as principal guest, they were excited for their boyfriend’s big night.

Gareth was already in with a really pregnant Martha, they went away after the first part of the gala; Eddie was in charge for a little talk on behalf of Corroded Coffin and that reminded him of the Gelato gala at the beginning of the summer. He was so full of love at that moment, two beautiful pairs of eyes were chained to his’, and he fiddled with the silver ring.

When all the talking was done and the real gala started, Eddie and Billy sneaked out of the party and got into an empty room, where they drank from the classic Billy’s flask and started kissing. Eddie finally got rid of his stupid jacket and rubbed on Billy, who was really turned on by the alcohol and the glamour.

The door opened again and they froze.

“You better close the door,” said Steve, closing the lock.

“We’re waiting for you, sweet pie” smiled Billy.

“It’s your day” echoed Eddie, opening his arms for Steve.

They kissed their star of the day. He started touching Billy’s crotch, but he moved his hands.

“Oh no, sweetie, it’s your day” he repeated, and opened Steve’s belt. Eddie knelt in front of him, and Billy followed.

Steve licked his lips and grabbed both heads under him.

Eddie called for Steve and Billy from the entrance. They were watching the sport in the living room. Eddie waved at them, and they really didn’t pay attention to him. He showed the magazine to them from the door and then threw it to them on the sofa, and went on the stairs, waiting.

“Eddie!!” cried Billy with a feral crazy voice.

He ran upstairs. Steve came out the living room running behind him, and Billy followed him immediately, squealing.

“Eddie!! Where is that harness? Eddie!! Come here!”

They threw themselves on him in their room, falling in their big big bed; the TV kept talking alone in the living room, reflecting on the silver frame of a photo on the fireplace; they were together, in Tulum, with a big green arc of plant and white flowers, all dressed with white shirts and linen trousers, barefoot and a silly bouquet for each.

That day, only a few weeks after, they had a little private ceremony, although symbolic, and they exchanged their silver rings with three old fashioned yellow gold wedding rings.

They were husbands now, each other and forever.

#mungrovesummerbingo2023 #carnival #fic #lorifragolina

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mungrovebingos · 2 years ago

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Sweet Pies

Seventh entry for Mungrove Summer Bingo 2023 prompt: C1 Outdoor concert

@mungrovebingos

Four rings and a last concert

Eddie Munson looked through the curtains at the side of the stage. Gareth Emerson was at his side. He was paler than usual, and sweaty. “Do you think it’s the right thing?” Eddie turned to Gareth, smiling to who despite all, was still his best friend. “Of course. 100%. The best thing”. Gareth sighted, not persuaded.

All started, and in some way finished, a week ago at the mansion in Montecito. Eddie, Billy and Steve just confessed to each other they were in love, and that they wanted to be boyfriends, and also confessed to the band they were the three together and the photos a gossip magazine published lately weren’t a problem for them. It was a little weird but they didn’t mind, on the contrary they were relieved because they wouldn’t have problems working with Steve and his series. Gareth even asked him to sign his book. They had a little party after the dinner, to celebrate they finished their work and they had only another gig to go before some well deserved time off. Eddie sometimes looked at Gareth and Martha, his girlfriend, because he overheard some calls between them and was a little concerned; they were a little distant, it seemed to him, during the dinner. He was just looking at them when Gareth called for their attention touching the glass with a knife. “Friends, could you please take a drink?” Fred gave a soda to his children, and Martha took another for herself. Eddie poured three whisky shots. Gareth looked at Martha and smiled. “Well, Martha and I… we are expecting!” he blushed really a lot, and Martha started crying and everything they tried to say after that was covered by their absolute roar of happiness. What Eddie overheard were in fact concerned calls, because they had a miscarriage the last year, that they didn’t tell anyone, and while Gareth was at the mansion, they were waiting for the analytics Martha took. Finally everything was sorted good, she reported personally at the mansion, they are finally pregnant and not with only one, but with two big and healthy babies. Eddie had to comfort Billy, who was weeping, and he couldn't completely process the fact that Gareth wanted to take some time from Corroded Coffin to focus on his family.

“What news” smiled Billy, when they returned to Eddie's room, still shaken and excited. “Indeed” said Eddie, laconically, going to the balcony to light a cigar. “It’s all ok, Eddie?” said Steve, taking off his shirt. “Are you worried for the band?” insisted Billy too. Eddie smoked a little, quietly. The pool was surrounded with lights, he could see the moon and smell the summer in the air. “Eddie?” Steve came out on the balcony. He wore only his underwear, his skin was covered in sweet moles and his skin was lightly gold, shimmering. Eddie looked at him, he was so happy and joyful and felt the warmth of his skin. “It’s all right, yes” he smiled, throwing away the cig. “I’m going to buy this place” he added, coming into the bedroom. “What?” said Billy. “It would cost a fuckilion, Eddie!” Eddie laughed. “Well, maybe a similar place is a little less expensive. But I want to buy a house here. I really want”. “Are you sure? What happened?” “Well… I have money. And I… we can stay here together. I mean…I can build a studio here, and a gym for Billy, and… well, whatever Steve does”. Steve opened his eyes and snorted. “I write, Eddie. I’m a writer. I write” “Oh yes? Ok, whatever…” Steve threw a pillow against him. “There is a little outbuilding where you can stay away from our chaos” Eddie looked away, lying on the bed.” I… I am happy, really. I want to be happy forever” Billy lied down at his side. “And you think you can be happy buying this place?” he laughed. “Maybe” Eddie smiled. Steve took the other side. “And if it won’t work, at least I’d fuck you two in the pool”. Steve laughed in return, and tickled him, then sat on top of him and kissed him deeply.

And now, they were there, side to side, backstage, in a big stage in Central Park, New York, for the last concert they would do together for a large amount of time. “You can tell me the truth, Eddie, are you really fine with this?” “Gareth, it couldn’t be in a better moment. We just released the album, we finished the jingles and the soundtrack, and I think you can come to the studio sometimes if we need you. We also just finished the tour… don’t worry. It’s the right thing, absolutely”. Gareth smiled shyly. He took a little box from his pocket, stroking it with his thumb. “What if I am a bad father? Or if I couldn’t be a good… husband?” he was shivering a little, opening the box, and Eddie thought he needed to calm down to play in a few minutes. He already saw Gareth scared, in their first concerts for example, but never scared to death like in that moment. “Gareth, you’re simply as good, I promise you. You just have to try, it’s what all us do, and you’re good. Don’t be scared now, it is nonsense”. Gareth let go a little whine. “What if I ruined everyone’s life?” “And what if you don’t? Come on, Gareth…” Eddie hugged him lightly and looked him in the eyes. “You can count on me and I… I am scared too, you know”. Gareth smiled and shook his head. “For the rings? Don’t be silly, you have never to be scared of”.

When they returned from Montecito, Gareth called Eddie one morning. He asked him to join him for a coffee and Eddie knew it was strange. Gareth asked him to go with him to buy a ring for Martha. They talked about marriage before, and the two agreed it was not a priority for the moment. But now, with two babies on the way, Gareth wanted to give Martha a present, a real ring and a wedding to give her peace and safety. “This one is really you” Eddie pointed to a red gold ring with a dark yellow stone, with a lilac accent. “It really recalls your eyes”. “Oh, you’re being really romantic, aren’t you?” Gareth smiled and looked him in the eyes, then took the ring and looked it near. “Now the girl will think we are boyfriends” Gareth whispered and giggled silly. “Yeah…” Eddie answered a little absent minded. His look was captured by a display with simpler and more masculine rings. “I’ll take this” insisted Gareth. He paid, but Eddie still stared at those rings. “Eddie?” “What if… what if I buy those rings?” he pointed to a wide white gold band with black enamel hints, matte, and a little stone of yellow gold in the center. “For…” Eddie nodded. “For… for them both. Maybe it’s too soon?” he looked at Gareth, and he saw, maybe for the first time, a real struggle in Eddie’s face. “Why not?” “I… I love Billy and I love Steve, but I met him a really little time ago, but…” “What do you think if you imagine giving them a ring?” Eddie smiled and seemed lightened a little. “I imagine myself really happy…” “Eddie, you found two people that see the life just as you see it… what makes you happy make them happy and you all have the same idea about the relationship, and it’s so rare… throw yourself” Eddie nodded. They both left something to engrave on the rings and Gareth explained his idea for the proposal to Eddie, who happily agreed.

“You can’t be scared of the rings, they will faint for happiness”. Eddie nodded. “Yes, but it’s not for this,” Eddie sighed. “I made an offer for a mansion in Montecito,” he confessed. Gareth cursed a little. “What?” was the only thing he could say. Eddie nodded again. - I wanted a house, and I made an offer. It’s almost all my money, and if something goes wrong I will be homeless and broke-. “Wow” said Gareth, and “Wow” again, after a while. “With… Billy and Steve?” “I would live with them, yes, but the house would be mine… I never had a place of mine before” . “Yes. I am sure all will go right, you can always count on me” smiled Gareth, and now he didn’t feel so scared anymore.

When they came out on the stage, Eddie tried to find Billy and Steve in the crowd, but it was quite impossible. He offered them the VIP zone but they preferred to have a picnic and a rest in the park trying to maintain a low profile. He hoped they were in the crowd hand in hand, and kissing while he was singing. He tried to put all the love he felt in his performance. When they unexpectedly announced that that would be the last concert in a while, the crowd exploded and people got closer and more moved, screaming and singing the songs and dancing and cheering. Near the end of the show, he presented his bandmates and they went out together. After a little while, Eddie came out again with an acoustic guitar and a stool, and the crowd gasped and rumbled in waiting. Eddie took the mic. “Well, my friends, today is a really unique day. We announced we will get a pause from live concerts, and I think now you expect our encore with our classic tracks that we love dearly. But today is special” Eddie's voice shivered, and he took a breath, he was really, really moved himself “and I want to call on the stage my best friend, you know, Gareth Emerson, my brother. Come on, come here, Gareth!”. The crowd started to call Gareth loudly, and the drummer came to the stage with a nervous smile and completely red. Eddie hugged him, and looked with the corner of the eye to the VIP zone, where Martha was just as curious as the others. Jeff went to her and took her hand driving her to the ladder of the stage, and she giggled and went to the stage covering her face, with her little baby bum visible under her Corroded Coffin crop top. The silence of the crowd was tangible. Eddie sat and started strumming softly on the guitar. “Come on, Gareth” he whispered, far from the mic. Gareth nodded, touching his back pocket. He tried to talk to the mic and his voice was uncertain and thin. “Well, Martha, Eddie helped me do this thing, so please don’t be mad at me” and then people laughed and he gained confidence. “Everybody, she is Martha, my girlfriend, Martha, please, come nearer” Jeff pushed a little Martha and then went away. “How’d you do, darling?” said Eddie, distracting her. She giggled and said something, and in that moment Gareth took the ring box from his pocket and said in the mic: “Marta, do you want to marry me?” and then knelt in front of her. The crowd went crazy, Eddie didn’t feel ashamed for the tears he was crying, and Martha was speechless hiding her face in her hands. Gareth opened the box and handed it to Martha. He was smiling silly and a little nervous. Martha nodded, at first just a little, then more convinced. “Yes, yes!” she cried at last. Gareth put the ring on her finger and then they hugged and kissed. “She said yes,” said Eddie from his corner, and everybody laughed, breaking the tension. Gareth took Martha’s hand and showed it to the crowd, clapping, screamed and whistled, completely happy. Eddie kept playing during all the show, and when Gareth and Martha went away, he announced the last song, a new ballad he secretly wrote in the last two weeks, that he called "Sweet pies”. “This song is… for somebody out there. You completely changed my life and you gave me the sweetness I didn’t know I needed, " he said, his voice trembling. He wasn’t used to writing love songs, but he sang with his heart in his lips and, again, searching in the crowd his two boyfriends, while he was feeling his own box in his own back pocket, like it was vibrating.

He went down from the backstage, some fans were there and he signed a couple of autographs, then two special fans reached him, holding their hands, one with a baseball hat and mirror glasses, wearing a really hot pants and a crop top and another with an oversize Corroded Coffin sleeveless shirt and a little red sunburnt in all his uncovered skin, and no sunglasses. “The joy of being a writer, nobody knows your face” said Steve, pointing to his burned skin. “I told you to use sunscreen, I even offered to spread it on you”. Steve kissed Billy sweetly, then smiled at Eddie who was looking at them with sparkling eyes. “Come here” said him, taking the hands of both into the backstage again, where they were alone. Billy took off hat and glasses and immediately clung to Eddie, kissing him hungrily. Steve came in turn and they stayed a long moment kissing and touching ferally. “That song was beautiful” whispered Billy, trying to take off Eddie's shirt while Steve was busy with his pants. “Awesome,” added Steve. “Wait a minute, guys, wait” Eddie tried to stop them, that was really strange, and both looked at him with a concerned glance. “Let me say a thing first” Eddie put a hand on his back pocket. - Did you say what Gareth did, right?” They nodded. “Oh, it was really, really sweet,” said Billy, drying his eyes. Eddie knew that things could only get worse and wetter. “Yeah” continued Eddie. “And I think…” he took the box and showed it to the other two “although we can’t properly marry, I think, for now… I wanted to give you something…” he opened the box and they saw the three identical rings, in a red velvet fabric, shining quietly in Eddie’s hand. “Oh my god” said Billy, weeping again, to no one’s surprise. “Oh my god, is it real?” he looked at Eddie, and then at Steve, who was speechless for once, processing and realizing things. “Eddie…” he said carefully, looking at the rings. “You really want… we… we know for a little time…” “Yes, I know, but… but I feel this is the moment. With you both. I… I love you. Really. I want to…” he couldn’t find the words. “Yes” said Billy, smiling and crying and shivering. “Yes. Yes!” Steve nodded too, he was so overwhelmed his voice was dull in his throat. Eddie took a ring and put it at Billy’s finger, then at Steve’s. He put his ring to himself and they hugged together feeling it was indeed the right moment and the right place. Then Eddie slipped his hands under Billy’s top, and he rapidly dried his face and put a sly smile on it. Steve came back to Eddie’s pants, and after a while he dropped to his knees, maybe it wasn’t him who had to kneel for the proposal, but nobody complained. Eddie leaned against a table and grabbed his hair with his now engaged hand. He engraved E, B, S, in each ring, and it was really all they needed, now and forever.

#mungrovesummerbingo2023 #outdoor concerts #fic #lorifragolina

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