#I LISTENED TO THE NEXT EPISODE AND HES SO. SWEET WHAT THE HELL...

[gunstellations]

Post. MAG21

[semperamans]

part three of loverboy!oscar is here! get ready for chaos! also!! i deeply apologize for how long it took to get this posted :'(

if you missed part two you can find it here! if you read and enjoy please let me know what you think! your comments keep my days oh so bright! hope you all are well!

xo, clo

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pias_lover_girl commented "what other things oscarpiastri my STOMACH HURTS."

mclaren commented "bring us home a souviner 🥹 we accept refridgerator magnets, snowglobes, and t-shirts."

↳ landonorris replied "i only accept signed CDs 🙂"

↳ pitstop_piastri replied "oh this was CRAZY LANDO SJFHSKDF"

ynsgirly commented "oscarpiastri what are your intentions with my daughter 🤨"

oscarsfearless89 commented "he is just a little boy in a big ole city i-"

tracksidebabe commented "the little smile after he said "other things planned" 🥺 hope he has the best time."

mclarendad72 commented "love this for him honestly, nothing like your first trip to new york city."

f1fanfiles commented "he looks like he’s actually excited for once lol bless"

futureyn_piastri commented "ik he won't be listening to that Shawn Mendes podcast..."

↳ ynforpresident replied "babygirl NO ONE is gonna listen to that."

liked by yourname_source, sc4rlett_44, bestofyn, oscarpiastri, morningwithyn, and others

yn_nation our girl was spotted out and about today! mayas_yn snapped these pics of our cutie gal outside of Bubby's Bakery on Hudson :') maya said yn was picking up some baked goods: a cake for an upcoming birthday and some cupcakes for her nieces who will be visiting her in the next few days :)

thank you for sharing, maya! 💌

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bubbysbarista i served her this morning and she gave me and my coworkers $300 tips 😭😭

↳ sundaywithyn NOT HER OUT HERE CHANGING LIVES BEFORE NOON

↳ ynlover95 she's so sweet :( she's soft spoken :( her pockets deep as hell :( yn save me :(

↳ sc4rlett_44 ugh ☹️ it’s little moments like this that remind me why i’ve been a fan for so long.

piastrigirlies not to be That Person but… any chance she was with someone mayas_yn 👁️👁️

↳ mayas_yn she was alone :)

afterglowing81 honestly just happy to see her out and about, smiling and living her life — not hiding out or spiraling over shawn or any of that mess. growth looks really good on her 🤍

herefordrama i personally think she's just trying to save face and show up randomly doing good deed so we won't watch the Shawn podcast episode lol

↳ f1xynlore girl she bought baked goods for her nieces… not exactly a strategic media move 😭

↳ starryeyesandbutterflies did you activley seek out a yn fan account to leave a hate comment? YOU HAVE SO MUCH TIME ON YOUR HANDS I- FSHDFJKSDHF

↳ girlshush every time she breathes y’all get suspicious. therapy is calling. pick up.

↳ ynsdefense “doing good deeds” is wild behavior to accuse someone of. sorry she’s a decent human i guess?

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yourusername uploaded a story!

love4yn replied "your nieces are about to get the most emotionally regulated love known to man."

landoe04 replied “can’t wait to see uncle oscar in the next story 😇”

angelicyn replied "i volunteer to be one of your nieces thx"

shawnmendes replied "this made me smile."

papayapressure replied “we get it. you’re soft. you’re sweet. you’re just like us 🙄”

newintown replied "do the nieces know their aunt could sell out Madison Square Garden but is taking them hiking instead??"

shedoesntgohere replied “this gives ‘please think i’m a good person’ energy.”

yourbrother replied "still laughing at Cleo telling me that i don't get the vibe."

ynsgirl222 replied “just curious… are the kids the only ones you’re babysitting this week 👀”

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later...

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shawnmendes uploaded a story!

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liked by hattie_piastri, oscarpiastri, sophie_matteson, mia.reinhart, yourbestfriend, and others

edie_pia kicked off my second decade with cake, watching noodle fall in love with my big brother, expensive dinners (thank u mclaren for writing his checks), and the best vibes. feeling loved, slightly over-caffeinated, and ready to take on my twenties 🧁

view all 2,421 comments

liv.rothman “thank u mclaren for writing his checks” IM CRYINGGGG

hattie_piastri love you so big, baby sister.

kayla.beech ugh i forgot to text you this morning but HAPPY BIRTHDAY you angel 😭🎉

f1butunwell happy birthday, Edie! We love your brother!

mclarenmeg wait this is oscar’s sister?? omg slay happy bday queen

↳ edie_pia no idk who that is sorry

↳ oscarpiastri same

mum.piastri My darling girl, I can hardly believe you're 20! It feels like just yesterday I was holding you in my arms, and yet my gray hairs might tell a different story... (They’re really piling up now!). Love you oodles and oodles. 💖

mclaren happy birthday, edie! 🎈

oscarpiastri happy birthday, ed. thanks for showing me how to jaywalk.

↳ edie_pia you still don't do it properly...? you apologize every single time 😒

↳ mum.pastri ... What? 🥲

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edie_pia uploaded a story!

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oscarandthegirlies replied "he is NOT back emotionally 💀 look at that GROUCHY FACE yn come get your man."

sector2slump replied "bro said good to be home like he’s trying to convince himself 😭"

ynpapayapress replied "i KNOW a man in emotional limbo when i see one"

markonmediums replied "my daughter said he’s giving abandoned golden retriever energy and i don't know what that means but i hope he chins up. good kid."

piastrisf1wife replied "he looks like someone just told him it’s media day for the third time in one week."

racedaybabe replied "jet lag hitting different huh"

lockuplads replied "he's so polite but you can tell he'd rather be anywhere else"

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liked by sydney_sweeney, rinasonline, chloebailey, phoebebridgers. oscarpiastri, yourbrother, and others

yourusername hello lovers! i was on double-duty this week - auntie yn x tour guide and i adored every minute of it. this was the first time my girls have visited me in the city and suffice to say, they loved it :') we chased down ice cream trucks, rode the carousel until our eyes were cross, bought way too many flowers (kidding, of course, you can never have too many), we made some new friends, ate pizza slices bigger than our heads, and had very serious discussions about what bubble wand color is superior (pink, of course).

these are the kinds of days i want to keep close. bare-faced and barefoot in central park. loud giggles and sticky fingers on sunlit sidewalks. big big smiles on two little faces :) the city feels like magic, again. thankful to these cuties for reminding me of that ♡

p.s. pls refer to the duck chart 🦆

view all 1,123,243 comments

mclaren we'd like to formally offer you a position on our media team, the vibes are immaculate.

↳ yourusername only if my nieces can come too. they’re very invested in tire strategy now.

↳ yourbrother they are five and three - what about ME?! HELLO? LIFELONG F1 FAN?

↳ yourusername 🤔 mclaren... did you guys hear anything?

↳ mclaren 🙉

↳ ynbaby IM SCREAMING mclaren GIVE HIM A JOB. HE IS THE REASON WE ARE HERE.

futureyn_piastri no oscar pics? i know Lando is going to be disappointed :(

↳ landonorris real

piastri_panic ... duck chart?

↳ imwithnorris no i was about to say what the FUCK IS SHE TALKING ABOUT 😭

dramaqueen01 girl wrap it UP with this soft girl narrative we are tired

↳ oscpresso says the one who came on yn's page to start shit? okay lol

dualipa the hold you have on me is not normal

↳ yourusername text meeeee

orangehearted not to be fucking insane but that is the HAND of a MAN in slide two...

↳ pitstoppiastri 👀

↳ f1butunwell you guys are so fucking weird i hate it here

maggierogers so glad joy found you again 💕

ynupdates this whole post is giving indie movie directed by greta gerwig

piastrisbaby ngl kinda wish oscar was in this dump too 😭

↳ not_lando lets be real, he probably took half these pics

ynsunrise how do i audition to be your niece. i’m 27 and emotionally unavailable but i can love to bake, know every single one of your songs, and like f1

↳ yourusername i'll have my people contact yours

oscarpiastri 🦆

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landonorris uploaded a story!

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[aethelwyneleigh27]

Right Next To You...

A/n: So I'm back. Not for very long due to lack motivation. I feel like this episode is kinda repetitive with the words. This came to me while listening to the bridge of "Die with a Smile" and i just imagined the scene where you two reunite to be on the bridge. Very edit worthy scenarios. This is kinda a mini fic. School ends this week and lucky me, my birthday is the weekend.

It's said that when a person dies, they have seven minutes left when their brain is still active for one last time, flashing before them memories of when they were their happiest.

In a moment of acceptance came a will to refuse, and Simon felt the numbness after what seemed like an endless burning heat of hell.

It seemed like he was in a haze with the look in his eyes reflecting the burning building around him as he remained unable to move.

~

“Breathe, love. Just breathe with me,” he murmured, kneeling beside the bed, one hand wrapped around yours, the other smoothing damp hair from your face. His voice trembled even as he tried to be steady, calm—for you. But fear and awe danced in his eyes as he watched the woman he loved battle pain for the life they’d created.

The midwife was focused and firm, her voice cutting through the haze. “You’re almost there. One more push, sweetheart. One more.”

You shook your head at first, gasping, your body exhausted, bones trembling. Tears welled in your eyes. “I can’t— I can’t do it.”

The next hour was the most excruciating for you, but it was all worth it after getting to hold your child. On the other hand, your husband was struggling to process that he finally gets to hold his little one.

~

"Adadadada— dadada... mmmm" The baby stimming herself by calling Simon over and over, "Yes, bee?" he responded with a chuckle.

He'd never be tired of her sweet little voice, the little yawns accompanying her babbling. She giggled her little heart out as he rested for the night. There was no other way to sleep comfortably when home with his family.

~

"Daddy, don't leave yet, please? Mommy and I will miss you," His daughter sniffled..

"I wish I didn't have to, princess, but you understand why daddy has to work, right? So I can give you and mommy everything you've ever wanted and needed."

"But daddy.. we need you too.." she cried.

Simon's eyes darted to the fridge and the colorful magnets that displayed the pictures, the drawings.

From the moment she was born, until now.. until the end of time, he knows deep in his heart that she'll need him. They'll need him.

How could he ever have left this behind?

Just for a second, that's all it took for Ghost... well, Simon Riley to realize.

He still has a family, imagining your reaction, what about his daughter? And yet here he was..

Then, nothing...

Waking up to the scent of medication and the ache in his body was a feeling he had become accustomed to—a strange kind of nostalgia he wished he could avoid, but found himself reliving time and time again.

He was used to the medical attention at this point, nurses and doctors checking every hour until it was visiting hour. Price came in.

"You've been out for two weeks, lieutenant. Wife's been calling me none-stop since the day I informed her of your state"

Price understood the importance of stepping aside when Simon demanded to be booked on the earliest flight home. After all, nothing comes between man and his family.

...

Simon didn't care if his feet burned, the sharp pain in his ribs meant nothing but seeing you bolting towards him at that shitty airport squeezed his heart dry.

You held your daughter in your arms, not caring all that much who you bumped into after weeks of waiting for news on your husband. All that went through your head was "What if he died? What then?".

After receiving that call from Price, which he knew made you mad, he didn't call you until the last minute, when your husband's flight was already landing. You just rushed there, not caring if you were in your sweatpants or unbrushed hair, just held by a claw clip.

His world froze as he ran.. the sheer force of the two of you colliding in an embrace was almost enough to set you both off balance. Simon groaned, "Shit.." you apologized to him as you tried to pull you away but his grip just tightened..

"Si.." your voice cracked, "You stupid bastard, can't believe you'd just.. ugh.." you couldn't help yourself, the tears just made their way out into a sob.

Simon felt your hand pounding on his chest, his little girl crying with you, cherub face buried in her own pudgy hands.

This needs to end— family is the only support he has left, and he's causing them pain, constantly worrying them and leaving them to fend for themselves. He can't care for them the way he truly wants if he stays out of reach.

He has a fucking family, he's not have a proper one all his life and he almost died, he almost left them..

He hasn't lived a good life yet.

Maybe now is the time to finally, actually, be happy—the happiness he was deprived of all his life.

@wishesforyou @puff0o0 @simp4konig @blingblong55 @azereus @rustic-guitar-notes @thepalestinianjet @anonymuslydumb @the-second-sage @icarustypicalfall @connorsui @capuccino192 @iexiam @miss-gms-and-the-rotten-womb @celestialhole @starryylies @duck-a-doodle @everlastingmoonlightsworld @keiva1000 @poohkie90 @drewsmusee @yveevie

[arcadia-smith]

My sweet life Ep2

Moodboard/Masterlist

Pairing: Simon Riley x Fem!reader

Summary: Navigating everyday life with Simon Riley. Sitcom-style fanfiction.

Word count: just over 600

Previous episode // Next Episode

“No.”

Simon’s voice was flat, unwavering, as he stood in Price’s office with arms crossed over his chest.

“Not really askin’, Ghost. You’re the only one with proper K9 handling experience.” Price leaned back in his chair, exhaling. “Besides, it’s just for a little while.”

Simon shifted, jaw tightening under his mask. He could handle elite combat missions, infiltration, and high-value targets—but this? No, just no.

Simon shifted, jaw tightening under his mask.

“You don’t get it, mate.” He huffed, rubbing a hand down his face. “I told my fiancée this morning—this morning—that we weren’t gettin’ a cat.”

Price blinked. “And?”

“And if I walk through that door with a fuckin’ dog?” Simon exhaled sharply. “M’fucked.”

Price bit back a smirk, "She wouldn't kill a spider if her life depended on it. So you'll be fine, Lt."

“Listen, he-" Price gestured to the German shepherd sitting patiently "needs a place to stay. Kennels are full, Johnny’s allergic, Gaz said somethin’ about a ‘childhood trauma involving a terrier,’ and I’m not gonna take him. You’re the only option.”

Simon pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re tellin’ me this elite task force can’t find a bloody solution other than pissin’ off my missus?”

“Pretty much.”

Simon sighed, glancing at the dog who met his gaze with an intelligent stare, tail thumping once.

Bloody hell.

Simon was not a man who often found himself sneaking around his own damn house, but there he was—six-foot-two of trained military precision—moving like a goddamn burglar through the back door, carrying a squirming German Shepherd under one arm.

The dog, newly dubbed Riley (which felt like some cruel joke the universe had played on him), panted excitedly, his tail wagging.

“Not a bloody sound,” Simon muttered, easing into the laundry room. “She’s got ears like a hawk.”

Shutting the door behind him with a quiet click. "Right. You stay here. Keep quiet,"

Simon exhaled, rubbing a hand down his face before heading into the kitchen, where he knew you’d be.

"You’re home early," you mused, glancing over your shoulder.

"Yeah."

You gave him a knowing look. "You hungry?"

He should’ve said yes, should’ve played it cool. But then—

Whine.

Simon froze.

Your brow furrowed. "What was that?"

"What was what?" Simon deflected, a little too quickly.

Another whine, followed by the unmistakable sound of nails scratching against the laundry room door.

You turned fully, eyes narrowing. "Simon…"

Shit.

Before he could stop you, you were already moving past him, yanking open the laundry room door.

And there, sitting perfectly in the middle of the room, was Riley. Tail wagging, ears up, looking far too pleased with himself.

You blinked. Then blinked again. "Is that…a dog?"

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Look, before you say anything—”

“You told me this morning,” you interrupted, “that we couldn’t get a cat.”

Simon shifted uncomfortably. “Yeah.”

“But now there’s a dog in our house.”

“…Yeah.”

"What's his name?" You questioned glancing between Simon and the dog.

"Riley.."

Your expression was priceless. "You brought home a dog named Riley?"

"Wasn’t my choice," he grumbled.

Simon exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Price made me.”

You blinked. “Price? Made you?”

Simon nodded, dead serious. “Said it was orders.”

Your lips twitched like you were holding back a laugh. “Orders? From your captain?”

He nodded again.

“Unbelievable.”

Riley, perhaps sensing the tension, trotted forward and sat at your feet, looking up at you with big, dark eyes.

“Oh, don’t try to charm me.” You muttered, scratching behind his ears.

Simon smirked under his mask. “Guess he’s stayin’, then?”

You shot him a look. “He’s staying because it’s orders.”

[loversrocktvgirl2]

Hiii Mari!!!(can I call you that?)

Ugh I have so many ideas in my brain🥲

But what about Bucky, Steve, Sam, and Tony (+anyone else you might wanna add) with an s/o who's got adhd? Not the like, "extroverted" 24/7 adhd, but where they js get random bursts of talkative adhd and stuff?

Or, another separate little idea, them with an s/o who's uncomfortable with alcohol? I feel like its a bit of an interesting concept with Tony cuz he's had plenty of moments where he's drinking in the mcu

Those are the only two I'll bother you with for now until random thouvhts come to me again<3

Please remember to take breaks, have a bite to eat, drink water, and have a nap when you need it!!!<3<3<3 appreciate you<3<3<3

(*noms you lovingly<3*)

gahhhhhhhhh I am so very sorry that it took me this long to write this (21 days is like three weeks so oopsies) but yes here it is

i did not write the alcohol prompt, i don’t have a lot of experience with alcohol honestly lol

and yeah, you can call me mari!! that’s cute as hell

my mini multiverse of madness…

ADHD Headcannons (Steve, Bucky, Sam, Tony)

word count: 0.6k+

masterlist

Steve 

Steve is a patient soul. He is a thinker and a listener first, and it’s only when he’s perfectly worded a response that he decides to speak. Everything that he does, no matter how impulsive it may seem, has had a lot of his thoughts poured into it. And when he hears you ramble, random and excited, it surprises him. And he loves listening to it. 

He is so on board for every little thing you’re into. You got super into cars and he started leaving F1 on on the TV until you started watching it and learning all about it. He’d figured you’d like it. And you ramble about it, explain every little rule and detail and decision, and Steve listens carefully, like he has all of the time in the world and nothing he’d rather be doing. 

When you move on, he’s unbothered. Next phase it is!

 Bucky 

Bucky is brooding and quiet. Also a huge literature nerd. When he gets into things, he thinks about them constantly, yet he never shares them with anybody. Then he gets to know you. And damn, it’s so fun!! You ramble and share and tell him about the things you’re into, and he gets invested. You started watching this cop show, and he’s never seen a single episode. But when he gets home from work, he expects a full recap from you, and he’s invested now. 

You eventually convince him to share more about the stuff that he’s into, so he compiles a list of a bunch of his favorite books and some things on his to be read and together, you start a two person bookclub.

You get into his books and the two of you go on tangents about what different things mean. It’s his very favorite thing. 

Sam

Sam is loud and rambunctious and playful. He shares and he listens already. But he loves it when you get going talking about something. He jokes that there’s little buzzwords that no one knows that get you rambling about something. One time, he mentioned the words “ten dollar” and you got on a rant about Hamilton. He listened very intently, very amused, for about five minutes, and then couldn’t help but chuckle.

He now has a list of buzzwords on the notes app on his phone and you cannot fight me on this.

Sam playfully teases you a bit about this, but he genuinely doesn’t mind, and he knows what you’re sensitive about and is careful to avoid that when he’s gently teasing you about things. 

Overall, though, Sam is a very sweet, funny, playful, and endearing guy and he is more than happy to listen to you rant. 

Tony

Tony, honestly? He’s the same damn way. 

You both just get very talkative randomly and you’re both extremely sarcastic. You both get very intense hyperfixations and it’s all you can think about. It drives everybody else freaking crazy because, while you do handle Tony better than anyone else on the planet, you are also shockingly alike. 

One time, Tony had the gall to ask Steve, “is that what I act like?” after you showed them your diorama of the music industry. It made Steve laugh and nod enthusiastically, “yes!” Tony chuckled, and insisted that it was much more endearing coming from you. 

When the two of you both got hyper fixated on this one specific robot model though? HOLY HELL.

Fury laughed and said, “if only I could get you two to work like that on half the S.H.I.E.L.D. missions.”

You two are adorable. 

taglist@spaceycat @vidanand @xo-cench @raikan624 @yeehawgiddyup13 @wpdarlingpan @puer-aurea

[reiniesainyo]

IN BETWEEN. charlie bushnell x reader – 02

02 | WELCOME TO NY previous | next | masterfile

SYNPOSIS. when a girl's co-star is good to her and now she wants it more than everything in between. (smau)

A/N. wow actual content who knew! i give some tidbits about rina and lukes dynamic as well for funsies (takes place at the start of the season premiere to probably episode 4-5 ish)

liked by iamcharliebushnell, walker.scobell, and 322,778 others thelnarchive best people to star in my first show with actually

walker.scobell pov: you at the end of this sentence 🤓��� ↳ thelnarchive that** ↳ leahsavajeffries destroyed him with one word that's insane

user1 she's so gorgeous it's killing me

user2 her photo dumps are so cute it's so RAHHHHH ↳ user3 thank you yn for keeping us fed

iamcharliebushnell no photo creds? thats crazy...... ↳ thelnarchive 📸: charlie bushnell  ↳ iamcharliebushnell thank you 😁

user4 she's so pretty, i would go to hell and back for her. she could be sent to the underworld and i would go and traverse the entire underworld for her and bring her back, have hades let me walk out with her only if i don't turn my back and bet you baby i'm no orpheus because you're coming home ↳ user5 this is so real but also what the fuck

dior.n.goodjohn PRETTIEST IN CAMP HALFBLOOD ↳ thelnarchive NO YOU!

iamcharliebushnell for everyone's information, she yapped for like the 2 hour makeup and hair session ↳ thelnarchive you weren't interested in the cultural impact of feminist retellings of mythology? 😔 ↳ iamcharliebushnell i didn't say i didn't listen to every bit

user6 yn ln being a yapper and charlie being a listener was not in my 2024 bingo card but it is pleasantly accepted ↳ user7 the chemistry is kind of crazy

bellie 💋 @G1LLMOREGRLS theres like less than 3 minutes of luke and rina screen time but the way they look at each other is insane. ik luke visiting rina before leaving was implied and like them him contacting her even after the attempt too i still want to see some because the potential angst is so insane 🗨 19 comments 🔁 129 retweets ❤️ 707 likes

user1 "i lost luke three times in my life." if they remove this it better be for something even more heartbreaking

user2 honestly truth i'm manifesting so hard to see some of their iris messages like i can just imagine it ↳ G1LLMOREGRLS oh my fucking god that's so true, i want to see luke begging her to come with him and then her begging him to change his mind

user3 i want the new seasons to come sooner because i trust in rick's capability to give us what we want 💳💳💳 ↳ user4 i trust in the editor's to make what rick gives us even better brah ↳ user5 what if i said lascotellan to a hozier song

user6 the show ate with levitating as the replacement for poker face in e6 so i'm expecting a tragic song for their scenes too ↳ G1LLMOREGRLS dare i say we get a scene of luke regretting his actions juxtaposed with a scene of him and rina arguing with her telling him to silver springs by fleetwood mac ↳ user6 LUKE AND RINA ARGUING OVER HIS ACTIONS TO SILVER SPRINGS. YOU'RE A FUCKING GENIUS OOMF ↳ G1LLMOREGRLS luke thinking about her constantly when he thinks abt why he shouldn't have done it is so "you'll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you"????

user7 YOU'RE SO CORRECT FOR THIS ‼️‼️ i'm so insane over them, tragic greek couple of the century

user8 i fear no one will ever beat rina saying she wanted to go to the underworld to get him back but deciding not to and letting him repent in elysium or try for reincarnation

liked by thelnarchives, dior.n.goodjohn, and 350,232 others iamcharliebushnell hanging out with the muse

thelnarchives you call me "the muse" so often i'm starting to think you don't know my first name anymore.... 🤨🤨🤨 ↳ iamcharliebushnell 😔 i would never do that to you muse ↳ thelnarchives i'm gonna start calling you traitor. ↳ user1 wat why would she call him traitor ↳ user2 oh you sweet summer child

user3 picture 3 is so cute i love her so much !!! and charlie's there too i guess

dior.n.goodjohn why are you hanging out with MY girlfriend ↳ iamcharliebushnell you snooze you lose :/

walker.scobell you owe me like 2 meals from our past bets and you keep saying your busy but obviously you're not??? ↳ iamcharliebushnell hanging out with the muse is a trip priority, man 🤷

user4 i'm obsessed with how charlie calls her muse they're so i want to Bite them. ↳ user5 he ate with the pet name

user6 that's actually me in the second photo guys

user7 WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT HER HAND PLACEMENT IN THE THIRD PHOTO??? ↳ user8 girlie's just scratching her own cat

[bronx-bomber87]

Happy Wednesday amazing readers and wonderful fandom :) Writers put themselves right back on course with this one. Returning to a balanced and all around amazing episode. End to End. It's been their thing this season and I'm happy to return to form with this one. The giving season continues to give with this episode.

I'm truly so satisfied with this season it's unreal. Once again can see why Eric said it's his favorite. Why they had the cast in such a social media lockdown about it. It's been worth every bit of waiting and hold out from the cast. We've been # 1 on Hulu every week it seems too. So I hope that trend continues this week with this ep. Makes me giddy to see us on top. Love to get some S8 news next month, but until then let us break down this gem of an ep shall we?

7x11 Speed

We start out with Lucy missing that sweet T.O. money already. Awww. I'll be honest I didn’t think about her losing her pay cause of stupid Seth. But it makes sense since she is now Rookie-less lol Heh I love her spending that extra money on self care. That’s the best. Also very Lucy to do so. It's fantastic. Proud of her for doing that. It's not an easy thing to do tbh.

I love her face as he hands her the file at the beginning of the scene btw LMAO Always say it's the little things I love between these two. *happy sigh* So much said in such a little glance between them. If you don't catch it you'll completely miss this cute exchange. Also it frees his hand up to look sexy af just hanging out on his duty belt. So thank you for your service Lucy ha

I will say her comment about her budget reminds me when she tried to get Aaron on one back in 5x14 LOL Tim telling her to just go to T.O. permanently then. I mean logically that makes sense. She would crush that test and then some. Tim knows it too. So that'll restore that extra money she is currently missing.

I knew she would be hesitant to do this because of losing focus on the Sergeant exam. Honestly I don't blame her. She was derailed a bit by T.O. in the first place. Although it did lead her to this Sergeant decision. Also training another rookie would take a lot of her time. Like to note even though Tim is giving her sass about training a new rookie, his body language shows that he is intently listening to her and I love it.

They're in their usual lock step as they make their way to roll call. Always floors me how they do that. Tim trying to find the words to describe Ridley and Lucy beats him to the punch. I mean he was that and more for her oh my lord. Was a hell of a first rookie for her. So can't say I fault her for being hesitant to dip her toe back in.

Hahahaha 'That is a horrifyingly high ratio.' LMAO It kinda is tbh. Not doing her any favors here love. Or convincing her to go back to being a T.O.... Lucy is firm in her decision to focus on Sergeant instead. That it'll just give her peace of mind instead of doing something else to detract.

Tim has to give her one last sassy comment before they part. 'Guess that means bye bye cleaning lady.' I love these two idiots so much I cannot stand it. Their banter is unrivaled. Ain't no one got what our ship does in just banter alone. Damnit I love these fools.

Look at Tim giving the same Sergeant speech Grey gave him so many moons ago in 4x02. to Lucy. Saying how she needs to learn to supervise from the sidelines. To delegate if she's wanting to be one. Look how far you’ve come my love. It's the little steps of growth that make my heart happy. Also loving the amount of scenes they’re having this early on in the ep. I knew was gonna be a good one.

Like a gift after last week's low amount and unbalanced ep. I LOVE him letting her practice being a Sergeant. To call the shots today. Like an advanced version of PCD for her. Lucy getting excited and pushing her luck like only she can do with him. Asking if that means she gets to drive? Tim sensing this and shutting it down. Naturally he wouldn’t let her drive haha Her face. So rare when he allows it. hehe These two dopes just low key flirting most of this episode.

Angela calling Tim 'Timothy' on the radio LOL Telling him not to be such an ass. I love this episode. Only two women he would allow to be that forward with him are in this convo. Lucy being wifey af rips the radio from his hands and he allows it. Cause well it's Lucy.

Of course she has a good idea. I mean selling stuff suckkkksss. Especially when it has value, but if it saves a job you love it’s worth it. Also loving all the hand touching with the back and forth of the radio. Don’t think I didn’t notice that you two...Bickering like an old married couple as they advise poor Miles.

Hahahaha look at the growth in our boy. Calling himself an ass when Lucy calls him out for his comment. Fantastic. Although I always enjoy his pot shots at Nolan LOL (Sorry John you have been much better this season) This new Tim delights me to no end every week in so many ways I cannot even tell you.

I'm a happy girl. As is Lucy. She has a smile for days for Tim this entire episode. Look at her when he says his line. Couldn't love that man more if you tried my friend. Seeing that change in him and loving it.

Oh my, Tim calling her Sergeant Chen. *fans self* That did things to me holy cow. Loved hearing him call her that. Also the confidence she is exuding when he does. Letting her lead this entire operation. Not questioning a single thing she does either. How far we have come fandom. How far we have come. Always love watching her be a friggin kick ass leader when given the chance.

Oh Lucy you are so much more of a BAMF than you ever give yourself credit for. I love how Tim doesn’t allow the pot shots at herself. Refuses to let her sit in that for even a moment. Reminds her of how she saved him back in 6x10. That SHE IS a bad ass. Making her smile with his sass. 'You're right....Totally lame.' God I love s7 Tim fandom. I can totally cross off 'Seeing a new side of Tim Bradford.' off my bingo card confidently.

Look at her smile. He did that. By building her up. Not letting a single second go by without him reminding her how amazing she is. Also Lucy you would've jumped even if there had been ten bombs. Why? Because it was Tim you were jumping to my girl. Just adore her smile after he makes his playful joke. She is melting everyone. Slowly but surely. Especially with moments like this. Keeping showing up for her babe. She is noticing and liking what she sees.

One of the best parts of the episode right here. Let us begin to dissect this glorious shop scene. Let me start with the 5x08 vibes I was getting from this scene. Some of their best moments are in a shop together. Most truthful and honest moments. Love when they have pod car eps. We always get such good scenes from it. Iconic ones.

Their body language alone is enough to make my shipper heart happy. The way they check in on each other when the other isn't looking. Gah I love these idiots in love. The heart eyes are plentiful in this scene. First off let me say I'm so glad she crushed being a Sergeant. Not at all like her detective run. No complaints from Tim. Came naturally to her. 'Ordering around people is one of your gifts.' The man isn't wrong....

'I've never heard you complain.' LOL Lucy Friggin Chen. Oh my lord The subtext in that line had my head spinning. ZERO doubt in my mind Tim ever had issues with her bossing him around. At work, In their relationship, In the bedroom... Where I am sure this flirty line stemmed from. That's just my opinion though....The flirtatious nature of that line and his devilishly happy smile right afterwards proving that IMO. ‘I don’t mind.’ Heh he sure doesn’t….This man is all giddy smiles most of this scene. Making me lightheaded with shippy joy. He is glowing in this first portion. The man couldn't be more in love with her if he tried. Or be happier to be in this light flirty place with her.

Lucy is getting flustered af with Tim's forward flirting. His smiles and not holding back at all. Letting her know he is A-OK with her flirting with him. Transparent Tim is sending her into a tailspin in the best way. It's making me insanely happy. He is just being candid with her and she is feeling it. Has no where to go but face the music in this moment. This woman just navigated a potential bus bombing as a Sergeant no sweat and it's the man to her left that is her undoing.

Once again, he is all smiles as she tries to steer her way out of this flirty situation she's put them in. His cute 'No idea.' I cannot. Also ‘Just co-workers’ my ass Lucy Chen. You will never ever be just that. Tim is enjoying this ramble so very much as she stumbles her way to her point. I think it is HUGE she is letting Tim know she’s not looking to date or has any interest in doing so. And of course he has zero himself. Man is a walking 'I love Lucy Chen' Billboard.

Has been all season and will continue to be as such. Now we all knew this. (If you didn't then this scene will help resolve that pretty quickly) Knew there was no way these two would go looking for anyone else. They are each other's endgame. But just like Tim going to therapy and working on himself. Getting the actual proof of hearing it makes it so satisfying. Just like it was in 7x07. Physically hearing them say it is literal ship crack right now. Hearing the confirmation from the both of them is EVERYTHING. We are headed in the right direction people.

Lucy continues on with her 'boundaries.' They need to have. Which they do need to have until this is truly sorted. Till they have that talk. Tim letting her know he respects them and will continue to meet her where she is at. Which he has done a masterful job of throughout the season. Never pushing her or trying to get her to talk more than she is ready to. Respecting what she wants to give him and thriving off of that. Continually showing up for her. Which has led up to this wonderful moment. Lucy reminding Tim that she still hasn’t fully forgiven him yet. As she should honestly.

That’s a deep wound he needs to remember he caused, and it remains ever-present. One he still needs to fix. That they're getting there but it's not quite healed yet. His soulful ‘I know.’ Is everything. Eric getting me right in the damn feels with it. It's very loaded with emotion and heavy. He is extremely aware he still has ground to make up with her. Penance still to be had. I love that he knows it and is telling her as such. They're being so open and vulnerable I wanna cry with this progress. Lucy’s reply is wonderful. Saying When not IF but WHEN she does. This is massive. We all knew she would get there. Because it's who she is to forgive of course.

But also she is seeing the change in Tim. How consistent it is. That it's not going away. There hasn't been an episode this season he hasn't shown that change to her. She still loves this man so much and he is slowly making his way back in. So much so that she is saying 'When' instead of If. The shift here is monumental. Her following it up with 'Maybe you can come help me study.' The subtext is unreal. It’s quite the olive branch. His smile is so cute and he is delirious with joy. He couldn't be happier with this reply. Keep putting in the work babe. This is the result. Heart eyes abound at the end oh my lord. Look at these two. Eric and Melissa convey SO much with just their heart eyes. I'm flying high.

If that final scene wasn't enough. That PROMO. OH. MY. LORD. Just coming by with flimsy excuses, just to have her way with him whenever she damn well pleases? Ok! Sign me up haha. He sure as hell is not gonna say no. Clearly. They messy and I don't hate it. Especially after that final scene. Also Lucy showing up looking like a bombshell. Holy hell. How could he say no? I mean she could show up wearing a paper bag and he would be panting after her. Let's be honest.

But legit her goal from that 5 seconds we got was to come and seduce him. I don't know what's going on or what is prompting this scene but I'm excited. Feral Caitlin is going to make an appearance if we're getting Half naked Tim in sweatpants at home. and he looks GOOOOD. Phew lord. I love this season everyone. Every week is a friggin joy. My happy place truly delivering in so many ways.

Thank you forever and always to my incredible readers. I would not be here without you. Thank you for every like, comment (seriously love chatting with you all. Come chat) and reblogs of these first impressions. You are the best. Shall see you all in 7x12 when we lose our minds over whatever is happening. Looks like it'll be a solid ep all around as well :)

~~~

Side notes-Non Chenford

Poor Miles LOL learning all his lessons the hard way ahaha Tim making his ass run for their coffee and their shop.

Always enjoy Nyla and Angela in the field. Gimme that all day in an ep I'll be happy.

Celina handled herself like a bad ass. AND got a Tim compliment in the process. He don't give those out lightly unless your name is Lucy. and even then took her some time to crack him for it. The continued growth astounds me in him.

Wes being adorable worrying about Angela. Love me some Wopez.

Oh and Monica is back least important info of the ep haha Was hoping we'd see Oscar before her but oh well. She's back I guess. Yay....

[drama-glob]

As I mentioned last week, I was going to do an anniversary post for episode 5 and 6 of "Hazbin Hotel" airing, so here you go! ^_^ This is when we officially got introduced to Lucifer and many of us instantly related to his "Take that, depression!" line. ;) I thought it was adorable though seeing him be sweet with KeeKee as well as briefly go dad-mode on Razzle and Dazzle. ;) XD Lucifer and Alastor's rivalry cracked me up and I can't wait to see it continue in Season 2. ;) XD We also got treated to some amazing songs in these two episodes like "Hell's Greatest Dad," "More Than Anything" and "You Didn't Know;" I know I listen to the first one at least once a week. ;) Yikes though to seeing Alastor remind us all how beneath his charming persona, he's still a manipulative, scary and violent Sinner who refuses to be seen as weak. O_O

Getting to see Lucifer and Charlie's relationship start to heal after years of barely seeing or even talking with each other melted my heart, and I'm so glad Lucifer is going to do what he can to support his daughter now so he's not like the angels before him that crushed his ideas. <3<3<3

The club scene had me mainly distracted by Sir Pentious being adorable and trying to get with Cherri, but Angel Dust standing up to Valentino was awesome! ^_^<3<3<3 I'm also glad Niffty got some of Valentino's neck fluff as a bit of retribution, and he better watch out so that she doesn't come for more. O_O ;) It was nice to see Husk look out for Angel Dust too and for Angel in turn to look out for Niffty when she got drunk. ^_^<3<3<3

I'm excited to explore more of Heaven in Season 2, even though I'm with Vaggie here that the place seems really bright and I know seeing Heaven benefit from humans being given free will so they could be able to have ideas and discover stuff leaves a bad taste in my mouth. :/ Also, I know most of us already assume Vaggie was an ex-exorcist, but to see how she was viscerally maimed and left behind for showing mercy was intense. O_O Meeting Emily was delightful in my opinion too and for sure Charlie is going to need all the allies she can get with Sera, Adam, Lute, and any others that think the Extermination is justifiable/necessary despite the hypocrisy it means for Heaven to allow it. :/ Her joining Charlie at the end of "You Didn't Know" was great and the court (but especially Sera) needed to hear it, even if Sera still refused to really hear them out about redemption. Adam was definitely being a petty asshole though for revealing Vaggie's secret like this. >:(

I'll do the anniversary post for episodes 7 and 8 next week, so stay tuned as Alastor would say. ;)

[kremblor]

Watching "The Vault" again has me stuck so much on the Hetty-Elias stuff. Like I paused the episode because of how it plays out (before all the wedding chaos and even then).

Just, up to this episode Hetty has a variety of lines that hints to her past. But there is like .... very little that actually speaks to Elias. No name, no big hints beyond the remove her husband's portrait line and the Halloween eps line of "wasn't your husband also your cousin?". We get the child labor stuff, the "like slept on gold rich." "We did that once", past vs present culture refs, etc but Elias is very little commentary. But even those two moments "my horrible husbands portrait" and "was your cousin" basically tells her a bit.

Then, this episode comes along, and its a "my husband must have been trying to squander away MY riches". Not his. Not theirs. But hers, she specifically specifies that he likely built the vault to steal HER riches (which again tells us a lot about the dynamic) without her seeming to mean to. Then the combination, its the anniversary she gives and she has the smallest of smiles, a shifting movement to her - its this sort of "of course it be our anniversary we were man and wife" but she's shifty and despite the facade, the need to believe her own lie .... its disproven so fast and she has to "fine try"

And like.... every single person is just there around her "like yeah this makes sense. Course her robber baron husband would try to hide away money and then use their anniversary as the .... oh wait guess he didnt" not one of them is giving skeptical looks or glances of "girl please we know". And when Elias steps out, everyone jumping back, this whole facade of behavior continues between them. Its so clear she doesn't want him there (but also like how does Elias even know its been 130 years?) but she is holding to this semi-sorta obedient behavior of "i will insult you but not completely imply that I desire your presence to no longer exist"

Then he hits on Albeta mere seconds later and its like a tonal shift happens. Every present (well besides Jay) is just watching this couple reunite without a flicker of "nah this seems wrong" until Elias moves at Alberta all sweet talk. You get Hetty's blank face, glance away from the two "really right in front of me" reaction and Alberta's "oh hell no" response (her mind likely having rhe various puzzle pieces having the missing ones slip into place right then too).

The next scene we have is Sas, Thor, Pete, and Trevor as a witness to a marital spat between the two. And that IS what it is. Hetty this episode is very much in "wife" mode. At the vault she held up a small shield but she slipped back into her dutifully wife mode (not fully but had Elias not flirted and immediately reminded her she likely would have fully). Now, im not against Hetty having support but its the way they are watched (like the ghosts observe livings as if they are a TV show to be enjoyed - even whispering in the background all "bet he asks about the maid").

Elias expresses an annoyance about being a ghost, about how he paid the church and signed a whole contract (really wonder what that contract was honestly). Hetty at this point has just been rather "listen to the rant, then move along" visage only to hear that and slip out a "was i a part of this contract or was this a one person trip?" And he gives the whole union, mob riot excuse (commentate on by their observers) and then a "i dont think I like your tone". Its this argument that gives us the "obedient wife" line and.....

At the end of it we get a "not to excuse it but like how hot was the maid?" From Trevor to which Thor and Sas give gestures of their opinions (behind Hetty's back - reminding us they witnessed this marriage as ghosts).

Like, not one ghost actually really has her back up to this point. She really has to stand their as they pull a "how hot is the maid" line AFTER also hearing that her husband had been willing to sign a contract to get into heaven but not include her. After they just learned he got locked in a vault for these behaviors and used one of his affairs as the combo.

And yeah I get it "comedy show" but Hetty is struggling and finally stood up for herself (just as small bit - there is a reason Isaac had a bit of a smile as she told Jay off in the possession episode and enjoyed herself for once) .... and the MEN around her immediately went to "how hot was the maid?" Not "Hetty you did good" she is once more hearing the words of men JUSTIFYING her husbands actions. (No amount of not to excuse/justify removes the fact its what is happening. It's a "I mean if she's hot" response to cheating)

Her facade is being chipped away at, she's being humiliated and tormented before those she had been coming to trust and rely on, and .... Elias is yet again winning. Honestly glad its the argument they have and his whole "not gonna change" thing when talking with her that got him sent to hell. She got to witness him tell her he would ALWAYS be this way - with the intent of always believe he owned her - only for the universe to go "nah we got Hetty"

[midnight1nk]

This week's episode...

[spoilers below cut]

HELL YEAH another Three and Four episode!!! Time for my live reaction:

woah we're starting out here? i seriously did not expect that. sleepy little guys :)

also don't think i didn't spot Four's cowboy hat in the corner there (yes, i know it was shown in other episodes too)

Four, why are you busting into Three's room like that? Four?

guys, I think the "dating behind the scenes" might be true

Wait, hold up he did the same pose as Three's statue

I know this whole back-and-forth about the statue being Three or Four. Personally, I think it's Three, just the textures (his beard) didn't apply, but the fact that Four did this pose for a split second... c'mon...

"are you ready to make magic?" "what am i doing in your bed?" [*presses the pause button*] ...am I in the right episode? ...Four you can't say these things... c'mon dude...

lawyer meggy hi!!!!! :D can we bring her back please?

just the way that Three looks at Four's hand when Four held his shoulder is driving me insane

"the rosemary to my bread" that is the most romantic thing I have ever heard... (well aside from "hey dud listen to me" speech from IGBP and "the sight of that man shines brilliantly in my eyes" line from AA)

and indeed you can make bread with rosemary

alright everyone, time to make some rosemary garlic bread

well from the last episode, Four did have a theory on Mario being jesus/god so.....

Three: "me? :O" sorry I just love the delivery on that, also the flushed emoji image on his face. i can somehow see Three's face underneath it idk how to describe it...

Actually uh Four, why are you so eager to do a romantic episode, huh? And also imagining Three, huh? Four, you did confirm that Three has rizz from the elevator episode. You can't deny it dude, you love him.

THEY CAN'T KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH THIS

bro Four really is a hopeless romantic my god he's just like me fr fr

i swear they drive me insane. like you can argue that it's just luke and james having fun but i do like the idea that Four is the only other person besides Eggdog who can make Three laugh and smile. And Three being the one who can make Four laugh ever so much as memes can. it just makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside :)

they're in love, your honor 💙💜

I too just fade into a room when i am needed

LET FOUR RIDE THE TEACUP RIDE

AYYYYY GAY LAWYER DADS GAME GO BRRRRRRR

we need to get my boyfriend back (yes Four totally said this)

NO THREE DON'T DROP THE SOAP

oh hi Chris and Swag!!

"And they drive off." [*the meme machine just flies straight up*]

Three: "Man.. I think... he was my dad. :("

Four [*remembers that they came out of the USBs*]: "...ok."

Nah Four, let him COOK

Four: "we're never doing this again" CAP

Congrats windr31 for being at the end credits!

👏

It's crazy that literally every SMG34 artist drew this scene, I mean how could they not. btw every one of them is so good!

Man, I really loved this episode, just some silly chaotic fun with a side of SMG34 crumbs!!

I know the SMG4 and SMG3 episodes aren't associated with the plot or anything but it's really nice to see Three keeping his promise from IGBP:

Three: "We can make another."

And they did, multiple in fact.

It's really sweet how much their relationship changed over time and I think it might come into play somehow in WOTFI. Until next time, my dear fellows, take care!

[glamorous-egoist]

Whitaker, please he’s just the best.

More under the cut for Ep. 9

Mr. Silent Heart Attack, honestly the only words out of my mouth was asshole, what a fucking dick. My girl Dana?!?! Are you serious? I hope that’s the last we’ve seen of him, but I doubt it. Dana is the best, the end.

Whitaker catching the rat and killing it? You go farm boy! I was dying of laughter because they were all amused by it, also the nurse flirting with him? Give my boy a win! A girl and clean scrubs he is on top of the world. Seriously though, I do like that he cares enough about the kraken and is willing to go out into the field. He’s probably one of my favorites with Mel, just both really well written. I hope next season we get to see that outreach team with McKay!

Speaking of McKay, she had a rough hour. Trying to get a human trafficking girl help she didn’t want, though the pen with the hotline was so smart! Then the UTI that wasn’t a UTI coming back in, I felt for her, especially with the bias mention from Collins. Which is another thing that happens, bias with heavy set people, I really like that this show is addressing that along with the POC struggle.

Also Robby tweaking his back? Ok old man (I love this old man very much, so very much affectionate). It’s either a tweaked back or a urine infection, that man has not known a moment of peace today. Two things 1) I had to go back and listen to what he said to Langdon after he walked in on him reaming Santos out because of how he appeared behind the curtain it was giving “hello there” and 2) trying to distract Collins with the rat, again a glimpse of Dr. Carter (the lawsuit wants to know my location). Also the Robby school of compartmentalizing emotions was in session briefly, sir I know why you have been having issues getting over Adamson’s death…

He was right to ream out Langdon, he’s been riding Santos hard, but also two sides to every story, I mean Santos has been out of control all day. I get it but she also keeps doing things to set people off. It’s just not kosher. Though figuring out what the MDMA patient needed was a great save, but not taking credit and how she spoke to Mohan after was odd. Also I think the drug thing with Langdon is a red herring, I just get this suspicion it’s Abbott I don’t know why… we shall see. Enough about Santos, I don’t want her redeemed, we need a bad guy of sorts.

Collins, I feel for her, I really do this is so rough. Dana and her have such a sweet relationship. Collins cares a lot which I love, just despite everything she’s still going above and beyond for her patients. Speaking of relationships, are we ever going to get what in the ever loving fuck happened between her and Robby, that banter was flirtatious as hell excuse me y’all.

Mel! First off the excitement about getting to pick gravel out of the man? Please my girl was so happy, I love it! Also her and Langdon, he’s a really good mentor to her and I love that, but also I am suspecting he may have a special needs son, because he just knows what to do. I just really really love her character and their friendship. Also not Langdon calling her his least problematic trainee, please you dork. I like the guy and his dog, not going to lie gave me a good laugh.

Speaking of Langdon, mask on or off during surgery, sent me reeling, like get her! That whole debacle in chairs was funny, I know it wasn’t supposed to be, but between poor Earl on the floor and Dana absolutely taking a shot at Philly, just great. The tooth thing freaked me out, but I’m also squeamish about teeth, this show gets too graphic sometimes.

We’re starting to see the first glimpses of issues at Pitt Fest and the cops for her incel shooter. We know it’s hinting towards mass causality for the season finale just from where is the question.

Honorable mentions this week? Javadi and Mateo girl we have all been there, Mateo not knowing how Erik Estrada is and of course Earl with his rom com quip.

I’ll miss episode 10 live, I’m traveling, but I’ll try to catch up Sunday when I get back!

See you next week!

[rafeysvenicebitch]

🔪008 masterlist

CW: fear, stalking

It was one of those quiet days that seemed to drag on forever. You found yourself on your balcony, working on a new piece of art. The paintbrush moved smoothly across the canvas, your mind lost in the rhythmic strokes as you tried to focus on something—anything other than him.

The sun had set hours ago, but the city lights below offered some kind of comfort as you painted. Still, your thoughts weren’t on the piece in front of you; they were on the strange sensation that had been creeping over you lately—an overwhelming feeling of being watched.

You tried to push it aside, but it kept nagging at you. So, you did what any normal person would do: you signed up for a Pilates class. The physical activity, the sweat, the exhaustion—it was a brief escape. You let your muscles burn, hoping they would distract you from the anxiety building up inside.

After the class, you went grocery shopping, filling your cart with the basics—nothing fancy, nothing that might draw attention. Your routine was supposed to bring normalcy, but it never lasted. No matter what you did, you couldn’t shake the thought of Rafe. It wasn’t just the constant fear; it was the strange mix of comfort and dread you felt knowing he was always so close.

Finally, you returned home. The apartment felt colder than it had been before. You put everything away, changed into something more comfortable, and curled up on the couch, trying to lose yourself in an old episode of Desperate Housewives. But the tears started, slow at first, then building into full sobs. You let it all out—everything that had been building up inside you. The fear, the confusion, the anger—it all came crashing down as the show played in the background, its ridiculous drama a stark contrast to your reality.

Rafe had heard you. He was next door, he always was, lurking in the shadows. The apartment next to yours had become his new home. His presence was suffocating, like the walls themselves were closing in on you. You knew he was listening to your tears, and a sick part of you almost wished he wasn’t.

That night, there was another note. You found it outside your door, the envelope so carefully placed. Your heart sank as you opened it and read his elegant, calculated handwriting.

“Meeting me would only scare you away. I think you’re too beautiful to be in the state you’re in. But I’ll wait for you, sweet girl. You deserve peace, and I’ll give it to you. I have no intention of violating or hurting you. You are mine, but I’ll never hurt you. If you need me, just write back and leave the note in front of your door. I’ll be watching for it.”

Your hands shook as you read the words, each sentence digging deeper into the pit of despair growing inside you. He had no intention of hurting you, he claimed, but the very fact that he was even saying that made it worse. How could he not see how twisted all of this was?

Still, you knew what he expected. He wanted you to respond. And despite every part of you wanting to tear the note up, to throw it away and forget about him for just a moment, you did the only thing you could think to do. You wrote back.

Your handwriting was messy, a clear reflection of the storm inside your head.

“You’re creepy. You need to get a grip on yourself, Rafe. What the hell do you even want from me? Why me? Why did you pick me? Some girls might get off on this, but I don’t. I’m not some helpless girl to be controlled. I’m not your toy. I don’t know what you see in me, but I’m telling you right now to stop this. I’m not afraid of you, but I am scared of what this is becoming. And frankly, I don’t want to know you anymore. Go fuck yourself.”

You folded the note, walked to your door, and left it in front of the threshold. You had done it. You had fought back, said what needed to be said. But in the back of your mind, you knew this wasn’t over. Rafe wouldn’t let it be.

You turned and walked back into your apartment, the silence heavy around you. For a moment, you felt like you had taken control, but you knew better than to believe that. You’d written your response, but Rafe always had the last word. He always did.

And so, you waited.

Taglist: @strawberries-and-lots-of-kisses @rafesbabygirlx @memoirofasparklemuff1n @sarahsangelicdoll @susanhill @slut4you @moneybaby07 @iluvblue-blog1

[imsodishy]

Take a Step That is New

another episode of Four's Company (a series on ao3)

this episode filmed in front of a live studio audience

May 1987 

The cheery chimes above the door at Dot's Dinner ting-a-ling as Steve walks in and he almost throws his stupid briefcase at it. He settles at the last minute for telling it to, “Shut the hell up,” and heads for the counter. 

“Whoa, buddy, rough day?” Robin's already saddled up on a stool, Billy’s just serving up her burger and onion rings. 

The boxy fan they’ve set up on the counter does nothing to dispel the muggy heat that’s settled over the city, just moves the humid air around. It also does nothing to improve Steve’s mood, sweltering in his stupid suit, he yanks at his tie until he can breathe again. 

Steve claims the stool next to Robin, peels off his stuffy jacket and slams it down on the teal formica counter top with zero thought for whatever grease or condiments it might find there, then he plonks his head down next to it without acknowledging Robin, and groans like a dying seal, “I hate my fucking life.” 

It’s not true, Steve likes his life. Mostly. 

What he fucking hates is his job. Which makes up… some way too big percentage of his life; 9 to 5, Monday to Friday is a big chunk of the week. The heat doesn’t help. 

Robin pat-pats his shoulder consolingly. He hears Billy huff at his dramatics before walking away from the sad spectacle of Steve’s life. Off in the corner Seymour, a grumpy old regular who basically lives at his booth, frowns. He’s always frowning at something though. Mostly at Steve, though not exclusively. Eddie earns his fair share of stink-eye. 

Robin's hand is still on Steve’s shoulder when he can sense her lean in closer and– “Don't fucking sniff me, dude!” He snaps upright, leaning as far away from her as he can without toppling off the stool. “It's so weird.” 

“Sorry! Sorry,” she says, “You seem stressed is all, and I was just checking you didn’t go crawling back to sweet lady nicotine's disgusting embrace.” 

Robin’s been rabid lately on her bid to get all three of them to quit smoking. It started with a not in the house rule, and has quickly progressed to all out war on the cancer sticks. Steve's the only one who's buckled so far. He's on an almost two month streak right now, and she's been playing hard defense to keep him on it. He draws the line at the sniffing though. That is simply unacceptable. 

Steve rolls his eyes, and grumbles, “I didn’t smoke,” God, he could really go for one right now though, “If I bring a lighter to work I’ll end up burning the building down.”  

A strawberry milkshake clonks down on the counter in front of him as Billy basically drops it like a bomb, “Oh my God. Quit! Just quit your stupid fucking job that you hate!” he explodes, “I cannot listen to your sad-sack, bitch-baby, whining about it anymore.“ 

Steve pulls his milkshake in close just in case Billy tries to confiscate it for bitch-baby behavior. “I can’t just quit,” he whines. 

Billy just rolls his eyes and doesn’t try to take Steve’s one joy away from him. “Why? Because your Dad got it for you?” 

And like, yeah, but Billy doesn’t have to be such a dickhead about it. 

Billy landed his job at Dot’s Diner like some kind of magic. Seriously, their first day in New York, they hadn’t even unpacked any of the boxes they'd schlepped into the house when Billy dusted off his hands and said, “I'm gonna get the lay of the land,” and walked out the front door. 

He came back six hours later with a job and a peanut butter milkshake. It took him a month after that to tell them where he worked, and he tells them frequently that he's regretted it everyday since he caved. They do spend a lot of time there bothering him, despite the fact he refuses to give them freebies. His boss, Sal (who reminds Steve a lot of Benny from the diner back home, if he had about two dozen extra tattoos, like they both rolled off a big, gruff, diner proprietor assembly line somewhere), is actually way more likely to sling them a free coke or some fries once in a while. 

“We could find you another job,” Robin says, as she’s been saying for months, “One that makes you at least sixty percent less arson-y, guaranteed!” 

Robin got her job at the campus bookstore through student services, (obviously not an option for Steve), although, with the first year under her belt, she's talking about looking elsewhere for employment, since the school pays them peanuts anyway, and she thinks she'll be able to balance her schedule better now on her own. 

The door chimes jangle crazily as Eddie bursts into the diner, “Outstanding news chums!” he booms, ignoring Seymour scowling in his direction. 

“Easy on the door, Munson,” Billy warns. 

Eddie shuts the door with exaggerated care, before he hustles over to the counter and hops up on the stool on Robins other side. He gives himself a drumroll, rattling all the flatware on the counter. Old Seymour’s glare intensifies. 

“I have news,” he repeats, flipping his cup right-side-up for Billy to fill with coffee he doesn’t need, upcoming nightshift at the bar or no. 

Robin takes a guess, “You talked to you boss about getting the time off for the Hawkins trip?” she doesn’t sound that hopeful. 

And for good reason. “What? No,” Eddie dismisses her with a flapping hand, “I have an audition with a band!” 

“Gasp,” Robin says flatly. The only news Eddie gets this excited about is when he's auditioning, or sitting in, or has a lead on some new band seeking a guitarist. 

Eddie, by his own account, got his so-called day job (it’s nights, bar-backing) by just hanging around the bar/music venue he frequents all the time, bothering the bartenders (and selling them weed) until one of them slapped a rag in his hand and told him to make himself useful. Which suits him just fine to fill time while he chases his music dream. 

“Look, I'm going to Hawkins either way,” Eddie tells her with a carefree shrug, “If Rosco won't give me the time off I'll just quit and get a new job when we get back.” 

“See!” Billy says, slamming the coffee pot back into it's cradle, “You see how easy that is, Harrington? You lose a job, then you get another one. C'est la fucking vie.” 

Eddie leans around Robin to look at Steve, “Oh-ho. Did the little Lord Harrington finally break free from the yuppie rat race?”  

“No,” Steve says, and slurps a big sip of his milkshake. 

Steve didn’t get his own job at all, obviously. It was already lined up for him before they even rented the moving truck. It came pre-approved for him courtesy of his father and his father’s business connections. Steve's been working there for almost a year now, but he's still not entirely clear what they do. 

It's real-estate... kind of? The company buys properties, but they do it by selling shares in the properties to other companies, then they use that money to pay construction companies to tear down those properties and build new ones on the land. Those construction companies use that money to buy steel and other building shit from Steve’s dad’s plants back in Indiana (and Michigan). Then Steve's bosses sell the whole shebang for several butt-loads of money for them and their investors to start the game all over again. 

Steve’s job largely seems to involve standing around, insuring their side of the boardroom has the most men in suits at all times, and occasionally kissing investor ass. He’s a Junior Account Associate somehow. 

It’s soul crushing. 

“Aw, cheer up, Stevie,” Eddie says, slapping him on the back, “Look on the bright side, at least you can always keep our beer fridge stocked with that fat paycheck of yours.” 

Robin does Steve the favor of smacking Eddie upside the head. 

Steve decides to change the subject, “What’s the band called, Ed?” he asks, because that’s always good for a laugh at least. 

Eddie holds his hands in front of his face like he's framing a marquee, “ God of Gore ,” he announces in a theatrical growl. 

Steve snorts to himself. Yeah, that’s good shit. 

“And,” he goes on, voice rising in pitch as he gets more hyped up, “Get this, their last guitarist up and moved to Indiana! How's that for kismet? It's fate, I tells ya!” 

“Who would willingly move to Indiana,” Billy wonders, “The whole state's a toilet.” 

Not at all bothered by the shit talking of their home state, Eddie hops down of his stool and announces, “Speaking of which, gotta drain the snake.” 

While Robin is busy grimacing at that, Eddie wiggles incredibly unsubtle eyebrows at Billy. He gets a, much more subtle, jerk of the chin back, so Eddie slips right past the bathrooms and into the kitchen, and doubtless out the back door to smoke in peace, away from Robin’s judgmental gaze. He’s made vague, placating noises at her about cutting back, but he’s just been sneaking around behind her back, with Billy as an accomplice. 

Billy might be smoking more out of spite. 

Eddie's whirlwind act really made Steve feel like the sad-sack Billy accused him of being, and he’s sick of that feeling, gets more than enough of it everyday at work.  

All the silverware rattles as he slams a decisive hand down on the counter, much to Seymour’s ire. “You know what I think would make me feel better?” Steve asks loudly and rhetorically. 

He shoves away from the counter and heads straight for the jukebox. 

“No!” Billy booms, pointing at Steve like he’s a cat on the counter. 

Steve backs slowly down the aisle, facing Billy the whole way with big, guileless eyes. “What's that?” 

“You’re still banned for Bryan Adams crimes.” Honestly, Steve’s probably got a couple bans stacked at the moment. Billy doles them out liberally.  

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Hargrove,” Steve bumps into the jukebox because he still won’t turn away from Billy’s impotent glare. It's great, his ears are going red.  

“I call the shots here,” he tries, fruitlessly. 

“No you don‘t, Sal does,” Steve snorts, “And, anyway, I am a private citizen, this is a free country! My dime is as good as anybody’s!” He's been spending too much time with Eddie. 

Billy throws a spoon at him. 

Steve cackles as he plugs the jukebox. There’s a couple beats of bassy synthesizer. 

Billy tells him, “You’re a monster,” with feeling.  

Then— “ Watching every motion in my foolish lover’s game.”  

Steve slow dances back towards the counter, swaying to the dreamy beat of the bum-bum-bum-bubums, high on the joy of being deeply annoying. He slides back onto his stool just in time to dramatically sing along to, “ Take my breath awaaaaay,” right in Billy’s face. It's gone all red now, like the cherry on Steve's shake, which he happily pops between his grinning teeth. 

“It’s not my fault Sal won’t put Mötley Crüe in there,” Steve says, munching happily on his cherry. 

Billy storms off into the kitchen. 

“Someday,” Robin muses through he mouthful of fried onions, “he’s going to feed you a floor burger, and I’m not going to stop him. This song is sincerely awful.” 

“I like it,” Steve declares. 

“Of course you do.” Robin pats his hand condescendingly. 

She swivels on her stool to face him, a concerned little furrow in her brow, and ketchup on her cheek. “Seriously though, Steve, we could find you a different job. No problem. You got the job at Family Video, and Scoops before that.” Robin got him the job at Family Video, and he only got the job at Scoops because the first guy they hired showed up to the training stoned, but it’s nice of her to say. “You don’t need to stick it out because of your dad, you don’t need his help. It’s not your only option or whatever bullshit you’re worried about. You can get a different job. And, okay, no it wouldn’t pay as much, but you'd get by.” 

Robin wasn’t Steve’s first real friend or anything like that, he wouldn’t even say she’s his first good friend . But she’s definitely his best friend. Steve lays a hand over her slightly greasy one on the counter, and furrows his brow right back at her, “But then, Robin, who would keep the beer fridge stocked?” 

She rolls her eyes and turns back to her burger, “So we'd have to bid goodbye to Daddy Beer-bucks, we'd survive.” 

They would. Robin, Billy, and Eddie are resourceful, and smart, and self-sufficient, they’d figure out a way get by, even with Steve hanging like an anchor around their necks. But Steve hates the idea of dragging them down. Actually can’t stand it. He literally gets a stomach ache if he thinks too hard about it. When he can hear future Robin, somewhere down the line, when she’s sick of his shit, saying You can’t expect us to handle every little issue for you, dingus, in his head, except sometimes the ‘dingus’ morphs into ‘darling’ and imaginary-Robin sounds disturbingly like his mother (which doesn’t help the stomach ache problem at all). So he needs to keep bringing in enough money to pay his way. 

Steve just smiles at her. 

Billy reemerges from the kitchen to make a round of his tables, giving Steve the evil eye as he goes, before settling behind the counter to concentrate on glaring at Steve despite the fact that the song is long over by now, Eddie Money is playing now. Steve raises his eyebrows at his glare, “Don’t look at me, I’m all out of dimes.” 

Robin, perhaps prompted by Mr. Money asks, “Where'd Eddie go? He’s taking forever in there.” 

Billy silently points over her shoulder to where they can clearly see Eddie’s hunched form cowering miserably under the diner's awning from the unpleasantly warm rain that’s finally broken after threatening all day. He’s sucking down smoke like his life depends on it. Must not have been enough shelter in the alley when the rain started. 

“No!” Robin shouts, much like Billy had shouted at Steve earlier, and dashes out the door, bells cheerfully chiming her exit. Eddie takes a couple more panicked puffs before Robin gets to him and he has to start playing keep away with the butt. 

Steve watches them through the window for a couple seconds like a real life version of those weird old puppet shows, “What are those puppets that–“ 

“Punch and Judy,” Billy answers the unfinished question. 

He flicks a dime that bounces off Steve's forehead and drops to the counter with a ring-a-ting-ting. “Go put on some Springsteen, Bambi,” he says, smiling at him like he’s still a sad-sack, sure, but at least he’s one Billy’s kinda fond of, then he goes to top off Seymour’s coffee down at the far end of the other end of the diner. 

For Billy alone, Seymour’s got a great big smile.

Steve has stapled his tie to his desk. Which seems like the kind of thing most people would only do by accident. Not Steve, though. No, he simply got so bored that when the thought, I wonder if I could staple my tie to this desk right now, breezed through his head he went ahead and did it. 

Turns out he could, so he added a couple more staples for no better reason than the first one. 

Steve feels like his brain is melting out his ears which is maybe half boredom, half the heat. The AC has been in and out all week, something about the grid according to maintenance. Turns out a cracked window and a fan isn’t any more effective on the 10th floor of a Manhattan office building than it is in a ground level diner in the Bronx. 

“Harrington.” All the staples explode off his tie, flying all over his little hot-box of an office, when he jerks upright as Connor Michaels walks in to his office. The guy definitely notices the staples too, judging by the shitty little smirk on his face. 

The thing about all of Steve’s coworkers is that they hate him, because he’s clearly just a doofus nepotism hire who has no business working here. They all hide it behind a veneer of polite condescension while trying to use him as a connection since his last name is Harrington, though. It’s all so pathetically exactly like high school Steve can hardly stand it. 

Connor chuckles, “Tgif, am I right? Listen, I asked Laura to pull the permits for the Hell’s Kitchen property for me, but she’s on the rag or something and flipped out at me.” 

The other thing about Steve’s coworkers is that they’re all douchebags. 

“Okay,” Steve says to avoid stapling his smug face. 

“I know she does shit like that for you all the time, so think you could work your magic?” Connor wiggles his fingers vaguely that reminds Steve of how his mom would talk about his sport’s things any time it came up. 

Laura is the only exception to the douchebag rule. She’s smart, and competent, and the only woman at Steve’s level of management. She also hates Steve, but she doesn't try to hide it. She’s got integrity about it. The only reason she helps Steve with things like permits and filings is that she knows she’s the one who will have to clean up the mess if he royally screws it. She reminds him a lot of Robin in the early days of working at Scoops, just completely unimpressed by and uninterested in his King Steve bullshit. 

Steve does frequently throw himself on her mercy, she’s the only reason he hasn’t caused any serious problems so far. Which is maybe the other reason she keeps helping him, because he unreservedly admits that it’s a joke that they’re on the same level professionally. And not a funny one. 

Steve starts sweeping the staples that landed on his desk and not the floor into a pile, “Sure,” he says to Connor, hoping that’ll get him to leave. 

No luck. Instead he tucks his hand in his pockets and settles into a slouches against Steve’s wall, “How do you manage that anyway?” he asks lightly, “You tapping that?” 

Steve rolls his eyes, “No.” 

Connor hums, “Yeah, not surprising. I bet she’s a dyke.” 

And maybe, on a different day, when Steve wasn’t already at his boiling point both figuratively and literally, he would have responded more... diplomatically.

“I quit my job,” Steve announces as he walks through the front door of his house.  

All three of his roommates turn to gape at him from the living room. 

They were all lounging around in the bare minimum of clothes required for the living room with two opposing fans pointed at them in an attempt at a cross breeze when Steve arrived home with his briefcase in a cardboard box with shockingly little else in the way of personal effects in it. He really hadn’t built up much of a presence at the office over the nearly a year he worked there. 

“What?” Robin exclaims, as she mutes the TV, “What happened?” 

“I threw a stapler at a guy’s head.” Steve answers. 

“A stapler?” Billy asks, baffled, “Why?” 

Steve shrugs, “I don’t know. I mean, I also said a lot of shit, but the stapler was probably the button on it.” Steve drops his things, steps out of his wingtips, and starts tugging at his tie as he makes his way across the room, “It wasn’t even- Like, I mean, it was business as usual, really. It wasn’t anything new, and I just... lost it.” He’s down to his undershirt and boxershorts by the time he collapses between Robin and Billy on the couch with a massive sigh like a slowly deflating raft. 

“Right on man,” Eddie says from his spot on the armchair, leaning over to slap Steve’s knee, “I bet that guy had a stapler to the face coming.” 

He really did, Steve must concede. 

“Shit, I can’t believe I quit.” 

Robin makes a questioning noise, “Did you actually quit, or did they fire you? For the stapler thing?” 

“Who gives shit,” Billy says before Steve can tell them he’s not actually sure technically, “It’s done and dusted either way. Which calls for a celebration!” 

Billy bounces up off the couch and goes to the kitchen to collect a round of beers for everyone, he’s the only one who’s foregone a shirt so far, which is unsurprising. He pops the caps of with his ring before doling out the bottles. 

 “To casting off the corporate shackles!” Eddie toasts, Billy and Robin here-hereing it. 

Steve takes a big gulp of his beer. “What the hell am I gonna do?” he wonders aloud. 

“Celebrate!” Robin says, she’s also in a t-shirt and boxershorts, which she stole from Steve a while back for loungewear, “Like the man said.” 

Steve huffs, “I meant like, longer term. The rent and stuff.” 

“Don't worry, Stevie my boy,” Eddie says, clapping him on the back, “Once we find you a real person job you'll do just fine. After all, the rest of us plebs cover our fair shares with our piddly little paychecks, right?” 

Steve, caught out, hesitates a beat too long (long enough for Billy's bullshit radar to ping), before saying, “Right. Sure. Yeah,” in a way that clearly doesn’t cover for him. 

Billy squints at him, “We have all been covering our fair share of the rent, right, Harrington?” 

Steve nods but he can’t maintain eye contact when he answers, “Right. Fair shares.” 

Robin, catching on immediately, groans, “Oh god, Steve, tell me you haven’t been doing something outstandingly stupid, like paying half the rent, this whole freaking time.” When Steve doesn’t answer right away she screeches, “Steven!” 

“Not half! I haven’t, okay?” he rushes to explain, “Just, like,” he holds up his fingers pinched so close together, “A little more, than you guys.” 

“How much more,” Billy demands through clenched teeth. 

“Well,” Steve tries to think of how best to phrase it, “Imagine we had a fifth roommate, who's rent I have also been paying.” 

“So, double,” Billy’s basically growling now, “You've been paying double what the rest of us have. This whole goddamn time!” Steve hadn’t thought of it that way, but the math does check out. He thinks. 

“And... also the utilities,” he admits reluctantly. 

“Oh, Stevie,” Eddie says, shaking his head sadly. 

“Fuck!” Billy shouts and storms off, stomping his way upstairs without anyone trying to stop him. When Billy removes himself from a situation, it’s best to let him. 

“I can probably still get the job back,” Steve offers, even though the thought makes him nauseous. He’ll eat shit if he needs to, “If I tell them I was on coke or something they might actually respect me more.” 

Eddie’s still shaking his head, but more decisively, “No way, man. We’re not letting you go crawling back to those corporate shitbags now, not a chance in hell.” 

“No other job I can get for myself is going to pay a quarter as well, though.” 

Robin backs Eddie up though, “You were miserable, Steve. None of us wants you to be miserable like that, not for any amount of money.” 

Steve still can’t just let it go, though, “But without that money- 

“There’s no need to panic, all we need is a plan. You’ve got savings, yeah? That’ll give us a cushion until you get a new job- we need to do a comprehensive household budget,” Robin says, like she’s already running numbers in her head, “We’ve been way too loosey-goosey about it, anyway.” Because they’ve been relying on Steve to smooth over any gaps. Not that they necessarily knew that. They’d just hit him up for beer and pizza sometimes and called it a Shill tax. 

“I don’t know how to do a budget,” Steve admits with an apologetic grimace. 

Eddie slings an arm over his shoulders and tries to pull him into some kind of wonky headlock while Steve resists him easily, “Don’t you fret, for you are a very lucky boy, with three wonderful roommates, whose collars are all extremely blue. We’ll show you the ropes.” 

“You know what the easiest expense to cut is?” Robin says brightly, “Cigarettes.” 

“You know what!” Eddie wheels on her, suddenly apparently at his limit on the whole smoking thing. 

Steve watches them bicker back and forth for a couple minutes. Even though it’s clear that this has been building for a while, and of course the inescapable heat doesn’t help, Steve can’t help but feel like it’s his fault for dropping a stress bomb on their heads. Or at least it feels very reminiscent of watching his parents fight about the wallpaper when what they really want to fight about is their miserable marriage. What’s the word for that? Displacement? 

Eventually he slips out, leaving Robin and Eddie to their squabbles he can’t really contribute to one way or the other and heads upstairs.

Billy's not in his room, but Steve didn’t really expect him to be. 

Halfway up the flight of stairs from the second floor to the third there's a window, and outside the window is a strip of roof, about five feet wide by ten feet long, and gently sloped, covering their porch below. Billy likes to sulk out there, especially since the weather turned, though not quite so much since it turned mean.  

Sure enough, the window is ajar and Steve can smell smoke. 

He sticks his hands out the window, palms out, he comes in peace, “I’m coming out,” he says, “Please don’t hurl me off the roof.” 

Billy doesn’t respond, but he doesn’t bite Steve’s head off either, which from him is basically an engraved invitation. 

Steve hauls himself up onto the little stretch of roof, crab walking over ‘til he can plant his butt next to Billy. Even though the sun is sinking fast the heat hasn’t broken at all. 

He snags the cigarette right out of Billy’s mouth as he settles next to him and takes a long, indulgent drag. He only grimaces a little at the taste, Billy and his fucking Marlboros. 

“Ooooh,” Billy deigns to speak to him, snatching his smoke back, “Robin's gonna be mad at you,”  

“More or less mad than when I tell her I'm not going to Hawkins this summer?” 

Billy's hand freezes with the cigarette just about back to his mouth. His lips, already parted to accept it, now just hanging slack pointlessly. “Seriously?” 

Steve shrugs, shooting for nonchalance, missing by a mile probably. “Figure I can do without getting the full rundown on what an embarrassing disappointment I am in person. I’m sure I’ll get the CliffsNotes from our answering machine anyway. Those were always more my speed.” 

He figures they'll share a laugh at that, but when he looks over Billy's not laughing. In fact, he's not even smiling, he just takes a rough drag off the cigarette and then hands it back to Steve without prompting. “If your dad leaves any blowhard message on our machine, I’m deleting them.” 

Steve’s not sure what to say to that so for a while they just pass the butt back and forth in silence until he screws up his courage to ask, "What about you? You mad at me?” with a wince, “About the rent thing.” 

“Well I’m not fucking thrilled about it, Harrington.” 

Yeah, that was obvious. 

Billy runs an agitated hand through his hair leaving his curls, already frizzy from the humidity, even more messed up. “Thought- it felt like we were making it. Doing it for real, you know? Standing on my own two feet like a man,” he scoffs to himself, “ Stupid.” 

Billy’s got a very specific tone he does when he’s quoting his dad, and Steve fucking hates it. 

“You are,” Steve insists. Billy quirks an eyebrow at him, and Steve scrambles to clarify, “Making it. Not stupid. You’re making it.” 

“Not without a heaping helping of charity apparently. I can’t-” 

“It wasn’t charity, dickhead!” Billy’s mouth snaps shut, and thank god for that, because Steve has no more interest in hearing what Neil Hargrove would have to say about his son than Billy does in suffering through phone messages from Richard Harrington. “It just made sense. I took that stupid job from my dad, and the paycheck was the only good goddamn thing about it. And you guys have all this other stuff going on. You and Robin have school, and Eddie’s trying to do his whole music thing. I mean, what the hell else was I supposed to do with all that stupidly easy money I was barely really earning? Other than use it to buy you guys food, and beer, and, yeah, pay the fucking rent!” He’s worked up a good head of steam, but he deflates immediately in the wake of his outburst, “I mean, what the hell else am I bringing to the table here?” 

Suddenly self-conscious in the silence that follows, and way too aware that he’s breathing a little heavy, Steve snatches the cigarette from Billy’s hand. Takes a huffy little puff, like someone who doesn’t know how to inhale, then takes a slower, more measured one. 

“You sell yourself short, you know,” Billy says, uncharacteristically quiet. Steve looks over at him, but Billy's not looking back, he's gazing out across their neighborhood instead. 

“Look,” he goes on, slow and awkward, “I don’t exactly know where I'd be right now, if not for you. But, I know I wouldn’t be here .” He throws his arms out wide to encompass all of New York City, and their whole life here. 

It's not like they have a spectacular view or anything, they're not up remotely high enough for that. Their sagging little strip of roof, on their rundown building, isn’t even facing the glittering Manhattan skyline. Down below them a taxi driver is shouting at a truck that’s blocking a cross street. The humidity is oppressive and the heat makes the streets stink like garbage, and it’s not like it’s any cooler in the house. 

Their whole life here? It doesn’t actually look like very much from the outside. 

Steve gets it though. 

He jostles their shoulders together, “You would have gotten out. You would have made it anyway.” 

“Yeah, maybe.” Billy plucks the cigarette out of Steve’s grasp, kills the last of it and pitches the butt to the street below. Steve watches the glowing trail of the cherry as it falls. 

“You know,” Billy says after a long stretch of mostly comfortable silence, “If you don’t go to Hawkins, you’re gonna have to let Eddie drive the beemer.” 

“Shit, I didn’t think of that.” He waves off the thought, “Can’t be helped. I need to start the job search anyway.” 

Steve thinks about that process for all of thirty seconds before he groans, “Man, my resume is gonna be so fucking weird.” Steve lists his employment record out on his fingers, “Scoops Ahoy, burned down. Family Video... I don’t think I gave notice at Family Video, I think I just left and didn’t come back. Kensington Group Limited, assaulted a co-worker with stationary.” 

“Well, if all else fails, you know Eddie would love to fake some references for you,” Billy says, “Bet he’ll do voices and everything.” 

“Just what I need. A reference from Gondelf.” 

Billy snorts a laughs, “It’s Gandalf, you know it’s Gandalf.” He’s right, Steve knows that, because Eddie never shuts up about that book. 

“Mmm, pretty sure it’s Gondelf. I mean, he’s an elf, right?” Billy just rolls his eyes but he’s smiling, and listing a little towards Steve. 

“Billy,” Steve speaks softly, earnestly. Billy hums back a question, “Would you... get me a job at the diner?” 

Billy explodes with laughter, “Fuck no!” 

“C’mon,” he wheedles, through his own laughter, “We can commute together! Sal loves you. Be a pal, put in a good word for me!” 

Billy punches him in the shoulder, “Sure, I’ll tell him you’re a chronic masturbator and that I’ve never seen you wash your hands.” 

“Thanks, buddy. I really appreciate that.” 

Billy grabs the shoulder of Steve’s shirt and rattles him around a bit like a dog with a squeaky toy, “I’m going to shove you off this roof,” he threatens through laughter. 

They lapse into giggly silence and then just silent silence. Billy keeps his grip on Steve’s shirt like he’s worried he might actually go toppling over the edge after all if Billy doesn’t keep a tight hold. 

Or maybe he’s just forgotten that his hand is there. 

“Hey,” Steve says after a while, just to get Billy to look him in the eye, “We’re gonna be fine,” he reassures him once he has. 

Billy’s undivided attention is always intense, eyes like blue lasers locked on to a target. It used to freak Steve out in high school, but he’s gotten used to it. It’s just how Billy is. Sharp like that. 

Sharp enough that he reads Steve like a goddamn book and knows that as much as Steve really was trying to reassure him, he was also, maybe just a bit, fishing for reassurance too. 

“We’re gonna be fine,” Billy parrots. 

They stare at each other, probably for too long, sitting in a little loop of comforting and being comforted. And Steve, he believes it. They’re gonna be fine. 

They have each other.

[stephreviews]

Steph's Weekly Watchlist (Feb. 10)

QL Dramas - Currently Airing

1. Perfect 10 Liners (17/24)

This week's episode was so tooth-rottingly sweet with Yotha and Gun, and it set us up for Faifa and Wine next episode. But what the hell was that resolution with their mom?? The way a lot of these shows handle the parents is honestly insane. I will forgive it because the rest of the show has been so good. I can't wait for Faifa and Wine to start. I enjoyed them a lot in Cherry Magic, although I felt like there was something missing.

2. The Boy Next World (7/10)

Phu's little pajamas are just the cuuuuuutest. I've been trying to figure out what it is I like about this drama. And tbh it's not really the story. The story is very similar to many other BL's: set in college, small age gap, older top, cute younger bottom, rich guy with controlling parents who threaten his partner to leave him, big lie at the beginning that starts the conflict.

No, what makes me love the show is how natural the relationship between Cir and Phu is, and how natural the friendships are. The natural affection between them, the sex, the communication. Phu's friends aren't immediately okay with Cir just because he's hot! Phu and Cir talk about boners! They have sex that isn't penetrative! What a wild concept!

3. The Heart Killers (Finale!)

WHY DID THEY GO TO CAPTAIN CHRIST FOR HELP! JUST KILL HER GOD DAMN IT! SHE DESERVED TO DIE. Ughhhhh. What is this "no more killing"??? Okay but the preview for the finale is hilarious. I expect nothing less of Style than to commit a crime just to snuggle with Fadel. My man is unhinged.

QL Dramas - Catching Up

1. Eternal Butler (airing: 8/12, me: 5/12)

I was doing SO WELL with this drama. It's so cute! I never actually watched Anti-Reset, and I feel like I should now. The plot's not anything groundbreaking, but their chemistry is so good and it's so fun. And DAMN they are both so hot.

2. ThamePo (airing: 10/13, me: 5/13)

Again, I was doing SO WELL....the holidays really messed up some of my drama watching 🤣. This show is just such an amazing slow burn, and William and Est are doing it so well. And I am a sucker for the rare good slow burn.

QL Dramas - Other

1. Heart Stain (airing: 3 & 4/8, me: 1/8)

The premise of this looks weird, idk how I feel about one of them having a crush on his teacher, but I will always support BXB Hamin in anything he does so I'm watching it. If you haven't listened to BXB, I recommend their song planet!

2. Ossan's Love TH (airing: 6/12, me: 1/12)

I was so sad when EarthMix didn't have a show last year (I'm an OG ATOTS fan) - so I was really excited to see them have a show this year, especially one where Earth finally gets to be a silly character.

3. Affair the Series (GL) (completed, me: 6/8)

For various reasons, I haven't watched that many of the GL series out there. Mostly for lack of knowledge of when they were airing or how to watch them. Recently, I sought many of them out, trying to make a list for @darthhafsa 's and my lesbian Wednesdays.

We decided to start with Affair. The chemistry is astounding, the kisses to die for, and we both want to murder Ek. To quote my wife, "Please jump off a bridge, dude."

4. Love Sea (completed, me: 6/10)

Why did I not watch this when it aired? Great question. I, too, would like to know. In the meantime, the plot of this drama is honestly sending me. Peat playing a spoiled rich boy who "buys" Fort? Amazing. No notes.

Other Dramas

1. My Sweet Mobster 🇰🇷 (completed, me: 5/16)

This is an old one I accidentally dropped a while ago. I wanted to wait until it finished, and then I forgot about it....oops. Time to finish it!

2. Melody of Golden Age 🇨🇳 (completed, me: 40/40)

See my full review here. This show was dramatic from start to finish, but I loved it. The best part? Just when I thought the FL was going to back off and let the ML "fix" things without communicating, she bites back! Remember kids: if your husband tries to divorce you for your own good without telling you why, stab him and sign the divorce papers in his blood!

[poraphia]

First of all, I love your writing! Your style is amazing and your writing is the standard I aim for. Could you do a Wilbur x female reader where Wilbur and y/n are having a long distance relationship and y/n is having a very depressive, unhealthy episode so Wilbur decides to visit her while he’s on tour? You don’t have to do this if there are any problems with my request, thank you :)

"Don’t Tell My Boyfriend"

wilbur x depressed!reader 1355 words • 8.27.23 Decided to combine requests :) @ax-y10 requested something with the lyric "Don't tell my boyfriend, its not what he's made for" and then there's anon! Who was in fact super sweet I remember verbally aww'ing when I saw this in my inbox so thank you so much!! I hope you guys enjoy :) this is super unedited and I'm super sorry! Just trying to get back into writing again Wilbur soot masterlist here &lt;-

"Don't tell my boyfriend. It's not what he's made for. What was I made for?"

♡♡♡

I love my boyfriend, I really do.

“(y/n), are you sure you don’t want to come to tomorrow night’s gig? We haven’t seen each other in so long, and I miss you so much..”

“I know, honey, it’s just I’m so caught up with work and I don’t know if I’ll have the energy to even come. I’m really sorry.”

But there are some lies here and there I have to slip out.

Wilbur sighed on the other side of the phone. I buried myself deeper into my pillow, hiding from the world with thick duvet covers.

“Okay, well… I’m getting off the plane right now. I guess I’ll call you tonight or something. I don’t know.” His words were laced with hurt and a sense of betrayal. I clenched my jaw to prevent the sobs aching in my throat.

“Y-Yeah, I’ll see you. I love you.” I mumbled.

“Love you too.” With that, he clicked off of the call. I dropped my phone onto the floor of my bedroom, sitting up to look around the mess of the room I’ve chosen to sulk in. It hasn’t been a good few days, or rather, weeks, recently. I lost my job, the appetite to even eat, to get up and go outside, hell, I don’t even remember the color of my carpet floor since it’s just a layer of clothes I’ve yet to wash.

Wilbur has been too busy on tour for us to regularly call and check in on each other, so it’s been better to keep quiet about what I’ve been going through. The last thing I wanted was for him to be all worried about me when he was supposed to be out there living his dreams as a famous musician playing for countries of many. Recently, he’s been touring in my country and he just landed near my hometown. For months we talked about seeing each other again, and how the distance has been treating us poorly. It ruined our sleep schedules sometimes, but it was all worth it just to spend a few hours together.

I clutched my pillows tightly, burying my face from the world around me. I disappointed Wilbur yet again. Just last month we were fantasizing about this moment.

“I wish I could spend a week in your hometown, love!” He sighed dreamily as he spun around his office chair. I giggled, working on an assignment while listening to the man rant.

“Oh, yeah? What’s so exciting about my hometown?” I asked. I glanced up to look at his webcam, as he stared with ecstatic eyes.

“Well, you, of course. But I wanna see where you grew up, the people, what kind of food you ate— The history! Oh my god, especially the history.” He exclaimed. I shook my head, amused by his antics.

“You’re adorable,” I mumbled.

“Hm?” He hummed, but it was obvious that he heard me with that slick smile.

“You know you are, you cheeky bitch.”

I squeezed my eyes shut as I let the tears stain my pillowcase, letting the sobs agonizingly echo throughout my apartment. I had no energy, not even to love and support my boyfriend. Nothing made me more than feel like the biggest disappointment in his life. Slowly, I drifted to sleep with only the thoughts of Wilbur me shunning me after this occupying my mind. How the next time we’ll see each others faces, he’ll only have his eyebrows knitted closely together while avoiding all eye contact, fidgeting with his hands as he talked.

I’ve ruined this relationship, and I’m scared that I may ruin him too.

I was woken up by the sound of my door creaking open. Immediately I jumped up, clutching my blankets tight to my chest. I backed up against my bed’s headboard as I tried to make out the tall figure standing at my doorway. As my vision started to refocus, I noticed the familiar pattern of curls on the top of the figure’s head.

“W-Wilbur?” I meekly croaked.

The figure stepped forward. I turned to the side to turn on my lamp, and once I turned back around I finally saw his face. His gorgeous, gorgeous face here in front of me. He wore a puffy sweater with a button up underneath. His hair was a mess, and since he’s been traveling for a while he had a slight stuble. But was most noticable was that face of concern. That face that screamed “Oh my god, are you okay?” That face that looked around my room, and most likely my apartment, to see just how much of a mess I truly was.

“(y/n), oh sweetheart, I’m sorry I scared you…” He said, speaking softly as he cupped my cheeks. I placed my hands over his, staring deep into those forest brown eyes.

“I-I…” I was speechless. “H-How did you get in..?” I asked, tilting my head a little. I felt the tears welling up in my eyes as they darted across the room. My embarassing state was finally revealed in person, and I felt nothing but shame.

“Remember when we were in call one time and you told me about that spare key you kept in the plant in front of your door?” He explained. He quickly took a hand away from my face to show the key. “I remember…” He smiled.

Fuck, that smile.

That damn smile.

I threw my arms around his neck, holding him tightly as I sobbed into his neck. His hands found themselves around my waist, holding me as close as I can as I let out weeks worth of pain in his embrace.

“It’s okay, (y/n), I got you, I got you I promise…” He whispered softly in my ear,

“I’m sorry—” I choked out. “—I’m so fucking sorry…”

“Why are you sorry, darling?” Wilbur asked. “There’s no reason to be sorry, I promise, sweetheart.” His sweet words pulled on my heartstrings like a puppeteer.

“I-I kept secrets from you. I shouldn’t have, but I didn’t want you to worry. I didn’t know how you would take it…”

“My sweet girl..” He mumbled. He gently pulled himself off of me, examining my face such as my dark eyebags and chapped lips. “How about this, love. I get a warm bath started for you, and while you relax in the bath I’ll clean up your apartment then we can order food to eat together while watching your favorite show. How does that sound? Does that sound good?”

His features were soften and glowing under the warm light illuminating his face. I gave one more look around the room again. Dishes were scattered everywhere and pens and books were everywhere on my desk.

“You’re gonna clean my place..? That’ll take a while, and I don’t want you to be tired for your concert tomomrrow.” I worried. He shook his head.

“That’s not important to me. What’s more important is seeing you well taken care of. That’s what matters to me sweetheart. I could have a concert tonight and I would still drop it all for you.”

As if heaven sent me an angel, he gave me a smile almost as beautiful as Aphrodite’s as my heart ran marathons for the man before me. My hands that were behind his head twirled at his hair strands.

“Promise me, baby?” I asked gently.

“How about I show you instead?”

And with that, he picked me up bridal style, twirling me around before crashing his soft pink lips against mine. I hugged him as tight as my strength could muster, smiling into the kiss.

Despite some arguments in my brain, in the end I could really understand one thing about Wilbur.

This is what he was made for.

♡♡♡

a / n ~ I’m really sorry I’ve been slacking lately. I’m in college now! In the meantime, I’m gonna close requests for now until I feel ready again. Thank you sm for the support!

[storm-angel989]

Outside The Office Part Twelve

Hi All! Trigger warning for Valentino, adverse reactions and Lucifer being himself. As always, feedback is welcomed and appreciated!

The next thing I knew, Valentino’s hand was pressed against my forehead, and another on my shoulder. I opened my eyes and looked up at him, involuntarily breaking out into a smile. The man truly had the most handsome face, especially when it was doused with love. 

“Come on, Princessa. You can’t sleep yet.  You need food, and then a nap. In that order.” He said gently as he shook my shoulder. 

On the coffee table, he set a plate of sandwiches, several bags of chips, two bottles of sweet sixteen and a plate of cookies just close enough for both of us to reach. He sat down next to me and I leaned into him. He nudged me gently until I reached across and chose one of the sandwiches. Valentino gave me a look and I nibbled on my choice of lunch.  Across from us, Vox and Velvette had their plates and Vox began flipping through the television channels. 

“When is that episode due to air?” I asked between bites. 

“Bright and early tomorrow morning,” Vox answered. “Which means tomorrow night we need to go out on the town and get back into that routine of being seen. As long as you can stand it, of course. ” 

“Back to the routine of being seen, hmm? Can’t say I disagree with the idea.” Lucifer’s voice boomed from behind. 

All four of us jumped. Lucifer grinned and opened his arms. “Hello hello!” 

“Twice in one day? Uncle Lucy, what gives us the pleasure of your company?” I asked, trying to bite back the sarcasm that threatened to drip with each word. 

He bent over and plucked a sandwich from the plate on the table and shrugged. “What, I can’t visit my favorite niece for lunch?” He laughed at his own joke. “No, but really. I came because I saw the tape Vox sent over. It’s perfect darling, honestly. Couldn’t have done better if I wrote the script myself.” He took another bite, chewed and swallowed before he continued, “I took a little field trip based on what Valentino and Velvette told me about your remaining injuries. Hell’s medicine can’t fix everything, but I think what I have in my bag will speed up the remainder of the process.” 

He opened his suit jacket and pulled out an orange bottle, shaking it. I could hear the pills rattle and I began to raise my objection. 

He shook his head before I could protest. “Listen to me. I know you’re not a fan of medication that makes your head fuzzy, but believe me when I tell you by tomorrow night you’re going to need to be at the top of your game. These pills get swallowed on a full tummy. Do you understand? Full tummy. Otherwise you’ll spend the night puking your guts out instead of getting better.” He paused. “I would have offered them earlier, but they’re incredibly strong, sweetheart. And they will make you high. If it wasn’t so damn important that I drop this news tomorrow morning I would push it off. But I can’t, and there isn’t a fucking thing I can do about it. So please, even though I know you hate the idea, or maybe the actual process of being high, take these for your Uncle Lucy, so I know that when you walk out that door tomorrow night you are fully ready to handle whatever comes at you.”

I hesitated. I saw his oint, but the idea of taking something to quell the pain left a solid distaste in my mouth. And quite honestly, I had never experienced any sort of high- the closest I got to losing control was drinking too much. In the angelic realm, painkillers that did that were reserved for the utmost emergencies, of which I had experienced none. At least, none I could remember. The soreness in my muscles, the offer of relief along with the desire to be able to protect myself was tempting. But I couldn’t. I could push through the pain, right? No need to take anything to speed up the process- I would heal on my own. 

Sensing my uncertainty, Valentino leaned into me, dropping his voice to almost a whisper. “Princessa. The sooner you heal up, the sooner I can show you…all of the things we’ve talked about the past few days.”

As if magic, the butterflies returned and my hesitation vanished. Lucifer narrowed his eyes at Valentino and opened his mouth as if to say something. I quickly cut him off.

“Alright. I mean, if it makes you feel better Uncle Lucy. But this is an exception to the rule, not the norm. Got it?” 

His expression relaxed. “Ah. Good choice dear. Valentino, will you step out to the kitchen with me while she finishes her lunch?” He looked down at me. “I cannot stress enough that your stomach needs food in it before you can take this medication. Eat as much as you can, alright?” 

Lucifer slung his arm around Valentino. “Come now, good man. We need to talk.”

I looked at Vox and Velvette. Vox shook his head and turned up the television volume, making it impossible to make out what was being discussed. I listened for any sound I could discern from the kitchen as I finished my sandwich and, with Lucifer’s warning in mind, grabbed a cookie and one of the bags of chips on the table. I had swallowed the last bite and taken a few sips of Sweet Sixteen when Lucifer and Valentino walked out of the kitchen, both thankfully in one piece. 

“What was that about?” I asked worriedly. 

Lucifer stood behind me and leaned on the back of the couch. “Nothing to worry your pretty little head about,” he said, patting my hair. “Did you eat?”

“Vox and Vel as my witnesses, I had had a sandwich, a cookie, and a bag of chips,” I answered, the uneasiness washing over me.  “Is that enough? I’m nervous, Lucifer.”

He did a double take at my admission. “Totally natural to be nervous, sweetheart, but I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you,” he assured me, and then gave Valentino a look. “I promise you, this is your best choice at the moment.”

 Valentino grinned at Lucifer, but didn’t respond. Instead, he draped his arm around me and pulled me to him, kissing the top of my head. 

“Val, what did he say to you?” I asked, nudging him.

“If I told you, Lucifer would probably kill me,” he answered lightly.  “Really. Don’t worry about it, it's between us and has nothing to do with you.”

“Alright then, let's do this,” Lucifer tapped my shoulder as he spoke. “Hold out your hand.”

I did as he directed, and two bright orange capsules dropped into my outstretched palm. 

“Here. Put these in your mouth and swallow. Drink the rest of the Sweet Sixteen with them,” Lucifer said. 

I did as he instructed, and when I finished the bottle, Lucifer leaned over the couch. “Now open up, so I know they’re safely in your tummy.”

I rolled my eyes but leaned back and opened my mouth and lifted my tongue as he requested. While I didn’t expect him to ask me to prove I had swallowed them, but it wasn't totally unusual in my world. Or should I say, my former world. The doctors at the military base required us to do the same with any medication they dispensed. 

He frowned. “It concerns me on so many levels that you knew exactly what I was asking you to do. And compiled without so much as a hesitation.  But regardless, atta girl. They should kick in in about…twenty minutes or so. Let me know how you feel when you wake up tomorrow afternoon.”

“You mean tomorrow morning, right?” 

And with that he vanished and I looked to Valentino, fear crackling through my chest.

 “What’s about to happen to me?”

He wrapped his arms around me and brought me to his chest. “Nothing that will last forever, my love. And I’m right here to get you through it. I know you’re scared, but we’re here. We are all here.” He looked at Vox and Velvette. “Right?”

“Absolutely. We’ll work from home for the rest of the day too. Just in case you need anything.” Velvette said, yawning and cuddling into Vox.

I snuggled into Valentino and he took the final bite of his lunch before lifting me up and cradling me to him. Once he was finished, he carried me down the hallway to his bedroom. 

“How about a warm shower before the medication kicks in?” He suggested, setting me down on the bathroom counter as he turned on the water.  “Or if they do kick in, I’ll be there to hold onto you so nothing awful happens.”

“That sounds lovely,” I answered, kicking off my heels so they fell onto the floor. “I feel exhausted. And every inch of me hurts.” 

“Mmm, I can help with that, princessa,” he muttered, reaching under my dress and yanking down my pantyhose with practiced ease. “We have a few minutes until the water warms up, how about we have some fun while we wait?” 

Every part of me wanted him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he ran his hand down my back. Involuntarily, I yelped from the pain and he recoiled instantly, and concern washed over his features. 

“Or not. Princessa. You hurt that badly? Why did you keep that from me?” He asked with frustration. He paused for a moment and took a deep breath. “See, princessa? I am frustrated that you didn't communicate with me.  I communicated that frustration to you. Therefore that frustration isn’t festering into anger. And you know how I feel. Keep that in mind as you start to explore all the things that come with your power. Communication helps to  keep emotion in check.” He bent down and kissed my forehead. “ It’s the key to other things as well, but we can discuss that once the pain subsides. Come on, the warm water will help.”

I jumped down from the counter and I swore I could feel the pills knocking around in my belly. Or maybe it was the nervousness of what was to come. Valentino took my hand and we stepped inside, sinking us both beneath the streams of water. I breathed a sigh of relief as the pain slowly eased up, laying my head against his bare chest. Even over the sound of the water, I could hear his heartbeat thundering under my ear, taking in every single moment of that soothing sound as I let the water wash away the discomfort. 

And then it hit me, fast and sudden. The pain was gone, vanished as quickly as it had been present.  I felt my entire body relax, leaning my weight against him. I held onto him just the slightest bit tighter and  I swore I heard his heartbeat grow louder. 

“What’s happening? Why is there so much…” Is what I tried to say, but to my ears it came out garbled and broken. 

An amused smile broke out across Valentino’s face. “Princessa? Have you ever been high before?”

Confusion ripped through my brain like wildfire as any thought I had disappeared. I desperately tried to bring myself back to focus. “No, that isn’t right. It’s…it's…why does the world seem so, not real?”

I felt him laugh under me, a steady movement. “Ah, princessa. My sweetheart. Come now. Let’s go get you dressed and in bed.” 

The next thing I knew my head was on his chest, wrapped up in the softest blankets I had ever touched. I felt his hand on my back and the loud click of his laptop keys as he continued to work. It sounded too loud, but I couldn’t bring myself to care enough to ask him to stop. Not a single part of my body hurt. I felt like I was floating. All my worries, my fears seemed far away, too far for me to grasp. It felt unnatural and wrong that for the first time in my life, I just didn’t care about, well, anything. 

I didn’t like it. 

I tried to reach for Valentino, tried to tell him about this feeling. I tried, but I couldn’t make out the words I wanted. 

 “Shush. Babydoll. It’s alright, I’m here.” Valentino answered soothingly. “Go back to sleep. I know, mi amor. But you’re safe, I promise. 

I felt his lips press against my forehead and I closed my eyes, allowing the darkness to consume me once again. 

Dreams turned into nightmares as around me, monsters flew. Dark shapes cornered me time and time again as I did everything in my power to fight them away, fight for my own survival.  I felt Val shaking me gently and I startled awake for the briefest of moments. The terrors of my nightmares faded away slowly before resurging, again and again. I would escape and they would come back, yanking me back into the abyss. Somehow, I was vaguely aware of his hand on my wrist. 

“Sweetheart, wake up, it's okay, it's just a bad dream,” he muttered gently as he shook me. “Babydoll, come on. Wake up.” 

I tried to sit up, the need to sleep washing over me as I leaned into him, closing my eyes again as the darkness flooded my brain. 

Just a few more minutes, Val, I thought. I didn’t have the energy to speak even if I wanted to. 

“Come on babe, you’ve slept long enough. It’s time to get up.” 

My voice barely registered the urgency in his voice. I felt his hands lift me up and carry me to the couch, propping my body upright against him. 

“I can’t leave you by yourself like this,” he muttered, running his hands through my hair. “Come on babydoll. Wake up for me.”

“Val, go do what you have to do. We’ll keep an eye on her, get something in her when she wakes up more,”  Vox said. “She isn’t in any shape to join you. She’s safe here, with us. 

Somehow, Valentino was now next to Vox and I was propped up against a pile of pillows. I opened my eyes just a touch and the entire room spun, the walls a shade of purple I couldn't piece together. 

Velvette looked up at me and did a double take. Or at least, I thought she did. Honestly, was that Velvette? I couldn’t tell. I closed my eyes and put my head back against the pillows, letting the darkness consume me once again. 

This time I was being chased, my father’s face in front of me. He swirled into his angelic form- wings broad as he vanished behind a raging sea of blackness. I tried to scream as I fell in the opposite direction, sure every bone had shattered when I landed. Instead, I found myself in a raging sea, fighting against the waves as I struggled to swim. I sank, down, down, down…

How much time passed, I couldn’t tell. The next thing I registered was the TV shaped face looking at me as he shook me for reasons I couldn’t quite piece together. I startled awake, looking at him in confusion. Why was Vox trying to wake me up? Around me, the room spun, and I couldn’t remember exactly where I was or how I had gotten there. 

Vox leaned over and brushed the hair out of my eyes. “Come on babe, I brought you soup. Lucifer said you’ve got to eat.” His arm fell to my waist and he hoisted me upright. “Come on, babycakes.” He handed me a spoon and set a mug on the coffee table in front of me. 

I stared at him and then at the spoon, trying desperately to remember what he had said, and  what in the world a spoon was used for. Velvette’s face appeared next to me and Vox shook his head, knelt down and waved his hand in front of my face. 

“I honestly can’t tell if it's like a bad acid trip, or if she’s stoned out of her mind,” He said with concern. “We should probably wait for Valentino if she’s this fucked up. He should be back any moment now. I wonder if I can get her attention on the TV, try to keep her awake? Otherwise, I’m out of ideas.”

“Worth a shot,” I heard Velvette say. 

I watched the black screen on the wall flicker with pretty lights, unable to make sense of them, but somewhere in my brain I felt a happy buzz. I drifted between the pretty lights and the blackness, unable to fight when either one overtook my thoughts. 

It could have been minutes, or hours later when Valentino sat next to me. My brain felt ever so slightly less fuzzy, and I couldn’t feel any pain. Or anything at all, really. Valentino wrapped my hand around a plastic cup and ever so gently, he guided the straw to my mouth. 

“Drink, babydoll. That’s it. Good girl.” 

I tried to think about what he was doing and slowly, slowly, I tasted the liquid on my tongue. 

“My brain is fuzzy.” I tried to say, but it didn’t quite come out right. 

Nonetheless, he seemed to understand. I saw him turn to Vox and Velvette. “If she were anyone else, this might be cute. Refreshing to see someone so easily put under the influence.” He ran his hand through my hair. “But honey, this isn’t a good look on you.” 

I felt the cup leave my hand and around me the room began to swirl, only this time much, much faster. 

“Yeah, I think I’m going to call Lucifer and make sure this is…right.” I heard Valentino say. 

Valentino’s voice sounded very far away, and I wondered why he sounded so nervous. Wasn’t he used to this? After all, he told me himself he was the top drug lord in Hell. The thought quickly vacated my mind and I vaguely felt his hand brush against my neck before the darkness yanked me down once again. 

Flashes of the next few hours, trying to fight against the restraints that held me down. A prick in my arm, and Lucifer’s voice echoing around me. I couldn’t tell what was real and what wasn’t as the medication overtook me. Fighting monsters both invisible and real. I watched as a faceless angel plunged towards Valentino, carrying him off to someplace I couldn’t reach him. Velvette and Vox in pieces, and Lucifer on his knees, kneeling over a graveyard of white and yellow souls. I yelled, and yelled but no one I could recognize would make it stop. Finally, finally the blackness shaded into gray, and then white. 

I sat up, my heart pounding and my body covered in sweat. The crook of my arm had the telltale tape and gauze and I looked around the room frantically as the haze drifted away, leaving a crystal clear image of my bedroom. Next to the bed, Lucifer sat, thumbing through a book. His eyes lit up when I sat up. 

“Finally, the princess awakens.” 

Valentino stirred next to me and sat up at the sound of my voice. “Princessa. You’re awake.” Relief flooded his tone and he gingerly ran his hand through my hair before pulling me to him. 

Lucifer yawned, and stuck a post it note in the middle of his book before it vanished. “So glad you’re alive. There were a few moments where I wasn’t sure that would be the outcome of this whole ordeal. Tell me, how much do you remember and how do you feel? Any pain?”

I stretched my body slowly. Stiff, as though I had been sleeping for way too long definitely, but no pain.  I tried to think back, willing my brain to pull out some sort of solid core memory of anything that happened since I swallowed the medication. All that came to mind was blackness, pain, fear and another emotion, one that cracked and crushed my chest and rendered me unable to breathe. I remembered Valentino’s voice somewhere far away and Lucifer’s eyes hovering over me. 

“I don’t know what that was, but I never, ever want to go through that again. How long was I out for?” I asked.

Lucifer smiled, “At ah. My questions first. How much do you remember, and how do you feel? Any pain?” 

I looked at Valentino and he nodded, his face awash with worry. 

“Just blackness, emotions. And not ones I’m eager to feel again, anytime soon. And flashes of you and Val. No pain, but I’m really stiff. I think with a hot shower and some stretching I’ll be back to normal. Now answer my question- how long was I out for?” 

Lucifer checked his watch. “Well let’s see. The medication hit your belly at about three oh five yesterday afternoon and it is now almost four in the afternoon today. I’m no math wiz but I would say you were on and off for about twenty five hours.” His tone faded from its usual lighthearted banter to something more serious. “But honestly, how do you feel? You had a much, much worse reaction than I expected.”

“I feel fine. Honestly, it's the best I’ve felt since the start of this whole thing. Why do you both look like I’m going to die any second?”

“Because at one point, I thought you were.” Lucifer said simply, leaning over and planting a kiss on my forehead. “And I cannot tell you how glad I am that I was wrong.” He looked at Valentino begrudgingly, “thankfully, Valentino knows a thing or two about…adverse reactions. He got you through most of it, even though I’m sure you don’t remember.” 

I picked at the tape on my arm and Valentino reached over, and gently tugged it off. “No need for that anymore. I gave you fluids about six hours ago, but you were thrashing and fighting so badly you ripped the IV out.” He leaned in and kissed me, cupping my chin. “Princessa, I have never been more scared in my life. I never want to see you like that again.”

“Neither do I. So let’s do our best to ensure that doesn’t happen.” Lucifer added as he stood up. “Now that you’re awake, the first order of business is for you to eat. And then when you’re cleaned up and full, go see Velvette. You four have a busy night ahead. And don’t worry- I have eyes on all.” He paused and looked at me, “glad you’re okay, love. You really did frighten me for a moment.”

And with that he vanished.